He was the sun that gladden'd us, and clear'd And only they who loved their darkness fear'd CXVI. ." But of such men of God could Britain yield Dried up? Or must alone our Persian field, Whence your chang'd purpose and averted eye? — For now we know-we feel-our misery. O that your kindness had been more or less! CXVII. -Now let our deeds show what our bosoms feel; We cannot raise a monumental stone, To mark where lies his honour'd head-unknown May prove that MARTYN's faith and spirit in them dwell.' These stanzas may be suffered to speak for themselves. If the poetry might occasionally have gained polish from a more sedulous revision, there is no deficiency of poetical feeling. The conception is, perhaps, superior to the execution; the material to the workmanship; but the sentiment is every way worthy of the subject. We must make room for the following touching stanzas. CXXXVIII. 'We will not praise the living, and the dead When for a friend beloved our hearts are wrung? CXXXIX. Now from his glorious throne he bends his eye And mourning followers. He marks the sigh Is heard salvation's song for ever new- CXL. We will not praise the living, but the dead They saw and bless'd the sight-and lo, their toils were o'er! CXLI. 'What are the living but the future dead? All we can suffer here is short-enduring woe.' To those readers who already possess the former publication, it can scarcely be necessary to recommend the present Part. We shall be happy to see the whole poem reprinted; and in the mean time would recommend to Mr. Swan to spare no pains in its diligent revision. NOTICES. Art. VII. 1. The Evidences of Christianity: stated in a Popular and WE notice with great satisfaction this very neat and cheap edition of Mr. Wilson's Lectures on the Evidences of Christianity, reviewed in our January Number. To the strong recommendation of the work to our readers, which we felt it our duty to express, we need add nothing, except the hope that, in this portable form, the work will become more extensively useful. The volumes will form a very suitable and valuable present to young persons. < Mr. Gurney's little volume supplies a desideratum, by furnishing those classes for whom useful and entertaining knowledge has been of late so largely provided, with an outline of the internal evidence of Christianity. It invites their attention more particularly to some of 'those proofs of the truth of our holy religion which lie immediately before us, and which, where the Bible is freely circulated, are within 'the reach of every serious and reflecting mind.' The subject, Mr. Gurney remarks, naturally divides itself into two parts. In the first place, the Bible, considered alone, affords, in the purity, dignity, harmony, and practical importance of its contents, sufficient evidence "of its Divine origin. And secondly, the accordance of the truths revealed in Scripture with what we know in ourselves, and observe in 'the world around us, and more especially the adaptation of the Gospel of Christ to the condition of fallen man, supplies us with a further conclusive proof, that the Creator and Moral Governor of the universe is the Author of the Bible.' The contents of the work are accordingly arranged under these two heads:-Part I. THE BIBLE CONSIDERED ALONE. § 1. On the Excellence of Scripture, and on the Accordance of its Parts. 2. On Prophecy compared with History. 3. On the Supreme Being. 4. On the Moral Law. 5. On the Example of Christ. 6. On the general Account of the Saviour. 7. On the Father, the Son, and the Spirit-one God. Part II. THE BIBLE COMPARED WITH EXPERIENCE. § 1. On a Future Life. 2. On the Moral Government of God. 3. On the Sinful and Enslaved Condition of Man. 4. On Repentance and Mediation. 5. On the Fitness of the Scheme of Redemption. 6. Conclusion. The plan of the work is simple and comprehensive, and the sentiments are strictly evangelical, as those readers will not require to be informed, who are acquainted with Mr. Gurney's former publications *. As coming from a Mr. Gurney's "Essays on the Evidences, Doctrines, and Practical Operation of Christianity", (8vo, 1825,) is an admirable work, of which we should be pleased to see a cheap edition, with some slight modifications. See Ecl. Rev. 2d Series, vol. xxv. p. 289. VOL. VII.-N.S. BR CXXXIX. 'Now from his glorious throne he bends his eye And mourning followers. He marks the sigh Is heard salvation's song for ever new- CXL. We will not praise the living, but the dead They saw and bless'd the sight-and lo, their toils were o'er ! CXLI. 'What are the living but the future dead? All we can suffer here is short-enduring woe.' To those readers who already possess the former publication, it can scarcely be necessary to recommend the present Part. We shall be happy to see the whole poem reprinted; and in the mean time would recommend to Mr. Swan to spare no pains in its diligent revision. NOTICES. Art. VII. 1. The Evidences of Christianity: stated in a Popular and We notice with great satisfaction this very neat and cheap edition of Mr. Wilson's Lectures on the Evidences of Christianity, reviewed in our January Number. To the strong recommendation of the work to our readers, which we felt it our duty to express, we need add nothing, except the hope that, in this portable form, the work will become more extensively useful. The volumes will form a very suitable and valuable present to young persons. Mr. Gurney's little volume supplies a desideratum, by furnishing those classes for whom useful and entertaining knowledge has been of late so largely provided, with an outline of the internal evidence of Christianity. It invites their attention more particularly to 'some of those proofs of the truth of our holy religion which lie immediately before us, and which, where the Bible is freely circulated, are within the reach of every serious and reflecting mind. The subject, Mr. Gurney remarks, naturally divides itself into two parts. In the first place, the Bible, considered alone, affords, in the purity, dignity, harmony, and practical importance of its contents, sufficient evidence ' of its Divine origin. And secondly, the accordance of the truths re'vealed in Scripture with what we know in ourselves, and observe in the world around us, and more especially the adaptation of the Gospel of Christ to the condition of fallen man, supplies us with a further <conclusive proof, that the Creator and Moral Governor of the universe is the Author of the Bible.' The contents of the work are accordingly arranged under these two heads:-Part I. THE BIBLE CONSIDERED ALONE. § 1. On the Excellence of Scripture, and on the Accordance of its Parts. 2. On Prophecy compared with History. 3. On the Supreme Being. 4. On the Moral Law. 5. On the Example of Christ. 6. On the general Account of the Saviour. 7. On the Father, the Son, and the Spirit-one God. Part II. THE BIBLE COMPARED WITH EXPERIENCE. § 1. On a Future Life. 2. On the Moral Government of God. 3. Ön the Sinful and Enslaved Condition of Man. 4. On Repentance and Mediation. 5. On the Fitness of the Scheme of Redemption. 6. Conclusion. The plan of the work is simple and comprehensive, and the sentiments are strictly evangelical, as those readers will not require to be informed, who are acquainted with Mr. Gurney's former publications. As coming from a Mr. Gurney's "Essays on the Evidences, Doctrines, and Practical Operation of Christianity", (8vo, 1825,) is an admirable work, of which we should be pleased to see a cheap edition, with some slight modifications. See Ecl. Rev. 2d Series, vol. xxv. p. 289. VOL. VII.-N.S. BR |