rather than light, that he continued for some time, even after this period, more the subject of impression than of instruction; felt, in short, what he was unable to express to others, and for which he could not account to himself. He had been touched by ths wand of Moses at Horeb, which had unlocked some of the secret springs of his heart, and put them in motion, rather than been in the tabernacle with Aaron the priest, illuminated and perfected by the Urim and Thummim. His heart was much more assailable than his head; and, as will afterwards appear, was much more at work through life, and had a more commanding influence over his conduct."-pp. 12, 13.

There is a touching and graphic account of the change which took place in his views and feelings, when the grace of God took full possession of his soul-the length of which forbids quotation; and to give only a part would be to destroy its effect.

Some rather humorous scenes turn up occasionally. Mr. E. remarks, that Hick

"Was pretty generally known by the sportsmen of the neighbourhood; and few of them, though partly dependent upon them for employment, remained unreproved by him. Earl C-th-t was one, among others, who had felt the force of some of his sayings, and who enjoyed their effects upon others. The earl had an opportunity of this kind furnished, when several gentlemen were waiting one morning for the hounds. They met anent (opposite) my shop,' says Samuel, and stopped till the hounds came.' Among the party were the Hon. C. C- Vicar of K, the earl's brother; the Rev. W Rector of G- ; the late Rev. C Vicar of A- and Dr. E who followed the medical profession at KIt came to my mind,' continues Samuel, 'that the three clergymen had no business there.' His movements generally corresponding with the rapidity of his thoughts, he instantly threw down the hammer and the tongs,' darted out of the shop-door, like an animal from a thicket of underwood, and appeared in the midst of them with his shirt sleeves turned up, his apron on, his face and hands partaking of the hue of his employment-as fine game, in the estimation of some of them, to occupy the lingering moments, till other game should be started, as any that could present itself in human shape. Most of them,' says he,knew me. I said to them, Gentlemen, this is one of the finest hunts in the district. You are favoured with two particular privileges; and they are privileges which other districts have not.' This excited curiosity, which was as quickly gratified; for the inquiry relative to 'privileges' was no sooner proposed, than the answer was given If any of you should happen to slip the saddle, and get a fall, you have a doctor to bleed you; and three parsons to pray for you: and what are these but privileges? THREE PARSONS! O yes, there they are.' The odd association produced in the minds of some of the gentlemen, between hunting and devotion, the huntsman's shout, and the clergyman's prayer-the inconsistency of which, not a few had light sufficient to perceive; and of which, by the way, we are furnished with a somewhat similar ridiculous appearance in some of our cathedrals and churches, where some of the ancient knights-not very remarkable for prayer during life are represented as praying in marble, booted and spurred, clad in armour, with uplifted hands, about to rise to the victor's heaven, of whichabstractedly considered-the Bible knows as much as that of the hunters: this odd association operated powerfully on the risible faculties, and turned the laugh upon the clergymen, who, in the language of Samuel, lowered their heads, and never spoke a word in their own defence.""-pp. 81, 82.

His naturally humane heart was greatly improved by his Christianity; and instances of benevolence occur, which would do

credit to the wealthy squire of a country village.

"He was an utter stranger to the feeling of giving 'grudgingly. His was, in poetic language, a burning charity;' like concealed fire, constantly enlarging, till it actually tears away the surface of the earth, to let loose the imprisoned flame. It only wanted an object upon which to expend itself; and, as he rarely gave with discretion, the first applicant generally fared the most bountifully. He was returning from the pit one day with a load of coals: a little girl seeing him pass the door, ran towards him, and asked him for a piece of coal, stating that her mother was confined, and the family without fire. He stopped the horse, went into the house, made inquiry into their circumstances, found the tale of the child correct, brought the cart to the door, and poured down the whole of the load, free of cost. Having no money upon him to pay for an at home for the abundance of his charity, he returned to the coal-pit, where he knew he had credit for twenty times the quantity, re-filled his cart, and returned home with his soul humming its way up to heaven, like the lark breasting the morning breeze, and gladdening the inhabitants below with its first song.

