tract one passage more, with reference to the great plain of Esdraelon:

"At an early hour the next morning we were again in motion, in hope of reaching Jenin by the usual time of noontide rest. Our path lay for some time along a rich valley, which at length spread out into a magnificent plain of fine arable soil, but for the most part overgrown with tall thistles of a rich deep purple colour. It was surrounded by hills of various magnitudes, and of graceful forms. Four hours brought us within sight of Jenin, where a shady olive grove invited us to halt for the mid-day rest. Jenin may be looked upou as the frontier town between Samaria and Galilee. It stands on the western declivity of a hill, surrounded by hedges of the prickly-pear, and is beautifully picturesque without, but within it is poor and squalid, though traces are yet to be found of its former importance. Some travellers have supposed it to be the ancient Ginaa, referred to by Josephus; and the supposition is not without foundation. In the midst of it is a magnificent fountain of delicious water, which forms an extensive pool, and was surrounded by a large and motley band of travellers refreshing themselves and their beasts of burthen. On reaching Jenin, we entered upon the territory of the half tribe of Manasseh; and, winding our way through the poor miserable streets, were ushered into the noble and indescribably beautiful plain of Esdraelon-the ancient valley of Jezreel-the plain of Megiddo. It is a vast, and almost unbroken surface. On the east, it stretches off towards the Jordan; on the west, it nearly reaches the coast of the Mediterranean, and is there bounded by a range of small hills which separates it from the plains of Acre. The mountains of Nazareth bound it on the north, and those of Samaria on the south. Noble and distinguished mountains look down upon it from their ancient thrones-Carmel, Hermon, and Gilboa; while towards the north-east stands Mount Tabor, the monarch of the scene, on which the eye fixes itself with delight and wonder. Maundrell estimates the extent of the plain at about thirty miles from east to west, and twenty from north to south. A river rises at the foot of Mount Tabor-it is the Kishon-that ancient river, which intersects the plain, and courses off westward to the sea. The stream in itself is inconsiderable, but is sometimes swelled by tributary waters-the efflux of mountain torrents, and the produce of heavy rains. The ancient fertility of this noble plain must have been amazing; and it still, no doubt, possesses its former capabilities. But a poor and partial cultivation, not far removed from sterility, is all that meets the eye of the traveller, who seeks in vain for the waving crop and the rejoicing husbandman. Is there not a cause? Alas! the breath of divine indignation has gone forth over its surface; and not till the thousands of rescued Israel rejoice in their restored inheritance, shall its wonted luxuriance

return.

"No one, in the least degree acquainted with the fate and fortunes of empires, could gaze unmoved upon the plain of Esdraelon. How many destinies have been sealed with the blood of thousands upon its surface; how many hopes crushed; how many an ambitious dream realized! It is well designated the battle field of nations'-for such it has been from the day when Sisera there marshalled his bannered host, and from the time when the good Josiah fell, and there went forth the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon.' It was on this plain that the twofold subjugation of Judea was accomplished. And in more modern times, there is scarcely a warlike nation on the face of the earth, whose banners have not waved under the shadows of Tabor and of Hermon. There is another conflict yet to come-a conflict that shall be deadly, final, glorious-between the hosts of darkness and the children of light-between antichrist and the Lamb! And does not

the word of prophecy arrest the thoughtful traveller, and bid him look forth upon the plain of Megiddo ?"

These quotations will give our readers some idea of the work. We wish there had been more direct illustrations of scripture, and more explicit reference to passages illustrated. We wish that the descriptions had been more minute and specific, and that the style had been less stiff and artificial. To the scientific reader there is little information, and to the critical reader there are few additions to our stores of Biblical interpretation; but the general reader will find much to interest and profit.

CRITICAL NOTICES.

Sea Sermons; or Plain Addresses, intended for Public Worship on board of Merchant Vessels, &c. By the Rev. RICHARD MARKS, Vicar of Great Missenden, Bucks, and formerly a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy. 12mo. pp. 474. London; J. Nisbet & Co. Berners Street.

