that time to the close of his honourable and useful life, he lived on terms of Christian friendship with those whose church government, in its most essential particulars, closely resembled his own beloved Independency.

Besides other works of sterling value, he published two volumes of Sermons, which amply justified his well-earned and wide-spread reputation, and which the Church of Christ "will not willingly let die." The first edition was, in a few years, exhausted, and odd copies were only to be had at a greatly enhanced price; we are, therefore, glad to see this cheap re-issue of the first volume, by Mr. Walker, of Leeds, which, if successful, will, probably, be followed by the other.

These Sermons were dedicated by the author to "The Church and Congregation attending in Albion Chapel, Leeds," on the completion of the nineteenth year of his ministry among them, with the hope, as he touchingly says, that they might "prevent them, when he should be no more, from forgetting him quite at once." The subjects discussed are of great importance, and are treated with rare ability. They contain but few traces of that magniloquence which, characterising Dr. Hamilton's early ministrations, brought down upon him some merciless criticism, and at which he himself, when his taste had been corrected by enlarged reading and experience, used to laugh. Nor are they disfigured by that "asthmatic" style which his Scotch critic, if we remember rightly, somewhere specifies as the prevailing characteristic of his composition. persons of can dour and judgment will read these sermons without rising from their perusal with a high appreciation of the preacher's intellect and devotedness to the cause of truth. He lived to bury his friend Ely and write his life; and, shortly afterwards, joined him in that "Heavenly Country," concerning which he, in "Sermon 1X.," discourses like one who felt he had an interest in it, and was waiting for the summons to depart. With the closing sentences of this beautiful homily we conclude our notice,—

Few

"For you, dear Christians, it only remains that you keep your fixed resolve, and hasten towards the land which God has promised, and the city which He has prepared. Barter not your pilgrim's staff for a monarch's sceptre! Put not off your sandals, though potentates would stoop to anoint your feet! Be yourselves, and their wealth will be no bribe, and their power no temptation. Spurn their dalliances! Brave their frowns! Your diadems will blaze forth when 'Kings are bound with chains, and nobles with fetters of iron.'

"Strangers here, a stranger conflict will soon demand your faith and patience. The last step of pilgrimage is the most severe. It is still left for you to die. The summons of this mortality resounds; and falls on many a timid ear, chill and startling as that of old, 'Go over Jordan.' Cold and dark is the wave we must pass. Whether we cross it at the most shallow ford, or the most eddying depth, whether at its narrowest or broadest reach, it yet is to be passed. But lo! the heavenly country and the holy city rise before you! Close they rise upon the other margin! They mirror themselves in the stream! Sometimes, as it is ruffled, the reflected image is broken, but as frequently it restores itself; and assures us that the imperfect view should be ascribed to the agitations of the medium, while the Reality exists in its unwavering majesty, and even overhangs the waters which waft us thither. Amen."

The Life and Lessons of our Lord. Unfolded and Illustrated by the Rev. John Cumming, D.D. With Engravings. Part I. London: JOHN F. SHAW & Co., Paternoster Row.

In the present day, when such strenuous efforts are put forth to ignore Christ as the Alpha and Omega of Divine revelation, a work like this, undertaken by a competent hand, is peculiarly appropriate. In his introductory observations, Dr. Cumming says, "I can add nothing new-for nothing additional has been revealed since He ascended from the Mount, but I will try to leave out nothing old that the inspiring Spirit has caused to be written for our learning. There will be no controversy, nor critical disquisition, nor doubtful speculation," &c. We hope that the author will reckon as matters of" doubtful speculation" those millenarian views of which some of his writings are so full; should he do so his work will be worthy of a place in every family. Part I., contains, " Christ in the Prophecies, Christ in the Types, Christ in the Manger, Christ presented in the Temple, Christ Adored and Persecuted, Christ in the Midst of the Doctors, Christ Baptised by John." It is also adorned with a coloured illus tration of the Good Shepherd, and four wood engravings. The Volume is intended to be completed in about twelve monthly parts.

The Family Treasury. January and February, 1864. London: T. NELSON and Sons.

THIS excellent serial has begun the year well. Its contents are varied and useful. Some capital engravings of Scripture scenes are introduced.

The Christ of the Gospels and the Romance of M. Renan. Three Essays by the Rev. Dr. Schaff and M. Napoleon Roussel. London: THE RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY.

