CorrcspDttlantrt.
JOSEPH ALLEINE
BY REV. E. 11. GILLETT, DAD
Few human productions have ever
had so extensive a circulation as Joseph
Alleine's " Alarm to the Unconverted."
He was one of the noble band of Non
conformist ministers ejected from the
English Church in 1662. The hard
ships of his successive imprisonments,
together with his arduous labors, under
mined a naturally strong constitution, and
in 1668, at the early age of thirty-five
years, he fell a victim to religious in
tolerance.
His book was not published until four
years after his death, but in three years
from that time, its circulation had reached
seventy thousand copies. It would be
impossible to form even an approximate
estimate of the number which havee since
been issued in successive editions, or to
calculate the results that have attended
its perusal. It is a work that has long
been classed, and justly, with such pro
ductions as those of Richard Baxter's
" Call to the Unconverted," and his
" Saint's Rest." It is one of the classics
of our religious literature. •
Something of its popularity may be
accounted for by a knowledge of the
circumstances in which it was prepared.
Alleine was not only a preacher, but a
pastor. His zeal to do good led him to
converse with all classes, and he thus
came in contact with all varieties of
minds and dispositions, and learned how
to deal with them. In that touching
tribute to his memory, penned by his
wife, daughter of Rev. Richard Alleine,
and like-minded with himself, we are
told that "he found much difficulty in
going fromYlouse to house, because it
had not been practised a long time by
any minister in Taunton, nor by any
other of his brethren ; and he, being but
a young man, to be looked upon as sin
gular, was that which called for much
self-denial which the Lord enabled him
to exercise. Herein was his compassion
showed to all sorts, both poor and rich,
not disdaining to go into such houses
amongst the poor as were very offensive
for him to sit in, he being of an exact
and curious temper. Yet •would he,
with joy and freedom, deny himself for
the good of their souls, and that he
might fulfill his ministry among those
the Lord had given him the oversight
of."
It was such diligence as this, not only
among his own flock, but in prison, or
wherever else his lot might be, that pre
pared him to deal at once sq tenderly,
yet so pungently, with the souls of men.
His pastoral ietters, written from Ilches
ter jail, where at different times he was
confined for the space of about fifteen
months, remind one of Paul's Epistles.
He speaks of the " moving, melting let
ters," which he received in return, but
we feel that the pathos of his people's
letters must have been largely indebted
to that of his own.
In some of the paragraphs of this cor
respondence, we note the conjoined
evidence of piety and genius, and are
not surprised that such a book as his
" Alarm" should have been the produc
tion of his prison Patraos. His very
soul seems to be coined into words, and
we scarcely feel the need of a portrait
to bring the saintly man before us as
with tearful eyes he traces lines that
would be read with tears. "My dear
brethren," he says, "my business, as I
have often told you, is not to gain your
hearts, or turn your eyes toward me,
but to Jesus Christ. His spokesman I
am. Will you give your hearts to Him?
Will you give hands, your names to
Him? Will you subscribe to his laws,
and consent to his offices, and be at
thorough defiance with all his enemies?
This do, and I leave my errand. Who
will follow Christ's colors ? Who will
come under his banner ? This shall be
the man that shall be my friend ; this is
he that will oblige me forever. . . .
Hear a friend : Will you do nothing for
a minister of Christ ? Nothing for a
prisoner of Jesus Christ ? Methinks I
hear you answer, yea, rather what will
we not do. He shall never want while
we have it. He shall need no office of
love, but we will run and ride to do it.'
Yea, but this not that I beg of you.
Will you gratify me indeed? Then
come in ; kiss the Son ; bow to the
name of Jesus; not in compliment, with
cap and knee ; but let your souls bow ;
let all your powers bend-sail, and do him
homage. Let that sacred name be
graven into the substance of your hearts,
and lie as a bundle of myrrh between
your breasts. While holiness is made
the butt of others' persecution, do you
make it the white, the mark of your
prosecution ; that you live it up as much
as others cry it down. . . . Cleave
fast to Christ ; never let go your hold ;
cling faster because so many are labor
ing to knock off your fingers and loosen
your hold."
Something of his own cheerful self-'
denial is reflected in his counsels. " Let
none of you dream of an earthly para
dise, or flatter yourselves with dreams
of sleeping in your ease and temporal
prosperity, and carrying heaven too.
