:

men would not let him sit up, lest he should catch the wind. Every surge that washed over the boat drenched the poor fellow as he lay along, and still the rowers, dripping as they were themselves, amused each other in bestowing Job's comforts on the fellow, and telling him to cheer up for sure he was a cabin passenger; and still we made no way, and every now and then a wave would strike the bottom of the boat, so that landsman as I was, I apprehended that we should swamp and go to pieces. And still I looked to my friend's countenance, as he held the helm, and saw a gathering seriousness upon it; and I observed him looking wistfully towards the island his look seemed to say, we must indeed put about, and I was anticipating what a pleasant time I should have to spend on that place of barrenness. Indeed, Mr. Examiner, I wished most fervently, as my anxiety to fill your pages had brought me here, that your Editorship were in my place, to spend an equinoxial week on Cape Clear, to sleep on stones, and fare on stockfish. Well, says I to myself, God send we may even get there; our friends of the water-guard will get us some accommodation. But try, my good friend, to face the gale for some minutes longer. While we were thus consulting, two whale-boats coming from the mainland approached, on the wings of the wind, which blew directly in their stern, and sent them forward with the velocity of arrows. As they cut the surge, gracefully and majestically passing us, the men reclining at their ease set up an uproarious shout; it was a malicious triumph over our jeopardy and trouble" Oh boys," says Pat. Hayes-he with the mouthful of ivory, "we will never be able to stand in Skull, if we let these Capers* have the laugh over us-we are done for ever if we put back to Clear-we may as well when we get home, go spend the rest of our days in Judy Mahony's cabin, knitting stockings, if we let these duck-footed fellows cut capers over us :" and off he tugged his dripping waistcoat. All stripped to it, and wrought at their oars as if instinct with new life and power. I never witnessed such athletic exertion: I never saw such a display of temper, spirit, and perseverance. They gained their point: they won their way; and the wind in some measure, in reward of their bravery, having subsided, taking advantage of the lee-shelter of the Calves' islands, &c. &c. we shortly after nightfall got safe to shore.

Fare ye well, my fine young fellows of the skiff of Skull-never, perhaps, to see you again; but long shall I remember your joyous good-humour, your engaging good nature, your full possession of all those qualities which make Irishmen, with all their faults, the most social and entertaining people in the world. C. O.

* The inhabitants of Cape Clear go on the mainland by the name of Capers.

470

REVIEW.

FIFTEEN SERMONS-By the Rev. J. C. LLOYD, A. B. one of the Chaplains at the Molyneux Asylum, and Domestic Chaplain to the Right Hon. the Earl of Aldborough William Curry, Jun. and Co. Dublin; Hamilton, Adams and Co. London; and William Oliphant, Edinburgh, 1826.

If the desire of literary reputation be the motive from which the compositions of the Pulpit are transferred to the Press, we cannot but think, that he who writes with such an aim, has chosen a tablet of rather perishable materials on which to inscribe his name. It is an evil necessarily attendant on the very nature of Sermons, however high their character, upon their first appearance, that they are soon transferred to the book-shelf, from which they are disturbed only by the occasional eye of curiosity, or perchance by the hand of the plagiarist.

This circumstance, however, renders it necessary that new volumes of Sermons should frequently appear, in which the wholesome truths advanced in their predecessors may be again brought forward in new colours. Hence, we are not to look for original matter in such works, nor would it be desirable; the same great truths, the same glorious promises are to be stated, the same imperative duties are to be enjoined, the same awful warnings to be enforced.-Men are to be told that they are sinners, and that "the wages of sin is death"-they are to be told that there is One who "taketh away sin," and that "the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ"-they are to be certified, that "except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”—As long then as the enforcement of these truths continues to be the grand object of Christian preaching, so long a greater degree of sameness, and perhaps repetition, than would be allowable in other compositions, must be expected in discourses from the Pulpit; nor can this defect (if it be a defect) be entirely erased from Sermons intended for the closet, without in a great measure destroying their peculiar and characteristic feature.

It is perhaps, a very general fault in our modern Sermons, that they are addressed more to the ear of the critic, and to the understanding of the philosopher, than to the heart of the sinner; but in the volume which forms the subject of the present article, it has been evidently the object of the Author to avoid as much as possible, this, very serious fault; and some may perhaps think that he has gone into the other extreme.

