the pulpit—and the whole series should be read in every Christian family once a year. They are characterized by good sense, solid instruction, maxims of prudence, and are eminently calculated to teach professors of the religion of Christ, how they ought to walk so as to please God, and adorn the doctrine of God their Saviour. In the last discourse, founded on John xiv. 2. the author considers Heaven as composing one family, and descants upon the delightful idea in the following animated strains :

"AT the evening of the day-the hurrying, fatiguing, troublesome

day of human life-the good man retires to his home, his Father's "house, the mansion which Christ his elder brother has prepared for “him. There he ceases from his labours, rests in the bosom of his "God, and has no other recollection of his past pains, disappointments, ❝ and sorrows, than contributes to increase his happiness, and heighten "his joys. There he finds himself instantly surrounded with that "blessed company we have been speaking of; all expressing by their "cheerful smiles the satisfaction they feel in his having joined them, " and all with infinite cordiality tendering him offices of love, too nu❝merous to be reckoned, too substantial and glorious to be described. "And there, which is the main thing we have in view, his intellectual "powers are employed, without embarrassment or weariness, in the ❝ contemplation and discussion of the most pleasing, noble, and improving subjects.

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« HERE, would our time admit, and might imagination be allowed its "full scope, with what pleasant scenes might we feast our eyes, with "what ravishing discourse delight our ears! Methinks I see this happy "family, assembled in the fair and stately mansion their Father has "erected for their eternal abode, arrayed in the pure and splendid gar❝ments of immortality, health, peace, and joy, blooming on their coun❝tenances, their Friend and Saviour bidding them welcome to the rich"est banquet his love could prepare, angels waiting on them, and the "Master of the house unveiling his glories to their view. Methinks I "hear their discourse. The subject is immensely grand—the glories of "the ever-blessed God displayed in his works. They have powers for “ investigating the subject. Their attention is fixed with increasing de

"light to it. Every step they advance in their enquiries about it, is "marked with precision and certainty. The heavenly vision glorious "as it is oppresses not their mental sight: the ecstatic joy it affords dis

turbs not their perception of the object. Their ideas and reasonings "are interchanged with unimaginable swiftness and facility. And the "pleasures which flow in one perpetual stream from the inexhaustible "fountain of knowledge, are common to them all.

"THE theme hath infinite varieties, each of which is a new source of "admiration, love, and delight.-Now they fix their eye on the first "great Cause of all things, whose nature the brightest intelligences "cannot comprehend, whose essence no created imagination can ex"plore. They gaze on his glories, which surprise, but do not confound: "inspire reverence, but forbid fear. From him they turn their atten❝tion to the works of his hands.-Now the skill of the great architect "in the house built for their residence, its furniture, and entertainment, "employs their contemplation: and then the wonderous effects of his "wisdom and power in the more remote provinces of his boundless em"pire. Now they dwell on the nature, capacities, and interests of the ❝various orders of beings that hold a different rank in the creation from "themselves; and then on their own nature, faculties, laws, and ends "of existence. Now the scheme of Providence respecting the world "whence they came, occupies their minds; states, kingdoms, and em"pires passing in review before their astonished eyes: and then the "long, the diversified, the entertaining detail of each other's history holds "their attention with growing delight.-Now they call over the seve"ral events that happened to them, from the moment they came into "existence to that of their translation thither; and all the circumstances "that combined, under the controlling influence of Heaven, to bring "about their final felicity: and then they recollect with rapturous joy "the intimate connection of these events with the greatest and most "sublime of all, their redemption by the death of the Son of God. On "this transporting subject wherein he hath abounded towards us in all "wisdom and prudence, they exert the utmost powers of imagination "and reason. At every step they take new light breaks in upon their "minds, and new joys circulate around their hearts. So a pure flame "of ingenuous gratitude and love is enkindled in their bosoms, to the "Father of mercies who laid the plan in the counsels of eternity, to the "divine Jesus who carried it into execution, and to the Holy Spirit the "Comforter who displays the glories of it to their enraptured sight.— "Thus employed in contemplating the most glorious objects, discussing "the noblest truths, conversing about the most interesting events, and

intermingling with their discourse the harmonious melody of the most "exalted devotion and praise; thus employed, I say, how pure, substan"tial, and satisfying must their pleasures be!

