tion which he had undertaken is spoken of as follows:-

"In a sense, little understood by those who uttered the words, those words were true, Himself he cannot save. He could not come down from the cross, and deliver himself from the punishment which he had undertaken to bear, without frustrating the plan prepared for man's redemption. We were recently considering, how in the agony of his human nature, he prayed to his Father, Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me!' But no sooner had he said, according to the dictates of his human nature, Father, save me from this hour;' than he added, in his Divine wisdom, yet for this cause came I to this hour.' The same goodness which led him to offer the ransom, determined him to endure unto the end, and forbad his using his Divine power to save himself, before all things had been fulfilled which justice required him to undergo: before having submitted to the full weight of Divine wrath, he was enabled to say, 'It is finished: and bowed the head, and gave up the ghost.'" p. 391.

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Having had Dr. Whately's works so recently under consideration, we turned in the volume before us to some of those texts, the Bishop's exposition of which would naturally elicit his lordship's opinions relative to some of the subjects alluded to by that author, especially the Christian Sabbath and we rejoice to find, what indeed we did not doubt, that he maintains the plain, simple, Scriptural orthodox doctrine; -the primeval unrepealed obligation, and the continued sanction of the Fourth Commandment, the day only changed under the Christian dispensation. Indeed, throughout his lordship's commentary we observe with much pleasure a mose striking contrast to the character of Dr. Whately's parochial sermons; for while the latter, in writing, as he says, chiefly for simple, unlearned persons, has heaped together a series of doubtful and disputable points, as if nothing were fit for a village pulpit, but profitless speculations, the Bishop has in general waved curious questions, even where they might naturally have occurred, and studied what appeared most simple and for the use of edifying. The whole cast of the volume is of this character; and though there may be points upon

which, in critical mood, we might hold a respectful conference with his lordship, yet the whole tenor of his work is so sound and practical, so devotional and instructive, that we most earnestly recommend it to our readers; only adding our tribute of gratitude to the Right Reverend author, with our fervent prayers that in this and all his other zealous efforts to promote the glory of God and the salvation of men, he may see the work of the Lord prosper in his hand.

A Collection of Sermons on the Death of the Right Rev. J. H.Hobart, D.D. With a Memoir of his Life and Writings. 1 vol. New York. 1831.

HAVING just received, among our American books, a copy of this interesting work, we proceed to share with our readers a portion of its contents. The volume consists of thirteen funeral sermons (various others, we believe, were preached, and some published), with a narrative of the life of the late lamented Bishop Hobart. Having already inserted in our pages a brief memoir of that individual, with many occasional notices of his publications, we shall not follow the narrative in detail, but simply copy a few passages which will be new to our readers.

We were not aware that this American champion of Episcopacy owed his origin to zealous Non-conformist ancestors; that the prelate of New York was descended from a Puritan of Massachusetts. Such, however, was the fact; for Bishop Hobart's grandfather's grandfather was Edmund Hobart, one of the father pilgrims who left England in search of liberty of conscience in the wildernesses-such they then were-of America. He went out from Hingham, in Norfolk, in 1633, and founded a place of the same name in Massachusetts, where he obtained great respectability, and for several years represented that town in the state legislature. "Both

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he and his wife," says Cotton Mather, Iwere eminent for piety, and even from their youth feared God above many; wherein their zeal was more conspicuous, by the impiety of the neighbourhood, among whom there were but three or four in the whole town that minded serious religion." To the four sons and two daughters of this Edmund Hobart, a great company of preachers in the New World trace their pedigree. In particular,

"The Rev. Peter Hobart, the second son, was a very eminent divine among the Non-conformists. After the most straitest sect of his religion,' he was a Puritan of the Puritans. Educated at the University of Cambridge, England, and ordained by the Bishop of Norwich, in the year 1627, he afterward espoused the Puritan interests. In the year 1635, he left the mother country to join his parents in New-England. With these words he begins his journal: June 8th, 1635. I, with my wife and four children, came safely to New-England; for ever praised be the God of heaven, my God and King!' Two centuries ago, he was one of the founders, (1635,) and the first minister of Hingham, in Massachusetts; was much admired for his 'well-studied sermons,' and distinguished for his intellectual vigour, growing zeal, indefatigable industry, and various acquirements. 'I have seen,' says the Hon. Solomon Lincoln, jun. of Hingham, 'some of his sermons, taken in an abbreviated form by one of his hearers, which exhibit a strong mind, and considerable power of description. They possess more of exhortation than doctrine, and were, like their author, bold and independent.' He was, says Cotton Mather, 'a morning student,' 'a great example of temperance,' and 'would admire the grace of God in good men, though they were of sentiments contrary to his.' When he beheld some, under pretence of zeal for church discipline,' 'pragmatical in controversies, and furiously set upon having all things carried carried their way,' and yet destitute of the life and power of godliness,' he would say, Some men are all church, and no Christ. It is also related of him, as his general character, 'he was a bold man, and would, speak his mind.'" pp. x. xi.

