ceit, heartened and set on by the assistance of Satan and the world. Thirdly, it hath a judicature and regiment in the heart; it governs by a law; it sends forth lusts and temptations like so many edicts into the soul; and when we object the law of God against the service that is required, then, as the Persian king, who could not find out a law to warrant the particular which he would have done, found out another, "that he might do what he would," so sin, when it hath no reason to allege, yet it hath self-will, that is, all laws in one.'

We are occasionally reminded by passages in Reynolds, of the exquisite harmony of South. A sentence or two in the following paragraph, very forcibly recalled to our recollection, not only the style, but the sentiment of one of his noblest compositions.

• Three hateful evils are in sin; aberration from God's image; obnoxiousness to his wrath; and rejection from his presence: stain, guilt, and misery, which is the product or issue of the former. Now as we say, 'Rectum est sui judex et obliqui,' the law is such a rule, as can measure and set forth all this evil; it is holy, just, and good. Holy, fit to conform us to the image of God; just, fit to arm us against the wrath of God; and good, fit to present us unto the presence and fruition of God. According to this blessed and complete pattern was man created; an universal rectitude in his nature, all parts in tune, all members in joint; light and beauty in his mind, conformity in his will, subordination and subjection in his appetites, serviceableness in his body, peace and happiness in his whole being. But man, being exactly sensible of the excellency of his estate, gave an easy ear to the first temptation, which laid before him a hope and project of improving it and so believing Satan's lie, and embracing a shadow, he fell from the substance which before he had, and contracted the hellish and horrid image of that tempter which had thus deceived him.' Vol. I. p. 117.

The third of these treatises, is intitled the Life of Christ.' In illustrating 1 John v. 12, and Phil. iii. 10, the Author points out Christ as the fountain of life and happiness, and fellowship with him as the medium through which he is derived. "He "that hath the Son, hath Life," are words fraught with matter of unspeakable importance.

، They contain the sum of man's desires, life; and the sum of God's mercies, Christ; and the sum of man's duty, fuith; Christ, the fountain; life, the derivation; and faith, the conveyance.'

The second volume is occupied with the Exposition of the. CXth Psalm,' that most remarkable prophecy of the royalty and priesthood of Christ. Of this we can only say in general, that it contains much that is valuable and impressive. If it exhibits less of the imaginative than the three treatises,' it is no way inferior in important sentiment. Without intending to

depreciate the powers of Dr. Reynolds as a master of argument, we should be inclined to speak of him as excelling in illustrative statement and eloquent instruction, rather than in closeness of reasoning or logical deduction. Now a talent of this kind, accompanied, as it was in the present instance, by a profound acquaintance with Scripture, and a large accession of human learning, regulated by the best intentions and directed to the most important objects, is perhaps better suited to expository elucidation than to systematic discussion; and the Bishop seems, accordingly, to have preferred availing himself of opportunities for engaging in didactic composition, to engaging in abstruse investigations or subtle trains of argumentative inquiry. The following extract is from the comments on the second verse of the psalm.

• The power of the Word towards wicked men is seen in affrighting of them; there is a spirit of bondage and a savour of death, as well as a spirit of life and liberty, which goeth along with the Word. Guilt is an inseparable consequent of sin,-and fear, of the manifestation of guilt. If the heart become convinced of this, it will presently faint and tremble, even at the shaking of a leaf, at the wagging of a man's own conscience: how much more at the voice of the Lord, which shaketh mountains, and maketh the strong foundations of the earth to tremble! If I should see a prisoner at the bar pass sentence upon his judge, and the judge thereupon surprised with trembling, and forced to subscribe and acknowledge the doom, I could not but stand amazed at so inverted a proceeding: yet, in the Scripture we find precedents for it; Micaiah, a prisoner, pronouncing death unto Ahab, a king; Jeremiah, a prisoner, pronouncing cap tivity unto Zedekiah, a king; Paul, in his chains, preaching of judgment unto Felix in his robes, and making his own judge to tremble. It is not for want of strength in the Word, or because there is stoutness in the hearts of men to stand out against it, that all the wicked of the world do not tremble at it; but merely their ignorance of the power and evidence thereof. The devils are stronger and more stubborn creatures than any man can be; yet, because of their full illumination, and that invincible conviction of their con sciences from the power of the Word, they believe and tremble at it. Though men were as hard as rocks, the Word is a hammer which can break them: though as sharp as thorns and briers, the Word is a fire which can devour and torment them: though as strong as kingdoms and nations, the Word is able to root them up, and to pull them down: though as fierce as dragons and lions, the Word is able to trample upon them, and chain them up.'

