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A Night near Windsor; or Port Royal Annals, and a Tale of the Turf. By A. COLLINGROSS, Esq. Author of "Royal Sketches Afloat," &c. &c. London: Fraser. 1 vol. Post 8vo. THIS is a work, to notice which we rather step out of our way, for two reasons: the critiques that have appeared upon it in the Metropolitan and the Monthly Chronicle; and the remarkable powers of writing presented in itself throughout.

In the former of the two periodicals above alluded to, it is angrily stigmatized as "a failure-another failure," a sentence by the comprehensive brevity of which we were as much staggered as by the fact that the review appeared before the work was actually published. Mr. Collingross has been for some years a successful contributor of naval articles to Fraser's Magazine; and, we conclude, refused to the Metropolitan the gratuitous portion of literary matter requisite to ensure a favourable notice.

The critic in the Monthly Chronicle, who sets out by saying that he has not read the work in question, complains of not being able to understand its drift; and goes on by gravely accusing the author of having humorous intentions-of his humour being "uproarious slang," at once offensive to good taste, and "jarring and shattering the nerves of the reader as if by the laugh of an hyæna."

It is impossible, of course, to say into whose hands a work like this might fall; and equally unlikely that the coarse, but characteristic style in which life is laid open, would suit all tastes alike. But there is a truth of delineation-a complete mastery of the subject an aim at high moral, and a strong inculcation of practical religion as the basis of all that is either good or great in fallen man, that amply compensate for all deficiency in polish, and for such defects as are inseparable from the writing of an author whose productions are evidently the result of a natural bent, and not the laboured efforts of a dull, but practised literary hack.

Paltry injustice is foreign to the nature of ourselves, and the principles of this periodical; and we much regret

that the limits we have assigned to frustrate its intentions, are too short to permit of a support of our opinions by lengthened extracts.

In justice, however, to all parties, we must refer our readers to the volume, which is so 66 got up," in the technical language of the trade, as to form an elegant addition to a drawing-room table; and we think after its perusal he will agree with us, that there is no attempt consequently no failure :— as little humour-and but one line throughout, and that scarcely objectionable, of any thing approaching to uproarious slang.

Plain Parochial Sermons.
By the
Rev. D. PARSONS, M.A. of Oriel
College, Oxford; Curate of St.
James, Longton, Staffordshire. Lon-

don: Rivingtons. Pp. lii. 352. 12mo. THESE Sermons are plain in style, sound in doctrine, and practical in tendency. The author has prefixed a long preface, for the purpose of giving "an account of what seems to be the relation in which the Church stands to schisms by which she is encompassed." We recommend the volume as likely to be useful to the poor in country parishes.

The Historical Class Book; or Readings in Modern History, Chronological and Biographical, from the Reformation in 1517, to the Accession of Queen Victoria in 1837; with Notices of the most remarkable Inventions and Discoveries, and Chronological Tables of Contemporary Sovereigns. By JOHN DAVENPORT, Part Compiler of "Petroni

and Davenport's Italian, French, and English Dictionary;" Author of "the Life of Ali Pacha, Traité sur la Pronunciation Anglaise, Souvenirs aux Etrangers, &c." London: Relfe and Fletcher. Pp. xii. 492.

WE have seldom met with a work, whose claims to public favour are at once so novel and striking as the above. It differs from all the class books hitherto published, in this most important particular, that it connects dates and facts in the mind of the

pupil, by having all the contemporaneous events of the different countries, as they transpired, noticed under the reign of the monarch then on the British throne; a plan never before contemplated, and immeasurably superior to the commonly miscellaneous and desultory selections. The publishers have conferred a great favour both on masters and pupils, by the introduction of such a sound, practical, and what is more, such an intelligible manual to their notice. It cannot fail to be universally adopted.

The Pictorial History of Palestine. By the EDITOR OF THE PICTORIAL BIBLE. London: C. Knight. Parts I. II. pp. lxxii. 56.

No one who has seen the Pictorial Bible will rest satisfied till he has procured this most excellent companion, which in brilliancy of design and execution fully maintains the high character which both editor and publisher have justly obtained in the literary world.

A Companion to the Altar Piece; consisting of Annotations on the Apostles' Creed, the Ten Commandments, and the Lord's Prayer. LonBy J. A. THORNTHWAITE. don: Groombridge. Pp. 31. ANOTHER pearl of price from Mr. Thornthwaite's Cabinet. We consider that the Church owes much to his labours; and are sure that the offerings of such laymen will always be acceptable.

Elegy written in a Country Churchyard. With Versions in the Greek, Latin, German, Italian, and French Languages. London: Van Voorst. Pp. x. 128.

