method of proceeding are often extremely unhappy. Some are puffed up, by becoming objects of so much unexpected attention and conversation. Others are revolted, and, perhaps, deeply disgusted, at being addressed by so many on the subject of their exercises, and by some, it may be, very injudiciously. While a third class, whose impressions are slight and transient, are mortified at being held up to view as awakened persons, and afterwards lying under the odium of having gone back; and, possibly in some cases, so much mortified, as to withdraw from those individuals and opportunities, which might have been essentially useful. Besides all this, it has often happened, that the number of serious persons who have immediately clustered around an individual thus publicly announced as under religious impressions, has been so great, and their talents, knowledge, experience, and capacity for giving sound instruction so extremely various, that they have perplexed, confounded, and most unhappily retarded, the object of their well-meant attention, instead of really helping him. With almost as much propriety might a physician of the body, when he found a patient ill of a dubious discasc, throw open his apartment to every intruder, and invite every medical practitioner within twenty miles of him, however discordant their theories, to come in and prescribe at pleasure for the sufferer.pp. 155, 156. birth" that a person whose anxiety on the subject of religion is very great, "has been roughly handled, but is likely to be brought through;-that such another, "has been happily brought through," that so many, in a certain place, are “brought under conviction,” and so many "have obtained hopes," &c.-p. 161. Some of the phrases used in relation to revivals are beautiful in themselves, but are become objectionable both on account of their great triteness, and their acquired technicality. Thus the expression, "showers of divine grace" is a beautiful allusion to a shower of rain falling on a reviving field, but it has in a great measure lost its figurative character, by its perpetual use to designate a revival. But some of these expressions are absolutely intolerable. For instance, several quoted by Dr. M. are, to use his own words, "expressive of the appearance of a plague or pestilence, [or conflagration] rather than of a rich blessing." "Visiting" is next in order in the volume. The following sug gestions may be valuable to some in regard to their pastoral visits. Never go to a house, without having, if possible, something interesting to communicate; an appropriate little tract, for more than one member of the family; an instructive, pointed anec dote to repeat from one of the periodicals of the preceding week; some popthe minds of the children and youth of ular, precious maxims to impress on the household; or a notice of some recent publication, of a valuable and pleasing character. The truth is, were ministers as intent on winning the hearts of all the domestic circles which they enter, as the active man of the world is to promote his object wherever he goes, they would enter no dwelling without being received with that smile of pleasure which indicates the most respectful and cordial welcome. pp. 176, 177. To be welcome in his visits, a minister must carry with him both instruction and entertainment. Or dinary neighbours may fill up an interview with common-place remarks, but more is looked for from him, both as a minister and as a man of cultivation. The humblest family will expect to be profited, and delight to be profited, by the superior intelligence of their minister. The next three chapters, occupying about a hundred pages, or more than a fifth part of the volume, relate to habits in the Seminary." As these have, for the most part, no practical interest beyond the Seminary, they might have been omitted with advantage to the work, considering it as intended for general use. There is however occasionally a passage, which is of general interest to the ministry. Such is the following. Be a close student through life. It is as wonderful as it is humiliating, how entirely habits of study are abandoned by many clerical men, almost as soon as what may be called their initiatory course is closed. From that time, they seem to think it sufficient, if they read and think enough, each week, to address their people twice from the pulpit, on the sabbath, in a common-place way. Thenceforward they make no solid addition to their stock of knowledge. Their minds become lean and inactive. Instead of causing "their profiting to appear unto all," every time they enter the sacred desk, they become more and more jejune and uninteresting. With the habit they loose all taste for study. Their leisure hours are spent in worldly cares, or in gossipping, rather than among their books. pp. 266, 267. The consequence is that by and by" the world is all before them." They are going from place to place seeking a resettlement, and complaining of the degeneracy of the age. True, the age is degenerate in respect to the relation between minister and people. The time was, in some parts of our land especially, when the dissolution of that connexion was as great a violence to the habits of the people as the dissolving of the marriage bond. It was a kind of higher species of divorce. Now, however, a minister may be dismissed from a thousand frivolous causes. Yet it may be always well for him to reflect how far himself may have been the cause of his own removal. If he have given himself intently to his ministry, he may then leave an unreasonable congregation with some degree of comfort. But if he have been indolent as a minister of the word, however diligent in other things;-if he have spent those hours which should have been sacredly given to study, in tilling his patch of ground, or in cultivating his fruit-trees, or even in domestic school-keeping, or in any other employment which was