Jesus Christ, his mission to enlighten and redeem mankind—the confirmation of our immortality by his resurrection from the dead-the impartation of all needed spiritual aids to assist our sincere exertionsthe just and impartial retributions of eternity to all the human race, according to their deeds. These, surely, are views, which, every christian will acknowledge, enter largely into the grounds and support of his faith, and hope, and charity. They are, beyond all question, those, on which the writers on vital religion-who are most universally acknowledged to have caught the true spirit of the gospel-chiefly insist. And who will say, that any man, whose understanding acknowledges, and whose heart is imbued with these truths, will want any essential characteristick of a true disciple of his Saviour?

It was the great object of the ministerial labours of Mr. Buckminister to produce, under the influence of these views, the practical religion of the heart and life, as it is explained in the teaching and illustrated in the example of our Saviour. How near this purpose was to his heart, is very strikingly displayed in the closing passage of his sermon on the mutual influence of knowledge, piety and charity. "It is the constant object of my wishes and prayers, and may it be the effect of my preaching, under the blessing of God, to contribute to the formation of that noblest of characters, the christian, whose love, as the apostle describes it, abounds more and more in knowledge and in all judgment, who approves the

things, which are excellent, and who remains sincere and without offence, till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God." These are the words, with which he closed his earthly labours in the desk of instruction.* His people bear him witness now-and, I trust, will hereafter bear him witness before the throne of God-that all his preaching justified this declaration, and all his life harmonized with this prayer.

It is impossible, that a man, who entertained such views of the nature of religion, should be exclusive or intolerant. Mr. Buckminster was eminently charitable towards those, who differed from him on speculative points. He felt, with all wide observers of human character, that great errours of the understanding, on almost every subject, are consistent with uprightness of heart. How, indeed, can any one fail to acknowledge, that this may be so in religion, who remembers, that even the disciples of our Lord were confessedly full of prejudice and misapprehension before their Master's death? Mr. Buckminster could extend his affection towards good men of every sect and communion, He could acknowledge in a Fenelon, with all his zeal for transubstantiation and Papal infallibility, one of the purest and most lovely exemplifications of the christian character, which the

This sermon was delivered before the society for promoting christian "knowledge, piety and charity,” and afterwards altered and adapted to his own people, and preached on the Lord's day before he was seized with his last illness.

world has seen, since the days of St. John. He did not, however, conceive, that any part of his or any other man's goodness corsisted in, or was necessarily connected with his errours. He was, therefore, a steady opposer of what he believed to be the corruptions of christianity-not only because the gospel is rendered incredible by them to so many intelligent men-but because they lessen, in the minds of many good persons, that joy and peace in believing, which the religion of Christ is fitted and intended to impart.

Of what Mr. Buckminster was, and of what he did, these sermons are now to be the only permanent memorial. If the effect, which some of them produce, when read, might be anticipated for their effect, when delivered, it will not often be surpassed. The remark of Quinctilian, however, on the eloquence of Hortensius, is, in some degree, true of the compositions of every fine speaker. There is a certain charm thrown over his thoughts by his manner, while speaking, which, when we read them, we seek for in vain.* But, though something of that interest will, no doubt, be lost, which particular passages derived from the liquid voice, the eloquent eye, the illuminated countenance, the indescribable animation, the va riety and frequent pathos of the manner of Mr. Buckminster, there are still several sermons in this collection, which will gain by being read more than

Apparet placuisse aliquid eo dicente, quod legentes non invenimus, Lib. IX. c. 3.

they will lose; and merits will be discovered, which were overlooked, or not distinctly seen, amidst the general splendour of his eloquence.

They will, perhaps, be considered as, upon the whole, the most successful attempt yet made to unite the peculiar excellencies of the English and French pulpits. The best English sermons are, no doubt, very powerful performances. There are to be found in them some of the ablest defences of christianity, the most just and rational statements of its peculiar doctrines, the most complete delineation of the virtues and vices, the most learned and judicious illustrations of the scriptures, the best and weightiest maxims of habitual conduct, and the deepest and most intimate views of the nature and spirit of devotion. They have almost every merit as dissertations and essays; but, considered as addresses intended for an actual audience, they certainly have many important defects. They often fail of making any other, than a very intellectual hearer, feel his own personal interest in the truths, they inculcate. They are wanting in directness and closeness of application. They are studiously unimpassioned, to a degree, which makes them often appear cold and unimpressive. Some exceptions are to be made for the sermons of Taylor and Barrow, and several writers of later years; but the general character of English pulpit eloquence, since the Restoration, has been such as we describe. It has been produced, without doubt, in a great degree, by a desire of avoiding those extravagancies,

MEMOIR OF MR. BUCKMINSTER.

which, in the times of the Commonwealth, brought, religion into disgrace, and laid the foundation of the unbelief and libertinism of the age of Charles II.

It would be opposing the decision of all Europe, to deny the great excellencies of the French sermons. They are, perhaps, the most finished compositions of modern times. They abound in passages of the most splendid description, and, sometimes, of the truest pathos. But their eloquence is usually too artificial, too much designed for mere stage effect. An exces. sive ambition of the higher attributes of eloquence leads them to constant overstatements of the doctrines and duties of the gospel. They have a want of truth and nature in their representations of relig ion and of human life-a fault, which no other excellencies can redeem. The origin of almost all the corruptions of christianity may be referred to this tendency in men to overcharge their statements of religion, in order to make them dazzling and impressive. If we attend to the arguments, which are brought by the church of Rome to defend what we esteem its errours, we find them chiefly drawn from a literal interpretation of the rhetorical exaggerations contained in the homilies of the early fathers. The fact, that false eloquence has thus been the great corrupter of christianity, will give a lesson of caution to every rational christian in the employment of that which is real; and will lead, perhaps, to the general conclusion, that the higher forms of it cannot be often safely attempted in the pulpit. Although, therefore,