The Sun.
London, England, 1827-03-26 00:00:00

• And a very excellent thing to turn it to.

AIRD'S RELIGIOUS CHARACTERISTICS.
pp. SOS, Edinburgh and London.
This is' kwell-written, well-digested little disser-
tation on that most important of all topics—our
moral and religious duties. Its style,which in some
places, perhaps, affects too much the obsolete, is
chiefly modelled on the quaint but expressive writ-
ings of Jeremy Taylor and our elder divines ; in
places it is highly poetical, being full fraught with
imposing imagery, and glittering with splendid
Orientalisms. Indeed, we are not quite certain whe-
ther the occasional quaintnessesof Mr..Aird'slanguage
may not increase the impressiveness of his matter;
most certainly it throws over it an air of the greater
originality; not we should observe, that his turn' of
thou-gilt is undistinguished by originality or boldness
of expression, but that its effect is increased by the
spirit-stirring diction in which it is robed. The i
apostrophe to our Saviour affords a favourable in-
stance of this truth. It is penned in the first style
of eloquence ; is solemn, enthusiastic, andd
tive to a degree scarcely conceivable by
Zro.lail

Wti!cls 4,11 Mild have landed John the Baptist
adopti ig towards his audience in the wilderness.—
Among the various essays of which this sparkling
and spirited little duodecimo consists, we would
particularly point out the one santittea On Decision of
Character. It abounds in observation, drawn mani-
festly from th% author's own knowledge of life; and
is applied with peculiar propriety to the mild spirit
of Christianity. Speaking of a strong decided cha-
racter, Mr. Aird observes that :
" It is always unexpected by an opponent, and hath
moved, approached, conquered, before lie is aware. It bears
in grand masses upon the weak point of an adversary's
battle, and cuts his strength in twain. In criticism it deals
with the spirit of a piece, and is scarcely alive to little de-
fects. In poetry it is epic grandeur. In architecture it is
severe. simplicity, able to make a man shed tears. In
oratory it first simplifies, and then throws a mass of elo-
quent illustration upon the cleared particulars. It is un-
wearied benevolence in despite of ingratitude. It is a
direct face and step towards Eternal Truth. It is manly
simplicity of character in all things, that alone stands each
test,--a simplicity of which the world is never weary, and
which, like the bread and water of our natural life, never
breeds loathing, but is ever desired as a necessary staple in
the mutual faith of men. In all things it is economy of
passion and energy,—without waste,—with a determined
application."
There is another fine passage in the Essay on
" Millennial Hopes" which its author has somewhat
affectedly entitled the " Temple of Human Nature ;"
the language of this apostrophe is very magnificent,
and as sonorous as the sound of a Cathedral Organ.
Whether it be exactly in accordance with the cold
canons of criticism we are not q" prepared to say ;
at any rate it is replete with :..iagination of the
loftiest order, and this is worth a thousand correct
common places, and at least a million prosing mathe-
matical truisms.