own traditions. He then takes a brief survey of the history of the church, in proof of the impiety of the priests of Rome, in preventing as far as possible its dissemination among the people. Several extracts from Bible reports and some striking anecdotes are introduced; some confirmatory of the judgments of God against these popish emissaries, and some evincing the goodness of God in blessing his own word to the conversion of many, who, nursed in ignorance, were long awed by the anathemas of this accursed enemy of all truth.

We are compelled to demur on Mr. C,'s definition concerning the work of the Divine Spirit. We quote his own words, (see page 11,) "Does the Holy Spirit convert the soul by a passive act of power, or does he inform the mind, and change the heart by means of scripture truths? A positive act of power would produce an occult quality, for which we have no name, and of which we know no use. A scripture truth demonstrating itself to the understanding, produces a just idea in the mind, a picture of self, and then the doctrine stands true in the mind, or becomes our faith." This plain and artless process wants nothing to recommend it to many christians except perplexity and mystery, too long habituated, alas! to consider obscurity as a character of piety." This definition may accord with a Sandemanian's faith, which rests satisfied with a mere assent of the mind to the truth as a proposition; but will never satisfy a soul quickened by God the Holy Ghost. Such an one knows, by heart-felt experience, that no logical thesis proposed to his mind, however artless the process, would produce saving faith in his heart. He knows that nothing less than an act of divine power would reach him, agreeable to our Lord's promise, Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power." Man, by reason of sin,

is so darkened in his understanding, that nothing but the irresistible grace of God will ever convince of sin, or produce true faith, which is the gift of God, and not to be produced by argument however cogent. Nor can we agree with our Author that the work of the Holy Spirit is allowed on all hands; on the contrary very many, called evangelical ministers, deny the deity and personality of that Almighty Person; otherwise we should not hear of the conversion of the world being accomplishable by human means, independent of the Spirit's agency. We live in a Holy Ghost despising day. No wonder there is so little real conversion work in our churches, since that glorious Person is seldom mentioned, instead of being prominent in our public services. Oh, thou Eternal Spirit, display thine almighty power, by raising up more labourers in the gospel vineyard, who shall be instrumental to the ingathering of many souls to our glorious Shiloh.

On page 25 our author states his intention of laying before his readers, an honest, unvarnished, and brief statement of his conversion from Papal Rome, this we anxiously waited to see. He was born at a small town called Gort, in Ireland, and was a zealous Papist till about 18 years of age, when he was induced to hear a preacher among the Wesleyan Methodists, whose prayer much interested him, and from that time he resolved to read and examine the Bible for himself, comparing with them the dogmas of the papacy, and which, it seems, ended in his renouncing the Popish and avowing the Protestant faith. We regret that so little is said on this, the most important part in our view, and that little is blended with long extracts from speeches at public meetings; very extended dissertations on auricular confession,penance,-absolution,-material presence in the eucharist,-worship of saints and idols,-the supremacy of the Pope,- purgatory, celibacy,

work, on the whole, is well calculated to expose the intolerance, the blasphemy, the persecuting spirit,-the awful perjuries,-the obscenity and gross heresies of this Mother of Harlots, this Modern Babylon, who has been drunken with the blood of the saints, and who, notwithstanding all her flatteries, fawnings, and deceptions, is seeking by every artifice that Satan can suggest, to lull the unsuspecting Protestant into slothful security, until she attains an ascendancy, and then it will soon be seen that Popery is the same untiring demon of persecution it ever was,-never satiated but with the blood of saints. May every Protestant be awake and on his watch tower, to stem the efforts of this infernal foe, until she shall be finally overcome, when every real saint of God will join in the apocalyptic song of victory, "Rejoice over her thou heavens, and ye holy apostles and prophets, for God hath avenged himself on her." Babylon is fallen, is fallen! and shall rise no more." Hallelujah.

We wish Mr. Cullen had entered more at large into his own experience, and given a fuller detail of the Lord's dealings with him in rescuing him from the darkness of Popery, and blessing him with a knowledge of salvation by the remission of sins through the perfect work of the Lord Jesus Christ; and likewise some account of his call to the ministry, which would have been very desirable. Should another edition be called for, we hope

this will be done, and the whole put into a more connected form, not so blended with other subjects, which possess far less interest. As the author, we have understood, needs pecuniary aid, we hope those who take an active part in the protestant cause will use their influence in promoting its circulation; it possesses interest and may be read with profit.

Select Remains of the late Rev. John Cooke, of the Tabernacle, Moorfields, London; and Maidenhead, Berks. By the Rev. Dr. Redford. 2 vols. 12mo. London: Longman & Co.

THERE are we doubt not, and the great day of final decision will manifestatively make it known, many of the called, and chosen, and faithful, who while in this wilderness state, by reason of associations among dead and lifeless professors of religion, and by sitting under a legal ministry, evince so little spirituality of mind, so much worldly mindedness, such hostility to the great and glorious doctrines of a free-grace gospel, such clinging unto Sinai, and such shyness towards Zion, that it is scarcely discernable whether they have a spark of divine life in their souls or not; it affords much comfort to the children of God when such, whether ministers or hearers, are removed by death, to remember this precious promise of a covenant God,- The bruised reed I will not break, nor will I quench the smoking flax :" so that although from outward circumstances while here below, the work of grace was hardly discernable, some little incidents occasionally occur afterwards, which satisfy the anxiety of the lively christian, that amid the abundance of wood, and hay, and stubble, there was yet under all pure gold, which should be found to the praise, honor, and glory of a triune Jehovah throughout eternity.

