ART. II. Sermons by William Stevens, D. D. Redor of Great Snoring, and St. Peter's Walpole, County of Norfolk; Morning-Preacher at Grofvenor Chapel; Lecturer of St. George's, Hanover-Square; and Domeftic Chaplain to his late Royal Highness the Duke of Cumberland. In Three Volumes. 8vo. l. 1s. Cadell and Davies. 1801.

THESE difcourfes are fo well calculated to inftruct and

edify all who are willing to be taught, that it is with great concern we announce them as a pofthumous publication. We are forry to think, that the heart is now cold that could dictate, and the tongue filent for ever that could utter, fuch wholefome truths, and fuch impreffive precepts: but fuch is the appointment of Providence; one race paffes away, and another fucceeds. Let us congratulate ourselves, however, that in their works at leaft the wife and the good may fill live; and that, though we may no longer profit by their example, we may yet reap the fruits of their knowledge and experience.

Thefe difcourfes are plain, clear, and perfpicuous; feldom rifing above the capacities of the most illiterate, and yet never finking below the notice of the fcholar. There are many, the fubjects of which may be called purely of a moral tendency (Chriftian morality;) others there are, on the other hand, that may be ftyled purely doctrinal; fuch, for inflance, are Sermon II. Vol. I. on “ Salvation by the Grace of God;" Sermon V. on "the Chriflian Redemption;" Sermon VI, on the Gospel Covenant;" Sermon XI. on "the Divine Nature of Chrift;" and Vol. III. Sermon VIII. on "Faith."

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Where all is good and ufeful, it is difficult to know what parts beft deferve to be brought forward into public notice, in order to give proper fpecimens of the value of the whole; at the fame time, while the difficulty of choofing what is beft is increased, the danger of choofing any thing bad is removed. We fhall rather confine ourfelves, in our extracts, on this occafion, to the temper of the times; and endeavour to felect, not perhaps what may be moft brilliant, but what may be mof ufeful. We fhall, however, proceed in order; and notice, as we pafs on, what has moft drawn our attention. In Sermon VII, Vol. I. are fome good directions, not only for the due encouragement and government of religious zeal, but for diftinguishing a proper zeal from that which, both in its caufes and effects, is unjuftifiable and dangerous. In Sermon IX. of the fame volume, are fome good arguments, to prove that not

only

only the Jews in general, but Mofes in particular, must have believed in a refurrection. From the tenth Sermon we shall be induced to make an extract; not only because it is on an interefting fubject, but because it points out a very proper diftinction between the true religion and thofe invented by the

heathens.

"Our affinity to the Deity, therefore, and our future exiftence, being in this manner exprefsly delivered; the next thing we are to obferve from the text is, that it doth not yet appear what we shall be; that the Chriftian revelation doth not declare in what the rewards of the next life are to confift, or of what nature our future exiftence will be.

"We are told very little more than that our bodies fhall be raised, and that we thall be rewarded openly and eternally. It is faid, indeed, that we fhall fee God, and that we fhall enjoy the fociety of angels and glorified fpirits; but what we are to understand by thofe expreffions cannot be well afcertained. For God cannot be seen in his real effence by any creature whatever; and, with regard to the angels, we are now most probably always in the prefence of fome of them; at leaft, we may furely prefume, that we are frequently attended by them, and enjoy the advantage of their miniftration and affiftance. "For," according to St. Paul, they are all miniftering fpirits, fent forth to minifter for them who fhall be heirs of falvation."

"This, then, at the first glance, may perhaps have the appearance of a defect in the revelation of the gofpei; and it may be thought, that it would have been a ftronger incentive to virtue and obedience, if it had been declared explicitly, what we shall be, and in what our rewards are to confift.

"But this feeming defect is really one evidence of the authenticity of the revelation. For our all-wife Redeemer knew it was impoflible to defcribe these things to us, or give us any clear and adequate conception of them; becaufe we derive all our ideas from the things of this world; and fo long as we continue in it, we can have no ideas of things beyond our prefent fenfes and perceptions; and confequently, matters that have no relation to our prefent fenfes, and our prefent modes of perception, cannot be comprehended by us.