Think not to keep your estates and liber
ties and consciences too. Count not
upon rest till you come to the land of
promise. Not that I would have any of
you run upon hazards uncalled. No,
we shall meet them soon enough in the
way of our duty, without we will balk
it, and, shamefully turn aside. But I
would have you cast overboard your
worldly hopes, and count not upon an
THE AMERICAN PRESBYTERIAN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1865
earthly felicity, but be content to wait till
you come on the other side of the grave.
Is it not enough to have a whole eternity
of happiness yet behind?
In such a strain as this, he inspires
others with something of that Christian
heroism which he evinced himself. Pew
men have ever seemed to live so habitually
in the land of Beulah, or breathe daily so
much of the fragrance of heaven. All
selfish aims or interests seemed eradi
cated from his soul. His daily labori
might have presented a living portrai
ture from which Cotton Mather would
only have needed to copy his " Essays
to do good." We may say of his devo
tion to his work, in the language of John
Foster, when speaking of Howard, that
it was characterized by "the calmness
of an intensity, kept uniform by the
nature of the human mind forbidding it
to be more, and by the character of the
individual forbidding it to be less."
There is a sublimity in the uniform
loyalty with which he adhered to his
sacred purpose of usefulneSs and duty
to God—a purpose which he foresaw
would lead him on to scenes of persecu
tion, reviling, imprisonment, and, for
aught he could tell, extreme suffering
and destitution. Yet, from first to last,
he has no misgivings. He never roOks
back to the flesh-pots of Egypt. He
never thinks of compromising with con
science. He has deliberately scanned
the path of duty, from which he will not
swerve, and he stands in his lot till the
end of his days.
NOTES ON HYMNS AND TUNES,
WITH SPECIAL REGARD TO THE SO
CIAL HYMN AND TUNE BOOK.
ARP. I.
DEAR BROTHER MEARS :-I have just
procured and examined a copy of our
new Social Hymn and Tune Book, and
to say that I am delighted with it, is to
say what those who have before been
acquainted with it wont(' naturally ex
pect. I profess myself a lover of good
hymns, and this book satisfies.me better
than any other of similar design that has
come under my observation. Upon
turning to the index of first lines, in
order to conare it with my own lists
of hymns for social singing, I found a
large majority of the old favorites. For
the present wants of the Church it is
superior to the Temple Melodies, which
has hitherto been better adapted for
general use than any other. I confess
to having had a feeling of uneasiness, as
soon as the plan of preparing a new work
was broached, lest it should be a failure,
like so many similar attempts. If my
voice could have had weight, I would
have rather recommended a revision of
the Temple Melodies, as safer than the '
compiling of a new work. The above
named work, taking into view its design
as well as the time at which it was pub
lished, appears to me as perfect as can be.
There is a great advantage in preserv
ing those tunes that the Christian world
will not willingly let die, and always
associating them with favorite hymns.
The Germans, who are far more success
ful in promoting social and congrega
tional singing, carry this to such an ex
tent, that their tunes are named from the
first lines of hymns. Why should we
not follow the same practice, instead of
ransacking our own language and many
others for names ? There is no signifi
cance to the majority of them, and even
where there is it is lost to most people.
A more meaningless system of nomen
clature could not be invented. What
better name for the Missionary Hymn than
" From Greeland's icy mountains ?" This
method is much more natural. People
remember them much longer. •It takes
no more space in printing, as a word re
quires a line.
The practice of thus associating a
particular tune with each common hymn
is of great value in fixing the tune in the
memory. The twain become one. It is
always best, too, to respect such marriage
relations, especially where they 'are of
long standing, even though a critic might
fancy that he could' mate them more
properly. It is this freedom of divorce
that has made some hymn and tune
books almost useless. The Sabbath
school Hosanna, though comprising a
good selection of both hymns and tunes,
is an example of this fault. Also the
Church Melodies, by Hastings, a book of
the same class with our Social Hymn
and Tune Book, might be instanced. It
is beautiful in its workmanship, and
evinces fine taste and a devout spirit in
its selections, but still many are disap
pointed in it, and often refuse to sing
the tunes that are placed along with the
hymns. In this respect our own book is
worthy of high praise.
Yet I would not say that in every
particular my own idea has been met.
