common in the indolent prodigality of the old father: nor, alas! in the fraud and hypocrisy of the steward. There is nothing uncommon in the characters either of Sturdy or of Ratcliffe; nor in the circumstances of the balls and suppers in which the hero joins; nor in the impression which Jane Ratcliffe's charms made on his susceptible heart. Nor is there, we trust, any thing uncommon in the impression which Mr. Wilson's preaching seems to have made upon his mind. The instances of such a change may be few-lamentably few-but the circumstances attending it are not so extraordinary as to require public fame to resound them. Nor in the future character and history of Falkland, does there appear any thing of such a marked character as to affect deeply the soul-to touch its secret strings, or to harrow up its feelings. If the history be all real, the case cannot be altered; but, then, why make it the subject of publication at all? If the history be, as we suppose, only "founded on" facts, then why not make the facts more numerous and more interesting? Why not exhibit the hero under circumstances that are calculated to excite and to cherish a deeper interest in his be half? Why are not his talents more profound? his taste more refined? his heart more tenderly alive to the amiable and the lovely? his very appearance more striking and engaging? If the author wished, as we suppose he wished, to gain access to a circle of readers not usually accessible in the ordinary way of Christian address or instruction, we might say that he has egregiously failed in the exhibition of such a hero as Falkland.

the strongest similes which creation or human language can afford, are applied;-if the exhibition of such a portrait was designed, as we suppose, then most assuredly our author should have been peculiarly careful to preserve the consistency and uniformity of the exhibition. Now, we might say, in the language of the painter, that his portrait wants keeping. We have already adverted to the " eventful history" at Tewkesbury; a history which does not exalt the character of Falkland as a Christian. We might now advert to another particular in his conduct which we cannot cordially approve. We mean his be haviour to the daughter of Ratcliffe, his counsellor and friend. That young lady, in whom the reader might feel interested, did by her graces and her charms, make a very deep impression on the mind of Falkland; and if, as appears to have been the case, the mutual impression amounted to something like an engagement between the parties, the breaking of such engagement, even though only half formed, was certainly a matter of deep and serious moment. But even setting aside the idea of engagement altogether, we do think that Falkland was by far too precipitate in breaking up his connection with the family of Ratcliffe, and particularly his growing attachment to one of its members. No doubt the character of the family was decidedly worldly; and an union between vital Christianity and the vanities of the world can never be effected on suitable principles. Still there are certain duties which Christians owe even to the world; and Falkland should have used some means to gain over to his views, those in whom he could not fail to experience a deep interest. That these means would have been successful, we do not say, but no evil could result from the prudent and judi

cious application of them. Falkland should not have been the first to break off the connection, and thus to expose himself to the charge of fickleness and caprice. We do not say that he was justly charge able with these faults, for we are satisfied that this conduct was dictated by conscientious principle. Still we would have been better pleased had he left matters to take their regular course; had he avowed his sentiments along with the reasons why he adopted them, and availed himself of the advantages which he possessed to gain over others to his views. In this way, one of two things must have been the issue,-either he must have been made the instrument of spiritual good to those in whom he was most deeply interested, at least to one of them; or, if all his efforts failed, he must at length have been necessarily compelled to decline an union which could not be formed on suit able principles. As the case stands, there appears in his character an over-readiness to form or to break connections without adverting to the consequences that might ensue. Christians should, above all things, cultivate consistency of character; and study, in the language of in. spiration, "To walk in wisdom to wards them that are without."

While we hesitate to characterize the history of Falkland as deeply interesting, we have no hesitation in applying the designation to the character and history of Edward Clementson, one of the most valued friends of our hero. The account given of this singular character is no doubt only an episode, but it does possess in our estimation more real value than all the rest of the work put together, and the execution is distinguished both by talent and by taste. The design of the author in dwelling at full length on the history of this man, seems to have been to afford a practical

exhibition of the melancholy influence which political pursuits and speculations have in counteracting the native power of decidedly Christian principles. Clementson was a young lawyer of great talents and of most commanding eloquence. His principles were formed in the best school; he had written in defence of Christianity and its leading doctrines with ability rarely excelled; and his knowledge and experience were of the greatest value to Falkland at the first opening of his mind to the genuine impressions of truth. In the estimation of those who knew him best, he was considered as not only a Christian, but as one of no ordinary attainments; and his accession to the cause of evangelical truth was hailed with delight by its friends. Whether or not the truths which he professed ever really affected his heart, may be questioned; but there can be no doubt that truth, even in its highest and most spiritual character, may gain on the understanding, and powerfully interest the affections, even while it cannot be considered as cordially embraced, and is not fully ingrafted into the life. Certain it is, that the mind of this man was haunted by the dreams of worldly ambition. He embarked on the troubled ocean of this world's politics. He attached himself to a certain political party; came into parliament under their wing; entered with keenness into their favourite plans; and by his eloquence contributed powerfully to their advancement in the scale. A certain personage, whom our author calls the Duke of Cleveland, takes him under his patronage; and when this said Duke becomes prime minister of Great Britain, the agent by whose instrumentality he had been pushed forward into power, naturally and reasonably looked for some honourable remuneration.— Whether the premier ever designed

to bestow any substantial favour upon Clemenston, is doubtful; but certain it is, that when the poor man was labouring under a consumptive disorder, and in the last stage of his mortal existence, appeal was made in vain to the justice and the feeling of the great man. Self-interest was the sovereign principle; and all the better feelings of gratitude and affection were sacrificed at its shrine.

