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value," and that "he served them himself in the season when the bishop resided at Norwich." After wards he was introduced to the rectorship of a parish in London, and by the recommendation of the same steady patron, made one of the chaplains in ordinary to queen Anne. By the appointment of the queen he soon became rector of St. James, Westininster, a parish which seems, from the repeated intimations of Bishop Hoadley, to have concentrated under his pastoral care the highest nobility of the British empire. In this station he continued for above twenty years till his death, which took place in 1729.

While he lived, his theological publications were mostly controversial. After his death, twelve volumes of his sermons were given to the world. For myself, I have been much interested to see this extraordinary man in the aspect in which these volumes present him to our view. The universal scholar, the richly gifted intellect;-he who was the friend, and by the force of talent even the patron of Newton, and yet at the same time the admirer and enthusiastic commentator of Homer; he who had studied the Scriptures in their native tongues to a most uncommon familiaritythis is the man to preach in Westminster to the proudest nobility of England. What a sphere;-and what a luminary to enlighten it. How must such a man have caught the warm spirit of the prophets, and poured "the word of the Lord" upon the tingling ears of princes. How must he have set before them their pride, their luxury, their wretched and shameless squandering of God's noblest gifts; and as he "reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come," have made their spirits tremble. Such preaching we might indeed expect from many a mind even less richly and variously endowed, when

placed in such a sphere of action. But when it is remembered that the natural bent of his intellect was strongly to the abstruse and metaphysical, and that he had been trained not for shrewd observation on the ways of men or for keen analysis of human nature, but chiefly in the scholastic exercises of the university, and in the deep seclusion of his abstract studies; the expectation must be modified. Remembering this, we expect not to find character unfolded to its darkest and inmost involution, and depravity detected in its most latent workings ;-we expect not to see the hearer's conscience touched and wounded through some unnoticed opening in his armour of defence. Yet we do expect to see great conceptions of divine truth gathered from every part of the wide field of revelation, and brought down upon the hearer's mind with force to overwhelm and crush, if not with skill to penetrate. But even such an expectation must be in a measure disappointed by an actual examination of the sermons. It must be remembered that the author was an Arian and a Pelagian; and then expectation will be duly modified, and the reader may proceed without the disgust of disappointment, and if he reads with judgment may read not only with interest but with profit.

Though Dr. Clarke is claimed by the Unitarians as their man, and justly; it is yet a fact that he stands at a very great remove from the latitudinarianism-not to say the Pyrrhonism of the modern school of Unitarians. His views of the nature and offices of Christ are such as remove him from their sympathies, quite as far as from ours. His notions of the divine government seem to reach a corresponding elevation. And though his system often assumes the negative aspect of the Unitarian faith, yet he shows no hesitancy in bringing for

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ward and urging a great variety of topics, which if I mistake not are very generally exploded in the preaching of our Rationalists.

It is as instructive as it is interisting to observe the errors of a great mind. To see how some individual prejudice extends its perverting influence through the intellect, distorting its apprehensions of what might otherwise have been plain; to see how the excessive dread of one false and pernicious notion results in the opposite extreme of error ;-to see how some distinction overlooked throws confusion and darkness into what is clear beyond the need of explanation; may well teach us the hard lesson of intellectual humility. Clarke had probably in his a priori argumentation on the existence and necessary attributes of God, formed a peculiar notion of the nature of the Divine Unity. Thus, while he cannot question that Christ is a "Divine person" by whom the government of the whole world of rational creatures is administered, he cannot acknowledge that Christ is one with the Father, or equal with Him, lest in so doing he should weaken his own demonstration of the necessary unity of God.

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In his defence of Natural and Revealed religion he had his eye particularly on the fatalism and pantheism of Spinoza. Hence a horror of fatalism, which makes him labour strangely on the foreknowledge of God-confessing that God foreknows the acts of voluntary agents, yet denying that these acts are a part of the divine plan, denying even that God foreknows them " by foreseeing a continued chain of causes," in short making out that the divine foreknowledge of such events, is a knowledge resting upon nothing--an infallible conjecture formed almost at random; and withal vindicating the Divine foreknowledge by an argument which vindicates with equal conclusiveness the

divine predestination. Then again we find such passages as the following.

