"Enough! enough!-this is the bliss of Heaven." Welcome the dawning of a cloudless day! Welcome the Sabbath that shall never end!-P. 46-48. We conclude with the following description of the sea. O changeful sea! changeless alone in this, Viest in splendour with Night's beauteous Queen; The tempest's rage would seem a humble theme.-Pp. 71, 72. An Exposition of the Apocalypse. By D. N. LORD. Harper and Brothers, 1847. New York: This is a thick octavo volume, of 542 pages closely printed. We cannot undertake fully to review it, for the field is so varied and ample, and there are so many points which we might be disposed to question. But it is an able and learned work, one from which a student of prophecy may derive many excellent hints and much valuable information. Having of late occupied so many of our sheets with articles on the Apocalypse, we must apologise to the author and his publishers for not taking up this work at greater length. On the Influence, Power, and Evil Agency of Satan. London: J. Nisbet & Co. 1847. A useful little publication, especially in the present day when Satan and Satanic influence are too much forgotten in some quarters, and totally disbelieved in others. The Law of the Offerings in Lev. i.-vii. considered as the appointed figure of the various aspects of the offering of the body of Jesus Christ. By ANDREW JUKES. London: J. Nisbet & Co. 1847. A truly Christian spirit runs throughout this little work. Many striking suggestions on various passages of the Word are to be with in its pages. We do not subscribe to all his expositions. Some we do not altogether understand, from others we differ; but much may be gathered from the work. Some good hints are given near the commencement as to the different books of the Old Testament. "The types of Genesis,” he remarks, “are for the most part types of God's great dispensational purposes; showing in mystery his sacred will and way respecting the different successive dispensations. The types of Exodus, I speak of course generally, bring out as their characteristic, redemption and its consequences; a chosen people are here redeemed out of bondage, and brought into a place of nearness to God. Leviticus again differs from each of these, dealing, I think I may say solely, in types connected with access to God. Numbers and Joshua are again perfectly different, the one giving us types connected with our pilgrimage as in the wilderness; the other, types of our place as over Jordan, that is, as dead and risen with Christ. In speaking thus I would by no means be understood to say that Genesis is the only book which contains dispensational types: I believe there are some in the other books; but wherever this the case, the dispensational type is subservient to, or rather in connection with, the general subject of the book. Thus if Numbers is the book of the wilderness, the dispensational types in it, if there are any, will bear on the wilderness." Pp. 14, 15. Again, as to the book of Numbers, "Numbers,—giving the history of Israel in the wilderness, their services, their trials, and their failures there,―brings out, I cannot doubt, repeated types of the Christian's experience and pilgrimage in the world as in a wilderness. Israel's history, as well as Israel's ordinances, was typical; their coming out of Egypt was typical; their sojourn in the wilderness was typical; their entering the land was typical; and the details of each of these portions of their history, the typical character of which in general is granted by all, will show how perfectly the pictures are finished by the hand of One who well knew what he was describing. "In Numbers then we get types connected with the wilderness. Here the world is viewed not as the house of bondage, but as the place of trial, the scene of pilgrimage, through which Israel must pass to Canaan. Thus in those chapters in Numbers, which are most allied in their character to the types of Leviticus, (where the offering of Christ, as in 'the red heifer,' is without doubt the great end of the representation,) we have the sacrafice, not as in Leviticus, showing some aspect of Christ's offering as bearing on communion, but as further coming in with particular application to the trials of a walk of faith in the wilderness; and meeting the cases of individual experience, such as contact with evil or any other defilement. "I speak the less on this subject, because the whole character of the book is so obvious, and to enter into the particulars would fill a volume. Suffice it to say throughout, we have the elect in the wilderness, learning there what man is and what God is; what the ransomed people ought to be, and what they really are. We have the Levites,-I take one undoubted type from the fourth chapter, the picture of the Church in service. Do you want a type of the experience of service? Then think of the white-robed Levites, with garments unspotted from pollution, passing onwards through the desert land; each day dependent on God for every thing, and following the guidance of the fire and cloud, while they bear the vessels of the sanctuary and care for them on the dreary waste. Those vessels all typified something of Christ. And the spiritual Levites have now to bear Him through the wilderness. And so throughout, Numbers gives us the wilderness. The pillar of cloud preceding them; the blowing of the silver trumpets, and the alarm in the camp; the murmuring after the flesh-pots of Egypt; and the shrinking through unbelief from going up to Canaan;-fit representation