not necessary to his health or his support, he should not lay the blame of his removal wholly at the door of a dissatisfied people. We complain of the habits of the age, but if while the age has grown degenerate it has outgrown our attainments, the age has not less cause of complaint against us than we against the age. Moderate attaininents in some instances, are to be attributed to pecuniary want. A poor clergyman has not the means of purchasing books, perhaps not even a few, and is at the same time compelled to resort to some secular employment as a subsidiary means of support. Others are oppressed with uncommon domestic afflictions and cares. But in most cases of poverty of intellect, it is to be laid to the account of mental inactivity. "Much study is a weariness of the flesh." Thought is painful, and books are dull. To such we would take the liberty to recommend a tract of Dr. Macgill: we allude to his Considerations addressed to Clergymen, a work which is worthy to lie familiarly on every minister's table. The chapter on "Indolence," they cannot possibly read with too much attention. The remaining chapters of the volume embrace the following subjects; namely, "Habits in the pulpit, and in the house of God," "Conduct in church judicatories," then the important subjects of "Female society, marriage &c.,' which young men will be more likely to read than profit by,"Dress-style of living-pecuniary concerns," and finally, Miscellaneous counsels." These subjects, with the numerous divisions of the author, might furnish us with texts for many pages more of desultory commentary, but we shall not continue it farther. Respecting the merits of this book different opinions, probably, will be entertained. Some will lay it down with the feeling that the author has gone altogether into too much minuteness and particularity, -that some of his topics were too "offensive" to admit of being dwelt upon, and many others too obviously matters of common sense to require grave counsel. Others perhaps may think the work unneeded, the world being already furnished with excellent works of the kind. With neither of these classes should we agree entirely. In respect to other works, we had indeed a number of much value, and some which cannot be superseded by any that will follow them. Burnet's Pastoral Care is rich in valuable sentiments; Baxter's Reformed Pastor, Watt's Rules of Ministerial Conduct, and Doddridge on the Evil of Neglecting Souls, possess the characteristic excellence of their authors; and Macgill's Considerations leave nothing to be added on the particular topics which he handles: we have, besides some valuable collections in "Preacher's Manuals" and " Minister's Companions." None of these tracts, however, nor all of them together, embrace the whole field of Dr. Miller's book. His own view of the need of such a book he gives us in his introduction. "The application of Christian principle to the various departments of social intercourse, in all their interesting and delicate details; in other words, the code of what may be called Christian morals, has been less happily illustrated and enforced by books than any other part of Christian truth or duty. In its leading outlines, indeed, it has been often and well exhibited: but the task of minutely filling up what the Scriptures have so divinely sketched, has never yet, unless I greatly mistake, been satisfactorily performed." With the other class of critics, who will object to the minuteness of the author, and the unnecessary expansion of some disagreeable topics, as well as of matters of common sense, we partially agree. We think there is too great minuteness in the book, and that a number of its topics might have been passed over, or despatched with a passing remark, instead of being severally made the subjects of a formal paragraph. Yet, after all, considering the great variety of characters which the author had in view, the work may meet with individuals to whom its most particular suggestions will not be superfluous; for there are those, from whose apprehension matters of common sense seem to lie as remote as the abstrusest speculations, and within whose observation the manners of their own country appear to fall as little as those of the "celestial empire." Who does not notice, every day, offences against the plainest dictates of propriety. Such persons require minute suggestions, and common-sense maxims: a less degree of plainness would fail to profit them. Hints are lost upon the obtuse, and it is only to the "wise" that a word is sufficient. Viewing the work in this light, the objection we are considering is diminished; who make it will, we think, be the and the first impression of those least favorable. LITERARY AND PHILOSOPHICAL INTELLIGENCE. Methodist or Baptist writers, according as their papers shall best answer the avowed purposes of the publication. Theological Department of Yale Collect from Presbyterian or Episcopal, lege. We are gratified to learn that Prof. Gibbs has made arrangements, which will enable him to resume his labours in this Department, at the commencement of the term in October next.