additional load, and being apprehensive of a lecture

"To him it was of no importance what was the nature of the want; if it were a want, it was sure to be met by him with the first object calculated to supply it, to which he had any legal claim; and met too with the freedom and sudden gush of a fountain breaking from the side of a hill, giving forth its streams till its sources are exhausted by its impetuosity. Of this, his conduct to some soldiers on a march, during the late war, affords, perhaps, as fine a specimen as can be selected. It was what is termed a forced march,' and in the height of summer. The regiment being on its way to the south, a party halted at Micklefield early in the morning; the village inn could but accommodate a small portion of them, and the remainder took their seats on the heaps of stones by the side of the road. Samuel, as usual, was up early; and, sallying out of the house, he had presented to his view these veterans in arms. A thrill of loyalty was felt in his bosom, as every thing connected with his king, to whom he was passionately attached, was calculated to produce. He instantly returned to the house, placed before the men the whole contents of the buttery, pantry, and cellar-bread, cheese, milk, butter, meat, and beer went, and he himself in the midst of the men, as happy as a king living in the hearts of his subjects. Though in the very hey-day of enjoyment, he looked with tenderness upon the men, who were about to take the field, and dismissed them with his blessing. But he had part of the reckoning still to pay with his partner. Martha came down stairs, and, after engaging in other domestic concerns, proceeded to the buttery, to skim the milk for breakfast. All had disappeared. Inquiry was made: and when she found how the things had been disposed of, she chided him, saying, You might have taken the cream off before you gave it to them.' Samuel replied, Bless thee, barn, (child) it would do them more good with the cream on.""-pp. 105, 107.

not

Though Hick received occasional lectures from his good wife on account of his charities, yet, Mr. Everett observes, "it was owing to a want of generous feeling in her, but to a greater share of prudence; and it was a fortunate circumstance for him that he had such a curb at hand, otherwise he would have been often seriously involved in his circumstances; and, through charity alone, might either have enlarged the lists of bankrupts in the gazette, or been led to the workhouse, to subsist on the charity of others."

Extracts of interest might be multiplied

from this volume. which affords one of the finest specimens of CHEERFUL PIETY, of either ancient or modern times; but we wish our readers to have a perusal of the whole.

His death was triumphant and happy. As the solemn moment drew near, a heavenly smile played upon his countenance, and the joy he experienced gave a vivacity to his eye, which scarcely comported with the general debility of his system. His last words were, "I am going." He died on Monday night, November 9th, 1829, in the seventy-first year of his age.

We are not surprised to find this volume entering upon its third edition, during the first year of its publication; and cordially wish it the increasing success it deserves.

REVIEW. Saturday Evening. By the Author of Natural History of Enthusiasm. 8vo. pp. 490. Holdsworth and Ball. London. 1832.

THE Contents of this volume may be considered as an assemblage of essays, discourses, or dissertations, on a variety of sacred topics, that are held forth in the book of revelation. They are twenty-nine in number-each of which bears a distinct title, indicating the subject discussed; and with each is associated a short scriptural passage, corresponding in character, but which rather serves as a motto to the essay, than a text for illustration. Of these articles, the following titles will assist the reader in forming some idea :-" the Expectation of Christians the Courage peculiar to Times and Places-Laxity and Decisionthe Means of Mercy-the Church and the World-the State of Sacred Science-the Limits of Revelation-the Vastness of the Material Universe," &c. &c.

To the investigation of these important subjects, the author has brought a powerful mind, strongly imbued with principles that are at once scriptural and rational; and, from an attentive perusal of what he has written, much useful information may be derived. On some occasions, his range of thought seems rather too comprehensive for common minds; but his discussions are never complicated in themselves, or blended with foreign matter as to become perplexed.

