On the hard bosom of a manger laid.'
He spoke, and straight the heavenly host ap- And Ajax, fir'd with martial rage,

"See! hoary Nestor, deep-skill'd sage,

1133

Review-Portraiture of the late Rev. James Hinton. 1134

To brook employ so base, so uncongenial
With his best hopes, and giv'n up to despair,
Life's bitterest foe! A sudden frenzy darted
Like an impetuous whirlwind on his brain,
Absorb'd his faculties, and dim'd his soul.
To what high flights might once his muse have
tow'r'd,

But penury his noblest wishes bounded;
Oh! with what ecstasy he could have fill'd
His hearers, had his mind been disengag'd
From earthly care; but now disorder'd lies
His harp untun'd, mute as himself, inglorious,

Never to know sweet sounds of concord inore.

REVIEW A Biographical Portraiture

of the late Rev. James Hinton, M.A. Pastor of a Congregational Church in the City of Oxford. By his Son, John Howard Hinton, M.A. Pastor of a Baptist Church at Reading. 8vo. pp. 398. London. Holdsworth. 1824. IN the countenance of Mr. Hinton, which appears in a portrait prefixed to this volume, a physiognomist, we conceive, would easily discover strong indications of discriminating acuteness, much vigour of intellect, with a firmness of resolution, that common difficulties could not subdue. Such,

at least, were the impressions made upon our minds before we had perused a single chapter; and, although we do not profess ourselves to be proficients in the school of Lavater, we think that an examination of this biographical portraiture will furnish evidence that our conjectures have not been misapplied.

In the work before us, the Rev. John Howard Hinton professes to give a biographical sketch of his late tion which subsisted between the parfather; and, although, from the relaties, we had anticipated many strokes of partiality, yet we think, on the whole, that it is written with much fairness. Without doubt, the lateMr. Hinton's life is placed in an amiable light, but, from the evidence adduced, we have every reason to believe that it was highly deserving of the memorial which it has obtained. The account of his conversion to God, taken chiefly from his own papers, is clear, satisfactory, and instructive; and the numerous quotations from his diary plainly shew, that he walked in close communion with God, and had the work of the ministry, and the welfare of souls committed to his care, much at heart.

The life of Mr. Hinton does not abound with, what may be called, remarkable incidents. His labours were confined to a limited sphere, which could scarcely furnish any thing like variety in the field of active exertions, where he,

"Along the cool sequestered vale of life,

Pursued the noiseless tenor of his way." It is, however, enlivened by variations and anecdotes, suggested by passing events, through which we are introduced to diversified scenes; hence that monotony is prevented, which,

from his located situation, might | more unholy fires, than it has ever otherwise be naturally expected.

To the education of his children, Mr. Hinton seems to have paid particular attention, and the effects of his parental care were conspicuous in their several deportments. His solicitude for their spiritual and eternal welfare is apparent from the entries which he made in his journals, from his watchful anxiety to preserve them from the moral contamination to which youth is too commonly exposed, and from his letters to them, when, being at a distance, occasions called for the exercise of his pen.

quenched. Both those who advocate infant baptism, and those who contend for the administration of the rite only to adults, admit, that neither is essential to salvation; though were we to form our judgment from the fierceness with which they engage in combat, we should conclude, that the controversy involved in its issues the final destiny of the human race.

Happily, however, the preceding remarks are not applicable to all who have dipped their pens in the baptismal font. Many among them have conducted their researches with a becoming Christian spirit, without substituting dogmas for reasoning, or betraying an intolerant bitterness towards others, while pursuing their la

Mr. Hinton was of the Baptist persuasion, but the observance of this rite, he never appears to have considered as essential to salvation; and even when opportunities offered for the re-borious investigations. Of this decommendation of this particular branch of his creed, the written word of God was the primary source whence he directed inquirers to seek for information. Other works he, indeed, occasionally put into their hands, when doubts arose on disputable points; but these he introduced as subordinate to the sacred scriptures, from "the serious perusal of which, he alone estimated conviction.

scription is the essay now under consideration. The author, indeed, seems uniformly conscious that he has taken his stand upon a rock, from which he cannot be dislodged by any assailant; and hence his language partakes of confidence without ostentation, and his sentiments are delivered with boldness untinctured with asperity.