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Agreeably to this, the, facred writings inform us, that the rewards of the next life are fuch as "eye hath not feen, nor ear heard; neither hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive them."

"This is a juft and rational account of them; and fuch as our understandings teach us, that God would give, fuppofing him to give any revelation at all concerning them.

"Whereas, if they had been defcribed to us by familiar ideas, and familiar language, not as emblematical allufions, but real facts, after the manner of the Heathen accounts of them, this alone had been a demonftrative proof, that the defcription of them did not come from God, and was no divine revelation.`

"We may, therefore, acquiefce very fafely in the obfcurity that refts upon this fubject; being convinced we are told as much of it as

is ufeful to us, and as much as we are capable of understanding; and that the defign of the Chriftian difpenfation was, not to gratify human curiofity, but to improve our morals, and thereby increafe our happi

nefs.

"We cannot comprehend more than this, without having our faculties enlarged farther than it was intended they fhould be in the prefent life; that is, farther than is confiftent with our nature, and the manner of our temporal exiftence. For if our faculties were enlarged fo much as to comprehend the nature of a fpiritual effence, they would be ufelefs to the purposes of our terreftrial being; and we should, in fuch a cafe, be as unfit to exift in the prefent world, as we are now to exift in a world of fpirits." P. 273.

In Sermon II. Vol. II. we have the following juft observations on a fpecies of candour too often prevalent in the world.

"There is a palliative kind of candour now and then to be met with, which prompts men to fuggeft an apology, and find a plaufible pretext and excufe for the moft flagrant diffipation, or the most immoral and flagitious conduct. This charity is fo extenfive, that it makes no exceptions, but comprehends all perfons and all fins. By being thus univerfal, it lofes its innocence, and demonftrates itself to be the wisdom which is not from above, but to be earthly and fenfual, and to have a tendency to promote confufion and every evil work. For St. Jude directs us, in matters of religious conduct, not to palliate all failings, but to make a difference; to have compaffion on fome perfons, and to fave others, "by fear pulling them out of the fire." But thofe indifcriminate extenuations violate this rule of the apostle, and defeat the good effects intended by it. They flatter vice, and difcourage virtue; and they too often proceed from a bad motive. For those who thus improperly, appear blind to predominant follies and vices, who excufe, and perhaps juftify them, many times do this from finifter principles. They hold mens' perfons in admiration, because of advantage. They hope to be well received for their fervility, to meet with the fame meafures of indulgence, to be flattered in return, and to be generally well fpoken of for their dishonest complaifance.

"And to fay the truth, they too frequently are. For the world is, for the most part, very faithful to its friends in this refpect. But then, as we are told, "that friendship with the world is enmity with God," it would be well if they would feriously reflect, whether its friendship be worth purchafing at fuch a price; or whether either the wildom or the innocence which Chrift enjoined in the text was defigned to have fuch an effect as to fet them at enmity with God."

P. 52.

In Sermon III. Vol. II. we have an excellent fummary of the moral precepts of the facred books, brought forward as an anfwer to those who are inclined to complain, that the path of duty is not plain enough. In Sermon IV. of the

fame

fame volume, we find fome good remarks on the testimony of confcience, and its advantages even in the concerns of this life.

At the end of Sermon V. are fome juft obfervations on the difference between religious and other joy. The next Sermon, alfo on the fame fubject," the Cheerfulness of Religion," might furnish a pleafing extract, if we could allow ourselves to take fo much. In Sermon XI. ftoical pride and apathy are oppofed to each other, in very animated language.

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In Vol. III. Sermon II. " on Anger," the prepofterous cuftom of duelling is noticed, and fet in a very proper light. The following remarks are juft, and deferve the confideration of thofe who deceive themfelves fo far, as to pretend to any meritorious conduct on thefe occafions.