We are led to these remarks from perusing the volumes before us, which are selected, as the Editor informs us,

in fact, in reading them he will need often to employ the winnowing sieve and shovel, for while there is much good corn, the enemy hath indeed been permitted to mingle tares, even in much greater abundance.

The Lawful Captive Delivered; designed as an outline of the merciful dealings of the most High towards the Author, both in a way of special providence, and distinguishing grace. by William Felton. 8vo. pp. 60. London: Palmer and Son.

Spiritual autobiography is with us a favourite class of publications. We love to read the self-told tale of a christian's experience, and firmly do we believe that none tend so much to the edifying, and building up the saints in our most holy faith. When the citadel is attacked, when error dares to wave her hostile banner in the camp, let the soldiers of King Jesus contend earnestly for the faith; far be it from us to weaken their ardour, but alas, so much of self and unhallowed bitterness mingles with all our controversies, that a discussion begun, doubtless, in real love to the truth and to the God of truth, is turned aside into a quarrel for pre

eminence.

Mr. Felton, from the narrative before us, seems in early life to have tasted deeply of this world's adversi ties, and to have been the subjecteven before the Lord had manifested his distinguishing grace and mercy to his soul-of many peculiar interpositions of Providence. Our limits will not permit us to extract as we had intended, we can only add, that there is a genuineness and sincerity pervade the work, which stamp it with the character of truth, and satisfactorily prove the author to have been called, not only out of darkness into light, but called also to the ministerial of Lee.

A Sermon on Backsliding, Preached at Gower Street Chapel, Nov. 24, 1840. By Samuel Turner, of Sunderland. Svo. pp. 8, London, Palmer and Son.

It is the third edition of this Sermon which we have before us, published it would appear within three weeks of its delivery. After so rapid a sale of 3,000 copies, our recommendation of it seems needless. We cannot forbear, however, expressing the pleasure we have experienced in perusing so lucid and scriptural a display of a doctrine which has of late attracted some interest. Highly as we esteem Mr. Wells, we have never hesitated to state our conviction that his views upon it are erroneous. We have always believed that he adheres to his own view from a mistaken opinion of the meaning of words. When he said that Backsliding means Apostacy, and therefore the saints can never apostatize, we agree with him, but lament at the same time that he should so confound terms. Mr. Wells, in the first instance, met with a rude and vulgar opponent whose pamphlets were un. worthy notice; unhappily in Mr. Abrahams he met with an inefficient one; but the statements in the Sermon before us he will not be able to controvert. The author brings a "Thus saith the Lord" for all his assertions; and those, therefore, whose minds may have been disturbed by Mr. Wells' blunderings upon the subject, will do well to procure this Sermon. It is published at the low price of One Penny.

sent number; but in justice to our correspondents, the patience of many of whom we too frequently try, we have been compelled to abandon this. The series pleases us much, particularly those that are written in an allegorical style. Tracts should be written in such a manner as to arrest the attention, and then we may hope that they may be made a means of arresting the heart. We must gratify ourselves by giving one brief extract.-

"There was once a woman of very bad character. Her name was Human Nature."

66

*

*

Human Nature had two attendants-namely, Error and Tribulation. The latter had been expressly appointed to attend her by her second husband, Heb. xii. 6. The former was the object of her own darling choice. Ps. lviii. 3. She was plausible, insinuating, and ingenious-in concealing from her mistress Human Nature the true value of a Saviour, -the whole extent of what her husband had DONE for her by his wonderful sufferings. To this end she would extol the profound sagacity of Human Nature, whom she easily succeeded in rendering" wise in her own conceit."

Tribulation on the contrary practised none of these blandishments. Her aspect was gloomy, forbidding, and uncongenial to Human Nature, Heb. xii. 11, who soon grew impatient of the presence of her new attendant. She walked out: but Tribulation dogged her steps. She took long journeys: but Tribulation was with her in the carriage. She went to large parties: but Tribulation was among the crowd. She retired to her room: but Tribulation drew her curtains at night, and attended at her toilet in the morning. Great were the struggles of Human Nature to avoid the attendance of Tribulation. She looked this way and that way. She left nothing untried. But her struggles were vain. The more she

endeavoured to be free from Tribulation, the more sensibly and painfully she felt the presence of this attendant, which Error had contrived to render insupportable.

66

'One day, when Human Nature was almost ready to sink from the oppression which she felt at the presence of her enemy, (for she could consider Tribulation in no other light) another and a better Comforter sent to her by her husband, John xiv. 16, thus addressed her: Why are you so weary of Tribulation? She did not come out of the dust. She did not spring out of the ground. Job v. 6. She did not come to you by chance, or of her own will. She was sent to you Rom. viii. 28, by him whose claim is paramount on your alienated affections. If you are grieved by the presence of Tribulation, plead your cause with him.'

This suggestion was not made in vain. For it was not intended that Human Nature should remain in ignorance of the honour to which she had been advanced. Eph. i. 17, 18. A correspondence ensued between her husband and herself, in which she learned, that instead of making, or helping to make atonement for her own sins, (a notion which Human Nature had under one pretence or another always held fast, Rom. x. 3,) it now appeared that this had been done for her even by her husband himself, although the knowledge of this great secret had been studiously kept from her by the artifice of Error, whom she therefore indignantly dismissed from her service."