In the author's enumeration of the subjects which pass under his view, the following particulars are distinctly noticed:-"Introduction, explanation of terms; meaning and form of the ordinance; objections raised from various passages of scripture considered; interpretation of the word baptism by the Greeks, miscellaneous remarks on the hypothesis of immersion, extent of the administration of baptism, con

In visiting some malefactors under sentence of death, he was made particularly useful; and to one named Davis, who was executed in March, 1805, an account is preserved that is remarkably interesting. To another, named Bennett, whose sentence was commuted into transportation for life, he freely spoke of the things of God. This man appears to have been re-clusion, and appendix." Under the markably ignorant, having never heard of the ten commandments; and although no satisfactory evidence of his conversion appeared, he took leave of his country manifesting some pleasing indications of an enlightened mind.

1

REVIEW.- An Essay on Baptism, being an Inquiry into the Meaning, Form, and Extent of that Ordinance. By Grenville Ewing, Minister of the Gospel, Glasgow. With an Appendix, &c. Second Edition, enlarged. 8vo. pp. 257. London, Baynes & Son. 1824.

above heads Mr. Ewing places the
numerous topics, which on this sub-
ject have so long agitated the contro-
versial world; and it cannot be de-
nied even by those who may dissent
from his conclusions, that he has eve-
ry where displayed a vast fund of
learning, and collected together a
be overturned.
mass of evidence that will not easily

To those who wish to know with precision the author's particular views

of scriptural baptism, the following short paragraph cannot fail to prove satisfactory:

"What then do I conceive to be the scripTHIS watery subject has long deluged tural form of the ordinance of baptism? It is the Christian church, and, in the nu-baptizer on the turned up face of the baptized. the pouring out of water from the hand of the merous discussions to which it has This I conceive to be the only scriptural mode given birth, has unhappily kindled of administering the ordinance."-p. 18.

In that portion of the volume before us which treats of the extent of the administration of Baptism, the author considers the distinct claims both of adults and infants to this Christian rite, founded on an appeal to the sacred scriptures. The passages which | have a bearing on the subject, he examines with much acuteness, and draws from the whole one general inference, that, although the ordinance," O Tasso! thou torrent of heaven, under given circumstances, includes adults, it embraces infants with many distinguished peculiarities. It cannot, however, be dissembled, that Mr. E. seems to hesitate, in extending salvation to all infants, for on this point his creed is evidently at variance with his humanity. In a note appended to page 183, we find the following remark:-" After all, thus much is certain, that some infants now under the gospel belong to God's kingdom, and have him for their God; and this will be sufficient for my present purpose."

In these little compositions, we, however, perceive some bright coruscations of thought, some strong emanations of intellect, some splendid sparklings of genius. The energy is vigorous, but evanescent: it shines for a moment, excites our attention, and while we admire, it disappears. As a specimen, we give the following stanzas to Tasso:

The manner in which this essay is written, notwithstanding the fund of information which it contains, is, on the whole, more critical than popular; and its reasonings and conclusions will appear more convincing to those who trace etymologies, distinguish roots, and recollect the uses to which certain words have been applied by ancient authors, than to the common reader, whose inquiries are less profound. But independently of these considerations, the mode of argumentation which the author adopts, having once settled the groundwork, will be sufficiently clear and intelligible amply to repay the acute but unlearned reader, for perusing the pages of

this volume.

REVIEW.-Poems and Poetical Trans-
lations. By Samuel Gower.
pp. 48.
London. Simpkin & Marshall. 1824.

WHEN the reader is informed that
this pamphlet contains fifty-seven ar-
ticles, he need not be told that each
poem is very short, and that the cha-
racter of the whole is highly miscella-
neous. In her numerous, but short,
excursions, the muse of Mr. Gower re-
minds us of a flying-fish, which mounts
into the aerial regions, and continues
its flight until its wings get dry, then
dips into the ocean, and with reno-
vated vigour, renews its efforts in the
ambient element.

No. 72.-VOL. VI.

Whose waters were health to mankind,
In the world's fairest wilderness riven
Through its garden of beauty to wind!
Though ceas'd from Italia's clime
Thy once sweetly-marmuring strife,
Thy spirit still onward with time

Fills with flowers the low desert of life.

Though the flap of the vulture, that hovers,
O'er the light of the plunderer's spear,
Hath sileno'd the song of thy lovers,
Who wail o'er thy desolate bier ;-
Though the waves to their gondolas moan
That the sound of thy harp is forgot;
Still, wherever thy footsteps are known,
Thy laurels o'ershadow the spot."-p. 9.

