Is not joyous praise my duty, While I view thee from afar? Seeks my poor imperfect love. His the heart that never wanders From the object of its cares; Oh for some celestial kindling Then, with heaven I should be mingling, We our fight of faith have fought, Here I taste the joy of wo, A. M. S From the Congregational Magazine. Composed in the vivid recollection of the Writer's feelings in imminent danger, and appa rently approaching death. BRIGHT and rapid be thy glance, Freed from sorrow-saved from death' Hark! there came their high response, From the Congregational Magazine. THE INTERNAL EVIDENCE OF REVEALED RELIGION, and particularly of the Gospel Dispensation. Ir a communication of importance be received from a friend at a distance, and if the hand-writing be that of an amanuensis with whom we are unacquainted, its style and internal characteristics are the only means we have of judging whether it be genuine; if we see the talent of our friend, his wisdom, his disposition pourtrayed in the letter, without further doubt we pronounce him to be its author; here we judge from internal evidence; we look merely at the nature of the communication, and see the character of our friend manifested in it. When then we speak of investigating the internal evidence of divine revelation, we refer to a similar mode of discovering its authenticity; here is a communication professedly from God, and we ask whether it manifests the same characteristics, the same wisdom, the same justice, the same goodness with those exhibited in the book of nature, which is confessedly from him. Wisdom consists in two things, wise designs, and the use of adequate means for their attainment; let us consider the wisdom manifested in these respects in the book of nature, and then inquire whether the same be manifested in the book of grace. With regard to the objects in view, we shall find that the ultimate design of creation is the glory of God, and that the end subordinate to this is the happiness of his creatures. God, be it recollected, is that great first cause in whom all things live, and move, and have their being; previously, therefore, to the exercise of his creative power, he existed alone, and consequently no object could influence him but what had respect to himself; for existing alone, were any thing else respected, it must be the work to be performed, and to make this the ultimate design, would be to make the same thing both means and end, which is an evident absurdity: but if the design of God in creation must have respect to himself, as it is impossible that his perfection should be any way increased, it must refer to the manifestation of it; for this purpose, however, a subordinate end must be accomplished to show forth the glory of God; creation must be a beautiful and lovely object, and for this purpose the beings of which it is composed must be possessed of all the happi ، ness of which they are capable. Now these ends were alone worthy of the wisdom of God, being in his own nature infinitely more excellent than the most exalted of his creatures; his wisdom would have descended from its infinity, could he have chosen any other as his ultimate design than one which respected himself; and as this design could not be attained in any other way than by making the happiness of the creature a secondary end: had not this been an object of God in the work of creation, his wisdom would not have shone so conspicuously as it does in that work. In inquiring, then, into the internal evidence of the Christian religion, the first question that presents itself to us, is, whether its professed designs be the same; does it aver the glory of God to be its ultimate object, and in order to attain this object, the welfare of man to be its immediate aim? Hear it summing up its designs in a song with which the angels ushered it into the world-" An angel of the Lord announced the glad tidings of great joy; and suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will towards men.' In other words, now is the dispensation introduced, whose highest object is to bring glory to our God, and, for this purpose, on earth to promote the welfare of mankind: indeed, throughout the New Testament, the glory of God is represented as the great end of all that is done. Our Saviour tells us, that he finished the work which his Father gave him to do, in order to glorify him on the earth; again we read, that Christians are predestinated to the adoption of children to the praise of the glory of the grace of God; and his glory are they exhorted to consider as the ultimate end of all that they do, that God may be all in all; "Whether, therefore, ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God;" and whilst the glory of God is thus represented as the ultimate end of the Christian religion, the happiness of man is not less frequently insisted upon as a subordinate end of that dispensation; hence it is represented as a dispensation of love to the human race; "God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him might not perish but have everlasting life;"-" herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and gave his Son to die for us." So far then as design is concerned, we see the same wisdom in the religion of Jesus as in the work of creation. Wisdom, however, further consists in the use of adequate means for the attainment of its designs; let us then examine the book of creation, and inquire whether such means are actually used; we have already observed, that the immediate end is the happiness of creation, and that this is made subservient to the more important design. Is then nature so constructed that this end is attained? And here we shall confine our remarks to man, as we know more about him than any other creature, and as he is immediately concerned in the volume of revelation. Now man was originally formed with intellectual and moral powers, which in some humble degree assimilated him to the Creator himself; thus his original formation was peculiarly favourable to Rel. Mag.