"Go into a family of piety and love.-Some few such families there "are in our world. Read the character of each member in his counte66 nance. Be a witness of the tender offices of kindness they render "each other. Join their company. Make one with them in their par"ties of innocent amusement. Listen to their instructive, entertaining, "and endearing discourse. Hear their pleasant details of interesting " events. Enter into their more serious reasonings. And share with "them in the comforts and joys of their undissembled and fervent devo❝tion. You will say with rapture, Verily this is the house of God, it "is the gate of heaven! But the pleasures enjoyed by this little society, though they may distantly resemble those of the blessed above, fall in"finitely short of them.

"How commodious is the habitation in which this infinitely large " and noble society reside! No convenience is wanting to make it plea"sant and delightful in the highest degree. There are apartments in "it for every one of the family, and Christ is gone before to make them "ready. How delicious is their food! It is the food of angels. How "highly flavoured are their joys! They drink of rivers of pleasure that "flow from the throne of God and the Lamb. How illustrious the "company! They are all wise, holy, and good; free from every possi"ble taint of folly, imperfection, and sin. Each one enjoys health, ease, "and tranquillity; without abatement or interruption. They are upon "terms of the strictest amity and the most cordial friendship. Their "discourse is upon subjects as delightful as they are instructive; sub"jeets that afford the richest pleasure to the imagination, and diffuse a "sacred glow of divine affection through the heart. The Father of the "family is present in the midst of them, pouring upon them the noblest "profusion of beneficence and love. Their elder Brother and Friend, "who loved not his life unto death for their sakes, unbosoms his heart "to them. The Holy Spirit not only irradiates their understandings, "but in the character of a Comforter possesses them of the richest con"solations. In fine, the innumerable hosts of angels who attend them,

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are happy in contributing all in their power to their happiness.-What “refined, what exalted, what divine pleasures must this family enjoy!

"THE great apostle of the Gentiles, in the midst of his labours here on earth, was admitted for a few moments into their company. And

"so enraptured was he with the joys he there felt, that whether he was "in the body or out of the body he could not tell: it was paradise, and " he heard things which it is not lawful for a man to utter. Let us "check our imagination then in its flight. We have not senses capable ❝ of sustaining the heavenly vision; we have not faculties at present "equal to the investigation of this sublime subject."

THE DISCOURSES ON THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER (1787), was the next in succession of our author's publications, and it is a work worthy of his pen. His first discourse, on the use and abuse of allegorical instruction, is superior to any thing on the subject with which we are acquainted in our language; nor can we doubt that it has been eminently useful in checking a species of preaching which perhaps was more prevalent in his day than it is at present, though unhappily we still have too much of it, since it is a kind of rant which all sober-minded Christians must unite in condemning ;-would we could say that it had put a stop to it. "I do not mean," says our author, "to "lay figures, comparisons, and similitudes under an "interdict: they have their use if managed with dis"cretion and moderation. But a failure here is an "occasion of many great evils. An intemperate use "of figures tends to sensualize the mind and deprave "the taste the misapplication of them gives a false "idea of the objects they are meant to represent" and the reasoning injudiciously from them begets a "kind of faith that is precarious and ineffectual.” After giving an able illustration of each of these particulars, he very judiciously proceeds to notice the evils attending declamatory preaching, by which he explains himself to mean, all discourses, whether allegorical or not, that are destitute of sober reasoning, and addressed merely to the passions-" loose essays,

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" or harangues on popular subjects, filled with trite observations, and set off with witty conceits and trifling stories, delivered in a manner more suitable "to the stage than the pulpit. Such kind of preach"ing is by no means adapted to instruct and edify: "its tendency is extremely pernicious. It begets con"tempt in those who are ill-affected to religion. It "excites levity in those who are indifferent about it. "It disgusts sensible and serious Christians. And if any may be supposed to be awakened by it, such persons are in danger of mistaking impressions that "are the effect of a mere mechanical influence upon "their passions, for the work of God upon their hearts. "And should not these evils be seriously considered, "by all who have unhappily fallen into this extravagant manner of preaching? These are not trifling "matters. The glory of God, the honour of the gos

pel, the welfare of immortal souls, and your own "reputation, both as men and ministers, are con"cerned. But alas! little is to be expected from "these expostulations with weak and conceited people, and less with those who are governed in the "exercise of their ministry by base and unworthy "motives.". -These are the words of truth and soberness, and they evince a mind well instructed in the things of the kingdom of heaven-a solid and profound judgment resulting from an enlarged acquaintance with men and things.

THE DISCOURSES ON THE DIVINE AUTHORITY AND VARIOUS USE OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURES (1790), were the last published of all his pulpit addresses, perhaps with the exception of one or two single sermons. The author was now advancing into the vale of life, and