The effect of political connections and pursuits in deadening moral feeling, and leading away from conscience and from God, is strikingly pourtrayed by our author in the case of this man. Ambition seemed to gain the ascendency over every other principle. All his thoughts ran in the channel of political party; and all his wishes seemed to centre on the attainment of place. The higher and purer claims of that religion which he professed, and vindicated, and praised, were lost sight of; and its practical influence on his life and conduct was but dimly, if at all perceptible. The book of God was allowed to lie neglected; and his reading seems to have been confined to the perusal of the political pamphlets of the day. The offices of piety were discontinued, while the spirit seemed to evaporate under the pressure of the world and its attractions. Falkland was grieved to mark the religious declension of his friend; and his feelings grew in acuteness as his friend, labouring under a hopeless disease, approached the limits of his mortal existence. He availed himself of all the resources which judgment, and friendship, and Christian feeling could provide, with the view of drawing his attention to the things which belonged to his everlasting welfare. His first effort was to disengage him from the trammels of worldly policy and ambition, and to make him" cease from man,"

whose unsteadiness and selfishness he was taught by dear bought experience to acknowledge. For some time his efforts to gain this end were fruitless; and it was not without a most painful struggle that the mind of his dying friend was withdrawn from the frippery of the court, and the golden dreams of the cabinet, to those more endurable riches and honours to which the faith of Jesus invites. At length, his persevering and truly Christian ef◄ forts are crowned with success, and he has the satisfaction of contemplating in the latter days of his friend, the triumphs of faith and of hope. The principles of his better days returned with a new and resistless energy. His affections, withdrawn from time and its vanities, were elevated to things above, and he fell asleep in the well-grounded expectation of being raised again to a life of immortality and of bliss ineffable.

The whole history of this man is well told. The impression which it leaves on the mind is strong and salutary. It is no visionary representation; but the exact copy of what is not unfrequently exhibited on the broad arena of life. Conscience is often sacrificed on the altar of worldly and crooked policy. The race of ambition is preferred to the race of faith and of Christian enterprise. Men professing godliness often enter themselves into unseemly alliances with the determined enemies of all that is holy; and a single point of approximation will sometimes effect an union and a co-operation which the genius of Christian love has often attempted in vain. Similarity in political opinion makes atonement, or sug gests apologies at least, for the most glaring infidelity in principle, and the most revolting profligacy of manners. The violence of political speculation leaves no room for God either in the thoughts or in the habits of men. Religion appears a

tame and insipid thing, when placed alongside with politics, and the summum bonum of human ambition is inseparably linked with the advancement of a favourite measure, or the predominance of a favourite party.

Among the leading characters in the life of Falkland, Monckton, the worthless steward, holds a prominent place. Defeated in his plans of fraud, and in danger of a criminal prosecution, he has the policy -to leave the country, and to fly to a foreign land; but before doing so, and when in the very hottest of his conflict with the son and successor of his constituent, this worthless man suddenly becomes a zealous professor of religion, and in his correspondence with honest Sturdy, attempts to gain on the feelings of his prosecutor, by a sprinkling of religious phraseology. We are at some loss to know on what principle our author declines ranking this man among the class of hypocrites. If ever there was a hypocrite at all, this was one. The garb of piety was obviously assumed to compass a mercenary end, and the hollow-heartedness of the profession was incontrovertibly established by the fact, that, so far from wishing to restore his ill-gotten gain, the profession was taken up evidently for the purpose of securing a more effectual grasp of it. With regard to the principles of the new Secession, as embraced by Monckton, we shall merely say, that if not decidedly Antinomian, they have at least a very strong tinge of Antinomianism. A slight comparison of the writings of these Seceders with those of Crisp, and others of the last century, must convince any competent judge, that their style of doctrinal statement is unscriptural, and that their scheme does look with a very cold and suspicious eye on the claims and the precepts of practical morality.

VOL. XXI. NO. XI.

The following short statement of our author on this subject we cordially approve :

"What gave him," Falkland, "the greatest uneasiness in the review of this new sect, was, the dangerous practical tendency' of some of their doctrines. To treat almost exclusively of the privileges of Christianity, and to neglect the enforcement of its duties, whatever influence it might have on the preachers themselves, it was pretty evident, he thought, must be at tended with the most imminent danger to their flocks in general. He very justly thought, indeed, that to withhold any of the truths of Scripture, because the sa gacity of man has discovered they may be productive of bad effects, was a presumpfallen capacities, and scarcely less than a direct libel on the sacred Scriptures. At the same time, he could not but perceive in the divine aliment prepared for us, there the soul, and cordials when it was in a were both food for the ordinary state of state of depression, and the indiscriminate use of the latter he could not but view as having a tendency to produce disinclination for more ordinary sustenance, and to ish and dangerous degree of excitement." engender and impress in the mind a feverVol. ii. p. 18.

tion little consistent with our limited and

Our author (vol. i. p. 298, &c.) enters into a defence of the Calvinistic system, particularly the doctrine of election. The statements are, on the whole, fair and Scriptural; but we question the expediency of their introduction in such a place, and in such a species of composition as this. Those who already accord with them, do not need to be reminded of them in such a connection; and those who do not, are not likely to be thus gained over to the cause. More over, we have long been of opinion that the real origin of that hostility. which men of the world manifest to evangelical doctrine and preaching, is not to be traced so much to the peculiarities of Calvinism, as to the practical nature of its principles. We have seen the leading features of Calvinism, considered as an abstract and metaphysical system

5 G