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his pen in hand, and wrote with freedom and rapidity a sermon which was always useful, because it was full of the spirit and the word of Christ; of that word which never returns void to him from whom it emanates. And this man, who but a year before occupied months in the laborious composition of a single sermon, now prepared two during each week; for he preached on the Sabbath morning in French, and in the afternoon in German. The first of these sermons he committed to memory; the second he read, not being yet sufficiently familiar with the German to trust his memory with the repetition of a discourse in that language. During nearly four years, he constantly composed two sermons in each week; for it rarely, if ever, happened, that he repeated an old discourse. He thought that this practice gave to the ministry too much the character of a trade; that it was important to give to public discourses, as far as possible, the appearance of improvisation, and that the tone, the tendency, and the details of a sermon ought to vary according to circumstances, which are never entirely the same at different periods. He adopted the habit recommended by Reinhard,* of being always in advance by one week in his preparation. Seldom did he preach a sermon either in French or German, unless that which was to succeed it was ready in his desk, and thus he was never left to be embarrassed by those accidents which might occur during the week, to interrupt the labors of preparation. It is true that he rose at four o'clock in the morning; that he occupied, as a faithful steward, every quarter of an hour which his master allowed him; and only took that repose which was absolutely necessary to the preservation of his health, a strict attention to which he considered his duty, both as a pastor and a son. The Sabbath was to him the happiest day of the week. Far from sharing in that species of anguish with which many pastors regard so rapid a succession of the Sabbaths of the Lord, he beheld their approach with joy, the source of which was to be found in the manner in which he employed them. At nine o'clock he ascended the pulpit and preached in French. He then visited, in succession, three or four infirm persons of his flock who had been confined for years to their own houses, and performed with each of them a private service. At two o'clock he commenced his service in German, at the close of which he held in his own house a large Sunday school. And finally, at six o'clock, the young apostle opened the doors of his house, and the faithful resorted thither with eagerness, to be again edified by the reading of the holy word, and by the tidings of the progress of Christianity on the earth. The day of the Lord being thus occupied to the end, the faithful pastor closed it in supplications for his flock, and found in his own heart a sweet and effectual recompense for his labors, a true foretaste of that eternal re compense which awaited him, and which he was so soon to receive."

The

The third book is a tale, translated from the French, with considerable alterations and amendments, by Dr. Bedell. great lesson which it successfully and very beautifully inculcates is, that God will finally, if not immediately, show to the world that he is the advocate of those who suffer on account of him. The narrative has great interest, and the moral every where appears so prominently that we can make no objection to the fictitious incidents. The following paragraph will show the style in which the book is written.

* See Letters of F. V. Reinhard on his studies and labors as a preacher, translated from the German by J. Monod, one of the pastors of the Reformed church, of Paris. This valuable work has been translated into English by Rev. O. A. Taylor, of the Theological Seminary, Andover.-Tr.

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"About three o'clock the next morning, James faintly said, 'I feel very ill-open the window a little.' Mary opened it, the moon had disappeared; but the sky, covered with stars, presented a magnificent spectacle. See how beautiful the sky appears,' said the sick man. 'What are the flowers of earth, when compared with these stars, whose beauty suffers no diminution? it is there I am now going-what joy! Come, Lord Jesus-come quickly!' On saying these words, he fell upon his bed, and died the death of a Christian. Mary thought he had only fainted, for she had never seen any one die, and did not think he was so near his end; nevertheless, in her fright she awoke all the family; they ran to the bed of James, and there she heard them declare he was dead. She threw herself upon the body of her father, embraced it, and wept-her lips fastened upon his wan and pale visage. The tears of the daughter mingled with the cold sweat of the father that had ceased to be. Oh, my father-my good father,' said she, how shall I acquit myself of all the obligations I am under! Alas! I cannot-I can only thank you for all the words, for all the good advice that I received from that mouth, those lips now sealed in death. It is with gratitude that I now kiss your hand, now cold and stiff, that hand which has bestowed on me so many benefits, and which has labored so much for my good. Oh! if my soul could at the same moment leave its tenement of clay-if it could follow you, my father, into the heavenly kingdom. Oh! "let me die the death of the righteous." It is certain that this life is nothing-really nothing. What happiness must there be in heaven and in everlasting life! That is now my only consolation.'

