Γ chosen aright; and that for the following reasons: 1. He was the only one of the pilgrims, who was not content with examining his pillar only once, but even after he had taken his stand, most carefully repeated the examination from time to time. None of the pilgrims could help being occasion ally troubled with the apprehension of having made a wrong choice; but the rest seemed always to quiet their fears with recollecting the care they had taken in choosing at first: they even seemed afraid of examining again, lest they should discover some flaw and unsettle their opinions. Eusebes alone, whenever he was perplexed with doubts, always began the examination afresh, and still more minutely than before; and I could remark that the result of this plan was a growing acquiescence in his original choice. 2. Eusebes not only examined repeatedly, but also much more minutely and impartially than his brother-pilgrims. Each of them appeared willing to dwell on some particular excellence in his favourite pillar, and to console himself with the possession of this for the want of the rest. If Docilis was told that his pillar, though it very accurately agreed with the model in its shape, was yet manifestly full of cracks and flaws, he would immediately answer that it was a great thing to have the shape so exactly." If Orthopus was desired to observe that the upper part of his pillar had no symmetry or even shape, he would instantly begin to boast of the solidity of its foundation. If you hinted to Ethicus that, in many points of view, his pillar did not appear to be properly poised on its base, he would stop you short with exclaiming, "These minutiæ are of no consequence; you must attend only to the general effect." But Eusebes, whenever any apparent imperfection was pointed out to him, lost not a moment in setting himself to examine the matter with seriousness. 3. Eusebes diligently availed himCHRIST. OBSERV. No. 52. self of occasional circumstances to try the soundness of his choice. Whenever a gust of wind swept through the temple, or the passing off of a cloud left the heavens brighter for a few moments, he would seize the opportunity, either of observing the strength, or of examining the shape, of his pillar. It was otherwise with his companions. If (for example) their pillars were shaken by the wind, (and this, I observed, they all were, except that of Eusebes) they would say, "No wonder ;-such a storm as this would shake a rock of adamant;" and this spirit they always evinced, though in various forms. He 4. The spirit in which Eusebes made these various examinations, and which uniformly distinguished him, was materially different from the spirit discovered by the rest of the pilgrims. He was always humble and self-diffident: they were positive and self-satisfied. He alone gave advice with kindness and received it without impatience. appeared by far the most earnest in warning his friends of the error of their choice, and in inviting them to try their fortune at the same pillar with himself. In the others I discovered an uneasiness, and me-thought a growing uneasiness, at receiving any caution or admonition from their neighbours. If their choice was blamed, they were fond of recriminating; and, if invited to alter their stand, they would decline it with haughtiness. If this asperity of manner discovered itself more in any of them than in the rest, it was in Orthopus and Biblicus. In all of them, however, there seemed a lurking consciousness, that every thing was not right. For these and some other similar reasons, I could not help thinking that Eusebes had been successful in his choice. Methought I perceived that he himself being, as I have already said, more and more convinced of it, perpetually renewed his remonstrances with his friends They heard him with the same ill Hh to the prayers of parents for their children. humour as before, till at last one of them (I did not observe which) disdainfully exclaimed, "Pray, Eusebes, keep your good advice to yourself: I really long to be delivered from your importunity; and I therefore wish you joy of your choice till the morning.' At the mention of the word morning, my mind, with the inconsistency peculiar to dreams, ran in a moment through all the remaining stages of the night; and suddenly, methought, I was witness to the breaking of the brightest day that I had ever be held. The sun shining in his strength" had just surmounted the horizon; a stream of effulgence shot from his orb; and all nature seemed to lie naked and open to his beams. A loud cry directed my attention to the temple. The counterfeits of the night stood all exposed at once: but what language can describe the confusion and despair of those numerous persons who now perceived, when it was too late, the error of their choice, and the folly of their conduct! One only pillar could I discover of "gold tried in the fire," glittering with the glory of daylight, and reflecting the sunbeams in every direction, But the blaze was too powerful for my sight, and I had only just time to observe that it was the pillar of Eusebes, when I started from my sleep. Thou, whose eye is now perusing these lines, remember that thou thyself art at this moment in the TEMPLE; that there is but ONE GOLDEN PILLAR; and, that the morning is at hand! FRAGMENTS. AUGUSTIN'S MOTHER. AUGUSTINE, in the 3d book of his Confessions, as given us by Mr. Milner, in his History of the Church of Christ, vol. ii. p. 342, mentions the following anecdote of his mother Monica, which may be considered, especially when we connect it with the future conversion of her son, as a remarkable encouragement "I remember also," they are the words of Austin, "that she intreated a certain Bishop to undertake to reason me out of my errors. He was a person not backward to attempt this, where he found a docile subject. But your son,' says he, 'is too much elated at present, and carried away with the pleasing novelty