Infinite power, cannot be understood to include a possibility of doing such things as are morally evil, with regard to others. Such are whatever things are unjust, unrighteous, cruel, contrary to promise, and the like. A possibility of doing any of which things, is (as before) a mark, not of power, but of impotency or weakness. Hence the Scripture frequently uses such expressions as these; God, which cannot lie, Tit. 1.2; he cannot deny himself, 2 Tim. ii. 13. And Heb. vi. 13, 18. Because God could swear by no greater, immutability of his counsel by an oath; he sware by himself,-confirming the that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, ce might have a strong consolation. The ground indeed or reason of the impossibility of God's doing any of these things, is not the same as the impossibility of working contradictions. For contradictions are impossible absolutely, in the nature of the things themselves; but doing evil is impossible relatively only, with respect to the nature of a perfectly good being. But though the ground or reason of the impossibility is different, yet the impossibility itself is in event the same. For God can no more act in contradiction to the moral perfections of his own nature, than he can act in contradiction to the absolute nature of things: Nor is it any more possible, that a being of infinite justice, goodness, and truth, should do any thing unjustly, unrighteously, or falsely; than that a thing should be and not be at the same time. The rectitude of his will, is as unalterable, as the necescontradiction, that the will of an infinsity of his nature: and 'tis as truly a itely good being, should choose to do any thing contrary to right; as that the power of an infinitely powerful being, should be able to do any thing inconsistent with power. For in like manner as 'tis for this reason manifest, that infinite power cannot extend to naturdestruction of that very power, by which al contradictions, because they imply a they must be supposed to be worked;

so 'tis also for the like reason evident, that the same infinite power cannot extend to moral contradictions, be

cause these imply a destruction of some other attributes, as necessarily belonging to the divine nature as power. Vol. I. pp. 217-219.

On reading this paragraph, the question arises, Why could not the writer think of the difference between natural and moral inability, and of the frequent co-existence of moral inability with physical power; and in the light of this distinction and this fact, why did not he perceive in what way the carnal mind is not subject to the law of God, NEITHER INDEED CAN BE, while yet the carnal mind is free in all its operations?

But these volumes are valuable

But

for other and higher reasons than
because they exhibit here and there
the errors of a gigantic intellect.
The sermons are indeed singularly
unadapted to the character and
wants of the preacher's parish;
and are as far from being speci-
mens of eloquence, as the sermons
of some modern preachers are from
being specimens of thought.
their inappropriateness in the cir-
cumstances in which they were
preached, does not affect their pre-
sent worth as printed discourses;
and their wanting the charms of
style is no great diminution of their
value to the student who in this age
of style remembers the old maxim,
Sapere principium est et fons."
To the discriminating mind they af-
ford an ample repository of rich
thoughts and of suggestions fitted
to awaken and direct the intellect.

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As an interpreter of Scripture his merit is almost peculiar among the divines of his church. I doubt whether another can be found who exhibits so universal and familiar an acquaintance with the language and idioms of Scripture, or a more correct perception of the principles of exegesis. In the application of these principles he is, it is true, always to be implicitly followed; and indeed who is? His prejudices and errors lead him sometimes to VOL I,-No. XII.

not

81

evade or to pervert the meaning of the sacred writers; and such is the cast of his mind, the bent of his somewhat phlegmatic disposition, and perhaps the want of the "unction from the Holy One" in his own spirit is such, that he often fails to enter fully into their emotions. Yet with all these exceptions, I am at a loss to say what divine of the English church has excelled him on the whole in the interpretation of the sacred volume.

The following passage is from a sermon on the Eternity of God.

