cause he did not know how to arrange them any better. He knew that they happened: but the order of time in which they occurred, he either could not afcertain, or did not think it worth his while to investigate. It should always be remembered that the Evangelifts were not fo folicitous to draw up, in exact chronological order, a regular view of the life and tranfactions of Jesus, as to illuftrate the nature of what he did and taught. Their primary object was not to gratify curiofity by compiling a hiftory, but to reform the lives and morals of mankind by fhewing what was the courfe of human conduct which God was pleased to countenance by a miraculous difplay of his power, and finally to crown by a refurrection to future happiness, Of the first three Evangelifts, it is fuppofed, by the best critics, that no one faw either of the other gospels before he had written his own. By diligently examining MATTHEW and MARK, therefore,-comparing them with their fellow-labourer, and calling in likewife the affiftance of John, it may fometimes happen that we may come at a better knowlege of the order of fome of these things preferved by Luke alone, than was poffeffed by Luke himself. When this is the cafe, why should we not avail ourselves of our fuperior information; and how do we render the whole lefs uniform by fo doing? The prefent elegant and accomplished expofitor conceives, however, that an additional ftrength of evidence accrues to the Chriftian caufe from contemplating the four accounts feparately, as the teftimony of four independent witnesses, all confirming the fame facts without the leaft material variation. This would be true, if we were to suppose the reader of a harmony to be entirely ignorant that the one account which he is perufing is compofed out of the diftinct original records of unconnected writers:-but is it poffible that this should ever happen? Can any reader fit down to the perufal of a harmony thus unprepared? If he cannot; then, knowing that what is laid before him has been feparately delivered and attefted by four perfons of fair and upright character, without their having entered into any concerted fcheme or agreement for the purpose, he is in poffeffion of all the fupport to the Christian cause that he can derive from the circumftance of independent teftimony, in whichever way he reads the gofpels. With fuch previous knowlege, of which we think no one can poffibly be deftitute, this part of the external evidence is as ftrong when the hiftory is feen in harmony, as when it is contemplated in its feparate parts. We are to confider likewife, that, when we bring the four accounts together, a number of little unim portant portant variations, and trifling difcordancies, must of course be noticed by the harmonizer; and thus be rendered confpicuous to many readers who would never have found them out by taking the pains to turn from one gospel to another. Now thefe uneffential differences give to the gofpel- hiftory a furprizing air of probability; and have been well fhewn to conftitute no inconfiderable part of the internal evidence of Chriftianity. On the whole, therefore, we rather think that Christianity is a gainer, in point of evidence, when the life of its Divine Author is read in a Harmony. Nevertheless, of all the reafons affigned for expounding the Evangelifts feparately, by far the weakeft is that with which our expofitor concludes. This is the order, and mode, in which it hath pleafed God to exhibit the evidence of the gofpel; and we may therefore take it for granted, it was the best.' We really thould not have expected any thing so trivial from a man of Mr. Gilpin's fenfe. To us it appears exactly like contending that, if a person were accidentally to open his Bible with the wrong end upward, he ought to take it for granted that fuch was the best mode of perufing it, fince it was the way in which God had been pleafed at that moment to exhibit it to him. Though Mr. G. profeffes not to enter much into matters of criticism, his work is enriched with feveral very useful and judicious explanatory notes. Among thefe, it gives us pleafure to fee the expofitor occafionally, and especially in a note on Matthew, viii. 32, boldly declaring, after having given the best and most ufually approved folution of a difficulty, that he did not find fuch explanation fatisfactory to himself; and honestly confeffing that he did not thoroughly underftand the paffage, and was unable to clear it of its embarraffments. This is a manly avowal; and we wish that critics in general would oftener follow the example than they do:-but they are ordinarily better pleased with adopting a line of conduct which Mr. G. has purfued