has succeeded, probably, far beyond his most sanguine expectations. His chief aim has been to call the young, and the doubtful, and the infidel, to investigate seriously, the great truths of Christianity. To a great extent he has succeeded. But men of narrow minds, who can only travel like the miller's horse, round the grinding-wheel; and the substance of whose sermons, the dullest hearer can foretel every returning sabbath day; who may bandy about a few hacknied phrases and doctrines, and beat the same tract, without ever going over the vast length and breadth of revelation, in its unbounded beauties:-these men will cry out, that Mr. Irving does not preach the Gospel; others, who do not preach it themselves, and see his popularity, will look with a jealous eye at the man who justly draws away their hearers; and Deists, whose prejudices are so rooted, that nothing will convince them, will abuse his zeal as priestcraft, and his logic as nonsense. Firm and unshaken, Mr. I. has continued to persevere, and the more he is in a certain sense persecuted, like the Israelites of old, the more he prospers. Listening crowds press around his pulpit every Lord's day, and scores of carriages bear the nobles and senators of the land, through the neighbouring streets as his hearers. We know that a name is every thing, and that it is not always the most meritorious who obtain the lead; many a fine genius, for want of what we call accidental occurrences, languishes in obscurity, and even, of all those who are introduced to public notice, many are not duly appreciated, because they have risen gradually like the source of day. instead of bursting on the world like meteors of the night. But we still consider Mr. Irving as

no inferior man. He has been deemed affected, and perhaps the strange character of his composition, and the fanciful construction of the title of his recently published volume, may in part justify this conclusion; he has been thought theatrical, but still, we think there is too much sincerity in his manner, for it to be altogether assumed. He has been considered as rhapsodical, and we can say little in favour of his composition as a whole; and he has, as we have remarked, been charged as deficient in Evangelical sentiment; but we deny it. Even the very name of his place of worship has been unfairly quoted against him; for he is accused of calling it A Church, without having any other claim to it than a dissenter. But the truth is, that the Caledonian Church is so by an especial Act of Parliament, and while other Scots churches are only tolerated in England, that is Established by law, and were the Act of Toleration to cease to-morrow, it would still be a church for worship, for Mr. Irving and his people. So this ridiculous assault, made in a work called THE PULPIT, becomes at once nugatory.

Mr. Irving has, however, many admirable qualities. He is bold and fearless. We regret that he sometimes throws out severe hints against others, many of which he can only give by conjecture, which provoke some of the remarks made against him. If his language is often obsolete and uncouth, with a strange mixture of that which is inflated, it has some counteracting excellencies; it has a strength and an originality which call forth our admiration; his thoughts, too, notwithstanding what some newspaper critics have asserted, are certainly very novel, and his arguments have power. We, too,

say, that he does preach the Gospel, though he may not use the precise terms which some adopt, and which are too often the mark of a sect, disgusting men of mind, who would not be offended by the language of Scripture. As to his common sense, or his superior intellect, we think that the scores of men of the state, and men of known minds, who hear him, and give him credit for talent, are quit a set off against the jealousy of a few critics, or unknown writers. Ours is but an opinion, but we claim a right to vote. We believe, that Providence has raised up Mr. I. for much good, and though he may not always retain his present popularity, he will have done great good by arousing the attention of hundreds-we may say thousands, to a subject which they have, alas! been too much in the habit of neglecting.

We had nearly forgotten to observe, that Mr. I. has been accused of mimicking Dr. Chalmers, and he has been compared to the frog swelling himself to the size of the ox. Now the comparison, besides the invidious manner in which it is expressed, is absolutely silly, and shews that the critic knows little of Dr. Chalmers: there is some trifling resemblance in style only, for in their modes of thinking, the two are very different. Dr. Chalmers dwells long on an idea, and presents it in every point of view, but Mr. Irving abounds in thoughts. Dr. Chalmers is rapid in delivery, but Mr. Irving is comparatively deliberate; Dr. Chaliners states the truth promptly, Mr. Irving has more of circumlocution, and on this account may be deemed by some as not so Evangelical. But admitting the charge, is it any crime for a young minister to fall into the natural consequences of association with an eminent man of more maturity? We, however, say that the Rev. Edward

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Irving resembles Dr. Chalmers, just about as much as a lily resembles a rose; the resemblance consisting in both shedding an agreeable fragrance around, and both being flowers.

We consider the charge of not preaching the Gospel, to which we have alluded, as the most serious, and the hints which some have most ungenerously thrown out, that Mr. Irving is, after all but a man of the world. And since we wrote by far the greater part of the above, we are happy in being furnished with the means of enabling our readers to judge for themselves on this point, by a glance at Mr. Irvin's Orations. We have taken a number of passages almost at random, and we blush for the boldness of those who have levelled such ungrounded charges against an estimable minister. The following extracts, at random, shall be his witnesses, and we only regret that some more pointed, and bold as ever were delivered by an undaunted Knox, are not here quoted for want of room : let the reader consider the cha racter of Mr. I's hearers, and his fidelity, and bold statements of human depravity, the insufficiency of works for justification before God, regeneration, sanctification, salvation by Christ alone; the Holy Spirit's influences, the sinfulness of conformity to the world, &c. &c.; and then we question whether he will not admire him as a mau endowed with the spirit of an Elijah. The passages are all unconnected.

This crucifixion of the old man with his corruptions and lusts, and regeneration of the new man in the image of God in righteousness and true holiness, not only evidenced to the world in outward acts of zeal and piety, but evidenced to God in the inner man of the heart, and to ourselves in a conscious love of God and Christ; a restless longing after sanctification, a

constant frame of repentance, prayer, and humility, with a bearing and resting upon the promises of God, and the inwrought graces of his spirit,-this, no less, is the form of life and character, which will pass the great seat of judgment, and find favour in the sight of Christ our Judge.'

"Without holiness, no man can see God: without Christ, no man can attain to holiness. Yet, conscious that you are unholy; deriving no mediation from Christ; deceiving yourselves with no respite nor alleviation of punishment; here you are, listless, lethargic, and immoveable.'

If ever this recollection goeth out of the mind, that the word is but the voice of the Spirit, and the instruments of holding intercourse between two spirits, the soul of man, and of the Spirit of God; if the Spirit of God be not beheld through the transparent screen, exhibiting his various affections towards us; if the screen alone be looked upon, its beauty, its structure, its richness, its usefulness; then evils accrue, which I will open up as briefly as I can.

• This I have found, from experience, that when I perused the word of God, without putting it into the mouth of the Spirit of God, and communing with him through that avenue, I have grown in theoretical knowledge of theology and spiritual life, without feeling any thing of its power: my head engaged, my intellect and taste gratified, my heart not humbled, not convinced, not warmed with divine love.'

'O! it affects me to see this generation, to whom I write, merging apace into this inglorious life. It hath its head-quarters in your splendid feasts, and your park parades, in your Vauxhall, your operas, and your theatres. It is very hateful, as it is exhibited in cities, where it is stewed up in hot quarters, and revels away the hours of quiet night, and wastes upon feverish couches the hours of cheerful day. In the country, it shews itself under fairer forms-wandering from stream to stream, climbing the brow of lofty mountains, seeking love in cottages, and doting over the face and forms