SO

On "the Means of Mercy," the author introduces his subject with the following paragraph:

"To what extent the sacrifice once offered for the sins of mankind has actually taken effect, we neither know, nor have the means in any degree of knowing. The world of spirits is veiled. The inspired writers are silent; and theological rigidity, together with bold

conjecture, should be checked on such a theme. Meanwhile it is certain, as certain as the gospel, that the mercy of God has had no other channel; and, that to each of us, severally, there is a hope in Christ, and no other hope."-p. 57.

In the eleventh essay, on "the Vastness bats, with considerable success, the obof the Material Universe," the author comjection founded upon the comparative insignificance of the globe we inhabit. After devoting a page to the full statement of this objection, he proceeds with a reply-the

strength and rationality of which can hardly fail to carry conviction to every attentive mind. The following extracts will show the manner and conclusiveness of his argumentation.

"On which side soever we turn, we may find a direct confutation of this false modesty. It is quite evident that the whole (great as it may be) must be annihilated or made unimportant, when we annihilate, or reduce to insignificance, one by one, its several constituent parts. And the reason which would lead us thus to scorn one part, ought to have the same effect in relation to another, and another, until the whole is disposed of. The material universe consists throughout of portions, apparently similar to that on which ourselves are placed; nor is this our world, however diminutive in comparison with the universe, immensely diminutive in comparison with other worlds. The greatness of the universe is nothing else than the greatness of accumulation. The visible system is indeed immeasurably wide and deep; and it is stocked with innumerable worlds. But (so far as science gives its evidence) the stupendous structure is reared throughout of the same material, and consists of parts which bear a relation of symmetry one to the other.

"If, in imagination, we stretch the wing to distant quarters of the realms of nature, what shall we find? nothing more than solid spheres of measurable diameter, and fraught, like our own, with organization and intelligence. Let us indulge as freely as we choose, still we must keep within certain bounds. Suns are but suns; planets only planets. This vastness of the universe, therefore, which, when thought of collectively, overpowers the mind, reduces itself, when rationally analyzed, to what we have already stated; namely, the greatness of accumulation. The infinitude of grains on the sea shore, makes not each grain either more or less important than it would be if the number of the whole were much fewer than it is. "And, certainly, if our earth may retain its individual importance, notwithstanding the countless infinity of worlds among which it moves, it may do so notwithstanding its diminuteness. True, its disc is scarcely perceptible from planets which, by the breadth of their own, dazzle our sight. But no such rule of valuation can ever be assented to; for it is favoured by no analogy. If the earth is to be deemed. insignificant merely because it is vastly less than Jupiter or Saturn, we ought to judge that Greece, Italy, and England merit no attention in comparison with Africa and Asia; and yet, in fact, it is these petty regions, not the continents adjoining them, that have concentrated successively the intelligence of the world.

"But, in looking more narrowly to this prejudice, and in tracing it to its elements, it resolves itself altogether into a natural infirmity of our limited faculties. What then is this conception of vastness, and what is the emotion of sublimity that attends it? It is nothing more than the struggle or agony of the mind under the consciousness of its ignorance, and of its inability to grasp the object of its contemplation. Now, the notion of insignificance, or diminutiveness, though it may seem independent of any other, is in fact a correlative of the notion of magnitude. And a mind that had no idea of greatness or sublimity would never form one of meanness.

"But can we for a moment suppose that the supreme intelligence looks abroad upon his works in this manner, as vast in the whole, and petty in the parts? Does he know them as we do-a portion perfectly, and the rest vaguely? Any such supposition as this were most egregious. On the contrary, we may boldly affirm, that as the Divine knowledge is absolute, and extends itself equably and invariably over the entire surface, and, through all the masses the universe, so it utterly excludes the notion of any part being insignificant and unimportant, in consequence of its disproportion to the immensity of the whole."-pp. 177 to 198.

of

In a strain similar to the above, the author proceeds through the whole of this essay; and, as the final result, clearly demonstrates, that if our world may be deemed too insignificant for the attention and care of God, there is no orb in all the universe of matter that can be exempted from the same general charge. It will, therefore, follow, that if each sun and planet, individually taken, is too insignificant to be an object of providential regard, the whole, which is formed of these parts, must be equally unworthy the Divine jurisdiction.