For example, the second hymn, " Come
'thou Almighty King," has been sung for
forty years or more to the tune " Italian
Hymn." The two are almost always
placed together in s the hymn and tune
books, and where these words are printed
in the collections of church music. In
scores of churches, both in the city and
country, it is the only one used. Unless it
should appear that "New Haven" is the
common tune in many other localities, it
would seem almost sacrilege to place it
here. I would also have preferred
Windham for " Show Pity Lord," as being
far more current, and better adapted to the
spirit of the words. It would also have
pleased me better to have had Stowe for
" Yes the Redeemer rose." But these
are small things, and I know that the
editors had a great many ends to secure
in the selection and position of every
tune, all of which ends no one tune could
fully meet, and which required a nice
balancing of different claims to decide.
There are a few hymns that I was
surprised not to find, such as " 0 God,
Our Help in Ages Past," " Come Tremb
ling Sinner," " To-day the'Saviour calls,"
" When I Can Trust my all with God,"
"Through Every Age Eternal God."
Yet I have not found the hymns that I
could easily strike out to makemom for
them. There are some other hymns
that I did not expect to meet with in
this collection, but that I should be glad
to see kept in the remembranc, of the
Church. They are such as the' follow
ing : " Ah, Guilty Sinner! Rui ed by
Transgression," " Stop, Poor inner,
Stop and Think," "Oh That 'M Load
of Sin Were Gone," " Oh, There i rll be
Mourning," " Soft be the Gently reath
\
ing Notes." If the editor of 4e RES
BYTBRIAN would publish these 'it the
tunes .given in the Christian Ly , in a
form convenient for pasting in t , the
back of • our Social Hymn and Tune
Book, he will receive the hearty t nks
of not a few of his readers. Th e i s
power and pathos in them. It is a fact
that ought to give serious concern,to all
lovers of soulful, expressive music, that
there is a tendency to negleet mi\or
tunes. •We may - observe this in chobs,
in social singing, and in the choice cif
music for the piano. - Hammond's Praises
of Jesus, excellent as it is, has nothiak,
in the opinion of the writer, eci
-l ist . of t
above named pieces for promoting 27
..,
feeling.
In regard to the minor arrangements
of the Social Hymn and Tune Book, it
wants an alphabetical index of subjects,
as a means of saving time- in selecting
hymns. It has also the unusual defi
ciency of the names of the authors, both
of tunes and hymns.. It may be said
that 'this is a matter of small importance.
Doubtless many so regard it. But
hope• that is not the judgment of the
Committee. That is no true interest in
a book or a poem, which does not also
include an interest in the writer. We
derive profit, as well as pleasure, in com
paring the style of one author with an
other. This book will come into the
hands of many educated young Chris
tians, who will love its hymns. But
many of them will .A.learn the names
of those who first give them to us, as
they would if this information was fur
nished. It is well to have them know
that he who first sang those immortal
songs of heaven, " Father I long, I faint
to see," " Give me the wings of faith to
rise," " There is a land of pure delight,"
who produced such versions of the
Psalms as, " Sweet is the work, my
God, my King," "God is the refuge of
his saints," was Watts ; that Newton
wrote " Safely through another week ;"
that Cowper wrote " Oh, for a eloper
walk with God." The name of The
author should not only be given, but
placed on the same page with the poem.
Any one who cares to notice these names
and who has turned hundreds of times
to the index to find them, knows how
great a convenience - 1111 - g - is. It makes
the Plymouth Collection valuable and
convenient for study. By the way, this
last-named compilation, though marred
by the introduction of various poems
that can in no sense be termed hymns,
and being glaringly deficient on some
topics, is well worth the attention of the
seekers after good hymns.'
Likewise 'in regard to printing the
names of the composers of the music ; to
say nothing of what is due to them, it is
a great means of instruction. Though
there are but few that have much ac
quaintance with the music of standard
authors, yet it is worth something to
know the names. If Christmas and
Thatcher do not call up the composer of
" The people shall hear and be afraid,"
" He was despised," " I know that my
Redeemer liveth," " Total eclipse," it
should at least bring to notice the name
of Handel, as one of the world's great
musicians. There are in this book but
few tunes of classical composers ; not as
many as the writer would wish had been
taught to the Church. But it is interest
ing to know what has been done for our
church music by such men as Mason,
Woodbury, Kingsley, Hastings, and
others, who are well represented here.
