churches which we have presented, the reference of matters to the judgment of the whole, is not habitual, but only occasional and ultimate. The members at large are not discussing and directing every thing; but in a well-conducted society, in fact, scarcely any thing. They appoint, under Christ their head, an executive body, a pastor to act in spiritual concerns, and deacons to act in temporal ones, while the general affairs of the church are matters of the joint consultation of both. The cases submitted to the church are only such as involve perplexity, or exceed the delegated authority of the appointed officers. Neither are such cases laid before the brethren at large in a crude and immature state; but first of all they engage the careful deliberation of the executive, whose proposed measures form the matter for the consideration and decision of the church. Upon such a plan, the general body is not appealed to upon trivial matters, nor with unnecessary frequency; and when it is consulted, the transaction is in most cases little more than an unanimous approval or sanction of the measures proposed. If it be otherwise, and there is either a modification of the measure proposed, or a divided opinion in the church, there is scarcely a doubt but the decision of the major number is the wisest in any particular instance, and no doubt at all that a course of proceedings pursued under such control is wiser than any other." p. 164. We hope we are correct in concluding, that the series of Essays, either in the detached or united form, is receiving ample encouragement by a wide circulation. become a theological tutor, was entitled, Free Thoughts on the most probable means of reviving the Dissenting Interest." Little could he then think that his writings would extend through many considerable volumes, and after the circulation had been going on for 100 years, would be compressed, without abridgment, into two large volumes, and stereotyped in a beautiful style;-that his Family for eighteen shillings, and all his MiscelExpositor would be sold in one volume laneous Sermons and Tracts for twenty! We are happy to observe that Job Orton's Life of the Doctor is prefixed, with some valuable extracts from the Memoirs by Dr. Keppis. Thomas Morell, is highly valuable, and The introductory Essay by the Rev. has derived much advantage from being prepared by a gentleman who now worthily fills the theological chair which Doddridge himself once filled. The likeness is interesting, and is said to be " engraved by permission of the trustees of the late Wm. Coward, Esq. from the original picture in Wymondley House, Hants." [Qu. Herts.] We cannot but wish that where the "Family Expositor" has had one reader, it may now have a hundred. We congratulate our students, young ministers and pastors, that they will have such easy access to so great a treasure; and we hope the publishers will be remunerated for their enterprising and spirited conduct in this and in other important articles. The Complete Works of Philip Doddridge, D.D. in Two Volumes. Vol. I. The Family Expositor.Vol. II. The Miscellaneous Works.-Westley and Davis. The History and Prospects of the Church, WE shall not be guilty of the presumption from the Creation to the Consummation of recommending to our readers the writ- of all things. With a Syllabus of the ings of the learned, candid, and amiable Book of Revelation. By JAMES BENauthor whose works are now before us, NETT, D.D.-Westley and Davis. and whose praise has long been in all DR. Bennett's well earned reputation, as a our churches. Philip Doddridge having preacher and as a writer, will procure for finished his preparatory studies had en- him many readers of this neat epitome of joyed a delightful retirement for six or Bible-history and Church-history, from seven years, at Kibworth and Market the creation to the consummation of all Harborough, before he removed to North- things. It is not so correctly printed as ampton, which important event took it deserves to be. Query-Do not all the place December 24, 1729. His first pub-authorities agree that the Council of lication, in 1730, not long after he had Trent sat eighteen (not twenty-five) years? See p. 89. And should not Winchester be | Temperance, by J. A. Dickson.-Directions Westminster in p. 93? In Book III., we behold "God breaking up old systems hostile to Christianity-giving increased activity to principles favourable to religion-separating the church from the world-removing numerous evils offensive to God and injurious to man-calling forth the spirit of prayergranting a more abundant effusion of his grace. We heartily concur with Dr. B. in his estimate of the value of Temperance Soci eties. "By voluntary associations to produce total abstinence from ardent spirits, the happiest triumphs have already been achieved, and God has manifested his approbation by making these Societies the forerunners of the most distinguished revivals of religion. The British and Foreign Temperance Society, which has just been formed, promises to be an instrument in the hands of God for the most extensive, mighty, and happy revolution among mankind.” p. 117. The outline of the Revelation is very ingenious. In some particulars we should not agree with the worthy author, but, to use his own words, "Perhaps the events which shall furnish the solution are yet to come." The British Preacher, under the Sanction of the Ministers whose Discourses appear in its pages. Vol. II-Westley and Davis. Or the honest principle on which this publication is conducted we have given our opinion freely in our number for No. vember last. We are happy to report, from the Preface to this volume, that it has already received a flattering support. Those who have not seen it may be gratified with the following list of subjects with the names of the preachers. to the Awakened Sinner, by E. Henderson. -On Salvation, by James Robertson, A.M. -Divine Grace and Human Endeavours, by John Burder, A.M.