THE rapid progress which the art of engraving upon wood has made in the last few years, has led to a new era in the history of illustration. For our own parts we prefer a well-executed wood-cut for this purpose to any other style; and consequently we hail the present most elegant publication with great pleasure. Nothing can exceed it. At the same time we think we have seen a Latin version by the late Gilbert Wakefield, which, if our

memory serves right, is preferable to the one here given. But upon this point, which is a matter perhaps of taste, we will not be hypercritical. Such a publication

"Emollit mores nec sinit esse feros."

The Corner Stone. A Sermon prepared for delivery in St. Luke's Church, on Sunday, 7th of April. By the Rev. J. CROSTHWAITE, B.D. First Chaplain to H.R.H. the Duchess of Kent, (1818,) and a Prebendary in St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin. Dublin Curry. Pp. 36.

A DISCOURSE of considerable merit.

The Catholic Church: its Nature, Constitution, and Privileges; with a few Remarks on the consequent Duties of Christians. By Rev. J. OLDKNOW, M. A. of Christ's Coll. Cambridge. London: Rivingtons.

1839. Pp. 79.

Ir appears that Mr. Oldknow, being in the habit of occasional communication with the late Rev Hugh James Rose, had designed to dedicate this little work to him; his lamented death, however, having defeated the intention, it is now dedicated "To the Memory" of that excellent man.

"In this little treatise (the author tells us) the church is considered solely in the light of a spiritual society founded by Christ." And, although by no means insensible to the importance of consecrating the state by an alliance with the church, yet he everywhere carefully guards against confounding the distinct attributes of the church as a spiritual society, and as an established society. It is truly refreshing to see the parochial clergy (Mr. Oldknow is curate of Nevill-Holt, Leicestershire) thus deeply imbued with sound sentiments of churchmanship, and able to support them by a reference to the Fathers, and other ancient monuments of the catholic church. In accomplishing his task, Mr. Oldknow has shown great knowledge in the interpretation of Scripture, extensive reading of ecclesiastical writers, and much facility in applying them to the purpose in hand. We cordially recommend the book.

A SERMON

ON MATT. XIII. 45, 46.

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchantman, seeking goodly pearls: who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

In many of our Lord's parables-perhaps we may say most of them -it seems to have been his gracious design to lay before his disciples, as it were, in a kind of picture, representations of some of those peculiar features, which, in after times, would mark the course of his church on earth. Thus, for instance-not to go beyond the limits of the chapter which contains my text-in "the parable of the sower," he indicated the many different ways in which the gospel would be received by different classes of persons, even amongst those who would accept it as true. In "the parable of the tares," he declared the startling truth, that, "in the visible church the evil" would "be ever mingled with the good;" and in those of the "mustard seed," and "of the leaven," he maintained that the gospel state would always be of a progressive character. And so, also, as we may judge with respect to the parable now before

us.

What, indeed, was the exact object which our Lord had in this parable, we may not be able to ascertain so decidedly as in some others; because either he has not been pleased to interpret it himself, or, at least, his interpretation has not come down to us. But still, I think we may, without much difficulty, arrive at his meaning, so as to give the parable a very useful practical tendency.

The design of this parable seems to be to show, what may be styled the exclusive claims made by the gospel on its disciples; and that those who received it in its true character, must, and would, fully recognise those claims. "The kingdom of heaven," said our blessed Lord, "is like unto a merchantman, seeking goodly pearls: who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it."

In the view we have taken, this, then, is as much as if he had said, "something of this same kind may be expected to happen in the state of the gospel upon earth; instances will occur wherein persons, seeking for what is really good-seeking their true interest, will meet with the gospel, and they will regard it, and most justly regard it, as a treasure of such paramount and transcendant value, as to be willing to resign every thing they possess to secure to themselves this one pearl of great price.

Nor, when thus interpreted, has this parable been without its accomplishment. The history of the manner in which the gospel has been regarded in the world, is, indeed, a very melancholy narration; yet there are in it some cheering pages. Painful, in truth, is it to meditate on the neglect and contempt cast in so many cases on its inestimable blessings by those who have professed to receive it, as well as by those who have altogether rejected it. Yet there have been those who have

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esteemed them as surpassing every other possession in the world. There have been those who have acknowledged the exclusive claims of the gospel, and have regarded them as just; and, what is more, have acted up to their acknowledgments.

In the first place, there have been those who had been brought up in other religions-as Paganism, Mahomedanism, or Judaism, and been deeply attached to their creed, such as it was; and yet, when they had been taught the truth and value of Christianity, and that it demanded of them to relinquish their own religion, or, at least, all that in their own religion was at variance with the gospel, they were content altogether to relinquish it.