Vol. II. pp. 137, 8.

The Meditations on the Holy Sacrament,' are stated by the Author, in his dedication, to have been his first theological essay,' composed by him for his own use, when a young ⚫ student in the university.' He complains of the officiousness

ceit, heartened and set on by the assistance of Satan and the world. Thirdly, it hath a judicature and regiment in the heart; it governs by a law; it sends forth lusts and temptations like so many edicts into the soul; and when we object the law of God against the service that is required, then, as the Persian king, who could not find out a law to warrant the particular which he would have done, found out another," that he might do what he would," so sin, when it hath no reason to allege, yet it hath self-will, that is, all laws in one.'

We are occasionally reminded by passages in Reynolds, of the exquisite harmony of South. A sentence or two in the following paragraph, very forcibly recalled to our recollection, not only the style, but the sentiment of one of his noblest compositions.

• Three hateful evils are in sin; aberration from God's image; obnoxiousness to his wrath; and rejection from his presence: stain, guilt, and misery, which is the product or issue of the former. Now as we say,Rectum est sui judex et obliqui,' the law is such a rule, as can measure and set forth all this evil; it is holy, just, and good. Holy, fit to conform us to the image of God; just, fit to arm us against the wrath of God; and good, fit to present us unto the presence and fruition of God. According to this blessed and complete pattern was man created; an universal rectitude in his nature, all parts in tune, all members in joint; light and beauty in his mind, conformity in his will, subordination and subjection in his appetites, serviceableness in his body, peace and happiness in his whole being. But man, being exactly sensible of the excellency of his estate, gave an easy ear to the first temptation, which laid before him a hope and project of improving it: and so believing Satan's lie, and embracing a shadow, he fell from the substance which before he had, and con. tracted the hellish and horrid image of that tempter which had thus deceived him.' Vol. I. p. 117.

The third of these treatises, is intitled the Life of Christ.' In illustrating 1 John v. 12, and Phil. iii. 10, the Author points out Christ as the fountain of life and happiness, and fellowship. with him as the medium through which he is derived. "He "that hath the Son, hath Life," are words fraught with matter of unspeakable importance.

They contain the sum of man's desires, life; and the sum of God's mercies, Christ; and the sum of man's duty, fuith; Christ, the fountain; life, the derivation; and faith, the conveyance.'

The second volume is occupied with the Exposition of the CXth Psalm,' that most remarkable prophecy of the royalty and priesthood of Christ. Of this we can only say in general, that it contains much that is valuable and impressive. If it exhibits less of the imaginative than the three treatises,' it is no way inferior in important sentiment. Without intending to

depreciate the powers of Dr. Reynolds as a master of argument, we should be inclined to speak of him as excelling in illustrative statement and eloquent instruction, rather than in closeness of reasoning or logical deduction. Now a talent of this kind, accompanied, as it was in the present instance, by a profound acquaintance with Scripture, and a large accession of human learning, regulated by the best intentions and directed to the most important objects, is perhaps better suited to expository elucidation than to systematic discussion; and the Bishop seems, accordingly, to have preferred availing himself of opportunities for engaging in didactic composition, to engaging in abstruse investigations or subtle trains of argumentative inquiry. The following extract is from the comments on the second verse of the psalm.

