of some touching melody, and won to admiration by the blended sweetness and skill of the symphony. But that oratorios owe their effect, in any great degree, to the words, is contradicted further by the rule that prevails in those entertainments which are professedly profane (I use the term simply as notative of a class, and not in an invidious. sense). In the opera, who regards the words, except as the accompaniment of the music P Which abide most in memory, the words or the notes of a favourite song? Which affect us most, the numbers of the music, or the rhythm of the poetry? And, finally, which part of the opera is most laboured, because-most attractive, popular, and impressive, as most likely to bestow fame and recompense upon the composer, the overture, or the airs adapted to words? The overture, undoubtedly, as any one knows who knows oil. of music. It is by their overtures our best-composers make their deepest impressions, and win their way to wealth and immortality. Now, this rule, I maintain, applies, in , all its breadth, to the case in hand. It is to the sweet, solemn, powerful harmonies, and not to the sweetness, solemnity, or power of the language of our oratorios, that we are to trace their influence on their mind. . .They affect us, not because their themes are grave, and true, and scriptural, but because the measure of the music is mighty and majestic,+ mighty as the voice of the storm, and majestic as the march of night. . ut the other mistake is, that these feelings are religious. Persons generally, when they hear a sweet and solemn anthem, and are strongly moved thereby, have, as it were, the very depths of their being stirred within them, and give themselves, credit straightway for being very devout; whereas it is demonstrable, from the philosophy of sound, to which I simply refer, that the effect upon their frame is purely physical. Certain vibrations have been produced in the airby the boards and strings of the instruments performing; these have produced a corresponding vibration on their organs of sense, and their nature has been affected in consequence in a definite manner, in a manner which an accurate physiologist can clearly describe as generally applicable, and which an intimate #. acquainted with the peculiar temperament of the individual, could find no difficulty of predicting in his particular ease. . . . . • ‘In this simple statement, without entering into detail or illustration, the whole secret is out, the riddle read. It is a physical effect, bearing exact relation to the amount of the physical cause. The devotion of the affair-becomes purely a question of thervous susceptibility, a devotion that, in the East, would probably dance with the whirling derweeshes as readily as here it melts or glows, adores, or weeps, at the oratorio. . . * * * * * “Now, be it borne, in mind, that no feeling is religious which has not direct reference to God; which does not spring from a right motive, a heart love for him ; , is not shaped in its actings |by a right rule, respect for his words; and is not aiming for a right end—his glory. Compare with this the religion of the oratorio. People go to it either ignorant of what they are to experience or to renew their past feelings at the entertainment; with no higher objeet, however, in either case, than mere amusement; and their pleasurable feeling assumes, it may be, a serious and pensive cast (the richest, sweetest shape it can put on), and thus, pleasure their motive, aim, and experience, they can so deceive themselves as to miscall it piety. We surely do such persons no more than justice when we say, they are neither correct philosophers, nor acute analysts, nor scriptural theologians, nor experimental pietists. The motive, the rule, the end, are throughout wrong; therefore the oratorio cannot, in the sense assumed, be by any means the handmaid of true devotion. The subject matter of oratorios being sacred, is, tomy apprehensionsufficient for their condemnation, upon the grounds of reason and good taste. God, the soul, heaven, hell, eternity, made the matter of a song! that song intended as a pastime for a pleasant hour; not a preparative and assistant to devotion' ... It is awful to think of, repulsive, shocking!. It is offensive to reason and common sense. . Of this, EXPOSITORY PREACHING. 