former times: yet it has preserved a ment;-but the benefits, the privileges, the goodly number, who emulate their high enjoyments of the house of God; these attainments, and are still distinguished were the things on earth which he most for plety and usefulness. The author prized, and it was the privation of these of the volume before us has performed that he now most lamented. What a view does this afford of the high spirituality of an acceptable service, in furnishing a David's mind. How lovely in itself, how variety of useful reflections, adapted to edifying for the instruction of others! a season of retirement or seclusion from Here is seen the true character of the Public Worship. His style is plain and saint, beautifully illustrated. In banishsimple, suited to the occasion; his re- ment and affliction when turning, for the marks are neither trite nor common-relief of his mind, to look back on the ob place, but are founded in a good under-jects that were most loved and prized, and standing of the subject, and bodied dearest to his regretful recollection, he forth with a sufficient degree of fidelity; passes by all others to fix on those that not unfrequently they become pathetic, relate to God, his people, and his worship; and sustain throughout the principles of and thus proves that his affection was set a vital and vigorous piety. 'on things above, not on things on the earth.' The work itself is divided into ten chapters, each of them closed with an appropriate meditation, and some original stanzas. The following is a specimen of the author's manner, taken from chap. iii. where the text is Psal. xlii. 4. "When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me; for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God; with the voice of joy and praise; with the multitude that kept holy day." From these words the following observations are deduced: "It is common for the mind in seasons of sorrow, to seek relief from the present in recollections of the past:-In recollections of past enjoyments, those that relate to social worship will be peculiarly dear to the servant of God.-The bias of the soul is remarkably shewn by the objects of regretful recollection." Each of these is successfully illustrated; and under the last the following reflections occur: " "How lamentably different in this respect are many who profess to esteem the public worship of God. When hindered from their attendance on it, the regrets which they express are of a character almost opposite to those of David. No mournings over their loss of divine ordi nances, no fervent breathings to be restored to them. If sick, their regrets are con cerning their body, not the soul; and their chief anxiety is that of the idolatrous The spiritual friend who may call, is Ahaziah, Shall I recover of this disease?' grieved to hear nothing but long tedious descriptions of the minutest particulars of the ailment; such as how it came on, and how it proceeded, and how it was at this time better, and how at that time worse; and what things friends have said and advised, and what physicians have thought and prescribed, &c. But what has become of Him, who says, 'I am the Lord that healeth thee? Alas, he is forgotten; or if alluded to, it is only in a cold and for mal manner. "The regrets of others relate to being hindered from business, not to be hindered from divine ordinances; or even to the changes of the weather, not to the fickleness of their minds; or to the badness of the times, not to the badness of their hearts; or to things unlucky and unfortunate, not to things disobedient and unrepented of: but none saith, Where is God my Maker, who giveth songs in the night?" None looks back with mournful recollection on the joys of the house of God, and saith, 'When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me.' But by their fruits shall ye know them. David is made known by his; and by those objects which he chiefly regretted in his affliction, may clearly be seen the holy bias of his soul. Fellowship with the saints, and the presence of God in his ordinances, were the things, the loss of which he mourned so "At the present time David was deprived of all the comforts of home-of all the recollections of friendship-of all the respect and honour which he had been accustomed to receive. Moreover, he knew that he was destined by the appointment of God for the throne of Israel; and that the cruel persecution which he now suffered from Saul and his followers, was highly iniquitous, as he had been a faithful servant, and deserved only good from the hands of his master. But none of these things were they, the deprivation of which now occasioned him to pour out his soul within him; not the comforts of home, nor the alleviations of friendship, nor the honours which he had been wont to receive, and of which he was now unjustly deprived; no, nor even the throne of Israel, which he knew to be his right by divine appoint.deeply." MR. GROSER'S SERMON ON THE VALUE OF LIFE. : We can cordially recommend the whole of this volume to the friends of practical and experimental religion. The Value of Human Life.