borrowed Arianifm, of the fimple and Judaical Mahometan, and of fome Judaical and Mahometan Chriftians among ourselves. And we fhall thus unite with thy Church exifting in all ages upon earth, and with thy Church hereafter to exift through all eternity in heaven; faying, "UNTO THEE THAT DIDST LOVE US, AND

WASH US FROM OUR SINS IN THY OWN BLOOD, AND HAST MADE US KINGS AND PRIESTS UNTO GOD AND THY FATHER, TO THEE BE GLORY AND, DOMINION FOR EVER AND EVER. AMEN."

Through the whole of this work, the author has fhewn himself not only an eloquent writer, but, as on former occafions, an able mafter in the art of conjectural reasoning: but we very much doubt whether the public will be of opinion, that the leading conjecture, on which his whole argument turns, is fufficiently probable to juftify the character which he modeftly gives of his work, as a train of hiftorical argumentation, at once novel in its direction, comprehenfive in its scope, and decifive in its efficacy.' DEDICATION.

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E.

ART. IV. Sermons, chiefly intended to promote Faith, Hope, and Charity. By Vicefimus Knox, D. D. Svo. PP. 510. 65. Boards. Dilly. 1792.

ΟΝ

N the obvious principle, that popular addresses should be adapted to the comprehenfion, and fuited to the characters and circumftances, of the multitude, it has been, for many years paft, the common practice of the more judicious and moderate of our English clergy, to decline, in their pulpitdifcourfes, (fo far at least as was confiftent with established forms,) the difcuffion of myfterious and controverted points of faith, and to infift chiefly on the plain duties of religion and morality. Inftead of confounding the understandings of their hearers with the fubtle diftinctions of fcholaftic theology, or bewildering them in the maze of fanaticifm, they have brought their doctrine "home to men's bufinefs and bofoms," and have made their fermons practical leffons on the conduct of life.

His

In this ufeful fpecies of compofition, of which fo many excellent examples have been produced in the English language, from the days of Barrow and Tillotfon to the prefent time, few writers are more capable of excelling than Dr. Knox. Effays, which have now been for feveral years before the public, are well known to contain many excellent moral pieces, in which the most useful topics are difcuffed with great folidity of judgment and ftrength of language; and in the difcourfes which he has now prefented to the world, where he confines himself to fubjects purely practical, he discovers a happy talent of cloathing fimple truth in an agreeable drefs, and of incul

cating important duties in an animated ftrain of popular eloAs a fpecimen, we quote a paffage on the neceffity of moderation in enjoyment:

quence,

Haft thou found honey? eat fo much as is fufficient for thee. The text does not require thee to throw it away, or to abstain from the enjoyment. It commands thee to eat, and to eat till thou art fatisfied. There have been gloomy moralifts and auftere teachers in religion, who have forbidden pleasure as inconfiftent with virtue. But fuch prohibitions are often the effects, either of folly, hypocrify, or enthufiafm. The text fays, eat; eat with moderation. So fays reafon; and happy would it be, if the united voice of reafon and religion could be heard and obeyed in the eager enjoyment of pleasure, and worldly opulence. Pleasure lofes its effence, when purfued beyond a certain boundary; and profperity ceases to confer happiness, when the infatiable mind thirits after more, instead of acquiefcing in the profufion which it has already obtained.

In the early age of youth, the world appears with the grace of novelty. The fenfes are ftrong and lively. Things are perceived in their fulleft beauties. The young and inexperienced imagine, that the enjoyment is without end, and without alloy. They little think, and feem unwilling to learn, that the best method of prolonging and exalting their delights, is to moderate their defires, and to taste them fparingly. The lefs frequent the indulgence, the greater the delight.