The same reasonings will apply to man, with as much propriety as to the orb which he inhabits. How vast soever the multitude of intelligent beings that are scattered throughout the universe, and how exalted soever their mental and moral endowments may be, all are the objects of the Divine paternal care. In the universe of matter, not one atom can be lost; and, in that of mind, not one spirit can be disregarded. In both cases, the whole is precisely the same with all its parts; and, if these are deemed too insignificant for notice, a regard for the whole, which is but an aggregate of them, is but a mere chimera.

From other essays, in this volume, it would be easy to make selections equally forcible, and equally interesting; but our scanty limits warn us to desist. No extract, however, can do justice to the author, and to this production of his pen. The reader who wishes to know the real value of this work, must peruse the whole; and we feel decidedly persuaded that he will find in it an ample remuneration for his time and expense.

Why the writer should have called his book" Saturday Evening," we cannot conjecture. Monday Morning would have been equally appropriate; for, in fact, we perceive no meaning in either. We care, indeed, little or nothing about the name, and of the author we know nothing, but by mere report; we are assured, however, that he has produced an excellent volume, in which the investigations of philosophy shine with steady lustre, in accordance with the dictates of revelation; and, in which, acute reasoning and forcible argumentation are combined, to subserve the best interests of mankind.

REVIEW.- History of the Jews in all Ages. By the Author of History in all Ages. 12mo. pp. 590. Hamilton. London. 1832.

How degraded soever, and apparently contemptible, the Jews may appear at present, in the eyes of those among whom

they are scattered, it cannot be denied, that throughout the aggregate of their history, they have been more remarkable for vicissitude, incident, obstinacy, and suffering, than any other nation upon earth. There is scarcely any intermediate condition between the highest pinnacle of elevation, and the most abject state of degradation, which they have not experienced. Yet amidst all the changes through which they have passed, their national character has been uniformly preserved. To the customs of their distant ancestors they rigorously adhere. On their manners and modes of life, the nations among whom they reside appear to have had no influence; and, though inhabiting climates, zones, and countries that have no affinity with each other, they remain as much a distinct people, at this time, as they did in the days of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

To the Jews, under their various circumstances, a considerable portion of the Bible refers. Its history records the past and passing occurrences in their career; and its prophecies delineate their future destiny. In every respect, events correspond with these predictions; and they stand as solemn memorials, to prove the authenticity of the sacred writings. On these prophecies, many able dissertations have been written, but a living Jew furnishes the best commentary that was ever presented to the world.

Into all the general outlines of history, respecting these descendants of Abraham, this volume fully enters; and, in some of its branches, the details are given with discriminating minuteness. Commencing with their great progenitor, the author traces them through the pages of sacred and profane history, follows them in their captivities, wanderings, and dispersions, so far as their movements are known, and gives a summary of their present condition.

It is impossible for us to peruse any chapter in this volume, without being roused to attention by the numerous incidents which it contains. In every part, we find facts bordering on the marvellous; and, in the extraordinary events which meet us in every stage, we can hardly avoid acknowledging the power of God over-ruling secondary causes, and leading to results which mere rational calculation would scarcely have anticipated.

Connected as the Jews have been, during the long period of their descent, with almost every other nation, we are introduced to an epitome of what may be termed foreign history, and directed briefly to contemplate the laws and customs of those among whom they were called to sojourn. Hence, the

manners and dispositions of various nations rise, and pass before us; and, surveying the same people, in different ages, we have an opportunity of observing the changes which time, intercourse, philosophy, and religion, have wrought.

A chronology, towards the close, marks the specific period of each great event; and a copious index refers to the pages in which the incidents and occurrences are presented to the reader's view. These denote that this must have been a work of great research; but the author may congratulate himself that he has not laboured in vain.

