ness. It allures to ensnare; it pleases to destroy. The treacherous quicksand, the serpent hidden among flowers, are its proper emblems; because, in the afterthought, there is fear and guilt. Its native progeny are tormenting fiends. Its fruits are shame and pain here, but its consequences hereafter are utterly destructive. Its end, when it has wrought its full result, is to work destruction without end. It quickens the worm that dieth not; it kindles the fire that is not quenched; and when it has cast us into it, forsakes us for ever. This virulent evil reigns with almost universal and undisputed sway over mankind. In many it has the unchecked mastery; in others it shuns the light, and retires to the secret chambers of the imagination, desiring only the liberty of possessing the thought and amusing the fancy. In others it is like a concealed fire, shut up within the heart. It is not extinguished; it is not in a course of extinction. It is only under the restraint of fear, or reputation, or interest. In these cases its power is not overthrown, nor likely to be. Its reign is the same; and in the issue, if it continue so, it will have the mastery. And there are others (alas! that their number should be so few,) who have found out the true nature of sin-its inherent and universal hostility to human hap piness-its unfruitfulness, except in evil; and they are striving to subdue it, to search it out, in all its cencealments and disguises, and, by the aid of divine grace, to achieve a complete victory over it It will be every man's wisdom, and every man's interest, to imitate the example of such, and join himself to their number. For how shall any secret or open sinner escape, while there lives an Almighty God-its inflexible and eternal avenger, who might sooner unpeople the universe, than look with indifference, not to say benignity, on sin. His eye detects it now, his hand records it, and his frown will avenge it for ever. Then let the rational creation of the Almighty turn away the mask, and lift the vizor from the face of sin. You have only to consider her calmly, and you cannot be deceived. Reason itself would detect the hypocrite, and faith would prostrate her beneath your feet. Let but the sun of truth shine upon the foul face, and you will shrink from the sight. Consider and flee, should be the young man's motto, written upon every sinful object. Forgetfulness of God is the state of mind in which sin delights to find us; and when it seizes the helm with such a gale, it makes but a short course to the bottomless abyss. BEACON. SECOND EPISTLE OF PETER, CHAP. I. VER. 19. We have a word of Prophecy, As heaven's foundations sure; A revelation from on high, Like him who gave it, pure. Whereto 'tis well that we take heed, As to a beacon's light, Uplift in hour of direst need, To shine upon the night; Till dawns the long-expected day, J. B. REVIEW OF BOOKS. The Correspondence and Diary of Philip Doddridge, DD. Illustrative of various Particulars of his Life hitherto unknown with Notices of many of his Contemporaries; and a Sketch of the Ecclesiastical History of the Times in which he lived. Edited from the original MSS. by his Great Grandson, John Doddridge Humphreys, Esq. 2 vols. pp. 468. 520. Colburn. We should be guilty of insufferable arrogance were we to occupy the attention of our readers with elaborate panegyric on the learning, piety, and general excellence of Dr. Doddridge. an Although seventy-eight years have passed away since his manly frame, emaciated by unceasing labours and a fatal disease, found a grave amongst strangers in a strange land, yet there is still a freshness in his memory, and a fragrancy in his name which delight intelligent Englishmen of every party, and continue to diffuse through our denomination a healthful and holy influence, only second in power to that which resulted from his fervid and enlightened efforts whilst he sojourned, like an angelic visitant, amongst our churches. Our readers will rather expect from us some information respect ing a work which professes to contain "The Correspondence and Diary" of such a man, and to illustrate "various particulars of his life hitherto unknown," and edited too," from the original MSS. by his great grandson." They will be solicitous to know whether these papers furnish any important facts, in addition to those already before the public, and how far they tend to illustrate the character of their author, and to gratify the expectations which their first announcement awakened. N. S. NO. 62. Instead of meeting these inquiries with a short and dogmatical opinion, we shall remind our readers of certain circumstances, which will enable them to judge how far these expensive volumes challenge, and are calculated to gratify, their attention. Dr. Doddridge, in very early life, acquired a knowledge of Rich's Short-hand which, in various particulars, he subsequently improved; and hence formed the habit, which is very unusual, and is now proved to be unsafe, of transcribing, in short-hand characters, all the letters he wrote, whether grave or gay, of permanent value or of private and transient interest. These papers, with his diary, were placed in the hands of his beloved friend and pupil, Mr. Job Orton, who had undertaken to publish his life, and finding that, to a great degree, the Doctor had thus become his own biographer, he extensively employed these papers in compiling that work, as he informs us in his preface. "In order to execute this design, I have made such extracts from his Diary, and other papers, written solely for his own use, and his letters to his intimate friends, in which he laid open his whole heart, as I judged most proper to give a just idea of his inward sentiments, and the grand motives on which he acted through life." Every chapter of that invaluable work, therefore, contains