public worship. He does not, however, specify the mischiefs which may arise from Sunday-evening Lectures, by affording pretexts to servants and children for being absent from home in the evening. Harm rather than good, we fear, often results from evening-lectures; and we appeal to the sober sense of the author of these family discourses, whether he ought to countenance them, and by evening preaching aid the cause of religious dissipation.'

Fifty-three discourses are contained in the two volumes before us, the titles of which are Vol. I. Returning from a Journey; God the best of Fathers; Saturday Evening; The Eye of God always upon us; the Death of Jesus (Good Friday); Confidence in God composing the Mind; Spring; The happy Family; The Sight of Christian Friends enlivening; The Christian indeed! (before the Lord's Supper); The final Change (Easter); Religious Things, pleasant Things (Lord's Day Evening); Nearness to the Cross; The Throne of Grace; Summer and Harvest; the Funeral of a Youth; Fears removed; The profane Exchange; Nathaniel; The Characters of Sin; Acquiescence in the Will of God; The Child Jesus (Christmas); The Design of our Saviour's coming (Christmas); The Union of Prayer and Watchfulness; The Tree of Life; Backsliding reproved; The Misery of contending with God; Communion with the Saviour inseparable from Holiness. (Vol. II.) A Check to Presumption; Review of Life (Last day of the year); Our Ignorance of Futurity (New year's day); Religion more than Formality; Autumn; The Design of Affliction; the End of the Saviour's Exaltation; Religion makes us profitable; The Cure of blind Bartimeus; Winter; Christians not of the World; Weak Grace encou raged; Martha and Mary; God abandons the Incorrigible; The Ascension of our Saviour; The Prayer of Nehemiah; An Address to Youth (the first Day of the year); The Un belief of Thomas (Easter); Contentment with little; Our Duty in Relation to the Spirit (Whitsunday); The Ascension of Elijah; the Punishment of Adoni-Bezek improved; The r cheerful Pilgrim; Sin ruins a Kingdom (for a Fast Day); The Saviour comforting his Disciples (after a funeral).

It will hence appear that Mr. Jay has chosen a variety of interesting subjects; and his discussion of them presents a multitude of serious reflections, which "come home to men's business and bosoms," in the various relations of life. His reproofs are directed to particular cases, and cannot easily be partied. We do not subscribe to all his positions: but, as it is impossible not to applaud his uniform aim, we shall not be minute critics on the present occasion. We shall satisfy

ourselves

ourselves with making two or three selections, to indicate the familiar style of these discourses.

Having commented on the truly affecting passage recorded by John, xix. 25-27 in which our Saviour bequeaths the care of his mother to the disciple whom he loved, the preacher thus proceeds:

This is very instructive. It reminds us, first, of the indigence of our lord and Saviour. Many talk of poverty, but he was poor. In ordinary cases he was sustained by alms; in extraordinary ones by miracles. When he came to die, he had no personal property, or landed estate to leave. All he had to bequeath was his wearing apparel, and even this never came to his mother: they parted his raiment among them, and for his vesture did they cast lots.

• What becomes then of riches? Are we such fools as to fall down and worship this idol of general adoration? Does money producedoes it imply worth? Silver and gold I have none, says Peter-So then a man may be an apostle and be moneyless. Foxes bave holes, and the birds of the air have nests, but the son of man hath not where to lay his head --why then a being may be the brightness of the father's glory, and the express image of his person, and be destitute-But alas! all this will not keep numbers from thinking money the summit of all excellency. O money; money can add charms to ugliness; money can transform wrinkles into youth: money can fill brainless heads with wisdom, and render nonsense oracular: money can turn meanness into virtue, and falling like snow can cover a dunghill, and give it the appearance of whiteness and innocency!?

In the Sermon on Martha and Mary, Mr. Jay fairly appreciates the character of the former, and makes some sort of vindication of her: but he gives her what Dr. Johnson would call a hard knock at parting;

Martha, instead of a plain repast, was cumbered about much serving; and was all anxiety to furnish an entertainment, which, while it was rendered unnecessary by the plainness and piety of the visitants, allowed her no degree of leisure, and engrossed all her time and attention. Thus she deprived herself of an opportunity to hear our Saviour's discourse. This she should have prized. He was co ordinary teacher: his stay was not likely to be of long continuance; she knew not when the blessing would come again in her way.

This was not all. She rudely breaks in upon the devotion of the company; interrupts our Lord's discourse; condemns her sister as idle; and tries to involve our Saviour in the quarrel. Lord, dost thou not care that my sister bath left me to serve alone? Bid her therefore that she help me. Here we see ill humour, fretfulness, snappishness: she is troubled about many things; and in her heat, her temper boils over, and scalds others. I pity Martha's servants. It is easy to guess how they would be found fault with, when their mistress could go and scold in the presence of the twelve apostles, and the Son of God.'

It is impossible to read the last sentence without a smile:~ or perhaps also the protest of Mr. Jay, in this discourse, against the practice of inviting ministers to good dinners.

Many pretty remarks are offered on the subject of Winter. We transcribe one of the divisions:

Fourthly, this season calls upon us to exercise benevolence. Sympathy is now more powerfully excited than at any other period; we are enabled more easily to enter into the feelings of others less favored than ourselves. And while we are enjoying every conveniency and comfort which the tenderness of Providence can afford-O let us think of the indigent and miserable. Let us think of those whose poor hovels, and shattered panes cannot skreen them from the piercing cold. Let us think of those whose tattered garments scarcely cover their shivering flesh. Let us think of the starving poor, who, after a struggle which to relinquish, give up their small pittance of bread, to get a little fuel to warm their frozen limbs. Let us think of the old and the infirm; of the sick and the diseased. When evening draws on, let us reflect upon the scene so exquisitely touched by the pencil of sensibility

"Poor, yet industrious, modest, quiet, neat,
Such claim compassion in a night like this,
And have a friend in every feeling heart.
Warmed while it lasts, by labor all day long
They brave the season, and yet find at eve,
Ill clad and fed but sparely, time to cool.
The frugal housewife trembles when she lights
Her scanty stock of brush-wood blazing clear,
But dying soon, like all terrestrial joys,
The few small embers left she nurses well;
And while her infant race, with outspred hands
And crowded knees, sit cow'ring o'er the sparks,
Retires, content to quake, so they be warmed."