-No. 4. his happiness, for as the Creator is a Being of infinite felicity, the possession of powers which assimilate individuals to him, must tend to assimilate their happiness to his; in order, however, to perfect the happiness of which these powers rendered man capable, it was necessary, in the first place, that they should be essentially active; that is, that there should be essential pleasure connected with their exercise, and essential misery connected with their dormancy. Without this arrangement, the exertion connected with their exercise would be felt as a toil; their inactivity would consequently ensue, and the happiness of which they made their possessor capable, would be wholly lost; accordingly the wise plan of God has been that a principle should be implanted in the human bosom; a principle which should cause gratification to be essentially connected with the exercise of the mental powers, and uneasiness to be connected with their total inactivity; this principle is by some called curiosity, or a desire of knowledge. It was further necessary to complete the happiness of man, that opportunities should be afforded for a sufficient exercise of his powers; without these, the principle of curiosity, which is in itself a blessing, would be a source of constant misery. God, however, in his wisdom, has afforded abundant opportunities; he has displayed to human attention the wonderful works of his hands; and thus every fresh exercise of the reasoning powers merely opens to observation new and inexhaustible fields of exertion. It was further necessary to human felicity that man should be formed an accountable creature. Possessed of a capacity of understanding what is right, he must either be left to himself, whether he will or will not pursue it, or must be governed, like brute animals by an impelling instinct; the latter would have been degrading to his nature, and injurious to his felicity; if, however, he did not become accountable, that is, if there were not some reward and punishment to excite him to a right course of action, and deter him from a wrong one, the former might be productive of ill effects to himself and to others. Accordingly, we find that God has implanted in the hearts of men a principle called conscience, which applauds them when doing what is right, and rebukes and terrifies them when in the practice of sin; thus does nature display the wisdom of God in the means which are used to attain the happiness of man. Is then Christianity equally wise in the means which she uses to attain the same end? It may, indeed, be strongly objected, at the very outset of our inquiry under this head, that as the means which nature has employed are so perfect, no others are wanting; a valid objection, indeed, had man remained in the same circumstances under which he was originally created; but irrespective of the information of Christianity, reason will teach us that they have materially altered. It is a fact that cannot be questioned, that man now has a tendency to evil from his youth upwards; that it requires great effort to restrain him from vice; and that, when restrained, it is rather from some adventitious circumstance than from any proper sense of its own evil nature; now that this could not be the condition of man at his crea2 S find that the same wise designs are pursued in the Gospel as in the works of creation, but also that there is the same wise adaptation of means to attain the ends in view. tion will be evident, when it is recollected that such a supposition would militate against the wisdom which all the other parts of God's procedure manifest him to possess, as well as be inconsistent with the general plan which we Again, we shall find that Christianity manihave shown that he prosecuted for human be- fests the same justice which is observable in the nefit; but if the condition of man be really constitution of nature: by justice, we understand changed, in order to effect God's immediate that principle in the Divine Being which leads end in all that he does, there would require him to reward and punish according to real desome additional arrangements on his part, in sert; this justice is manifested in the original order to suit the changed circumstances of his constitution of nature; our bodily frames are so creature; and just these additional arrange- constructed, that while certain virtues conduce ments which the changed circumstances ren- to their health and stability, certain vices condered necessary, are what are found in the duce to their disease and destruction; the forSacred Scriptures. In a wise revelation of this mation of our minds is also such that we enjoy kind, however, it would be to be expected, that a pleasurable satisfaction in doing what is in order to its own justification it should give right, and have a feeling of dissatisfaction in us a detailed account of that change in the doing what is wrong; and the moral taste condition of man which rendered a new dispen-given to all mankind is such, that the virtuous sation requisite; accordingly we find, in the Holy Writings, an explicit statement of the original state of mankind, of the circumstances which led to a fall from that state, and of the guilt and misery of the condition into which it has fallen: under such circumstances as these, it was evidently requisite to the restoration of human happiness, that a method of pardon be revealed. In consequence of the evil tendencies of mankind in their fallen state, all had sinned and come short of the glory of God; hence the consciences of all would testify against them, that if there be a future state of recompense it would only be a recompense of punishment, and thus they would be led, "through fear of death, to be all their lifetime subject to bondage." Accordingly the wisdom of God has revealed a full pardon in the Sacred Scriptures, and that his own glory, which is ever his ultimate end, might be unsullied thereby, the pardon is revealed through the medium of an atoning sacrifice, by means of which God can be just, whilst he justifies the ungodly another requisite to the restoration of human happiness, is a recovery of their original holy condition: the loss of this condition was the cause of their ruin; and the ruin can only be fully repaired by its recovery; accordingly, whilst the Scriptures reveal a pardon by the blood of Christ, they also reveal a sanctification by his