"Inftances are too frequent, of men very deliberately. facrificing each other's lives to refined refentment; which, the more refined it is, often becomes thereby the more criminal. They profefs, perhaps, to be altogether cool and difpaffionate in what they do; but the human heart is very deceitful to itself in this cafe, as well as others; as is evident from hence, that, while they affect great calmnefs and tranquillity, they violate the laws both of God and man; which cannot be done either precipitately or deliberately, without the paffions being engaged; and the more of deliberation there is in this, or any other crime, there is ufually the greater guilt. The confequence of which is, that, with all their fpecious refinement, they are gratifying one of the most atrocious and deftructive paffions which human nature is capable of admitting; that is, a premeditated defign of revenge.

"Thus, while they are pleafing their deluded imaginations with much self-flattery and ideas of fublime heroifm; they no fooner expire, than they are deferted of all their high notions; their ideas of earthly glory and heroifm are gone; and, we may fear, they find themselves vile and contemptible in the eyes of God, and wretched and undone for ever." P. 43.

In Sermon IV. of the fame volume, the author very ingeniously proves, from fome paffages in the book of Job (in which he wishes for death) both his abhorrence of fuicide, and his belief of a future ftate. In his diffuafions from fuicide generally, he places two particular arguments in a ftronger light than we often fee them in.

"First, then, I obferve that the felf murderer is guilty of an ac of injuftice to himfelf, in cafting away the remaining part of exiftence which he might have had in the world, and rejecting all chance for the enjoyments of the prefent life, which are by no means to be defpifed; and which might perhaps have fallen to his lot, if he had bot thus precipitately rendered himfelf incapable of them. No human mind can, from prefent appearances, inter an abfolute certainty with regard to future events. The defigns of God are infcrutable to the

marrow

12

marrow capacities of men. From very unprofperous conjunctares, he fometimes produces the moft fortunate fucceffes, and bleffes men's latter end far more than their beginning. If Job had been as rath and impatient as many men have imprudently been, he would have failed of obtaining that portion of felicity which the Fountain of all Good had in store for him; and by which the former period of his life, though fortunate, was, after a fhort interruption, far exceeded by the fubfequent profperity that attended him. No man, indeed, has now any teafon to look for fuch a vifible interpofition of Divine power in his protection and favour, as Job experienced: but the fecret and fs, confpicuous operations of Providence are often not lefs efficacious, though lefs perceptible, in the temporal fuccefs of those whom God thinks fit to blefs with worldly happinefs; which they who deprive themselves of their own lives, remove themfelves from all capacity of receiving. As I have faid, therefore, the felf-murderer is unjuit to Bimfelf." P. 116.

"He is not lefs unjuft to his friends, whom he perhaps involves in circumftances of much distress and want, by his rafhnefs; at least he brings upon them great affliction and grief of mind, and even some degree of ignominy; which, as they have not deferved, fo he will fud himfelt accountable to his Almighty and Eternal Creator for it. This ftate of unmerited diftrefs and anguish, which he occafions to others, is probably little regarded by him in his reflections and premeditations on the crime he is about to commit: but it is a circumstance which the Righteous Judge of all the earth will strictly attend to and fcrutinize with great exactness; and, as the facred writings teach us, wrong He that doeth wrong to any one shall receive for the hath done for there is no refpect of perfons with God.” P. 119.

that he

In Sermon VI. Vol. III. on " Self-Sufficiency," the obEivion into which many works on Infidelity have fallen, and the ftable footing on which Revelation remains, are noticed with great judgment. In Sermon IX. Vol. III. we have an able and judicious defence of prefcribed forms of religious. worship, and of our own excellent Liturgy in particular.

We'fhall conclude our remarks on thefe difcourfes (which we ftrongly recommend to the notice of the public) with an extract from the laft Sermon, too applicable to the prefent

times.

All countries and times are liable to fcarcity and dearth by one means or another. All indeed are not by nature equally liable to every one of the caufes before mentioned. For inftance, fome may be in a certain degree protected by their fituation from the incurfions of enemies; and others, by their climate, from the fcourge of devouring infects: but all means are in the power of God; and he, without going out of the natural courfe of things, can raife up abundant in#ruments to punifh the wickednefs of mankind.

"When he is pleased to permit the extravagant or irregular paffions of men to proceed to excefs; pride and luxury, or waite and negli

gence,