not what will be the fate of his manuscripts after his decease. His partial heirs may think proper, not to commit them to the flames, but to print them, to the injury of the public, or of his own reputation. It is by the want of this care, that the good name of an author, who on the whole is entitled to esteem, may be tarnished. For the sermons, which he may have put together without any view of obtaining fame by them, but entirely for the edification of the congregation of Christians, to whom they were delivered, have been injudiciously brought to light when the writer of them was no more; and after the public has applauded them for a while, a critic, more acute than benevolent, has at length announced to the world, that the praise which has been bestowed is misapplied, for that the pretended author is a plagiary: in consequence of which the unfortunate compiler or imitator has lost the greatest part of the credit, which he had obtained by his genuine productions."

"It will perhaps appear from observations which have been made, that though it may be easy to write many sermons, yet that it is very difficult to produce a good, or an original sermon. From a just view of the imperfection of the human understanding the hearer will learn candor, and the preacher humility. If, in the course of his life, he has the happiness of being able to produce one original work, which illustrates an important doctrine of Christianity, or adds a new motive to the practice of the duties of religion, he has not lived in vain. But if this favor is denied him, as it probably will be, because it is bestowed on few, he should not murmur against Heaven: God will send light upon the earth, though not by him, yet by means of other men: he should be content, therefore, to walk in the paths which they mark out, to borrow the thoughts which they originate, and to preach what they preach."

CHARACTER OF DR. BELLAMY, AS A PREACHER.

The following account of Dr. Bellamy, is from Rev. Dr. Trumbull's History of Connecticut.

"Dr. Bellamy was a large and well built man, of a commanding appearance; had a smooth, strong voice, and could fill the largest house without any unnatural elevation. He possessed a truly great mind, generally preached without notes, had some great point of doctrine commonly to establish, and would keep close to his point until he had sufficiently illustrated it; then, in his ingenious, close, and pungent manner, he would make the application. When he felt well, and was animated by a large and attentive audience, he would preach incomparably. Though he paid little attention to language, yet when he became warm and was filled with his subject, he would, from the native vigor of his soul, produce the most commanding strokes of eloquence, making his audience alive. There is nothing to be found in his writings, though a sound and great divine, equal to what was to be seen and heard in his preaching. His pulpit talents exceeded all his other gifts. It is difficult for who never heard him, to form a just idea of the force and beauty of his preaching.

any man,

:

"While I was an undergraduate at New Haven, the Doctor preached a lecture for Mr. Bird. At the time appointed, there was a full house. The Doctor prayed and sang; then rose before a great assembly, apparently full of expectation, and read, Deut. xxvii. 26, "Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them and all the people shall say, Amen." The number and appearance of the people animated the preacher, and he instantly presented them with a view of the twelve tribes of Israel assembled on Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim, according to the divine appointment, and the audience were made to hear the Levites distinctly reading the curses, and all the thousands of Jacob repeating them, uttering aloud their approving Amen. Twelve times, says the Doctor, it goes, round, round all the camp of Israel, Cursed be the man who committeth this or the other iniquity. Nay, round it goes, through all the thousands of God's chosen people, Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them and all the people shall say, Amen. By universal consent, (the approving Amen of all the congregation of Israel,) he who did not yield a cheerful and universal obedience to the whole law, was cursed. From this striking and general view of the subject, the Doctor observed, that it was the ancient doctrine of the church, which God took great pains to teach them, that every sin deserved the eternal curse and damnation of God or that the wages of every sin was death. Having, from a variety of views, established this leading point; that all parties might be treated fairly, he brought the objector on to the stage, to remonstrate against the doctrine he had advanced. When he had offered nis objections, Gabriel was brought down to show him the futility of his objections, and the presumption and impiety of making them against the divine law and government. They were clearly answered, and the opponent was triumphantly swept from the stage. The argument gained strength and beauty through the whole progress. The deductions were solemn and important: The absolute need of an atonement, that sin might be pardoned, or one of the human race saved the impossibility of justification by the deeds of the law: the immaculate holiness and justice of God in the damnation of sinners. They were stripped naked, and their only hope and safety appeared to be an immediate flight to the city of refuge. The truths of the Gospel were established, and God was glorified. No man was more thoroughly set for the defence of the Gospel."

NOTICES.

It was observed in a Note, p. 199 of this volume, that we had been informed that "the Christian Examiner, after completing the volume for 1828, was to cease; or to be transformed into something of a more pacific character." Since the above was printed, the new work has made its appearance, with the title of "Christian Examiner and General Review;" (not Theological Review, as before ;) "New Series, No. 1." Of the character of it, we are not yet prepared to speak.-The number of the old Christian Examiner for November and December, is not yet published.

Our patrons will be happy to learn that we have at present on hand a great number of original articles-some of them very valuable-which we are intending to publish as fast as our pages will admit. While our correspondents are entitled to our grateful acknowl edgements, and are earnestly requested to continue their favors, they must not impute blame to us, if they do not always find their articles published as early as they anticipated. The present number contains four pages more than our conditions specify. The number for January contained eight additional pages. Were our list of subscribers so enlarged as to cover the increased expense, we should be happy to increase permanently the size of our work.

Application of the Doctrine to different parts of Scripture.-Perfection of the Bible.

THAT all Scripture is given by inspiration of God, is a doctrine, indescribably precious to every Christian, and in the highest degree important to the interests of the world. And it is a doctrine which must be happy or dreadful in its consequences, to all who enjoy the light of revelation.