of God's chosen people shrinking backward from the trials of their heavenly calling;-the want of water in the wilderness, and the stony rock opened to supply that need; the whoredom with the daughters of Moab, and the discouragement because of the way; what are all these but living pictures of the Christian pilgrim's experience as in the wilderness. Pp. 31-33. A Little Book about the Stars. Edinburgh: W. P. Kennedy, 1847. This is the 28th number of a most excellent series of litttle books intended for the young. The whole series may confidently be recommended to the notice of parents and teachers. RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE. REPORT ON THE STATE OF RELIGION. PRESENTED TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND, ON THURSDAY, JULY 8, 1847. THE object for which the Committee on the State of Religion was appointed, is not to devise any new and unusual modes of seeking to give an impulse to the cause of vital godliness, but simply to ascertain how far the visible blessing of God has rested on the ordinary and stated means of grace-to note the helps and the hindrances to the progress of truth and righteousness, which are prominently appearing in this quarter of the Church-to collect and to give expression to the various suggestions thrown out by the brethren for the more efficient performance of the Lord's work, and so to be more fully prepared, through grace, for the duties and responsibilities of the high and holy vocation to which we are called. Amidst the various questions of local and temporary interest, which necessarily engage so much attention and discussion in our annual Assemblies, it will surely be regarded as a matter of paramount importance to have our inquiries specifically directed to the great question"Where and to what extent is the arm of the Lord revealed amongst us? What reason have we to think that the kingdom of God is advancing in our own souls, and amongst the people of our charge? How far have we attained, or are we seeking to attain, the great ends of the gospel ministry?" It is the province of the committee from their own personal observation, and from the correspondence of their brethren to obtain such information bearing on these points as may serve to instruct, to comfort, to warn, to quicken us in our efforts to uphold and to promote the interests of vital religion in the land. In the two former Reports, the Committee reviewed at considerable length the various stated agencies employed by the Church for building up the cause and kingdom of God, and also detailed the additional means which had been used for bringing these agencies to bear with greater effect upon the minds and hearts of the community. The history of the past year does not furnish us with many additional details. By one of the Synods, deputations were appointed to visit the congregations of its several Presbyteries, for the purpose, especially, of urging the claims of missions on the increased sympathy and support of our people. These deputations, there is reason to believe, proved advantageous, not only in reference to the object directly contemplated but also in fostering the spirit of brotherly love and of mutual confidence amongst the ministers who were thus brought together. The association of the people of God, and especially of the ministers of the Gospel, meeting to advise and to pray with one another for the peace and prosperity of Zion-to declare what God has done for them and by them-to give and to receive counsel and encouragement amidst the difficulties and dangers by which they are continually surrounded-is one of the most precious cordials which the God of all grace has provided to refresh them in their journey through the wilderness. How much is it to be regretted that this blessed privilege is not more highly appreciated, and more fully and habitually enjoyed. In more than one Presbytery the plan which had been adopted during the previous year, of giving consecutive lectures on some one important subject in its various aspects and bearings, has been pursued during the past year; and a course of twelve lectures on the great doctrine of Justification by Faith was attended, from its commencement to its close, by large and overflowing audiences. This plan of lecture tends to give our people more enlarged and also more systematic views of Divine Truth, and, at the same time, forms a pleasant and profitable bond of union amongst the ministers themselves. The Committee submit, that it might be advantageously pursued by all our Presbyteries; and for the next year they would suggest the propriety of selecting some subject bearing directly upon the peculiar aspect and claims of the country in which we reside, and of the times on which the providence of God has cast our lot. The visitation of families living in habitual neglect of public ordinances, by private members of the Church, having districts assigned to them, and pursuing their benevolent labours under the superintendence of the session of the bounds, has been continued throughout the past year where it had been previously commenced, and has been attended by the most encouraging results. Many careless families have been thus brought under Christian instruction; many important agencies of a subsidiary kind have been called into operation, and many precious gifts of the Holy Spirit, residing in the Church, which were previously unknown, have been stirred up into vigorous and successful cultivation. This plan of visitation has been in some