Such was Peter Hobart, who had six sons, five of whom became preachers among the Congregationalists. The mother of Brainerd, the missionary, was the daughter of one of them. But we must return from Edmund's second son, Peter,

to his fourth, Joshua, the progenitor of the Bishop; who, for whatever reason, addicted himself to military pursuits, and became the commander of the corps of Hingham; and was so much distinguished, that, by an unanimous vote of his fellow-citizens, 'Captain Joshua Hobart was freed from paying any rates for the public charge of the town." John, a son of "Captain Joshua," married a Swedish lady, from which foreign lineage first came the taint of Episcopalianism into this hitherto intact Puritan family. Their son, “Captain Enoch Hobart," was our bishop's father. He is thus described :

"As the commander of a merchant ship, Captain Enoch Hobart successfully engaged in many profitable enterprises to the West Indies, where his strict probity of character secured for him the appellation, Honest Yankee.' He withdrew from active life to the domestic circle with a competency. Tall and athletic, his corporeal frame and stature were not transmitted to his youngest child, John Henry; but the distinctive features of his countenance were strikingly preserved. And his masculine vigour of constitution also was very happily perpetuated, to the glory of God, in the energy and labours of a prelate, who knew not what it was to tire in the cause of Jesus and his church. Captain Hobart did not live to witness more than the mere childhood of his distinguished son. He died (October 27th, 1776,) when John Henry, the future bishop of the church in the most extensive of the American dioceses, was but a babe in his fourteenth month." pp. xiii. xiv.

of six children; all of whom, with Captain Enoch's family consisted their parents, have now passed into eternity. Their mother was a Miss Pratt, a lady of a respectable family in Philadelphia.

"But her piety, as it resulted from a heavenly relationship above the kindreds of this world, secured for her a title which these cannot give. She was a child of God, and a faithful follower of Jesus. When bereaved of her companion, and a widow with a group of five children around her, she looked up for Divine aid, to the Father of the fatherless.' Her circumstances were not affluent, yet by the grace of God she was enabled to supply all the necessary means for the intellectual and moral culture of her household. She rejoiced at their prosperity; and it was her heart's great delight, to see

monies of some who, in the estimation of the advocates of these associations, stand highest in the ranks of Evangelical piety." These authorities are Mr. Scott, Mr. Newton, Mr. Robinson, Bishop Heber, and the author of a work on church establishments, who, we will venture to say, never dreamed of being quoted as an authority, with the addendum of Editor of the Christian Observer," and a flourish of compliments to help out the argument. The subject is a very important one, especially at the present moment; and we are by no means unwilling to offer such arguments as occur to us upon it, should our readers wish to have the discussion opened; or if some of our correspondents would take it upon themselves, we should be better pleased. All that we need say at present, in this cursory allusion to the subject, is, that the importance and the privilege of prayer cannot be too highly estimated; but that the time and place and manner of conducting it are questions of detail, which may often be decided in opposite ways, according to circumstances, without at all impeaching the motives or piety of those who come to different conclusions. We incline however to think, that in quoting the names above mentioned, Bishop Hobart has not given quite correctly the spirit of their observations.

Of one thing at least we feel assured, that if there is no medium to be attained between frigid indifference, and over excitement, most of "those who stand highest in the ranks of Evangelical piety" would infinitely prefer the latter; inasmuch as to be dead is a more hopeless case than to be somewhat feverish. The kind of. meetings alluded to by Scott, Newton, Robinson, (we have not the passage of Heber at hand, and our alleged selves we pass over as no authority), we fear, could not easily be kept within discreet bounds; but this is not fairly to be quoted as an argument, to put down all social

prayer, and made use of as a handle by those who would suppress rather than regulate the practice. When the desire is honest and earnest, we would suggest every necessary regulation and caution; even if it amounted, under certain circumstances, to a prohibition; but we deprecate the idea that the supposed difficulties should be the only question looked at, and set down at once as a delightful excuse for the omission. We lately received from America a paper on this subject, with reference to the arguments of Bishop Hobart, and which we purpose laying before our readers. We believe we are at liberty to state that we are indebted for it, to the pen of a Right Reverend prelate whose praise is in the churches of his country, and not wholly unknown among ourselves.

Having continued in this utorship for more than two years, Mr. Hobart resigned his office in 1798.

He

During this time," says his roommate, "he became very deeply impressed with religious feelings. chose the ministry for his profession; to this his studies were directed; and there can be no question that his conversation and example decidedly influenced several others in the same choice."

His reading was chiefly in the works of Episcopal writers, among whom he had a large acquaintance. His friend Bishop White became his counsellor in his studies. This venerable prelate had confirmed him, he afterwards ordained him, and consecrated him; ever retaining for him the warmest esteem and regard, and now weeping over his memory with the affection of a parent over a beloved and only son.

We now return to our extracts :

"When the Rev. Mr. Hobart was ad

mitted into orders (1798,) it might be emphatically said of all the ministry in the Protestant Episcopal Church, as it is written of the ancient people when they received the lot of their inheritance, the happiest of lands, they were but few men in number.' In Massachusetts, New-Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New-York, New-Jersey, Delaware and Pennsylvania,-over a wide