"O let the blessing of them that are ready to perish come upon us. Who would not labor that he may have to give to him that needeth, Who would not deny himself superfluities, and-something more that his bounty may visit the fatherless and the widows in their affliction.

Ah! ye unfeeling, ye worldly-minded, that stretch yourselves upon your couches that chant to the sound of the viol-that drink wine in bowls, and anoint yourselves with the chief ointments, but are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph: O ye who can repair to every avenue of dissipation and trample on so much distress, and shut your ears against so many groans in your way thither-on what do you found your title to humanity?-Thy judgment is to come. Or do you lay claim to religion?Merciless wretch, can knowledge or orthodoxy save thee?-Whoso bath this world's good; and seeth his brother have need, and shuttelh up his bowels of compassion from him; how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word; neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute

+8

destitute of daily food, and one of you say unto them, depart in peace: be ye warned and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? even so, faith if it hath not works is dead, being alone.'

Mr. Jay occasionally introduces passages of poetry, which enliven his addresses; and if others were, with judgment, to follow his example, their discourses would be more striking and impressive.

The Sermon on the punishment of Adoni-Bezek concludes with this exhortation:

Abhor cruelty. It is equally disgraceful to religion and hu manity. It renders you unpitied of God and man. I hope none of you would be so dreadfully savage as this monster, to torture and mangle your fellow creatures, if you had it in your power. But let me speak a word for the poor brutes, who cannot speak for themselves, though unhappily they have the power of feeling. My dear little friends! Never torment animals. Never sport with the misery of insects Never cut off their legs or wings. God's tender mercies are over all his works. He hears the young ravens that cry. Be followers of God as dear children.'

These humane sentiments are rather aukwardly affixed to the history of the destruction of the Canaanites; in which event, cattle as well as men suffered miserably

On the unbelief of Thomas, it is observed that

It is possible for a good man to be overtaken in a fault. He is sanctified but in part. He may be checked in his course, and chil. led in his zeal; his hope may decline; his faith may stagger through unbelief. Indeed where is the believer who has not reason to cry out with the father of the child, Lord I believe, help thou my unbelief. The apostles themselves prayed, Lord increase our faith. But there is a difference between impressions and principles; between a wrong step, and a wrong course. Let us not judge of a character by a single action. Thomas had true faith, notwithstanding this instance of unbelief. And he soon recovered from his infirmity.

Yea, it was over ruled for good. It ended in the humiliation and zeal of this disciple; and in the greater confirmation of thousands, ever since. For if those who have attested the things reported unto us in the gospel, had been men of easy and hasty persuasion, their deposition would have been suspicious - but we find that they were men full of pertinacious doubts, who admitted nothing, till evidence extorted conviction, His unbelief, therefore, is the means of strengthening our faith. To which we may add, that it serves also to honour our Lord and Saviour, not only by evincing more fully, the truth of his resurrection, but also in discovering the excellency, and amiableness of his character.'

* Joshua, xi. 6.

We

We leave our readers to judge how far these passages jus tify the character which now, and on a former occasion (see Rev. for January 1803, p. 83.), we have given of Mr. Jay as a preacher.

Had the author confined himself to the length of the first sermon, viz. eight pages, he would in our opinion have rendered them still more acceptable to most families. Discourses occupying from 16 to 20 pages are long enough for the pulpit.

ART. VII. Lectures on Natural Philosophy the Result of many Years' practical Experience of the Facts elucidated. With an Appendix: containing a great Number and Variety of Astrono mical and Geographical Problems; also some useful Tables, and a comprehensive Vocabulary. By Margaret Bryan. 4to. 21. 125. 68. Boards. Kearsley, &c. 1906.

THIS

HIS is the second work which, on subjects that are abstruse and are usually placed apart from female curiosity, has within these few years been submitted to our criticism by Mrs. Bryan and we can truly say that she is a very ingenious and industrious writer. At the approach of a fair lady, indeed, with less merit than Mrs. B. possesses, the rugged brow of criticism ought to be smoothed; and the public ought not violently to blame us if, for a while, we forget the rules of severe justice, and the sentences of angry reprehension.

On various philosophical subjects, much useful information is collected and arranged in the present volume. Optics, Hydrostatics, Magnetism, Electricity, Mechanics, Astronomy, &c. are treated; and if the depths of these sciences are not sounded by the aid of analytic formula, yet those of their truths which are most useful, most simple, and most easy of apprehension, are culled for the acceptance and information of the reader. They are not offered in a form which is repulsive and disgusting, but with decorations too splendid, and in verbal dresses rather too fine and spangled for their nature and condition. This, we must observe, ought to have been otherwise. The simple truths of science cannot be too simply expressed. Intended neither to awaken nor to inflame the passions, nor to delude the understanding, they need not the allurements and captivations of phraseology: they are the offspring of patience and of industry; and it ill befits their origin, education, and pretensions, to affect the gorgeous and gaudy apparel of the children of fancy and of sentiment.

*See Rev.Vol. xxvi. N.S. p. 406. for Mrs. B.'s System of Astro

xomy.

To