quarters extended to the families of Roman Catholics, and the Gospel message has been proclaimed in the ears of many who had never heard it before. Of these families, some have rejected the message and the messenger; others have gladly received the Word, and have sent their children to the Sabbath-school;-some have been led seriously to inquire the way of salvation, and others have been brought to Jesus, and have found peace and joy in believing. Were every one of our churches, located in the neighbourhood of a Roman Catholic population, to mark off a convenient and manageable district, and to determine in God's name to use all possible means of bringing the Gospel to bear on every soul within that district, capable of receiving or rejecting it, the amount of good resulting from such an operation might be great beyond all that we had ventured to anticipate. The Committee rejoice to state, that the important agency of the Sabbath-school has in various quarters of the Church received increased attention during the past year, In one instance a Sabbath-school Teachers' Union has been formed, in official connexion with the Presbytery of the bounds. This institution has already been productive of much and various good. In its first annual report (a highly interesting and well written document) we are told that the formation of this union has led to the delivery and publication of several addresses, by various ministers, all of these essentially bearing on the Sabbath-school system; that it has strengthened the bond of connexion between pastor and teacher; that it has furnished highly valuable statistics respecting the various schools of which it has been composed; that it has greatly stimulated and encouraged the teachers, and has improved the mode of their teaching. And here again, the Committee would enquire whether it be not practicable to extend these institutions over the whole Church, and to connect a Sabbath-school Union with each of our Presbyteries? We could thus avail ourselves of the admirable system of Church polity to invigorate the whole course of Sabbath-school instruction, to enlarge the sphere of its operation, and, by the Divine blessing, to raise up a host of youthful and ardent soldiers of the cross to fight the battles of the faith, and to extend the kingdom of the Redeemer far abroad over the earth. In not a few of our Sabbath-schools the attention of the young during the past year has been called to the claims of missions. In some schools familiar lectures have been delivered on the subject, with the aid of maps prepared for the purpose; juvenile societies have been formed, and contributions have been made by our Sabbath-scholars to the Missionary cause. It is of vast importance to their own happiness, and to the prosperity of the Church, that the susceptible and generous spirit of youth should be early leavened with great principles and facts bearing on the progress of the Gospel, and that the children of our people should be early trained to habits of self-denial for the good of their fellow-creatures, and for the glory of God. The committee are enabled to state that, the importance of prayer meetings, and of other meetings for the service of God additional to the stated assembly of the morn ing of the Lord's Day, is generally recognised over the Church; and that, in many of our large rural congregations, arrangements are made by which every family shall have, within a certain limited period, convenient access to a service of this kind, whether conducted by the minister, or by an elder, or other experienced member of the Church. The last paragraph suggests the great and effectual instrumentality to which we must have recourse, if we really desire and hope to see vital religion growing and prospering within our borders. We are richly provided with all the machinery of a scriptural and well-ordered Church; we have the Word of God abundantly diffused throughout our whole population; we have a ministry, united in the profession and preaching of an orthodox faith; we have standards of acknowledged purity and excellence; we have Sabbath-schools and Bible classes; we have missions at home and missions abroad; we have all the means which have been usually acknowledged and blessed for the conversion and edification of souls. What more do we need? We need that mighty agency without which all these varied means prove utterly unavailing. We need the animating breath, the invigorating and sustaining power of the Spirit of God. And how is this essential blessing to be obtained? We are all ready to reply, in answer to the voice of believing, fervent, persevering prayer-“Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not." "Verily, verily, I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, He will give it you." The warrant is always clear; the invitation is always free; the success is always sure. And surely, if ever there was a season demanding the solemn and peculiar acknowledgment of the character, and claims, and promises of God, that season is the present. Famine and Disease are stalking in ghastly triumph over the land, and many thousands of our countrymen have already fallen victims to these terrible plagues. The Lord's voice crieth, "Hear ye the rod, and who hath appointed it." No philosophical explanation can be given of the blight which has come upon the staple food of our population. The purpose of God in concealing this matter seems to be, not only to rebuke the pride of human intellect, exulting in the attainments |