Let us fuppofe a common cafe, that of a young man, juft entered on the poffeffion of an ample fortune. Like the prodigal fon, he refolves to spend his inheritance in the purchase of pleasure. Unhappily, he is unacquainted with the nature of true and permanent pleafure. He has found himself poffeffed of a store of honey, and he is determined to fatiate his eager appetite by unlimited indulgence. He fays to his foul, thou haft much goods laid up for thee; eat, drink, and be merry. He looks round for companions; for folitary indulgences afford him but little delight. He is commendable in defiring to share with others the honey which he has found, but whom does he fele&? Not thofe who are remarkable for the goodness of their characters and their exemplary conduct; but the loofe, the profligate, the libidinous, the drunkard, and the glutton. Thefe, indeed, feek his acquaintance, and find, from a fimilarity of talte, an eafy accefs. They, on their part, furnish noify converfation, and fubjects of coarfe mirth; and he, on his part, pays the expences of the banquet. Riot and debauchery begin their reign. Reafon and modefty are immediately difcarded. A few years pafs without thought, for noife and excefs difpel all anxiety but this ftate is very far from a pleasant one; and, if it were, it would be of very tranfient duration. For expences continued, inevitably occafion diftrefs. The creditor will not be fatisfied with promifes; but the debtor by this time has nothing elfe to pay. He has this alternative. He must lofe his liberty, or leave off his expenfive amufements, or go into voluntary exile. His honey is all confumed; the companions who were attracted by its

fweetness

sweetness are gone; and he is left to fuck the bitter dregs in folitude and obfcurity.

Had he duly attended to the wife precepts of Solomon, his honey might have furnished him with fweets during his life! Much of it might have been given to the poor, and much remained as an inheritance to his children. But he was not contented with eating only what was fufficient. Like the voracious and impure animal, which has ever been an emblem of gluttony, he must furfeit himfelf with food, and wallow in that which was intended to afford him a pure, a fweet, and a whole fome repaft.

There are others who have arrived at a ftate of profperity on a fudden, by the death of a wealthy relation, or by one of thofe unexpected events, which, in the language of the world, are called good fortune. They have found honey. Their joy is great. They are inclined to believe, that all the ills of life which they have hitherto experienced, and many of which were the lot of human nature, are fuch as will be removed or mitigated by the poffeffion of affluence. With this perfuafion, it is no wonder that they triumph. Their exultation is however unbounded, and therefore inconfiftent with the exercife of difpaffionate reafon and difcretion. They allo, like the prodigal fon whom I have juft defcribed, are of opinion that the stock of tweets is inexhauftible. They enter on life on too expenfive a plan. Debts accumulate, and trouble fprings up, where they flattered themselves they fhould find nothing but pleasure. Difappointed in profperity, and perhaps reduced to their original indigence, they at laft fubfcribe, with fincere regret, to the opinion of Solomon, which declares, that all is vanity and vexation.

But had they eaten only as much as was fufficient, and used their opulence without abufing it, it would have contributed to fweeten life, for which gracious purpose it was defigned by him who beflowed it.

Many are incapable of bearing any fudden increase of worldly honours or advantage, fo that it is the mercy of Providence which keeps them in the condition out of which they are fo anxious to emerge. If they should find that honey which they folicitously feek, they would eat till they deftroyed them felves by repletion.

Every man has it in his power to find honey, or rather to make it; for what is contentment? As the philofopher's flone was to turn bafer metals into gold, fo contentment poffeffes a power of turning even bitter things into sweet, of giving that, which without it might be deemed infipid, a pleasant tafte. We cannot fubdue things to our own minds, but we can subdue our own minds to the condition of things. Even out of poisonous flowers, a contented mind can, like the bee, extract a delicious flavour. And there is this advantage attending the honey extracted by a contented mind; it is of that pure sort which never becomes four, nor infipid, nor bitter, by the operation of external accidents.'

moral inftructhat he has, as

Admiring, as we do, our author's talents for tion, we must be allowed to exprefs fome regret, we conceive, diminished the usefulness of his difcourfes, by

mixing metaphyfical dogmata with the fimple doctrines of practical religion. Not fatisfied with exhorting men to the practice of virtue on the ground of thofe univerfal principles in which all fects are agreed, the moral perfections and government of God, and the expectation of a future ftate of retribution, --Dr. Knox inculcates the belief of certain myfteries, as the only ground of Chriftian obedience and Chriftian hope. Religious faith, according to him, in order to afford poor human nature a balm for the wounds of the heart,' muft comprehend a dependence on the divinity of Jefus Chrift. He speaks of the third perfon in the Divine effence as deputed by our Saviour, (p. 51.) to remain with us for ever, to live in our bofoms, a warm, active principle of religious life. He alfo holds the belief of the existence of Satan to be fo effential a part of the Christian faith, that whoever denies it must at the fame time reject the gospel (p. 402.).

