mark; but God will direct the arrow “ between the joints of the harness, and cause it to pierce our inmost souls. Let us then make it our constant practice to pray over the word of God, and humbly supplicate him to direct and assist the minister, and render it effectual to our good. Thus shall we secure to ourselves a blessing, and, like the earth refreshed with gentle showers, bring forth fruit suited to the culture bestowed upon us.

RETURN, thou wish'd and welcome guest,
Thou day of holiness and rest;
The best, the dearest of the seven,
Emblem and harbinger of heaven!
Though not the Bridegroom, at his voice,
Friend of the Bridegroom, still rejoice*.
Day doubly sanctified and bless'd;
Thee the CREATOR crown'd with rest
From all his works; from all his woes
On thee the SAVIOUR found repose.
Thou dost with mystic voice rehearse
The birth-day of an universe:
Prophet, Historian, both, in scope,
Thou speak'st to memory and to hope.

Amidst the earthliness of life,
Vexation, vanity, and strife,
SABBATH, how sweet thy holy calm
Comes o'er the soul, like healing balm;
Comes like the dew to fainting flowers,
Renewing her enfeebled powers.
Thine hours, how soothingly they glide,
Thy morn, thy noon, thine eventide!

All meet as brethren, mix as friends;
Nature her general groan suspends +;
No cares, no sin-born labours, tire
E'en the poor brutes thou bidst respire:
'T is almost as, restor'd awhile,
Earth had resum'd her Eden-smile.
I love thy call of earthly bells,
As on my waking ear it swells;
I love to see thy pious train
Seeking, in groups, the solemn fane:
But most I love to mingle there,
In sympathy of praise and prayer,
And listen to that living word,

Which breathes the SPIRIT OF THE LORD:
Or, at the mystic table plac'd,
Those eloquent mementos taste
Of Thee, thou suffering LAMB Divine,
Thy soul-refreshing bread and wine;

* John, iii. 29.

NOV. 1823.

Sweet viands, kindly given to assuage
The faintness of the pilgrimage.

Sever'd from Salem, while unstrung
His harp on pagan willows hung,
What wonder if the PSALMIST pin'd,
As for her brooks the hunted hind!
The temple's humblest place should win,
Gladlier than all the pomp of sin;
Envied the unconscious birds that sung
Around those altars, o'er their young;
And deem'd one heavenly Sabbath worth
More than a thousand days of earth:
Well might his harp and heart rejoice
To hear, once more, that festal voice:
"Come, brethren, come, with glad accord,
Haste to the dwelling of the LORD!"

But if on earth, so calm, so blest, The house of prayer, the day of rest; If to the spirit, when it faints, So sweet the assembly of his saints;Here let us pitch our tent (we say), For, LORD, with thee 't is good to stay‡! Yet from the mount we soon descend, Too soon our earthly sabbaths end; Cares of a work-day would return, And faint our hearts, and fitful, burn. O think, my soul ! beyond compare, Think what a Sabbath must be there 5, Where all is holy bliss, that knows Nor imperfection, nor a close; Where that innumerable throng Of saints and angels mingle song;

Where, wrought with hands, no temples

rise,

The Christian and Civic Economy of large Towns. By Thomas Chalmers, D. D. Vol. II.8vo. Pp. 365. Glasgow, 1823.

WE felt ourselves bound, on the publication of the first volume of this interesting discussion, to call the attention of our readers to the various important topics so ably brought forwards by Dr. Chalmers.

Almost the whole of that volume

had a direct bearing upon religious subjects. In reviewing, however, the present publication, we are more influenced by the consideration of what our readers may expect, than by any deep impression of duty; for our author here leaves the more attractive and unentangled topics of the work of the ministry, the advantage of the principle of locality, and the regulation of parochial schools, &c. for his favorite theme of the Poor Laws; and almost the whole volume is occupied with the one subject of pauperism.

This is, indeed, a topic of religious as well as national importance; and as such, the present volume justly claims the careful perusal of Christians of various ranks in society; but it would lead us into discussions, if not foreign to the objects of our publication, yet at least unprofitable to the majority of our readers, were we to enter upon it at large.

manity which the wants of our fellow-creatures would naturally ex cite.

He thence argues the importance of entirely abolishing the present system of providing for the poor; not by destroying the claims of those who have already received, or are now entitled to relief; but

by enacting, that after a given pe

riod no fresh claimants shall be ad

mitted; and he contends, that this of itself work out a great improveone measure would naturally and

ment in the economic condition of the people. The grand evils of pauperism are thus pointed out:

It is not the heavy expense of it* that we hold to be the main evil of English pauperism. We should reckon it a cheap purchase, if, for the annual six or eight millions of poor rate, we could secure thereby

the comfort and character of the English population. But we desire the abolition of legal charity, because we honestly believe, that it has abridged the one, and most woefully deteriorated the other. Under its misplaced and officious care, the poor man has ceased to care for himself, and relatives

have ceased to care for each other; and thus the best arrangements of nature and Providence for the moral discipline of society, have been most grievously frustrated. Life is no longer a school, where, by the fear and foresight of want, man might be chastened into sobriety-or, where he might be touched into sympathy by that helplessness the thwarting interference of law, he would of kinsfolk and neighbours, which, but for

have spontaneously provided for. The man stands released from the office of be

his own household-and this bas rifled him of all those virtues which are best fitted to guard and dignify his condition. That

pauperism, the object of which was to emancipate him from distress, has failed in this, and only emancipated him from duty. An utter recklessness of habit, with the profligacy, and the mutual abandonment of parents and children, to which it leads, threatens a speedy dissolution to the social and domestic economy of England. And instead of working any kindly amalgama

*The whole money expended for the maintenance of the poor in England and

Wales, on the year ending 25th March,

1821, was 6,958,4451. 28.

tion between the higher and lower classes of the land, the whole effect of the system is, to create a tremendous chasm between them, across which the two parties look to each other with all the fierceness and suspicion of natural enemies-the former feeling, as if preyed upon by a rapacity that is altogether interminable; the latter feeling as if stinted of their rights by men whose hands nothing but legal necessity will unlock, and whose hearts are devoid of tenderness.-Pp. 228, 229.

And the remedy proposed is at least simple.

This is not the doing of Nature, nor

good and wholesome result when that cause is done away. It is very true, that by a summary abolition of the law of pauperism, a sore mischief may be inflicted upon society-and yet it may be equally true, both that the alone remedy for the present distempered state of the lower orders, lies in the abolition of this law; and also, that there do exist, throughout the mass of English society, the ingredients or component principles of such a vis medicatrix, as would greatly alleviate the present wretchedness, and more than replace all those dispensations of legal charity which would then have terminated.-Pp. 229-231.

been put into a state of violence. So soon as the violence is removed, Nature will return to her own processes-and a parish in England will then exhibit, what many of the parishes in Scotland do at this moment, a population where there is neither dissatisfaction nor unrelieved want, and yet, with little of public charity. All that is required, is simply to do away that artificial stress which the hand of legislation has laid upon the body politic-and a healthful state of things will come of itself, barely on those disturbing forces being withdrawn, wherewith the law of pauperism has deranged the condition of English society. It is just as if some diseased excrescence had gathered upon the human frame, that stood connected with the use of some palatable but pernicious liquor, to which the patient was addicted. All that the physician has to do in this case, is to interdict the liquor; when, without further care or guardianship on his part, the excrescence will subside, and from the vis medicatrix alone, that is inherent in the patient's constitution, will health be restored to him. It is

even so with that disease which pauperism has brought on the community of England. It is a disease originally formed, and still alimented, by the law which gives access

to a compulsory provision-and precisely

so soon as that access is barred, there is a vis medicatrix that will then be free to

operate, and which, without any anxious guardianship on the part of politicians or statesmen, will, of itself, bring round a better and happier state of the commonwealth. There might an unnecessary shock be given

by too sudden a change of regimen. There

might be an inconvenient rapidity of transition, which had as well be avoided, by wise and wary management. This consi

deration affects the question of policy as to

the most advisable mode of carrying the cure into effect. But it does not affect the question of principle, either as to the cause of the disease, or as to the certainty of a

poses,

power

1. To take away the of justices to order relief; thus placing the pauper wholly in the hands of the parish officers and vestry.

2. To prohibit the reception of any new claims on the parochial assessments; leaving all new cases of distress entirely to gratuitous, spontaneous charity; and,

3. Some alteration in the constitution of vestries.

Now, while we acknowledge the truth of most of Dr. C.'s statements, the general force of his reasoning, and the propriety of his conclusions in the majority of instances, we are not prepared to yield a full assent to all his propositions. We feel, that in some cases he proceeds with too much rapidity. He attributes almost every evil which exists among the English poor to the operation of the poor laws; and institutes a continual comparison between_England

and her northern sister. But if the distresses of England are almost solely owing to pauperism, to what are the distresses of Ireland to be attributed? Ireland, be it remembered, as well as Scotland, is free from the baneful influence of the poor laws. If, then, comparisons are to be drawn between a people providing legally, and a people providing without law, for the assistance of their distressed poor, let Ireland as well as Scotland be in

cluded in the estimate; we suspect that the agregate of human misery in Scotland and Ireland, taken to gether, would be found greatly to exceed their just proportion to the sufferings of the English popula

tion.

Every thing, indeed, which Dr. C. has advanced, with respect to the beneficial effects of abolishing the poor laws, has been confirmed in a most striking manner by the experiments carried on under his superintendance at Glasgow. And we should be strongly disposed to concede, that such would be the result of similar experiments in every part of the empire, nay, in every part of the world, conducted under similar circumstances. But this one limitation destroys, in fact, the greater part of our concession. It obviously implies the existence of a Chalmers in every parish in England,-in every district throughout the world. It implies, that assistants of the same cool, firm, enlightened, and benevolent character as those who have co-operated with Dr. C. are every where to be found. And it also implies, that a somewhat similar system of moral and religious culture to that which prevails every where _in Scotland shall generally exist. We regret to add, that such is the case in very few parts of this country.