In his preface, Mr. Lloyd states, that two peculiarities will be found in these Sermons, which to some (he says) may appear great blemishes in Sermons intended for the closet, viz. the use of the first person, as though the Author were addressing himself to

the reader directly from the Pulpit; and also, the utter absence of any thing like division and sub-division of the various texts enlarged upon.'-With respect to the first, we have nothing to say, but we cannot help thinking the latter a defect: for, although we do not believe that any rule exists in Scripture upon the subject, and although we are aware that the system of dividing and sub-dividing, may be carried too far; we cannot but think that the utter absence of it deprives the preacher of a very powerful instrument for laying hold of the minds and memories of his hearers.

We shall now proceed to give some extracts so as to enable our readers to form a judgment of the contents of the volume.

The subjects of the Sermons, which do not appear to have any connexion with each other, are as follow:-1. On Self-Knowledge, Luke ix. 55-2. The Nature and Necessity of Christ's Atonement, John xi. 50-3. Christ's Declaration to Sinners, John vi. 37-4. The Character of the Gospel unalterable, Heb. xiii. 8-5. Repentance issuing in Prayer, Ps. cxvi. 3, 4-6. The Consolation of Grace, Is. xl. 1-7. On Conscience, 1 Pet. iii. 16-8. The Evidence of a work of Grace at Heart, Rom. viii. 15, 16-9. Gospel Confidence, Heb. vi. 18-10. The Inability of the Unregenerate to please God, Job. xiv. 4-11. On the Attainment of Spirituality, Gal. v. 16-12. On being ashamed of Christ, Mark viii. 3813. On the Advent of Christ, 1 John iv. 9-14. On the Freeness of the Gospel, Hos. vi. 3—15. The Necessity of Exertion in Spiritual Things, Luke xiii. 23, 24.

It is not necessary that we should analyse each Sermon ; it will be enough to give our readers a view of one of them, and we shall select the last, not that we would give it any preference to the others, but because the subject of it is important, and may afford a fair specimen of the Author's powers.

He commences by the just observation that nothing perhaps, speaks more forcibly in favour of the Scriptures being the production of Divine Wisdom, than their silence on those mysterious questions connected with a future state,' which we find in our nature so strong a propensity to ask and to answer:

"It is therefore (he says) a beautiful exemplification of that truth, God does nothing in vain,' the manner of Holy Scripture's treating of the things of the unknown state; unknown entirely to unassisted reason, and but partially exhibited in the written word. All that is necessary is told. What is told, is so told that the possibility of doubt is excluded. That men should know there was to be a future state of retribution was essentially necessary to their moral government. Equally necessary that they should be informed of the character of their judge, and what circumstances in their conduct would secure his favour or excite his wrath. Men should know what they appeared in the sight of the Divine Being, and what he should appear in their's. How full, how clear, how decided is the Bible on this point. It is appointed unto all men once to die, and after that the judgment.' All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.'-' By the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.' He that believeth, and is baptized shall be saved; but

he that believeth not shall be damned.'- God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have everlasting life.'-' Without holiness no man shall see the Lord.'-' Your heavenly Father shall give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him.'"-p. 231-2.

The Scriptures, as Mr. Lloyd observes, were written not to tell us how many should be saved, but to teach us how we may be saved this is the express statement of the passage he has selected for his text, (Luke xiii. 23, 24.) on which he observes:

"The truth stated in these verses is simply this, that the salvation of the soul is a thing at once of so much difficulty and so much importance, as to demand imperatively that it should occupy the chief thoughts, and call forth the strenuous exertion of every individual. The difficulty is implied by the words strait gate, the importance by the exhortation strive."-p. 233-4.

In his remarks on the difficulty of the soul's salvation, he shews that while the difficulty is not insurmountable to man, it is by no means to be inferred from the text, that man by any doings of his own can secure the favour of God'-to suppose this would be to deny the necessity of the death and atonement of Christ, "for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain."

