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to parts of the last essay (on the use of scripture language) attests the sincerity and value of the reviewer's praise. When, at the distance of five and twenty years, on the death of Mr. Hall, his great rival in the lists was solicited to pro

nounce on his "character as a preacher,' he raised a monument to his fame which, notwithstanding, and almost in consequence of the strictures at the close, surpases in effect all the vocabulary of unneasured eulogy.

(To be continued.)

NOTES OF A NEW YEAR'S SERMON.

BY THE LATE REV. JOHN FOSTER.

Preached at Frenchay, January 6th, 1833.
"Boast not thyself of to-morow."-Prov. xxvii. 1.

We have too many occasions for observing how men will most readily acknowledge a thing to be true, and very important, and yet are not practically influenced by it

-But, how wrong this is !—
-Yes, and they will acknowledge
THAT too; and still-still-

+ But there may be the sin of boasting when it is not in words

-The vain presumptuous feeling. Now all have entered on a new year— it would be a striking thing to know what proportion of people confidently reckon seeing the end of it, in a city, village, large assembly, but almost all do so-few excepted, but those who are in the very last feebleness of old age; and those in extreme illness-not more than one in many hundreds. How is it, as to this, in the present assembly? Now if we could know how many will, at the end of the year, have been de

Nothing more instantly admitted, and by every one, than the uncertainty a future events. Does any body deny it [Does any one say], There can nothing happen to me this day, week, month, or year, of any consequence, but what I know of before hand? And yet, with what a strange confidence we are apt to reckonceived in this their confidence!—Think on future time ; i. e. on to-morrow, in the large sense (for we are not to confine it strictly). Many do not hesitate to boast literally-SAY expressly, without any thought of a doubt, what they shall do, or obtain; would make light of any one's admonition, "Say, if the Lord will, if you shall live, if provider ce permit or assist, if no one thing happen of a hundred that might happen, to prevent you." Thus there is the plain direct boasting in words.

Struck at hearing instances! How often it happens that men have occasion to remember those vain words!

of the beginning of the past year (when the cholera had not come). At the end of this year, there will be a very serious difference between the number of those who will see it, and those who are now confident they shall. Will any one say, "Those who are appointed not to see it should not be confident that they shall."

-True; but who is to know?—

-On many of them there is no sign or mark to foretell the one thing or the other; nor is the book of divine appointment open to us. God has set his positive mark on a certain number, though invisible to us, not to see the end of the

most kind manner respecting their affairs. Whenever he visited Frome in later years, one whole day or more would be devoted to visiting his poorer acquaintance; and to each, if necessitous, he usually made some present.

During this period of Mr. Foster's pastorate at Sheppard's Barton it was that he composed his essays, which first made him known as an author to the world. He then lodged at the ancient looking house near Rook Lane Chapel, where the excellent Sibree preached. To the vestry of the chapel he had free access, and there, removed from interruption and noise, he composed much of his essays. The history of these essays is generally known. They were addressed, in the form they now appear in, to the lady to whom he had been some time engaged; and, in fact, were written at her request. When completed, he took a journey to London, and negotiated with Longman for their publication. Their appearance speedily drew the attention of the literary world. They gave example of a new and profounder vein of thought than had of late been current. Retaining the free and variable form of essays, they gave specimens of sustained investigation worthy of the elaborate treatise, blended with a colouring of fancy richer than the poetry of any author since Milton. A sort of classical style, wordy but not inelegant, had become so current, since the publication of Johnson's writings, that as Cowper says of Pope, every writer had his tune by heart. It seemed impossible to write after any other manner. The native freedom and fire of Hall's own -genius seem, at times, arrested by the prevailing influence. Confessedly the greatest master of composition this nation has produced, and placed at the head of English writers, by the suffrage of the most consummate judges, his style of composition yielded not a little to the Johnsonian manner and march of sen

tences. This remark applies, however, not to his first compositions, nor his very last, but to some of the intermediate productions of his pen. Mr. Foster more effectually broke through the spell. Without discarding the classical use of single words, he broke through the dull uniformity of the established structure of sentences, and of the iambic rhythm at the close, as exemplified by such rhetoricians as Blair. He permitted his thoughts to cast themselves in any form or measure they chose, consistent with the perspicuous and forcible expression of his meaning. He had a hearty aversion to what he called the making sentences by rule. Whether he carried this negligence to an extreme hurtful to perspicuity and compactness of expression, on some occasions, may admit of question. The style of composition in his treatises on Popular Ignorance, and Missions, is far more uncontrollably vagrant without rule, than that of his first publication; or of his last, the preface to Doddridge, and even the character of Hall.

