discourses appear, that have given delight as addressed from the pulpit, when no longer accompanied with the grace and power of delivery. So fascinating was the charm of Dr. M'All's delivery, that this loss could not but be experienced, as the biographer correctly observes, to a degree rarely equalled. They were aware, too, that his style both of extemporaneous and written composition, was in remarkable harmony with his mode of speaking; the former the plena ac numerosa oratio,' and, with all its beauties, copious to diffuseness, detaining the mind with a too minute and expansive development of thought; the latter rapid to the utmost degree consistent with perfect enunciation, carrying the hearers forward with a kind of rail-road speed, by which the flats of discourse were traversed with a diminution of tediousness to the hearer, and its beauties presented in a continuous but ever shifting perspective. The advantages of this adjustment would of course be lost in the publication of the discourses. And then, so self-possessed and concentrated was his mind in every successive effort, as to give the character of the entire man to whatsoever thing he uttered: neither could this characteristic be more than most imperfectly impressed upon words no longer spoken by himself, but read by others. Many of the most striking qualities which marked his superiority of intellect, exciting the astonishment and admiration of all who witnessed his living efforts, could either not be embodied at all, or very insufficiently, in written composition. Such were his surprising rapidity of conception, combining, instantaneously, comprehension the most minute with a clearness the most logical-his unrivalled power of giving immediate expression to thought, with its most delicate shadings and most subtle connexions, in language the most felicitous-his ready command of his whole range of mental stores-his faculty of apparently intuitive penetration into the interior of all subjects -his quickness of kaleidoscopic change from thought to thought, each perfect in itself, and each new-his self-possessed preparation for every new position, and superiority to surprise. These, and other features of mental character which our readers will find graphically described in the prefatory sketch, and which contributed so deservedly to Dr. M'All's celebrity, could be little apparent in written discourses, in which his mind would be found stereotyped in the form which it had assumed for the season, without the movement in which the intense activity of his powers showed itself. It was probable, also, that ideas embodied in the calm of study would not be his best. With ordinary minds the happiest thoughts are commonly the most rapid, thrown out in moments of inspiration, when the mental eye shoots through opening vistas, and rapidly reaches its clearest and most vivid conceptions. Such visions must be seized before they fade, and reduced to a permanent form by the quickest process of expres

sion. Much more might it be supposed that a thinker, rapid above all others, and felicitous in extemporary diction, would not have his most vigorous intellectual efforts represented in that mode of composition in which they were most slowly embodied. Even his flow of expression in extemporaneous oratory, perhaps never surpassed, came behind his speed of conception. One of his 'chief difficulties in public speaking,' he observed to Dr. Wardlaw, arose from the multiplicity of thoughts which, at the same 'moment, presented themselves for selection and pressed for ' utterance, while each of them suggested itself under different 'modes of expression, between which, also, a choice was, on the 'instant, indispensable.' Or, to use a simile which we have heard him employ in describing the difficulty he had in keeping pace with his thoughts, he was often like the swimmer, who, if he can only keep on the summit of the wave, is borne along in triumph, but when baffled is left foundering in the gulph behind. It was not surprising, therefore, that he should, in writing, feel this disadvantage much more painfully, which he often mentioned in conversation with his friends. He confessed,' the memoir informs us, that it [writing] was against the grain, that the 'very act of formally setting himself down to write seemed to 'produce a sudden stagnation of mind, that he could not get his 'conceptions carried fast enough to the paper,-that they crowded upon him, and, before one could be written, many were gone.' By this disadvantage, of which no writer is altogether unconscious, it could not but be feared that the vividness, richness, and energy of Dr. M'All's style of thinking would be sensibly impaired when exhibited from the press. Neither was the highly oratorical and figurative complexion of many of his sermons, in which he practised some accommodation to the popular taste rather than complied with his own, sure to stand the test of that colder criticism which was likely to be applied to it when not submitted to the ear but to the eye. And then, more than all, there was the consideration, that a few discourses, prepared for special occasions, many of them similar in character, could convey no idea of the furniture of a mind the greatest wonder of which was the compass of its stores, and the apparently exhaustless copiousness with which they flowed forth at every accidental summons, amidst public engagements, or social intercourse, or the most retired occasions of private converse, -presenting effusions singularly perfect in verbal form and rich in substantial excellence. Taking such things into view, it appeared to many of Dr. M'All's friends that injustice to his memory, even from the intelligent part of the public, was nearly inevitable in the event of publication, while the disappointment of those who could make no allowances was certain.