123 taste and decent sensibility. While tion as this, the sufferer being his this general objection lies against all friend and benefactor. It would call representations of this nature, it applies for nerves of adamant and not of with special emphasis to the subject human fibre to endure it. It would be matter of some oratorios, which are a moral crucifixion; it would be a more than commonly censurable. Who, torture only second to that of the hapfor instance, could bear to see the death less hero of the play or 'song; and it of some dear relation, a father, or would be a sin, not only against all mother, enacted upon the stage; or, that is high and honourable, and noble, if thrown into numbers, make it an and generous, and endearing, and amusement to listen to the song? delicate, but against humanity itself. Is not such an event one of those How, then, will they exculpate themdesolating calamities, from the con- selves from the blackness of this sin, templation of which the mind instinc- who can, at the oratorio, hear the tively recoils, and which you would sufferings and death of the Son of fain blot out of the memory for ever? God, it may be, alternate with chorus Be your feelings, however, on this sub- from the opera, or the air from the jeet strong or weak, you could not, at concert-room? How can they endure least, countenance those, nor feel any the scene which the witchery of poesy sympathy with those whose sensibi- and music has conjured up in living lities on the subject being less lively semblance before their eyes! Methinke, than your own, could make the sancti- if they felt anything like human beings, ties of that death-chamber an antidote the place would be one Bochim-one to ennui,-a pleasant contrivance to place of tears. The voice of loud weepkill time. You look at the event in ing would drown the sad music of the one point of view, the irreparable loss piece, and the air vibrate less to trump it occasioned: you recur to it with an and quivering string than the frame of undying grief and never think of the the audience with the strong spåsm of last groan, gasp, look of the dead, but sympathetic agony. Did we feel it you exclaim with sickening heart, “ It as we ought, nature would writhe under is no dream, and I am desolate." They the infliction at the oratorio as it writhes look upon it simply as a very clever under the knife, and we should shun it show, a vastly interesting spectacle. as enfeebled patients do the rush and But to bring our analogy still closer; onset of over excitement. who could bear to see the death of a martyred friend, a bosom friend and generous benefactor, made the subject EXPOSITORY PREACHING. of a tragedy, a spectacle to amuse the vulgar; or theme of a song, intended | The following passage, which we take as much to show the composer's skill from the “Weekly Christian News," à who prepared the accompaniment, or London paper, will be read with inthe singer's mastery of the gamut, as terest by those who perused the letters the virtues of the deceased; suppose which we recently published on all that poetry, and music, and execu- pulpit lectures :tion, and voice, could do to represent " We have long had an impression the atrocious deed in all its atrocity- that the English pulpit would be the mournful catastrophe in all its greatly improved by adopting the mournfulness, who, with the feelings habit, so common in Scotland, of exof a man much less those of a friend, pository preaching. The able exposi. could set out to see the deceased again tion is, in fact, an able commentary expire; to hear again the uprighteous delivered by the living voice; and as sentence of the judge, the ribald it must, from the nature of the case, execration of the crowd, the forgiving draw largely from Scripture, it is the prayer, the God-like benediction of surest way to enlighten the audience the victim, and, at last, with painful respecting the teachings of the holy and vivid verisimilitude, the cries, the oracles. It may be said that topical groans, the convulsed and choking discourses give greater scope for origisobs of the dying man? No man, Inality and the exercise of the reasonventure to predict, with the heart of a ing faculties; but even if this allegation man, could endure such a representa were capable of proof, which we hold it is not, the question would arise tration are concerned, the exposition whether the assumed advantage be an has most decidedly the advantage; advantage at all, either to the preacher indeed, exposition is illustration, if or his flock ? The barrister who wan- it be anything at all; but we mean ders from his brief is not likely to gain here the appropriate use of fact, the case of his client, whatever origi- incidents, and similitude, with which nality may characterise his eloquence, the multitude is familiar, as tending or whatever force may be thrown into to bring home to every man's business his logic. The Christian minister and bosom the blessed truths of the is a barrister, pleading the cause Gospel. “Every scribe," says our of God at the bar of human con- Lord, “who is instructed in the king. science, and the more original his dom of heaven is like unto a man oration is the worse for the cause he that is an householder, who bringeth has in hand. In public meetings it is forth out of his treasure things new common to check the declaimer who and old.” This is not the first time that forgets his subject by cries of we have advocated expository teach“ Question !" We have more than ing, but we have been led to make once heard passages in sermons which these remarks to-day in consequence tempted us to cry “Question !”