It is also instructive to know those tunes
for which we are indebted to Germany,
to the old English composers, and those
unclaimed melodies that seem to have
been inspired by the hymns themselves,,
and to have sprung 'from the heart of
the people, no one knows where nor
when. This work being stereotyped, it
is too late to remedy the deficiency in
the body of the work, but there is space
enough in the index on the same line
with the hymn or tune in nearly every
case.
The introduction of so many new
hymns will of course excite a desire for
a new edition of the Church Psalmist.
If a hymn ought to be sung; the same
reason requires that it should be printed
in the standard hymn book. In this
respect the Methodists have set a good
example, and their success in promoting
social singing vindicates the plan. It is
now twenty-five years since the work of
preparing our present hymn book was
given into the hands of the 'Committee.
It is impossible to make a book meet all
the wants of a Church for a great length
of time. A hymn book of the last cen
tury would be totally inadequate to our
present wants. Would it not be well to
fix by a rule the time of each revision,
perhaps once in twenty-five years r A
supplement does not meet the end, be
cause a large number will not buy it.
A new work should be prepared, and
the printing of the old discontinued.
Though the past quarter of a century
has not produced any great master of
sacred song, a large number of hymns
have come to the notice of the Church,
and many of them have been at once
accepted. While we are thankful for a
Watts or a Wesley, for volumes of Di
vine lyrics, we should not overlook a
Sarah F. Adams far giving us "Nearer
my God to thee." As long as good
hymns are written, they will be read
and sung, and when a sufficient number
of those that are considered indispensa
ble have accumulated, they should be
gathered up in our authorized compila
tions.
In a succeeding article we will speak
of the subject of congregational singing,
and the use of hymn and tune books.
—, N. November, 1865
THE STUDY.
The minister was' moving into the
parsonage, and the great question before
the house was, " Which room shall by
the study ?" f
" Oh, James must have the pleson.nt
est retired room in the ho/e for
his study." Such was the r9,YtY of my
very dear friend, the m' tar's wife.
Her decision was fine
santest room in the vand the plea
lause became the
study.
This goodly room ,
could ill be spared
lethe purpose " A little . chamber on
l 't•he wall," which they styled " the pro
"Afet's bed-room," (happily turning an
rgyance into cheer,) was all that was
lEt for a guest chamber, and the bestow
i4nt of a second corner called forth all
"faculty" of 'the ever ready and pa
tifilt wife. But these inconveniences
wee nothing regarded in view of the
sasfaction which " James" took in his
st y. He delighted in it, was proud
of ,
I t ,
wanted it always in perfect order,
an desired that every visitor should at
lea look into it. He wrought nobly,
tool and with noble results at that study
tabb. There is no doubt that it was
besi for " James" to have " the plea
san st retired room in the house" for his
stu 1 because it suited him and his
it
inte ectual wants. But it might not
have been best for another. What was
intel •ctual life to him, might have been
deat to his brother.
I ave seen almost every possible di
versi r of habit and taste indicated in
the 60 oice of a study. Mr. A. wants a
pleas nt room, but it does not signify to
him : out its being retired. So he puts
his riting-table and library into the
" best i arlor," and it becomes the study.
This the most convenient arrange
ment i s ssible for his wife, who is thus
spared) the perplexity about sleeping
apartm:nts, which alrhost surely results
from t,e appropriation of a pleasant
room 0, the second floor for a study.
This roam is front, and opens into the
lower 1411. Every sound in the street,
every ring at the' door, every step on the
stair, eery shout of the little ones
from the garden, is within hearing.
(I+lorgett>a-inolui:l4:6 the-pageibility of - (to
mestic clatter.) Amid all he writes on
with imperturbable equanimity. If call
ers cannot be received in the back-parlor,
which serves of necessity in the winter
for dining-room and nursery also, he
expects them to be taken into the study.
He often improves their reception in
the discharge of pastoral duty, and al
ways, when they are gone, resumes the
unbroken thread of his discourse with
unruffled composure. Happy pastor
Happy people !, Thrice happy wife !