THESE sermons are very different from many which are preached in this land, and brought before the public, from time to time, by means of the press. They are plain, pointed, searching, earnest; they are very Scriptural, and abound in expositions of the word of God, which are refreshing and powerful. Throughout the volume there is a manly vigorous tone; and each Address is characterized more or less by so stirring and practical a spirit, that they are well fitted, under the hand of God's Spirit, to awaken the careless slumbering thousands of our seamen, to whom they are more specially addressed. It is evident that no one but a man who has been a sailor himself, and is now a living Christian, could write such sermons as these. They come gushing from a full heart, and therefore are calculated, as an instrument in the hand of Christ, to reach and penetrate many a hard heart.

We have good reason to believe that the author of them has been richly blessed in his various labours, and that he has already been allowed to hear of and to see some seals of his ministry-the only reward which a man of God desires here. But we can hardly imagine an effort for the glory of Christ which, humanly speaking, is more likely to be blessed with abundant success, than the volume which has been offered to the seamen of Great Britain and their families.

Our heart's desire and prayer is, that God will incline many a master of a vessel to assemble his crew from Sabbath to Sabbath, to hear one of these solemn, useful, and stirring Addresses. And while engaged, may the Spirit of all life be near, and open each heart to receive the words of eternal life. The language is most appropriate; many of the illustrations being taken from a sea-faring life, and expressed with a liveliness and power which it were in vain for a mere landsman to attempt. Those who possess influence over the Captains and Masters of our almost countless vessels, should earnestly persuade them to use this volume on the Sabbath in a public manner. If this were done, what blessed changes might be wrought! many a ship might become a floating sanctuary to

God, instead of being a scene of idleness, folly, and abounding wickedness; the swearer would be startled amidst his blasphemies; the drunkard would tremble at the thought of being plunged into the depths of the lake of fire: the passionate and stout-hearted would be subdued by the spirit of the meek and lowly Jesus; the fornicator would hide his face in shame, and begin to abhor himself; the complacent formalist would have his eyes opened to the discovery that all his righteousnesses are nothing but filthy rags; the brokenhearted sinner would be pointed to ONE who has balm for every wound. Such might be the blessed fruits reaped from a prayerful and diligent use of these sermons on board the vessels of our country.

The volume consists of twenty-four Sermons or Addresses. At the close of the book there are an equal number of prayers-short, fervent, and, as far as printed prayers can be, most suitable. We would hope, that in those instances where these prayers were used, they would serve only as crutches, until strength from on high rendered such helps unnecessary. The Sermons contain the fundamental truths of the Gospel, and these are pressed upon the conscience and the life with a fervour and a plainness of speech, from which many slumbering professors in Scotland would turn away displeased. The titles of some of the sermons will indicate the important nature of this work;-1. The Conversion of the Philippian Jailor, Acts xvi. 25-31. II. The New Birth, John iii. 7. III. The Brazen Serpent set up, Numbers xxi. 4-9. IV. Christ and his Disciples overtaken by a storm, Matthew viii. 23-27. VIII. Midnight Thoughts and Meditations, Psalm lxiii. 6. X. Departing from the sinful ways of the world, Micah ii. 10. XIII. The Fight and Victory of Faith, 1 Tim. vi. 12; 1 John v. 4. XVI. The Anchor of Hope, Hebrews vi. 19. XXII. Man's Destruction and Recovery, Hosea xiii. 9. In various parts, the errors of Popery, Puseyism, and Antinomianism, are handled with no light touch. The same fervent, faithful spirit, which speaks out to the careless seamen in words of plain startling warning, is manifested in the bold, unflinching way in which these soul-destroying errors are assailed.

