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tive and encouraging as he seems to suppose, is another and most serious question. We wish to keep it before us and inquire. We fear the state of the Church in Canada is much over-rated; and that the expenditure of £12,000 a-year upon one mission there is hardly warranted by the circumstances of the case. The passage we have already quoted from the Report of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, for 1845, is a very significant one, and sufficiently important, we think, to sum up this general notice of the Canadian Church.

"From having been exotic, so to speak, she is becoming indigenous: and though, in respect to the new burdens which are cast upon her by a poor emigrant population, she must thus look to the mother country for pecuniary aid, it is a good sign that she even now scarcely requires our assistance in regard to THEM. Indeed, not only are the two Canadian dioceses furnishing a due supply of persons fitly qualified to serve in the ministry of the settled parishes, but they are even sending out missionaries among the scattered population of the forest."-pp. cv., cvii.)

Who are they? and how are they prepared? and to whom are they responsible? It seems to us that we still need more information from the Directors of the Gospel Propagation Society, before we can form a fair estimate of the administration of the funds entrusted to them, or feel satisfied that the work is prospering as we could wish. Statistical returns are not enough; and these, by the way, when closely examined, will ill bear comparison with those of some of our missionary stations, which owe but little to episcopal superintendence or patronage. All we would infer is, that time is required to "test the effect of the colonial episcopate upon our existing missions ;" and that we must especially take care not to trust in an arm of flesh-not to rely on this or the other means-but on God alone and the life-giving energy of the Spirit, diffused through the Church by its living Head.

THE JERUSALEM SINNER SAVED: The Pharisee and the Publican: The Trinity and a Christian: The Law and a Christian; &c. &c. By JOHN BUNYAN. To which is appended, an Exhortation to Peace and Unity. With a Life of Bunyan. By the Rev. JAMES HAMILTON, Scotch Church, Regent-square. London: Nelson. 1845.

THE GREATNESS OF THE SOUL: and the Unspeakableness of the Loss thereof: No way to Heaven but by Jesus Christ: The Strait Gate. By JOHN BUNYAN. To which is prefixed, An Introductory Essay on his Genius and Writings. By the Rev. ROBERT PHILIP, Author of "the Life and Times of Bunyan." London: Nelson. 1845.

"THE progressive development of (Bunyan's) intellectual powers," Mr. Philip observes, "has never been traced by any of his biographers or critics. It could not be traced by Southey, Montgomery, nor Macaulay: because when they wrote, there was no clue to the chronology of his Sixty Books. Criticism could only guess at the order in which his books appeared. Thus the matter stood, until Mr. Kilpin of Bedford discovered, in 1838, Charles Doe's Circular of 1691, which contains a complete list of them, with their dates, taken from Bunyan's own lips just before his death." This important document, it seems, did not come into Mr. Philip's hands till his 'Life and Times of Bunyan' were nearly printed off in stereotype; so that all he could do was just to insert it, and that only by taxing a literary friend to digest the Bibliography. He has however since read anew the works of Bunyan in the order fixed by Doe's circular, and with reference to the circumstances in which they originated. The chronological critique on the Writings and Genius of Bunyan, which introduces the second of the above volumes, is the result of this perusal, and gives an interesting outline of his opinions and impressions as moulded by this last review of the Sixty Books.' A few extracts from this essay may interest our readers, and serve, with a brief Bibliographical notice, to call attention to the valuable writings of the illustrious author of The Pilgrim's Progress.' A mere criticism we should not think it worth while to attempt. It has always struck us that literary criticism on men like Bunyan is, to a great extent, misplaced; and were we ever so competent to tread in the steps of his literary reviewers, we should be far more anxious to point out the substantial merit of his writings than to dilate on his genius or the development of his intellectual powers.

Besides, full enough has been said on these subjects, and too little on the plain but valuable treatises which he has left us as the fruit (mainly) of his prison thoughts, prayers, and studies. It is now full twenty years since our eye fell on an octavo edition of his 'Sixty Books.' We clutched the treasure, and carried it home with more than a literary joy, resolving that the guide of our youth should instruct our riper years, and assist us in framing home-spun discourses for the interesting little flock which formed our first charge. We found, however, that we were too fastidious to relish either the doctrine or the style of Bunyan the preacher; and till of late we have read with little relish any thing but his Allegories. We could amuse ourselves with tracing a resemblance between the chiefs of the Evra en Onßais and those of the Holy War. We could dwell with unspeakable delight upon the Visions of the Pilgrim-but for the veritable story of Grace abounding to the Chief of Sinners'-and the homely truths of The Jerusalem Sinner saved - The Pharisee and the Publican'-' The Strait Gate,' &c. we felt too often, alas, a sort of disgust-and that, let us add, notwithstanding what we thought a general agreement with the author. Subsequent experience has generated different sympathies, and, we trust, more matured views. We now value his plainer writings, some especially, scarcely less than his incomparable Allegories. We have read them with a deeper interest than any other treatises on practical theology; and we hope it may not be an unprofitable labour if we briefly trace their history as developed in Mr. Philip's Essay, earnestly recommending our readers to procure as specimens the two volumes which introduce this notice the first of what we doubt not will prove an interesting and valuable series- Works of the English Puritan Divines,' now publishing in a neat but cheap form- those works only to be chosen which have more or less a practical and religious character and tendency, as of permanent interest to the christian reader in any age.' And here let us observe by the way, that we entirely concur in the opinion that the publication of a series of this kind is peculiarly suitable for the present time.' When there are at work throughout the land so many influences which go far to shake and unsettle the principles of men, the revival of these works may contribute much to restore a more vigorous and sound christianity. There is, for example, a superstitious doting after the relics and symbols of ancient pietism, with its consecrated forms and ascetic life: and where there is a better religious life, there is often a vagueness in statements of religious doctrine and duty, characterized by perverted or indefinite views of the gospel system, and all equally opposed to the solid theology, the manly devotion,

and the active healthy piety of many of the writers of the 17th century-men who in some respects stand unrivalled, and whose powerful works on practical theology have given them an influence down to the present age, which probably no other class of writers can boast. We should be glad to perpetuate and extend that influence, and are not ashamed to say that we shall hail a judicious selection of these works as not inferior in value to the first fruits of the Reformation-the writings of our Anglican Fathers, now so widely and so seasonably circulated by means of the Parker Society.