Mr. 0. is the antipode, of his serene
brother. His nervous state is such,
when, writing, that no sight, no pound
of human or inhuman life must reach
him. I lie regards the attic of attics as
the only feasible room for a study, the
only objection which it has to his mind
being the
.possibility that rats or mice
may there disturb his meditations. So
the attic becomes the minister's study;
(as it ought, since it is his pleasure,)
much, however, to the discomfiture
(secret) of his " loving wife," who
grieves to have him so far above " w.o
man's sphere." This is no fancy sketch;
I have known it true, even to the rats
and mice.
Again, as to the order and neatness
of a study, there is every diversity of
tastes among men. One delights in
" heaven's first law ;" another enthrones
and defends the king of chaos. The one
loves to have the considerate wifely
hand administer all needful discipline of
broom and duster (happy wife, again ;)
the other, like Mr. Oldbuck—of " The
Antiquary"—resists as a personal insult
all intrusions of " womankind," saying,
"It is very ancient, peaceful dust, and will
remain so for a hundred years if these
gypsies will only leave it undisturbed."
(" Buffeted" wife seeks " grace suffi
cient" for this "thorn in the flesh.")
This is no fancy sketch; either. I have
seen just such studies ; (intruding where
I wasn't wanted, and repenting of my
sin in dust and ashes,) and, strange to
relate, I have known fine sermons to
emanate therefrom. I marveled at the
fine sermons as much as St. Clare did at
the superb dinners which Dinah " cre
ated out of chaos and old night down in
the kitchen ;" but as he fed on the din
ners ignoring the honors of their getting
up, so did I the sermons, and I judged
their author as we do statesmen and
generals, by his success. (And ever after
forsook my repented sin of intrusion.)
Verily, our beloved ministers have in
tellectual habits, tastes, and necessities
" differing." It is my heart-felt and
happy conviction, that the only becoming,
true, and Scriptural course for us (wives)
is to let them have their own way.; and
may God bless them in it.
HERBERT NEWBITRY
STRALHAN , S ENGLISH BOOKS.
IRVING. Miscellanies from the Collected W
tings of Edward Irving. A. S trahan, Ib
don ; crown Svo.
, p 487. For se
Smith, English co., Philp
Agents. Tina
After a number of years of obltir;l' the
name and works of this brillirt but erratic
genius have emerged into 4 :least another
experience of notoriety, filia l his biogra
phers and editors 4, „ most industriou s ly
laboring to make r einanent. Besides hi s
life, by Mrs. OlPhant, and his collected
fib volumes, they have
writings, in
ders who cannot find time to
issued, for r , `
become w ivainted with those, the above
volume:.l Miscellanies. There is in these
wr i t i,s a mingling of rhetorical.splendor
, w w tenderness of tone and quaintness of
e .pression, which sometimes reminds us of
Jeremy Taylor, " the Shakespeare of di
vines." The truth is presented often with
marvellous power and beauty, never with
baldness or coldness. The stream of feel
ing, of fancy, and of rich language, rolls on
from page to page, scarcely ever showing
signs of exhaustion. Striking, suggestive,
and endlessly varied forms of thought meet
one at every turn, and while it is well un
derstood that Irving is no reliable teacher
or guide, yet on many leading and essen
tial points of doctrine he is not only soundly
orthodox, but his mode . of arguing and
putting the truth is singularly effective
and worthy of study. From the lack of
completeness to his theological character, a
book of extracts is likely to give at least a
fair conception of his merits, and will be
regarded by most persons, doubtless, as
containing all that is necessary to be known
of his style, and supplying its whole benefit
to the student and sermonizer.
PURITAN
DE GUERIN. Journal of Eugenie . de Guerin
Edited by G. S. Trebutien. London
Simpkins, Marshall & Co. 12m0., pp. 460
For sale by Smith, English & Co., Phila
deiphia Agents.
This journal, with that of her broiler
Maurice, has created great interest among
critics and a somewhat select circle or
readers: It is the product of a most deli
cately-strung mind in a diseased body, sym
pathizing ardently with a brother, who
himself passes away in a decline. It is
overflowing with sisterly tenderness, with a
mystic piety under the full sway of Itomish
superstition, and with exquisite aesthetic
conception of natural objects. Many deeply
wise, yet as it would seem, chance remarks
upon serious topics, are scattered along the
pages, and a charm of language and of
narrative holds the reader captive and hur
ries him to the end. The translation is
fresh, easy, and idiomatic.
The sixteenth French edition of this
Journal is just announced.
ALFORD. Meditations in Advent, on Crea
tion and Providence. By Henry Alford,
D.D Dean of Canterbury. London : A.
