or that in the ninth,

• Hic, ubi densas Agricolæ stringunt frondes

• Where hinds are stripping the luxuriant leaves—

where the husbandmen are described as employed, not merely in dressing the vine itself, but in stripping off the leaves of the elm upon which it rested. In the line

Ec. ii. 70.

I had been accustomed to think, that the reproach of neglect was conveyed in the word, semiputata,' the plant had been left half-pruned; but it is no less implied in the expression frondosa,' which is not on this occasion an idle epithet connected with the elm, but is intended to signify that the operation of plucking the foliage from it had been disregarded, as well as that of dressing the vine.' pp. 210-13.

The volume contains some very happy elucidations of passages in the ancient authors, which have been hitherto deemed perplexing and obscure, and it cannot fail to interest the classical student. To a religious mind, the representation which it exhibits, of the present state of things in the Romish Church, is at once affecting and instructive. Such is Popery in 1822, unchanged in its character, as baleful, as antichristian, as essentially pagan as ever! The Author would doubtless reprobate such reflections as illiberal.' He complains of Dr. Middleton's asperity.' We are happy to think, nevertheless, that his volume will, by the disclosures it contains, do more good than he intended to the cause he seems half ashamed to defend.

Art. IV. Memoirs of the Rev. Joseph Benson. By the Rev. James Macdonald. 8vo. pp. 541. Price 10s. 6d. London. 1823.

WE opened this volume with strongly excited expectations.

The worth of the excellent individual to whom it relates, had long been known to us; the effusions of his vigorous and well furnished intellect had often fixed our attention; and we were prepared for something in the way of biography, that should revive those pleasing recollections, and contribute to put us in possession of a clear and impressive view of a character so estimable. There could be no difficulty in determining the course which it might be expedient to take, in writing the life of a man like Joseph Benson, who had for many years occupied a leading station in so large and so important a bodyas that to which he belonged; and we certainly had an

ticipated, together with a full and discriminating delineation of individual qualities, a distinct exposition of the part taken, and the influence exercised, by this eminent person, in the general transactions of the Society. The public life of Mr. Benson ran parallel, to a considerable extent, with the progress of Methodism he was a conspicuous actor in some of its marking events, and in the various discussions and negotiations which terminated in the famous Plan of Pacification,' he took a decided lead. The plan' itself was drawn up by him; and since he speaks of it as having been sanctioned by Conference," we suppose that it is, substantially at least, the same with the Articles of Agreement for general Pacification,' which appear in the Minutes' for 1795, under the date of August 6th. We believe that these Articles' have been, ever since their adoption, the basis of the Methodist system, on all the points to which they refer; yet, the whole history of the Conference in which they were determined on, is despatched in less than a score of lines, though Mr. Benson must have taken an influential share in that weighty business. Nor are the preceding circumstances by any means clearly traced by Mr. Macdonald : in this affair, as well as in other important matters connected with the history of Methodism, he manifests a strange timidity, instead of treading with a firm step, and following fairly out the leading of his subject.

The portion of the volume which more peculiarly refers to the domestic life, the ministerial work, and the literary productions of Mr. Benson, is got up in a way which may have answered the purpose of giving the least assignable quantity of labour to the Biographer, but is very ill calculated to convey satisfactory information to the reader. We have a non-descript compound of Annals and Diary, a meagre detail of uninteresting circumstances, instead of a judicious selection and arrangement of facts; while vague and unimpressive eulogy is substituted for specific and discriminating criticism. We have heard from Mr. Benson's lips, some of the most thrilling and heart-searching appeals that were ever made by a Christian minister to a rivetted audience, and we have been frequently and deeply interested by the masterly views which he was in general accustomed to take of his subject. Could not Mr. Benson's family, could none of his friends, supply materials for the illustration of his very peculiar and very striking style of preaching? A few fragments of the kind to which we have just referred, would have given a much more intelligible idea of his habits of thought and feeling, than can be collected from the loose and superficial memoranda of the volume before us. Mr. Benson's forte did not lie in refinement nor in tender

ness; if he was at any time pathetic, it was not at those seasons when we happened to have the gratification of hearing him; but his energy was overpowering, and his harsh and dissonant voice gave most terrific effect to the conceptions of his powerful mind. His warnings were awful, his representations of the effects of "the wrath to come," agitating in the extreme, and the strong emotion with which he called on sinners to hear and live, commanded an intense and unfaultering attention. It was the more necessary to mark the peculiarities of his eloquence, since, if our view of his mental constitution, and our estimate of his published works, be correct, there will be few traces of them found in the sermons which are announced as in the press. Mr. Benson, as a writer, has to us always appeared to fall short of his excellence as a preacher. His style is by no means remarkable for the higher qualities of composition; nor did he, at any time, produce impression by the felicities of language. The feelings which excited him in the pulpit, languished in the study: the emotions which were kindled by the sight of a large and anxious auditory, sunk under the processes of critical elaboration. If we are to judge from the contents of the volume in our hands, the striking characteristics of Mr. Benson's oratory will not survive the recollection of his friends.

Our notice of the contents of this volume, must be exceedingly brief; for, in truth, it does not supply us with materials for a lengthened and interesting article. We regret this, since we could have wished to do more justice than we have now the means of doing, to a man who, in the language of his Biographer, seems to have stood, in the esteem and affections of the Wesleyan Methodists, next to their venerable Founder. Nor was he, perhaps, less esteemed or beloved by those 'pious and orthodox Christians of other denominations, who occasionally sat under his ministry.' A few of the leading events of his life, are all that we can venture to lay before our readers.