of his error, to regard any arguments, as appears by the pleasure he takes in puzzling many ignorant persons with his captious questions. Let him alone; only continue praying to the Lord for him; he will in the course of his study discover his error. I myself, perverted by my mother, was once a Manichee, and read almost all their books, and yet at length was convinced of my error, without the help of any disputant.' All this satisfied not my anxious parent; with floods of tears she persisted in her request, when at last he, a little out of temper on account of her importunity, said, 'Be gone, good woman; it is not possible that a child of such tears should perish.' She has often told me since, that this answer impressed her mind like a voice from heaven." LORD BACON ON clerical meetings. Speaking of the means of improving preaching, he proceeds to recommend "three considerations;" the first of which is as follows: "Whether it were not requisite to renew that good exercise which was practised in this church some years, and afterwards put down by order indeed from the church, in regard of some abuse thereof, inconvenient for those times, and yet against the advice and opinion of one of the greatest and gravest prelates of the land, and was commonly called prophesying; which was this: that the ministers within a precinct did meet upon a week-day in some principal town, where there was some ancient grave minister that was president, and an auditory admitted of gentlemen, or other persons of leisure. Then every minister successively, beginning with the youngest, did handle one and the same part of Scripture, spending severally some quarter of an hour or better, and in the whole some two hours: and so the exercise being begun and concluded with prayer, and the president giving a text for the next meeting, the assembly was dissolved. And this was, as I take it, a fortnight's exercise; which in my opinion was the best way to frame and train up preachers to handle the word of God, as it ought to be handled, that hath been practised." He proceeds to recommend, first, that after this more public exercise, there should be a private meeting of the ministers, where they might mutually admonish each other, or object to any thing unsound or uncomely that had passed in the conference; secondly, that the practice should be adopted in the universities as well as in the country. BACON'S TREATISE CONCERNING REVIEW OF NEW PUBLICATIONS. ROBINSON'S Christian System. (Concluded from page 168.) We now advance to the 3d volume of these Essays, in which Mr. Robinson professes more particularly to treat of the practical part of Christianity. And here we are inclined to think that the pious author is under a disadvantage, in consequence of a defect in the plan which he has adopted. Mr. Robinson endeavours to furnish a summary of Christian practice by means of essays on the Ten Commandments, on the Lord's Prayer, on Worship, and on the Sacraments; but chiefly on the Ten Commandments. It is true that by an extensive interpretation of each of the commandments he supplies in part the deficiency of which we complain. He has moreover spoken generally of sanctification in the conclusion of his second volume, and he has interspersed among his doctrinal discussions many very important practical remarks. Still, how ever, we consider that "Christian System" to be imperfectly delineated which treats of the specific subject of Christian practice, by means of an amplification of the ten commandments; and refers to the various precepts of Christ and his apostles, only in illustration and con poor, firmation of the law of Moses. The decalogue is for the most part a proshalt not kill;"-" Thou shalt not mulgation of prohibitions, "Thou steal," &c. It is true that when a vice is forbidden, the virtue which stands opposed to that vice may be considered as commanded: but is it enjoined as clearly, authoritatively, and fully, and also as evangelically and spiritually, as in the specific precepts of the New Testament? Take the case of charity to the and of compassion to the afflicted. We may undoubtedly infer these duties from the injunction not to kill; but with what immense advantage do we learn the same lesson, when we hear our Saviour expressly say "Give to him that asketh of thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away:" or when we find him describing the day of judgment, as the day when the son of man shall say to them on the right hand, of my Father, inherit the kingdom "Come ye blessed prepared for you from the founda tion of the world: I was an hungred and ye gave me meat, thirsty, and ye gave me drink, naked and ye clothed me." stance the virtue of humility. The Take as another indoctrines of the Gospel, on which Mr. Robinson has expatiated in his It deserves however, two first volumes, are unquestiona- mandments. to be noticed, that in her homilies at least, which treat separately and specifically of various practical subjects, she affords us an example of another mode of instruction; and moreover, that the conciseness of the ten commandments furnishes a good reason for their introduction both into our liturgy and catechism. We are of opinion that the very circumstance of our church having appeared to follow this course, renders it the more necessary for her ministers to enlarge the views of their hearers on the subject of Christian obedience, by presenting to them those abundant lessons of a practical nature, which are supplied by the New Testament. The doctrinal parts of religion have been formed into a system with the most scrupulous care, as the work of Mr. Robinson, which for the most part treads over the beaten ground, sufficiently testifies. These have in modern times been defined with a degree of precision, perhaps, greater even than that which was employed in the first ages. Happily however it has not been imagined that the best means of establishing the doctrine either