Strahan, 18mo., pp. 240. Philadelphia
Agents, Smith, English & to.
These Meditations, originally Sermons,
are a sort of Theology for the People, in
which the great truths of religion are han
dled without formality or conventionality,
and in which the,difficulties presented to the
inquiring mind are met by analogies in the
every-day phenomena of human existence.
The gifts, the culture, and the piety of this
eminent evangelical divine, abundantly
qualify him for such an undertaking.
The externals of these volumes are at
once substantial and elegant, and the price
is moderate
TICKNOR A: FIELISS' BOOKS.
HOLIZES. Humorous Poems, by Oliver Wen
dell Homes. Square 18mo., paper cover,
pp. 100. Boston : Ticknor & Fields. 1 Phi
ladelphia: for sale by J. B. Lippincott &
Co:
This is one of the Series of Companion
Poets for the People, and till doubtless
prove highly popular. "The Wonderful
One loss Shay," is worth the price of the
book.
ROBERTSON. Life and Letters of Rev. F.
W. Robertson, M.A., Incumbent of Trinity
Chapel, Brighton, (Eng., ) 1847-53. Edited
by Stopford A. Brooke, M.A.; late Chap
lain to the Embassy at Berlin. In two
volumes, 12m0., pp. 352, 359. Boston :
Ticknor & Fields. For sale by J. B. Lip
pincott & Co.
There is frequently an unaccountable
degree of interest about the lives of men
who have lived an inward life upon the
border lines of faith and doubt. Sym
pathising with doubters and with believers,
bOth,tseeking ever those modes of viewing
and presenting doctrines least liable to ob
jection, sometimes removing or greatly
softening objections to the truth; then, on
the other hand, assailing established repre
sentations of truth, which in their judg
ment prejudice the inquirer, and frequently
rendering good service to theological sci
ence, we still scarcely know why their wri
tings take such a hold and circulate so
widely. But when high talents or some
measure of genius are involved in these
struggles and experiences, and when the
workings of the mind are spread open to
us, as in this life and correspondence of
Robertson, with unwonted skill, we cannot
but yield to the fascination. The picture
o f a great mind passing through struggles,
drawn by itself, this is the chief attraction
of the work. The rare and splendid abili
ties of the man as a preacher appear in his
sermons. Of these, several volumes have
been issued, some of which have gone
through. as many as nine and twelve edi
tions, besides appearing in the Tauchnitz
edition of the English Classics. As a liter
Xt(ifirt 7 o r)abtf.
intellectaal phenomenon, the Life
ary s etters are worthy of study. The
and
tr Arley of all he has written is far more
iwards a Christianized and beautiful Stoi-
cism than to Scriptural piety.
AMERICAN TRACT SOCIETY, N. Y.
The following volumes have just been
issued in handsome bindings and large type,
and with admirable illustrations, 18nio.
THE GLEN CABIN, pp. 232.
ILVERTON RECTORY; or, the Non-Con
formist in the Seventeenth Century, pp
188.
EVELYN PERCIVAL, pp. IS9.
EFFIE MORRISON; Or, the Family of
Red Braes, pp. 157.
TUE HUGUENOTS OF FRANCE, pp. 198.
This and the three preceding are by the
author of Allen Cameron.
SAVE THE ERRING, by the . Rev. J. H.
Langille, pp. 164.
- ,
PEMODICALS AND PAMPHLETS.
THE ANNALS Or lO WA : A Quarterly
Publication by the :Rate Historical Society.
Edited by Theodore S. Parvin, Correspond
ing Secretary.—Convits :
Sketches of the
Sac and Fox Indians, and the Early Settle
ment ,of Wapello County; Dubuque in
Early Times; The History
of the First
Congregational Church of Lyons, Iowa;
Sketches from the History of Polk County.
The Trial and Execution of Patrick O'Core
ner, A the Dubuque Mines, 1834; Edi
torial Notes.
THE pVANGELICAL REPOSITORY AND
UNITED PRESBYTERIAN REVlEW.—Con
tents : Religious Education of Children;
Religion and Politics; Remarks on Psalms
CXVII. and CXVIII. ; On Success in
Preaching; "Not Many Mighty are called,"
etc.
