314. Theological Review. The Christian Temper; or Lectures on the THE first edition of these Lectures escaped our notice; or rather, we should say, it obtained so favourable a reception from the public, that the whole impression was called for before we could find an opportunity of making our report of their merits. We now, however, hasten to supply that deficiency and to congratulate the author on the gratification which he must derive from the success of his labours. truth: and presents us with a striking description of that renewed pature which is produced in the fallen race of Adam by the belief and love of the word of the truth of the gospel, the grace that brings salvation to perishing sinners. The beatitudes, contained it Matt. v. 8-13. to an elucidation of which Mr. Leifchild has restricted his Lectures, form an epitome of the whole discourse of our Lord comprised in that, and the two following chapters. They are, in fact, the text on which his Sermon is founded, and the characters which he has specified and illustrated, and pronounced "blessed," are a perfect contrast to those which he ascribes to the That portion of the sacred writings Pharisees of his time. Though this which is usually called Christ's Sermon sect took the precedency of every other on the Mount, has not unfrequently in the Jewish religion, for strictness and been the theme of illustration from both austerity of manners, for zeal in making the pulpit and the press; but there is no proselytes, and for apparent devotion; danger of the subject being exhausted. yet, he who knew their hears and could This divine discourse comprises a com- pierce through the disguise, has painted mentary on the moral law, in which its them as proud, self-righteous, and insenspirituality is unfolded, and its real na-sible of their guilty state; as rich and ture explained according to the tenor in full in their own estimation, despising which it was originally given to man as others; as unmerciful, impure, hypocri the rule of his correspondence with God, tical, fomenters of discord, persecutors and as obeyed by him who fulfilled all and revilers, &c. and all this, under a righteousness in the behalf of his guilty flaming zeal of religion. In opposition people. It exhibits a perpetual standard to these unholy tempers and disposi of righteousness, not merely in the letter tions of mind, Jesus presents us with a or outward form, according to which the description of the characters of his geJews enjoyed the privileges of the Old nuine disciples-those who are born Covenant, and in that sense in which again of the incorruptible seed of the Saul of Tarsus considered himself word, whose minds have been renewed blameless," (Phil. iii. 6.) but also, in in knowledge and holiness of the truth, the spirit, or full extent of its require- and who consequently are the real subments, as summed up in perfect love jects of that kingdom which is not of this to God and our neighbour, forbidding world. And by what does he characte every lust and irregular motion of the rize them? Not by any of those qua heart, promising eternal life upon con-lifications which give precedency in the dition of perfect obedience, and de-kingdoms of this world, or in those cor nouncing the curse of God on the minutest failure. In this sense, the Sermon on the Mount holds up a perpetual standard of righteousness, to "convince the world of sin," and to shew mankind their need of a Saviour. It exhibits a fair pattern of the purity and extent of Christian practice, or holiness of the 66 rupt bodies which, alas, often pass under the name of Christian churches-not by their riches, learning, or worldly distinctions-nor by their carnal descent from believing parents-but by their humility, meekness, love, patience, pl rity: by their grief, on account of their short-comings, and their continual pres sing after progressive sanctification, their the blessedness of the poor in spirit. earnest desires after holiness and com- This poverty of spirit, our author illusplete happiness. In short, these beati-trates, as we think, very pertinently by a tudes clearly point out the state of reference to the case of Paul, when he Christians in this world, to be a state said, " in me, that is in my flesh, dwelof imperfection, which requires mourn-leth no good thing," and who counted ing for sin; for Christians are not dis- all his Jewish privileges, but "loss for tinguished from others by their having the excellency of the knowledge of attained to a state of absolute perfection, Christ Jesus the Lord," Phil. iii. ; and but by their being susceptible of conti- also, that of the Publican, "who nued repentance, cultivating a humble would not lift up his eyes to heaven, and contrite spirit, in opposition to the but smote upon his breast, saying, God doctrine of both the Arminians and the be merciful to me a sinner." This cerAntinomians of the present day. They tainly gives a very just description of are supposed to be in a state of suffering "the poor in spirit!" but it surprised us persecution and defamation, and so much to find Mr. Leifchild, immedirequiring the continual exercise of meek- ately, almost discarding this idea, and ness and patience. And they are sup- contending, that "it is far from being posed to be in a state of absence from the sole, or even the primary idea intheir Lord, not having yet obtained tended to be conveyed by the words; and what they look for, consequently as that to confine it to this sense would be living by the faith and joyful hope of to overlook the principal source of ingood things to come, for their encou-struction and edification that it opens ragement is the great reward in heaven. to us." We confess that this surprised "Let us not then deceive