brought on prematurely by sin, and always embittered by it. 3. The nature of these regrets dreadful, unavailing.

us,

From this last part of the discourse (p. 260) we select our extract:- What is this dying grief always and invariably unavailing? I answer, We are to describe things according to their natural and common course, and not according to occasional and very unusual exceptions; and in the case before Are not exceptions very unasual? Do not meu commonly die as they live? and, with regard to those dying regrets to which so many look forward as a final refuge, and from which so many instantaneous saints are furnished for our magazine - calendars, what de gree of dependence is to be placed upon them? In reply to this, let the following remarks be examined :

The first regards the Scripture. There we find one, and only one, called at this hour. it was the dying thief. He implored and obtained inercy when the heaven was covered with blackness, and the earth trembled, and the rocks rent, and the graves were opened, and a suffering Saviour would crown the prodigies of nature with a miracle of grace: a case, in all its circumstances, so amazingly peculiar, that were not men intaiuated by 'sin, it could never be drawn into a precedent..

The second is derived from observation. We have often attended persons on what was deemed their dying bed we have heard their prayers and their professions; we have seen their distress and their relief; and had they died, we should have presumed on their salvation. But we have never known one of these who, on recovery, lived so as to prove the reality of his conversion. We have often asked ministers concerning the same case; and they have been compelled to make the same awful declaration.

in time are curable, by becoming inveterate, are rendered desperate. But there is no desperate case here you are ready to say, With God all things are possible. His grace is almighty.' Acknowledged: and you shall have all the encou ragements derivable from a miracle of grace. But what probability is there, that an extraordinary dispensation of grace will be adopted, atter all the ordinary means of salvation have been despised and neglected-and despised and neglected too, in hope of this!

In this, or in any instance we are sorry to differ from our respected coadjutor Mr. Jay; but as we are in the habit of inserting Obituaries in our Magazine Calendars,' and consider them as forming an important part of our work, we beg leave to offer an apology for the publication of some which Mr. Jay, aud perhaps others of our friends, would have suppressed. 1. We insert no Obituaries on anonymous authority generally they come from ministers who attend the parties in dying circumstances, and whom we consider responsible for the truth of the respective narratives they communicate. 2. The death-bed conversions recorded by us are very few; not amounting to one in a thousand, or in ten thousand, of those who die. 3. The result of our personal observations is different from that of Mr. Jay. We have known instances of persons becoming totally different characters, in consequence of convictions received during a fit of illness; and that there are many such in the records of the church, we believe cannot be denied. 4. Affliction is one of the means of conversion stated in the word of God: it was. so to Manasseh, in particular. 5. The converted thief is therefore not the only character in the Scriptures introduced to encourage dy ing penitents. The prodigal did not apply to his father till reduced to the last extremity; and our Lord represents the good husbandman as dispensing equal rewards to those labourers who entered his vineyard, at the first and at the eleventh hour. Lastly, Because many, and perhaps far the greater

part of those who recover from illness, under the circumstances supposed, relapse to sin and to the world, it by no means follows that this would have been the case with those who appear to die penitent, if they had been spared. May not the Lord often, in mercy to their weakness, take such to himself, thereby to rescue them from the evils to come?-from the temptations their faith was too weak to endure?

After all, we commend the motive of our author's jealousy, and wish some ministers had more of it; at the same time, we would guard against the opposite extreme. We are equally unwilling to close the door of hope' before death shuts it, as to open the flood gates to licentiousness and presumption. If Mr. Jay chuses to call such conversions miraculous, it can only be as they are effects beyond the reach of nature, and require the same hand which made the world: and is not this true as respects conver

sion in general? God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.' 2 Cor. iv. 6.

Notwithstanding these remarks, which are not meant to detract from the general merit of the discourses, we cordially recommend the volume before us; and esteem all Mr. Jay's works so highly, as to regret exceedingly that any of them should be suffered to reinain out of print, as we understand has been long the case with the first volume of his sermons.

zealously engaged in promoting the study of the sacred originals. Among these we noticed, in our Magazine for March last, Mr. Boothroyd's Bib'in Hebraica, with critical notes and various readings, which, we have the satisfaction to state, has proceeded to the end of the Pentateuch. Many students, however, preferring to read the Hebrew with the points, an edition was also wanted for their use; and Mr. Valpy and Mr. Jacob intimated their design of a new edition of Vander Hooght's celebrated Bible; Mr. Frey, however, having previously issued proposals for the same work, and being in a considerable degree of forwardness, those gentlemen have politely declined in Mr. Frey's favour; and his work in consequence has proceeded to the Third Number, which compres hends part of Deuteronomy, and is regularly progressing every two months, and to be completed in Twelve Numbers.

The high estimation of Vander Hooght's Bible among the learned is well known; and the present edition is stated to be an exact copy, except that a great number of errors of the press have been discovered and corrected. As to the correctness of the present work, it cannot be supposed that we have minutely examined the whole; but so far as we have been able to proceed, we see no reason to question the great care and attention which the editor professes to have paid to the work.

The Transactions of the Missionary Society, No. XXIII. Price 18.

