laughter, than to have him approach me with ridicule, when my heart was bur dened with conviction; for in one case he would only chill the last blood that passes through my veins; in the other, he might awaken everlasting agonies in my soul."

The following paragraph seems to us a happy exhibition of the fulness of the Christian character, as exemplified in the life:

"There are those who lay great stress upon the duties which they owe to man, who yet find it an easy matter to compromise with conscience for those which they owe to God. In their domestic relations, as parents or children, husbands or wives, brothers or sisters, they are in many respects most exempl ry; and are always on the alert to minister to each other's happiness. In cirl society, they are active and public spirited, and are ready to lend a helping hand to the various institutions which promise to meliorate the condition of mu They are morcover generous and humane, and will never turn a deaf ear to the cry of distress, and will even go and search out objects of want and suffering, that they may administer relief. But on the other hand, they will think it light matter to suffer their seats to be vacant in the house of God, and will regard the Bible as little more than a peice of antiquated furniture, and will hardly suspend their secular employments on the Sabbath; and as for the duty of private prayer, or confessing Christ before men, they never even think of performing it. They are good neighbors, and good friends, and good eit zens; but here you must stop, unless you go on to say that " God is not in ill their thoughts."

"There is another class-just the opposite of this-who perform with pharisaical exactness the external duties which they owe to God, while those which belong to their social relations are but little regarded. They make consciences being in the house of God at least twice every Sabbath, and oftener if they hav opportunity; they publicly profess their faith in Christ, and unite with his people in commemmorating his death; they come regularly to every prayer meeting and never shrink from taking part in its services; they go, at least every mon ing and evening, into their closets for prayer, and in their daily intercours always seem ready to admonish the careless sinner or the sluggish Christian, to put forth an effort, in any way, for a revival of religion. And yet, after a when you hear the testimony of their poor or sick neighbors respecting them it may be that they have said to them," Be ye warmed, and be ye clothed, de part in peace:" or if it has occurred to you to look a little more closely into their characters, and to inquire of those who have had dealings with them in the world, what testimony they have to render concerning them, possibly they may tell you significantly, that though they have heard that they were very goo in a prayer, they have found them to be very hard in a bargain; and it m be even that common report has superceded the necessity of all inquiry and that they have an established character in the world, for being not only unmerciful but unjust. If you should see them in the church or the lectur room, you might put them down on the list of those of whom the world is as worthy; but if you should see them in the counting room, or the exchang you would put them down on the list of those with whom you would wish t have as little to do as possible."

Long as these extracts are, we are desirous to give one more We think we have seen much injury done to religion, by a certain positive way of speaking of conversion, and of the work of the Spirit in certain cases, as if it was a subject to be discussed by special skill. We wish to see these subjects spoken of with re served caution, and as being things, the certain knowledge of which belongs to Him who searches the heart. We think the extrac below, the last we shall give, well calculated to inspire a proper degree of caution in treating subjects of so much importance:

"1. The subject shows us the importance of being cautious in respect to the judgements we form of Christian character, both in regard to ourselves en others. We have seen that there is a strong tendency among men, to set

false standards on this subject; and instead of referring character to the only scriptural test, to refer it to some arbitrary test, which the Bible has not even seemed to sanction. For instance, you have a friend who has been the subject of pungent convictions, and then again the subject of glowing raptures; and you speak to that friend, and of him, as if you were absolutely certain that he had been renewed. You may indeed have reason to hope that that is the case; and there may be that in his general appearance, for which you may, with good reason, give God thanks but from the nature of the case, you can never at that period know that he is a Christian; because you cannot search the heart; and because multitudes have, for a season, appeared, in all respects, as promising as he, who have afterwards shown themselves among the open enemies of the cross. Now, believe me, you will be likely to render a much better service to that individual, by impressing him with the danger of self-deception, and of the importance of self-examination, and of giving all diligence to make his calling and election sure, than by inspiring him with a spirit of self-confidence: for if he be a Christian, the former course certainly will do him no harm: if he be not a Christian, the latter course may serve effectually to seal his perdition. Or, it may be that the case is your own-that you are the very person who is rejoicing in the hope of having felt the power of God's grace. My young friend, I rejoice with you; but it is right that both you and I should rejoice with trembling. The act of regeneration is indeed instantaneous; but not so the evidence of it-that is to be collected by a diligent and long continued inspection of your heart and life. Beware, then, how you indulge a hope too soon or too confidently. Beware how you satisfy yourself with any evidence which is nothing more than calling Christ "Lord, Lord."

