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He was the sun that gladden'd us, and clear'd
The mists of ignorance, which disappear'd
Before the light of wisdom he display'd;

And only they who loved their darkness fear'd
His beam. But him, God to his heaven convey'd,
And left Shiraz to mourn the night his absence made.

CXVI.

." But of such men of God could Britain yield
But one? Or is the well of charity

Dried up? Or must alone our Persian field,
Of all the world, be pass'd neglected by?

Whence your chang'd purpose and averted eye? —
Your former gift has doubled our distress,

For now we know-we feel-our misery.

O that your kindness had been more or less!
That him we had not known, or like him still might bless!"

CXVII.

-Now let our deeds show what our bosoms feel;
Surely for MARTYN's sake, and for our own,
We will bestir ourselves at this appeal.-

We cannot raise a monumental stone,

To mark where lies his honour'd head-unknown
His earthly resting place-but we may tell,
He was not friendless, though he died alone;
And some who caught his mantle as it fell,

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
Seek not the plaudits of a mortal's tongue:
But when a Christian soldier bows his head,
And dies, should not the solemn harp be strung,
And emblem laurels round his hearse be hung?
If "Jesus wept," will he forbid a tear,

When for a friend beloved our hearts are wrung?
No, when the "man of sorrows" sojourn'd here,
He join'd the mourners met around a brother's bier.'

CXXXIX.

Now from his glorious throne he bends his eye
Of mercy and compassion, on his few

And mourning followers. He marks the sigh
Of the bereaved heart, and points the view
To heavenly scenes, from which his own hand drew
Aside the curtain. In that blissful seat

Is heard salvation's song for ever new-
There saints adore at their Redeemer's feet,
And fruits of glory taste, and living waters sweet!

CXL.

We will not praise the living, but the dead
We will remember with "the joy of grief,"
Their memory
shall be fragrant, and their bed
Of dust be sacred; and we'll track their brief
But bright ascent to glory.-Sweet relief
Amidst our toils, to think how soon we'll soar
And meet them all again!-They wav'd the sheaf
Of first fruits reap'd on many a foreign shore;

They saw and bless'd the sight-and lo, their toils were o'er!

CXLI.

'What are the living but the future dead?
Let us who are the living think of this.-
Upon the ashes of our friends we tread,
Who have already reach'd the land of bliss,
-The mark we aim at, which we shall not miss
If we like them for Christ the world forego,
And from our hearts its blandishments dismiss,
Preferring things above to things below:

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
Practical manner, in a Course of Lectures. By Daniel Wilson,
M.A. Second Edition. 12mo. 2 Vols, Price 9s. London. 1832.
2. Hints on the Portable Evidence of Christianity. By Joseph John
Gurney. 18mo. pp. 183. Price 2s. London. 1832.

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.

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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
Of mercy and compassion, on his few

And mourning followers. He marks the sigh
Of the bereaved heart, and points the view
To heavenly scenes, from which his own hand drew
Aside the curtain. In that blissful seat

Is heard salvation's song for ever new-
There saints adore at their Redeemer's feet,
And fruits of glory taste, and living waters sweet!

CXL.

We will not praise the living, but the dead
We will remember with "the joy of grief,"
Their memory shall be fragrant, and their bed
Of dust be sacred; and we'll track their brief
But bright ascent to glory.-Sweet relief
Amidst our toils, to think how soon we'll soar
And meet them all again !-They wav'd the sheaf
Of first fruits reap'd on many a foreign shore;

They saw and bless'd the sight-and lo, their toils were o'er !

CXLI.

'What are the living but the future dead?
Let us who are the living think of this.—
Upon the ashes of our friends we tread,
Who have already reach'd the land of bliss,
-The mark we aim at, which we shall not miss
If we like them for Christ the world forego,
And from our hearts its blandishments dismiss,
Preferring things above to things below:

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
Practical manner, in a Course of Lectures. By Daniel Wilson,
M.A. Second Edition. 12mo. 2 Vols, Price 9s. London. 1832.
2. Hints on the Portable Evidence of Christianity. By Joseph John
Gurney. 18mo. pp. 183. Price 2s. London. 1832.

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.

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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

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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

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