The Christian Advocate

which is accompanied by benevolence, and produces it, is like the orb of day,-men come to its light, and flock to the brightness of its rising."-p. 276.

Another work for which Mr. James deserves the thanks of the publick, is THE FAMILY MONITOR. Its subject is one to which few writers of power have directed their attention, yet it is one of incalculable importance. If men are ever made virtuous and useful citizens, it must be at home,-if a nation be reformed, there must be a reformation in each domestick circle; for a nation" is nothing more than an ag gregate of a number of families." As "domestick society is the seminary of social affections, the cradle of sensibility, where the first ele

ments are acquired of that tenderness and humanity which cement mankind together;" whatever leads us to reflect and feel, and consequently to act on this subject, is worthy of attention. Mr. James's views we fully approve, and wish that the sentiments of his refined and feeling mind might become the sentiments of all. It is not necessary for us to present an analysis of the work; let it suffice to say, that our author has delineated our duties in the various relations of life, with a justness, beauty, and power, which we do not remember to have met with in any writer on this subject. The importance of the subject, and the ability of its performance, will, we trust, secure to this volume an extensive circulation.

SHORT NOTICES OF RECENT PUBLICATIONS.

HENRY'S COMMENTARY ON THE BIBLEStereotype edition. 6 vols. royal 8vo. Towar and Hogan, Philadelphia.

More than a year has elapsed since the publication of the first volume of this work, and we now feel it to be a duty to notice the completion of the best edition, of the best popular Commentary in the English language-for such, in our judgment, is the book which we here announce. It would be a work of supererogation-a work with which we have no fellowship-to launch out into the praise of Henry's Commentary. We shall, therefore, only say, that it is now preceded by an interesting and excellent preface, written by Professor Alexander, of the Theological Seminary at Princeton, expressly for this edition; and that its typographical execution gives it a decided superiority over any other that we have seen, or that we believe to be in existence. The paper, type, accuracy of impression, and binding, are all excellent, beyond any European edition that has fallen in our way. The expense to the enterprising and meritorious publishers must have been very heavy; and when we think of the rich treasure of religious instruction and entertainment which they have been instrumental in laying open to the American publick, we do think that the ministers of the gospel in the United States, and especially those of the Presbyterian and Congregational denominations, ought to take some pains to proVOL. VII.-Ch. Adv.

mote the extensive sale and circulation of this work-which is put at as moderate a price, we believe, as the expense attending it would in any wise permit. ESSAYS ON THE EVIDENCES, DOCTRINES, AND PRACTICAL OPERATION, OF CHRISTIANITY. By Joseph John Gurney. Large 12mo. pp. 397.

In our fourth volume, page 318, we made pretty copious extracts from an article in the Eclectic Review, relative to this work. We added, at the same time, a number of our own remarks; and ex

pressed a wish that the Essays of Mr. Gurney might be reprinted in our coun try, as an antidote to the infidel opinions of Elias Hicks, which were then becoming current, and which have since produced a very serious schism in the Society of Friends.

Our wish, as to the republication, has been gratified; and as Mr. Gurney is a man of high standing among the English Quakers, perhaps our hope may also be realized, that his Essays may have an effect to correct the monstrous errors of many, who claim to be of that denomination in our country. Whether this effect be produced on the Hicksites or not, we have no doubt that this book will do good. It is the production of a man of real learning, of masculine intellect, and as far as these Essays go, of orthodox sentiments. We do not mean to say that our own opinions are in all respects coincident with those of Mr. G., but we cordially recommend his work to our 3 M

readers; and that they may know the nature of the subjects discussed-and we can assure them that each discussion is ably conducted-we add the table of contents The volume has passed through three editions in Britain.

TABLE OF CONTENTS.-Essay I. On the probability of a Divine Revelation to mankind, and on the genuineness of the New Testament.-II. On the credibility of the New Testament, and on the evidence of Miracles. III. On the evidence of Prophecy.-IV. On the internal evidences of Christianity.-V. On the Divine authority of the Holy Scriptures.-VI. On the scriptural account of the Supreme Being. -VII. On the union and distinction in the Divine nature.-VIII. On the scriptural account of the spiritual Adversary.-IX. On the scriptural account of Man.-X. On the scriptural account of Jesus Christ.Part 1. On Christ in his pre-existence.2. On Christ during his abode on earth. 3. On Christ in his reign.-Essay XI. On the Redemption of Mankind.-Part 1. On the scriptural doctrine of Atonement.2. On the merits and advocacy of Christ. -3. On the scriptural doctrine of the Spirit.-Essay XII. On Faith and Obedience.-Part 1. On Faith.-2. On Obedience. Conclusion.