AMONG the favourable signs of the present day must surely be enumerated the activity of the religious world in diffusing the knowledge of the Scriptures; and that in a variety of ways. While some are exerting themselves to translate the sacred Word into every language, and distribute it in every country uader heaven, others are no less

The first pages of this number are occupied by an extract from the last journal of that valuable Missionary at Vizigapatam, Mr. Desgranges, with an account of his death, and a sketch of his character. He had just finished the translation of St. Luke's gospel into the Telinga language, and had seat it off to Calcutta, where it is now printing,

not been in the least hindered in our work from any external causes, save the mournful circumstances above mentioned. Indeed, there appears no hindrance whatever in the way of prudent, discreet, Missionary exertions, except the want of labourers to carry them on; and they are greatly wanted indeed. O thou great Lord of the harvest, speedily send forth a numerous host of thy faithful servants into this land of Pagan darkness and death!' We sincerely hope this prayer will be answered; but let our intelligent readers remember, that if this be done, the supporters of the Missionary Cause must at least double their contributions. At the moment this is written, we are informed that the Society is, notwithstanding considerable receipts this year, in debt to the Treasurer eleven hundred pounds. Surely, all the ministers of Christ throughout England will exert themselves to replenish the sacred fund devoted to so great and good a work! Labourers do offer their services; but a great sum is necessary for their conveyance and support.

Mr. Hands, who is at Bellary, also cries for help. O that some kind brother wonld come over and help

me!'

The death of Mr. Brain, at Rangoon, is recorded in this Number, page 369, and is a very affecting providence; and has induced (with many other circumstances) bis surviving brother, Mr. Pritchett, to quit that station and join the Missionaries in India.

Mr. Ringeltaube's journal shews. that he is among a multitude of persons who lend an open ear to instruction; but he appears to be

wisely on his guard against those who are disposed to follow Christ only for the loaves and fishes. Many would become Christians if thereby they could be free from

the public services; but Mr. R. lets them all know that the gospel does not release them from their civil duties. His account of one of the Syrian churches which he visited, is curious. We are sorry to find they are so superstitious. The Sytian Christians appear to have resided more than 1000 years in the country; yet have done little in converting the heathen. Mr. R. has baptized, in his several congregations, 422 persons, including

children.

1. Divine Revelation variously communicated: a Sermon from Heb. i. 1, 2, before the Ministers and Messengers of the Churches belonging to the Baptist Board in London, April 25th, 1811; and published at their request. By John Ryland, D. D. Price 1s. 3. The Harmony of the Divine Perfections in the work of Redemption: a Sermon before the Ministers and Messengers of the Baptist Churches belonging to the Western Association, held at Portsea, June 6th, 1811; and published at their request. By John Ryland, D. D. 1s.

.

THE first of these sermons is an introduction to a series of lectures for the present year, all founded on the Epistle to the He

It

brews. It was preached by Dr. Ryland, on account of the indisposition of the minister whose turn it was to preach on the occasion. contains a brief but instructive review of sundry times and divers manners' in which God spake unto the fathers, leading on to the gospel dispensation under which he hath spoken unto us by his Son.. It discovers an intimate acquaintance with the history of divine revelation, and is calculated to reCommend attention to it, at a time when unexampled efforts are making to spread it through the earth. In the second, the author is still more at home in his subject. There is here a considerable portion of mature and interesting thought, especially on the obstructions which truth and righteousness must have placed in the way of mercy to the guilty, and on their removal by the death and mediation of Christ. -It has been recommended to the author, by one of his most intimate friends, to write and publish a treatise on the harmony of the gospel, with the moral character and government of God. The reason of the recommendation is said to have been, that he appeared to be much conversant with this view of the gospel, and to have his heart much interested in it. Many of his friends in Northamptonshire remember with pleasure how he, on various public occasions, has been borne away by this great and wonderful theme. We could wish Dr. Ryland still to think of the recommendation of his friends; but if, owing to bis numerous avocations, he should find it impracticable, we hope that

whenever solicited to print a sermon bearing on this subject, he will allow himself to enlarge upon it.

Conferences between the Danish

Christian Missionaries resident at Tranquebar, and the Heathen Nalives of Hindoostan. Now first rendered into English from the original Manuscript. 12mo, 58.

being misled by the title of this To prevent the public from work, we hasten to denounce it for the express purpose of repre as an artful forgery, contrived senting missions as dangerous, and Christianity itself contemptible.. For our reasons for this decision, we refer to last month's Eclectic Review.

LITERARY NOTICES.

The Rev. Gr. Ewing, of Glasgow, is about to publish a new edition of his Greek Grammar, and Greek and English Scripture Lexicon, in one vol. 8vo. Great part of the Grammar, and the whole of the Lexicon, have been composed anew;, and to the words of the New Testament are added those in the Septuagint and Apocrypha. The Prin cipal Tenses are inserted in the Lexicon; and the most Important. Words are ilustrated by Citations from the Scriptures, the Fathers, and the Classics.

The Missionary Society has in the Press an Italian Translation of Dr. Doddridge's Rise and Progress of Religion. A few Copies of the same Work in French (printed for the Use of French Emigrants and Prisoners of War) remain on hand. Price 2s. 6d.

1s.

A Scripture Directory for the Old Testament. By the Rev. T. Jones, Curate of Creaton. 12mo, 2s. 6d. The Nations imploring the Word of Life: a Sermon for the Bible Society. By J. Scott, A. M. 1s. The Life of John Knox. By the Rev. D. M⭑Crie.. 8vo, 12s.; royal, 1. 1s.

Serious Investigation of the Nature and Effects of Parochial As-. sessments on Places of Worship. By R. Hill, A. M. Second edition, enlarged, Is. 6d.

The Last Enemy destroyed: a Funeral Sermon for the Rev. G.. Phillips, A. M. with his Life. By Jos. Fletcher, A. M. 1s. Gd.

The Ordination Service of the Rev. Andrew Reed. 2s.

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