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ingenuity of the chriftian philofopher, a boundless field of fpeculation, whence he may derive refreshing proofs of the truths of his religion, at the fame time that he indulges that difpofition to enquiry and love of knowledge which are implanted for the moft ufeful and the nobleft pu.pofes in the human breaft. Accordingly there is no fubject on which the abilities of theologians have been more happily exercifed than on that of the connexion between the hiftory and prophecies of the facred fcriptures, and the modern hiftory and prefent ftate of the world.

But, however much Mr. Churton is acquainted with the fcriptures, with the writings of the fathers and antient hiftories, he is evidently deftitute of that ftrength and fubli mity of genius which alone is able to discover any new link in that chain which binds the paft to the prefent, and opens hints for ftill farther difcoveries. In volume of two hundred and fixty-two pages, containing eight fermons on the prophecies, we do not difcover one idea that is new. that relates to the deftruction of Jerufalem he has collected from Jofephus and other antient writers, and applied it very properly to the prophecies, which has been done a thousand times before. That there is little or nothing original in his publication, our author himself appears to be fenfible.

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Treading in a beaten track, exploring a region fo often defcrib ed and fo well known, it was the preacher's with, that the reports and obfervations fhould, nevertheless be his own. He furveyed therefore, as it were the face of the country, he collected and confidered the historical facts, before he inquired how others had applied them. Hence, if the account to be offered fhall in fome points differ from, and in others agree with, former writers; as fuch diverfity will not proceed from a fpirit of innovation, so neither will the coincidence be the refult of blind deference to refpectable authority. The teftimony of conviction alone can be valuable. The remark therefore, which fhall appear juft, will not be given up, though it may be propofed with more diffidence, when others have thought differently; nor will obfervations always be retrenched, because they have occurred to others before, but rather be urged with greater boldness, as being fupported by those, who have with skill and actention confidered the fubject.'

In fome inftances he differs from authors who have departed from the commonly received interpretation of scripture; but, in general, all the benefit that the christian world reaps from our author's fermons, is, a confirmation of truths already known.

Of the performance before us the following is the most advantageous fpecimen, perhaps, that can be felected. • With

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With regard to the events by which these prophecies have been fulfilled, the foundations of the earth have been moved to produce them, and the creatures have been weapons in the hands of providence. The unruly elements and the tribes of men have conspired together, and performed the commands of the Lord of all things; nor have the bleffed inhabitants of the world of fpirits, been unconcerned fpectators, but fuftained part in the wondrous drama, and fhewn themselves the ready minifters of heaven.

"When the apostles were preaching the doctrine of the cross among various nations, they knew that in fo doing they were obeying the injunctions and fulfilling the predictions of Him who fent them; but no poffible objection can hence be raised against the prophecies on that important article. Had they not been affured of the truth of thofe facts, which they every where with fo much boldness afferted; and had they not been infpired with courage, as well as commiffioned from above to teach them; they never would have embarked in the perilous enterprize; nor when they had undertaken it, could they ever have fucceeded without the special aid and influence of heaven. Thofe that planted therefore, and thofe that watered, were nothing in this reIpect, but God that gave the incrcafe. He who vouchfafed to impart the prophecy, in his own good time and by his own mighty power wrought its completion.

In most other inftances, perhaps in every one where human ability might feem competent to produce the effect, the immediate agents totally ignorant or totally regardless of the voice of prophecy, were influenced by far other motives, than thofe of evincing its authority by fulfilling its declarations. The defolation of Judah was neither in whole nor in part occafioned by Chriftians. The Jews themselves brought on their calamitics; the Romans were the inftruments of vengeance; and both as well Chriftians, have recorded the final iffue of the war; which was fuch as no human fagacity could forefee, no conjuncture of affairs, no traits of character in either party could lead to conjecture. Though the Jews were afraid, or to ferve a purpose pretended to be afraid, left the Romans fhould take away their place and nation; yet after the time when they expreffed thefe fears as well as before, they experienced, at the hands of their generous lords, particular immunities and distinguished favours, both in Judea and in other countries.

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To extirpate a people, or demolish a city, was contrary to the practice and lenity of the Romans in war. Their whole history affords but one or two inftances of exceptions in the cafe. The compliment of the poet parcere fubjectis," was the more valuable, because it was juft: nor had their former humanity in this age faken them. During the fiege of Jerufalem, the compaffionate Titus was fcarcely more folicitous to fubdue the rebels, than to rescue the fufferers and fave the city. The temple to the last he was refolved to preferve. But in oppofition to heaven the endeavours of mortals are ineffectual, and their wifhes vain. The city and the temple were burnt with fire, and rafed to their foundations: and those who furvived the calamities of their country were fcattered and dispersed

over the face of the earth; and by a fubfequent decree, while every other land faw their obftinacy and obferved their affliction, in Judea alone they were not permitted to fet their feet. The blood of the Holy One, according to the dread imprecation of their fathers, purfues to this day, the wretched pofterity. Their blindnefs is still unremoved, their heart is ftill obdurate; therefore they are wanderers and vagabonds in the earth, living monuments of the juft but tremendous wrath of heaven, and involuntary witneffes to the truth of the feriptures and fcripture prophecies.'

From fermons preached upon public occafions at Oxford, we are led in general to expect more exalted genius and a higher degree of entertainment and inftruction, than can be obtained from the volume before us.

ART. IX. Sentimental Memoirs. By a Lady, 2 vols. 6s. fewed. Hookham, 1785.