THE ATLATIC MONTHLY FOR DEOEM
BER.--Contents: Griffith Gaunt: or, Jeal
ousy, I.; The Parting of Hector and
Andromache ; Williain Blackwood; Thp
Chimney Corner, XI; The Forge, 11., etc.
Boston : Ticknor k Fields. Philadelphia,
A. Winch, T. B. Peterson & Bro.
LITTELL'S LIVING AGE.—No. 1121.
November 25, 1865.—Contents : Posthu
mous Writings of Alexis de Tocquevville ;
Miss Marjoribanks, Part 9 ; Foreign Policy
of America; Lord Palmerston; The Vacant
Premiership, etc.
LITERARY ITEMS.
NEW MAGAZINE-" THE ARGOSY."-
Messrs. Strahan & Co., London and New
York, announce a new terary magazine by
the above title, price twenty-five cents a
month.—The library of Judge Jones, of
this city, was sold at auction a fortnight
ago. The prices were generally very low;
some of the larger tomes must have gone
by the pound, and will probably turn up in
the sorting-room of a paper mill.—Mr.
T. S. Arthur's last book, "Nothing but
Money," has been republished in London.
—A splendid volume, called "The Tri
bute Book," is now going through the
press in New York, designed to give a full
account of the voluntary and popular chari
ties of the war. No expense will be spared
to make it worthy of its great object. It
is to be sold by subscription only. T. B.
Pugh, of this city, is agent.—" The Sun
day Book of Poetry" is a collection, just
issued, by C. F. Alexander, author of a fine
production called the " Burial of Moses."
Lindsay & Blakiston, Phila., announce
a new book by Harriet McKeever, " The
Woodcliff Children."—Urbino, of Bos
ton, announces Gcethe's Herrmann and Do
rothea, and Schiller's Mary Stuart, in the
original, with English notes.—The Pres
byterian Publication Committee announce :
" Five Years •in China," by Rev. Charles
P. Bush, and several other volumes.—
Hurd & Houghton, N. Y.: " Six Months in
the White House," by C. F. Carpenter; pro
bably the interesting papers which have al
ready appeared in the Independent. —lto
berts Bros., Boston, announce " The Journal
and Letters of Madame Recamier;" "The
Book of Sonnets," an original work from
the MSS. of Leigh 'Hunt; new works by
Robert Buchanan and Jean Ingelow.—
J. B. Lippincott & Co., of this city, have
made extensive arrangements for the im
portation and republication of the works of
nearly a score of English houses. They
promise : Mill on Comte and Positivism,
with new editions of Kitto's Cyclope
dia, Dickens' Works, etc.—Among gift
books we notice "The Home of Washing
ton," (new edition,) by Benson J. Lossing,
small quarto, from $6 50 to $ll 50.
Smith's " Concise Dictionary of the Bible,"
thick. Bvo., with illustrations, $6 to $8 :
Little, Brown & Co., Boston. —Lee &
Shepard, of Boston, promise " Fighting;
Joe,' by Oliver Optic, (Dec. 10.)—Har
per & Bro.'s have issued the fifth volume
of Carlyle's " Frederick the Great." They
have also in press, Rev.. Justus Doolittle's
" Social Life of the Chinese," in two vol
umes; also Livingston's " Zambesi."
Rev. C. Merivale is now delivering "Boyle
Lectures" on " The Conversion of the
Northern Nations."—Dr. Rowland
Wil
liams, of the "Essays and Reviews," has
in press the first instalment of a critical.
work on the Hebrew prophets.—The
English publishers are getting up splendid
gift books for the Holidays, illustrated en
tirely by photographs. They include copies
from Raphael and other great painters,
illustrations of the scenery of Scott's prin
cipal poems, etc. The French Emperor
has lately published a small work on " The
Policy of France in Algeria."—A new
volume on the Natural History of Pales
tine, by*Tristram, the English naturalist, is
promised. Lippincott & Co. promise a
Secret Rebel Diary of the War, in two vol
umes, soon.— The Nation of last week has
a very unsparing, not to say savage, criti
cism of Dr. Holland's last book—" Plain
Talks on Familiar Subjects."
BY constant reference of the Psalms to
Christ, and to the Church as inseperably
united to Christ, their words become in
vested with brighter meaning. The words
of David become the words of the Son of
David—speaking either in his person or in
the person of his people.—Plain Commen
tary on the .Psalms.