ORIGINAL POETRY. THE JOYFUL MESSAGE! St. Matthew ii. 28-30. COME to Jesus, come away: Let each wordly bond be burst, Learn of Him the meek, the lowly, Learn of Him the meek and humble, Come-and He will give you pardon- Belfast, 21st Jan. 1846. MARY. SELECTED POETRY. STANZAS. BY J. C. PRINCE, AUTHOR OF "HOURS WITH THE MUSES," &c. Suggested by "The Independents Asserting Liberty of Conscience in the Westminster "Freedom of conscience!" glorious theme for pencil, pen, or tongue! "Freedom of conscience!" let me sing, how slight soe'er my power, God claims the homage of my soul, yet leaves its reason free, Shall human law prescribe my creed, and tell me when to kneel? Oh, no! religion needeth not compulsion or parade, No need of arch and storied pane, of fixed and formal prayer, The heart that learns to lean towards heaven can worship everywhere. In chapel, closet, cloister gloom, or forest shade, we may, If the spirit, not the form, inspires, cast off the world—and pray. Some love the eye-alluring pomp of fulminating Rome, The blazing altar, dreary mass, the high and gorgeous dome; In whose time-hallowed grounds how few would scorn a resting-place. And some on Nature's broad, free floor, beneath heaven's boundless gaze, And others would they were but few-with mingled doubt and pride, Let each who thinks, and by his thought can rise above the clay, Great Nye! methinks I hear thy voice within that ancient hall, For full emancipated speech, for thought's immortal right, There, mid a mute and anxious crowd, stands Milton's youthful form, Like breeze-borne seeds, that pregnant truth went forth from zone to zone, Took root, and flourished free and fair, in places wild and lone; And out of that devoted band, the fearless, firm eleven, An independent multitude press peacefully towards heaven. SELECTIONS. TRUTH is violated, in relation to God, when we conceal from those we are bound to instruct, the grandeur and immensity of his works, and the displays of divine intelligence and skill which are exhibitedin his visible operations; when we exhibit a diminutive view of the extent and glory of his kingdom; when we give an inaccurate and distorted representation of the laws of nature, and of the order and economy of the universe; when we misrepresent the facts which exist in the system of nature, and which occur in the history of providence; when we call in question the truth of that revelation which he has confirmed by signs and miracles, and by the accomplishment of numerous predictions; when we misrepresent its facts, its doctrines, and its moral requisitions; when we transform its historical narrations into a species of parable and allegories; when we distort its literal meaning by vague and injudicious spiritualizing" comments; when we fix our attention solely on its doctrine, and neglect to investigate its moral precepts; and when we confine our views to a few points in the system of revelation, and neglect to contemplate its whole range, in all its aspects and bearings. In fine, the clouds which now obscure many of the sublime objects of religion, and the realities of a future world, would be dispelled, were falsehood and prejudice unknown, and truth beheld in its native light; and religion, purified from every mixture of error and delusion, would appear in its own heavenly radiance, and attract the love and admiration of men.-DICK. 66 NOTICES OF BOOKS. London: First Steps to Anatomy. By JAMES L. DRUMMOND, M.D. Professor of AN elementary treatise on Anatomy-if the subject were so discussed as to be intelligible or useful, merely to students of that science, and if the book were capable of teaching nothing but Anatomy itself— would not be a fit topic for review in a religious magazine; but when we find a work in which the strictest scientific accuracy is combined with the most luminous simplicity of style-in which broad and comprehensive views are united with a treatment of details, which is equally careful and interesting-in which the progress of thought is so natural, and the matters treated of, are so important, that few, who have once lifted the volume, can prevail upon themselves to lay it down until it has been completely perused; and when this work is capable of being rendered in every page, and almost every line, subsidiary to the confirmation of the grand truths of Natural Theology, on which all true religion rests, we should not feel ourselves justified in dismissing it without a passing notice. Such is the little work now before us. We have never perused an introduction to any R science so interesting and attractive. It is calculated to engage the attention and to enlighten the mind, not of the professional student alone, but also of the general reader. us. We have intimated that this work may be of use in confirming the great truths of natural religion. It is not, however, a Treatise on Natural Theology. Were it so, it would lose much of its value in our eyes. Laboured disquisitions and ponderous accumulations of proofs on a matter so simple as the being and attributes of God, we regard with an invincible aversion. When, for instance, we cast our eyes on the formidable array of goodly octavos composing the Bridgewater Treatises, we feel something of a sinking of the heart within What! we involuntarily exclaim, does it require all this enormous mass of chemistry, physics, metaphysics, physiology, meteorology, geology, entomology, to prove that there is a God, and that he is good? If so, alas for the faith and hope of nine hundred and ninetynine out of every thousand of mankind! The very sight of such a library of books, on such a plain