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"This was a heart-rending scene. At last the farmer's wife, after persuading Mary for some time, prevailed upon her to lay [lie] down. Nothing would induce Mary during the following day to leave the body of her father. She read, wept, and prayed until morning. Before the coffin-lid was nailed down, Mary took one more look at her father. 'Alas!' said she, it is the last time that I shall ever behold your venerable face. How beautiful it was when you smiled, and it shone with the glory into which you were going to enter. Farewell-farewell, my father,' cried she, sobbing aloud. May your mortal remains rest peaceably in the bosom of the earth, now while the angels of the Lord are, as I hope, bearing your soul to eternal rest.' She took a branch of rosemary, of primrose as yellow as gold, and violets of a deep blue. She made a bouquet of them, and placed them on the bosom of her father, who during his life had sown and cultivated so many flowers. May these flowers, the first-fruits of the earth, be,' said she, an image of your future resurrection; and this rosemary, always green, the symbol of the pious recollection that will be for ever engraven on my heart. When they began to nail down the coffin-lid, every stroke of the hammer caused her so much emotion, that she almost fainted. The farmer's wife led her into the next room, and begged her to lie on the bed to recover herself. After the departure of the funeral, Mary, dressed in a suit of mourning, which one of the girls of the village had given her, followed close to the body of her father. She was as pale as death, and every one pitied this poor forsaken orphan, who now had neither father nor mother. As Mary's father was a stranger at Erlenbrunn, they dug a grave for him in the corner of the cemetery, beside the wall. Beside this wall were two large pine trees, which shaded the tomb. The curate preached a touching funeral sermon, in respect for the deceased. He had taken for his text these words of Jesus: Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone, but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.' John xii. 24. He spoke of James's patience, and of the resignation with which he bore all the misfortunes which had fallen to his lot, and the good example he had set for those who knew him. He offered consolations to the orphan, who was overwhelmed with grief. He thanked, in the name of the deceased, the farmer and his wife, who had so well proved to Mary and her father the kindness of their hearts. In short, he begged them to be father and mother to Mary, who had no longer any parents. Whenever Mary attended divine

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service at Erlenbrunn, she never failed to visit the tomb. She went also every Sunday evening, when she had opportunity, to visit the tomb of her father, and to weep over his cherished remains. 'No where,' would she say, 'have I prayed with so much fervor, as here at my father's grave. Here the whole world is nothing to me. I feel that we belong to a better world. My heart sighs for that country, because I daily feel the evil of the one in which I now am.' She never left the grave, without having made good resolutions to despise the pleasures of the world, and to live only to her God."

4.-A New Translation of the Hebrew Prophets, arranged in chronological order. By George R. Noyes, Volume I. containing Joel, Amos, Hosea, Isaiah, and Micah. Boston: Charles Bowen. 1833. pp. 288.

MR. NOYES is known to many of our readers as the translator of the Psalms and of Job. The remainder of the prophetic writings will appear in two additional volumes. The principal helps which he consulted in preparing the present volume, were Walton's Polyglott, Poole's Synopsis Criticorum, Pococke, Vitringa, Lowth, Grotius, Dathe, Rosenmueller, Newcome, Stuck on Hosea, and the translations of Martin Luther, Junius and Tremellius, Castalio, and De Wette. By limiting his labors chiefly to the business of translation, Mr. Noyes supposes that he can do more good consistently with the paramount duties of his present situation, than by attempting a commentary upon one or more books. The few notes which are added, formed no part of the original plan of the translator. They are such as could be prepared without any great expense of time, or interference with his plan of proceeding with the translation and publication of other portions of the Old Testament. In respect to retaining the phraseology of the common translation, Mr. Noyes has proceeded on this principle, to adopt that meaning of the original, which appeared to his judgment the true one, and that mode of expressing it which seemed to his taste the best. Those portions of the common version which remain unaltered, have, in proportion to their difficulty, been the subject of as extensive and laborious investigation, as those which have been altered.

We refer our readers to the preface of this volume, for a statement of the reasons for a new version of the Scriptures. The argument is given concisely, but as strongly as the case admits. We think Mr. Noyes, in his commendable zeal to make the Scriptures as intelligible as possible, does not place, by any means, so high a value as he ought on the common version, nor on the difficulties, which to us appear insurmountable, of substituting a new one.

We think the labors of Mr. Noyes worthy of high commendation. A translator has in many respects a thankless office. The anxiety and effort which he expends, sometimes on a single particle, can never be known by his readers. As a specimen of Mr. Noyes's manner, we give the last chapter in Hosea.

AN EXHORTATION TO REPENTANCE, AND PROMISE OF THE FUTURE FAVOR OF GOD.-Hosea, ch. xiv.

"TURN, O Israel, to Jehovah thy God;

For thou hast fallen by thine iniquity.

Take with you words,

And turn to Jehovah, saying,

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'Forgive all our iniquity, and receive us graciously,

When we offer to thee the sacrifices of our lips!