some portion of those papers which are now in the possession of Mr. Humphreys. Mr. Orton, doubtless, felt, however, that in making these selections to illustrate his tutor's character, a delicate regard to the feelings of surviving friends was N necessary, and we can conceive, therefore, that many valuable papers were withheld on that account. Had the manuscripts then been subject to no farther inspection during the last sixty years, they would have doubtless furnished much interesting and novel information. But Mr. Orton, in whose possession they continued for many years, lent them to particular friends, who had opportunities of transcription, and, writing to the late Mr. Palmer, of Hackney, in 1778, he says, "I beg you will send me Dr. Doddridge's letters by the first safe hand. I want them very much, that I may destroy some, and select others to be kept." Though that intended destruction did not, we imagine, take place, yet, in 1790, there appeared an octavo volume, edited by Mr. Orton's particular friend, the Rev. Thos. Stedman, Vicar of St. Chad's, Shrewsbury, entitled, "Letters to and from the Rev. Philip Doddridge, D.D." which contained many of those epistles which could not, with propriety, have appeared in Orton's life, but from which the hand of death had removed all further restraint. Our readers will also bear in mind that the short hand transcripts of the Doctor's correspondence are not the only copies of his letters. The originals went into different hands, and many of them have already, in various ways, been given to the public. These facts will convince every one familiar with the works to which we have referred, that after Orton, Stedman, Palmer, and others, had successively gleaned from these papers, there were not left many of sufficient originality and importance to justify their publication in a series of octavo volumes. But do not these volumes contain many papers never sees, " and the 66 before published? Certainly, and many that should have never seen the light! We shall, no doubt, be classed by Mr. Humphreys, for this opinion, as some of our contempories have been, amongst the "evangelical pharipresumptuous hypocrites" of the present day. Well then, we will cite the opinion of Mr. Orton, "I have some of his Diaries, and other private papers, which were of use to me in compiling his life. They are of no use now, and ought not to be seen by any but some of his prudent and faithful friends. And so ill use has been made of such papers, that I am come to a resolution to destroy them!! Happy would it have been for the interest of piety, and for the editor of these volumes too, had this purpose been promptly executed. Mr. Humphreys has, however, stated other views in his preface, and in a letter to the Theological Repository, by which our readers will be able to judge of his sentiments and feelings upon this subject. "The letters were written with perfect candour, and are published without any of those reservations which might warp the judgment of the reader. "Mutilations in a literary point of view often defeat the intention, and rather attract public curiosity to the very points they were made to conceal. Suspicion at least, as surely as the shadow follows the substance, must always attend them. If there had therefore been any particulars connected with the Corredered it necessary to withhold a part, its spondence of Dr. Doddridge, which renpublication would not have taken place, as I would not, under such circumstances, have been a party. conceal, and little to explain; for if, in "I have, however, found nothing to some slight particulars, different shades of sentiment arose at various periods of life, they will, by the comprehensive plan of the work, be rendered duly ap parent. "The gaiety of expression in certain letters, I have, indeed, been told, may, with some persons, be a source of offence; and should it prove so, I can only say that I wish them warmer hearts, and sounder heads."—Vol. i. pp. xxvi. xxvii. "When in the first instance I resolved to publish the Correspondence of my venerable ancestor impartially, as the greatest honour I could do his memory, and in justice to the public, I was perfectly aware of the personal hostility such an act could not fail of arousing. I plainly foresaw that the same spirit which inspired the Pharisees of old to revive the ever-blessed Messiah as the 'companion of publicans and sinners,' would tempt the presumptuous hypocrites of modern days to reflect upon the innocent galety of heart which mingled with the profound piety of Dr. Doddridge. "In proving him by his own words to have been destitute of party feeling, I was conscious that that very party whose rancorous spirit he most deplored, and who, since his death, have so artfully represented him as one of themselves, would combine again to asperse his memory, as, during his life, they strove to injure his usefulness. "With these convictions upon my mind, I had, however, others which counterbalanced them, and are infinitely more important. "I knew that the character of Dr. Doddridge was without concealment, and that, as during his life, the devout and learned of every class sought his friendship with avidity, and while they ardently esteemed him as a man, venerated him no less as a practical divine; so I concluded that by mingling the records of his domestic virtues with the annals of his biblical labours, I should extend his reputation among the great majority of moderate and sincere Christians."