In order to guard against hurtful mistakes relative to this doctrine, and to give the contemplation of it the most salutary influence, it is important that we should well consider the particular manner in which it is to be applied to different parts of Scripture. This is one of the few remaining points to which I shall invite the reader's attention.

No one can be so absurd as to suppose that the speeches of uninspired men, recorded in Scripture as historical facts, were themselves originally dictated by the Holy Spirit. The object of the sacred volume requires, that it should record the speeches of wicked men, as well as of good men; and the speeches of good men who were not inspired, as well as of those who were inspired. For example, it was important that the Evangelists, in their history of the Saviour, should relate the cavils, reproaches, and false accusations, which his enemies uttered against him. But who ever imagined that his enemies were prompted to utter these by the Holy Spirit? The Evangelists have recorded the words which Peter used in denying his Lord. But who ever imagined that he was prompted to utter those rash and sinful words by the influence of the Spirit? When we say, the Scriptures are divinely inspired, our meaning is, that the divine Spirit guided the writers. Whether those persons whose words are recorded, were inspired or not, must, in every case, be determined by the records themselves. In some instances they evidently were inspired; in other inMAY, 1829.

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stances they were not. But whatever may have been the case with those whose words are recorded, our doctrine is, that those who made the record were under infallible divine guidance. If they undertook to record historical facts, they were enabled to do it with perfect historical truth, and to extend their record to just such a length, and to give it just such a form, as was suited to the design which God had in view. If they undertook to teach the doctrines of religion, or to announce divine commands, promises, or predictions; they were enabled to do it infallibly. And if they undertook to give instruction by parables, allegories, or symbolical representations; the Spirit of God enabled them to make use of such parables, allegories, or symbols, as were adapted to the end in view.

To make this matter as plain as possible, I shall refer to a few examples.

I begin with the book of Job. Though we have many reasons to believe, that the account which the writer gives of the conversation between Job and his three friends had substantial fact for its basis; yet it would be unreasonable to suppose, that a conversation actually took place in Hebrew poetry, just such as is here recorded. The case does not require anything like this. The object of the writer was not to relate simple historical facts, but to exhibit just views of the character and government of God, and to expose and correct the various misconceptions of men on that subject. Our doctrine is, that the divine Spirit so guided the writer, that the representations he made in this familiar poetic dialogue, are well adapted to give the instruction intended, as to the righteousness and majesty of God, the errors of men, and other related subjects. When therefore we read a particular passage, containing an expression of Job, or of his wife, or of one of his friends; we are not to infer from the circumstance of the writer's inspiration, that the particular expression referred to, was conformed to truth, or that the person who originally uttered it was divinely inspired, any more than we are to infer from the inspiration of the Evangelists, that the various charges which they declare to have been brought against Christ were conformed to truth. In every such case, our business is to discover what was the design of the writer, or the design of God, in what was written. The inspiration of a writer implies, that the instruction which he communicates is true. The author of the Book of Job wished to show, how a good man may be affected by long-continued afflictions; what mistakes he may make in judging of the divine administration; what impatience he may indulge; what a wrong construction others may put upon the conduct of God towards him; what gracious methods God may take to instruct and humble him; and how happy, in the end, is the effect of divine chastisements on the man who is upright in heart, and who enjoys divine teaching. The Holy Spirit prompt

ed the writer to aim at these important ends, and, with a view to their accomplishment, to write a sacred poem, consisting chiefly of a dialogue between Job and his three friends, and of a solemn address to Job from the Creator and Sovereign of the world. The inspired writer was enabled to frame such a dialogue, and such an address from God, as should be agreeable to nature and truth, and convey with clearness and force, the most important knowledge respecting God and man. This is what I mean, when I say, the Book of Job was divinely inspired.

As another example, take the Proverbs of Solomon. God saw it to be necessary to the highest improvement of men, that they should have, for constant use, a collection of maxims, or wise practical sayings, resulting from observation and experience. This was one of the modes of instruction, which God judged to be important to our welfare. He therefore moved and assisted Solomon to write a book of Proverbs, the greater part of which were probably suggested by his own experience, though some of them were doubtless in common use before. But in whatever way he became furnished with these maxims of divine truth, he selected and wrote them under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

As to the Prophets, the nature of the subject shows, that the Spirit of God not only guided them in committing their predictions to writing, but in a supernatural way made them acquainted with those events to which their predictions related.

In short, whether the writer was a prophet, a historian, or a teacher in any other form, the divine Spirit assisted him to perform his work ;-that assistance always having been adapted to the nature and circumstances of what the writer was to execute.

Another point, to which I would invite the reader's attention is the perfection of the Bible. This clearly results from the doctrine of inspiration as above explained.

I speak not now of an abstract, or absolute perfection, but of a relative perfection which has relation to the ends of revelation. It would be impious to suppose that a book written by inspiration of God, is not perfectly adapted to the purposes for which it was designed. We may indeed frame an idea of a kind of perfection, which does not belong to the Bible. And we may in like manner, frame an idea of a kind of perfection which does not belong to what God has done in creation. We may imagine that it would be a perfection in the scheme of his works, if houses, and carriages, and clothing, and all the instruments which can be necessary or useful to man, and all the books fitted to promote his improvement, were produced, as the trees of the forest are, according to the laws of the natural world, and without any concurrence of human agency. But is it true, that it would be a real perfection in the natural world, if houses, and carriages, and clothing, and instruments, and books were all produced spontaneously from the earth, like the trees of