ourselves," says us; and we pricked up our ears to hear Mr. Leifchild," the discourse belongs what this "primary and more importo all who would be real Christians, and tant idea" was, which is to take preceto all such in every age." "The portrait dence of humility and lowly-mindedhere given of the Christian character, is ness; or a conscious sense and deep intended to take in every case: either, impression of our own ignorance, sintherefore, we must bear a resemblance fulness and imperfections. And acto it, or we must confess that we are not cordingly, he tells us, "that the phrase, Christians." And it is with great pro-poor in spirit, seems to have a reference priety that he afterwards says if none are the followers of Jesus in truth, but those who are assiduously cultivating these dispositions, small is the number of real Christians, compared with those who bear the name! This is a melancholy reflection, but can we dispute its truth?” These preliminary remarks are of fered, solely with the view of impressing the reader with the importance of the subject which has occupied Mr. Leifchild's pen, and we now proceed to give some account of his publication. The volume consists of nine discourses, of which the first is introductory, each of the others being employed in illustrating one of the beatitudes. The object of the first lecture, is to illustrate the prophetical character of Christ as the great teacher sent from God; and it certainly contains many just and valuable remarks, particularly on the spiritual nature of Christ's kingdom, in opposition to the error of the Jews, who looked for a temporal prince and conqueror in the person of the Messiah. In the second, he considers to the outward condition, as well as to the disposition of the mind, and to describe, not simply the character, but the circumstances of the individual to whom it is applicable." Now this is just to say, in other words, that the blessedness spoken of in the text, is not the portion of a rich man, whom the gospel has emptied of all his pride and self-sufficiency, and consequently reduced to the gospel ground of hope, though he is called to rejoice in thus being made low," Jam. i. 10, but to a poor man possessing this poverty of spirit. But so far is this, in our opinion, from being the primary idea, and the principal source of instruction and edification which the text opens to us," that we are much inclined to question whether it be at all included in the words. Mr. Leifchild, however, spends several pages in an attempt to support it; but, as we think, to very little purpose. In the language of scripture, the proud and self-sufficient are said to be Rich, 1 Cor. iv. 8. Rev. iii. 17. even as the poor are said to be of a humble and contrite spirit. But nothing is more certain than that the ormer epit het will be found to embrace many who are poor as to the things of this world, and the latter, some who enjoy much of the good things of providence. But the poor in spirit are pronounced heirs of the heavenly inheritance, whatever may be their lot in life, the kingdom which God hath promised to them that love him, Jam. ii. 5. Before we dismiss this lecture, we beg leave to propose to the consideration of Mr. Leifchild," whether the power and influence of the gospel be more conspicuous in stripping a rich man or a poor one, of all his fancied self-importance, and reducing him to the mind that was in Christ Jesus?" A just solution of this question, and a proper attention to it, would lead him, we think, to remodel this lecture. to it in the words of his text, verse 5. But is not this confounding it with humility? If he will examine the texts to which he refers, Matt. xviii. 4, and Ps. cxxxi, he will find that it is the latter virtue rather than meekness that is contrasted with ambition and the pride of life. Were we called to define meekness, we should describe it as a temper of mind, mild, affable, gentle, and patient towards all men-hardly provoked and easily appeased; sustaining injurious treatment with temper and without retaliation. This is that." meek and quiet spirit which, in the sight of God, is of great price." This meekness was indeed exemplified most illustriously in Him who said to his disciples, " Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly of heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls." And here we shall present our readers with an extract from Mr. Leifchild's book, which will give them a very favourable specimen of his style of composition. We are better pleased with the discourse on verse 4. "Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted:" though in his introduction, he has unhappily carried forward the idea of" outward condition," into it from the "The meekness that had been described, former lecture. He does not, however, insist upon it, but considers the sources is, in all its branches, urged upon us, as of grief in a general way as those which christians, most powerfully, by the example of the Saviour. In him, all virtues found a are peculiar to the people of God; placing resting place and a home. They were not the foremost, the grief which arises from virtues of occasion merely, but fixed and the consciousness of their particular permanent habits. His human nature was iniquities, that godly sorrow, consisting adorned with all divine graces, in their perin a broken and contrite spirit, for their fection, continually putting forth themselves sins both of heart and life, springing in their holy and legitimate operations. from a view of the cross of Christ. How conspicuous was his lowliness of heart, With this, he also connects the believer's his freedom from pride and ambition, when he made his entry into Jerusalem; pouring mourning for the