'Tis worthy of observation, as to the manner of our conceiving the eternity of God; that the scholastic writers have generally described it to be, not a real perpetual duration, but one point or instant comprehending eternity, and wherein all things are really co-exisBut unintelligible ways tent at once. of speaking, have (I think) never done The true any service to religion. notion of the divine eternity, does not consist in making past things to be still present, and things future to be already come; [which is an express contradiction:] But it consists in this, and in this it infinitely transcends the manner of existence of all created beings, even of those which shall continue forever; that whereas their finite minds can by no means comprehend all that is past, or understand perfectly the things that are present, much less know, or have in their power, the things that are to come; but their thoughts and knowledge and power must of necessity have degrees and periods, and be successive and transient as the things themselves; the eternal, supreme cause, on the contrary, has such a perfect, independent, and unchangeable comprehension of all things; that in every point or instant of his eternal duration, all things past, present, and to come, must be, not indeed themselves present at once, (for that is a manifest contradiction;) but they must be as entirely known and represented to him in one single thought or view, and all things present and future be as absolutely under his power and direction; as if there was really no succession at all, and as if all things had been, (not that they really are,)

A thousand actually present at once. years in thy sight, are but as yesterday, Ps. xc. 4. And 2 Pet, iii. &, one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. Not, a thousand years are one day; but are to Him, as if they were only one day. Vol. I. p. 81, 82.

A few paragraphs selected from a sermon on the Glory of God, will serve to exhibit the author's familjarity with the language of the Bible.

As to the true meaning of that phrase which we so often meet with in Scripture, the glory of God: 'tis to be observed that the

1st and original signification of it, is to denote to us the essence, the person, or the majesty of God; that is, God himself, who is the fountain of glory. Thus 2 Pet. i. 17. There came to him, (to our Saviour at his baptism,) such a voice from the excellent glory: from the excellent glory, that is, from God, his Father; as 'tis literally expressed, in the very same verse.

In this sense,

the name of God, the Majesty on high, and some other such phrases, are also used in the like manuer, to signify God himself. And, sitting on the right hand of power, Mat. xxvi. 64. is sitting at the right hand of God, who alone has properly all power.

'tis therefore not unfrequent in Scripture to express any one of these perfections singly, by the title of the glory of God. Thus concerning the divine power, Ps. xix. 1. The heavens declare the glory of God, (that is, they show forth unto men the power of God in creating, and his wisdom in disposing things;) and the firmament showeth his And Joh. xi. 4, 40. handy work. This sickness of Lazarus, saith the Lord, is not unto death, but for the glory of God,-that thou shouldest see the glory of God, and that the Son of God might be glorified thereby the meaning

2dly, This phrase, the glory of God, signifies in the next place, the manifestation of God's perfections or attributes by the external exercise of them towards his creatures. God was essentially happy before any thing was created, in the enjoyment of his own unspeakable perfections: but the manifestation of the glory of those perfections, and the communication of good to others, could not be till the creation of things. Hence the prophet Isaiah represents God thus speaking, (ch. xliii. 7.) I have created him for my glory, I have formed him, yea I have made him. In allusion to which expression it may probably be supposed' to be, that St. Paul says, 1 Cor. xi. 7. that man is the image and glory of

God.

And because in every one of the divine perfections in particular, when manifested singly in their proper and respective acts, there is something distinctly worthy of adoration and praise;

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it was intended for a manifestation of God's power to raise the dead, and of his having communicated that power also to the Son of man. Vol. 2. pp. 7-9.

Again: Because mercy and goodness are represented in Scripture, as the attributes wherein God chiefly delights; according to that of St. James, ch. ii. 13. Mercy rejoiceth against judgment; or, as it is in the original, mercy glorieth over judgment: therefore this also is, in a particular and emphatical manner, called the glory of God. Rom. ix 23. That he might make known the riches of his glory, on the vessels of mercy: and Ephes. iii. 16. That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened-by his spirit in the inner

man.