-a of the perusal of a little volume * by temptation to which, for obvious the Rev. Thomas Alexander, of Chelsea, reasons, we did not yield. Of course which has just issued from the press. it is perfectly true that a man may at. The book is a perfect model of expotempt exposition and yet wander from sition, full of light and life, bringing his thesis, but in that case the very the reader's thoughts into contact with idea of exposition is lost. Still, the the sublime wonders of that wondermotto of true exposition is “To the ful prayer of the Great Intercessor. law and to the testimony." Its life Mr. Alexander's style is neat, forcible, and soul is “comparing spiritual things condensed. There is not a word too with spiritual." It necessitates the much in his sentences, and his “applistudy of the Bible itself. This is its cation” is always happy. But we recommendation and its glory, and the prize the book, chiefly because it is earnest preacher who adopts it as one so full of the love, grace, and glory of -we do not say the exclusive-mode that Divine Redeemer, without whom of teaching will, of voluntary necessity, earth were a wilderness, and heaven “ search the Scriptures." This will an impossibility. assuredly keep him both from Rome and Germany, from superstition and * “The Great High Priest within the rationalism, and whatever else may be the Veil :" being an Exposition, Doctrinal said of his sermon, no one will be able and Practical, of chapter xvii. of John's to say that it was a cloud of verbiage, Gospel. By the Rev. Thomas Alexander, without a ray of light from the Sun of M.A., Chelsea. London: James Brown, Righteousness. Again, so far as illus- 14, Burton-place, Eaton-square. Presbyterian Church in England. in past years, for the spirit of wisdom THE SYNOD. and of peace. The Supreme Court of our Church We believe that pretty full reports will meet during the present month in in of the proceedings will be published Newcastle-on-Tyne. Difficult ques. daily in the “ Northern Daily Extions will again come before our press," a Newcastle paper, which may brethren, the disposal of which will be ordered of the publishers. require much wisdom and prudence. Let there be special prayer offered, as! We have been requested to insert the following notice to ministers,, octavo, and is sold to subscribers for preachers, and students of the Presby- 458. per copy. terian Church in England: Ministers, &c., desirous to avail them. Friends in Manchester and Liver- selves of this offer, are requested to pool have arranged that a copy of the pay the price (20s.), or remit it by Bible with Matthew Henry's Com. Post-office order, to Mr. Adam Reid, mentary, now being published by Bookseller, Ranelagh Street, Liverpool, Messrs, Nisbet & Co., London, may giving their address in full, and statbe obtained by ministers, preachers, ing the conveyance by which the work and students of the Presbyterian may be forwarded to them direct from Church in England, for their own use, London. All applications must be for 20s. The work is bound in cloth, made before 1st May. and consists of nine volumes, imperial' work donude to Revio them for visits. Rev. Dne; a tom of COLLECTIONS AND DONATIONS. COLLEGE FUND. Amount already acknowledged ... £846 6 2 Collection, Grosvenor-sq., Manchester £38 19 1 Maryport Church Collection .... 015 5 .. Horncliffe ditto . . . . . . . . 1 0 0 1 13 5 0 » Blyth . . . 2 0 Hampstead Church Association, for 25 15 10 half-a-year to 31st December Association, London Wall, ditto. .. 5 11 6 i Collection, North Shields.... 7 11 6 Rev. W. C. Burns, Missionary to Do., Smethwick, Birmingham 2 0 0 China, in letter dated Swatow, 31st Association, ditto . . . 12 15 4 December . . . . . . . . . 30 0 0 | Sabbath Sehool Children, ditto 4 3 4 18 18 8 £894 14 1 Collection, Lowick 2 90 Do., North Sunderland 1 1 0 ALEX. GILLESPIE, } Treasurers. Collected at Meetings, Farley, Stafford JAMES ANDERSON, S 0 15 0 Colleetion, Bolton 2 9 7 Rockferry 3 8 0 FOREIGN MISSIONS. Liverpool, inmates of Female Benevo- lent Institution, part proceeds of work done at leisure time ; & token Crookham. 1 16 91 of gratitude to Rev. David Sande. Horncliffe. 1 10 0 man, for visits paid to them . . . 2 12 0 Southampton Newcastle, Mr. James Carson 1 10 0 Wigan . . . . . . River Terrace Sabbath Schools. 10 1 7 Broad Street, Birmingham. 1 12 0 Hampstead Congregational Association, Woolwich... 7 15 0 for half-a-year ........ 9 6 9 Sabbath School Children, ditto 1 0 0 The Alnwick Collection reported in last number Lieat-Colonel Anderson, ditto 100 9 15 o as £l., should have been £i 128, Collection, Islington, Liverpool ... 14 5 7 Hugu M. MATHESON, Treasurer. 16 4. Donation, Mr. Alexander Davidson, 3, Lombard Street, London, 100 20th March, 1857. Collection, Trinity, Manchester : : : 17 11 11 Berwick. :::.... i 16 11 2 109 PRESBYTERY OF LONDON. The following was received too late for 10 | the March number,- 0l The Presbytery met at 51, Great Ormond Workington 0 15 : Street, on January 13th, 1857. Sederunt, Wark 8 8 | Mr. Ballatyne (Moderator p. t.); ProChelsea. Wooler. 