If, in speaking of this work, we mention the unexceptionable and classic purity of the diction; or if we refer to the style of writing, at once chaste, yet not without ornament, vigorous and impressive, but still elegant,-it is not because we attach high comparative merit to this kind of excellence. It has its share of importance, however, in a work to be put into the hands of youth; and there may be some, we hope few, who will estimate the value of the book by their opinion of its literary merits alone. Our own standard is different. We are indeed admirers of that pure, uncorrupted English, of which the style of our author is so happy a specimen. But there is a purity which we value much higherthat of uncorruptness in doctrine, and in life. It is, therefore, as an epitome of the preceptive, experimental and practical parts of religion, as peculiarly applicable to the season of youth, that we recommend this work, especially to the rising generation. We know of no book, among our vast variety of religious works, which professes to supply all that these Lectures furnish. They ought to be in the hands of every young person. We add our prayers and our earnest hope, that under the guidance of the Spirit of all grace, they may be the means of turning many of the youth of this Hand, and of other lands, from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God.

THE HISTORY OF THE JEWS. From the earliest period to the present time. By Rev. H. H. MILMAN. With Maps and Engravings. In three Volumes. New York: J. & J. Harper.

1830.

We have read this work with mingled emotions of pleasure and pain. It is a vivid history: the picture is touched by the hand of genius; but if art has heightened the coloring, it has also desecrated the subject. The imagination of a poet has been too exclusively at work, where a fervid as well as rational piety should have accompanied and influenced the researches of the grave historian. It wears throughout the appearance of having been written with great rapidity,-for general readers, rather than for critical scholars. This would perhaps be no objection in itself, but it has sometimes occasioned inaccuracies and great obscurities in the style; it has produced assertions that have no support in critical research; and not unfrequently it has led to such a hasty, indiscriminate conglomeration of facts and events, that the perusal of a chapter leaves upon the mind a confused, transitory impression. Add to this, a great number of typographical errors, the immense length of unbroken paragraphs, and the absence, through the greater part of the work, of marginal, historical dates, and it makes the whole book careless in appearance, unmethodical in execution, troublesome to the memory, and inconvenient for reference.

We have heard that the work has been treated, in some publications, with unjustifiable and undignified reproach. The chief ground of complaint-and it is a heavy accusation—is its alleged infidel tendency. While we attempt to show that there is some reason for this charge, we willingly declare that, in our opinion, the history of the Jews, considered principally in a popular light, was never before presented to the mind in a manner so novel, classical, spirited and attractive. We know not when we have perused any history with such thrilling and continued interest. Its author displays a brilliant imagination, fine taste, various, though somewhat superficial reading, and composes in a glowing, though often abrupt and careless style. The merits of the work are therefore considerable, but mingled with many defects, besides the important one of which we shall particularly speak. That part which relates to the destruction of Jerusalem is instructive and interesting. The whole of the last volume is written in a spirit of benevolence towards the suffering Israelites, which is calculated to infuse a similar feeling into the mind of the reader. The work is valuable also for its graphic exhibition of the manners, habits, customs, observances, edifices, worship, and character of the Jewish people.

Probably the author, in preparing this work, was not conscious of contributing to weaken or destroy, in any mind, its impressions in

regard to the sacredness and divine authority of the historical portions of the Old Testament; yet we are compelled to believe that this must be the natural consequence of its perusal, unless great care be previously used, in pointing out and guarding against its dangerous tendency. Such an influence it would not exert, were the history intended exclusively for scholars; or for those who, with firm moral principles, have had opportunity to go over an extensive course of reading; or for those whose judgements and opinions possess the experience and stability of manhood. They could detect the ignorance of the writer, the weakness of the reasoning, and would be prepared to resist the insinuating influence of sophistry and doubt.

