the earth." The Bishop, in the expofition of this text is naturally led to confider the ftate of that country of feriptural fools, which maintain the converfe of the propofition, and, rejecting the only true God, have substituted a base idol, of human creation, in his place :

"The imaginary fubftitute which takes the place of God hath been called vintue: hath been called reafon : but, whatever be the name, the idea is fubstituted as the true object of worship.

"Let us not be deceived by a name, or be told that this is lefs than the groffeft atheism, because virtue is set up, and men are at liberty to celebrate feasts, and dedicate temples, to glory, patriotifm, and philofophy; for thefe are alfo principles of human origin, and which, if dignified by our adoption of them under religion, as ufetul incitements to human excellence, yet shock us in the character of fanctified objects of worship, which having nothing of the fpirit of true religion about them, may be the ornaments of the hero, the patriot, and the moralift; but as fubftitutes for religious duty not one of them will reach the confcience-not one of them will, in a fpiritual fenfe, meliorate and improve the man, which is the object of true religion, and the purpose of a beneficent God.

"It is obvious that the fyftem of this new worship, with virtue at its head, with glory, patriotifm, and philosophy in its train, is the felf-fame spirit with that of heathenifm itfelf; branching out into a variety of fanciful names, endued with imaginary excellence, with which its votaries alone invested them, but framed, in fact, to accommodate and flatter the paffions and propenfities of men. It is the religion of those who, living before the coming of Chrift, knew not God; and to the level of whom the enemies of revelation would now again reduce us." Pp. 19. 20.

The weak and impious affertions of thofe vain and prefumptuous men, who impute to Chriftianity itself "the great troubles and fanguinary wars which have distracted the Christian world," are next confidered and confuted, and the conduct of that nation, which has openly abjured Chriftianity, is properly opposed to the licentious advocates of this blafphemous doctrine :

"In what part of the hiftory of mankind, either before or fince the coming of Chrift, hath there been a scene of violence, and excefs of abomination in war, to compare with that which has been exhibited by thofe who profefs the unchriftian principles of this day?

"This one truth is above all others, obvious for our improvement in religion, that of all the difturbances and wars which have taken place fince the coming of Chrift, there hath not been one fo odious in its circumftances, fo fatal in its effects," as that which has raged under this new kingdom of virtue; nor hath any mischief affailed mankind fo great as that which takes for its particular character an attack upon the chriftian religion." P. 24.

In fhewing the different effects produced by the different fyftems of Chriftianity and Atheifm, the Bishop is peculiarly fuccessful :—

"Here I might enter into a large field of description, too wide for the purpose of this difcourfe; but the fcene is odious and difgufting; and I shall only remark, for the honour of chriftian truth, that falfe morality will be the neceffary refult of falfe religion, from which evil only can proceed; and to this only can we impute it, that violence, rapine, and the fhedding of innocent blood, the violation of public and private contracts of marriage, filial duty, and all focial covenants, art justified by the votaries of falfe divinity; who, together with religious truth, difcard, becaufe of their mutual connexion, all moral obligation, and look to con fution, diforder, and difcontent, as detrable fubftitutes for order, good govern ment, and peace.

*Happily

"Happily for us, everlafting truth muft in the end prevail. Believers once, and enlightened by revelation, we are no longer conftituted to exift under the iron fceptre of infidelity, under the government of which there is neither fpiritual hope nor moral comfort for bewildered man; who ever, in the milder ages of i norance, diffatisfied, and unable to abide by the expectation of eternal death, or. rigorous punishment, caft about precifely for that confolation which chriftianity did, and could alone confer, that covenant of pardon of which man was confcious he had need; that mean of grace fupplying the defect of his own virtue; that hope of glory in the room of endless fleep, or of ftill more dreaded punishment; and whofe morality establishes, beyond a doubt, thofe truths immediately applicable here, that in the conduct of human affairs the facrifice of principle can be in no cafe juftified; that whil there is a God that judgeth the earth, no human government ever has been framed, or ever can be conducted without reference to the fuperintending powers of Providence; that herein precifely confifts (confiji) the confcientious obligation of civil duty, and the infeparable-connection between religion, and law; that neceffary connection which human policy hath not created, as fome have pretended to fay, but of which it hath availed it felt as it ought to do. Pp. 27, 28.

Moft cordially do we agree with this refpectable prelate, that the relative fituation of England and France fhould form the fubject of our humble and grateful acknowledgements to that Being, from whom all human happiness, all human bleffings, are derived; that "we have much to correct amongst us, both in private manners, and in public decorum ;" and that it is our bounden duty not to trifle with ferious things;" not "to acquiefce in thofe things which wound the moral fenfe of man;" and not "to contemplate with pleasure," (nor even to tolerate,) thofe baneful productions which diffeminate even fpiritual mifchiefs among us."