in another place, where he plays the part of a theologian rather too much to meet with our approbation. In a long note on the word faith, at the beginning of the 11th chapter of the Epiftle to the Hebrews; after explaining that word to mean a reliance on the promises of God to fend the Meffiah into the world; he amufes himself and his reader, (but not much, we think, to the profit of either party,) with an attempt to account, more theologico, for feveral crimes committed by perfons whofe hiftory is recorded in the Old Testa. ment; by fuppofing that the offenders were led into their guilt, especially in the cafes of polygamy, concubinage, and inceft, Gg3 through 1 through a too eager defire to contribute to, and participate in, the production of that long-expected prophet: obferving, at the fame time, that Mofes would hardly have mentioned feveral of these crimes, unless with a view to fhew how strongly the promise of a faviour wrought in the early ages of the world.' If Mr. Gilpin here means nothing more than fimply to affign a cause for an effect, it may be said that he has made an assumption for which he has no authority in his Bible: but if he means to go farther, and to apologize for guilt, he has fet up a miferable defence indeed for his clients; whom he has reprefented as doers of evil that good may come, and has degraded to a level far below that of the contemptible propagators of the pious frauds which difgraced the darkeft ages of Romish fuperftition. Why, moreover, fhould Mofes fet him.. felf, with fuch earnestnefs, to fhew the wickedness that the expectation of a Meffiah has introduced into the world? In our opinion, this is an employment that would have fuited better with the views and character of an infidel. Indeed, what effect any part of this apology for wickednefs,-which, however enormous, a true theologian holds himfelf bound to defend, or at leaft to excufe, though it be done at the expence of all common fense and reafon, and even at the manifeft hazard of confounding the diftinction between virtue and vice, provided the wickedness which he would palliate do but conftitute a feature in the character of fome fcripture worthy-what effect, we fay, any part of Mr. Gilpin's prefent apology, or any fimilar facerdotal reverie, or hypothefis, can produce, unless it be to raise a fmile in the countenance of an unbeliever, we are quite at a lofs to determine. We have now delivered our fentiments at fome length, and with great freedom, on Mr. Gilpin's Expofition; and we truft that we have every where fpoken the language of the highest efteem, and the moft perfect good will, toward the excellent and cultivated author. If to him, or to our readers, we appear in any place to have departed from this ftyle, we declare that in fuch place our words do ill exprefs the feelings of our hearts, which are replete with gratitude and refpect for one who, in various inftances, has fuccefsfully laboured to multiply the accomplishments of his countrymen by cultivating their tafte, and to increase their happinefs by improving their morals; and who, in the prefent cafe, has produced a work which, notwithstanding our criticifms, we confider as far fuperior to what we could have atchieved, had it been our lot to undertake a tafk of the kind. Pea.e. ART. ART. XII. A Statistical Account of Scotland. Drawn up from the Communications of the Minifters of the different Parishes. By Sir John Sinclair, Bart. 8vo. Vols. III. IV. V. VI. and VII. 11. 13s. Boards. Cadell, &c. 1793. T 'HE nature of this laudable undertaking, tending to exhibit a parochial furvey of all North Britain, having been sufficiently explained in our account of the two former volumes*, we now proceed to obferve that the materials here brought together were collected on the feveral fpots by refpectable inhabitants, who appear to be men of knowlege and obfervation; and that they form a most valuable stock of local circumftances, ready for any political purposes. The whole number of parishes in Scotland is declared by Sir John Sinclair to be about 950; of thefe we are prefented with Accounts to the following amount; Vol. I. 53 parishes :. H. 50. III. 80. IV. 71. V. 40. VI. 57. VII. 55. Total 406. According to which enumeration, the probable extent of the whole undertaking may be computed. The great obftruction to agricultural improvements in Scotland confifts in the depreffed condition of the inhabitants, which is fummarily exhibited by the Reverend Mr. Anderson, in his account of the united parishes of Kinguffie and Inch, in the county of Inverness, the centre of the kingdom: (Vol. iii.) The parish in general does not raife grain fufficient to fupply itfelf. The kinds