dishonour done to God by the sins of others, as we see the contempt, by its circumstances, on all the apostle doing, Phil. iii. 18, and 1 Cor. Pageantry and grandeur of a Roman triumph? No tapestry covers his road but v. 2. To these sources of grief, Mr. such as nature furnishes; no captives follow Leifchild adds, the low and languish-him but such as are bound to him by the ing state of the church-and also the grief occasioned by the afflictive dispensations of Providence; but this last particular, would have come better under the next discourse, as a branch of meekness, that is, of patience and submission under the hand and will of God, without mourning or repining; for the Christian is called not to mourn, but to count it all joy, when he falls into divers trials " of his faith and patience,” Jam. i. 2; and our author has accordingly introduced it under that head of discourse, p. 140. We do not think that Mr. Leifchild has been very successful in defining the nature of meekness. He opposes it to ambition or the desire of pre-eminence and distinction, and contends, that this is the sense which our Lord attaches ties of gratitude; no largesses are scattered by him but the gifts of healing; and the only music floating in the air, is the grateful hosannas of the populace and children. Instead of a spendid car, he rides on the dullest of beasts, and even this is borrowed. It is thus, O Jerusalem, that thy King, thine eternal King, cometh unto thee, "meek and lowly, sitting upon an ass, and upon a colt, the foal of an ass." But this was indeed a triumph,-the triumph of real greatness, dispensing with external pomp, and in the total absence of it, commanding admiration and homage. "And, as pride and ambition were stran gers to his soul, so anger, impatience, and revenge had there no place. In every scene of his life this is apparent. You see him enduring the contradiction of sinners against himself; bearing with the cavils of the scribes, the dulness of his disciples, the ob duracy of the multitude, the perfidy of Ju das; never suffering himself to be irritated or ruffled. On one occasion, indeed, he is said to have looked round upon his audience with anger; but the holy indignation that lightened in his eye, was mingled with an air of tenderness and compassion:-" he was grieved for the hardness of their hearts." Behold him in the hall of Caiaphas. To the entangling questions of that unjust judge he returns an answer which shows that he saw through his wicked policy, and would not be made its dupe. Enraged at the disappointment, one of the creatures of office, emboldened by what he knew of the temper of the court, advanced towards the Saviour, and struck him on the cheek. A blow is the last insult that can be borne by nature: but when did reason appear with such calmness and dignity as in the conduct of the Saviour? "If I have spoken ill, bear witness; but if well, why smitest thou me?" It is, however, in his last moments that the meek and forgiving spirit of Jesus most illustriously displays itself. It triumphs over all the barbarities of his enemies, and breaks forth with grandeur never to be equalled. The hills about Jerusalem still seem to echo back the cry, "crucify him, crucify him;" he hangs upon the tree; he looks upon the multitude before him, and he beholds, in their countenances, the expression, not of pity, but of malicious exultation; and now he looks up to heaven, not as an appellant or accuser, but as an intercessor: Father, forgive them," is his prayer, "for they know not what they do!" Martyrs, it was here that you learnt your lesson. Stephen, here it was that you imbibed the spirit which you afterwards so illustriously displayed, when, kneeling down in the midst of your persecutors and destroyers, you said, " Lord, lay not this siu to their charge!" "The example of Christ should be of paramount weight and authority with all his disciples. To exibit it was one great end of his coming into the world; by himself and his apostles we are most solemnly charged to make it our model; and for this purpose his conduct is traced with so much care and minuteness in the gospels. To effect our conformity to him, was one design of his death; he reconciles us by it to God, in order that we may become holy as he was holy. To be deficient in meekness then is to sin against all these obligations, for it is to be deficient in that which formed a prominent feature in the character of the Saviour, and which is particularly pointed out to our attention in him as our model, “Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest to your souls." "Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps. Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: who, when he was reviled, re viled not again: when the suffered, he threatened not, but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously. Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree; by whose stripes ye are healed. For ye were as sheep going astray, but are now returned to the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls." "Not with the same ease, however, with which we can imbibe the ideas and sentiments of another, can we copy his virtues. Here must be long inspection, patient imitation, frequent comparison, earnest prayer. What is the result? Every virtue formed in the character now, will shine in eternity: our prominent graces here, will there be prominent glories: and to have imitated Christ in his meekness, will give us more pleasure, than to have known all mysteries, or to have numbered the host of heaven." The next lecture is on the blessedness of hungering and thirsting after righte ousness, verse 6. We are inclined to regard this as the most important discourse in all the volume; it