-A Sermon "I see then in these principles enough to impress me with a high sense of the value of our fleeting breath. If a man he fit to die, he is alsó fit to live. If he can depart with safety to himself, his continuance may be useful in the world. If he be a soldier in the army of Christ, those ranks should not be thinned: if he be a foe, it will be a fearful thing to fall into the hands of his Almighty opponent. If he be a servant of the Most High God, his own Master may when he pleases, dismiss him from his labour, and take him to his rest; but it is criminal in any other to disable him if he be disobedient, though it is wonderful long-suffering in his insulted Creator to delay to strike, yet let not a fellow-sinner push him forward to perdition, or hasten his final audit. Spare, O spare him, for the sake of his never dying soul!" 189 fessed followers of the meek and lowly Jesus, men who have heard that they must give an account of all to him who has said "Vengeance is mine,' meet on some se-, cluded spot, and each presents his body to the murderous weapon in the hands of his antagonist.-Two others, their attendants, professedly their friends, themselves responsible to the all-creating all-seeing Intelligence, give their countenance and their aid to the dreadful deed, by which the Almighty is defied, and the best interests of time and of eternity treated with vent not, these all return to the society of contempt. And, if the death of one pre fashionable Christians, not to be loaded with censures, but to be recognised as men of honour; men, who by the spirit they have evinced, have maintained their repu tation! Or, if one has slain the other, and has done it, not insidiously, but according to the established forms, the survivor is a man of honour, and a man of reputation still! All this is done by men who kiss the gospels in a court of justice, signally at the sacramental table! Is this and who scruple not to take a seat occathe religion of Jesus Christ? Do you say there is comparatively little danger of a fatal termination? Where then is the courage of the act? But would that degree of danger be incurred by a man who formed a proper estimate of his obligations to God and to society? Is the danger great? Where is their sense of the value of human life? We cannot resist the pleasure of laying before our readers the application which the preacher makes of his subject, to our men of honour-and to monarchs who wantonly engage in war, and sport with the lives of their subjects. "How dreadful is the sight which is frequently exhibited through the influence of what are called the laws of honour! An insult has been received, a challenge is given,-it is accepted; and lo! two subjects of the moral government of God, pro "And oh! how terrible to a considerate mind must that sight be which ambition has so often occasioned, and which poets and orators have so often celebrated :the sight of armies drawn up in array of battle, prepared to enter upon the bloody conflict!-The last morning dawns upon some thousands: before the sun goes down their wives will be widows-their children will be orphans-their ability to promote the glory of their Creator will be destroyed, and their souls will have entered the unseen regions. Are they prepared to meet the Judge of all? Their employers too often know not, care not. But are they Christian Sovereigns and Christian Legislators, who can rashly patronize this work of destruction? Can a warlike spirit be consistent with genuine religious feelingarising from a reception of the doctrines and precepts of Jesus Christ? Or can it comport with a just estimate of the value of human life?" Mr. Groser, we believe, is but a young man, and we have not the pleasure of an acquaintance with him; but he has given indication of talent, both in this Sermon, and also in another Tract that we suspect to come from his pen, though he chuses to be concealed as the author, sidering it as a fair specimen of what the whole will be, we have not the least hesitation in recommending it to the purchase of such of our friends as are sive publications, from which the maunable to procure the large and expenterials that form the greater part of the Exposition and Notes are selected. It promises to be, when completed, one of the cheapest and most useful works of the kind that has yet appeared in our language, and as such it has our best wishes for its success. which we hail with pleasure as the pledge of rising distinction among the Baptist ministers of the present generation. The Cottage Bible and Family Expositor; The Seaman's Gallery. By J. UproN, Jun. Second