But the readers of these volumes will be confined principally to the younger and more inexperienced portion of the community. They stand first in the general series of the Family Library.' We can scarcely be too solicitious in our anxiety, or too severe in our judgement, in regard to the moral character of all books that are to influence the minds of our children; especially, that are adapted to form or modify their opinions in regard to the sacred oracles. This consideration will make us more severe in criticizing this work, than otherwise we should deem necessary.

And here we might say much on the responsibility which that club of literary adventurers are assuming, who have undertaken to form a Family Library for the people of England, if not for those of America; and on the caution which it becomes them to use, lest they sanction and circulate what is morally injurious; especially, as the various works they may issue are likely, for a time, to be received by the public with uncommon trust and eagerness. Such a caution is not merely becoming, but obligatory; and men of high moral principle, anxious that the rising generation may be trained to the service of God, would esteem it no common happiness to be enabled powerfully to subserve this purpose, by making the moral tendency of every volume published under their patronage elevated, vigorous and pure. It may be well at present for the American public to use a little caution as to the reception of the works which come forth under their auspices. They have lately issued the Life of Napoleon by Mr. Lockhart, which we fear may have been written with the same flippant haste that disgraces the History of the Jews. But we would rather see the Harpers of New York pour from their prolific press almost anything in the form of historical literature, than have the American libraries deluged with such a flood of immoral novels, and romances of high life in England, as they have been sending through the country. If a bill could be passed preventing the importation to this country of at least nine tenths of the modern English literature, it would be a great and lasting benefit. We presume that thousands of our people, who scarcely know that such venerable Christians as Lord

Teignmouth or Wilberforce exist, are well acquainted with the character and manners of half the dissipated, degraded, licentious nobility in England, and ape them, as far as they can conveniently, on this side the water. Strange delusion! that the citizens of a republic can condescend to be the admirers and imitators of despicable, titled, monarchical buffoons.

We regret

Mr. Milman could hardly have desired a better opportunity for communicating moral and religious instruction in an attractive form, than was furnished in the composition of a history of the Jews. He might have led the youthful mind to venerate its instructive exhibitions of the character of Jehovah, and gratefully to admire his dealings with the Israelites; and he might have powerfully confirmed the faith of all his readers in the inspiration of the Hebrew Scriptures, exciting a deeper reverence for their sacredness, and a more heartfelt admiration of their beauty. to say that he has done almost nothing of this. The solemn, instructive, and interesting lessons, to be learned from nearly every page of the sacred history, the reader may here search for in vain. We are surprised that a clergyman of the Church of England, writing for the Family Library, the domestic circle, should have permitted himself to degrade the tone of his work almost to a level with that of the merest political and worldly story. But he thought the world disposed to look with too great a feeling of reverence on the Jews, and everything belonging to them ;-he has certainly been very successful in making it impossible that such a feeling should ever spring from the perusal of his own history. "In fact," he says in the preface, "we are apt, in our reverence for "the Bible," to throw back the full light of Christianity on the olden volume; but we should ever remember, that the best and wisest of the Jews were not Christians-they had a shadow, but only a shadow, of good things to come." This is, perhaps, to some extent, a truth. But the evil, if such it can be called, needs a very delicate and cautious hand for its correction, lest, in our zeal to eradicate superstition, we weaken the ground-work of a rational faith, and destroy what is a just and necessary awe; while we root up the tares, there is certainly some danger lest we carry the wheat with them. We hope the time will never arrive, when Christians can come to the perusal of the Scriptures, New or Old, without a deep, solemn impression that they are divine in their origin, and sacred in their character-a feeling, that while within the precinct of" the Bible," they stand on holy ground.

The sanctity with which the pious mind is accustomed from childhood to invest the distinguished characters in the Mosaic annals,' is not without authority, and that, too, of a very high kind. When we look into the New Testament, we find them mentioned with a reverential regard, very different from the unceremonious style in which they are treated by our author. "Superior in one