our heavenly Father to his people in this metropolis, and more especially to ourselves." And whether shall we say that what is objected to in this language, arises from an exclusive spirit, and an overstrained estimation of the sacredness and endearments of the union between a minister and his flock, or that the objection itself arises from the very defective ideas currently entertained of that sacred relation? We will only say, that if Mr. Stewart is to be tried by the language and spirit of St. Paul or St. John, he will certainly meet with a far more lenient sentence than if by the modern ideas of ministerial affection and responsibility. And, with regard to what he intimates of the shutting up of Percy Chapel being a calamity to the parish, and even to the metropolis, though it might have been in better taste to have expressed these matters a little differently, we quite feel that as the addition of every new church or chapel, under the care of a faithful and efficient minister of Christ, is a public benefit, the abstraction of any one so circumstanced, is a public loss; and the long list of charities recorded by Mr. Stewart, not, we are sure, with "vain boasting," but in simplicity of spirit, and with gratitude to God, and his esteemed flock, shews that in the case of Percy Chapel, this loss has not been small. Whatever may in some quarters be thought of the general class of doctrines entertained by our respected author-for we have not entered upon any points of peculiarity-this catalogue of charities shews that they are the farthest possible from latitudinarian indifference, or antinomian aversion to good works. If Mr. Stewart is to be prohibited from purchasing any other chapel in St. Pancras parish, by a refusal to grant him a licence to preach in it when he has made it his own, those who issue the prohibition will find it no easy task to reimburse the poor, the sick, the ignorant, the afflicted of the

parish for their loss. During the last year more than 7501. Mr. Stewart states, were collected at Percy chapel after charity sermons for objects of piety and benevolence, many of them of a local kind. The list of general contributions within a few years amounts to more than ten thousand pounds; a most honourable exhibition of a Christian and selfdenying munificence; by which 1800 children have been educated in a Sunday school, and 400 in a daily school; 1400 poor married women visited and assisted in their confinement; 3600 families visited and assisted in affliction; not to mention the more public religious charities, of which the Church Missionary Society alone has received 46507. Such deeds, performed, as we cannot doubt these have been, as the fruits of faith and labours of love, will not lose their reward.

The following passage will shew the characteristic feelings of Christian affection which prevail throughout these addresses. The alleged egotism which has been objected to was, we doubt not, amply forgiven in the interchange of mutual sympathy between the beloved pastor and his flock.

66

My beloved Christian friends, you who are indeed a part of the flock of Christ, which he has purchased with his own blood, when I think of your personal joy, of the joy of the angels, and of the joy of our Lord; when I see the readiness with which the choir of heaven will cordial welcome, Come, ye blessed of hail you, and hear from his own lips your my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; ' and when I think that the Lord has honoured us, the pastors of this church, as instruments to convert or edify you; that in that day we may, without presumption, regard you as our joy and crown; those that we are to present to our Divine when these thoughts are, by Divine grace, Lord as proofs of our love to his Name; brought to the mind, then indeed there is no space for sorrow: the eye glistens, and the heart enlarges, and the soul cries

as

out, Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but to thy Name give glory, for thy mercy and thy truth's sake."" pp. 99, 100.

Memoir of the late H. W. Temple, of the Middle Temple, Barrister at Law. 2s. 6d. London. 1829.

THE amiable and pious subject of this memoir was born at Leeds, in the year 1800, and was educated at the grammar-school of that town. Being intended for the legal profession, he was articled to a solicitor of that place; and at the expiration of his clerkship repaired to London, pursued his professional studies with much success, and was called to the bar in the spring of 1828. The writer of the little narrative before us describes as follows his character and pursuits at the period when he arrived amidst the dangerous snares of the metropolis.

"Down to the year 1824 his religious views had undergone no material change, and were entirely and decidedly opposed to those which he afterwards so ardently embraced. Like most young men, whose ideas of religion fall short of the faith of the Gospel, he had no inclination to refuse conformity to the world; but following its course, joined the convivial meetings of his young compeers, and frequented the theatres of the metropolis.