To the reader who wishes for an acquaintance with Jewish history, this is just such a book as his wants require. It appears to contain every thing needful, to give ample information respecting this very extraordinary people, without being stretched to an immoderate length. The incidents, indeed, are too numerous in themselves to allow temptation for wandering into regions of irrelevant matter, any room to operate. The author, by adhering closely to his subject, has produced a book highly creditable to his industry and talents, and one that promises fair to prove both entertaining and useful to his readers.

REVIEW.-Divines of the Church of England, with a Life of each Author; a Summary of each Discourse, with Notes. By the Rev. T. S. Hughes, B. D. Vol. XIX. Hall's Contemplations, Vol. 11. 8vo. p. 526. Valpy. London. 1831. THE Contemplations of Bishop Hall have long ranked among the standard works of our English divines; and such is their intrinsic excellence, that they are in no danger of losing their exalted station. They are chiefly founded on individuals, characters, and incidents, recorded in the sacred volume. These are assumed as data; and the circumstances which the facts include, the Contemplations steadily pursue.

A remarkable degree of reverence is diffused throughout the author's sentences; and, in all his elucidations, his mind always appears under the influence of an awful solemnity. Every hint which the occasion supplies, he converts into a topic of serious reflection; and extracts from the incident, or narrative, some useful lesson that is applicable to practical life. This, indeed, appears to have been the great object which the pious prelate invariably kept in view. It is not merely for its own sake that he analyzes the historical event, but for the sake of those inferences obviously deducible from it, reference to ourselves, that an

amplification is given. In most of these inferences there is a vigour of thought, and a terseness of expression, that give them the character of aphorisms; and from these Contemplations a valuable compilation might be extracted.

In the nineteen volumes of this work already published, we have some of the best compositions of the periods over which they range. In his selection of authors, Mr. Valpy has displayed much discretion, as well as taste. To every friend of the established church, this reprint of the most sterling compositions which have sprung up under her auspices, must be a gratifying sight; and to any Christian library, it will be an honour to have these volumes exhibited on its shelves.

REVIEW.-The Sunday Library, &c. being a Selection of Sermons from eminent Divines of the Church of England, chiefly within the last half Century. By the Rev. T. F. Dibdin, D.D. Vols. V. VI. 12mo. pp. 370-378. Longman. London. 1831.

MOST, if not all of the preceding volumes of this series, we have had occasion to notice as they issued from the press, and if some apparent delay may seem attached to those now before us, it has not arisen from any suspicion of their inferior merit, but from the superabundance of works which press for notice in our pages.

For the character of these sermons, the names of their authors will furnish sufficient vouchers. Among these, in Vol. V. we find Newton, Blair, Chalmers, Allison, Hall, Irvine, Dean Chandler, and others; and the discourses in Vol. VI. are associated with the names of Secker, Huntingford, Blomfield, Maltby, Pott, Mant, Heber, and Porteus, all dignitaries of the established church; to which may be added several others, less exalted indeed in station, but not less deserving of having their works transmitted to posterity.

Several of the discourses in the fifth volume are on occasional subjects, which none but master-spirits can fairly examine, and fully elucidate. Here, however, they have fallen into able hands, and on many obscure topics we find darkness dissipated by a flood of light. The sermons in the sixth volume are of a more practical character, mingling rather with the common experience and duties of life, than with theories which are frequently more splendid in their appearance than stable in their foundations.