THIS is a Volume of great value,-suitable to the times, and well fitted to meet the latest phases of infidelity. The Rev. Professor Schaff, in an essay of great beauty and power, proves the divinity of Christ's person and mission from His character as pourtrayed by the Evangelists; while M. Napoleon Roussel, in two brilliant essays, exposes the absurdities involved in the "Romance of Renan." Though the latter production may not be calculated to do much harm among plain common-sense Englishmen, the Committee of the Tract Society has done well to issue this antidote to its poison. The perusal of these Essays by our young men can hardly fail to save them from the errors which they expose. They should have a place in every Christian family.

The Works of Thomas Goodwin, D.D.
Edinburgh: JAMES NICHOL.

Vols VII. and VIII.

THE contents of these Volumes are,-" Of the Creatures, and the Condition of their State by Creation-Of Gospel Holiness in the Heart and Life--Of the Blessed State of Glory which the Saints Possess after Death-Three Several Ages of Christians in Faith and Obedi

ence-Man's Restoration by Grace-On Repentance-The Object and Acts of Justifying Faith." The treatises discussing these varied topics, abound with profound and beautiful thought. A discrimi nating perusal of them will be a healthy exercise to theological students.

As another Volume will complete the third year's issue of this cheap and valuable series, we take the opportunity of bearing our testimony to the punctuality with which Mr. Nichol has hitherto fulfilled his engagements with his subscribers.

Biography.

MEMOIR OF WILLIAM PALMER, LOCAL PREACHER IN THE LEEDS CIRCUIT, LATE OF PETER

BOROUGH.

By his son-in-law, Mr. B. G. Baker.

In presenting to the readers of our Magazine a brief memoir of our dear departed Brother Palmer, our object is not to glorify the dead, nor to gratify any morbid feeling of the living. Our special object is rather to speak to the praise and glory of God's grace as manifested in the salvation and happy death of our dear departed friend, and to be the means of leading others to the same blessed Saviour who is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by Him.

Mr. William Palmer was born at a village called Gosberton Risegate, in the neighbourhood of Spalding, Lincolnshire, in June, 1804. His parents were members of the Wesleyan Methodist Society, and enjoyed, to a large extent, the preciousness of genuine religion, and faithfully trained their children to love and serve God.

When the subject of this sketch was about five years old, the family removed to Eye, near Peterborough, where a sphere of usefulness opened to his father in the Methodist Society, which, recognising his deep piety and devotedness to God, placed him as a leader of a class; henceforth he was a strong pillar in the little Church, and his house became the home of the preachers. Our dear Mr. Palmer was thus nursed for Jesus, and cradled in Methodism, for which blessing he was very thankful. Repeatedly has he been heard to say, that he felt greatly indebted to his parents for their godly example and repeated religious instruction. He received from them line upon line, and precept upon precept. The influence of his dear mother upon his heart was strong and powerful to the end of his life. Whenever he referred to her he became the subject of much emotion; the tear rolling down his manly face, he would exclaim, "I can never forget to praise God for pious parents." Night and day, at home and abroad, he delighted to sing,

"If of parents I came,

That honoured Thy name,

'Twas Thy goodness appointed it so.”

It was the happiness of our dear brother (being the eldest son, and learning the business of his father), to continue under the droppings of the family altar, and to be led by his parents to the sanctuary of God, that be might learn to love and serve the God of his fathers. For some time,

