NEW BOOKS.

We have thought it would come fairly within the province of religious intelligence, to give some account of the moral and religious publications that are constantly issuing from the press. Our readers at a distance have not the advantage of seeing them at once, and do not like to send and purchase them without being sure of their purpose and character. To them, and to all who are forming social or juvenile libraries, the information we are about to give may be acceptable.

Beard's Collection of Sermons. This is a second volume of sermons collected by Mr Beard, an English clergyman, designed for the use of families, accompanied by suitable prayers. The English edition has already been noticed at length in the Christian Examiner. An American edition is now published by Mr Bowles, conformed to the first volume, which he also published. In our opinion this volume has a greater variety of interest than the other. It contains thirty sermons, from writers in England, Scotland, Ireland, Geneva, and America. This at once shows a variety, and it will be found in the reading to give great life and interest. We recommend this volume as funishing what it was designed to furnish, and what we do not meet with every day-good religious family reading.

Counsels and Consolations: by Jonathan Farr.-A good book, a very good book; much the best, in our estimation, that Mr Farr has yet given to the public; more unexceptionable in its execution, and more thoroughly practical and useful in its aim and tendency. It contains 'meditations and reflections on sixty-two passages of Scripture, with particular reference to those in trouble and affliction:' followed by four sermons having the same purpose. Such books are wanted everywhere, and if we do not deceive ourselves this will be found as grateful, as soothing and elevating, as truly religious, as any yet published. It has not one particle of sectarianism; it is as plain as possible; it keeps always to its purpose, and can hardly be read without answering its purpose in some

measure. It will be found particularly suitable for ministers to distribute among their poor and afflicted parishioners.

An Only Son, and Five Years of Youth; the first by the author of My Early Days,' the second by Miss Martineau, author of Times of the Saviour.' These are for children, but not little children; rather for young people. They are both good, the last most excellent. We hardly know a better book of its kind than Five Years of Youth. It is proper for any library, or any family.

Pleasant Sundays. Another book from that diligent writer, the author of 'The Beatitudes.' It was written 'in the hope of contributing a mite towards supplying the great demand for books proper for children's sunday reading.' It is an acceptable contribution. Its two leading objects are to give, in familiar conversation between a mother and her children, an explanation of the design and use of the parable of the talents— and then of the character and life of our Saviour. The language is not always as simple as we wish, and we noticed one error in reference to Scripture, which, though not very important, shows the need of care in these things; the quotation on the seventy-third page of a passage from Ecclesiastes as a direction of the Apostle Paul. This is one of the most difficult kinds of writing, and it is no small praise to succeed in it so well as this writer has in former attempts and in the present. We commend this to parents and sunday school teachers.

Besides these books, all of which are published by Mr Bowles, there have been several from other publishers which deserve notice. We have in mind particularly Memoirs of Oberlin, and Contemplations of the Saviour. But we cannot speak of them here as we would, and must defer it to another number, only saying now that they are both excellent, the first as a book of biography for social libraries, the other as a help in family devotion.

John, Proem to his Gospel, 23. Religious controversy, its spirit

Stuart, I. Tim. iii. 16, his re- Village Sermons, 252.