cherously held out his hand; but on my offering him mine, he grasped it firmly, and dragged me with him into the house. The Malays immediately filled all the chairs, and I stood before them. I had no other hope but in the mercy of God, to whom I sighed for help in this trying moment. Mean while more of them crowded into the room, and sat down on the floor, closely watching me, armed with their creeses or daggers. Though I preserved a firm and undaunted appearance, I cannot describe my feelings, for I expeeted to be immediately sacrificed to their fury. The Nacata addressed me by saying, that he was come hither to ask, whose property the cannon were to be, his or mine? I answered," that he came to the wrong person to make that inquiry; for I was only a servant of the King of Denmark, as he, according to his own account, was only the servant of the King of Queda. Neither of us, therefore, could determine who was to have the cannon. Our respective masters, and they only, were able to settle that point. He had told me that had received orders to fetch them; and I could assure him, that I had orders to protest against it: we both therefore, had only done our duty. All now depended upon this point, whether my king, or his king, had any right to give orders in these islands, and to claim the property in question." At this answer, he became quite furious, and began to talk about the ease, with which the Malays might murder us all. Some of them even drew their daggers, and shewed how they were tipped with poison. They looked, indeed, more like a host of devils, than a company of human creatures. On a sudden they all jumped up, and seemed to rush upon me. I commended my soul to the Lord, and called upon Him for deliverance, awaiting the issue in silence, when, to my surprise, they quitted the room, one by one, and left me standing alone, in astonishment at their conduct. I shall never forget the dreadful scene, and think of it at this moment, with shuddering. As soon as they were all gone, and I found myself in safety, I fell on my knees, and with tears, gave thanks to God my Saviour, who had heard my prayers, and rescued me out of the hands of these savages. My Brethren who had very properly retired into the wood, when the Malays first burst into the house, now returned, and we wept for joy to see each other alive.

In the morning, the Nacata's prow, with two others, were seen at anchor under Tricut, many miles from hence. The people there told us afterwards, that the Nacata had said, that the Danish Resident at Nancauwery was a very great sorcerer, for he had tied their hands, and they could do nothing with him.' pp.68-71. ·

Art. XI. Twelve Sermons on various Subjects; and a Narrative of the first Appearances of our Lord, on the Day of his Resurrection, with Notes. By the late Gabriel Stokes, D. D. 8vo. pp. 330. Price 10s. 6d. Cadell and Davies. 1812.

THE

author of these discourses was born in Dublin, enjoyed every advantage of education, and at the age of 23,, was made fellow of Trinity College. He soon after inarried, and obtained the Rectory of Antrea, in the county of Tyrone VOL. VIII.

8 U

where he resided, during fourteen years, until he was ad vanced to the mastership of the corporation school of Waterford; and on the accession of Bishop Newcome to that see, Dr. Stokes was promoted to the Chancellorship of the Diocese; beyond this dignity he was never advanced,

With the exception of the last, these sermons were all preached at the cathedral of Waterford, and are described as a selection from about 150, which were left by Dr. S., in vari¬ ous stages of correctness, but none of which appear to have been prepared for publication. It is however, stated, that he had entertained a design of selecting some of his works for this purpose, and that he had imposed no restriction whatever upon those who might, after his death, be in possession of his papers. An intention is expressed of publishing another volume, if this should be successful.

The subjects of the present selection are as follow. On the goodness and wisdom of God displayed in the creation: on loving our enemies: on universal good will and the happiness it tends to produce; two sermons: on family affection on improper and unguarded conversation: refusal of a sign: vice, the consequence of disbelief in a future state; two sermons on the reasons why parables were explained to the disciples only on the danger of perverting Scripture: on St. Paul's conduct and character considered as an example to Christian teachers.

When a divine publishes his. own compositions, he is entitled to considerable forbearance. Independently of the partiality which every one feels for the fruit of his own labour, it may be supposed that the urgency of friends and admirers, and the anxiety to do good, supply him with additional incentives to speak from the press. But the case is widely different, when the decision rests with executors, or literary legatees. They, we conceive, are chiefly to consider the reputation of the author; they are the guardians of his fame, the trustees of his intellectual estate; and are bound to exercise the severest scrutiny into the nature of the securities ou which they are going to hazard his character. If the successors of Dr. Stokes had been actuated by this view of their trust, and had in consequence, subjected the contents of this posthumous volume to the test of sound and impartial criticism, we are persuaded they would have come to the same conclusion which a careful perusal has forced upon ourselves, and ascertained that these sermons are altogether too feeble and common place to obtain permanent, or even temporary celebrity. As mere compositions they are respectable ●nough. They are written in an equable and rather heavy

style, with few faults and no felicities; and might, and would, no doubt, assist the loungers of Waterford cathedral to while away half an hour with somewhat less than the usual propensity to dozing. Judging from these specimens, Dr. S.'s hearers would be in little danger of being disturbed by too close an appeal to their consciences, or agitated by the obtrusion of vulgar terrors, or roused from their slumbers by a too importunate display of the animating prospects of the heavenly inheritance. We have looked in vain for those broad, distinct, and pervading references to the main springs and vital principles of the Gospel faith, without which, sermons, though delivered from the pulpit, are but mere varieties of secular eloquence. And these deficiencies are not in any way com. pensated. The absence of requisite ornament is not redeemed by originality of thought; nor are we consoled for the preacher's superficial treatment of the mysteries of godliness, by the vivacity or the profoundness of his moral disquisi

tions.