subject, would do more to weaken our confidence in the existence and providence of God, than all the arguments which the books contain could do to strengthen it did we not remember that the works were written "to order" each for its own solid thousand pounds-and that, therefore, however able and learned, they come under the general description of ordinary "bookseller's work," which, when well paid for, is sure to be done, as a thing of course, whether it be needful or superfluous, useful or injurious. It is a great mistake to suppose, that by mixing up the discussion of natural religion, formally and expressly, with the contents of every chapter, and almost with the detail of every fact, in a Treatise upon Natural History, by lugging in the Deity, as it were, head and shoulders, upon every occasion, the faith of the reader in the fundamental principle of religion is likely to be confirmed. On the contrary, his suspicion is excited, his taste is disgusted, and his hostility is aroused. No more effectual method could be taken for inspiring a thorough dislike, both for the study of nature and the science of Natural Theology. We know not whether Dr. Drummond has had any design in the composition of this little work to make it subsidiary to the important investigation at which we have glanced; but whether he had this end in view or not, we hesitate not to say, that he has taken the best way to accomplish it: that way is to let nature speak for herself. In examining the curious and complicated structure of animal bodies, let the form and materials of the different parts be pointed out-let their uses be described-let the manner in which they fulfil these uses be explained-let the analogous contrivances employed in other cases for effecting the same object, under different circumstances, be reviewed; and, depend upon it, if the argument built upon these facts, in support of the existence, wisdom, and personality of God, be good for anything, the conclusion will present itself spontaneously to the mind, or rather will force itself upon it. What is wanted, therefore, is not a Treatise on Natural Religion, but a judicious, popular, and interesting survey of nature; and for such a work in this valuable department of science, we are indebted to the author of the book before us. It appears to us, that this book might, with great propriety, be put into the hands of young persons blessed with an inquiring mind and a generous thirst for knowledge; and that it could even be introduced with advantage into seminaries for general education, both collegiate and elementary. INTELLIGENCE. "Rev. and Dear Sir,-Having been selected by a number of your sincere and respectful friends and admirers, in Dublin and elsewhere, to request you to sit for your portrait, we are now deputed by them to request your acceptance of it, on behalf of your family and descendants. The testimonial can be of no value to yourself, save as a record of our gratitude and love; but to those who will have the proud and honourable boast of tracing through you their lineage, it will be prized as a rich inheritance, as portraying and handing down to them the lineaments of the form and countenance of one who ranks high amongst the true aristocracy-the aristocracy of mind-and has nobly and successfully exerted his genius and abilities in the cause of humanity, and for the maintenance and establishment of the best and dearest rights and privileges of mankind. "Few of our Christian brethren of other denominations-none of them, in proportion to our relative numbers can refer to a succession of Christian pastors more highly gifted, or more richly endowed with the graces, virtues, and acquirements, that become the followers of their Master, than the religious societies to which we have the happiness to belong. Within little more than a century, the congregation, of which you are now one of the ministers, can enume rate amongst its pastors the Rev. Thomas Emlyn, the worthy confessor and undaunted proclaimer, in perilous times, of the faith then obscured, which had once been delivered to the saints; the Rev. John Abernethy, the author of the justly-admired discourses on the Divine Attributes; the Rev. James Duchal, D.D. the strenuous supporter of rational and practical Christianity; the Rev. S. Bruce, and his son, the learned divine, acute reasoner, and elegant scholar, the Rev. Wm. Bruce, D.D.; the pious, benevolent, and eloquent Dr. Moody, worthy successor of Abernethy and Duchal; the venerated and accomplished Dr. Thomas Plunket; and your late co-pastor, the beloved and revered Dr. Armstrong. And, in the same period, the congregation of Eustace-street, with which your congregation is connected with such ties of sympathy and kindred feeling, can enumerate amongst its departed pastors no less distinguished ministers of Christ. We need only refer to the Rev. Nathaniel Weld, the Rev. Isaac Weld, D.D. the Rev. Samuel Thomas, the Rev. Philip Taylor, and the Rev. John Leland, D.D. one of the ablest defenders of the truths of Christianity, in opposition to Deistical writers. "Nor would we overlook the remarkable men and admirable Protestant Dissenters of the previous century, the fathers amongst us, under God, of our freedom from spiritual bondage, including the Provost of the University, and seven senior and junior fellows of Dublin College, and several dignitaries of the Established Church, who nobly resigned their preferments, emoluments, and dignities, in assertion of the true Protestant principle which has always distinguished your congregation, the all-sufficiency of the Holy Scriptures as the sole rule of |