We cannot suppose that no part of these apprehensions has

been realized by the appearance of these volumes: but we do not refer to the considerations which occasioned them for the purpose of preparing our readers for the perusal of productions of merely second-rate merit, which it will be universally confessed they are not. It is because we consider it due to the memory of the departed author, that his works should not be considered by themselves; and that what he was as a man and a minister of Christ, should be as amply recorded as the recollections of his contemporaries enable them to do. Nor can the delineation of his character fail to benefit survivors, by adding force to those important moral and spiritual lessons which his history furnishes. With respect to the discourses now published, we are happy to be able to concur in the opinion expressed by Dr. M'All's venerable friend and biographer, that they present an abundant suffi'ciency of intrinsic excellence, both in matter and in style, to 'maintain the writer's well-earned eminence of reputation.' Connecting them with the deeply interesting and delightful biography which introduces them, we think they realize, beyond what could have been expected, a faithful representation of their author's mind and character. And, of course, we enjoy this advantage in perusing them, that though the fulness of the author's mind cannot be found in them, its peculiar cast and complexion can be more leisurely considered, and its structure more closely inspected. We anticipate great benefit from their publication. To the general reader they present a rich treasure of sanctified Christian eloquence of a high order. Devout readers will find in them great fulness of evangelical truth, and a constant reference of all topics to the grand elementary facts which constitute the soul of vital Christianity. There is an ever warm and pathetic mention of cardinal doctrines, not as dogmas which orthodoxy requires to be obtruded on an audience, but as vital principles dear to the heart of the preacher. Those who know what it is to have the love of Christ shed abroad in their hearts,' will find in these discourses a spirit with which they can delightfully sympathize. They will find duties the most experimental and the most practical expounded with equal skill, and enforced by appeals adapted to minister a most wholesome and legitimate excitement. To ministers and those preparing for the ministry, we conceive the volumes must prove invaluable; for though we like no servile imitations, and think indeed that there are peculiarities in Dr. M'All's style and manner which ought not to be imitated at all by preachers, there are excellencies of the highest order which cannot be too attentively considered. The searching, solemn, awful representations of the work of the ministry found in these volumes, which stir the very soul, and evince how deeply the writer realized the responsibility of his office, will deserve a place among that class of compositions which every minister should select for his frequent,

prayerful, private perusal. Among such we conceive they are unequalled for powerful dissection of the heart, and impassioned exhortations to ministerial fidelity; while often, the reader will have occasion to linger on passages exquisitely pathetic and beautiful, cheering him to patient labor by representations of his reward. They will find throughout a model of pure and classic English-and the style in most of the discourses, although they are by no means uniform in this respect, is that of a master of language. It is everywhere elegant, polished, flowing, but with a spirit and urgency indicating the intenseness with which the writer always thought. Its brilliancy rises often into splendorand when lofty views of moral or religious truth are to be embodied in description, the writer's conceptions and expressions become truly magnificent. He never fails in the felicitous appropriation of words to his ideas, but is not seldom diffuse through the quantity employed, as well as obscure in marking the relations of ideas, in consequence of the multitude often comprehended in one sentence, and the brevity of expression for each which is thereby imposed. Parentheses are frequent, and subtlety of thought sometimes adds to the difficulty of a ready apprehension of the writer's meaning. There may be allowed, also, to be a too uniform balancing of antitheses, and a too constant oratorical tension and stateliness of diction in the march of his periods, perceived most when the subjects are of the less elevated order. He loses this, however, when he rises to lofty or pathetic themes, and the noble ease and grace with which he exhibits them to thought are equalled only by the exquisite beauty of the language in which he clothes them. There is great variety in the merit of the discourses, as well as a marked diversity in style. Those most recently composed, we imagine, present less of that diffuse length of sentence, of his tendency to which he was well aware, and more of vigorous terseness or calm simplicity, after which we believe he aimed, as more adapted to written composition. The discourses evidently differ much as to the degree of mental excitement under which they were composed, and the labor bestowed upon them. It is vain to regret that the similarity of the occasions on which several of them were preached, has restricted the range of the writer's mind to fewer topics than will be found comprised in many volumes of smaller size, and has produced a recurrence of the same figures and modes of expression. This is in some degree compensated by the copiousness with which the subjects are treated, and the happy combination in the same discourse of stimulating appeal with a wide range of practical remark, drawn from a close observation of human character and human life. But their highest excellence lies in the vivid and exciting view which they present of known truth, calculated to produce the best religious impres

sions. Amidst the brilliancies of fancy, the author completely conveys into his productions the energy of his own faith. He makes his readers realise invisible things, and feel with himself the emotions with which they have so evidently inspired him. We hope that religious parents will draw the attention of intelligent youth to these volumes, which must prove attractive to such for the same reason that their author's preaching did: they can hardly be perused without advantage.

The arrangement of the discourses, a matter of minor importance, has been judiciously fixed by the editor according to the 'principle of gradual expansion in their respective subjects.' The first which occurs is a funeral sermon on the death of the late venerable William Roby, of Manchester. The second is an address on parental duties, delivered at a meeting of ministers from Lancashire and the neighbouring counties. Then follow three discourses delivered at the opening of chapels,Belgrave Chapel, Leeds; Everton Crescent Chapel, Liverpool; and Queen Street Chapel, Chester. Next, seven discourses delivered at the ordination of ministers-two of them introductory ones, preached at Blackburn and Bury; four, charges to ministers, and one, an address to the people. Next, an address on the desirableness and the means of spiritual excitement in the churches two discourses on home missionary objects-two charges to missionaries proceeding to foreign service- and two sermons preached at missionary anniversaries.

We shall not be expected to enter upon any regular analysis of so many separate discourses. They are all distinguished, more or less, by independence and originality of thought combined with practical sagacity and good sense, and by a wide intellectual comprehension illuminated with fancy and softened by a spirit of tender and devotional piety. The first in the volumes, that on the death of Mr. Roby, is from a text perhaps the most appropriate which could have been found within the compass of the Bible, Luke xii. 42-44, Who then is that faithful and wise 'steward,' &c. In the early part it is marked by judiciousness rather than by vigor; the character is drawn with masterly discrimination and the utmost delicacy of touch; and the discourse rises in beauty and interest towards it close. The address on parental duties presents in its commencement a fine specimen of the author's habits of generalization; the subject itself is treated very practically, but with manly freedom and enlargement of sentiment; and is followed up by arresting appeals to parents and children. The three discourses on the opening of chapels are in a style more elevated than either of the preceding, and afford a fair specimen of their author's mode of preaching on public occasions. Of the three, the most able and elaborate are those delivered in Leeds and Liverpool. The impression pro