-On Heb. vi. 13-20, by the late Mr. Orme.-Heaven a perfect Society, by H. Heugh, D.D.The Separate State, by Joseph Kinghorn.-A Coronation Sermon, by G. Clayton.-Jesus Weeping, by T. Timpson.- Sacred Enthusiasm, by Spedding Curwen.-Sorrow for Sin, by R. M. Beverley, Esq.-Christian Patriotism, by Dr. Newman. - Responsibility attached to the possession of Talents, by John Kelly. — Christ speaking a Word in Season to the Weary, by James Matheson.-Christian Intercourse, by John Blackburn.--- The Influence of Public Ordinances on Personal Religion, by J. Dean." This volume appears to be quite equal to the first, if it be not superior; and we are pleased to observe that it is very beautifully printed. Oriental Customs applied to the Illustration THE customs of eastern nations, as men- Many of our readers know that some years since Mr. Burder published four "The Gospel Message and its results, by volumes on this subject and « Oriental Wm. Hancock, A.M.-Christian Character- Literature." This volume is an abridgistics, by Henry Cooke, D.D.-The Com- ment, but contains a large proportion of mand and Encouragement to communicate the original matter extracted from the work Gospel, by Wm. Ellis-Divine Grace, by of Mr. Ward of Serampore, on the "ReR. W. Hamilton. The Assimilation of Christians to the Redeemer, by T. Swan.ligion of the Hindoos,” and other valuable are happy to find the author intends soon to present the public with another volume exactly similar in size and design, under the title of " Oriental History." The present volume contains illustrations, some of them of considerable length, of nearly five hundred different texts of Scripture. ing libraries, and Sunday Schools. We members generally which has not been previously presented to their attention, yet the numerous topics to which he has referred, are of such paramount and continued importance, that we are far from considering their repetition to be a work of supererogation. Indeed, until that desirable period shall arrive when ministers and churches shall more completely exemplify the counsels which are thus imparted," precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little." 1. The Cottager's Friendly Guide in Do- THE first of these articles certainly con- A Sermon preached at Hull on the 13th of ment. The Pastor and his Flock, or Hints to THOUGH the worthy author in these notes are respectable, and the appendix is highly valuable. The Rev. N. Armstrong, at St. Anne's, Blackfriars, October 21, is reported to have said, “ Among the first promises which the Lord Jesus Christ gave to his disciples, was the meek shall inherit the earth."" On this Mr. B. remarks "the prophetical party are not quite agreed when this their dominion is to begin, but that it is to be very soon is not doubted; nevertheless it must be surmised that if the meek' only are to inherit the earth, the writers in the Morning Watch, and the other defenders of the new system, can put in a claim to only a very few acres, seeing that of their 'meekness' there is a sad deficiency." The review of " Mr. Irving's Doctrines" in twenty-nine articles is drawn up very concisely, but with considerable ability, and, we are happy to say, displays far more moderation and forbearance, meekness and gentleness, than Mr. B.'s first publications had prepared us to expect. 68 OBITUARY. sudden departure from him, and the loss of her pious counsels and prayers. She was a pattern worthy of imitation in the regularity of her attendance on the public worship of God: neither age nor infirmity kept her away. Often has she been observed, with tottering steps and pallid MRS. WHITAKER. THE subject of this brief memoir was the eldest child of pious parents, many years members of the Baptist church at Worstead, Norfolk. Mrs. Whitaker was brought up in the ways and worship of the true God, to which she manifested no aversion. She at length became a sincere and humble countenance, approaching her seat, where follower of the Lord Jesus, but did not she would be all attention to the word of make a public profession of religion till God; and when being unwell one Sabbath several years after, and it is cause for she was prevailed on to give it up, she said lamentation, that, like many others who she hoped she should be there the next, love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity, but it was the will of her Lord and Master she delayed publicly to profess her faith to call her by death to an eternal Sabbath and repentance, and to put on Christ by ere that sacred day arrived. She had been attention to his commands. Not so did declining in health some time, and had a Paul, or the Ethiopian eunuch, or the violent attack of affliction a fortnight before Philippian jailer. She was a woman of she died, but was apparently recovering. a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the When a friend called on her, she said she sight of God of great price: her piety was thought she was going, referring to her manifest by her attention to the means of illness, but that her hope was in Christ, grace, and her earnest solicitude for the that she had no dependance any where eternal welfare of her offspring. She else, she prayed to the Lord for mercy brought them up in the fear of the Lord, and was not afraid to die, that she seemed and when in his providence any of them as though she could be always praying; left her, she never parted with them with that the Lord was never out of her out some pious exhortation, such as "Live thoughts, and other things of the same in the fear of God; don't forget to pray; strain; for a few days