expectation of the great Day of the Lord); but we must remember, that a part of the truth is not to be taken for the whole.

In endeavouring to establish these points, That when the coming of our Lord is spoken of, it is always the same advent that is intended; and that this advent will take place before the Millennium, we think that Mr. C. utterly fails. And when we find him almost scoffing at the idea of a spiritual coming, and telling us, in plain terms (p. 13), that "a spiritual coming is no coming at all," we are grieved to think that any man, who makes a profession of serious religion, should shew at once so much ignorance and so much presumption, and utter things which go to the undermining and denial of all spiritual religion. whatsoever; and which, pretending to direct our eyes to future glories, would rob the church of all present consolation. Let any one read the passage, John xiv. 15-26, and then say, if our Lord has left no promise of a spiritual coming, for the comfort of his people in their journeyings through this wilderness world and let those who know the Lord speak, if they do not understand, by their own experience, that this spiritual coming is a real thing, most truly blessed and divine, the substantial ground of all their joy and peace. When their Lord comes to visit them, are not their souls refreshed? is there not sunshine within, the foretaste of heaven? and is not this spiritual coming the very pledge and assurance to their souls that he will come again in glory, to consummate their joy? Take away the one, and all sweet and comfortable assurance of the other is gone too. And when their Lord departs, though it be but for a season, is it not then darkness, gloom, and misery with them? is not this a great and real change? The presence and the absence of the Lord are felt and known to be most substantial realities: they will be acknowledged by the true believer, with a depth of feeling which can only be expressed by the language of the Prophet: "O the Hope of Israel, the Saviour thereof in time of trouble, why shouldest thou be as a stranger in the land, and as a wayfaring man that turneth aside to tarry for a night?"

With respect to the other points which it behoves Mr. C., and those who think with him, to establish-the resurrection of the saints at the beginning of the Millennium; and that the Day of Judgment is to last a thousand years, or to coincide with the Millennium-Mr. C. does not enter upon the proof of either, though there are assertions of both in his pamphlet. We need not, therefore, enter into the question, further than to

say, that if he fails to establish the two former points, the two latter must of course fall to the ground. Only we will observe, that the passage Rev. xx. 4-6 always appeared to us to make strongly against the literal resurrection of the saints: and we challenge Mr. C. to produce any passage from Scripture in which the resurrection of the body is spoken of in similar terms to those used in that passage. And we shall believe that the Day of Judgment is to last a thousand years, when it is proved from Scripture; but the assertions of Mr. Mede, or any other expositor of Scripture, are nothing to the purpose. In the mean time, we do not presume to determine how long, or how short, a period of time may be included in that word, day. Mr. C. speaks, in a note (p. 15), of "the vulgar notion that it is a day of twelve hours;" but where will he find one known or respectable author who ever so limited the period? We never heard of any thing like it, except in the gratuitous assumptions of persons like Mr. C., who find it convenient to invent absurdities, and then impute them to their adversaries. It suffices us to know, that the day of judgment will be long enough for all the momentous transactions that are to take place in it. How long a time may be requisite, it is not for us to determine, being so utterly incapable as we are of forming any distinct notions of a state of things when time shall be no more, in our mortal acceptation of the word. For any thing Mr. C. can prove to the contrary, twelve hours may be as fully sufficient as a thousand years; and all he says on this subject is as foolish and presumptuous in point of argument, as it is unfair in respect of the statement of the views of his opponents.

In p. 16 Mr. C. proceeds to fortify the whole of the preceding conclusions by two auxiliary arguments, which, of course, we might expect to be clinchers. The first of these is, that to speak of a figurative or incorporeal advent of our Lord is opposed to the declaration of the angels, Acts i. 11. But where is the contradiction, so roundly asserted, unless it were denied that there would be any other but an incorporeal advent? That there will be an advent in exact conformity to that angelic declaration is fully admitted, yea, strongly maintained, on all hands. But the question is, when will it take place? and whether there be not also such a thing as a spiritual advent too? Mr. C. then argues against the idea of any advent of our Lord in his Divine nature, because he is essentially omnipresent. By the same rule it is equally impossible that the Holy Spirit should come to us! yet it is expressly promised that he should come (John xvi. 7, 8, 13, &c.); or that

the Father and the Son should come and make their abode with us (John xiv. 23.) So that Mr. C. in this argument shews a marvellous forgetfulness of the plain language of Scripture.

