66

HOLY Spirit, Lord of Glory,

Look on us, Thy flock, to-day,

Meekly kneeling at Thine altar,

For Thy sevenfold gifts we pray."-Page 328.

REVIEWS AND NOTICES OF BOOKS.

Lamps, Pitchers, and Trumpets. Lectures delivered to Students for the Ministry on the Vocation of the Preacher. By E. PAXTON HOOD. London: Jackson, Walford, and Hodder.

THIS large volume, with its sensational title, is dedicated to Mr. Spurgeon, who we suppose, in the estimation of Mr. Hood, is Lamp, Pitcher, and Trumpet, harmoniously combined.

The lectures contain much that is sensible and good, but the arrangement is most bewildering, and the seven hundred and odd pages are just four hundred too many.

Mr. Hood's charitable judgment of the preaching-power of the clergy is somewhat amusing. He says, "Most of the sharp, shrill querulousnesses [sic] against the pulpit have come from Church organs; and certainly of nearly the twenty thousand clergymen in the English Church few enough give full proof of their ministry" (p. 20). A retort after the same fashion is more than easy. Where amongst the ranks of modern Dissent are preachers to be found who in any sense, save that of time, can be called successors of the great Nonconformist divines and preachers of days gone by? There is indeed Mr. Spurgeon, with his ready jokes sending his congregation into convulsions of devout laughter; and Mr. Newman Hall, who is, be it cheerfully acknowledged, a gentleman and a Christian. But where are men who can be compared for a moment with such preachers as the Bishop of Oxford, Mr. Liddon of Christ Church, the Deans of Cork, Canterbury, Ely, and Westminster, Mr. Woodford, and a host beside of living preachers, who for accurate scholarship, deep Christian learning, and genuine earnestness and eloquence, are second to none of their predecessors in the great and solemn work of declaring the whole counsel of God?

Mr. Hood is especially hard on Dr. South, whom, he says, he can neither love nor respect. It may be that the witty and learned old Prebendary dealt somewhat too plainly and forcibly with the eccentricities of Dissent to find favour with his modern critic. It is evident, however, that Mr. Hood is unable to estimate aright the giant intellect and marvellous logical precision of that distinguished theologian, and cannot forgive him for his striking sermons against "long extempore prayers."

If the contents of this volume are samples of the ordinary instruction afforded to the students of Mr. Spurgeon's College, we can only add that these unfortunate young men are entitled to a large amount of sympathy and compassion.

Poems from New Zealand. By FREDERICK NAPIER BROWNE. London: Houlston and Wright, Paternoster Row. 1868.

We have only to remark in regard to these so-called " Poems from New Zealand" that it is a wonderful pity they ever left that distant colony and found their way to England. Could not the whole edition be sent back to the author? The book is simply useless here.

A Study of the Works of Alfred Tennyson, D.C.L., Poet Laureate. By EDWARD CAMPBELL TAINSH. London: Chapman and Hall, 193, Piccadilly.

1868.

ALL true lovers of the works of the greatest poet of our own times may well thank Mr. Tainsh for the admirable volume before us. He has entered thoroughly into the very spirit of Tennyson's poetry, and his long and appreciative acquaintance with it has enabled him to bring out into striking prominence its principal characteristics.

We are sure that the work has been a labour of love, and it will be impossible for any one to read the last chapter, " A Few Days with the Poet Laureate," without catching something of the warm enthusiasm of the commentator for his author. We are not able always to agree with Mr. Tainsh, as, for instance, where (p. 157) he tells us that the idea that our dear dead are unconscious of us and of all things," is to his own mind "the most probable and the happiest faith concerning the dead." Surely Mr. Tainsh forgets the grand declaration of Him who is Himself the Resurrection and the Life, when, after affirming that "God is the God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob," he adds, "God is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for all live unto Him;" and on the Mount of Transfiguration there appeared Moses and Elias, "talking with Jesus." And to add but one more proof which ought to be decisive, St. Paul tells the Thessalonian church that "Christ died for us, that whether we wake or sleep," that is, whether we live or die, "we should live together with Him." Surely a state of unconsciousness cannot by any stretch of phraseology be described as "life."

There are some errors in the printing, which a more careful revision of the proofs would have prevented; as, for example, p. 243, in the fourth line from the bottom the word "affection" has come to utter grief. Very cordially, however, we recommend the book to all lovers of true poetry, and thank Mr. Tainsh for his loving-hearted and intelligent labours.

Churchman's Shilling Daperzing

& FAMILY GREASURY.

A WOMAN'S CONFESSION.

BY J. A. ST. JOHN BLYTHE.

CHAPTER VIII.

THUS far my task has been an easy one. Painful it might be to live over again in memory the scenes of my childhood, but not difficult. But how write down the next events of my life? Language is so weak, so powerless, as I seem to stand once more face to face with the terrible reality-so terrible that even now, though I look back through all the haze of distance, everything seems clear and distinct there; and I cannot wonder at the lifelong results of those events, though I recall them with bitter sorrow and shame.

Vincent had appointed a day for me to meet him in the glen, before he left, promising that if anything prevented him coming, he would contrive to communicate with me in some way. With a beating heart I set out. It seemed such an age since I had seen him, and I had so much to say, I could not bear to think of the possibility that he might not be there. Nor did I need to think of it: very soon I was in his arms again.

"Now let me look at you," he said, as he held me off from