The essays on "Decision of Character," &c., came out in 1805, in two volumes, duodecimo. Nor was it long before reviewers began to give the note of applause to the public. But one review outweighed all others in Mr. Foster's estimation, not merely on account of the generous eulogium it bestowed, but on account of the superior beauty of the piece itself, as well as the eminence of the critic,-a consummate judge, if ever there was one, of fine writing. This was the article written by Mr. Hall in the Eclectic, an article which Foster read with unsuppressed exultation, observing to a friend at the moment, "if one had done nothing else but draw such an article from Hall, it would be something." Such were the feelings of mutual admiration which possessed these great men. Nothing can be more noble than the tone of Hall's review, in which the exceptions taken

to parts of the last essay (on the use of scripture language) attests the sincerity and value of the reviewer's praise. When, at the distance of five and twenty years, on the death of Mr. Hall, his great rival in the lists was solicited to pro

nounce on his "character as a preacher,' he raised a monument to his fame which, notwithstanding, and almost in consequence of the strictures at the close, surpases in effect all the vocabulary of unneasured eulogy.

(To be continued.)

NOTES OF A NEW YEAR'S SERMON.

BY THE LATE REV. JOHN FOSTER.

Preached at Frenchay, Jinuary 6th, 1833.
"Boast not thyself of to-morow."-Prov. xxvii. 1.

We have too many occasions for observing how men will most readily acknowledge a thing to be true, and very important, and yet are not practically influenced by it—

-But, how wrong this is !—
-Yes, and they will acknowledge
THAT too; and still-still-

Nothing more instantly admitted, and
by every one, than the uncertainty a
future events. Does any body deny it
[Does any one say], There can nothing
happen to me this day, week, month, or
year, of any consequence, but what I
know of before hand? And yet, with what
a strange confidence we are apt to reckon
on future time; i. e. on to-morrow, in the
large sense (for we are not to confine
it strictly). Many do not hesitate to
boast literally-SAY expressly, without
any thought of a doubt, what they
shall do, or obtain; would make light
of any one's admonition, "Say, if the
Lord will, if you shall live, if provider ce
permit or assist, if no one thing happen
of a hundred that might happen, to pre-
vent you." Thus there is the plain direct
boasting in words.

Struck at hearing instances! How often it happens that men have occasion to remember those vain words!

+ But there may be the sin of boasting when it is not in words

-The vain presumptuous feeling. Now all have entered on a new year— it would be a striking thing to know what proportion of people confidently reckon seeing the end of it, in a city, village, large assembly, but almost all do so-few excepted, but those who are in the very last feebleness of old age; and those in extreme illness-not more than one in many hundreds. How is it, as to this, in the present assembly? Now if we could know how many will, at the end of the year, have been deceived in this their confidence!-Think of the beginning of the past year (when the cholera had not come). At the end of this year, there will be a very serious difference between the number of those who will see it, and those who are now confident they shall. Will any one say, "Those who are appointed not to see it should not be confident that they shall.”

-True; but who is to know?

-On many of them there is no sign or mark to foretell the one thing or the other; nor is the book of divine appointment open to us. God has set his positive mark on a certain number, though invisible to us, not to see the end of the

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-Just as assured as if God had sent forth a declaration, the 1st of this year, that every young person who sees the beginning shall see the end.—

-How many will prove to have bem mistaken, of fifteen, or eighteen, twenty, or twenty-five? And then wha becomes of that which they think they shall do next year?—

++ Persons in strong health are very prone to this feeling that boasts; i. e. make quite sure of its long continuance; and confidently on activity and pleasure ever so long!

-And they do so, though nobody wonders if the contrary should happen— -For how easily a cold, fever, sad accident; and sickness, pain, languishing, death!