Nor is it quite clear to us, that the state of affairs would be on the whole mended, were the ministers of religion invariably to preside at the select vestry, or the board of charitable distribution. It is not meet, that they should leave the word of God to serve tables. Under any system, murmurings will necessarily arise, and widows will sometimes be neglected. The private interference and persuasion of the clergy is, generally speaking, more effectual than their public and official interposition; and the weight of their own peculiar and positive duties is often more than they are well able to sustain. We

deprecate, therefore, any enactment which may increase their indispensable avocations.

While thus alluding to points in which we differ from Dr. C. we deem it our duty to express the high obligations under which we and the Christian public in general are placed by his valuable labours. At the same time, we would suggest the importance of condensing his materials, and publishing them in a cheaper form. We really think the present volume might have been reduced to one half its size; and can have no doubt that its circulation would have been in consequence extended, and its usefulness increased. Perhaps, however, when Dr. C. has completed his course, either he or some Christian friend will kindly reduce the three volumes into one, by omitting the repetitions, and abridging the arguments, which will be found to increase in force in proportion as they are diminished in extent.

Martin Luther on the Bondage of the Will; to the venerable Mister* Erasmus of Rotterdam, 1525. Faithfully translated from the original Latin. By Ě. T. Vaughan, M. A. Hamilton. Pp. lxxxiv. and 470. 1823. Martin Luther on the Bondage of the Will: written in Answer to the Diatribe of Erasmus on Free-will, &c. Translated by the Rev. Henry Cole. Simpkin and Co. Pp. viii. 402. 1823.

EVERY one impressed with a due sense of the inestimable services rendered to the cause of pure and undefiled religion, by the venerable Martin Luther, and especially every one who has read the admirable account of his life and writings, in the last volume of Dean Milner's History, must truly

* This ought to be either Master or Mr. -Mister is obsolete or vulgar: it is allowable in reprinting an old translation, but

improper in a new.

rejoice, that two distinct translations of that Treatise, which Luther considered as the most valuable of his works, should at once have made their appearance. This circumstance clearly proves, that the character of this great Reformer is more duly appreciated at present than in some former periods; and we cannot but hope, that the more general diffusion of his sentiments will prove highly beneficial. Yet these publications, however gratifying or useful to the public, are not devoid of inconveniences to ourselves. The subject of the Will is attended with very considerable difficulty; and it were utterly in vain, in the compass of a few pages, to attempt to give so much as an outline of this work of Martin Luther. That distinguished Reformer has evidently written with great care and attention; yet there are some points which are stated too strongly; and the work being intended as an answer to the Diatribe of Erasmus, the author was almost compelled to adopt a plan which he very probably would not have adopted had he written an original treatise.

With these few remarks we should dismiss the publication of Luther; but we are naturally expected to pronounce some opinion on the merits and the appendages of the two new, perhaps rival, translations which are now before

us.

Mr. Cole's translation is without note or comment. His object was, agreeably to the wish of his friends,

Mr. Vaughan's plan differs very materially from Mr. Cole's. He has prefixed to the Treatise a long Preface, in which a sketch of Luther's life is introduced, and a notice of his controversy with Erasmus; for the leading facts of which Mr. V. is deeply indebted to the inestimable History of Dean Milner; and in addition, he accompanies his translation with numerous notes and annotations, in which he attempts to explain, amend, or refute his author.

The translation is in general faithful and spirited; and, what is somewhat singular, is upon the whole written in a better style than the preface and annotations; though the translator's attachment to his own system has led him to render some passages in a sense that Luther would scarcely approve. We dare not, however, trust ourselves to express how highly we disapprove of many positions in his preface and annotations, and of the general style and manner in which those positions are advanced.

On opening the volume, we were not a little surprized at the following dedication:

ΤΟ

HIM

WHO SITTETH UPON THE THRONE BY THE SIDE OF THE INVISIBLE Father, EVEN JESUS,

MY LORD AND MY GOD!

WHO KNOWETH THAT

NOT BY MY FREEWILL, BUT BY NIS,
THIS WORK,
WHATSOEVER IT BE,

WAS PROMPTED AND UNDERTAKEN,

Luther's work from Melancthon's edition, published soon after the author's death; and we think he has, generally speaking, succeeded in the attempt. We have observed, indeed, a few mistakes, which are probably owing to haste, or perhaps to a want of sufficient care in correcting the press; but, at the same time, Mr. C.'s publication may be regarded as a fair transcript of Luther's Treatise.

I DEDICATE IT:

DESIRING THAT HIS WILL, NOT MY OWN,

BE DONE BY IT;

AND FIRM IN THE HOPE, THAT HE WILL USE IT

UNTO THE EDIFYING OF HIS PEOPLE.

E. T. V.

Now, to say nothing as to the propriety of dedicating a translation of another man's work to the Lord Jesus Christ; to pass over the grammatical inaccuracy of I dedicate it being used instead of is