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tles in particular; "Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are?" And why did he extend his prayer to the whole body of future Christians in general; "Neither pray I for these' my present disciples alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; that they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us*?" Why did St. Paul thus solemnly adjure the Church of the Corinthians; "I beseech you, brethren, by the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you †?" And why did he pray God to grant to the Romans, that they might not only "with one mind," but "with one mouth'* also "glorify God?" Surely it is not to be supposed, that either our blessed Lord, or his holy Apostle, would have been thus ́ solemn and impressive upon a case of trifling or of doubtful importance: why then did they upon this subject employ this more than usual solemnity of manner, but because they were anxious to impress upon the minds of believers the incalculable importance of preserving unbroken the unity of the Church? The Church is represented in the Gospel under the images of a family, a city, and a kingdom and it is the declaration of the Founder of the Church himself, that "every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house, divided against itself, shall not stand §." To break the unity of the Church then, by introducing causeless divisions into it, is to tend to desolate and overthrow it. And surely that must be sinful, which can tend to the destruction and desolation of that goodly structure, which “is built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner-stone; in whom all the building fitly framed together, groweth unto a holy temple in the Lord. Vol. II. P. 300..

In the conclusion of this Sermon, Mr. Mant states the impor tance of the Christian Sacraments, and urges the necessity of our being duly assured that we are indeed partakers of them; showing to what persons we are to apply, in order that we may partake of them. For this purpose, he offers a short, but clear and faithful, description of the original constitution of the Christian Church; and shows how that constitution has been maintained, through the Apostles and primitive professors of Christianity, to the present period. We would strongly recommend this Sermon to the perusal and the study of every Christian family.

The third volume of these Sermons was published in the course of the present year; and, as a monument of filial honour and affection, is dedicated to the author's father, the Rev. Richard

* John xvii. 11, 20, 21. § Matt. xii. 25.

1 Cor. i. 10. ‡ Rom. xv. 6. Eph, ii. 20, 21, 22.

Mant,

Mant, D. D. Rector of All Saints, Southampton. It consists of twenty Sermons on the following subjects.

"1. St. Paul's Motives of Exultation at the Approach of Death. 2. On Spiritual Delusion. 3. The Fall of Lot's Wife a Memorial to Christians. 4. The Victory of Faith exemplified in the Choice of Moses. 5. The Blood of Christ offered through the Spirit, the Avenue to the Service of God. 6. The Psalms prophetical of Christ's Death and Resurrection. 7. The Extermination of the Canaanites an Example of the moral Government of God. 8. The Efficacy of Prayer to the Father in Christ's Name. 9. The Love of God manifested by the sending of his Son. 10. Pride contrasted with Humility. 11. On spiritual Pride. 12. The Duty and Benefits of living after the Spirit. 13. The Humiliation of Ahab an Encouragement to Repentance. 14. The downward Tendency of Vice illustrated by the Sin of Gehazi. 15. The healing of the Leprosy emblematical of the Cleansing of Sin. 16. Confidence in God recommended from a Conviction of his providential Goodness. 17. The Aid of the Spirit, the Gift of God, and to be procured by Prayer. 18. Self-Murder a Sin against the Lord. 19. A Sense of Religion the proper Foundation of social Union. 20. The Comparison between Man and a Flower of the Field.”

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All these subjects are judiciously and affectionately discussed by the preacher; and his devout reflections, arising from them, are applied to existing necessity. In the 18th Sermon, on the 1st Sam. ii. 23. If one man sin against another, the judge shall judge him but if a man sin against the Lord, who shall entreat for him? Self-murder is considered as a sin against the Lord. This is a subject not frequently introduced into pulpits, and but few sermons dissuading from the awful sin have come before us. Mr. Mant most seasonably supplies the deficiency, for reasons which we will state in his own words.

"It is a remark which has been often made with respect to our own country, that we are especially prone to commit it. From the frequency and general currency of the remark, we may fear, that it is not destitute of foundation. At least our own information concerning the occurences, which daily take place throughout the country, must be sufficient to convince us, that instances of the crime are too numerous not to be contemplated with regret and dismay; and there are probably few amongst us, whose recollection cannot supply them from their own acquaintance with some examples of those, who have perished by a violent and self-inflicted death. Under circumstances such as these, it must be the duty of us all to employ the methods, which Providence may place in our hands, for the prevention of so terrible an evil: and I have accordingly felt myself called upon by the event, which has lately occurred amongst us, to exhibit the offence before you in dismal indeed, but, I believe, in its true colours." Vol. III. P. 369,

The

The general temptations to this horrid crime are supposed to consist in impatience or despondency of spirits, and in a distrust of Almighty God. Can a preacher, then, who considers the frequency of its perpetration, be better employed than in occasional exhortations to prepare against the moment of despondency; when vexations may have occurred, and when the spirits may flag, by cultivating a lively sense of the goodness of the Almighty? By hearing, too, the crime of suicide displayed, in the season of health, while the spirits are lively, those salutary cautions, which accompanied the display of the sin, may be remembered in the hour of distress; and may avert the fatal deed. We cannot deny ourselves the satisfaction of calling the attention. of our readers to the pious reflections of Mr. Mant on this sin; and we cannot withhold our thanks to him for introducing those reflections into sermons professedly for parochial and domestic

use.