Many are in this full confidence at the beginning of this year. Now consider, many were so at the beginning of the past year, AND! what are now the reflections of no small number of them?

-Some who were grasping at more, have lost all

-Some who were prosecuting a business find it all broken up

-Some fallen sick, and can do nothing

-Some lost the friends on whose aid they depended

-Some obliged to leave their convenient places of abode

-Some suffered by the craft, or wickedness, or carelessness of others

-Some gone on journies and never come back

-Some gone on the sea and perished— -Some had their property destroyed by fires

-Some were building houses, and died before they were finished.

-Now, with all this in remembrance, shall any man look with a bold perfect confidence to the end of this year? No disappointment or calamity can. appen to me. Why cannot it?

++ Shall name only one more thing vhich partakes of the same sin

Many who disregard their best in

-Let the persons now in high health recollect the instances they have them-terests, religion, now, are quite confident selves known or heard of during the they shall at a future time do the conpast year, and boast ;-and then con- trarysider that they are so liable to the same that nobody will wonder if it happen to any of them.

In worldly pursuits there is the same thoughtless confidence which amounts to the sin in the text.

-Confident of what they shall form or gain within the year

-But what makes them so sure of that? Will they better like seriousness, repentance, prayer, self-denial, &c.?

-Better informed of the worth and danger of their souls?

-Less regard the ridicule of the per-worldly and profane?

-Complete some plan, successful in some employment or undertaking, get full possession of some desired advantage, make some journey of profit or pleasure.

-Be more convinced of the uncertainty of life?

But besides, if life should be cut off before the promised time shall comewhat then? What sort of plea will it be before the bar of the Judge? I would

have repented, &c., if I had but lived a little longer.

++ Such considerations should suffice to persuade us out of the sin and folly in the text.

-Should enforce on us,

-Not to forget or disregard the sovereignty of God

-An habitual humble reference in all things to his providence, a sense of dependence

-An immediate, serious, resolved attention to our highest duty

-Repentance and shame for our past presumption

-An anxiety to be each day in such a state that whatever may happen, "tomorrow" it may be well with us

-That we should never throw on tomorrow, the duty which belongs to to-day.

THE CELESTIAL RAILROAD.

BY NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE.

Nor a great while ago, passing through the gate of dreams, I visited that region of the earth in which lies the famous city of Destruction. It interested me much to learn that, by the public spirit of some of the inhabitants, a railroad has recently been established between this populous and flourishing town and the Celestial City. Having a little time upon my hands, I resolved to gratify a liberal curiosity by making a trip thither. Accordingly, one fine morning, after paying my bill at the hotel, and directing the porter to stow my luggage behind a coach, I took my seat in the vehicle, and set out for the station-house. It was my good fortune to enjoy the company of a gentleman one Mr. Smooth-it-away-who, though he had never actually visited the Celestial City, yet seemed as well acquainted with its laws, customs, policy, and statistics, as with those of the city of Destruction, of which he was a native townsman. Being, moreover, a director of the railroad corporation, and one of its largest shareholders, he had it in his power to give me all desirable information respecting that praiseworthy enterprise.

Our coach rattled out of the city, and,

VOL. VII.-FOURTH SERIES.

at a short distance from its outskirts, passed over a bridge of clegant construction, but somewhat too slight, as I imagined, to sustain any considerable weight. On both sides lay an extensive quagmire, which could not have been more disagreeable either to sight or smell, had all the kennels of the earth emptied their pollution there.

"This," remarked Mr. Smooth-itaway, "is the famous Slough of Despond a disgrace to all the neighbourhood; and the greater, that it might so easily be converted into firm ground."

"I have understood," said I, "that efforts have been made for that purpose, from time immemorial. Bunyan mentions that above twenty thousand cartloads of wholesome instructions had been thrown in here, without effect."

"Very probably !-and what effect could be anticipated from such unsubstantial stuff?" cried Mr. Smooth-itaway. "You observe this convenient bridge. We obtained a sufficient foundation for it by throwing into the Slough some editions of books of morality, volumes of French philosophy and German rationalism, tracts, sermons, and essays of modern clergymen, extracts

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