pictorial expression, he unites the tinsel of Italian conceit, and the lead of Della Cruscan bombast; mingling with all a pruriency of thought, and a modesty of impudence, peculiarly his own.

If a heart rotten in sensuality, could yet feel alive to the remonstrances which indignation and pity would urge us to utter, we should warn Mr. M. how dreadful to himself, how hateful in the sight of heaven and earth, are talents thus sold to infamy; -talents that might have been employed in furnishing the sweetest aids to virtue, the noblest ornaments to literature. He knows now that his gaudy pictures of the pleasures of sin are as false, and he will know

soon that they are as dangerous, as the delusions of a calenture; -in which the patient, sailing under the vertical sun, sick of the sea, and a hundred leagues from shore, dreams that he is surrounded by green fields and woods that invite him to delicious enjoyments, and in the rapture of delirium steps from the deck into the gulph!-Into a more perilous gulf will he fall, who, bewildered by the visions of this volume, steps into the paradise of fools, which it opens around him; for through that paradise lies the "broad road that leadeth. to destruction :" and if any traveller wants an infallible guide on his journey thither, let him take his own heart,* corrupted by licentious poetry.

The Mourning Husband, a Discourse at the funeral of Mrs. Thankful Church, late Consort of the Rev. John H. Church, Pastor of the Church in Pelham, N. H. April 15, 1806. By LEONARD WOODS, A. M. Pastor of a Church in Newbury. E. W. Allen. Newburyport. pp. 18. 8vo.

UNDER great afflictions, to feel and conduct, as we ought, is more difficult, than the inexperienced are apt to imagine. To preserve a dignified medium between stoical insensibility and repining melancholy; to feel the rod and not faint under it, requires the highest exercise of the Christian graces. For this Vol. III. No. 1.

E

no cautions, no directions, no exhortations are alone sufficient. Still they may be useful; and the discourse under consideration may be read with advantage by all, who mourn the loss of pious friends, especially the bereaved husband.

For his theme the author has chosen Gen. xxiii. 2. "And Sarah died in Kirjath-Arba-and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her."

In an appropriate introduction he observes;

"The feelings of friendship are not weakened, but exalted and sancti. fied by religion. There are none who value a friend so highly, as the saints. There are none who know so well the

advantages, or so exquisitely enjoy the delights of reciprocal affection. Accordingly the people of God are the sincerest mourners-Jesus, weeping at the grave of Lazarus, sanctioned all the tears, by which his people, on similar occasions, express the tenderness and sorrow of their hearts."

At first view this example may not seem to the point. It was not on a funeral occasion, that Jesus wept. It cannot be supposed, that he felt any grief on account of the death of one, who was immediately to be raised to life. His were tears of sympathy, and teach us to weer with them that weep. Still they may be considered as " sanctioning" the tears of those, who mourned the death of a brother.

"The father of the faithful had lived happily with Sarah, his wife, for many years. When she died, how amiable did patriarchal tenderness appear in the melting tenderness of grief."

The " design" of the discourse "is to justify the tears of Abraham at the grave of Sarah, or to show, with what singular propriety a husband mourns the death of a discreet and pious wife."

This he shows generally in few words.

"All that can be said on the excel. lence and happiness of friendship in general, may, with eminent propriety, be applied to the friendship, which exists in the matrimonial state. It is there that friendship is found in its highest purity and force; there it is productive of its best joys. How highly does the pen of inspiration honour marriage by representing it, as resembling the sacred and holy

union between Christ and his chureb. The married state is designed by God as the consummation of human love. Kind heaven has wonderfully combined the interests and feelings, the joys and sorrows of the husband and the wife, so that they are one. If therefore bereavement in any other relation ought to be deeply felt; more so in this. If a man is justified, or

excused for mourning the loss of any other friend; his sorrow for the death of a discreet and pious wife is com mendable and dignified."

He then proceeds to take a more particular survey of her "amiable character and usefulness."