Mr. Benson was born January 25, 1748, at Melmerley, Cumberland, of respectable parents, who directed his education with a view to the ministerial office. His early life was of a serious and sedentary cast, steadily devoted to the acquisition of learning. In his seventeenth year, he became the subject of deep and permanent impressions of Divine truth. Soon afterwards he obtained an interview with Mr. Wesley, and was appointed by him to the Classical Tutorship of the school which had been for some time established at Kingswood. About 1770, he accepted the direction of Lady Huntingdon's college; but his decided Arminianism, and her Lady

ship's decided Calvinism, soon caused this engagement to terminate. In March 1769, he had matriculated at Oxford, but the tutor of his college, Mr. Bowerbank, having ascertained Mr. Benson's previous connexion with Lady Huntingdon and Mr. Wesley, refused to hold any further official intercourse with him, and declined signing his testimonials. Failing in all his attempts to obtain admission into the Established Church, he at length united himself with Mr. Wesley, and became one of his most indefatigable and effective coadjutors. From this time till his death, he laboured with conscientious and unwearied diligence, and with much success. The following letter from Hull forms part of the character of Mr. Benson by the Rev. J. Bunting,' given in the Appendix.

• Mr. Benson may with truth be said to have been the apostle of this part of the country. He was appointed for Hull in 1786. The Methodist Society was then few in number, and the chapel in which they worshipped, was very small. The Lord owned his labours, and before the following Christmas, the chapel was crowded with hearers ; and as the service began at six o'clock in the evening, it was necessary to be there soon after five o'clock to secure a seat. The congregation continued to increase, and a larger place of worship became necessary. Mr. Benson, after surmounting many difficulties, with much labour and exertion, succeeded in raising the chapel situated in George Yard. There is not a place in this circuit, in which the name of Benson is not as ointment poured forth. At sundry times, during the period of his station here, the Holy Spirit was in a most wonderful manner poured out, while he was dispensing the word of life; and many persons now living speak of those times with a high degree of pleasure. He was indeed a minister of God for good to this people, and they are sure that Hull is deeply indebted to him, under God, for the respectable situation it now holds in the Methodist world.'

Although it has no immediate connexion with the life of Mr. Benson, we cannot pass over the following interesting anecdote.

Being at Cambridge on the 14th of March (1816), he preached in the little Methodist chapel erected about half a mile from the town. The existence of that chapel is, under God, owing to William Beacock, a plaisterer. He was not a native of Cambridge, but went there to follow his calling; and finding the Methodists few in number, and without a chapel, he determined, if possible, to have one erected. He stated this to some pious friends, from whom he received no encouragement; but others, entering into his views, rendered him every assistance in their power. "In the spring of 1815," says Mr. Benson," he purchased a piece of ground, and agreed for building materials, which were immediately supplied. He proceeded to build, toiled most indefatigably; and soon, to the astonishment of all, com

pleted the chapel, having, with his own hands, and frequently without the help of a labourer, done the work of bricklayer, plaisterer, and slater; and this he did while he steadily refused to make any charge whatever for his labour; nay, in addition to this, he subscribed five pounds. This, however, the trustees of the chapel refused to accept, and made him a small present, which, yielding to their importunity, he accepted."?

About two years before his death, Mr. Benson's constitution began to give way; but he held up, with characteristic energy and resolution, until a few weeks before his death. His end was peace; no doubts or fears were permitted to assail him, but he looked forward with calm confidence to " the recom"pence of the reward." On one occasion, when Mr. Atmore paid him a visit,

he had,' writes Mr. A., considerable fever upon him, and his legs were greatly swelled. He was quite recollected. I said, "Sir, we are poor creatures when God lays his hand upon us." He replied, "Yes," with great emphasis; "when he toucheth us, he maketh us to consume away, like as a moth fretteth a garment." I afterwards said, "I have a letter of yours written fifty-five years ago, which I was reading the other day. What a mercy that you have been enabled to be faithful from that time to the present!" He replied, "As to my being faithful, I leave that to God; he will be my judge: he knows I have aimed at being faithful, and have served him in the simplicity of my heart." I then said, "Your only ground of consolation now is, not what you have done for God, but what he has done for you." He answered, "I am saved by grace alone, through faith.” I replied, "There is no other foundation than that which God hath laid in Zion." He answered, "No; there needs no other; that is quite sufficient.".

Some friends called upon him..... They were struck with his pallid countenance, feeble frame, and tottering limbs. In the course of conversation, the query was proposed, whether a deviation from unreserved obedience would produce something like regret even in heaven. With great solemnity, Mr. Benson said, "God accepts us, not for our obedience, but for the sacrificial atonement of his Son: there is no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus. He will say, I do not condemn thee."

On Wednesday, February 14, his pulse was more slow and equal. In the morning, Dr. Clarke, Mr. Bunting, and Mr. Richard Smith, visited him. Dr. Clarke, who was much affected at seeing him, said: "You know me, Sir." He answered, "O yes, it is Dr. Clarke." "Well, sir, you are not far from the kingdom of our God." He replied, "I am not only not far from the kingdom of our God, but I am sure of finding God in that kingdom;-I am breaking very fast, and shall do so more and more." Dr. C. said, "You have an allsufficient and almighty Saviour, and you now maintain your trust in Him." He replied, "Yes." The Doctor then prayed with him,