Copious as our extracts from thefe fermons have already 'been, we cannot refrain from quoting the concluding obfervations, expreffing, at the fame time, our fervent hope, that they will make a deep and lafting impreflion on the hearts of all who acknowledge the truths of Chriftianity, and appreciate the bleflings of good government :

"If they who have banished the love of brethren from their hearts, and buried all moral and Chriftian virtues under the ruins of their churches and governments, now remain a melancholy picture of distraction, diforder, and misfortune; if we, who, by the bleffing of God, have held faft to the profeffion of our aith without wavering, are ftill bleffed with that government which is the envy of mankind, and with the free exercife of our holy religion, in the purity and fimplicity for which it is diftinguished, then is it certain, that, fhould we facrifice thefe advantages, fhould we renounce this merciful favour of God, and become the vile accomplices of his foes; if, when he hath been with us, we shall be againft him, and againft his Anointed, then are we not hafty and inconfiderate, but determined and incorrigible offenders. No! rather let us do all that in us lies, to show ourselves more deferving of his valuable diftinétions, more worthy to bear that part affigned us, in the general good purposes of his Providence.

"Good Chriftians, good citizens, and good men, ferving our God, our community, and our neighbour, let us put away from us the enemies of the cross of Chrift; let the friends of region be our friends; let the fupporters of law and government be our counfellors; let the difciples of moral truth and excellence be our companions; let us embrace, with joy, the hope which is held out to us; that fo long as the duties attached to these valuable characters are upheld and refpected aniongft us, fo long fhall we be yet allowed to worship our God in peace and truth, to live under the happy influence of his grace through the gofpel, to be directed in all our ways by law, by honefty, and by charity; in a word, the comprehenfive word of an apoftle, to love the brotherhood, fear God, honour the King." Pp. 82, 33.

It only remains for us ftrenuously to recommend these fermons to our readers, as the most chafte compofitions, and the most impreffive difcourfes, which have come under our cognizance for a confiderable time. They breathe the pure fpirit of the Chriftian faith, and have a ftrong and manifeft tendency to make good men and faithful fubjects.

ART. XXIII. The Days of Vifitation. A Sermon, preached in the Cathedral Church of St. Paul, before the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor, the Aldermen, Sheriffs, the Common Council of the City of London, the Honourable the Artillery Company, and the Temple Bar and St. Paul's Diftrict Military Affociation, on Wednesday the 27th of February, 1799, being the Day ap pointed by His Majefty to be obferved as a General Faft. By Thomas Bowen, M. A. Chaplain of Bridewell Hofpital, and Minifter of Bridewell Precinct; Chaplain to the Right Hon. the Lord Mayor. 4to. Pp. 24. Price 1s. Rivingtons. White. London. 1799.

IN a very early part of our Review* we had occafion to speak, in terms of merited commendation, of a difcourfe by the author of the fermon before us. And we are truly happy to have it in our power to extend our praife to his fubfequent productions.

The fubject of this fermon, "The Days of Vifitation are come," is admirably adapted to the occafion on which it was preached; and the fimilarity of circumftances between the fubverfion of the Ifraelite government, by the Affyrian Monarch, to which the .predictions of the prophet Hofea evidently referred, and the recent overthrow of the French Monarchy, could not escape the attention of fo obfervant and judicious a divine as Mr. Bowen.

"The floor and the wine prefs,' faith he, shall not feed them; and the new wine fhall fail in her.' He threatens that want and distress should succeed in the place of that affluence of the good things of this world, which they had used without due acknowledgement to the hand that gave them. To poverty he adds banishment from their native country. They fhall not dwell in the Lord's land; but Ephraim fhall return to Egypt, and they fhall eat unclean things in Affyria.' The unavoidable confequence of exile would be the abolition of their religious werhip. They fhall not offer wine offerings unto the Lord, neither shall they be pleafing unto him:-their facrifices fhall be unto them, as the bread of mourners: all that eat of them fhall be polluted. What will ye do on the folemn day, and on the day of the feaft of the Lord?' To these evils which they would fuffer from the deftructive ravages of their foes, he adds the fum and close of all-death in a foreign land. Lo they are gone because of destruction: Egypt shall gather them up, Memphis fhall bury them.' Thofe, who might efcape the flavery and oppreffion of the Affyrians, fhould be compelled to take refuge in the adjacent country, to abandon their own pleafant and magnificent abodes, and feek in Egypt a precarious fubfiftence." P. 10.

