Art. X. 1. The Works of the Rev. Thomas Adam, late Rector of Wintringham. In three Volumes. 8vo. Price 11. 78. London. 1822,

2. Private Thoughts on Religion. By the Rev. Thomas Adam, late Rector of Wintringham. With an Introductory Essay, by the Rev. Daniel Wilson, A. M. &c. 12mo. Price 38. Glasgow. 1823.

THE

HE eminently devout and pious Author whose works are now for the first time collected, ranks among the brightest ornaments of the Established Church during that darker part of the last century, when the theology of the Reformation was almost abandoned to the Dissenters, and there was scarcely an evangelical clergyman to a county. Mr. Adam was born in 1701; he was presented to the living of Wintringham about the year 1724, and he held it to his death, which took place in 1784, resolutely declining all additional preferment, although his rectory did not bring him in quite 2001. per annum. It was long after his entrance into the ministry, however, according to his own account, that he became adequately impressed with the nature of his calling,' and obtained an insight into the doctrines of which afterwards he became a zealous advocate. He ascribed his first serious impressions to perusing the works of Mr. Law. They led him to see how far short his hitherto decent discharge of his office came of what became the disciple of Christ, and put him upon a course of strict self-mortification and punctilious performance of his duties. But, owing to his defective views of the Christian doctrine of Justification, he remained a stranger to peace of mind, and was extremely harassed for many years with distressing doubts and apprehensions. In this state, he addressed himself to the diligent study of the Scriptures; but the perusal served only to distress him the more, as he perceived that St. Paul taught a very different doctrine from that which he had hitherto held and preached, and he found the Epistle to the Romans particularly offensive and perplexing. He had recourse to commentators-Hammond, Whitby, and Grotius; but in vain: they gave him no satisfaction, for they seemed to him to understand the doctrine of St. Paul no better than himself. His mind now became so much affected with anxiety, that many of his acquaintance began to fear that he was going out of his senses. At length he resolved, leaving the bewildering guidance of human expositors, to betake himself to the Fountain of all knowledge and wisdom. One morning,' says his Biographer, (the Rev. James Stillingfleet,)

being much distressed on the subject, he fell down upon his knees

before God in prayer, spread his case before the Divine Majesty and Goodness. implored him to pity his distress, and to guide him by his Holy Spirit, into the right understanding of his own truth. When he arose from his supplication, he took the Greek Testament, and sat himself down to read the first six chapters of the Epistle to the Romans, sincerely desirous to be taught of God, and to receive in the simplicity of a child, the word of his revelation; when, to his unspeakable comfort and astonishment, his difficulties vanished;—a most clear and satisfactory light was given him into this great subject: he saw the doctrine of justification by Jesus Christ alone through faith to be the great subject of the Gospel, the highest display of the Divine perfections.'

His mind was instantly relieved, and from this time, (about the year 1748,) he began to preach that doctrine of Justification by Faith, which it is the glory of the Reformation to have rescued from the corrupt interpretations of an apostate church. Thus, without any communication, so far as appears, with any individual holding evangelical sentiments, without any external motive to change his opinions, without any aid from books, he was led, as Luther was, by the perusal of the New Testament alone, to embrace the evangelical doctrine.

The works published in his life-time, or left for publication, consist of a paraphrase of the first eleven chapters of Romans, printed in 1771; a volume of Sermons published in 1781, besides some single discourses; Lectures on the Church Catechism; and Expository Lectures on the Gospel of Matthew. The last of these, which occupies the first volume of the present collection of his works, is a model of that kind of plain familiar exposition of Scripture, which is peculiarly adapted to a rustic or illiterate audience. My business and single aim,' he himself states, was to instruct and awaken persons in an 'inferior rank of life, of small attainments in Christian knowledge, and to turn their attention to the great point of redemption by Christ, and his power and will to save them. The 'exposition, therefore, must of necessity be practical or exhortatory, and addressed as much to their affections as understandings.' The whole is divided into sixty-six sections, each of which contains a brief exposition of the passage, a lecture upon it, and a prayer; forming a complete religious exercise for the use of Christian families." This kind of preaching can hardly be said to have fallen into disuse in this country, for it has never, we believe, been generally adopted; but it is much to be regretted, that it is not more common. It is evident," says Mr. Hall, in his Life of Mr. Toller, from the writings of the Fathers, that this was the primitive mode of preaching, handed down to the Christian Church from the Jewish sy

nagogue; and wherever a people are more desirous of acquiring real knowledge, than of a momentary excitement, it 'will be decidedly preferred.' But the prevailing distaste for Exposition may in part be attributed to the uninteresting manner in which it has too often been conducted, for want of better popular models than the commentators. "Heniy "on the Bible," that great reservoir of divinity, which has not yet been either superseded or surpassed as a practical commentary, is no model for the pulpit: he is too tedious, formal, and sometimes fanciful. Doddridge is always worthy of being consulted for his remarks, but his style of exposition or paraphrase is very far removed from a popular or pleasing method. Scott affords excellent materials for preaching, but no part of his merit consists in pointed remark, conciseness of style, or neatness of method. The preacher's object, indeed, is very distinct from that of the writer. A commentator must be critical and elaborate: pulpit expositions ought rarely to be either. The merit of a commentary in part depends on its copiousness: what is far more desirable in the oral exposition, is selection. The primary business of the commentator is to illustrate the letter and develop the meaning of Scripture: the preacher's object is, or ought to be, mainly practical,-to enforce the use of Scripture, and to make explanatory remarks wholly subservient to moral impressions. The proper style of pulpit exposition will vary, indeed, in some degree, according to the general intelligence and character of the auditory; but critical disquisitions, and even lengthened expositions, are seldom introduced with any good effect: if not wearisome, they are unaffecting, and the end of preaching is lost sight of, when the hortatory style is departed from as the prevailing characteristic of the discourse.