ufually cultivated, are bear, oats, and rye. I have already stated my opinion on corn-farming in this climate; and yet, notwithstanding the difadvantages mentioned, were the exertions of the induftrious tenant properly directed,-were he inftructed by those whofe circumflances enable them to make useful experiments-were he freed from vexatious fervitudes, that are the bane of improvement, and taught to look forward with hope to the period when he fhould enjoy the fruit of his labour fecured to him and his children, by a leafe for a length of years; there is little doubt but the foil could be brought to maintain double the number of its prefent inhabitants. The reverfe of this picture is unfortunately too true.-The lands in many places are only held from year to year, or on very fhort leafes. Graffums (fines) are frequently exacted; additional burdens are impofed without regarding whether they correfpond with the progrefs of improvement; and perfonal fervices are fo often demanded, that the tenant, in many inftances, is more at the difpofal of his landlord, than the feudal vaffal was of his fuperior in former times. The rigour of thefe exactions has of late been in fome degree alleviated, and it is to be hoped that, in an enlightened age, the practice will be difcontinued altogether. There is no village either in the parish, or in the whole district. This inconvenience is feverely felt. Not only the luxuries, but even * See Rev. N. S. vol. viii. p. 285. many 432 Sinclair's Statistical Account of Scotland, Vols. III.-VII. many of the common neceffaries of life, muft be fent for to the diftance of more than forty miles. Tradesmen have no fixed place of refidence where they can be reforted to. There is no centre for the little traffic, or barter, requifite to be carried on in an inland country. The wool that could have been manufactured in the place, must be fent by a long land carriage to buyers invited from another kingdom. The flax that might have proved a fource of wealth to both proprietor and tackfman, has been neglected, because skilful people are not collected in one clofe neighbourhood, to carry it through the whole process.' Hence it is evident that no exertions can be expected until thefe oppreffions be removed, and the cultivator be left to reap the profits of his labour. The liberal fpirit of the times (where politics are out of the queftion,) will foon effect this happy change; and, among other pleafing inftances of its operation, we felect two; the firft, furnished by the Rev. Mr. Clawfon, of the parish of Dalziel in the county of Lanark : The late Archibald Hamilton, Efq. the father of the prefent-proprietor, enjoyed the eftate during the courfe of a long life. His father had begun to plant a little, and this branch of cultivation he profecuted for a good part of his life, with great judgment and perfeverance, planting all kind of trees known in this country, adapting each to its proper fituation and expofure, and covering and adorning a country which before was fterile and naked, with extenfive forefts. His fuccefs was equal to his attention. His plantations were extended to 150 acres of foreft trees, which are the admiration of all who have feen them; to which his fucceffor has added about 10 acres more, beautifying the country, and fheltering the neighbouring fields from the cutting blasts, by which alone the fertility of many of them is greatly increased. He had the good fortune to live to fee trees, which he had planted after he appeared as a lawyer at the bar, grown to 12 feet in girth. He pleafed himself with having the furniture of his dining room made of his own wood. And for feveral years fince his death, more timber of his planting has been fold in one year, than the value of the yearly rent of the eftate, when he entered into the poffeffion of it; and yet the trees are still so crouded, as to want room to expand their branches. He was no less attentive to the orchard than to the foreft. Upon floping banks by the fides of brooks, &c. he planted apple, pear, and plumb trees, from time to time, to the extent of 20 acres; and for a long time paft, fince these have grown up, the fruit has been fuld, in good years, from 100l. to 1671. Of all thefe 20 acres, not 6 were worth 6d. an acre, except for planting foreft trees; but from the variety of expofures which thofe orchards enjoy, and the tall forefts which embofom them, fo many of them are fecured from the injury of blights and mildews, as always to enfure a crop of fruit, if there be fruit any where in the country. Nor was he lefs fuccefsful in promoting improvement in agriculture, by cherishing and prompting the industry of his tenants. He |