6 10 | fessors McČrie and Lorimer; Dr. Weir ; Juvenile Missionary Society, John Knox's, Messrs. Duncan, Chalmers, Thomson, London . Dovation, Mr. James Carson, New. . Wright, Alexander, White, McMillan, eastle-on-Tyne. ... 20 o ministers ; Messrs. Duncan, Johnstone, Collections, Tweedmouth 2 6 Ritchie, Finch, A. M. Gillespie, elders. Sheffield 1 The minutes of last meeting were rend Harbottle Seaton Delava © and confirmed. Arrangements were made Presbyteries Procrrdings. , for the dispensation of the Lord's Supper at John Knox Church, and the supply of Mr. Keedy's pulpit, during his absence occasioned by the protracted illness and recent decease of his wife; the brethren expressing their sympathy with him under his bereavement." Mr. Duncan reported that he had preached at Brighton, as appointed, and declared Hanover Church vacant, by the resignation of Mr. McDougall. In the name of the Kirk session, Mr. Duncan applied to the Presbytery to grant moderation in a call by that congregation. After some discussion as to their prospects of success, the application was granted and Mr. Duncan was appointed to preach and preside in the matter of a call at Brighton, on the 29th instant. Communion rolls were called for, and the following were given in and attested by the moderator— Regent. Square Church, 555 names; Marylebone, 516; River Terrace, 385; Southampton, 306; Woolwich, 200; Chelsea, 195; Londom Wall, 171; Greenwich, 135; Dalston, 73; Caledonian Road, 60; St. John's Wood, 50 ; Bournemouth, 45; Guernsey, 33. Dr. Weir reported that Dr. Stewart, of Leghorn, had declined to accept the call from Carlton Hill Church. Mr. Wright reported favourable of the stations at Newport and Portsmouth. Dr. Weir stated a reference from the Kirk session of River Terrace, on a case of discipline. Messrs. Chalmers (convener), Johnstone, and Duncan, were appointed a committee to examine the papers on the case and to report. Mr. Wright gave notice of an overture to the synod on church extension, to be proposed at the next meeting of Presbytery. Adjourned to meet on the second Tuesday in February. The Presbytery met on February 10th. Sederunt, Mr. Ballatyne (moderator, p. t.), Professors McCrie and Lorimer, Dr. Weir, Messrs. Chalmers, Fisher, Wright, Burns, Alexander, Don, Whyte, ministers; Messrs. Mitchell, Fulloch, Finch, Johnstone, Blyth, elders. The minutes of last meeting were read and confirmed. A committee on session records was appointed, consisting of Mr. Ballantyme, (convener), Messrs. Chalmers and Ritchie, fo any of whom the records of Kirk sessions might be sent. *- The schedule from St. George's Schools, Southwark, was attested. The committee on the case of discipline from River Terrace not being prepared to give in a final report, was re-appointed, with the addition of Professor Lorimer, Messrs. Duncan and Blyth. Mr. Duncan reported that the minister whom the congregation at Brighton had intended to call, having decidedly refused to accept their call, after consultation with the Kirk session, he had not fulfilled the appointment of the Presbytery. His conduct was approved. . " * Mr. Wright's overture on church extension was transmitted: The Presbytery adjourned to meet on the second Tuesday of March. PRESBYTERY OF NEWCASTLE. This Presbytery held its quarterly meet. ing in the John Knox Church, Newcastle, on Tuesday, the 10th March. Present:-The Rev. D. M. Stuart, moderator; the Rev. Dr. Paterson; Messrs. Anderson, Duncan, Hardie, McKenzie, Reid, Storie, and Wrightson, ministers; Messrs. Freeman, Kerr, Lonie, and Richardson, elders. The meeting having been duly constituted, the minutes of former meetings were read and sustained. Mr. McKenzie's motion anent thepayment of the clerk for extracts, was unanimously agreed to. A communication from the Kirk Session of St. John's, South Shields, respectfully acknowledging receipt of the communica. tion from the Presbytery in regard to the St. John's Sessional Schools was laid on the table and read. The clerk read a letter from the Rev. A. Saphir, stating that in consequenee indisposition, he would be unable to preach and preside at the induction of Mr. Benderson, at Hexham on the 11th. Mr. Wrightson was appointed to take Mr. Saphir's place. . - - * Mr. Wrightson having stated that in consequence of his not being able to obtain a comfortable lodging up till this time, and there being no prospect of his doing so, the congregation at Wark had it in contemplation to raise funds for erecting a manse, requested the Presbytery to furnish him with a recommendation of this object to the church and Christian public. The Court unanimously agreed to grant such recom: mendation, and the moderator and clerk were appointed to prepare it. • Dr. Paterson, in name of the Session of St. George's Church, Sunderland, petitioned the Presbytery for leave to the St. George's congregation to elect an assistant and successor, and take all the steps necessary thereament. Having heard statement of a highly satisfactory nature in regard to the present position and future prospects of St. George's congregation from Dr. Paterson and Mr. Lonie, it was moved, |