SERMONS. — The Peace of God. By William Basil Jones, M.A., Arch-
deacon of York (Strahan).—Archdeacon Jones's discourses are evidently the work of a well-instructed theologian, acquainted in a manner far less common now than it has been in other ages of the Anglican Church with the science of his subject. We feel sure that the technical expla- nations of doctrine which divines have elaborated are becoming less and less acceptable and even tolerable to the consciences of men ; many of course think otherwise, and to them Archdeacon Jones, who always, we should say, expresses himself with moderation, will approve himself more than he does to us. We quote a passage in which he expounds the words, "Raised again for our justification." "As the Atone- ment on the cross, by the condemnation of sin in the flesh, purchased for man the non-imputation of sin, and cleared the way for the imputation to him of righteousness,—so, from the Incar- nation restored and perfected in our risen Lord, flows forth to His redeemed and believing people both the imputation and also the reality of positive righteousness." Does that correspond to any reality of life —Sermons in Town and Country, by John Thomas Jeffcock (Bemrose), are of a very different stamp. No one can accuse this preacher of not speaking plainly, of dealing in vague generalities, and never descending to detail. Discoursing, for instance, on "Owe no man anything," he warns his hearers against leaving their tradesmen's bills unpaid, against keeping their servants waiting for their wages, against making the tax-collector call too often (a point on which the national conscience is probably very callous), against taking half-tickets for children over age on the railway, &c. His language is always vigorous, generally judicious and sensible. In fact, the sermons are those of a man pro- foundly in earnest, who knows the work that he talks about thoroughly well. He will excuse us if we remark that he is less sensible than usual when, speaking of failure in " confessing Christ," he asks, "Which of us was ever found in tears during the general confession or the litany?" Surely a man may be a most devout Christian without that experience.—Foes of Faith, by C. J. Vaughan (Macmillan), and Christian Faith, by William Saumaroz Smith (Macmillan), are small volumes containing four and five discourses respectively, preached before the University of Cambridge. Dr. Vaughan's qualities as a preacher are well known. He always has sweetness, grace, and "unction," together with a certain practical persuasive power, which, though it is of necessity stronger in the spoken words, has not by any means left them when they stand to be read. Mr. Saumaroz Smith's sermons may bo described as respectable discourses of the moderate Evangelical type. — Together with these we may mention another volume of Uni- versity discourses. Four Sermons Preached in February, 1869, by Harvey Goodwin, D.D. (Heighten, Bell, and Co. ; Bell and Daldy). The ser- mons seem to have about them a presage of the preacher's coming promotion. Such titles as "Parties in the Church," "The Use and Abuse of Liberty." "Dissensions concerning the Holy Communion," sufficiently indicate their character. We sometimes doubt whether these preaching to enforce moderation and charity do much good; every listener probably believes that the points on which ho damns his neighbours are matters of principle, and therefore not within the scope of the preacher's argument. But there is no doubt that a man who believes in these graces and has also the means of carrying his belief into practice can do a great deal in actually keeping the peace, and this keeping the peace is one of the great functions of bishops, not the highest conceivable one, by any means, but certainly very useful. Dr. Harvey Goodwin always had the reputation of possessing the greatest good sense and moderation ; as Bishop of Carlisle, he will have a hundred times more opportunities of bringing these good qualities into active opera- tion than he had as Dean of Ely.—Church Doctrine and Church Practice, by the Rev. James A. Seller (Blackwood). This is a volume which pro- ceeds from the Scotch Episcopal Church. It is, at all events, free from the doctrinal extravagances which are not uncommon in that communion. The sermons are plain and sensible, though scarcely going deeper than the popular theology ; and they have the merit, no slight one in the eyes of many purchasers, as well as of many hearers of sermons, of being short.—Sermons on Doctrines, by the Rev. George Wray, M.A. (Rivingtons), were not, we are told in the preface, preached to culti- vated congregations, and were not intended for publication. They are a good specimen of quiet, unambitious, unpretending discourses, which one hears in English parish churches, which, in one point of view, suffer by comparison with the more elaborate efforts of the more carefully- trained ministers of other denominations, but which, nevertheless, are listened to quite as earnestly, and do, probably, as much good, as the nature of ordinary sermons admits of.—A Homiletic Analysis of the New Testament, by Joseph Parker (Hodder and Stoughton), supplies the materials for sermons rather than the articles themselves. It is, in fact, a collection of "skeletons" (that, wo believe, is the right technical term), things which, however skilfully put together, are not attractive. The book is not wanting in ingenuity and cleverness. Most preachers might get hints from it. There are some in whose discourses it might work a great improvement. A reader, indeed, can hardly judge of it with fair- ness. We allow the preacher to take his text as a motto and discourse of many things which it suggests, but which are certainly not contained in it. But when we find a writer going through the New Testament after the fashion of a commentator, and continually suggesting these far- fetched analogies, far-fetched, that is, when we aro construing the words strictly, we are not so favourably impressed.
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