however, home influence and affectionate counsel only restrained him from the more public acts of rebellion; but the Christ-like example was not lost. The good seed, which fell upon his heart for a time, was hid; but, when he was about twenty-one years old, it was seen springing up, and earnest longings after Jesus became manifest. What must I do to be saved?" now became the language of his broken heart. A friend, referring to this period, says she remembers the time and place where, under deep conviction of sin, he knelt down at the end of a pew and wept bitterly, praying most earnestly for the salvation of his soul. The blessing he desired, however, he did not then receive, and, for a time, he felt the arrows of truth had pierced and fixed themselves in the depths of his soul, and he longed for the pardon of all his sins. This deep conviction of sin led him to give up all for Jesus; then, beholding the blessed Saviour on the cross by the eye of faith, he obtained mercy, rejoiced in sins forgiven, and in that liberty wherewith God makes His people free. Now he could say, "being justified by faith, I have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Having thus become the subject of God's saving grace, he joined the Methodist Society, the Church of his parents, and soon began to labour in the vineyard of the Lord. The want of the time was a Sabbath-school, and he joined a pious lady in visiting the village from house to house, that the parents might be induced to send their children. The effort was successful; the school was established, and our brother afterwards became a zealous and intelligent teacher. His attendance at the Sabbath-school, the private means of grace, and the public worship of Almighty God, was regular and devout. He read carefully God's blessed word, and became an extensive reader of most of the Methodist and leading publications of the day. As Old Father Time rolled on, his love for the means of grace, his devotedness to God, and the continued cultivation of his mind, led his friends to think that he possessed talents for the ministry of the word; and, after much reluctance on his part, and the continued perseverance of his superintendent (Rev. Isaac Aldon), he consented, in the year 1837, to be placed as a probationer on the Peterborough Plan. His first appointment was at Helpstone, where he opened his Divine commission by preaching from that glorious Scripture, "For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly." A Christian brother says, respect. ing the service, "This first effort at preaching was encouraging to him. self, and fully realised the expectations of his friends." This was the commencement of a new era in his history. Preaching Jesus to the people became his joy evermore. Blessed with a commanding appearance, good natural abilities, strong affection for God and His cause, and a deep sympathy for suffering humanity, he laboured hard as a preacher of the Gospel. Very soon did he become efficient, acceptable, and popular, in the best sense of the word, being engaged for Chapel and School Anniversaries all over the Circuit and its neighbourhood. Speaking of him as a preacher, it may be truthfully said, he loved all his brethren on the Plan, was faithful and regular to his appointments, earnest and affectionate in his manner, hearty in his services, and felicitous in his style. Perhaps, there are but few preachers more natural in the pulpit than was our departed Brother Palmer. He loved to preach the consolations of the Gospel, and to comfort the widow and the fatherless; and often has he rejoiced himself, and caused the poor widow's heart to rejoice, when preaching from that blessed text in Romans, " And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God." We have seen the congregation hanging upon his lips, with the most marked attention,

while the magic influence caused the eye to sparkle, and a happy smile to play upon the face, only to be swept away by some pathetic appeal, and quickly followed by the gushing tear from old and young alike. The many anecdotes (always judiciously selected) introduced into his sermons were very telling, and exhibited unmistakeably the genius of the preacher. There is yet one other point in the preaching of our friend, which is well worth the imitation of all preachers of the Gospel. He endeavoured, in every sermon, to say something suitable to those who were young in years: those children who knew him, would be all eye and ear expecting some striking incident would be given especially to them, and in such language as they could well understand.

Our brother thus continued to labour in the Methodist Society, and sustained all the offices which it could bestow upon a layman. At the commencement of the Reform Movement he was Circuit Steward, and had been for many years; but office did not blind his eyes to the wrong doings of the Methodist Conference, and, though always a true lover of peace, he felt bound to speak out boldly for the rights of the people. He loved peace; but he also loved justice and liberty, and determined to do all in his power to expose the unscriptural doings of the preachers. For this purpose he travelled hundreds of miles, attended the Delegate Meetings, and served as a member of the General Reform Committee. We need hardly say, he soon became a marked man by his superintendent; and, at length, the worthy superintendent himself withheld his ticket, saving," Mr. Palmer, you are a good Christian gentleman, but not a good Methodist." This event at first troubled his kind heart; but, finding the whole Society in the village standing by him in the struggle, he resolved to continue the battle, which resulted in the complete overthrow of Conference Methodism in Eye, and the sale of their old Chapel. A good Wesleyan Reform Society was established; and a handsome new Chapel, in a first-rate position, was erected, since which time, to this very day, the old body have not existed in the village. When the subject of Amalgamation was first introduced, it received from our brother a hearty response-he saw the propriety of the step, and determined to do his utmost in his own Circuit, and elsewhere, to bring about such an important event; and gladly did he go to Rochdale to attend the first Amalgamated Annual Assembly, in 1857.

It was at the latter part of this year that God, in His Providence, removed him to Leeds. This was, to the Peterborough Circuit, a great loss, felt by all, and they expressed their love to him by having a farewell Circuit Tea Meeting, and presenting to him a handsome testimonial. Coming to Leeds he was at once at home with God's people, and much enjoyed their heartiness. Often has he said, that "he had come a hundred miles north, but found it much warmer than the south." In the Leeds, and other Circuits adjoining, a wide door of usefulness soon opened to him. God gave him favour in the sight of the people, and his labours became very abundant.

In September, 1859, after enjoying almost uninterrupted health, he became seriously ill of erysipelas, which took hold of his entire system, and laid him very near to death's door; but, in answer (as he ever believed) to the prayers of God's people, he was restored to his family and the Church. It was, however, evident to his family, from this time, that his constitution was breaking up; but he continued to labour in the Church, though not to so large an extent as before. His last illness came upon him very suddenly at business, on the Saturday morning, a fortnight before his death. He went home to bed, and the family, without delay, sent for the physician to attend him. It was soon found to be a