THI

HIS lady would have been juftified in the observation that domestic life is the trueft fource of earthly blifs, although fhe had not quoted the authority of "an ingenious modern writer." In what he has published it is her intention to "promote that branch of human felicity which all "muft with, which most expect, but which through mis "takes and errors, by no means unavoidable, few are hap "py enough to find-To expose these mistakes and errors, "and to fet them in fuch a point of light, as may feem beft "calculated to strike the attention and affect the hearts of "those who have not yet entered upon the most interefting

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engagement of life, is what has induced the author to "to intrude herself upon the public notice; by a relation "of circumftances fo far from romantic, as to be founded, "in feveral inftances, upon facts which are evident enough to any obferver of the hiftory of human nature."

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What this lady obferves is certainly juft. The errors that lead fo many young perfons, efpecially of the female fex, to mifery and ruin, are not by any means unavoidable. They might be avoided by education and good example; by juft fentiments of true dignity and excellence; by the contemplation of proper models of virtue in all the viciffitudes of life. A young creature left by her abandoned parents to the impulfe of her own appetites and paffions, is as certainly devoted to deftruction as the young dove that has loft its dam before it is provided with wings to fly from the approaches of furrounding ferpents. Flattery, with all the tempations that the cruelty of foul defire holds out to the heat of youthful fancy, plunges the innocent victim into a fea of diffipation. The furface appears at firft calm and the ENG. REV. OCT. 1785. S

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waters tempered by the most genial heat. Cold blafts and tempefts fucceed, and as wave fucceeds wave, fo forrow fucceeds forrow. Innocence, modefty, a fenfe of honour are loft; the defire of recovering character fails with the hope and the last horrid refuge is to affociate with wretches as miferable, because as wicked as herfelf; and to learn from fome empty libertine, perhaps, or paradoxical writer, a few arguments or rather affirmations, by which fhe may fhelter her conduct, and conceal from the rigid decifions of her own mind, all diftinctions between virtue and vice. Then pleasure, gaiety, fashion, intrigue, are confidered as the whole of what is excellent or defirable in life. FIDELITY is laughed to fcorn. ADULTERY, which confounds all the tender relations of hufband and wife, parent and child, brother and fifter, is confidered not as a vice, but as a mark of spirit.

But disease and old age foon fucceed to fuch a life: a gloomy winter not preceded by any harvest! a miferable and haggard form, fubjected to infult and diftrefs; without fortune to fupply the demands of nature; without conscious virtue and animating hope to fuftain this accumulation of mifery.

We cannot therefore too warmly applaud the defign of this publication. The execution is, however, lame and imperfect. The author has prefented, as it were in a group, a number of virtuous characters, all of whom the makes, as fhe ought, happy; but without that intricacy of story or fable which leaves them for a while to bear up under misfortune, and to ftruggle against temptation, and which inte refts and keeps the reader in fufpenfe, and equally furprises and delights him in the iffue.

In all legitimate compofitions there ought to be a beginning, a middle, and an end. In matters of demonstration there are the premises and the conclufion. In hiftory, poetry, and romance, there is a moral, or truth of a moral kind, to be illuftrated. There is a narration of facts which ferves to this purpose, and illuftrates at the fame time various characters, the manners and fentiments of each being obferved in the various fituations in which they are placed. We are interested in the fortune of a people, or of a particular hero : our attention, our expectation of fome event is raised; and various fentiments, emotions, and paffions are excited. In the memoirs before us, the moral is the only thing to be commended. They want all the other qualities neceffary at once to delight or inftruct the reader.

The work abounds in memorandums and very amiable fentiments; but these are without unity of defign and artifice of compofition.

It is fortunate that a numerous and refpectable lift of fub fcribers has bestowed on the author that reward for her good intentions which she would not probably have obtained without fuch friends.

ART. X. Part II. Of the Continuation of Mr. Hargrave's Edition of Lord Coke's Commentary on Littleton. By Charles Butler, Efq; of Lincoln's-Inn. Folio, 7s. 6d. fewed. Brooke, London, Lynch, Dublin.

MR. HARGRAVE in a very polite addrefs to the purchafers of the new edition of Coke upon Littleton, announces the neceffity of his relinquishment of the under taking. His own words will convey beft the nature of his apology.

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Numerous and fevere are the facrifices, which he has heretofore made in order to accomplish the original propofals in their fulleft extent. To this moment he feels the effect of thofe facrifices nor is he likely ever to conquer wholly the difadvantage already incurred from them. But it might be improper and difgufting to enter into particulars upon this head, which in its nature is too perfonal to the editor to be interesting to others. He will therefore be content with generally declaring, that his fituation is become fuch, as to render him unequal to any longer fuftaining the weight of thofe labours, which he has ever found incident to the work upon the extended plan of annotation adopted by him from the commencement of the edition, though certainly not belonging to it from the very limited profeffions and terms originally held out to the public. It is from perfonal confiderations, and in his own defence, that he thus adverts to having paffed the bounds of the firft undertaking in the actual execution: becaufe, as he feels himself open to cenfure, from thofe indifpofed to yield to indulgent conftruction, for having done less than he promifed, he too plainly fees the neceffity of ftriving to foften fuch cenfure by the recollection of his having alfo done more. In truth, had he not rafhly exceeded the limits first prefcribed, by wandering into the wide field of annota'tion, it is moft probable, that the whole of the edition would have been finished long ago, and confequently that the editor would not now have to mortify himself by apoligizing for executing only one half of it. This to be fure is the most favourable point of view for the editor; its tendency being to fhew, that his excefs of zeal to render the edition valuable has been one caufe of his finally leaving it imperfect. If it fhall be thought proper by others kindly to receive the editor's apology in this form, it will qualify his unhappinefs at the painful and trying moment of feparation from a very favourite work before its advancement into maturity. Should a lefs indulgent conftruction be applied to the editor, it will deeply wound feelings already enough exercised; but from, a confcioufnefs of being open to fome degree of exception for what rigid obfervers may stile the abandonment of a work long promised to be com

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