In pursuance of which same manner of speaking, grace or mercy is by the evangelist called likewise the glory of Christ; Joh. i. 14. We beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace, (that is, of mercy,) and truth. And even of a man, Prov. xix. 11. It is his glory, saith Solomon, to pass over a transgression. And the thanks, which men are bound to return to God for his free goodness and compassion towards them, is expressed to be according to the praise of his glory. Eph. i. 14. The redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory. In this particular sense is sometimes meant that general observation, that the end to which God directs all his actions, is his own glory; Rom. xi. 32, God hath concluded all under sin, that he might have mercy upon all.

Thus God's manifesting the several

attributes and perfections of his divine nature, in the external exercise of them towards his creatures; is frequently what the Scripture means by the glory of God.

3dly, From hence, on the other side, the return or acknowledgment, which creatures make again to God, for His manifestations of his goodness to them; is likewise in Scripture styled the glory of God, or their giving glory to Him. To give glory to God, is to promote his honour in the world; or to contribate what we can towards keeping up in all men's minds, a just sense of him, and regard towards him.

And this is done, particularly; by worshipping him, with constant and perpetually returning acts of solemn public devotion. Ps. xxix. 1. Give unto the Lord glory and strength; give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name; worship the Lord, in the beau ty of holiness. Thus the saints in heaven, (Rev. iv. 11.) are represented as worshipping God, and saying, thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power; for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are, and were created. And the nations of the earth are directed accordingly, (ch. xix. 7.) Fear God and give glory to him, and worship him that made heaven and earth. Which worship because the heathen world gave to others instead of the true God, even to gods which did not make the heaven and the earth, as the prophet describes them; therefore St Paul thus charges them, Rom. i. 21. that when they knew God, yet they glorified him not as God.

Again: By thanks particularly returned for special mercies or benefits received by which we profess our sense of God's being the author of those benefits; is the honour of God promoted among men, or glory given unto him. Thus (Luke xvii. 18.) when of the ten lepers that were healed, one only, who was a Samaritan, was truly thankful for the mercy shown him; there are not found, says our Saviour, that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.

Further: Glory is in like manner said to be given to God, by acknowledgment of his government and supreme dominion in the world: Phil. ii. 11. That every tongue should confess, that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the

glory of God the Father; that is, to the honour of God who exalted him, and who gave him a name which is above every name, by setting him at his own right hand in the heavenly places. Thus also Rev. xi. 13, when great judgments of God fell upon the idolatrous world, the remnant (says the text) were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven; that is, they then acknowledged the true God to be indeed Supreme Governor of the world. For not acknowledging of which, but proudly assuming to himself the cause of his own grandeur and riches, king Belshazzar is thus reproved by Daniel, (ch. v. 22.) Thou, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, but hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, thou hast not glorified. And king Herod, when, being arrayed in royal apparel he sat upon his throne; immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, Acts xii. 23, because he gave not God the glory; that is, because forgetting his dependance upon God, he suffered the people to applaud him as being himself a God, and the author of his own greatness.

Upon the same ground, confession of past sins, with true humiliation, and a just sense of the unworthiness and ungratefulness of sin, is in Scripture styled giving glory to God: Josh. vii. 19, Joshua said to Achan, who had stolen some of the accursed things, and endeavoured to dissemble it; My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the Lord God of Israel, and make confession unto him: That is: acknowledge, that nothing can be concealed from His allseeing eye; and that to Him there is no secret nor shadow of darkness, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.

Actual repentance, and forsaking of sin, by real amendment, is still in a higher degree giving glory to God, or promoting his honour. Rev. xvi. 9, Men blasphemed the name of God, who hath power over these plagues; and they repented not, to give him glory.

Habitual holiness, or a constant established practice of virtue, in the course of our lives, is yet further, in the highest degree we are capable, giving glory to the God of all righteousness and holiness, who is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity. 1 Cor. vi. 20, Glorify God, in your body, and in your

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