If we thought this volume were at all likely to obtain general circulation, we should feel it important to point out not a few of those sentiments and statements which appear to us at variance with the genuine doctrines of Christianity. The eleventh sermon, on the danger of perverting Scripture' is peculiarly liable to this charge. It is pregnant, in our opi nion, with gross error. However remote such a tendency might be from the honest misapprehension of its author, we have no hesitation in asserting, that it explains away all the spirit and vitality of the Gospel. It contains scarcely a single proposition which it would not be necessary to qualify, to limit, or to extend. In humble imitation of Dr. Paley's sermon on the necessity of caution in the use and application of Scripture language, and from the same text, Dr. Stokes has undertaken to prove that the strong and expressive terms in which the Scriptures describe the personal experience of the Christian, have no specific meaning.

"By salvation, justification, sanctification,' he asserts, St. Paul often means no more, than being Christians: enjoying by God's mercy, the means of securing the blessing of those states. Thus he tells the Ephesians, that they are saved the word signifies their salvation already effected: and yet it is plain by the manner in which he warns them against some vices, that dishonesty, intemperance, and sensuality, had not ceased among those to whom he writes: yet these are surely inconsistent with holiness, and exclude from the kingdom of God. Thus he tells the Corinthians, "Ye are washed, ye are sanctified, ye are justified:" these are attributed at large to a body of converts, many of whom indulged sentiments and practices which Christian purity abhors: approved of incest,, attended idol feasts, were litigious, uncharitable, and bitterly emulous; profaned

the Lord's supper, and argued against the resurrection. Yet violent and subtle arguments have been held on these terms, as if they always related merely to inward holiness."

In the same spirit, and on the same grounds, did Dr. Paley in the sermon above referred to, maintain that the expressions-" regeneration"-" born again of God and of the spirit"-" dead to sin"-" alive from the dead"--" a new creation"-" buried with Christ in baptism and raised together with him"-" thou art no more a servant but a sou". "ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the saints and of the household of God," &c.;-that these expressions absolutely mean nothing-nothing, that is, to us, nothing to be found, or sought for in the present circumstances of Christianity.' But Dr. Paley afterwards cherished and avowed far different principles; and we would hope that an accurate search among Dr. Stokes's papers might produce some retractation, some strong qualification, at least, of these injurious and mistaken opinions.

The following extract from the last sermon in this volume, preached at the visitation, at Derry, August 30th, 1804, contains sound admonition, well timed and well expressed.

It is scarce (scarcely) possible but that an inattentive or uninformed preacher must at times mislead; must misrepresent, deform, disgrace, or fall short of what the Gospel teaches or enjoins; or must fail of delivering it with the effect he ought. If he has recourse to the labours of other men, and satisfies himself with delivering discourses which others have written; these can scarcely be accommodated to the spiritual wants, capacities, and circumstances, of his hearers. And he must neither be guilty of a mean fraud, in endeavouring to pass them for his own, and filching a reputation to which he has no right; or if he makes no secret of their not being his own production, he, in so doing, makes a shameless avowal of his having neither the qualifications, nor the attentions, nor, of course, the sentiments, that become his profession. Whichever be his case, it will be scarce practicable for him to recite with that air of nature, that energy and impressiveness, wherewith a man conveys his own thoughts in his own words. Recitation thus imitative is an art, and so rare an 'art, that men crowd the theatres to pay for the exhibition of it, and see and hear it with admiration. But it is an art which does not gain to its possessors much esteem or reverence; nor will it to those who strive to copy them. Nor is it to be wished that the man of God should so far forget the "gravity and sincerity" which ought to be exhibited in his teaching, as to stoop to such paltry artifice and affectation. But whether the delivery be with unmeaning flatness, or with assumed vehemence, the theft will be discovered in time, or at least suspected; and it is vain to suppose that men will be influenced by what seems not to come from the heart and head of the speaker. Nay, such suspicion will extend its mischievous consequences, and will lessen the efficacy in general, of the

Clergy's exhortations, and remonstrances, and instructions; many no being satisfied that they are the effect of conviction and feeling.'

The narrative of the first appearances of our Lord on the day of his resurrection, supposes the main difficulty to consist in reconciling the first clause of Matthew xxviii. 9. with the rest of the story; and endeavours to make the whole consistent by rejecting that clause as spurious.

Art. XII. Enquiries, Historical and Moral, respecting the Character of Nations, and the progress of Society. By Hugh Murray. 8vo. pp. 430. Longman and Co.

THE prominent object of this work, is to pourtray the

moral history of man as exhibited in the manners and characters of nations, and the circumstances on which these are dependent. It contemplates man as a progressive being, proceeding by the lapse of ages, from a state of barbarism to a condition of civilization and refinement; and it inquires, 'What effect does this change produce on man considered as a moral and intelligent being? Does it render him really wiser, better or happier? Is it a tendency which the legislator ought to encourage, or an evil which he ought to check?' The foundation of this enquiry is laid by Mr. M. in a general view of the various characters which man has assumed in the _different stages of his progress, gathered from the history of society and manners in nations of the greatest celebrity, properly arranged and classified. To this plan, we see no particular objection, and if the execution does not entirely correspond, or the results of the enquiries' do not appear altoge ther satisfactory, candour requires some allowance to be made for the difficulty of the subject.

In the present volume Mr. Murray carries his plan no farther than as it relates to the earlier and ruder periods of society; but considers this part of his subject as sufficiently detached to form the matter of a complete work. It is divided into three books; of which the first investigates the circumstances which regulate the progress, and the moral condition of society;' the second takes a view of man in the primitive state;' and the third considers man in the savage state.'

It is in the first book that our author developes the principal characteristics of his system, and the conclusions to which an examination of the various facts connected with the moral bistory of man has conducted him. The general principle in which his analytical investigation has terminated; and which he finds it necessary to state at the outset, although it was not admitted till after long and attentive consideration; is as