In glancing over the index at the con

clusion of this work, we find, among the authors with whose labours it is enriched, some of the brightest ornaments of our national establishment; and among the subjects of their discourses, most of the great and important doctrines and precepts of the gospel. These interesting topics are treated in a calm, a luminous, yet spirited and decisive manner; and the series, now complete in six volumes, is not rendered tedious by an immoderate length.

we presume, are well acquainted; but it is perhaps, less generally known, that as the habitations of man approach their territories, their instinct seems to undergo a surprising change, the nature of which may be gathered from the following extract :—

"The beaver has, at a former period, inhabited the territory of the United States much more extensively than at present. In various parts of the western country, where they are at present entirely unknown, except by tradition, the dams constructed by their labours are still standing securely, and in many instances serve instead of bridges to the streams they obstruct. There are few states in the Union in which some remembrance of this

Parts

of the United States of North America. By John Howard Hinton. 26-30. Hinton. London. 1832. IF every publication that issues from the press, could present so fair a claim to honourable notice as Hinton's America, we should but seldom hear author's complaining that critics were severe, or reviewers lamenting that they could find nothing in their works to praise. We must however, be content to "catch the manners, living as they rise," and, under the guidance of justice, to award praise or censure with an impartial hand.

Of the former portions of this work, we have had several occasions to speak favourably, and respecting those now before us, it is no mean compliment to say, that they are worthy of their predecessors, that they sustain the exalted character which this publication has commanded and obtained, and furnish decided indications that the author will not suffer his future plates and numbers to diminish the reputation of those already before the world.

The leading subjects which occupy the pages of the parts now under inspection are, Zoology, Ornithology, Agriculture, Manufacture, and Commerce. On each of these we have many interesting details and enlightened observations, all of which tend to prove, that, so far as the ingenuity and industry of man are concerned, the whole country is hastening towards a state of maturity, more gigantic in its strength and proportions, than any other on which the sun has hitherto thrown its enlivening beams.

In animated nature, however, a very different scene presents itself to our view. Many tribes of animals and birds have become extinct; and of those which survive, most have been driven from their accustomed haunts, while some are so scarce as to indicate that the day of their extermination is near at hand.

With the extraordinary ingenuity and sagacity of the beaver, most of our readers,

dam, Beaver-lake, Beaver-falls, &c. In situations where it is frequently disturbed, all its singular habits are relinquished, and its mode of living changed to suit the nature of circumstances. Instead of building dams and houses, its only residence is then in the banks of the stream, where it is forced to make an extensive excavation, and to be content to adopt the manners of a musk-rat. More sagacity is displayed by the beaver in thus accommodating itself to circumstances, than in any other action it performs. Such is the caution which it exercises to guard against detection, that were it not for the removal of small trees, the stumps of which indicate the sort of animal by which they have been cut down, the presence of the beaver would not be suspected in the vicinity. All excursions for the sake of procuring food, are made late at night; and if it pass from one hole to another during the day-time, it swims so far under water, as not to excite the least suspicion of the presence of such a voyager. On many parts of the Mississippi and Missouri, where the beaver formerly built houses according to the usual mode, no such works are at present to be found, although beavers are still to be trapped in those localities. These circumstances throw light on the character of the European beaver, which has been thought to belong to another species, because it does not build. The value of the fur of of these animals is well known. The capture or trapping of them, is a large part of the business, both of the Indians and the whites. It is a subject of regret, that an animal so valuable and so prolific, should be hunted in a manner tending to the extermination of the species, when a little care and management on the part of those interested, might prevent unnecessary destruction, and preserve the sources of their revenue. In the Hudson's Bay possessions they are becoming annually more scarce, and the race will eventually be extinguished throughout the whole continent; though a few individuals may, for a time, elude the immediate violence of persesecution."-p. 140.

Of the Lynx, the Bear, the Wolf, the Raccoon, the Ermine, the Opossum, and others of the animal race, the habits and character are luminously, but briefly described; and many anecdotes are recorded, illustrative of their natural propensities, but for these we must refer to the work itself. Similar remarks may be applied to the feathered tribes, respecting which we can only repeat our recommendations.

According to the original announcement, about five parts more will complete this work; but we feel persuaded that much interesting matter might be found, to carry it to a far greater extent than the limits prescribed will allow. Two quarto volumes will, however, contain a goodly portion of