Notwithstanding our author's zeal for the orthodox belief, he takes little pains to reprefent the grounds on which it refts, and feems much more inclined to encourage implicit faith than rational inquiry. On fome occafions, indeed, he represents it as the duty of every rational mind to employ itfelf in the fearch of important truth: he exhorts men not to reject Christianity without examination, and he admits that the knowlege of the Christian fyftem, like other knowlege, is to be acquired by investigation :-but he fpeaks, with a mixture of contempt and indignation, of those who, in confequence of their researches, have attempted to propagate opinions concerning the perfon of Chrift, different from thofe commonly received. He reprefents it as an injury to mankind, to lower our Saviour in the opinion of his followers, even on the fuppofition of our paying him higher honours than he might poffibly claim. (Advertisement, p. vii.) He difcourages the perufal of such books as oppose established fyftems, and continually pours forth vehement invective against their authors, the modern philofophers and correctors of prejudice, as governed by no better principles than pride and levity (p. 184. 329.); as in their hearts bad men (p. 95.); and, in thort, as the apostles of the devil (p. 418.).

Speaking of the facrament, the author cautions the pious Chriftian, (p. 216.) against too anxious a curiofity in examining this or any other holy inftitution, which contains in it fomething of mystery; and pronounces it the fafeft method to acquiefce in all received practices and opinions, which do not evidently contradict both reafon and fcripture. He commends the wifdom of Socrates in paying a great refpect to the religion of his country, and in not attempting to explode fuch

4

popular

popular errors, as were attended with no malignant influence on human happiness (p. 335.).

How can fuch doctrine as this, it may be asked, be reconciled with the apoftolic precept, "prove all things." If the Chriftian be to take up his religion on truft, without a full difcuffion, wherein does his faith in Chrift differ from that of the Muffulman's faith in Mohammed? To difcourage free inquiry, is certainly not the way to increase the number of ra tional Chriflians.

The principal fubjects treated in this volume, which con. tains twenty-three fermons, are the following: The rifing Generation exhorted to adopt the Religion of their Forefathers, and not to fall into fashionable Irreligion or Infidelity: Against Defpair and Suicide: Perfeverance in the Religious Principles taught in Youth, and particularly in Faith and Hope: Good Intentions the leaft fallible Security for Good Conduct: On Conformity to Fafhion, and the Cuftoms of the World: On feeking a Remedy for Sorrow, in Vice and Diffipation: The Duty of preventing Evil by actual Coercion, as well as by Advice and Remonftrance: On purfuing vifionary Schemes of Happiness: The Pride of human Learning and falfe Philofophy, a great Obftacle to the Reception of Christianity: The Wickednels and Milery of Envy and Contention: Moderation neceflary to all folid and durable Enjoyment: Happiness to be found rather in the Enjoyment of Health and Innocence, than in the fuccessful Purfuits of Avarice and Ambition: On the Duties of the Preacher and the Hearer, &c. &c.

E.

ART. V. A Topographical Defcription of the Wefern Territory of North America; containing a Succinct Account of the Climate, Natural History, Population, Agriculture, Manners and Cuftoms, with an ample Defcription of the several Divifions into which that Country is partitioned, and an accurate Statement of the various Tribes of Indians that inhabit the Frontier Country. To which is annexed, a Delineation of the Laws and Government of the State of Kentucky. Tending to fhew the probable Rife and Grandeur of the American Empire. In a Series of Letters to a Friend in England. By G. Imlay, Captain in the American Army, and a Commiffioner for laying out Land in the Back Settlements. 8vo. pp. 247. 4s. fewed. Debrest. 1792. CAPTAIN Imlay, whofe intimate knowlege of the interior

parts of North America appears in every page of his work, represents the western parts of America as an elyfium, that invites fettlement by all the indications of future happiness and profperity. In attending to the American writers, however, we conftantly perceive them defcribing uncultivated nature, as the

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ancient