To return, however, to the Puritan Worthy who has been selected to introduce the series, let us just premise a few general remarks from the pen of his biographer and critic, illustrative of his intellectual character, his reputation as an author, and the connection between his less known and more popular works. Mr. P's remarks appear to us to be striking and just. His critique thus opens:

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"I begin," he says, "by asking the question,-What can the man do that cometh after the King? Bunyan is the very king of more arts than Allegory and Analysis: and if this question be put in reference to all that he has done as a writer, the only answer that can be given to it, by a man who really knows what Bunyan has done, must be,-It is yet to be shewn how, and why, and when, he did so much, and did it so well. Now, this is not easily shewn. Whoever shall explain it, to any good purpose, must understand Bunyan's own nature, almost as well as he himself understood human nature. And the understanding must be almost instinctive too: or the result of strong sympathies with him: for the laws of his intellectual being blend so with its spiritual aspirations and responsibilities, that his head can never be analysed apart from his heart, nor his heart comprehended by any head which is unbaptized with the Holy Ghost and fire.' Whoever has no absorbing and burning love to immortal souls, and thus to the Shepherd and Bishop of souls, can neither tell nor see why Bunyan thought or wrought as he did. He was for ever watching for souls, as one that must give an account; and that watching made his intellectual eye ransack the depths of Satan,' as well as the secrets of the heart;' and scrutinize the aspects of the world, as well as range the open fields of visible nature. Nothing that he wrote terminated upon himself, or had its chief charms to him, in either its point or pathos. He sought with keen zeal, and enjoyed with keener zest, happy thoughts, and picked and packed words,' as he calls his sarconisms, but not for their beauty or point as composition, nor as specimens of his own vein; but because they were wanted to arrest attention, and were likely to rivet instruction. The tongues of angels' would have had no attraction for him, had they been intelligible only to himself, and to minds of his own order. All his soul was set upon winning souls and therefore it was concentrated upon the powers of his mother-tongue, as the vernacular of the multitude, and thus the natural way to the heart.

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"If there be any truth in these remarks, they prove that there was more power about Bunyan's intellect, than his spiritual admirers generally suppose; for it commands, or wins, the admiration of men who have no spiritual discernment, and no taste for devotion. And it did so, when there was less of both in England than there is now. It commanded homage even in the court of Charles II., and made the cavaliers of the Restoration, as well as the Roundheads of the Protectorate, wonder. And still, both leaders and

writers, who have no sympathies with experimental piety, either as it weeps or rejoices, almost weep and rejoice with Bunyan's Pilgrims.

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'Fashion, and his own wide-spread fame, have, no doubt, something to do with this. It would be infra dig. in any literary circle not to admire John Bunyan. He is an integral part of the national character, in common with Milton and Shakespeare; and thus it is patriotism to praise him. But still, after deducting all this matter-of-course praise, there remains a succession of master-spirits who have paid homage to his genius, in spite of all their hatred to his sect as a Noncomformist, and to his sentiments as an Evangelical. Neither Dr. Johnson, nor Dr. Southey, nor Sir Walter Scott, nor Lord Byron, could remember, for their life, whilst reading Bunyan, that he was any thing but just a great and good man, who had been very ill-used, in bad times. The fact is, he had filled the wide field of their vision with creations they could not imitate, nor find a parallel to, nor help admiring; and thus they gave way to the gush of their own emotions, because no other writer had ever awakened, in their mighty minds, similar emotions, from such sources, or by such scenes. He thus throws the bigotry of Johnson and Southey, and the banter of Scott and Byron, into a mesmeric sleep, and left them clairvoyant on the borders of Emmanuel's land."'

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That Coleridge and Macaulay, Franklin and Mackintosh, should have manifested some relish for the spiritualities of "The Pilgrim's Progress," as well as for its pure Saxon and vivid personifications, " is only," as Mr. P. remarks, "what might be expected from their early intimacy with the Bible, and with men who had much of Bunyan's love to the Bible.' ... Still none of those distinguished writers" evinced any acquaintance with the varied forms in which all the chief beauties of the Pilgrim's Progress appear in Bunyan's other works." The germs of that work appeared in his "STRAIT GATE," a year before it was written: and what is more to the point, . . . the brightest gems in the Pilgrim lie scattered throughout all his books, in which its grand points are touched, although never in the same forms or settings. Sometimes, indeed, they are expanded and polished, beyond their size and lustre in the allegory; and at other times the splendid filings of both the enchasing gold and the chaste gems, are sprinkled upon pages where no one would expect to find them." We entirely assent to this view, and agree with Mr. P. that "it is impossible to doubt, in the face of this fact, the importance of drawing public attention to many of Bunyan's treatises; or of bringing them out in such volumes" as those which we now take leave to recommend to our readers. Bunyan's "literary critics have given the public no clue or key to his rich mines of thought, feeling, and diction in such treatises as The Greatness of the Soul,' and 'The Beauty of Holiness.' They have confined their criticism to his allegories; whereas he himself, without at all injuring either the Holy War or the Pilgrim, breaks up his vital and vivid personifications into maxims, arguments, and appeals, which are as powerful as his pictures are enchanting. Bunyan is himself,

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