Edition, with Additions. London, Whittemore, Paternoster-row. Pr. 6d. MR. UPTON's situation, as Pastor of the Baptist church at Poplar, in the vicinity of the London East and West India Docks, affords him great facilities for making known the way of salvation to an interesting class of men-the British tars. It seems that for their use and accommodation a Gallery has been erected in his Chapel, sufficient to ac commodate two hundred persons, and the seats are all free. The Tract before us was also compiled for distribution among them, with the hope of engaging their attention to the concerns of their immortal souls. Mr. Upton here endea vours to shew them, that-Man is a fallen creature-a sinful creature-an accountable creature-a dying creature; and, lastly, that he is destined to a state of endless existence. He then goes on to shew, secondly, that, the Lord Jesus Christ is revealed in the Gospel as a SAVIOUR-a great Saviour-a suitable Saviour-an only Saviour. THE first Part of the Cottage Bible now lies before us, and having examined it with some care, we feel ourselves warranted in reporting to our readers the opinion which we have formed concerning it. And we shall speak the more freely, because it comes before the public in an anonymous form, unsupported by patronage, unsanctioned by names and titles of clerical authority; but resting its pretensions to favour on its own intrinsic merits. We shall not, however, conceal the fact that the Editor is known to us, and that we know him to be very competent to the undertaking in which he has embarked. Of his acquaintance with the Hebrew language he gave proof many years ago, by the publication of a new Translation of Solomon's Song from the original, with copious notes and illustrations, which was well received by the public, and is deservedly esteemed. The Cottage Bible, however, is not intended to be of a critical cast; display of learning would be out of character in a work designed for the Cottager. The first grand requi site in a Family Expositor must be, that, in doctrinal sentiment it exhibits uncorruptedness. And here we have great satisfaction in being able to testify to selves for the Editor's soundness in the faith. He is not of the school of Hawker-neither is he of the school of Belsham and Priestley. His Theological sentiments are those of moderate Calvinism he is of the school of Henry, Pool, Doddridge, Guyse, Scott, Fawcett, and others, whose invaluable works are out of the reach of the Cottager. The first Part of the work extends to the middle of the 14th chapter of Genesis, and is enriched with a very useful INTRODUCTION, after the manner of Mr. Hartwell Horne's able work. Now all this is unexceptionable-it is important truth; but we are surprised it never occured to Mr. Upton, that there was a third consideration necessary to be stated and explained, in order to the our readers, that we can pledge our-readers of his Tract deriving any benefit from it whatever; and that important subject, alas! finds no place in the "Seaman's Gallery," -we mean, how, or by what means, shall these poor, guilty, perishing sinners become interested in this all-sufficient Saviour? Here Mr. Upton has left them as much in the dark, as if he himself had never read his Bible! We beseech him to look into this subject, and try if he cannot give a new edition of this Tract supplying this def ciency. Till that is done, he is only tantalyzing the poor men, if he be not Conmocking their distress. Religious and Literary Entelligence. PROTESTANT SOCIETY FOR THE PROTECTION OF RELIGIOUS LIBERTY. On Saturday, May 15th, the Thirteenth Anniversary Meeting of the Protestant Society for the Protection of Religious Liberty, was held at the City of London Tavern. The great room was filled at an early hour by a very respectable assemblage of Ladies and Gentlemen, notwith-gymen standing a heavy fall of rain during the whole of the morning. At eleven o'clock Lord HOLLAND took the Chair, by invitation of the Committee. His Lordship was received with very warm and general applause. The Chairman congratulated the Meeting on the assemblage which he saw before him, and requested their attention while the Annual Report of the Committee was read. The Rev. John HUNT, of Chelmsford, stood forward to read the Annual Report of the proceedings of the Committee. He said it would necessarily occupy a short time, during which, probably, their respected friend, Mr. Wilks, would arrive, to deliver his annual address. He then read the Report, which minutely detailed the assistance given by the Committee in a great number of instances, in different parts of England and Wales, in which the exercise of public worship by Dissenters had been interfered with and obstructed. The principal cases were afterwards selected for animadversion in the address of Mr. Wilks, who entered the room while the Report