In lively, but not gaudy colours he paints her loveliness. "What encomium is too high for the character of a wife, uniformly good?-Her modest, gentle, and peaceable temper has a never fading beauty, a charm infinitely superior to that of a fair countenance and splen. did apparel. Above all, how ornamental is the spirit of piety, which raises her eyes and her heart to God; which consecrates to him all her affections and all her actions; which prompts her diligently to perform every domestic duty, as unto God, and to seek purity of heart, as well as blameless deportment. Religion imparts uniformity to her conduct, and the highest excellence to her character. Every person acquainted with her, is constrained to acknowledge her worth. But no person so clearly discerns her amiable temper, or so highly esteems her character, as her partner. He has the nearest survey of those virtuous qualities, which adorn her mind. In her life the graces of Christianity flourish before his eyes. He prizes her above rubies. How grievous, then, his bereavement, when she departs. How affecting the moment, when so much loveliness expires. When her heart, so full of kind affection, ceases to beat, and her eyes, which bespoke the sensibilities of her heart, are closed in death; how great must be his sorrow. what propriety does he weep at the grave of so much excellence."

With

The author of this excellent discourse is equally happy in describing her usefulness in "domestic concerns," in educating children; in preserving her husband "from the snares of the world;" in his " perplexing cares;" in "prosperity;" and in " affliction."

"But," continues our author,

"Her influence rises still higher. If he is impenitent, her pious conduct awakens his conscience, and impressively recommends religion. If he is happily united with her in the love of God, she greatly promotes his moral and religious improvement. How often does her piety and engagedness rouse him from spiritual sloth, and render him fervent in family and secret devotion. When she deviates from duty, his heart is melted by the promptitude and tenderness of her confession.... Her undissembled humility often makes him ashamed of his pride, and her meekness and contentment, of his passionate, and repining spirit.... Here let me say, that few women have opportunity to be more extensively useful, than the pious parter of a gospel minister..... Other women in the married state, observing her diligence, her economy, and her charity, are inclined to excel in the same virtues. By her example they are excited to love their husbands, to discharge, with unre. mitting care, every conjugal duty, and above all other accomplishments, to seek the precious ornament of a meek and quiet spirit. By her example they are reminded of their obligations to their children, and impressed with the importance portance of bringing them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. By her example they are led to

shun all slander and evil speaking....

She endeavours to banish from friend. ly society every light and unprofitable topic, and to introduce and support conversation, which is not only entertaining, but serious and edifying. She laments the least appearance of looseness and impiety in the rising age, especially among young women; does all in her power to render them mod. est in dress and behaviour, and to allure them to the practice of Christian piety....Religion, in which they are inclined to think there is something gloomy and forbidding, becomes attractive, when seen in her example. In short, her life conspires with the pastoral labours and prayers of her husband, to promote among the people a solemn attention to the Sabbath, and all the means of grace, and the love of real goodness in its various

forms."

He applies the subject in a

manner not likely to disappoint the reader. He observes "that these observations are in a good measure applicable to this solemn occasion." To justify the remark a note is subjoined, containing a valuable sketch of the

life of Mrs. Church.

In the course of his solemn and melting address to the mourning husband, he observes,

"In order that your grief be not irregular, or hurtful, you must be careful to mingle with it those joys, which religion furnishes, and which are inseparable from Christian mourning....God...is infinitely better, than the most amiable wife and most affectionate mother.... She tarried long enough to receive and communicate much good.... Though her body is enclosed in the gloomy coffin....she still lives, lives in the most exalted sense..... Nor is she wholly lost to you. The remembrance of her virtues ought to incite your gratitude and your imitation. The remembrance of her death will constantly exercise your submission to the will of God. And henceforth the thought of her will be associated with eternity, and so tend to raise your spirit and produce a heavenly frame... Let not your grief, however sincere and tender, be attended with a single murmuring thought.... God is love."

He concludes with appropriate addresses to "her aged parents;" to "those, who mourn the loss of a sister;" to "brethren and friends of that society;" and to "hearers...assembled on the oc

casion."

Such are the outlines of this discourse. We may sometimes find a few good sentences in a very irregular and shallow performance. Extracts in general present a picture much brighter than life. Not so with those taken from this discourse. Whoever would duly estimate its worth must view and review the whole.

The only fault worthy of netice is, not want of method, which is unexceptionable, but want of numerical distinction of heads. It is not contended that all sermons should be thus distinguished. Some subjects seem hardly to admit of it. But this is not one of them. Though numerical distinctions do not constitute method, yet they may greatly assist the hearer and reader in apprehending and retaining it. When a head is distinctly announced, the hearer or reader can scarcely avoid paying peculiar attention to learn what it is. This tends to fix it in his mind. If a leading head is retained, it is generally easy to recall the observations made to prove, illustrate and enforce it. If therefore the heads of a well composed discourse are remembered, the substance of the whole is remembered or may be easily recalled. Besides, if the heads are numerically distinguished, the hearer may easily know whether he retains them all; and thus have opportunity to exert all his power of recollection to regain any part that he may have lost. Are not people, who are accustomed to hear dis

courses thus distinguished, gene. rally the most attentive, and the best instructed?