This volume possesses another merit. It not only contains Sermons for Seamen, often most useful, because of the most practical kind; but it abounds in excellent examples of that species of preaching which is so greatly needed amongst ourselves. Whoever may be called on to listen to one of these Addresses, must be struck with the earnest, personal, searching way in which he, the listener, is spoken to. He cannot doubt for a moment as to who the person is the writer is addressing. The word is to him, and not about some one else, or something else; and this not once or twice, but repeatedly, so that he must see that the solemn, faithful words of the preacher are intended for his own soul, and those around him. Now, there is a manner of preaching which is almost the opposite of this. Truths are brought forward, doctrines are stated, but, as a seaman would say, they are not rammed home. The guns are loaded, and they are fired off, but without the least effect, because they were discharged into the air, instead of being into the side of the enemy. The object of a British gunner in a sea-fight is, to get as many shot lodged in the enemy's ship as he can. And the grand object of the minister of the Gospel should be, to get as much of the word lodged in the hearts of his hearers as possible. But this can never be effected by the circuitous, indirect way of preaching which so often prevails; and which, if it be reckoned orthodox, is far more pleasing to carnal formalists, than the plain, searching manner in which the Rev. Richard Marks has addressed his seamen. Carnal professors love that minister who allows them to leave the church with a whole conscience. He may be as orthodox as he chooses, so that he does not break in upon their pleasing dream with some application of his doctrine so plain, that they must see he is meaning them. We would venture to press, in a respectful manner, the reading of these Sermons on our brethren in the ministry. If it be good to speak to seamen in this way, about the things which belong to their

peace, surely it must be equally good that ministers should speak to landsmen in the same way. The same illustrations, of course, in most instances would be inappropriate; but oh that every sermon preached in Scotland breathed the same spirit, and displayed the same earnest, affectionate faithfulness.

Before giving our readers any extracts, we would suggest that, in another edition, the passages of Scripture quoted in the Sermons should be referred to on the margin, or at the foot of each page.

6

Where there is so much to love and admire, we regret the more that it should be necessary to differ with the respected Author, in regard to some views he has brought forward in the last Sermon. At page 419, in speaking of the millennium, he seems to think that, subsequently to that period, the world will relapse into a state of degeneracy and pollution, like unto that which existed immediately before the flood.' Now, while the Revelation speaks of Satan gathering together the nations to battle which are in the four quarters of the earth, and of their compassing the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city (Rev. xx. 7-9), while this is spoken of as happening when the thousand years are expired,' still these passages in the 24th of Matthew and the 7th of Luke, (which speak of the world being sunk down in a state of sin, resembling the world before the flood, and the cities of the plain before it rained fire and brimstone from heaven,' at the very time when the Son of man is revealed,')-those passages seem to describe a state of things previous to the millennium. If so, then they must not be used as picturing forth a state of wickedness subsequent to the thousand years. It is true that a last effort will be made by Statan against the kingdom of Christ, and that last effort will take place when the thousand years are expired.' But it seems to be equally true that the world will be plunged into a state of wickedness, as fearful as that of the old world in the days of Noah, immediately previous to the coming of Christ and a reign of universal righteousness. We must now proceed to give some extracts. Speaking of the common error of sinners thinking they must be somewhat worthy of Christ before they come to him, he says at pp. 13, 14—“It must be so; for this is acting as foolishly as a man would do who had fallen from aloft and broken his limbs, but who would not consent to be taken to the hospital ship until he had in a great measure cured himself. My sin-burthened and heavy-laden brother, you know that in such circumstances you could not heal your bruised body, or set your broken bones; you know that the right course to take would be to go instantly alongside the Dreadnought just as you were, bruised, bleeding, and wounded, and put yourself into the physician's hands, who is always waiting to receive all who come, and render all the aid their cases require. And so must you act in reference to your soul. You must go at once to Christ for pardon for the past and grace for the future."