REVIEW.-Persuasives to Early Piety :
Third Edition. By G. Pike. pp.
267. London. R. Baynes.
WHEN a book falls into our hands, that
contains, in large print, a stream of
text running through a field of mar-
gin, we are always led to peruse it
with suspicion, and in general we
have found catch-penny somewhere or
other lurking in its pages. In such
cases, the author seems to say to his
customers, "My compositions are too
precious to be dealt out with a liberal
hand; their merit will give them cir-
culation, and every one knows that
what is far-fetched and dearly pur-
chased, is fit for ladies." Many works
of this description daily issue from the
press, of which the following is the
accurate history:-" they were born;
appeared sickly, though magnificently
dressed; and died in their infancy."

These remarks, however, will not
apply to the little volume before us.
It is closely printed on a small clear
type, and the page exhibits nothing
more than a reasonable margin. The
price also is very moderate, being no
more than two shillings, although
there is a sufficient number of words
to fill two or three volumes of a certain
class, at five or six shillings each.
This circumstance speaks much in
favour of the author, who cannot be
suspected of attempting to levy con-
tributions on the public.
4 C

1139 Review: Tales from Afar-Letters in Rhyme-Gipsies. 1140

Mother at Home to her Children at
School. 18mo. pp. 88. London.
Westley. 1824.

This book contains twenty-three REVIEW.-Letters, in Rhyme, from a chapters, to each of which is prefixed a syllabus of its contents, all bearing on the same point, and holding out persuasives to early piety. Through every chapter there is an earnestness THERE is much pleasing simplicity in in the author's manner, which con- these letters; they inculcate plain vinces us that he is sincere. His ex- truth in language adapted to the postulatións are drawn from various minds of children, for whose use they sources, the origin of which may be are designed. The lines are unemeasily traced to the great fountain of barrassed, and the words are quite revelation, the truths of which are familiar, and the whole is written in a illustrated by numerous incidents strain that no child of seven years taken from historical facts, and anec- | old, of a tolerable capacity, can misdotes, which the lives of different understand. The letters are very individuals have supplied. short, and might easily be committed to memory by the pupil. The writer well knows how to adapt her style to her subject, and to the comprehension of children; and it is doubtful if the same thoughts could have been expressed in fewer words in prose, than they now occupy in rhyme. Tenderness, good advice, and plain sense, are alike conspicuous in every epistle.

The language is simple and perspicuous, as destitute of pedantry, as it is devoid of ornament, the writer having been evidently more intent upon his important subject, than concerned about the raiment which it should wear. Those who read this book in the hope of finding amusement, will certainly be disappointed, while such as sincerely inquire, why they should devote their days to God, will find much gratification, by discovering reasons and motives which had been Works of previously unobserved. this kind are of real utility, not to theological speculators, but to the youth of both sexes who inquire, "what must I do to be saved?"

|

REVIEW.-The Gipsies; a Narrative of

several Communications with that People: the Duty of Christians to attempt their Conversion, &c. pp. 48. London. Baldwin and Co.

THIS pamphlet has an imposing titlepage, and the subject is both important and interesting. The author, it appears, paid three visits to a camp of these fugitives, spoke to them ou the condition of their souls, was kindly received, listened to with earnestness, and his instructions were accepted with lively emotions of gratitude. He states the number of gipsies in this kingdom to be about 40,000, and points them out as objects every way entitled to missionary benevolence. He thinks that serious prejudices have been entertained against them, and so far as his observations extended, he views them as ready to receive the truths of Christianity.

REVIEW.-Tales from Afar. By a Clergyman, lately resident Abroad. London. Westley. 12mo. pp. 241. 1824. THESE tales have certainly a moral tendency, but they carry the marks of fiction in every page. The author has | a good command of language, and well knows how to turn his expressions to the most favourable account, so far as his scanty materials will allow. He has learnt the art of dressing up trifles in gay attire, and of giving an artificial interest to subjects that have taken the benefit of the insolvent act. His ingenuity is chiefly displayed, not in making his book contain his incidents, but in contriving to make the incidents hold out to fill | HAVING, in col. 969, inserted a reply, his pages. His performance resem- by L. Man, to a query on "the Utility bles the conduct of a man who would of learning Greek and Latin," which put a coach-and-six in motion, with had been previously proposed, the postilions, footmen, and attendants in following extract from Milton's Tracsplendid liveries, to carry a pincush- tate on Education, has been handed ion. In both cases the equipage is to us by a judicious friend, whose more important than the charge. communications we highly esteem, as

MILTON, ON EDUCATION.