Assyria shall not help us;

'We will not ride on horses;

And no more will we say to the work of our hands,

'Ye are our Gods!

For from thee the fatherless obtaineth mercy.'

'I will heal their rebellion; I will love them freely;

For my anger is turned away from them.

'I will be as the dew to Israel;

'He shall bloom as the lily,

'And strike his roots like Lebanon.

His branches shall spread,

And his beauty shall be as the olive-tree,

And his fragrance as Lebanon.

They, that dwell under his shadow, shall gather strength;

They shall revive as the corn;

They shall shoot forth as the vine;

Their name shall be like the wine of Lebanon.

'Ephraim shall say, What have I more to do with idols?

'I will hear him; I will care for him;

'I will be like a green olive-tree;

'From me shall thy fruit be found.'

Who is wise, that he may understand these things;

Prudent, that he may know them?

For the ways of Jehovah are right,

And the righteous walk in them;

But in them transgressors stumble."

5.-The Teacher; or moral influences employed in the instruction and government of the young; intended chiefly to assist young teachers in organizing and conducting their schools. By Jacob Abbott, late principal of the Mount Vernon Female School, Boston. Boston: Peirce & Parker. 1833. pp. 293.

MR. ABBOTT thus explains his object.

"This book is intended to detail, in a familiar and practical manner, a system of arrangements for the organization and management of a school, based on the employment, so far as is practicable, of moral influences, as a means of effecting the objects in view. Its design is, not to bring forward new theories or new plans, but to develope and explain, and to carry out to their practical applications, such principles as, among all skilful and experienced teachers, are generally admitted and acted upon. Of course it is not designed for the skilful and the experienced themselves; but it is intended to embody what they already know, and to present it in a practical form, for the use of those who are beginning the work and who wish to avail them selves of the experience which others have acquired."

The first chapter is taken up in describing the enjoyments and difficulties of teaching; the second, in giving the general arrangements of a school, such as recitations, questions, mending pens, kind of government; the third, on the subject of instruction, means of exciting interest, proper way of rendering assistance, &c.; the fourth, on moral discipline; the fifth, on religious influence; the sixth, on the Mount Vernon school; the seventh, on scheming; the eighth, on reports of cases, or a developement of that part of the plan of government which is intrusted to the scholars. We commend the book to our readers, who are engaged in youthful instruction, whether in families or in schools, as one of great value. It is highly practical, and full of illustrations of principles. We make one extract.

"I know of nothing which illustrates more perfectly the way by which a knowledge of human nature is to be turned to account in managing human minds, than a plan which was adopted for clearing the galleries of the British house of commons, as it was described to me by a gentleman who had visited London. It is well known that the gallery is appropriated to spectators, and that it sometimes becomes necessary to order them to retire, when a vote is to be taken, or private business is to be transacted. When the officer in attendance was ordered to clear the gallery, it was sometimes found to be a very troublesome and slow operation, for those who first went out, remained obstinately as close to the doors as possible, so as to secure the opportunity to come in again first, when the doors should be re-opened. The consequence was, there was so great an accumulation around the doors outside, that it was almost impossible for the crowd to get out. The whole difficulty arose from the eager desire of every one to remain as near as possible to the door, through which they were to come back again. I have been told, that, notwithstanding the utmost efforts of the officers, fifteen minutes were sometimes consumed in effecting the object, when the order was given that the spectators should retire.

"The whole difficulty was removed by a very simple plan. One door only was opened when the crowd was to retire, and they were then admitted through the other. The consequence was, that as soon as the order was given to clear the galleries, every one fled as fast as possible through the open door around to the one which was closed, so as to be ready to enter first, when that, in its turn, should be opened; this was usually in a few minutes, as the purpose for which the spectators were ordered to retire was usually simply to allow time for taking a vote. Here it will be seen that by the operation of a very simple plan, the very eagerness of the crowd to get back as soon as possible, which had been the sole cause of the difficulty, was turned to account most effectually to remove it. Before, they were so eager to return, that they crowded around the door so as to prevent others going out. But by this simple plan of ejecting them by one door, and admitting them by another, that very circumstance made them clear the passage at once, and hurried every one away into the lobby, the moment the command was given.

"The planner of this scheme must have taken great pleasure in seeing its successful operation; though the officer who should go steadily on, endeavoring to remove the reluctant throng, by dint of mere driving, might well have found his task unpleasant. But the exercise of ingenuity, in studying the nature of the difficulty with which a man has to contend, and bringing in some antagonist principle of human nature to remove it, or if not an antagonist principle, a similar principle, operating, by a peculiar arrangement of circumstances, in an antagonist manner, is always pleasant.

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