guarantee to the Church for accurate scholarship, pastoral experience, sound discretion, and fervent piety.

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While, however, I hold this admirable work in the highest esteem, as regards its general scope and tendency, I would not be understood to pledge myself to the adoption or approval of particular statements or recommendations; such, for example, as the Bishop's remarks upon death-bed repentance (page 134), or his advice to young and unpractised preachers (page 153). When he affirms that, though "no dying man is to be driven to despair, yet we can give penitents no hope from the nature of the Gospel-covenant”—when he authoritatively pronounces, we are SURE such a person is not within the new covenant, and has not repented according to the tenor of it," while yet the Church, in her 16th article, declares, "that the grant of repentance is not to be denied to such as fall into sin after baptism, nor the place of forgiveness to such as truly repent," how can we but be sensible that it ill becomes frail and erring man to assume to himself the prerogative of the Searcher of hearts, and to pronounce that repentance in death-bed penitents cannot be sincere. The Church seems to determine, that true repentance does bring such persons within the terms of the new covenant, leaving the judgment of its truth to Him who alone can give sentence in such a cause; while the fearful uncertainty which must rest upon the most favourable cases where

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life is not prolonged, and therefore cannot be amended, will itself operate, if rightly expressed, as the most solemn and impressive warning to the survivors to accelerate, not to defer repentance. Indeed, by reference to Some Passages of the Life and Death of John Earl of Rochester,' "a book," says Dr. Johnson," which the critic ought to read for its elegance, the philosopher for its arguments, and the saint for its piety," we shall find that the practice of Dr. Burnet was in direct opposition to his theory. The previous character of that profligate Nobleman is sufficiently known to justify the remark, that never did a death-bed afford ampler scope for penitence than his; but "when pressed," says Dr. Burnet, not yet Bishop, "to give him my opinion plainly about his eternal state, I told him, that though the purposes of the Gospel did all depend upon a real change of heart and life as the indispensable condition on which they were made, yet certainly if the mind of a sinner, even on a death-bed, be truly renewed and turned to God, so great is His mercy, that He will receive him even in that extremity." Charity itself could but express a hope like this: "I do verily believe, that if God had thought fit to have continued him longer in the world, he had been the wonder and delight of all who knew him." Charity itself could scarcely, without presumption, go so far as to affirm, "Now he is at rest, and, I am very confident, enjoys the fruits of his late but sin

cere repentance." Now, when we consider "that none of all our libertines understood better than he the secret mysteries of sin; had more studied everything that could support a man in it, and had more resisted all external means of conviction than he had done”— it may well be concluded that no Minister of the Church, consistently with the most charitable construction of her 16th Article, would go beyond this measure of encouragement; few, excepting on the very strongest grounds, would have ventured even so far. I have adduced this instance, therefore, not to convict of inconsistency one of the most conscientious Prelates who ever adorned the church; but that the young divine, when placed under circumstances similarly painful and perplexing, may not enter upon his ministration to the sick and dying in absolute despair of profiting them, though in the endeavour so to do, his own heart is rent in twain. The Bishop's statement, as a theologian, requires to be qualified and explained by his own practice as a pastor of the flock of Christ, and concerned to bring back those who are "as sheep going astray, to the Shepherd and Bishop of their souls."

Neither can I assent to his recommendation of exacting from the sick solemn vows and promises of a renovation of life; and these, not only in general terms, but special. If the penitent be sincere, vows and promises are not required; if not, they will not be observed. If made at all, they should be made not to man, but to God.

Surely our part as ministers of Christ, and watchmen for souls is performed, when we have solemnly charged the consciences of the convalescent with the obligation of these duties, and pointed out the horrible punishment which will ensue if they return to those "pollutions which they seemed to have clean escaped, and their last estate become worse than the first."

I feel still more difficulty in dismissing, without comment or caution, the Bishop's counsel to young and unpractised preachers. (page 153.) The necessity of which he speaks for appropriating the labours of other Divines, is happily, as we have already stated, progressively diminishing. But where such aids are needed, directions should be given for their use which do not militate against the simplicity and godly sincerity of the Gospel of Christ. To select authors of inferior repute and excellence, lest it should too evidently appear that the young divine is not the author of his own sermons, would argue a disingenuousness which would be specially unbecoming in a minister of Him of whom it is recorded not only that "He did no sin,” but that "neither was guile found in his mouth." I would presume therefore to append to, or rather substitute for, the Bishop's counsel, a rule which several young clergymen, at my suggestion, have adopted, and I believe not without profit: each to hear, as often as opportunity will permit, the most judicious, pointed, and effective preachers within his reach; to

commit to paper, while the impression of it is yet vivid, an outline of each discourse; and after the lapse of a few weeks, to fill up the outline for delivery to his own congregation. Thus the views and sentiments of his superiors in age, authority, and experience, become intermingled, and, as it were, incorporated with his own; his own improvement in divine knowledge will connect with it, what he ought to desire above all things, the spiritual advancement of his charge; and "continuing in these things, giving himself wholly to them, he will both save himself, and them that hear him."

I have nothing further to add in the way of animadversion or correction. I have said enough, perhaps too much, to show, that though a warm admirer, I am not a blind idolater of a work, which the Author himself was too deeply touched with a sense of his own infirmities to consider perfect, though on reviewing it after an interval of twenty years from its first publication, years spent in the conscientious discharge of the duties of the Episcopate, he adds, "I own this is my favourite Book; which, if it has raised indignation in the minds of some, who are perhaps sensible that many things in it touch them in too tender a part, yet on the other hand it has brought me such serious acknowledgments from many persons, to me otherwise unknown but by their letters, of the benefit they received from it, that I humbly bless God who made me an instrument of any sort of promoting His glory, and edifying His Church,