was reading. As soon as it was concluded, head to think, a heart to feel, or a purse to open." But having dispatched these minor concerns, Mr. Wilks now came to a topic on which different opinions prevailed -a topic on which it was necessary that correct opinions should prevail: he alluded to the charge of mortuary fees. Perhaps these mortuary fees were amongst the worst of Catholic impositions-amongst the worst of that system, which made the Clerof that Church not only obtain all they could from the members of their communion while living, but followed them with exactions to the grave-and all these exactions required for the safety of the souls of the departed. Living and dead were tributaries to that church: no home was safe from their inspection-no tomb was sacred from their exaction. He had looked over the canons on this subject, and in doing so he found that in 1378, Simon Langham, Archbishop of Canterbury, had imposed mortuary fees pro salute animi. However, in a few words, to render the thing familiar, suppose any man had four beasts, one of those was to go to the Lord of the soil, another to the Church &c., and to do away with this distribution, mortuary fees are instituted and demanded. By the 21st Henry VIII. all such fees received by the Catholic clergy were continued to the Protestant; but that Act stated that such fees were only to be claimed in places where they were before accustomed to be paid. It was important to every man to know how the law stood on this subject; because, in all cases when the demand for mortuary fees was made, the clergyman was bound to prove that the existence of such fees was antecedent to that Act of Henry VIII. There was no doubt that the right existed, that proceedings to enforce it had occurred in the Ecclesiastical Courts; but when the right was denied, these Courts could not interpose, and in many instances the claim had been resisted with success. Let the Meeting bear this in mind, that the clergyman was always bound to prove the existence of the right or custom to pay such fees, antecedent to the 21st Henry VIII. There was one remarkable case on this subject which had occurred, and which realized the justness of the proverb, that it was better for the "cobler to stick to his last." It was this: the Vicar of Christ Church, in Hampshire, had made a demand for mortuary fees; that Vicar he had no doubt was a very enlightened man; a man not satisfied with Ecclesiastical learning alone-with ample theology and biblical acquirements; but who must needs be a better lawyer than lawyers. The Rev. Mr. Clapham had put together some ponderous volumes on the law, and with his twofold knowledge of theology and law, had made a demand on Mr. WILKS rose, and addressed the company, in a speech which would have done no discredit to a Demosthenes or a Cicero, and which he supported for three hours. After a neat exordium, abounding with tropes and figures, and displaying the fertility of his imagination, he passed on to the subject before him. He com menced his oration by taking a rapid glance at some of the less important matters, which stood connected with the civil and religious liberty of the Dissenting body, but of which our limits will not permit us to enter into the detail. It must suffice to say, that they respected various instances of outrage and insult, committed against individuals and worshipping assemblies, in which the Society had interposed its shield, and afforded relief to the persecuted. On one case, which occurred at Middlewich, in Cheshire, Mr. Wilks dwelt at considerable length. It was an attempt made to subject Mr. Robinson and his friends to the imposition of a church-rate, an exorbitant assessment which he declar, ed he would resist," as long as he had a pious object of religious instruction to her neighbours. To annoy her, and disturby those who went for instruction, squibs and crackers were thrown, animals even let loose, cock-chaffers and birds were flying about, extinguishing the candles; but this, by the exertions of this Society, was put a stop to. The disturbances at South Cerney also demanded a particular notice. The Home Missionary who laboured there had for a length of time been subjected to the most cruel persecutions, and these persecutions instigated by persons who should a Dissenter for a mortuary fee. Every one trembled at this demand, because made by a clergyman, but particularly by a writer on law. He was looked upon as an oracle. It appeared, however, that this theologicolawyer mistook the mode of proceeding for the recovery of his demand, inasmuch as an Ac of George II., which gave to the clergyman an opportunity of summary proceedings before the Magistrates for the recovery of "small offerings," did not include in "small offerings" this said mortuary fee, and Mr. Clapham was defeated in his demand of 10s. The matter, how-have known