Our author concludes by summing up, what he has been attempting to prove, in six assertions. But we must say, that he has failed to establish any one of those points, as we might have shewn at much greater length, by entering more minutely into every part of his argument; that, however, would require a book, and we must draw to a conclusion; which we will do by expressing our regret that this pamphlet should have forced us much more into controversy than we intended, or desired. In truth, our only objection to the views of Mr. C. is, that we cannot find them in the Scriptures. If any better reasoner, with a more accurate knowledge of the Bible, with more sobriety of mind, with more solidity of argument, can indeed give us scriptural proof that the personal, visible, and corporeal advent of our Lord is close at hand, we shall rejoice: for we have examined ourselves much upon this point, and we trust it is the language of our souls, " Even so: come, Lord Jesus." But we grieve that any one, in endeavouring to expound scriptural truth, should argue so superficially and unsoundly. We grieve that things should be so positively asserted, which are so far from proved. We grieve that the minds of the young, the unthinking, the inexperienced and unestablished, should be set afloat upon a sea of doubtful interpretations, and driven wild in prophetic speculations, by those who ought to feed them with "the sincere milk of the word, that they may grow thereby." We mourn and lament—but we doubt not that Satan rejoiceswhen men whom we would not name but with love and esteem, men so eminently calculated for usefulness as some we could mention, are preaching particular views of prophecy, when they ought to be preaching "Jesus Christ, and him crucified;" and urging their hearers to "examine themselves whether they be in the faith ;" and to prove their own selves" by the sure tests which Scripture so abundantly supplies, and the ministers of Christ should as faithfully explain and enforce. Instead, then, of raising questions of doubtful disputation as to the time and manner of our Lord's appearing and kingdom, may it be our grand desire, and that of our readers, to be found of Him in peace; and never to rest till we come to a full assurance that we have "oil in our vessels," and are fully prepared for that coming of the Lord, whenever and however it may be!

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Biographical Notices of the Apostles, Evangelists, and other Saints, with Reflexions and Collects adapted to the Minor Festivals of the United Church of England and Ireland. By RICHARD MANT, D. D., M.R. I. A., Bishop of Down and Connor. London: Rivingtons. pp. xxi. 592.

Ir would not be easy to find an order of men who have done more for Biblical criticism than the British Bishops, in their successive generations. The higher departments of theological literature have often been cultivated by them with a degree of taste and erudition which must call forth the admiration of every lover of classic lore and logical accuracy. In fact, for defending the outworks of our holy religion, no class of writers can be consulted with greater advantage. Nevertheless, painful as it is to admit it, the admission must be made by every intelligent and candid mind, that the writings of many of our Prelates since the Revolution are sadly deficient in that spiritual unction and savour which are so manifest in the early Reformers and Martyrs of our church. If brighter days appear to be dawning upon us, if some of the most devoted of our parochial clergy have recently been elevated to the episcopal bench, let us indeed bless God, and take courage; but let us not forget, that it is possible that a gracious Providence may have raised up such persons to be to their persecuted brethren a shelter from the storm and a covert from the blast, in those days of trial and affliction which may ere long come upon church, previously to its final triumphs and glory. We would yield to no men in honour and deference to our ecclesiastical superiors; but with all this we would remember, that the unerring standard of truth is not to be found in the words of men, but in the pure oracles of God. The Bible must take precedence of all other books; and ride on, conquering and to conquer, unassisted and unrivalled. Next, however, to that heavenly book, we must be allowed to place our Book of "Common Prayer;"-a treasure of which, it is to be feared, but few, even within the pale of our church, know the value. We have often thought that a devotional commentary upon this book might prove a very great assistance and blessing to the members of our Episcopal communion; and truly would our pleasure be increased, if some of the Épiscopal order would themselves undertake so useful and delightful a task. We rejoice to find our Prelates defending the walls and towers of our Zion; but we most of all rejoice when we see the censer in their hands, filled with hallowed fire from off the altar of our

the

God. Had the fervour of their piety always equalled their learning and moderation, we should ere this have had a church approaching very nearly to the mind and will of God, and most extensively and permanently beneficial to our population. A devout spirit in a Christian bishop will do more to promote piety among his clergy, and throughout his diocese, than any other qualification that can be named; while, without it, sermons, charges, threatenings, or promises, will effect but little in arousing or restoring to a sense of their duty, those who see their chief ecclesiastical ruler himself manifestly indifferent to the points which he yet presses upon the consideration of his clergy. The bishop who would do much for the good of his diocese, must

Allure to brighter worlds, and lead the way.

Such were the bishops of the golden age of the church, and such we rejoice to see rising in our own remarkable times. Nor is this the language of party, in the invidious use of that term. We can read with pleasure, and we hope with profit too, the productions of men in whose religious opinions we do not altogether concur. The Right Reverend Prelate whose name appears at the head of this article, has held, written, and taught doctrines connected with baptismal regeneration which we have considered as both false and dangerous. It gives us, however, unfeigned pleasure to peruse such a volume as that which he has here presented to the public. Some passages, indeed, admit of a double sense, and others appear to favour sentiments to which we cannot subscribe: at the same time, there are passages so truly beautiful and affecting, that we doubt not our readers will thank us for their insertion. His Lordship's poetical talents rise far above mediocrity; and were he brought in good earnest to "count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord," we hesitate not to say, that he would be excelled by few of the sweet singers in our Israel. But we will first introduce the divine, and then the poet. Passing over many striking passages, we make our first selection from p. 556. The Bishop, while considering and dilating upon "the spirits of just men made perfect," had just before stated, that the Church holds up to notice departed saints, not for our invocation, but for our imitation, so far as they followed the Great Exemplar. His Lordship then proceeds as follows :

The views of the Church in this particular may be illustrated by an interesting provision in one of her prayers for the order of the holy Communion; namely, that "for the whole state of Christ's church militant here in earth." In this excellent and comprehensive form, having directed us to offer our prayers and supplications for the several classes and members of " the universal church," in their actual state of warfare under the Lord's banner, she in the