of the trinity, of the atonement, of justification by faith, or any other evangelical truths, would be to deduce them primarily and chiefly from the Old Testament. Now in our opinion, as evangelical doctrine is chiefly and primarily to be learnt from the New Testament, so also is evangelical practice. We admit that Christ, in some parts of his sermon on the Mount, expounds certain points in the law of Moses, and supplies the Pharisees, and through them suggests to us, a general principle of interpretation. We cannot however be content to view this great teacher of the Christian church, merely, or even chiefly, as a commentator on the Old Testament. In some particulars he takes upon him to enlarge the ancient law. As to some points Christ the lawgiver speaks, while Moses is silent. And in general it may be af We will adduce one other illus tration of our general remark. Obedience to governors is an important duty plainly taught in the New Testament, but not so plainly by the decalogue. Mr. Robinson, it is true, by employing five essays on the 5th commandment, has introduced all the relative duties under this head. But will every reader readily admit that the command which says, "Honour thy father and thy mother," involves an obligation to pay taxes to government? Or will every wife perceive that it inculcates submission to her husband? We are sensible that in offering these remarks we may perhaps be considered as animadverting, not merely on the practice of ministers of various classes, but in some measure also on that of the Church of England: for our church, both by introducing the commandments into her liturgy, and inculcating them in her catechism, as well as by deducing her definition of our duty to God and man obviously from this source, has undoubtedly countenanced the habit of inculcating all the various lessons of obedience through the medium of the ten com firmed, both of Christ and his apostles, that their inculcation and delineation of evangelical doctrine, are accompanied with a no less specific inculcation and delineation of evangelical practice. We shall now give a few extracts from the 3d volume of this work. Mr. Robinson, in his first essay on keeping the commandments; thus decisively opposes Antinomian sentiments. "There are those who object to that theological system, which enforces the obligations of the moral law, as if it were on that account hostile to the liberty of the Gospel and to the privileges of believers. These objections will appear, upon due investigation, absurd and ungrounded; and their dangerous tendency is most obvious. Is it not in consequence of such clamours against practical religion, that many, who speculate upon and contend for the sub lime mysteries of Christianity, pay little regard to duty? They soar above it, and compassionate the low state of those, who are occupied in considering how they ought to walk'." p. 6. Mr. Robinson, in treating of the first commandment, observes, first, that the covetous, secondly, that the intemperate, thirdly, that the proud, fourthly, that the men inordinately attached to earthly comforts, are idolaters. We do not deny the truth of the observation, but this is a mode of attacking the sin of covetousness, intemperance, pride, and worldly-mindedness, which, as we have already intimated, is not perhaps the most advantageous. A specific essay on the sin of pride, or on the grace of humility, would, as we think, have formed a very proper part of a volume on Christian obedience. The habit of taking the name of God in vain is so common, even with many who claim to be religious, that we cannot too frequently present to our readers a hint upon this subject. "The 3d commandment," says Mr. Robinson, "is also broken by the wanton, needless, and irreverent mention of the name of God, in common conversation." "Persons the most decent and reputable fall into this sin, without suspecting any guilt or danger. They would be shocked at the broad and coarse language of the blasphemer; but they do not keep the commandment." "How few comparatively are the companies in which some one or other will not grieve the man of real devotion by such exclamations as these: O Lord,' 'God knows,' 'O Christ,' 'God bless me.'-Is this treating the Almighty as we ought? Is it not making him a common bye word, an unmeaning expletive in our conversation?" p. 64. When Mr. Robinson observes, in commenting on this commandment, that we are to observe it, first, in our thoughts, secondly, in our words, and thirdly, in our actions: and when he then proceeds to shew, that we fail to glorify God's name by our actions, if we do not "depart from iniquity;" he advances so far in his amplification, that the commandment ceases to have any very determinate meaning. We think that he is betrayed into this fault, by the general system of amplification to which he has resorted, and of which we have already questioned the propriety*. In commenting on the 5th commandment, Mr. Robinson speaks too strongly in saying," it is force alone that restrains the insolence of chil dren and secures their obedience." (p. 15.) We presume that he did not intend to convey so harsh a sentiment as his words almost necessarily imply: and our presumption is strengthened by the following passage on the same subject, with them (that is, with children) on these things, not in language of gloom, of menace, or severity, but with such tenderness and proofs of Talk that the term, "vile affections," which is *We would suggest to Mr. Robinson, applied by him (p. 71.) to those whose temper is warm; a term which recurs, if we recollect right, four or five times in the course of these volumes, is employed in Scripture, only to denote a kind of critinality which is now happily uncommon, and scarcely fit to be named or even atluded to by Christians. The sin having ceased, at least amongst us, it seems proper to desist from the use of the scriptural term which denoted it. |