"But the goodness of God, hitherto manifested in bestowing that restraining grace, which had preserved him from running into the excess of riot, in which he must have seen thousands around him revelling, began about this period the work of conversion in his soul.

"He had just entered on the great theatre of the world; the consciousness of his own powers and attainments inspired him with high expectations of rising to eminence in his profession; and these were in no inconsiderable degree fostered by the flattering notice taken of him by those whose encouragement, he could not but know, proceeded from the high opinion they entertained of his abilities and acquirements." pp. 6-8.

But it pleased God to shew him the vanity of mere worldly prosperity, and the infinite importance of true religion, and the salvation of the soul; and to lead him eventually to account all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge

of Christ Jesus the Lord.

passed, he was found with his Bible in his hand; when he thus expressed himself, main silent, knowing the state I was in ? 'How could you, and J-, and R-, reWhat if I had died!' He then stated his purpose of making the Bible his study: the sequel of this narrative will shew how tion, and its blessed effect upon the subject far this purpose was carried into execu

of this memoir.

"In the month of January 1824, he thus wrote to his mother:

"I intend to cut with a good many of my acquaintance, who are of a gay turn, and shall strive to increase my acquaintance among those who are otherwise inclined. For, God be thanked, I have been for some time past more than usually impressed with the sense of the one thing needful.' My views on this subject are very different from what they were; and I pray God that he would give me, and all my friends, especially those I love best, grace 'to desire that which he doth promise. For one thing I must tell you, that I am quite convinced of the truth of the Evangelical doctrine, which is so much contemned; and moreover that we have no authority for supposing that there is any other way of salvation than what the holders of these tenets and the Bible offer for our acceptance. In this I set apart the doctrines of election, assurance, and perseverance, not because I disbelieve them, but because they do not fall among the list of absolutely necessary doctrines: but among the necessary doctrines are some which are derided by the falsely-named orthodox of the day, and most awful is the consideration. So much as to doctrine : but the great thing is experience and practice, which is a personal concern. God give us to apply it. I could write much upon these subjects, and intend that they shall always occupy a portion of my letters, for I believe you think of them as I do. But I shall be happy to hear your sentiments on religion, for we must remember that it is said, They who feared the Lord, spake often one to another.' But I am assured, that if it please God to bring me out of darkness into light, it will be the effect of his blessing on your prayers for me, which I know have been offered up for me in sincerity and truth, and the and truly Christian instructions. fruits, though late fruits, of your parental bless you for them an hundred-fold.” “ pp. 9-12.

God

His growth in grace and in the knowledge of his God and Saviour, and in every work of Christian obedience and charity, became increasingly visible in his whole conduct, His memorialist remarks:

"From the time of his illness before alluded to, or shortly afterwards, the Bible became his constant companion. For

several months he read scarcely any other book; and he was heard to say, that had it not been for the knowledge of his profession, which his former diligence had enabled him to acquire, he could not have fulfilled his professional duties during this year. His natural temper was ardent, and his affections having now received a new bias, he sought the knowledge of spiritual things with the same eagerness with which he had hitherto pursued those of a temporal nature. He was frequent and earnest in prayer, and diligently used every appointed means of grace. How greatly God blessed him in the use of these, all who knew him can testify. He has frequently remarked to his friends that his knowledge of Divine truth was derived almost exclusively from the word of God; and that his subsequent perusal of the writings of Sibbes, Leighton, and other divines of that day, served rather to confirm the views he had previously acquired, than to form his opinions on the all-important subject of religion. To this circumstance it may not be improper to attribute the richness and freshness of his views of Di

vine truth, which made his society peculiarly valuable to those friends with whom he could freely communicate on the subject now nearest his own heart. The natural effect of this change was soon apparent; he became anxious to devote all his powers to the honour of God and the good of his fellow-creatures. With this view he took an active part in a Sunday-school in the neighbourhood where he lived, bringing down, with admirable simplicity, the sublime truths of the Gospel to the capacities of his infant charge; he superintended a large district, as a visitor for the St. John's, Bedford Row, Sick Society; and became

also an active visitor for the Widows' Friend and Benevolent Society. He was a member of the committees of the fol

lowing societies, viz., the Queen Square Bible Association (of which he was Secretary), the Bloomsbury and South Pancras Auxiliary Bible Society, the Newfoundland School Society, and the British Reformation Society.