-Theological Repository, Jan. pp. 64, 65. We will not enter into a discussion with this gentleman, upon the justice and propriety of an indiscriminate publication of private papers, though we can conceive that Mr. Humphreys himself would not wish that the lex talionis should be applied to all the documents which might, for instance, be given to the public, illustrative of his own history; but, as he professes extraordinary filial regard for his admirable ancestor, we ask him to justify, if he be able, the publication of "Do epistles which close with, not show this letter any body," and many similar injunctions to secresy! Our readers are, perhaps, impatient to ask, Have the religious public been then deceived in the character of Doddridge for the last century, and do these papers make disclosures of his private conduct and opinions unfavourable to his large and sacred reputation? We firmly and thankfully reply, No. But when a student, and during the earliest years of his ministry, it appears from these volumes that he occasionally addressed his female correspondents in a jocose and trifling style, which but ill accorded with the gravity of his profession; and, in other letters, employed some latitudinarian theological phrases, which, in those who are unacquainted with his history, may excite alarm. All these have been given to the world by his descendant, who having forsaken the principles and practices of his illustrious grandsire, has sought to "make merchandize" of his very follies, and is content to furnish matter for the liberal and libertine part of the press, so that he may bolster his party, to replenish his purse! But the correspondence is published with impartiality and without concealment, and therefore we have before us the full-length portrait of the Doctor's character, as sketched by himself! This we deny, and hesitate not to declare that much is kept back which ought to have been published in these volumes, and which, in all fairness to his opinions and conduct, should have been printed in chronological order. A diary, to adopt Lord Shaftesbury's definition, is "a Fault Book," in which a man faithfully records those follies, infirmities, and sins, which a solemn act of prayerful self-inspection has discovered, and he employs this record as a moral instrument to preserve those salutary convictions, which the retrospect of the past has produced. Such a document, therefore, is a private comment on the public conduct of its author, and to understand his sentiments and character, should be published together with his correspondence of the same date. The letters of his youthful years are published, but the diary of Doddridge is deferred by Mr. Humphreys, to the closing volume, which may, peradventure, never appear, which he thus explains "As some devotional impressions of unusual character entertained by Dr. Doddridge appear most evidently in his diary, I have thought it best not to diminish their interest by an anticipation of the curious facts from which they arose. And as the diary itself is rather a series of meditations upon the state of his private feelings, and the more striking incidents of his life, than that minute recapitulation of daily occurrences, generally known under that title, it has been deemed most judicious to place it after the correspondence. This arrangement became indeed almost imperative, from the circumstance of the Doctor's early life being most fully detailed in his letters; and indeed to an extent which has in that particular superseded the diary."- pp. xxiv. xxv. "Has superseded the Diary"for what? Was the editor anxious to avoid tautology? Why then did he print every friendly salutation, kind inquiry, and trifling commission of the good doctor, which so frequently recur, that the most patient reader must be fatigued with the wearisome repetition? These trifles must all appear verbatim, but the diary, which contains 66 a series of meditations upon the state of his private feelings," "as far as it relates to the Doctor's early life, is superseded!" We are not likely to forget passages of that diary, which those have been given to the public, and from these specimens, are led to infer that it did not suit Mr. Humphreys' purpose to publish the letters and diary contemporaneously. It is more than probable, had this been the case, that we should have found the Doctor's "joyous urbanity," and "the gaiety of expression," into which his constitutional cheerfulness betrayed him in his letters, had been sincerely deplored in the more sober records of the diary, and that "that foolish talking and jesting, which are not convenient," and those "innocent gallantries," of which his great-grandson is so fond, had prompted the confessions of sincere regret, because "avoided the aphe had not pearance of evil.” That the one class of papers would thus correct and explain, we shall prove by a quotation or two. Mr. Humphreys reprints the following letter, published by Sted man. "Harborough, June 29, 1726, Wednesday morning, eight o' Clock. "Dear Brother,-I make it a maxim with me, to write either to you or my sister, whenever au opportunity offers itself for that purpose. So that you have two or three letters from me, when other more exact correspondents have but one. You will not be offended then, that my letters are no longer; for you must consider that I have a great deal of business which requires my daily attendance. I was up at five o'clock this morning, and have been all this while studying a part of the of the Epistle to the Romans, and writing letters. At this very time, Demosthenes is waiting to entertain me with one of his Philippicks; and Virgil is bringing back Eneas to his camp, when I have long been in pain for his absence. Doctor Tillotson has prepared an admirable sermon, which he will deliver quickly in my chamber, with his usual grace and sweetness. And then Gerrard Brandt, will go on with his history of the persecution of the Remonstrants after their condemnation at the Synod of Dort. In the afternoon, I expect to hear from Pliny, who generally favours me with two or three epistles a day, though a stranger and an heathen, while you, a Christian |