A CHARITY SERMON.

A PRIEST in Italy had recourse to the following expedient to procure money for building a new convent which was wanted :-During his sermon he mentioned a poor sinner who had departed this life, and his soul appearing before God, he was required to give an account of all his actions. The evil and the good were afterwards thrown into opposite scales, in order to see which preponderated. That containing the good proved much the lighter, and instantly flew up to the beam. His soul was condemned to the infernal regions, conducted by angels to the bottomless pit, delivered over to the devils, and thrown into flames. Already,' said the preacher, 'had the devouring element covered his feet and legs, and proceeded upwards; in his vitals, oh! brethren, he felt them. He sunk, and only his head appeared above the waves of fire, when he cried out to God, and afterwards to his patron saint, "Oh! patron," said he, "look down upon me! Oh! take all the lime and stone which I gave to repair the convent of ——.” His saint took the hint, gathered together all the lime and stone, and threw them into the scale of good, which immediately preponderated: the scale of evil sprung up to the beam, and the sinner's soul into Paradise at the same moment. Now you see by this, brethren, how useful it is to keep the convents in

repair, for had it not been for the lime and stone bestowed by this sinner, his poor soul would even now, children, be consuming in hell fire and yet you are so blind as to let the convent and the church, built by your forefathers, fall to ruin.' This discourse had the desired effect, and money poured in from all quarters.

LET the enemies of the gospel know that with all their enmity and rancour they are working a deceitful work. Let them know that they are living witnesses of the truth of those very doctrines which they oppose; that they powerfully confirm our faith in Christ crucified; that they are accomplishing a most important prophecy; that they are building up that which they would wish to pull down, even to its foundations; that they have the misery of being blind and unwilling instruments in the hands of the Almighty, for the establishment of a kingdom of which they shall not be citizens; that they are like those hireling workmen of the Israelites, who prepared with great labour the materials of a magnificent temple into which they were never to be allowed to enter.Family of Bethany.

Review of Books.

THE FAMILY OF BETHANY; or, Meditations on the Eleventh Chapter of the Gospel according to St. John. By A. Bonnet, late one of the Chaplains of the French Congregation in London. Translated from the French, by the Translator of Meditations on the History of Hezekiah.' With an Introductory Essay, by the Rev. Hugh White, Curate of St. Mary's, Dublin. Nisbet and Co.

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It would be praise sufficient to say of these discourses, that they do not fall short of their design. It is, in truth, the most enchanting volume of the kind that we ever opened. We are brought into the bosom of the family of Bethany in a way that makes us feel as though we personally knew the individuals, and participated in their concerns. With a touch the most tenderly delicate, yet very decided, the author has sketched his picture; and the fillingup is exquisite. It is not possible for a soul touched with the love of Jesus to dwell on these pages with

out being prostrated anew before his footstool-without longing to

Bring forth the royal diadem,

And crown him LORD OF ALL.

We envy the man who wrote this book, if such a feeling be admissible. The language is very impassioned, but not inflated. The translation flows with all the easy grace of an original, and is evidently faithful. We would particularize the ninth and tenth meditations (they are more properly sermons) as peculiarly fine. Many a tear have we shed over that precious chapter: it has spoken consolation when not even in the Holy Bible itself any other calming message could be found adapted to the bereaved heart's unutterable anguish: but even of this sublime and lovely portion, we had not discovered half the richness that is displayed by the writer of The Family of Bethany.' This commendation may appear too strong: if any mourners think so, let them read it, and acquit us. Mr. White's Introduction harmonizes well with the work itself.

THE CURATE'S GRAVE. By the Author of The Jew and his Daughter converted to Christianity.' Tims, &c.

In this tale, which is simple and well told, the strong doctrines of Calvinism are brought out fairly, and certainly with no little force of scriptural argument. We do not, on the whole, object to the author's statements, seeing that he does not restrict the message of the gospel, as though God's minister had no general

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commission for declaring "repentance and remission of sins" to all, howsoever clearly he may perceive that none will obey the summons but those whose hearts the Lord opens. There is a good deal of very awakening matter in this little book, and we read it with much interest. However, it is going rather too far to denominate the Arminian view a heresy❜like good John Bunyan, who ends his Holy War' by hanging all the election-doubters. We repudiate Arminianism, as a very dim and distorted medium through which to view the great work of redemption; but it never entered our heads to consider it a disqualification for heaven. This is the only objection we have to make. Should the book reach a second edition, we hope some one will be found to correct the press, for it is sorely perplexing to unravel such false punctuation, and such a random arrangement of inverted commas; but the little volume is really worth reading.

MINUTIÆ; or, Little Things for Christ's Flock. By the Rev. J. W. Peers, LL.D., Rector of Morden, Surrey, and of Ickleford-cum-Pirton, Herts. A New Edition, much enlarged from the Papers of the Author, and re-arranged. L. and G. Seeley.

DAILY portions for a year, each contained in a single page, headed by a text of scripture. This class of works is very numerous; but we do not consider Dr. Peers' as a superfluity. The meditations are both spiritual and practical, and may furnish acceptable aid to those whose avocations prevent their devoting so much time as they might wish to profitable reading.