"For nearly two years he generally devoted two hours, three times a-week, to visiting every house and floor and family, in succession, in some of the worst parts of the streets and lanes of St. Giles's; relieving both the spiritual and temporal wants of the poor and wretched inhabitants of that part of the metropolis. He read the Scriptures to them, and declared the glad tidings of redemption by Christ, frequently with great success. His zeal, on these occssions, led him to exert himself beyond his strength; and often has he been seen returning, wearied and exhausted from those labours of love, to his arduous professional engagements.

"He felt, in an extraordinary degree, the importance of intercourse among Christian friends (which our Church, with admirable

propriety, styles the communion of saints), and exerted himself to promote stated meetings of those who felt with him the paramount importance of living for eternity. Of these meetings he necessarily became, from his talents and acquirements, and above all from his extensive knowledge of Scripture, and the aptness with which he brought it to bear upon every subject, the conspicuous but unostentatious orna

ment.

"Nor was his zeal for the honour of Christ and the good of souls confined to his own country; he took a great interest in the labours of missionaries abroad, a pleasing instance of which is to be found in a long and most animated letter written by him, in his own name, and in that of a small company of Christian friends, to a missionary in Africa, whom they had known and esteemed when in this country." pp. 14–18.

Amidst this career of useful and honourable exertion it pleased God, last October, to afflict him with a fever, which soon terminated in his death. At the commencement of his illness, he spoke with confidence of the mercy of God in Christ Jesus, though he had a deep sense of his own sinfulness; and prayed that God would manifest his Almighty power by taking away the heart of stone, and giving him a heart of flesh. "What an awful thing," said he, "is sin !"—"but in have discovered something so excelme it is doubly sinful, because I lent in the character of God." At a subsequent period of his short illness, he expressed great confi

dence in God and the most ardent love for his Redeemer. "The Saviour's heart," said he, "is all love. He has purchased to himself a glorious church out of this wicked world, from those that hated him, despised him, rebels; but he hath purified them unto himself, blessed be his Name for evermore." On one occasion, his expressions partook of so much apparent excitement that his memorialist has considered it right to add, that his friends and medical attendant thought him "perfectly collected;" but that,

even

"if those who are disposed to scoff should say it was the effect of delirium, still it shews what must have been the subject of his

thoughts and the bent of his mind during the season of health and vigour." We quite concur in this last remark; and it is chiefly in this respect that we would consider some remarkable exclamations of sick and dying persons, which we could not undertake to pronounce 66 perfectly collected." We are very far from being among those who are "disposed to scoff" on such subjects; they require great tenderness and consideration; but when our memorialist speaks of his departing friend as uttering a series of fervid exclamations in "an unearthly tone of voice, of which they who were present say they cannot give a description," we must remind him that his friend could speak only through bodily organs; and that, however elevated might be the immortal spirit, the mere human voice could not be "unearthly:" and, therefore, to describe it as such can lead only to false conceptions, which in the present instance may be of no ill consequence; but which in many other cases would tend greatly to propagate enthusiasm on the one hand, and scepticism on the other. We shall not undertake to say what might or might not, in the present or any other instance, be the effect of high physical excitement, amounting even to "delirium ;" but one thing is quite certain, that words, gestures, and tones of voice, whether affected by delirium or not, are at least corporeal; and we see no good that can, and much evil that may, result from confounding things so essentially different as matter and mind; the organs of physical utterance and the inward expression of the soul.

The writer of this little narrative sums up the character of his excellent and endeared friend in several particulars, among which we find the following.

"The kindness and suavity of his manner was no less conspicuous than his humility. He however continually lamented the want of these qualities in himself, and frequently remarked, that Christians espe

cially ought to be distinguished for their kindness, forbearance, and sympathy. "His habitual candour, openness, and plain dealing cannot be too highly commended in themselves, or recommended to the practice of Christians in general.