Having produced fome other ftrong traits of refemblance, from the circumstances attending the final deftruction of Jerufalem, the

VOL. 1. P. 355.

preacher

preacher proceeds to confider the causes of thefe calamities, inflicted on the Ifraelites-impiety and the corruption of their faith; and he contends that they were the fame caufes 'which produced fimilar effects in France. On this topic Mr. Bowen makes many appro priate and judicious obfervations, but he certainly goes too far in his affertion that every member of their (the French) national Academy of science was either an Infidel or an Atheist." In fupport of his pofition, indeed, he quotes the Abbé Baruel, but the Abbé's affirmations on thefe topics muft not always be taken à la lettre. This unguarded expreffion, however, which it was our duty, as critics, to correct, by no means affects the juftice of Mr. B.'s general pofitions, nor the validity of his conclufions; and his fermon certainly does credit to his zeal, his talents, and his principles.

MISCELLANIES.

ART. XXIV. Letters on Subjects of Importance to the Happiness of Young Females, addreffed by a Governess to her Pupils, chiefly while they were under her immediate Tuition. To which is (are) added, a (fome) few practical Leffons on the Improprieties of Language and Errors of Pronunciation, which frequently occur in common Converfation. By Helena Wells. 12mo. Pp. 179. Peacock.

London.

THE

HE fubjects treated in thefe letters are, indeed, of importance to the female world; fince on a proper attention to them much, very much, of their prefent, and even future happinefs, depends. The admonitions of Mrs. Wells to her pupils reflect great credit on her head and heart. They prove her ability to discharge, in the most effential parts of education, the ferious and arduous duties of an inftructress of youth; they difplay an carneft defire, a wellregulated zeal, to fow, in their infant minds, the feeds of virtue; to infpire a due veneration for the great truths of religion; to impart a juft fenfe of morality; and to imprefs a full conviction of the neceflity of reverence for their parents, and of love for each other. The defects and vices to which females, in their early years, are more particularly expofed, are clearly pointed out, the means of avoiding them fuggefted, and the danger of encouraging them. explained. The deportment to be obferved, on entering into life, in order to conciliate the esteem and affection of others, and, confequently, to facilitate the acquifition of happiness, is judicioufly difplayed. And, upon the whole, we can recommend the book, as containing much useful inftruction for that amiable part of fociety for whofe ufe it has, avowedly, been compofed.

Having done juftice to the work, as far as refpects its fubftance, it behoves us, as critics, to notice fome defects in point of execution,

which, though they call for correction, detract but little from its merit or utility, As the author dwells fo much, and with so much propriety, "on the improprieties of language," the fhould have taken fpecial care to avoid all fimilar improprieties herself. But this, unfortunately, has not been the cafe. She frequently fubftitutes the Gerund and the Participle for the Subftantive, and betrays great inattention to rammatical accuracy. Befides the two inftances of this latter defect which occur in the very title page, numerous other violations of grammatical rules appear in different parts of the book. Some few of thefe we fhall fele&t to prove the accuracy of our statement. "What may be appointed ye (you) to perform." (P.45.)" Are fond of Sporting high founding fentiments." (P. 50.) The verb to fport has no fuch fignification as is here affigned to it. To fport a fentiment is a cant expreffion, indeed, to which fafhionable folly has given currency, but which is as repugnant to all the rules of language, as the grofs vulgarifms of St. Giles's er Billingsgate are. "I fhould be happy to fee that diffidence, and retiredness of manner, which is (are) reprehenfible in you, only as it is (they are) carried to excels." (P. 116.) "Which may be productive of happiness, to those who unfortunately may conceive it of confequence to their individual comfort, your wearing the smile of complacency." (P. 121.) "Meeknefs of difpofition, and mildnefs of manners, is (are) fo truly defirable in woman.” (P. 128.) "That patronage and countenance which alone is (are) wanting." (P. 138.) Her (the) who finds happiness in the bofoin of her family. will ever feel independent." (P. 141.) "Those who give ear to the tale of fcandal fhould recollect that they are in fome degree implicated with its authors in the mifchief which the propagation of it may occafion, for no perfon would take the trouble of fabricating them, (it) if they (he) were not sure of finding those who would be gratified at the recital.” (P. 145.)—" Les maitres du (de la) danse.” (P. 109.)

At the end of the volume the author gives a lift of several "grammatical errors of language and falfe pronunciations, that occur in common converfation," and indicates the means of correction. But even here, where accuracy was fo peculiarly neceffary, the is fometimes inaccurate. Ex gra: "I wrote to my brother fome time ago," thus corrected, " fome weeks have elapfed fince I have written to my brother." Here the pupil is correct and the governess incorrect. Since I bave written is a Gallicifm not allowable in the English language. Again" I wish the Eafter hollidays was come," corrected. I with the Eafter hollidays were began," (begun.) Here the governess in correcting one grammatical error falls into another. "I am ten years old next June,"-corrected, I was nine years old laft June." Here the error is not pointed out to the pupil, for it confifts merely in the improper fubftitution of the prefent tenfe for the future. The correction, therefore, fhould have been, "Ifhall be ten years old."

ART.