"1. It is a sin against Almighty God; for, in the first place, it is to make light of, to despise, and to reject a talent, which God hath given, which be commands us to employ for his glory and the good of others, and for the use of which he will unquestionably bring us to account. In this light all the gifts of God, whatever they may be, are to be considered; and life, which is one of his most precious gifts, and necessary to the exercise of all the rest, is to be so considered amongst the others. But this talent, and, toge ther with this, all his other talents, the self-murderer absolutely re nounces. The unprofitable servant, who hid his Lord's talent in a napkin, and buried it in the earth, and returned it without injury to his Lord, was condemned as a wicked and slothful servant, and cast into outer darkness amidst weeping and gnashing of teeth, for not improving his trust: how much more must it be feared, that that servant will excite the displeasure of his Lord, who violently spurns from him his talent, and throws it back upon its Giver, disfigured by outrage, and polluted with blood.

"2. Suicide is a sin against Almighty God; for, secondly, it argues distrust of God's providence, and frequently impatience. under his chastening hand. "Humble yourselves under the mighty band of God," says the Apostle, and "cast all your care upon him, for he careth for you*:" nor among all the various proofs of the truth of this position, can he be in want of one of the most convincing kind, who reflects upon that stupendous evidence, which God hath given of his love towards us, in sending his Son to die for our salvation. But the self-murderer refuses to place his trust in Him, who hath promised that " he will never leave nor forsake+" his faithful followers: and in a fit of irritation, or a season of despondency and despair, too often the lamentable consequence of his

* 1 Pet, v. 6, 7.

+ Heb. xiii, 5.

OWN

own previous wickedness, rises up against the offended justice of God, and rejects his offers of mercy.

3. Suicide is further an offence against the Almighty; for it is to rush presumptuously and uncalled into the presence of our Creator, who alone has the power to give life, and to whom alone belongs the prerogative of taking it away. The scriptures instruct us, that we hold our lives, as a stewardship committed to us by our Creator. It is our duty therefore to be prepared calmly to surrender them, whenever he shall reclaim them at our hands, and to be ready to answer for our conduct before the judgment-seat of God. The judgment-seat of God is a term of tremendous import! And who, that reflects on the duties enjoined upon him and on the imperfect manner in which they have been performed; who, that reflects upon his own sinfulness and upon the justice and holiness: of God, can avoid contemplating the great day of retribution with awakened feelings, and can do otherwise than shrink into himself at the prospect of appearing before his righteous Judge? The prospect of that solemn scene, on which the welfare of our immortal souls depends through the endless ages of eternity, is accompa nied with circumstances of an awful nature, even to them who put their trust in God and his well-beloved Son. But the death of the self-murderer is accompanied, neither with the faith and awful hope of a Christian, nor with those feelings of alarm and apprehension which are natural to man. With an infatuation, unaccountable in a being endowed with reason and conscience, and sensible of fear, instead of coming boldly to the throne of grace that he may obtain mercy, he rushes presumptuously to the seat of judgment: and challenges the severity, and hastens the sentence, of God's justice, which he thus arms with manifold vengeance against himself.

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"4. It is moreover an aggravation of the sin of suicide, considered as an offence against Almighty God, that it is often an act of wilful and deliberate guilt. Upon this ground proceeds the sentence of the human law, in the prohibition of Christian burial, that the deceased did wilfully and of malice afore-thought' effect his own destruction. The proof of a depraved will and fixed determi nation is not rare, where the deed, having been once attempted, but happily frustrated by the kind favour of Providence, has been again obstinately repeated, until it has at length terminated in irrecoverable death. Such a determination of purpose should appear to evince a heart, closed to the gracious influence of the Holy Spirit of God, and resolved to execute its design however much at enmity with God's will. And it is this determination, this wilful and deliberate purpose, which in a signal degree enhances the criminality of the deed, and exposes the criminal to God's displeasure.

"5. There is one other, and that a most important view, wherein suicide must be considered as especially offensive to Almighty God, and as especially exposing the perpetrator to danger. Praised be the infinite mercy and compassion of our heavenly Father, we believe, because the word of God assures us, that the sins of every

Christian

Christian may be forgiven on his sincere and hearty repentance through faith in the blood of the Saviour: but we believe also, and our belief is established upon the same unerring word, that such repentance is generally necessary to the salvation of every believer in Christ. Far from me be the arrogance, the wickedness, and the folly of presuming to set limits to the mercy of the Lord Jehovah! Yet thus much may safely be affirmed, that the mercy of God is no where promised to any other, than to the penitent and believing sinner: and that he, who dies in the commission of sin, much more he, who wilfully cuts himself off by an act of sin, and thereby closes the door against repentance, does by the same act (as far as human sight can penetrate) close the door upon the divine compassion, and exclude himself from forgiveness and salvation. Christ ever liveth to make intercession for them who come unto God by him;" but for him, who thus sins against the Lord, who shall intreat?" " Vol. III. P. 363..

We have been the more copious in our extracts from this Sermon, because we believe that the sin of suicide is not brought before Christians in any proportion to its frequency; and because a hope may be indulged, that a display of its enormity may diminish its frequency, and tend to the preservation of the lives, and of the immortal souls of many.

It may not have escaped the observation of our readers, that we have omitted to notice those Sermons in this collection, which are professedly derived from foreign sources. We certainly have not omitted to do so, because they are not valuable, though we cannot agree with Mr. Mant, that they are "the most valuable of its contents*" Where we found so much calculated to edify, and so much worthy of approbation, in Mr: Mant's own unborrowed language, we were unwilling to divert our readers front his original compositions to his selections, although most judiciously adapted to those occasions on which he used them. It may be generally observed of the Sermons, that they are, what all Sermons should be, that are intended for parochial and domestic use, persuasive, animated orations, founding Christian virtues on the great scriptural truths of Redemption and Grace. We know that they have found their way into many families, and we hope that they may find their way into many more. In the words of the author, " May they be sanctified both to the writer, and to the reader or hearer, by the operation of the Holy Spirit! And so may they redound to the glory of our Heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ our Lord!"

*Vide Preface.

ART.

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