is more deeply imbued with doctrinal sentiment; and yet, there are some expressions in it, which we find it no easy matter to reconcile with the general tenor of the doctrine. We shall take the liberty of instancing a few of them, for the author's revisal. In the opening of the discourse, Mr. Leifchild has given us a definition of the term " righteousness," as including a perfect conformity to the divine law; and he then proceeds to show the provision which God has graciously made for the practice of univesal righteousness, namely, by the mediation of his beloved son, whose most perfect and meritorious obedience to the divine law, procures the pardon and acceptance of all who believe in him, thus freeing them from a state of condemnation, reconciling them to God, and so leading them to love God and keep his commandments. Being justified by faith, they are delivered from the condemning sentence of the divine law-their state is changed-they become the subjects of the renewing operations of the Holy Spirit, and are made partakers of a divine nature. Now, it is in reference to this new creation in Christ Jesus, that Mr. Leifchild tells us, p. 151, "The law comes before such a man (and this is its subsequent and highest use) as that which he is both inclined and "the enabled to obey."-Again, p. 153, obedience he (God) requires, a Christian is prepared to render." Now these and similar expressions which occur in this, otherwise, excellent lecture, are unguarded, to say the least of them; and the author should qualify them in his next edition, for they are at variance with the spirit of the whole discourse. It is indisputable that the grace of God which bringeth salvation, teacheth to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world. But, in many things we all offend, and have need of mercy to pardon and grace to help. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us; but the blood of Christ is a fountain opened for sin and uncleanness, and it is in the way of confessing and forsaking his sins, that the believer experiences its cleansing efficacy, 1 John i. 7-10. And though on this side of the grave, he can never approach to God and say, I have no sin,' yet the gospel both binds and encourages him to aim at no less than perfection. While he keeps the perfect law in view, which, like a faithful mirror, discovers all his deformity, he can find no reason to glory over the most infamous of mankind. The nearer he comes to the light, which "makes manifest all things that are reproved," the more reason he finds to say, "Behold I am vile." The character of the merciful man, Lect. vi. is very ably delineated, and the only remark we have to make upon it is, that we could have wished the author had brought more prominently forward, a readiness to forgive injuries, particularly among Christian brethren. Mr. L. will understand what we mean, when we refer him to our Lord's parable, Matt. xviii. 23-35. This is a feature in the Christian character, very little regarded among modern professors; and we should have been glad to see the subject taken up by this powerful writer, in a lecture which afforded so fine an opportunity of doing it. On the three remaining lectures, namely, on the pure in heart-the peace makers-and those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, we have nothing particular to remark. They are truly valuable discourses, correct in sentiment, and strongly impregnated with the doctrine of the cross of Christ. Indeed, the whole volume is highly creditable to the author's talents, both as a preacher and writer. Its general excellence is such, that we have been induced to examine it with a more critical eye than we should have done, had its merit been of an inferior order. We had, it is true, another reason for offering these free remarks on the work which we have done. It has been noticed in a number of our periodical journals, and so far as we recollect, it has met with nothing but indiscriminate commendation. But this style of re viewing, is not calculated to do a young author much good-we say a young author, because, we trust Mr. Leifchild has yet many years before him, and many other publications with which in due time to favour us. As a Theologian, he does honour to the Hoxton college, and the specimen that he has given in the volume before us, is a convincing proof, that he is capable of producing a work, that shall not only benefit the present generation, but survive to future ages, when he himself shall be numbered with the generations that are past. In parting, we beseech him to leave the word "REV." out of his title page. To see a minister of Christ, in a volume designed to illustrate the doctrine, and inculcate an imitation of the character of the meek and lowly Jesus, adopting one of the names of blasphemy which characterize Anti-christ, is really an affecting sight. An author should have a little more regard to consistency in his own character. Select Passages from the Bible, arranged under distinct heads; for the use of Schools and families. By ALEXANDER ADAM, Teacher, Edinburgb. Published by Oliver and Boyd, Highstreet; and J. and W. B. Whittaker, London, 1822. pp. 500. 12mo. 4s. boards, or 4s. 6s. bound. If we are not mistaken, it was Mr. Locke who first entered his protest against making a school book of the Bible; but since his time many others have taken up the subject under the same view, and objections to it have been reduced to a system. Mr. Adam, in his Preface to the volume before us,examines the various pleas that have been urged on that side of the question, and is de cidedly in favour of imbuing the youthful mind with the contents of the Holy Scriptures, though he candidly allows that in doing this, prudence is neces |