"As my design," he says, " in collecting these Lectures, had a more immediate regard to my own parishioners in particular, and then to the inhabitants of the town of Southampton in general, without any idea of their being ever sent to the press, in order to facilitate the work I had undertaken, I not only adopted the thoughts, but borrowed the expressions, and even incorporated whole passages from the several authors which lay before me, rather solicitous to prepare an useful, than aspiring to produce an original work." The occafion which gave rife to thefe Lectures was this; "At the latter end of the week before the Paffion Week, in the year 1802, a hand-bill was circulated, that on the following Monday evening, the public rooms would be opened for a particular exhibition, as fpecified therein; the impropriety of which was immediately reprefented, in a letter figned by the clergy of the town, and addreffed to the mayor, who gave orders that there fhould be no fuch exhibition in the Paffion Week." The first Lecture opens with a reference to this circumstance, and difplays the holy zeal and indignant mind of the worthy author at the abominable attempt. He then paffes to the folemnity of the Paffion Week, and fhews the extreme impropriety of indulging in amusements, however harmless at other seasons. "I will not argue," he proceeds, "on the innocence or sinfulness of such gratifications, I will even suppose them to be indifferent; but let it be remembered, that whatever may in some cases, be lawful, is not at all times expedient: and that such amusements are not at this season expedient, will, I apprehend, appear to him, who shall consider the reasonableness of at least a temporary suspension of them. For when we reflect in what manner our Lord and Saviour passed this week, what he underwent for our sakes, the many insults and injuries which he suffered, his bitter agony in the garden, which was followed by the treachery of one of his chosen disciples, who betrayed him into the hands of his enemies, then by the desertion and flight of the rest, who had declared their resolution not long before, to remain stedfastly with him, even in the utmost extremity of danger, and last of all by a positive and peremptory denial of him, thrice rerepeated, by one who had promised, that he would rather die with, than forsake him.-When we farther consider, that all these heart-rending sorrows, were heaped upon him day after day throughout the week, till they were terminated only by his most painful and ignominious death.-When we more over and especially take into the account, that all this was endured for our sakes, we cannot surely think it unreasonable to be required to lay aside, for one week only, those gratifications which at other seasons it may be lawful moderately to enjoy. Agreeable to this were the opinions of the primitive Christians respecting this great and holy week, and of our pions fore-fathers of later ages, both of whom judged thát a most religious attention was due to the interesting and important events which we now commemorate." p. 7. Again. “Early in this discourse I observed two sorts of persons; one consisting of those who through a necessary attention to their business, and to supply the wants of their families, could not possibly spare time to join in the additional service of each day in the week; and who could not after the fatigues of the day, sit down to private meditation; ignorant how to proceed, or too weary to attempt it of themselves. The other sort were those who acknowledged the necessity, and practised the duty of both public and private devotion, but could not think it necessary to give up their innocent diversions entirely, and to forego their evening parties; and who could not but wish that some place of public entertainment might be open, to which they might as at other times resort. "Both these may, I apprehend, be accommodated. The industrious tradesman and labourer shall, at the close of the day, have an instructor to assist them in the meditations, which they cannot themselves command; and the other sort shall find a house of public resort thrown open, in which they shall have an opportunity of spending an hour, perhaps somewhat more, every evening in the week, in a manner which may in the end, I trust, afford them as much satisfaction as if they had spent it at a card table, in a ball room, or at the theatre." p. 14. Such is the excellence which pervades every part of this little volume. The remaining lectures repeat, according to their feveral titles, the Occurrences of the Paffion Week, and are all entitled to the serious perufal, and devout reflections of every fincere chriftian. They contain fo much good fenfe, conveyed in fuch a strain of piety, that every reader will, we believe, after perufing them, be both wifer and better. The references to, and quotations from, fome very valuable authors, proper indeed to be made, need however no apology. The whole book is ftamped with excellence. EGIN, my foul, th' exalted lay, BE Let each enraptur'd thought obey, And praife th' Almighty's name. Lo! heaven and earth, and feas and skies, In one melodious concert rise, To fwell th' infpiring theme! Ye fields of light, celeftial plains, Your Maker's wondrous power proclaim, Ye angels, catch the thrilling found! Join, ye loud fpheres, the vocal choir; Thou dazzling orb of liquid fire, The mighty chorus aid! Soon as grey ev'ning gilds the plain, Thou, moon, protract the melting ftrain And praise him in the shade. Thou, heav'n of heav'ns, his vaft abode; Whate'er a blooming world contains, Ye dragons, found his awful name Wake, all ye mounting tribes, and fing; To him who fhap'd your finer mould, Let man, by nobler paffions fway'd, Till heav'n's broad arch rings back the found, Ye whom the charms of grandeur pleafe, Fall proftrate at his throne! Praife him, ye kings, who makes your power Ye fair, by nature form'd to move, MISCELLANEOUS INTELLIGENCE. Tis with great satisfaction we of the works of Bishop Horne, is about to make its appearance in six volumes octavo." The works of the learned critic Mr. Bryant, are also preparing for a complete edition. The new edition, with considerable additions, of the Essays of William and Thomas Ludlam, which we announced in our Magazine for April last, is at the point of making its appearance in 2 vol. 8vo. "In these Essays, the justness of the reasoning employed, and the propriety of the language adopted, by those persons, who, in these days, wish to recall into the Church the absurdities of School-Divinity, affectation of Puritanical Cant, and who, with such peculiar truth and singular modesty, style themselves Gospel Ministers and Evangelical Preachers, are fully considered.” The Botanical Drawing Book, by the ingenious naturalist Mr. Sowerby, is just completed, and will be published immediately. He has also nearly ready for publication a Scheme of Colours, in which will be introduced a Chromometer, or means of measuring colours upon an easy and simple. principle, so as to measure any simple tint to infinity. It will be printed in royal quarto, with eight or ten plates. X. ch "Vol. XIII. Churchm. Mag for Auguft, 1807. |