"His tenderness of conscience was re

markable, and extended to things which many would consider unimportant; but it was a maxim with him, that nothing was unimportant which was indicative of a principle of action, however trivial it might appear in itself.

"His anxiety for the interests of those whose concerns were committed to his care, has already been slightly noticed. His zeal for the glory of God, and the good of his fellow-creatures has been more fully dwelt upon. It was indeed unbounded; he considered no personal sacrifice too great to benefit the souls of men, even of those who were unknown to him. In his labours among the poor he bore insult and reproaches with perfect calmness, and returned week after week with unwearied kindness to renew his efforts.

There was in his character a

simple dependence on the word of God; whether he was determining his own mode of acting, or giving advice to his friends, that word was his guide: whatever was there pointed out he willingly

adopted, without attempting to shape his course by maxims of worldly conformity." pp. 30-32.

The memorialist sums up the whole as follows:

"Should the reader inquire how one, who carried about with him the remains of a corrupt nature, could thus stem the current of natural inclination, and the example of a world lying in wickedness, and devote all his powers to the glory of God, the question is satisfactorily answered-he lived by faith in Christ." pp. 33, 34.

The writer of the narrative may think it a culpable omission if we neglect to state, that this excellent young man appears to have considerably altered his views since the date when he accounted "election, assurance, and final perseverance,' not as parts, or at least essential parts, of Christian doctrine; but whatever may have been the minuter shades of his theological tenets, which probably were not fully matured, there is visible throughout his letters and his life an edifying spirit of faith and hope, of zeal and charity, of spiritual-mindedness, and of deadness to the world. The following is a summary of his feelings in his own words. .

may at

"There is no sacrifice which we are called upon to make, and which first appear as necessarily tending to leave a void in the human heart, but there is something given infinitely more delightful and heart-cheering. If we are commanded

to forsake the broken cisterns of this

world's enjoyments, it is upon a free invitation to the Fountain of living waters." pp. 70, 71.

Thus living ever prepared for eternity, his loins girt and his lamp burning, death to him was no stranger; and if an enemy, an enemy vanquish ed and despoiled. It came to himfor it could not be said to surprise him-suddenly,inthe midst of health, manhood, and fair worldly prospects; but he had sought a better inheritance, and, through the infinite merits of his Saviour, has been early translated to the enjoyment of it.

There is nothing of narrative in this slight volume, beyond the few fragments we have given, nor any remarkable incident or adventure; unless a young man under his circumstances, devoting his heart to God, and his leisure to visiting the sick and the poor, be considered so: but we doubt not the compiler hoped that, by the blessing of God, the account might interest and benefit the reader; especially, perhaps, some members of the learned profession to which the lamented subject of his narrative belonged; and we trust that his expectations will not be disappointed. The whole, however, would occupy but about

A Letter to my Children, on the Subject of my Conversion from the Romish Church, in which I was born, to the Protestant, in which I hope to die. By PETER BAYSSIERE (Saddler): translated from the French. (Paris, 2d edition.) Price 8d. London. 1829.

A LITTLE pamphlet has recently been produced in France, by an obscure and imperfectly educated mechanic, which has attracted more attention, and is likely to produce more effect in the conversion of Catholics to the Protestant faith, than many of those elaborate and learned dissertations in which it was the fashion of former times to engage. A saddler, of the name of Bayssiere, is its author; a member of the Romish Church by birth, who had received no religious education, and continued till his thirtysecond year in profession a Catholic, but in reality aDeist. Still he attended the Catholic services; and though he would not communicate, he once consented to make confession, as a necessary preliminary to being married; and he looked upon Protestants as heretics: but he neither read nor believed the Bible. At this time his wife died; and partly from a desire to shew honour to her memory, partly from a suspicion that the prayers of the church might alleviate the sufferings of the dead, he determined to procure nine masses to be said for the repose of her soul. The priest to whom he applied promised, but failed, to perform them. Month after month he repeated his application, but in vain, the priest complaining that he had not time; and his tenderness for his wife made him very indignant at this supposed protraction of her sufferings in purgatory. At length it was suggested to him, that if he