There is another circumstance which has rendered expository discourses unpopular; the inane and pernicious mode of interpretation in which some preachers have indulged, under the pretence of expounding the sacred text. There is what is called spiritualizing Scripture, which might more properly be called evaporating Scripture; a method by which its meaning is rendered wholly enigmatical. These mystifiers impose upon their hearers by the novelty and oddness of their interpretation, which gains them the reputation of a deep insight into the hidden wisdom of God; and they are especially admired for the skill with which they open' the wordthough it is, certainly, not with a key, but a picklock. Extemporaneous expositors are in general the laziest and most ignorant of preachers: they will be found priding themselves on not wasting their time over commentators,-on searching

the Scripture for themselves; they do not need the aid of human learning. These men forget, that, to be entitled to despise learning, a man must possess it; that he who derives all his knowledge of the Bible from a translation, has no pretence for affecting to dispense with commentators; and that those who will not read, ought at least to think.

But expository preaching must not be abandoned, because, in such hands, it fails of answering any good purpose. It is in the power of the Christian pastor to render it the most interesting and edifying mode of pulpit instruction to his flock. It is that which requires the most study, but the least immediate preparation while it lays the superficial most open to detection, it enables the diligent student to turn to the best account his various knowledge and general reading.

Mr. Adam's expository remarks are always very plain and very brief; but they were excellently adapted to his audience. We can only give a short specimen.

Matt. viii. ver. 18. Now when Jesus saw great multitudes, &c. -Did he withdraw from his work? no; but from their mistaken apprehensions of him as a temporal king, and because he would not bring reproach upon himself by giving the least countenance to their tumultuous proceedings.

Ver. 19. Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.—It was well said, if the heart had been right. But the answer shews, he did not think of following Christ for Christ, but for the world.

• Ver. 20. The foxes have holes, &c.-Giving him to understand that he was not what he took him for, and had none of those things to bestow, which he hoped to gain by following him.

But the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.-The Son of man, and the Son of God too; that by this union the human nature might be exalted to a participation of the Godhead. Behold the great abasement of the greatest of all the sons of men! And how powerfully it preaches lowliness to grandeur, and contentme nt to poverty.

Ver. 21. Suffer me first to go and bury my father.-Either then dead, or to stay till his death. It was a plausible pretence; but this doing something else first, ruins us; and if we have an excuse for not coming to Christ now, it is to be feared we shall die with one in our mouths.

Ver. 22. Let the dead bury their dead.-Christ, you see, speaks a different language from the world. In his account, not the deceased, but the dead to God and their souls, are the dead.

Follow thou me.-As we all should, for the reason here intimated, because we are dead without him.

Ver. 26. Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith ?-Considering what they had seen, and knew of him, they should have concluded against all appearances, that they were safe whilst he was in the ship with them. Let his servants be warned by this rebuke. They are VOL. XXI. N.S.

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too apt to dishonour him, destroy their own peace, and hinder their ill progress by their desponding fears.

He arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea, &c. When your doubts are up, and run mountains high, think you see him in the very action and posture of rebuking the winds and the sea.

Ver. 27. What manner of man is this?-Blessed are we when we can say this from our own experience of his power in us. And we do not believe in him at all, if we do not believe in him for this very end.

Ver. 28. Two possessed with devils, &c.-In the mischievous disposition, madness, despair, and blasphemy of those possessed with the devils, hell is as it were naked before us. How dreadful to think this may be our condition!

Ver. 29. What have we to do with thee, &c. ?—They knew what they said, and that he did not come to help them. Blessed be God, he came to deliver us from their power and malice. But what less, in -effect, do all those say, who prefer their lusts to him, refuse his help, and despise his salvation?

Art thou come hither to torment us before the time?—The day of judgment. They know their sufferings are not yet at the highest, and think of the time with dread and horror. They are here preaching to us. What is your choice from this day forward? Will you follow Christ, or go with them into their place of torment?

• Ver. 32. And he said unto them, Go.-Better any where than 'in man. But why must the owners of the swine suffer this loss? It is a sufficient answer to say, that Christ saw fit. We all know who sends calamities, and for what end; and why then should this, more than other instances of the same nature, be thought a reflection on Divine goodness?

Ver. 34. Besought him that he would depart out of their coasts. The miracle wrought no effect among them. They preferred their swine to his presence and teaching.

Good Lord, deliver us from the dreadful guilt of saying, what have we to do with thee Thou tookest on thee the seed of Abraham, and camest in great pity to heal and help us, to rescue and save us, to cleanse us from the defilement of sin, and restore the decayed powers of our natures; and without the grace of thy redemption, we perish. Grant us so perfectly to believe in thee, that, renouncing all self-dependence, and trusting only in thy help, we may follow thee without delay, as the life of our souls, and by thy mighty aid be defended in all dangers, and against all the enemies of our salvation.'

In expounding the Epistle to the Romans, the Author has adopted the mode of a running paraphrase, with reflections, which was most suitable to his design in the publication.. His remarks are often extremely judicious; and the circumstances in his life already adverted to, give both value and interest to this portion of his works. The Sermons are plain and familiar, not distinguished, however, by any very striking qualities. The publication by which he has been most extensively known