Spirit, and thus bring forth fruits unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. Further, in order that the happiness thus restored should be complete, wisdom required that the participation in the blessings of salvation should be made a spontaneous act; unless there was willingness on the part of those who partook of its benefits, neither would the evil of sin, nor the exceeding love of God, in providing a redemption from it, be appreciated, and hence some powerful motives would be wanting to stimulate to future holiness of conduct; accordingly we find, that it is he that believeth that is to be saved; that it is those that are willing who are invited to partake of the water of life freely; and to prevent this wise regulation from ending in injurious consequences-in other words, to prevent its making the salvation of the gospel of none effect -the influence of the Spirit is promised to bend the hearts of many into due subjection, and thus to make the people of God willing in the day of his power. Not merely then do we are admired, and the vicious detested. In these three ways is the justice of God manifested in nature towards his rational creatures: at times, indeed, it seems to have ceased to act; some individuals are weakly, and in the midst of the strictest virtue show bodily frames early tending to the grave; others are robust, and although indulging themselves in the grossest vices, seem to flourish like the bay tree: there are some again whose consciences are peculiarly tender, who suffer more from the slightest deviation from their duty, than others, whose consciences are hardened from a daily repetition of the very worst conduct: some also form parts of a society, where vice is more heartily detested than in other associations, and are consequently subject to reproach for crimes which would scarcely be noticed were their circumstances changed. All these, however, are accidents connected with our fallen condition, and not with the original constitution of God, and therefore cannot form solid objections to the natural manifestation of his justice. Now in Christianity we find the stamp of the same attribute; there is indeed revealed a pardon for the guilty, but this pardon is revealed in a way that magnifies the justice of God. Punishment was due to sin, and punishment was inflicted upon sin in the person of a substitute; and whereas it has been objected to this manifestation of justice, that it was an unjust act to punish the Redeemer, who was innocent, and that the punishment of one is not a sufficient satisfaction for the sins of an innumerable multitude; we answer, that had not the sufferings of Christ been voluntary, we acknowledge that his sacrifice would have been unjust; but it must be recollected, that "he gave himself for us"-that "he laid down his life of himself,"-" that he poured out his own soul an offering for sin;" and further we remark, that the dignity and perfect innocence of his nature made his satisfaction complete: away indeed be the profane idea, that the Creator of the Universe actually laid down his life! but it was nevertheless a nature admitted into union with his-Christ united this with his divine nature-that he might be capable of making a propitiatory sacritice, and the dignity conferred upon it by this union made the sacrifice of infinite value. Christianity further manifests the justice of God, by making faith a condition of salvation. Strict justice is not satisfied with the sufferings of a substitute, unless those sufferings be pleaded by the guilty individual as a ground of pardon; and in order to make this plea there must evidently be faith in its sufficiency; as however this faith is produced by the operation of God's spirit, it is further objected to the justice of God, that this operation is not equitably performed; it is said, that whereas all are alike deserving of punishment, an unjust distinction is made-in some is produced that faith which leads to salvation, whilst others are left to perish in their sins. We deny that the distinction is unjust-if all deserve punishment, it would not have been unjust had it been inflicted upon all-if an atonement be mercifully made, and faith be in justice necessary to a participation of its benefits, it is not unjust if those benefits are withheld where faith is wanting; and if God chooses to excite faith in the minds of some, he does that which justice does not bind him to do to any, and consequently it is not unjust, if he does it not in the case of all.-Hence, in the Christian dispensation, there is a manifestation of the same justice which is exhibited to us in the constitution of nature. When we were showing that like wisdom was manifested, we found that in both the subordinate end was the happiness of the creature, and that both employed adequate means for the attainment of this end; hence we may observe, that in both there is an exhibition of the goodness of God; this exhibition is indeed peculiarly made in the Gospel of Christ-in original creation it was just as well as good that man should be made as happy as his circumstances would permit; but in redemption, God would have been just, even though the whole human race had been consigned to one eternal curse. But here did his love shine forth, he exercised his goodness, not indeed in opposition to his justice, but he devised a plan whereby he brought his justice to approve of his mercy-" Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the sons of God." Thus does internal evidence confirm the divine origin of the Gospel dispensation; there is a similar (yea, a more complete) display of the wisdom, justice, and goodness of God, with what we find exhibited in the work of creation: they are thus in such entire consistency, that it is impossible for any candid inquirer to deny, that if he be the Author of nature, he is also the Author of revelation. Nottingham, Dec. 1827. R. A. Jun. that part of its literature which is most com- The pomp of groves, and garniture of fields; And all the dread magnificence of heaven." These and kindred objects, not less poetical, are furnished to the general observation; and figurative illustrations drawn from them awaken therefore general sympathy. Something