The difficulties, he proceeds to shew, do not arise from any unwillingness on the part of Him who desireth not the death of a sinner,' to admit any one into his kingdom, but are created entirely by the obstacles thrown in the way by man himself: the sources of these obstacles he reduces to three-prejudice, pride, and indolence. We shall quote his observations on the last :

"But if prejudices and pride hinder many, Oh, how does indolence block up the road! If the former slay their thousands, surely the latter slays its tens of thousands. It is that putting off from day to day, the work which should not be postponed an hour; this is what fills hell with ruined sinners, These see the gate, they acknowledge it to be strait, they confess their want of salvation, their approbation of the way in which God has proposed it, and their determination to embrace it. They lean upon their hope contentedly. But what hope? Is it a hope of Heaven? No; for no man who is not in Christ, has any right to such, as they will themselves freely acknowledge; but they look forward to some future 'convenient season,' when they shall put their promises into performance, and strive,' and lay hold of salvation, and enjoy all the bright and golden confidences which now enrich the bosoms of true believers. They have, in short, the hope of a hope; and with this poor pittance millions die, cheated by their own lukewarmness and indifference, out of that blessed reversion of Heaven, purchased for them by Christ, and offered freely, though never accepted heartily.

"The difficulties then, that men have thrown up, are what have narrowed the heavenly gate, not any want of liberality on the part of the Divine Architect. The gate IS OPEN. It has received millions under its heavenly arch, and millions have passed it by, because they would not enterin. It is man, sinful man, that has, from pride, prejudice, and indolence, made the free promises of God to be so seldom seen in possession. And therefore, it was that Jesus called aloud in the ears of those who heard him, 'Strive to enter in at the strait gate;' for why? Many shall seek to enter in and

shall not be able.' There is a great difference between striving and seeking. To strive, is to use, as the word imports, the same vigorous efforts which were employed by those who contended in the ancient games. It means, when rendered literally, 'agonize,' as though Jesus said, agonize to enter in.' 'Let no difficulties interfere; let nothing produce remissness; it is not only a matter of honour and dishonour, it is a matter of life and death; every thing is at stake, and therefore every effort must be made.' ”—p. 239, 240—1,

After having commented on the history of Bartimeus, (Mark x. 46.) as an example of those who "strive," compared with that of the man mentioned in the seventeenth verse of the same chapter, as an example of those who "seek to enter in, but are not able"-he concludes by some very excellent observations, of which we can only quote the following passage:

"This then is for our consideration, that if we die unconverted, the ruin we bring upon us is of our own effecting. We may not shelter ourselves under the excuse that faith is God's gift, and that we could not believe till it was given us so to do; for if we asked for faith we should have it. No HUMAN BEING EVER SIN CERELY BESOUGHT OF GOD TO ENABLE HIM TO BELIEVE, THAT DID NOT FIND ABILITY BESTOWED, And if a soul shall at the last day be found at the left hand of the Judge, one of those who in this world often heard the words of life, and the entreaties of the Father of mercies to turn and live,' shall it not be, (most awful reflection!) because that having heard of the blood of Calvary, and the righteousness of God's only Son, and the secret influences of the Spirit, and the blessedness of an eternal dwelling in the presence of Jehovah, 'HE CARED FOR NONE OF THOSE THINGS.'"-p. 244.

We give the following extracts almost without selection from some of the other Sermons.-On the necessity of the Atonement Mr. Lloyd thus writes in the second Sermon :

"The question then presents itself, is there any one possible way in which God can exercise forgiveness towards men? And the answer which Scripture gives is, that there is a way, and but one way: by being propitiated. If atonement be made, there may be salvation. If there be presented unto Jehovah what may magnify his holy law and make it honourable, what may shew to every moral agent in the universe, that its precepts ought to be obeyed and its penalties cannot be withheld; that the commandment given to men, however extensive in its demands, is holy, just and good;' and that 'the soul which sinneth it shall die;' that there is no evading the consequences of trangression: then God might consistently bestow pardon on such terms. Now it is plain that man can bring forward nothing of this kind. He is indebted unto God in the entire sum of an unceasing obedience. If from the moment of his birth to the moment of his death he sinned not, still he is called by Scripture, even under such circumstances, an uprofitable servant, he has only done that which it was his duty to do. It must be some one under no obligation to serve God, one therefore who can offer to God something valuable in the way of judicial compensation (so to speak,) something adequate in the way of an atonement for the offences which men have committed; such an one we say it is, who must interfere and stand between the sinner and his just doom. Man deserves death at God's hands; if he is to receive life then, it must be at the hands of a Mediator; of a Redeemer; of one who will interpose to save, who will pay down