which appeared, some time ago, in a periodical publication, which accidentally fell into the hands of the author;-a public cation more noted indeed for its bold and indecent attacks on doctrines, which have, in all ages, been venerated by the great mass of christians, of all denomination ---than for the ability with which it is conducted, or the extent of its circulation. It required no great discernment to discover, in this assault upon the doctrine of satisfaction for sin, that a mortal blow was aimed at the venerable doctrine of the atonement, by one of its professed faithful allies,”

In the first letter, Mr. Jerram gives answers to sixteen objections made against the doctrine of the atonement. His reasoning in the first letter is not sufficiently clear, nor his answers altogether convincing. Yet we often find much acuteness, a mind well informed, and a thofough acquaintance with the subject he had undertaken to defend. In the second letter he strengthens his arguments by producing various passages of Scripture, which his opponent, if he have any candour, will allow to be faithfully applied. In the third letter he argues from the nature of the Jewish sacrifices and priesthood. We will introduce the author to our readers where he is shewing that the sacrifice of Christ is not figurative.

1. It is not easy to see with what propriety the death of Christ can be accommodated to the Jewish sacrifices, if the former is, in its nature, differeut from the latter.---Figurative and metaphorical language is generally used for the sake of illustrating or enforcing some truth, which would otherwise be less apparent, or make a slighter impression: but if the crucifixion of our Lord must be considered merely as a confirmation of the doctrine he taught, and an example of patient suffering, I see not how these things can be illustrated by such frequent references to sacrifices, in which the victim was offered for the transgression of the of fender. It is not indeed impossible that an ingenious man may find out some point of resemblance; but I think it must be so remote and obscure, that ninety-nine persons out of a hundred would overlook it, and consequently the attempted elucidation would serve only to perplex and bewilder. On this account I should conclude that the references in question are by no means merely figurative, but point out the vicarious nature of the death of Christ.

“ 2. We have no intimation in scripture of any such figuratite signification; which there surely ought to have been, if the sacrifice of Christ be not real.---In order to see the full force of this argument, we must carry ourselves back to the æra of Christ and his apostles, and place ourselves in the circumstances of the

Jews

Jews at that period. Let us suppose then that we were in the daily habit of offering the morning and evening sacrifices; that we went up to Jerusalem thrice every year, at the three great feasts of the passover, the atonement, and of tabernacles, at all of which numerous sacrifices were offered; that for every transgression of the ceremonial law, and contraction of ceremonial defilement, the priest was required to make the sacrifice of atonement, and that we were forgiven in consequence of that sacrifice; (Lev. iv. and also v. 5, 6, 10,) that we were familiar with the law respecting the scape-goat, which required that one goat should be offered for a sin-offering, and that the other, upon whose head all the iniquities and transgressions of Israel had been laid, should be driven into the wilderness, and bear upon him all their sins into a land not inhabited, as an emblem that they were forgiven; (Lev. xvi. 8, 9, 21, &c.) let ús suppose that we were in the habit of seeing all things purged with blood, and knew that without shedding of blood there was no remission ; and then, with these habits, and these notions of the expiatory nature of sacrifices, what construction should we put upon

such passages as those I have just quoted; and especially upon the greater part of the epistle to the Hebrews, in which a parallel is run between the sacrifice of Christ, and those which were instituted by Moses? It seems to me that there can be but one answer to this question. We should necessarily conclude that the death of Christ has the same reference to the expiation of transgressions against the moral law, as the sacrifices of the Jews had to those against the ceremonial law.

If therefore such a conclusion would be erroneous, is it supposable that the sacred writers would not have guarded against it, by telling us somewhere or other that these references are made only in a figurative sense, or by way of accommodation; but that in reality the death of Christ has no resemblance whatever to the Jewish sacrifices ? To have omitted such information, under such circumstances, would be utterly unaccountable, and would expose the inspired penman to the charge of intentionally leading their converts into the most important and dangerous errors. Sinee, therefore, they have given us no such information of a figurative meaning, we must conclude that none such was intended; but that the death of Christ was of the same nature as the sacrifices of the Jex's."

We have not room to comment on Mr. Jerram's mode of reasoning. Our readers will, we trust, think with us, that it is satisfactory. In the fourth letter, the doctrine is proved to be consistent with our ideas of fitness, &c. The dispute now assumes a metaphysical cast. It is conducted by the author with moderation, and in our judgment he has a claim to complete victory:

There

There are some extracts from Dr. Magee on the doctrine of atonement by way of notes, which often illustrate our author's sentiments.