In the next place-and this is the point in which we are most concerned -though the great majority of those who have professed themselves Christians, have too generally bartered away the present privileges and future hopes of the gospel for mere worldly things; still it is refreshing to discover here and there in the history of the church of Christ, examples of holy men who gave up riches, honour, pleasure-nay, even life itself, rather than renounce their interest in the blessings of Christ's religion.

Nor have these examples been confined merely to the brighter periods of the church to apostolic and primitive times, for instance, or to seasons of peculiar enlightenment and purity in later days. No: even in what may, perhaps, be regarded as the darkest ages of her history, in portions of her fold which have been despaired of, or have denied themselves the use of some of her most precious privileges, and under other circumstances of the most disadvantageous character, we are sure there have lived and died those who were most faithful and disinterested witnesses to the value of the gospel. Public records bring down to us most noble and pleasing portraits of many distinguished characters who have been holy as well as great, whilst researches into private memoirs vastly swell the catalogue of eminent Christians, and teach us to believe that if we could dive deeply and fully into the secrecy of christian retirement and obscurity, no age or branch of the church, however unpromising in appearance, would be found barren in such fruits. It may suit the purposes of the infidel and sceptic to represent only the dark side of the picture, to blacken the characters of the best of men, and to seek to make all appear equally depraved; it may be congenial to the feelings of human nature to cherish the notion that the praise of sincerity and disinterestedness belongs not to those who hold not their own views in religion; but to the humble Christian, it is a grateful employment to view with thankfulness the bright examples, not only of those who have been faithful under great advantages, but also of those who have been faithful, though they wanted many of those advantages which others have enjoyed. It is cheering to remember, in the words of Dr. Milner, in his Church History, that "it is certain, that from our Saviour's time to the present, there have ever been persons who have been real, not merely nominal Christians; who believed the doctrines of the gospel, loved them because of their divine excellency, and suffered gladly the loss of all things, that they might win Christ, and be found in him.”*

Milner's Church History, vol. i. page 1, of the Introduction.

In the parable, then, so interpreted, we may learn, in a few words, what was the place our Saviour himself considered the blessings of his gospel ought to hold in our estimation. Here we may observe the supreme-the paramount value which we ought to set on that present and eternal blessedness which is comprehended in the term salvation through Christ; that it would, in fact, be wise to give all things in exchange for so great a treasure; that it would be rational, even, to resign every other possession, if required, rather than risk the loss of one so great as this.

And on consideration must we not confess that this is only a just view of the question? Let us reflect for a moment on the nature of those blessings which are to be obtained by means of the gospel, and by that alone. And I know not how we can better accomplish this, than by observing what would be our condition without the gospel, without any knowledge of Christ, or of his salvation. Let us, in fact, see what is man's state by nature, and then contemplate the vast change which the gospel makes in that state, in the case of all true believers.

Far, indeed, be it from me to represent the natural condition of the human race as worse than it really is. We should be ungrateful, indeed, not to feel that many and great are "the blessings of this life," which we have richly to enjoy. There is, unquestionably, much solid and rational enjoyment vouchsafed to us, even in this world, in various ways: as, for instance, in the just gratification of the natural desires and affections; in the innocent pleasures of social intercourse; in the satisfaction of benefiting our fellow-creatures; in the cultivation of the mental faculties; and in the study of the works of nature. But still, with all this, there is much, both within us and without us, calculated sadly to embitter the cup of human existence.

1. In the first place, it must never be forgotten that man is, by nature, in a state of sin, and, as such, in a state of guilt and condemnation in the sight of God. This truth, reflecting persons, even amongst those who enjoyed not the light of divine revelation, have, in some degree, felt and acknowledged. This charge, in its full extent, the Bible brings against us all. And if we have any real knowledge of ourselves, our hearts must tell us that we are all under the displeasure of our offended Creator. When we meditate on him, there is something within us which speaks of enmity, of wrath, of condemnation, by reason of sin; something which, even in the best of men, has a tendency to awaken apprehension and fear; and the more fully we see the depth of our sinfulness, the extent of our transgression against our benevolent Creator, the more serious will be our sorrow of heart.

2. Man is, by nature, corrupt and depraved. It cannot be denied that he is disturbed by evil passions within him, which continually render him, to say the least, uncomfortable, and, at times, even miserable. A powerful inward struggle is continually felt in his breast; a contest between reason and conscience on the one hand, and sinful desires on the other. Envy in one; malice in another; anger and wrath in a third; lust, in a fourth; ambition, vanity, avarice in others; these are the ruling, and often the raging passions. In opposition to reason, to conscience, and to experience, we find some one or more of these evil affections working in the children of disobedience, and making them

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