A DISCOURSE delivered before the Trustees, Faculty, and Students of Rutgers College, at New Brunswick, New Jersey, on Tuesday, the 14th of July, 1829, the day preceding the Annual Commencement. By John Sergeant, L. L. D. Honorary Member of the Philoclean Society.

In some European countries, particularly in Germany, it is no uncommon thing for a young man of good talents, at the age of twenty-five, to be well acquainted with six or eight, or perhaps ten languages, besides having at his command a mass of general literature, and a thorough knowledge of some one branch of liberal science. How does this happen? It is not so in the United States. A man with us would be considered as a prodigy who should, at the age we have specified, have made the acquisitions we have mentioned. Have the Europeans, then, better native powers than the Ame-" ricans? We confidently say, No-They have a better system of education, and this alone makes the wide difference. In Europe, it is not considered as any thing extraordinary for a boy between twelve and fifteen years of age, to be able to read any part of any Latin or Greek author, with readiness, and to speak and write French, and perhaps Italian and German too, without hesitation. These attainments leave him, say six years, before he is his own master, for making farther

progress; and for making it, let it be ob served, with habits of study and with the advantage of what he already knows, which carry him forward with an accelerated ve locity that is altogether astonishing. With us, the defects of our system of educa tion, absolutely forbid such advances and attainments. In most instances education is not begún sufficiently early. But the great defects are-the want of good teach ers, and the willingness of parents to submit their children to a right system of tuition. We have but few grammar mas ters who are at all qualified for their bu siness, and perhaps fewer parents who are willing that their children should be rightly taught and governed. To get them through the grammar school, and through the college, in the shortest time possible, is the great desideratum. This affords an opportunity, which is greedily seized by teachers who are not half taught themselves, to deceive parents, not capable of judging for themselves, with promises of the speed with which their chil dren shall be fitted for college, as they ustally phrase it. But fitted they never are. They go to it, and often come out of it, not fit to enter the second class of a good grammar school. Among all the wicked and cruel deceptions practised in our land, we hardly know a greater, than this deception of parents, in regard to the early instruction of their children. It inflicts an injury as lasting as life; for it can never be fully repaired, even when discovered; because the precious season of youth has forever gone by. But the mischief does not end here. Teachers who are able and desirous to do justice to their pupils-and a few such we have, who will thank us for what we are now saying-are com pelled to go contrary to their own judg ment and wishes, that they may not so far violate popular feeling as altogether to lack employment. They too must hurry on their pupils, without as full a grounding in elementary principles, or nearly much classical reading, as they know would be useful. Hence all our youth, without exception, enter our colleges and univer sities with far less preparation than they ought to have: And still the great object is to get through the academical course as soon as possible-to get a degree.Nor is this the whole of the evil. The great body of youth who go to our um versities, have been so little subject to any thing that can be called family go vernment, and are borne out by their pa rents in such notions of their indepen dence on their teachers, and their night to think for themselves, that they refuse to submit to wholesome control; and hence the right discipline and government of a college becomes impracticable. We

have thus glanced at some of the causes why education, with us, is so imperfect, and why the most of our youth are such inferior scholars to those of Europe where the very best teachers abound, where long usage has established a right course of instruction, and where universities are founded, patronized and protected by the state We love our country, and with all its faults and errors, we think it the best and happiest country in the world. But we know it would be much better and much happier, if we would consent to learn what education ought to be from the countries of our ancestors, and to practise what we learn. Nor do we despair of the republick, even in reference to this object. Our men of influence and high standing are getting to see the truth, and to be come its advocates. We can scarcely tell the pleasure we have received, from reading the discourse which has led us to take this long notice of the work before us, when we intended it should be only a short one. We think we know something about the subject on which Mr. Sergeant has discoursed, and we really were surprised to find that, without ever having been a teacher himself, he understands it so well as he does. Let us have a few more such men, and a few more such discourses, and our education system will mend apace.

It would gratify us to quote a large part of this discourse, for nearly all of it is exactly to our mind. We must content ourselves, however, with two pretty long extracts. The first combats the foolish notion that a selection should be made in our colleges, of subjects adapted to the genius, taste, or views of each pupil, and that to these his attention should be chiefly, if not wholly confined. Mr. S., after reasoning, in bis usual clear and convincing manner, on this topick, closes what he has to say on it, with the following paragraphs.