The power of the Word towards wicked men is seen in affrighting of them; there is a spirit of bondage and a savour of death, as well as a spirit of life and liberty, which goeth along with the Word. Guilt is an inseparable consequent of sin,-and fear, of the manifestation of guilt. If the heart become convinced of this, it will presently faint and tremble, even at the shaking of a leaf, at the wagging of a man's own conscience: how much more at the voice of the Lord, which shaketh mountains, and maketh the strong foundations of the earth to tremble! If I should see a prisoner at the bar pass sentence upon his judge, and the judge thereupon surprised with trembling, and forced to subscribe and acknowledge the doom, I could not but stand amazed at so inverted a proceeding: yet, in the Scripture we find precedents for it; Micaiah, a prisoner, pronouncing death unto Ahab, a king; Jeremiah, a prisoner, pronouncing captivity unto Zedekiah, a king; Paul, in his chains, preaching of judgment unto Felix in his robes, and making his own judge to tremble. It is not for want of strength in the Word, or because there is stoutness in the hearts of men to stand out against it, that all the wicked of the world do not tremble at it; but merely their ignorance of the power and evidence thereof. The devils are stronger and more stubborn creatures than any man can be; yet, because of their full illumination, and that invincible conviction of their con sciences from the power of the Word, they believe and tremble at it. Though men were as hard as rocks, the Word is a hammer which can break them: though as sharp as thorns and briers, the Word is a fire which can devour and torment them: though as strong as kingdoms and nations, the Word is able to root them up, and to pull them down: though as fierce as dragons and lions, the Word is able to trample upon them, and chain them up.'

Vol. II. pp. 137, 8.

The Meditations on the Holy Sacrament,' are stated by the Author, in his dedication, to have been his first theological "essay,' composed by him for his own use, when a young student in the university.' He complains of the officiousness

of a friend, as the cause of its reluctant publication; and yet, if we mistake not, there lurks behind this modest disclaimer, an unconscious complacency, a parental smile, while the worthy divine contemplates the healthy and promising aspect of his little and youthful' progeny. And he might justly be gratified by its appearance, since, though it betrays somewhat of juvenility, and might have been the better for receiving more than the brief and sudden castigations' given to it by the writer, it is well calculated for usefulness, and its composition is vivacious and attractive. If it be deficient in that range and discrimination which could only have been given by the wisdom and acquisitions of riper years, it contains more of animation and eloquence than are usually the attributes of age. If it has lost somewhat of explanatory and polemic excellence, it has gained on the side of hortative and practical impressiveness. We should, however, have felt satisfaction in reviewing the mature sentiments of the good Bishop on matters either slightly touched, or altogether avoided, in the treatise as it now stands. The important and, although questionable, yet highly interesting view of the Lord's Supper, considered as a Feast upon the Sacrifice, which is advocated with such singular ability by Cudworth, might have been confirmed or disproved. The use of the term 'Sacrament,' might have been vindicated or explained; or some plausible apology, at least, offered for the use of an equivocal, dangerous, and unnecessary term ;-equivocal, because it identifies the rite in question with something to which it bears no resemblance,-dangerous, because it has facilitated the glosses of Papistry,-unnecessary, because more simple and expressive terms present themselves in the Eucharist' and the Ordinance of the Lord's Supper.' But notwithstanding these and other defects, the practical value of these Meditations' is great; and parts of them are written with much felicity. The following illustration of the thesis, that Sacraments are earnests and shadows of our expected glory, made unto 'the senses,' is beautifully, though fancifully set forth.

·

'The promises and Word of grace with the Sacraments, are all but as so many sealed deeds, to make over, unto all successions of the church, so long as they continue legitimate children, and observe the laws on their part required,—an infallible claim and title unto that good which is not yet revealed,―unto that inheritance which is as yet laid up,-unto that life which is hid with God, and was never yet fully opened or let shine upon the earth. Even in Paradise there was a Sacrament: a tree of life indeed it was, but there was but one. Whereas Adam was to eat of all the fruits in the garden, he was there but to taste sometimes of life; it was not to be his perpetual and only food. We read of a tree