after she still apwhatever you neglect, neglect not your peared better, and had seen several of her souls." She was the friend of the poor, a children (who were all married and settled succourer of many, a lover of hospitality, in life), and given them her pious advice, obeying them that had the rule over her, and from the last of her children who saw esteeming them highly in love for their her, she parted with those words, "Don't work's sake. Having often in her pilgrim- forget to pray!" That evening she retired age to attend the funerals of her friends, to bed in usual health, but was soon after her chief solicitude was to obtain an evi- attacked with oppression in her chest, as dence that there was a hope that they she had been the fortnight before. To the loved Christ, and were gone to glory. great grief and alarm of her beloved husHaving entered her 77th year, she fre- band, she died almost immediately, withquently said her father and mother died out a struggle or a groan. in that year of their age, and, perhaps, she perfect man, and behold the upright, for should, but that she wished to leave it to the end of that man is peace." the Lord: she was not anxious for life or death, but it proved to be the will of her Leavenly Father that she also should be called away in her 77th year. She had lived more than 50 years in the conjugal state, knowing as much of happiness in it as fails to the lot of mortals, and leaving her affectionate partner behind to moan her "Mark the She always manifested a great desire to know that all her children, situated at a dis. tance from her, attended constantly on the preached Gospel, and that they knew and followed the Saviour. Respecting two of them that were gone to America, she would say, "God is every where, and I am glad that the Gospel is there also: I hope Lord and Saviour for salvation. She died in hope that the vacancy in the church, of which she had been many years a member, would be more than filled up by her own my poor foreigners will not neglect to attend a place of worship, and will be brought to Christ, then we shall meet again, though not expecting to meet again in this world." It gladdened her heart family. The church at Ingham have lost very much that she lived to commune a steady friend, whose prayers were valuwith one of her children at the Lord's ta-able, but her generation work was at an ble, and she felt a great desire that others, whom she hoped were believers, should follow her steps. Since her death, one of her children has been added to the church below, and she left others looking to her her funeral sermon from Job xiv. 14. end; she came to the grave in a good old age, as a shock of corn cometh in in its season. She died at Stalham, Norfolk, De. cember 25th, 1830. Her pastor preached MISCELLANEOUS. SENTIMENTS of the late REV. ROBERT | own apprehensions, for about two days, was HALL, A.M. respecting DEISM, SOCI- on the borders of eternity. I never before NIANISM, &c. &c. [Extracted from his Letters of Correspondence published in the fifth volume of his Works.] «To Mrs. Fysh of Camberwell, on the Death of her sister, Mrs. Parsons, dated Cambridge, August 14, 1796. felt my mind so calm and happy. Filled with the most overwhelming sense of my own unworthiness, my mind was supported merely by a faith in Christ crucified. I would not for the world have parted with that text, 'The blood of Christ cleanseth from all sin.' I never before saw such a beauty and grandeur in the way of salvation by the death of << I find your dear deceased sister expressed Christ, as on that occasion. I am fully perher anxiety at the prospect of Deism with suaded the evangelical doctrines alone are her last breath. To a serious mind it affords able to support the mind in the near views a most melancholy prospect: but you must of death and judgment. May you and I be observe it does not seize the mind at once; more and more grounded in a conviction of it advances by the progressive stages of So- their truth, and acquainted with their power! cinianism and dissipation. Men first lose It is to these doctrines the revelation of Christ their relish for what is vital and distinguish- is chiefly indebted for its efficacy in the hearts ing in Christianity, before they dispute_its and lives of men.' evidences, or renounce its authority. Lax dated Leicester, February 5, 1816. notions of the person of Christ, a forgetful-« To the Rev. Thomas Grinfield, Clifton, ness of his mediation, place the mind in a deistical state, and prepare it for the most licentious opinions. "The consolations of your deceased sister did not result from a general belief of the doctrine of immortality, in which the Socinians place the whole of revelation; but in specific views of Christ as a Saviour, and the prospect of being for ever with him. My dear friend, let us hold fast this kind of Christianity, without wavering, as the antidote of death. "Your affectionate and sympathizing friend, "ROBERT HALL." "To the Rev. James Phillips, Haverfordwest, dated Cambridge, June 7, 1799. "Rev. and dear Sir, "With respect to the salvability of Socinians, for myself, I feel no hesitation. Their state appears to be clearly decided by such Scriptures as these: He that seeth the Son, and believeth on him, shall have everlasting life;' He that hath the Son hath life, and he that hath not the Son hath not life.' How can they be said to have the Son, who reject him in his distinguishing, his essential character, as the Saviour of the world; and how can he be a propitiation for sin to them who have no faith in his blood? When it is asserted that we are justified by faith, I can understand it in no other sense than that we are justified by a penitential reliance on his blood and righteousness. In rejecting the most fundamental L |