"But upon the plan that is now in question, who is to choose for the youth the studies he will pursue? Surely it cannot be gravely asserted, that, at the usual age of entering into college, the choice ought to be left to himself. Why has Providence committed the care of children to the affectionate intelligence of parents? Why have human laws provided for them tutors and guardians? Why have schools and seminaries of learning been established, and courses of education and disci pline prescribed, but to give them the benefit of that experience and knowledge which they do not themselves possess?

"To suppose that a youth, at such an age, is competent to decide for himself what he will learn, and how much he will learn, is to suppose that he has already had the experience of manhood, under the most

favourable circumstances-that he is competent to educate himself-nay, that he is already educated-and instead of needing instruction, is qualified to impart it to others. Is the choice then to be made by parents? To them it undoubtedly belongs, as a right, to determine for their children, whether they will send them to college or not-but there their authority terminates. It cannot be pretended that every parent, or that any parent has, or ought to have, or can have a right to decide upon the discipline and instruction to be adopted in a college, though he has the power of withdrawing his child, if he think fit to do so.

"Admitting parents to be fully competent to resolve a question of so much depth and difficulty-as many unquestionably are-and admitting, too, that their views are more wise and accurate, and entitled to greater deference than the collected and continued wisdom which has devised, and which preserves the system in being, still it would be obviously impracticable to indulge them. There could not, in such a case, be statutes, or laws, or discipline, or system. In short, there could be no government. To some, it may seem harsh, but it is believed to be perfectly true, that when a youth is once placed in a college, selected after due deliberation, the less interference there is on the part of the parent, except in cases of manifest wrong done to him, (which rarely or never occur in our prin cipal institutions,) and the more unreservedly the pupil is committed to the authorities of the institution, the better it will be both for parent and child.

"Above all things, a parent should sedulously guard against the introduction of doubt into the mind of a student, of the justice and necessity of the authority exercised over him, or of the excellence of the studies he is required to pursue. Such doubts must inevitably produce insubordination and indolence, and will end in the disappointment of his hopes. Enthusiastick and ardent zeal, an estimate even exaggerated, of the excellence of a given pursuit, amounting almost to folly in the judgment of bystanders, are the needful stimulants to successful enter prise.-Nothing great is achieved with out them. The heart must go along with the understanding. A strong passion must take possession of the soul, inspiring it with warmth, and with enduring energy, and unconquerable resolution; so that all its faculties may be fully and steadily exerted, and overcoming the vis inertia of our nature, and deaf and blind to the temptations that would seduce it from its course, it may press forwards continually towards the prize which

is to be the reward of its toils. Such ought to be the feelings of the youth who is favoured with the opportunity of a liberal education. Devotion to his studies, as excellent in themselves, affectionate respect for his teachers, as faithful guides and impartial judges, an honourable competition with his equals, in virtuous exertion, and a conscientious observance of the laws of the institution-these are the habits which will lay a deep foundation for the structure of future usefulness and eminence. The honours of the college, their first fruits, and their just reward, are the gratifying proofs of a capacity for further triumphs, and constitute the richest, and most acceptable offering which filial duty can present as an acknowledgment and requital of parental care."

Mr. S. is an able advocate for classical literature. So much so, that it seems to us impossible that any man of understanding and improvement can read what he says on this point, and not adopt his opi. nion. We can give only the close of his argument, and it is also the close of the discourse.

"Sometimes it is objected, as it was by the Principal of an academy already quoted, that an acquaintance with these languages is ornamental,' but not useful.' The meaning of this objection depends upon two words, which, appearing to be exact, are, notwithstanding, as ambiguous, perhaps, as any in our vocabulary. They are often used without a definite sense in the mind of the speaker, and very seldom with any certainty of the same understanding on the part of the hearer. If it were necessary to endeavour to be precise on this subject, we might be permitted to say, that in the opinion of many very intelligent people, nothing is properly ornamental that is not in some way useful. But when we have thus disentangled ourselves of one perplexing word, we are obliged to encounter another. What is useful, and what is not useful? Are mankind agreed about it? By no means. How, then, are we to determine what is useful? The answer seems to be this-we are to arrive at a conclusion by considering man in his various relations, and thence inferring, as we justly may, that every thing is useful which contributes to the improvement or the innocent gratification of himself or of others, or qualifies him more effectually or acceptably to perform his duties. Does any one object to those exercises of youth, which give a graceful carriage to the body? Are they not admitted to be useful? And is it less important to give a graceful carriage to the mind? Are good manners, the external graces, worthy to be cultivated, because they give pleasure to others? And are the graces of the intellect to be entirely neglected? Is the generous youth to be

