The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1836-05-17 00:00:00

THE WORKS OF THE REV. C HARLES SIMEON, M.A.
Senior Fellow of King's College, Cambridge.
A NEW EDITION.
In Parts, price 4s. 6d., in stiff covers, and in Volumes, price
10s., cloth and lettered. One volume, and occasionally two,
will be published every month until completed.
TN announcing, after so short an interval, a Second Edition,
_IL of this extensive and valuable Work, the Proprietor feels,
even more forcibly than in the first instance, that any recom-
mendation of it, on his part, would be at once unnecessary and
improper. The long-established reputation of the venerable
Author did not then leave room to doubt in what ways com-
plete edition of Mr. Simeon's Works would be recei dby the
public; but now the opinion on the strength of whit se engaged
in so extensive an undertaking has been confirm ,in a decisive
manner, by the sale of a large edition. He nothing, there-
fore, now to d%,.but simply to repeat. e veral grounds on
which the merit and utility of the Wor deemed to rest, and
then to explain the mode and terms of t New Edition, which
is now in the press.
In the first place, then, as the Author has avowed in his Pre-
face, these exegetical compositions are designed to assist the
studies of the Younger Clergy in their
PREPARATIONS FOR THE PULPIT ;
and considered in this light, the Work, it must be confessed,
stands alone in the circle of theological literature; nothing
which can properly be compared with it having been hitherto
attempted—or at least given to the world. As exemplars of a
popular and practicalexposition of Holy Scripture in those va-
rious methods of which, under the guidance of a sound judgment
and a correct taste, the Sacred Writings are susceptible, those
numerous compositions (in all 2536) can hardly fail to be highly
useful. If studied in accordance with the intentions of the
Author (as explained by himself) they will tend to impart—
facility in the arrangement and distribution of thought—coin-
prehensiveness in the exhibition of the chief articles of faith
and practice—copiousness and variety of illustration—and an
efficacious mode of applying the facts and precepts of religion
to the heart and conscience of the hearer. The Hoaae HOMI-
LETIC& are intended, not to supersede the industry of the
preacher, but to assist it; and are offered to him as pregnant
elements upon which the powers of invention may so be exer-
cised as shall at once cherish those powers, and give even to
their earliest fruits the richness of maturity.
Again, in passing over the entire ground of Holy Scripture,
and in fixing. the mind with undisturbed attention upon each
passage which offers itself as eminently fraught with instruction,
the Author has, in the most natural and in the safest way, pro-
duced what may be well designated a
BODY OF DIVINITY.
In our own times a signal change of method (a change much
promoted by Mr. Simeon himself) has been gradually taking
place; so that, instead of those logical, and, it might be added,
metaphysical systems, within which Divines were wont to digest
the too artificial products of their scholastic studies, a return
has been made to the primitive and more modest method of a
simple explanation of the text of the Inspired Writings. To
put out of view every theory of sacred truth devised by human
ingenuity, and to adduce, as the very ground of faith, and as the
only rule of duty, the SENSE OF SCRIPTURE, is now the aim of
every judicious Divine. In accordance with the principle of
this remarkable improvement (for such it may surely be termed)
a consecutive exposition of passages is manifestly to be preferred
to an arbitrary arrangement of doctrines and duties. It need
hardly be said that the fernier is the mode adopted in the present
Work; and these volumes are offered to the Student of Divini-
ty, iu the confidence that they will afford him very effectual
aid in the serious and arduous labour of acquiring a sound and
comprehensive acquaintance with the Religion of the Bible.
With an express view to facilitate this use of the Work, the
GENERAL INDEX of Subjects has, with great care, been so con-
structed as to enable the reader easily to collate and to combine
fir himself, the entire amount of scriptural evidence, bearing
upon each leading article of faith and duty.
But beside the specific adaptation of the HORX HOMILETICJE
to the promotion of clerical studies, they claim to be considered
as a proper instrument of FAM ILY INSTRUCTION ; and as
fit, in every respect, to constitute a part of those daily or weekly
Domestic Readings which are supposed to take place in every
religious and well-conducted household. Nor should an impor-
tant distinction be here lost sight of—namely, between an Ex-
position of the whole of Scripture, such as those—admirable as
they are, of Henry, Doddridge, and Scott, which yet may not
be suited to the purposes of family worship; and an Exposition
like that comprised in the present Work, which, without pro-
fessing to afford a commentary upon the entire Sacred Text,
verse after verse, seizes upon every prominent point, improves
each striking occasion, amplifies whatever is most momentous,
exhibits with force and distinctness each illustrious example,
and thus culls from the broad field of biblical hisietosery,poetry,
prophecy, and didactic 'apalogue, whatever seems to condense
within itself the very essence of that "wisdom which cometh
from above "
It is believed that as a Biblical Commentary these
composi-
tions will better sustain the attention of a Christian Family, and
better convey the great principles of religion, than expositions
of a more elaborate sort...
Besides what has already been said of the use which may be
made of the very copious Geeeral Index, iu facilitating regular
theological studies, it may be added, that it will afford a clew to
incidental information on a very great variety of biblical matters
which have fallen under the Author's notice, and of which he
briefly and judiciously treats. The entire work, by this means,
forms a sort of T HEOLOGICAL ENCYCLOP,EDIA, embracing most
of those secondary topics which it might be expected to include.
To the General Index succeeds a LITURGICAL INnex, by
reference to which the series of subjects may be adapted to the
Lessons, the Festivals, and the Offices ofthe Church of England.
An Index of Sermons proper to various annual or occasional
services follows, and it offers, under each head, a copious choice
of subjects.
To the Hone Homileticce is subjoined an improved edition,
with an Analytical Index, of Claude's Essay on the Composition
of a Sermon.
At the suggestion of several competent persons, and with a
view to meet the convenience of all classes of readers, this Work
will now be peblistied in Parts, on the Ist and 15th of every
month until completed, price 4s. 6,1., in stiff covers, and in Vo-
lumes, each of which will consist of Two Parts, done up as be-
fore in cloth and lettered, price 10s.
The whole to he completed in Twenty-one Volumes.
London : Samuel Houldsworth, Amen.cortierd Paternoster-
roe'