The following is an example of the faithful and arousing manner in which he speaks to the unconverted:-" But to the unbelieving, the disobedient, and the Christ-despising portion of mankind; to the neglecters and despisers of his grace and mercy, there remains, so long as you continue thus, no sacrifice for sin, no covert from the storm, no shelter from the tempest, when the blast of the terrible One is as a storm against the wall. If you end your days as you have hitherto lived them, then you will find it a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God; to you he will prove a consuming fire. Yes, he who now would rather that ye repent and live, he who would now show mercy and forgiveness, will then swear in his wrath that ye shall not see the kingdom of heaven. Be assured that he who could and did save his praying disciples, can and will sink and destroy the impenitent, unbelieving, hardened, unclean sinner. Oh, then, while you have this hour given you to cry for mercy, cry aloud and cease not, "Lord Jesus, save, or I perish!" Delay not until to-morrow. Time is rolling on its full tide, and the stream will soon be

out; and then eternity, boundless, endless, unfathomable eternity, will swallow you up. A moment only may remain for you to decide whether your soul shall be snatched as a brand from the eternal burnings of hell, and be redeemed through the atoning blood of the Lamb, or whether you shall sink into the bottomless pit for ever and ever. May the Lord have mercy on you for Jesus Christ the Redeemer's sake. Amen." Pp. 68, 69.

In page 118 there is a beautiful passage-"Perhaps, we ourselves have seen the time when all hope had vanished, and when nothing but drifting down on the dreadful lee-shore was thought of, that even then a sudden shift of wind has enabled the ship to come up a few points, to breast the swell, to make her offing good, and ere long, the cheering daylight and the smiling fair-weather sun have brought joy and gladness to the heart, such as the landsman knows nothing of. Now, on such occasions as these, if the crew are men who know and love the Lord Jesus, they will see and acknowledge his hand in all these events, and then every deliverance will be tenfold more sweet when they think of its coming from him who is their own Lord and Saviour, not only from temporal dangers and natural death, but from spiritual dangers and eternal destruction."

In the eighth Sermon there is a description of the death of Christ, addressed to seamen, as a suitable subject for meditation in the silence of the nightwatch. "Oh Calvary! the thought of this place fills the soul of a feeling Christian with sorrow indeed. Think of it in the night watch, and think of what there took place. First, the blessed Jesus was stripped, and then while the cross lay flat on the ground, he was stretched out at full arm's length by the soldiers pulling at each wrist, and next a spike nail was driven through the palm of each hand into the cross beam; then the body was pulled down, with all the soldiers' might, by the feet, and spike nails were driven through each foot, and the whole was then reared up, and fixed in a hole of the ground. And thus was the spotless Lamb of God lifted up between heaven and earth to expire by slow degrees; while the crowd around him stood by, some mocking, and others blaspheming and insulting. Oh, the cruelty of man! Oh, what a subject is this to meditate on in the night watch!" Pp. 131, 132.

Again we would quote from pages 174, 175, these striking words-"Thoughtless, world-loving, world-following seaman, your case is like that of a man who has shipped himself on board of a vessel full of the Turkish plague, and whose frame-work is so loose that the first gale of wind that comes she will part and sink for ever. Oh, would you volunteer to sail in such a ship? no; you would not for the wages of a thousand pounds a month; for you would say, what good can money be to a man that dies of the plague or founders at sea? Oh then, act thus with regard to your precious soul.”

The following words embody something of that earnest, tender spirit which breathes throughout these sermons :-" Oh, poor mistaken soul, if thou dost go down into the river of death, leaning on the broken spar of thine own deeds and doings, thy support will fail thee, the waves of judgment will overwhelm thee, and thou wilt sink into the bottomless pit. Oh, look unto Jesus now, and seek pardon through his atoning blood; and then he will be the life-buoy of thy soul in the swellings of Jordan, on which thou shalt ride through the stream, and on which thou shalt be landed in the heavenly Canaan." Pp. 240, 241.

We would now conclude this notice, by expressing our most earnest desire that such a work may be widely spread and abundantly blessed; and may the earnest servant of the Lord, who has been enabled to write them, be suffered to know even here, of many instances of an effectual blessing having accompanied his labours.