told that nothing is necessary but to be able to compute the cost of fifty bushels of corn? The proprieties, and even the elegancies of life, when they do not run away with the heart, nor interfere with the performance of serious duties, are well deserving our attention. But let it not be imagined that in thus insisting upon the general argument of experience-the greatest of all teachers-in favour of Classical learning, or in answering one or two particular objections, it is meant to be conceded, that it cannot be vindicated upon original grounds. It can be, and it har been, repeatedly and triumphantly shown, that these unequalled languages, which, a was long ago said of them, have put af flesh and blood, and become immutable,' are precisely calculated to perform the most important general offices of a liberal education, in a manner that no other known study will accomplish They awaken attention-they develope and employ the reasoning faculty-they cultivate the taste -they nourish the seeds of the imagination-give employment to the memoryand, in a word, they discipline and invigo rate, in due proportion, all the intellectual powers, and prepare them for orderly and effective exertion in all the varied exigencies which may require their action. Nor is this all. They lay the foundation of that learning which will abide with us, and increase our enjoyments in all the vicissi tudes of life.

As &

"But the limits of a discourse would be unreasonably transcended, by an attempt to enter into a more particular examination of this part of the subject. Nor is it necessary that I should thus trespass upon your patience, already so largely taxedAbler heads, and stronger hands-strong in good learning-have been repeatedly employed upon the work-and I should only enfeeble their demonstration, by attempting to restate the process. witness, however, stating the result of his observations, confirmed by the observations of others, I may be allowed to say, that to a young man, entering upon the study of a liberal profession, a thorough groundwork of Classical education is like a power gained in mechanics, or rather it is the foundation wanted by Archimedes for his fulcrum! It gives him a mastery of his stu dies which nothing else can supply. Of its other influences, allow me to quote to you the testimony of a distinguished female, who, to uncommon opportunities united extraordinary genius and power of observation, and is entirely free from all suspicion of partiality. The English universities, (says Madame de Stael, in her "Germany,') have singularly contributed to diffuse among the people of England that knowledge of ancient languages and literature, which gives to their orators and statesmen an information so liberal and

brilliant. It is a mark of good taste to be acquainted with other things besides matters of business, when one is thoroughly ac quainted with them; and, besides, the eloquence of free nations attaches itself to the history of the Greeks and Romans, as to that of ancient fellow countrymen.

The study of languages, which forms the basis of instruction in Germany, is much more favourable to the progress of the faculties in infancy, than that of the Mathematics and Physical sciences.' For this she quotes the admission of Pascal.

"Some part of the doubt, which, in this country, has been insinuating itself into the publick mind, is owing to the imperfect and insufficient manner in which the languages have been taught; or rather it should be said, in which they have been learned; for there has probably been at all times a disposition to teach them. Enough has not been acquired to fix a permanent taste in the student himself, or to demonstrate its value to others. The consequence is, that the graduate suffers his little stock to decay from neglect, and his parents and friends exclaim that learning is of no use.

Another consequence is, that there is no scholar-like mind, to exert its influence upon the community, and operate upon the mass of publick opinion. The corrective is in more thorough teaching. It will require more time and more labour from the student. But time thus employed, will be well employed. And as to labour-if he desire to arrive at excellence of any sort, he can learn nothing better than how to apply himself with diligence to the work that is before him. There is a great deal of affectation in the world, of facility and expedition in the performance of intellectual tasks of doing things quickly, and without preparation or exertion, as if by an inspiration of genius, and differently from

those, who, by way of derision, are called plodders! It is a poor affectation. Sometimes it is maintained at the expense of sincerity, by concealing the pains that are really taken. Oftener it is only the blustering of conscious weakness and indolence. The highest and surest talentthat which will hold out longest, and often reach the greatest elevation-the only talent, I might almost say, which is given to man for intellectual achievement-is the talent of applying his faculties to produce a good result-that is, of labouring with success. No one need be ashamed of possessing, of exercising, or of cultivating it. The great lesson of life is to apply ourselves diligently to what is before us. Life itself is but a succession of moments. The largest affairs are made up of small parts. The greatest reputation is but the accumu. lation of successive fruits, each carefully gathered and stored. The most learned scholar began with learning words. Every day is by itself a day of small things. But the sum of our days, makes up our lifeand the sum of our days' work makes up the work of our life. Let every one therefore, who would arrive at distinction, remember, that the present moment is the one he is to improve, and apply himself diligently to its improvement."

We hope that the practice, now becoming fashionable, of the most eloquent and best talented men of our country, delivering orations or discourses on commencement occasions in our colleges, will aid and expedite reform in the whole system of education, as well as gratify the audiences they address, and do honour to the institutions they serve. thing is more worthy of the best exertions of the best powers that men possess, than the forming of the rising generation to intelligence, virtue and piety.