-A distinguished Teacher of Elocution from England (Dr. Barber) who has taught for some years with great success in Philadelphia and elsewhere, has, likewise, made arrangements for commencing a regular course in this branch of instruction at the same time. The present number of students in this institution, is between thirty and forty; about one third of whom have recently received licence from the Eastern Association of New-Haven County. E. Littell, of Philadelphia, has issued proposals for publishing a monthly paper, entitled "Religious Magazine, or Spirit of the Foreign Theological Journals and Reviews." The following extracts from the prospectus of the publisher, will show the plan of the work. "Such a Journal it is proposed to form by selections of the best articles from the various religious magazines and reviews of Europe. These are now numerous, and we have made such arrangements as will enable us to receive an extensive collection of them, without regard to denomination, at the earliest possible period. With this view no labor or expense will be spared. These selections will be carefully made, with a reference solely to the merit of the papers, and their tendency to advance the interests of pure evangelical religion. No article which can afford grounds of offence to any orthodox Protestant denomination, will at any time be admitted. The general principles of the Christian Observer may be referred to as a standard by which we shall be guided. It is however, distinctly stated, that we will not attempt to make the publication subservient to the purposes of any particular denomination. We shall seVOL. I.-No. IX. 63 A wide field of religious intelligence will be open to us, and we shall faithfully collect from it what is most important, and present it in a form as much condensed as propriety will permit. Each monthly number of our work will contain three or four times as much matter as the Christian Observer, and will be printed in a style of great neatness. The early numbers will be adorned with engravings which are now preparing expressly for the work; and if its success enable us to do so, we shall continue to present a plate with every number. The expenses will be great, but we look to the religious public generally for a cordial support in our important enterprise." The Terms are six dollars a year, if paid in advance. Seven dollars and a half, if not in advance. Bangor Theological Seminary.-At a late meeting of the Board of Trus tees of this Institution, some impor tant alterations were made in the course of study heretofore pursued, by which this seminary assumes the form of the other Theological Seminaries in our country.-The resolutions adopted were, 1st. That the regular course of study for members of this Institution shall be a three years course of Theological study-comprising Biblical Literature, Systematic Theology, Pastoral Duties, and Sacred Rhetoric. 2ndly.—That for the present there shall be two Instructers, one of whom shall instruct in Systematic Theology and Pastoral Duties, and the other, in Biblical Literature and Sacred Rhetoric. 3dly. That in order to make suitable provision for persons desirous of receiving the benefits of this institution who may not have received a col legiate education, an additional Instructer shall be appointed, and appropriations, when needed, shall be made from the funds, to assist such persons in the necessary preparatory studies." Mr. Geo. E. Adams, late of the Andover Theological Seminary, and classical Instructer in this Institution the past year, is elected Professor of Biblical Literature and Sacred Rhetoric; and measures are taken to procure an Instructer in the literary department. New German Periodical.--The orthodox literati of Germany are about to establish a periodical Journal called the" Evangelische Kirchenzeitung" to be published at Berlin, and edited by Professor Hongstenberg of that place. It is to contain critical notices, essays, and religious intelligence, and some hundred and fifty individuals are pledg ed to support it. The English and American department is assigned to Professor Tholuck of Halle. Professor Robinson, through whom we have received a proposal to exchange with this work, remarks, “I cannot help regarding its establishment as very auspicious to the cause of evangelical religion in Germany. It will bring the orthodox to act together upon the public; and besides, if the diffusion of religious intelligence is found so powerful a means of good in our land, we may hope, under God, for some similar effect here, where as yet scarcely any thing of the kind is known,-I mean in this part of Germa ny, for in the South, the Missionary Journal, published at Basle, has a wide circulation." NEW PUBLICATIONS. RELIGIOUS. Sermons for Children; preached at St. Paul's chapel to the Scholars belonging to the New-York Protestant Episcopal Sunday School Society, April 18, 1827. By the Rev. C. R. Duffie, Rector of St. Thomas' church, New-York. Published by the Society. Masonry inseparable from Religion; a Sermon preached before the Grand Lodge of Maryland, at the Ordination of Ashler Lodge, No. 35, etc. on the 4th July, 1827. By the Rev. Charles Williams, A. M. Grand Chaplain, &c. Ecclesiastical Peace Recommended. A Discourse delivered before the Annual Convention of Congregational Ministers of Massachusetts, in Boston, May 18, 1827. By Abiel Abbot, D. D. Boston. Bowles and Dearborn. 12 mo. pp. 20. The History and Mystery of Methodist Episcopacy, or a Glance at “the Institutions of the Church as we received them from our Fathers." Sermons on Various Subjects; chief ly Practical. By Samuel P. Williams. With a Sketch of his Life and Character. The Bible a Code of Laws; a Sermon by Lyman Beecher D. D. A new edition. Andover. Mark Newman. 8vo. pp. 43. A Sermon on the Divinity of Christ. By the Rev. Aaron B. Church, Dennissville, Me. Andover. A Discourse on the Way to Promote a Revival of Religion. By Thomas H. Skinner. Philadelphia. A Summary of the Principal Evidences of the Truth and Divine Origin of the Christian Revelation, designed chiefly for Young Persons. An Address, delivered by request, to the Citizens of Norwich, July 4, 1827. By Samuel Nott, D. D. MISCELLANEOUS. The American Journal of Science and Arts. Conducted by Benjamin Silliman, M. D. LL. D. Professor of Chemistry, Mineralogy &c. in Yale College. Vol. XIII. No. I.-September, 1827. On the loftiest, and most important branch of all Sciences; an Oration pronounced before the two Literary Societies of Rutgers College, N. J. at their third anniversary, July 16, 1827. By William Craig Brownlee, D. D. One of the Pastors of the Collegiate Reformed Dutch church in the city of New-York. |