Though such distinctions are not so useful from the press, as from the pulpit, yet it is desirable to retain them here also, partly for reasons above mentioned, but more especially to discourage the pernicious practice of laying them aside in the pulpit.

This discourse is earnestly recommended to the attentive perusal of all, who are bound to perform, and of all, who are concerned to know the duties of a wife.....of all who have lost, of all who possess, and of all who desire pious and amiable companions.

NOTE.

The writer of the foregoing review regrets exceedingly, that he is not able to inform the public where this discourse may be purchased. Without this appendage, reviews of the best works appear defective, and often leave painful impres

them a short account of a revival of religion, which I have just received in a letter from a respectable clergyman in Newport.

"A most remarkable reformation prevails in Middleborough, Berkley, Arronett, Carver, and Fair Haven. In Fair Haven, religion has been greatly neglected till lately. Most of the people in this town have been violently opposed to reformations. The Lord is now working in a wonderful manner: the minister has become a hopeful convert. One hundred are admitted or propounded for admission into the church. As the village is small, this is an astonishing number. A large number have been admitted into Mr. Andrews' church in Berkley. Opposition is still great in Fair Haven; but Christ as yet triumphs gloriously. Here a number of old, abandoned sinners, who had for a long time neglected public worship, were present at a conference, and for some time stood together, unmoved and looking on; at length, the minister addressed them with his usual energy in the following words, 'Your children are now waiting for your property, the worms for your bodies, and the devil for your souls. The divine power accompanied this bold address. In a moment their heads fell, the tears gushed from their eyes, and they became anxious to inquire and hear what they should do to be saved. With what ease can God cause his word to pierce the sinner's soul! The Lord can make his people willing in the day of his power. The reformation is increasing in all the places before mentioned. There is a great call for preaching. The fields are white already to harvest."

In a degenerate and licentious age, when the enemies of religion are straining every nerve to bring the pure doctrines of the gospel into contempt, when the bulk of nominal Christians

by their lives and conversation are deBying the religion they profess; such information must afford the true followers of the meek and lowly Jesus peculiar pleasure. While Zion prospers, let her sons and her daughters rejoice. May the children of God, encouraged by the recent triumphs of the cross, be fervent in their prayers that this glorious work may extend, that none may say, "The harvest is

past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved."

We think it important to the interests of Christianity, to preserve from oblivion the following detection of a base and insidious forgery. We extract it from the Palladium of May 26, 1807.

FORGERY DETECTED.

[Some of our readers may remember, that about the beginning of the present year, we extracted from a Philadelphia paper, a curious account of certain writings found in a globe of marble, dug up at Aleppo, from which it was inferred, that the Apocalypse or Revelation, was written by CE. RINTHUS, and not by Saint JOHN. This account was given in a Philadelphia paper, as a translation of an article from the Marseilles Gazette, of the 20th of October, 1806. A writer, under the signature of CEPHAS, commented on this narrative in the Palladium; and expressed his fears, that this story was transcribed from a French paper into some of ours by some disciple of TOM PAIN, to discredit the validity of the New Testament. Some gentlemen who knew the circumspection of editors of periodical papers, at this time, in Roman Catholic countries, doubted if such a publication ever appeared in a French Newspaper: Among these was Dr.WATERHOUSE, who, being a member of the Marseilles Academy of Sciences, &c. wrote to one of his correspondents in that city, and enclosed the publications on that subject from our paper; and on Friday he received, via Philadelphia, the following letter in answer to his queries:-]

MARSEILLES, MARCH 28, 1807.

SIR,

Immediately on the receipt of your letter of the 12th of January, I went to the printer and editor of the Marseilles Gazette, to inquire agreeably to your wish, respecting the "Extract of a letter from a gentleman in Aleppo, to his friend in this city," said to be printed in the Marseilles Gazette of October 20, 1806. On examining the number of that date, there was not to be found a single word of the