A Brief Illustration of the Morning Service of the United

Church of England and Ireland; shewing not only the
Use and Design of its varions Parts, and the great Pro-
priety with which they are arranged; but likewise the ne-
cessity of offering up our devotions, with the Worship of
the Heart, no less than with the Service of the Lips,
By the Rev. JOHN CLARKE, Minor Canon of the Ca.
thedral Church of Durham. 12mo. pp. 204.
E recommend this small volume as an excellent

book to be read in families. It contains a brief,
yet just illustration of the morning service of our Church.
The author goes through the whole of that part of our
venerable liturgy, and during his progress, makes many
pertinent observations. In our Review for November
fast we recommended a very admirable discourse by Mr.
Plumptre, the author of the Christian Guide, explana-
tory of the communion service, and we concluded our
account that it would be very useful to print that neat.
and admirable discourse in such a compact manner as
would render it a kind of companion to the latter. We
would also particularly recommend it, as we understand
from our bookseller that a second impression of it is likely
to be soon called for, to be printed in such a size that
it
may

be bound with Mr. Clarke's Manual. The union of the two would prove a great acquisition to families.

1

POETRY

POETRY.

GOOD MORROW,
Written about the Year 1570, by George GASCOIGNE.

OU that have spente the silente nighte
You

In 'sleepe and quiet reste,
And joye to see the cheerefull lighte

That ryseth in the east :
Now cleere your voyce, now cheare your heart,

Come helpe me nowe to sing.
Eche willyng wyght come beare a parte,

To prayse the heavenly king.
And you whome care in prison keepes,

Or sicknesse dothe suppresse,
Or secrete sorowe breakes your sleepes,

Or dolours doe distresse:
Yet beare a parte in dolefull wyse,

Yea, thinke it good accorde,
And acceptable sacrifice,

Eche sprite to prayse the Lorde.
The dreadfull night with darkesome stormes

Had overspread the lyght,
And sluggishe sleepe with drowsynesse

Had overpreste our inyght:
A glasse wherein we maye beholde

Eche storme that stoppes our breath,
Our bedde the grave, our cloathes lyke molde,

And sleepe like dreadful death.
Yet as this deadly nyghte did laste
But for a little

space,
And heavenly daye, now night is paste,

Doth shewe his pleasant face;
So muste we hope to see God's face

At last in haven on hie,
When wee have chaung'd this mortal place

For immortalite.

And of such happes and heavenly joyes,

As then wee hope to holde,
All earthly sightes, all worldly toyes,

Are tokens to beholde :
Vol. VIII. Churchm. Mag. Feb. 1805.

The

The day is lyke the daye of doome,

The sunne, the sonne of man,
The skies the heavens, the earthe the tombe

Wherein wee reste till than.
The raymbowe bending in the skye,

Bedeckte with sundrye hewes,
És lyke the seate of God on hye,

And seemes to tell these newes:
That as thereby he promised

To drowne the worlde no more,
So by the bloud whiche Christe hath sheau,

He will oure health restore.
The mistic clowdes that fall sometyme,

And overcaste the skyes,
Are lykc to troubles of ouré tyme,

Which doe but dimme our eyes :
But as suche dewes are dryed up quite,

When Phæbus shewes his face,
So are suche fansies put to flighte,

Where God dotbe guyde by grace.
The little byrdes which syng so sweete,

Are lyke the angels voyce,
Whiche render God his

prayses meete,
And teach us to rejoice :
And as they more esteeme that myrthe,

Than dreade the nightes anoye,
So muste we deeme' our dayes on earthe,

But hell to heavenly joye.
Unto whiche joyes for to attayne,

Got graunte us all his grace;
And sende us after worldly payne,

In heaven to have a place.
Where wee may still enjoy that lyght,

Which never shall decaye :
Lorde, for thy mercie lende us myght

To see that joyful daye.

THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM,
AS the fair star of morn with finter ray
Proclaims th' approach of all-reviving day,

Founded on the Greek verses, inserted in the Orthodox Churheman's Vagazine, for January, 1803.-" ann come a light into the world."obo xii. 46.

Then