better-who should have been ever, went before the Magistrates, who actuated by better feelings, and swayed differed in opinion with their brother by better sentiments-by persons who Magistrate, the Rev. Lawyer; and he should have known, that while they placed (Mr. Wilks) hoped that for the sake of his a torch in vulgar hands to conflagrate, Hlock the Rev. Lawyer was more enlighten- those they might be desirous of removing ed on subjects of theology and other topics would one day or other employ it against than he evidently was with the law. The themselves. These disturbances were not Rev. Gentleman was no doubt angry with confined to the lower or more vulgar the decision of his brother Magistrates, classes-the higher orders encouraged and he (Mr. Wilks) must state for himself, these disgraceful proceedings-these very that he was glad the new Don Quixote had orders who should encourage the diffusion been overcome. A similar claim was made of knowledge-a strict observance of the by the Clergyman at Rotheram, whose law-a becoming respect to the religious wife, for so his (Mr. Wilks's) information scruples of the conscientious; these higher stated, was anxious that her husband's orders instigated those disgraceful occur fees should suffer no diminution, particu- rences., Every petty vexation had been larly in the case of the defunct dissenter. used towards the worthy Missionary of The demand of ten shillings was made, South Cerney; his saddle girths were cut and resisted-not for the want of means, in the night time, when returning from adfor the relation of the deceased, he was ministering consolation to one of his flock, glad to say, had ample means--but he felt it whose way to heaven he was no doubt his duty to resist what he thought an im- facilitating. In the night time that worthy proper claim. When called upon, he an- man was assailed and beaten. The shades swered as became a Hampden-"Tis not of night covered the guilty offenders, and the amount of the claim to which I object, for the time they escaped the punishment but it is the principle which I reject."- they deserved. However, in January last The claim was urged-the claim was re- an interruption occurred, and six persons sisted; the Society co-operated in the were taken to Cirencester, and bound over resistance, and the claim was eventually to the Gloucester Sessions, to answer for withdrawn. He then said, the long and their outrageous conduct. He was almost dreary catalogue of grievances which re- ashamed to say it, but the fact was so, quired the interposition of this Society, and that every means was there taken to defeat which he was annually obliged to notice, the ends of justice. Six clergymen were was the subject of riots and disturbances on the bench, and every species of interwhich took place throughout the country meddling was practised; the Grand Jury rah at the dissenting places of public worship. had access to; in short, every obstruction One would have hoped that the demons of took place to prevent justice being done. persecution would have allowed Christian Theadvocate, however, who was employed, worshippers to adore their God in peace, performed well his duty. It is the business and would have respected the sanctuary of every man to uphold the independence k dedicated to his praise, his honour, and of the English bar, for every effort made his glory; but no: and as this grievance to weaken or destroy the self-possession increased, the more the diligence of the of the advocate, was a vital blow at the Society was rendered necessary. To the best interests of our country. The case necessity they were not blind; to remove came on at the Gloucester Sessions, despite it they used the most assiduous attention. the obstacles to prevent it, and the advoSchools, as well as churches, were made cate there declared, that the dissenters the scenes of profane riot. The particular were equally entitled to the benefit and scenes of disturbance were Llandiloes, in protection of the law, as all his Majesty's Montgomeryshire; Market-cross, Lan- other subjects; that the dissenters, though cashire; Dalton (Ulverston); Crediton, not endowed, were recognized; that the in Devonshire; South Cerney, in Glouces- choral symphonies of Gloucester Cathetershire; Chigwell, in Essex; and in the dral, or its clergy, were to be no more proimmediate vicinity of the metropolis, at tected than the humbler village people, Elder-walk, Islington. The disturbance who were met together, and who loved at Hainault House, near Chigwell, de- with humble voices to celebrate Zion's served particular notice, from the fact that songs. The church did not consist of the its amiable owner, Mrs. Nicholson, had long drawn aisle and fretted vault;" devoted certain rooms in her house to the-It was not the gilded roof or gothic 66 |
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