of the vivid glow, the bloom and exquisite colouring of an image, may indeed be rudely brushed off in its transference to another language; but the sentiment intended to be conveyed by it, may not only be faithfully but even strikingly retained. Examples of this kind might without difficulty be instanced, in the popular translations of the classic poets; but they abound most in the Scriptures. The inspired writers lived in "a land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of oil, olive, and honey." The figures, consequently, which they employ to enrich their compositions, are such as an agricultural and pastoral life in its mildest form, would both naturally and copiously supply. And though under the less genial skies of a northern climate, the fields are not so luxuriantly clothed, nor the hills so majestically crowned, and the translators would of course be but little aided by what they had actually seen, our common version exhibits many a "rural picture," scarcely surpassed in beauty even by the original. Since, however, all poets have thus laid nature under contribution, it will not be an easy achievement to rise into commendatory notice, among such a multitude of competitors. The simplicity of Bloomfield's Sketches, the finished elegance of Goldsmith's descriptions, and the piety which illuminates and warms the scenes of the Bard of Olney, have secured for each of their authors a well-merited distinction. In the volume now before us, passages have met our eye, bearing closely upon the several excellencies of these justly admired writers. To the first of them Mr. Slatter is in our estimation decidedly superior, and though he does RURAL PICTURES AND MISCELLAnot sustain that affluence and euphony of style NEOUS POEMS. By J. W. Slatter, Ox- and modulation which distinguish the second, ford, Talboys. London, Holdsworth, p. 138. nor reach the exquisitely tender pathos of the WHILE poetry seldom descends to the use of last-he sometimes makes an approximation to plain and inartificial language, if its sentiments both. From the total absence of classical allucan be exhibited in a beautiful metaphor, its sions, and of every trace of philosophical and most delightful images have at all times been scientific learning, as well as from his introderived from the objects and appearances of ductory lines, we imagine Mr. S. though residnature. And to this cause it is perhaps chieflying at Oxford, has been but little tutored in the to be attributed, that the poetry of a nation is schools. From the New Baptist Miscellany. "Shading with lifted hand against the light His eyes."-p. 20. and "the Cottage Door," p. 55, 56. Others are exceedingly natural and skilfully combine in groups various objects well accommodated to each other, by their local proximity, or mutual resemblance, or else set off in affecting contrast. The following passage from "the Blind and Deaf Girl," is of this kind, and is written with great feeling. The closing image is very beautiful: "The pipe's shrill note, the tabor's lengthened sound, And mingling voices fairly echoing round; The loud wild laugh, which o'er the valley rings, The boy that whistles, and the maid that sings, way. So shines the summer's sun upon the tomb, Where simple flowers in withering beauty bloom."-p. 8. We had marked other passages as deserving particular notice, but we can only mention one of them from "the Faithful Pastor."* And if we extract this, it is that our readers may compare it with Goldsmith's celebrated simile in We suspect this beautiful picture to be a portrait of the late Rev. J. Hinton. And if, as we suppose, Mr. S. was a member of his congregation, it is alike honourable to the pastor to have inspired such sentiments of affection, and to the poet to record them. the character of the Clergyman of the "Deserted Village," by which it has been obviously suggested, and judge if there be not as much sublimity in it, as there is in its noble prototype. "As oft, in nature's majesty sublime, The solemn mountain, from the storms of time, It ought to be remarked that all the pieces are strictly moral, and not a few breathe a spirit of evangelical piety. The minor poems are by no means inferior to the best of the Pictures. The Destroying Angel, and the Snowdrop, are admirable; and the Elegy written in Magdalen Water Walks, the favourite resort of Addison, Collins, and Hurdis, is pervaded with a tone of melancholy perfectly accordant with the pensive aspect, and the solemn associations of that ancient classic grove. From the specimens Mr. S. has given, we are confident he is capable of still greater things. His versification, though in general both smooth and musical, might sometimes be improved by a higher polish, and a more varied cadence. His subjects are all of them simply chosen, and, except in one or two instances, never derived from books, but always from observation. His descriptions often give occasion to the higher strains of the moralist-and if these more distinctly exhibited the grand peculiarities of the gospel, the picture would glow with still richer colours, and excite feelings of deeper and more permanent interest in the minds of its admirers. From the Wesleyan-Methodist Magazine. POPERY ON THE CONTINENT. [THE following notices are abridged from Switzerland, Germany, and the Netherlands, "A Tour in France, Savoy, Northern Italy, in the Summer of 1825: By Seth William Stevenson." They contain the observations of an intelligent English Traveller; and serve to illustrate the character of Popery, so far as its public worship is concerned. Whatever religious and moral excellence individuals belonging to the Romish Church may possess, the system of Popery is the same compound of idolatry, puerile superstition, and gross imposture, that it has ever been. Protestants can never be sufficiently thankful to Divine Providence for the Reformation, nor too vigilant and active in maintaining that truth which has been transmitted to them by their renowned forefathers, and in guarding the public mind against the sorceries of Rome.-EDIT.] NEVERS. On our arrival at Nevers, we saw the Cathedral, which is not a large building: the clocktower is the only part of the exterior that is |