with fuch knowledge as to fee, that whatfoever things were written aforetime in holy fcripture were written for our learning.' Mr. Greenhill, we imagine, has good lungs that will carry him through the longeft fentence; but woe be to those who are obliged to read after him. Art 22. A Sermon preached at the Ordination of the Reverend The reader will eafily perceive from the title page, the pleafure or profit which he has to expect from this pious performance: after Mr. Timothy Follie's introductory difcourfe follows Mr. Porter's confeffion of faith, from which we fhall extract an article or two for the benefit of our readers, and leave them to perufe the relt whenever they shall find any inclination to it Art. IV. I believe, that God from all eternity, according to the counsel of his own will, and for the exaltation of his glorious 'attributes, hath fore-ordained whatfoever comes to pafs; yet so, that he is not the author of fin, nor is any violence offered to 'the will of the creature; and though God certainly knows what'foever does, or can come to pafs on all fuppofed conditions, yet we are not to conceive, that the purposes of his will depend · upon his foreknowledge in thefe cafes. Being predeftinated according to the purpose of him, who worketh all things after the "counsel of his own will." Art. XI. I believe, that our perfons are not only guilty, but our natures depraved, and unclean through the fall; that our › hearts are deceitful above all things and defperately wicked; that our minds and confciences are defiled; that we are fpiritually dead in trefpaffes and fins, having no hope, and without God in the world. Art. XII. I believe, that God from all eternity, foreseeing. man's rebellion against him, had thoughts of peace towards fome of his apoftate creatures; and therefore merely out of the riches of his fovereign grace and diftinguishing love, and not from a forefight of any good in them, did elect a particular number to holinefs here, and happiness hereafter. According as he hath "chofen us in him, before the foundation of the world, that we "fhould be holy, and without blame before him in love. Who "hath faved us, and called us with an holy calling, not accord"ing to our works, but according to his own purpofe and grace "which was given us in Chrift, before the world began.' Art. XIX. I believe, that those whom God has elected, he • doth in his own due time call by his grace, out of a flate of. "darkness into his marvellous light, and from the power of fin and. ⚫ fatan to the living God; effectually drawing them to himfelf by ⚫ his word and spirit; yet fo as they come most freely, they being by this grace made truly willing in the day of his power. . Whom "Whom he did predeftinate them he alfo called, and whom he called, them he also justified. Art. XX. Accordingly I believe, that those whom God effectually calls, he juftifies by the righteousness of Jefus Chrift, they being enabled by the influences of the Spirit, to truft in him, and receive his righteoufnefs by faith, which is hereupon imputed to them, fo that their fins are pardoned, their perfons are accepted, they being freed from all the demands of the law and juftice and all this, not for any thing wrought in them, or done by them, but for Chrift's fake alone. Being juftified "freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Chrift. "For he hath made him to be fin for us, who knew no fin, "that we might be made the righteoufnefs of God in him.'. XXIII. I believe, that thofe whom God calls and fanctifies by his Spirit, fhall never finally fall away from grace, but fevere to the end, and be eternally faved. "For whom he juftifies, them he alfo glorifies. Who are kept by the power of "God, through faith to falvation, Receiving the end of your faith, the falvation of your fouls." 4 66 per Art. 23. Some important Cafes of Confcience anfwered, at the Cafuiftical Exercife, on Wednesday Evenings, in Little St. Helen's, Bishopfgate-Street, by S. Pike and S. Hayward. Vol. II. 8vo. Pr. Is. 6d. Buckland. Where Meff. Pike and Hayward took their degrees in Theology, or who made them Cafuiftical Profeffers, we cannot pretend to determine the questions however feem extremely well adapted to the perfons who answer them; and are only fit for the dirty enthusiasts of Little St. Helen's: viz. How may we diftinguish the fuggeftions of Satan from the cor"ruptions of our own hearts? How may a perfon know when he has the affiftance of the Spirit in prayer? How may we keep from spiritual pride after special enlargements in duty? How may a Chriftian know that he grows in Grace? &c. &c. The reft of the queftions are of a piece with thefe: a very short extract from Mr. Hayward's anfwer to the laft, which we have inferted, viz. How may a Chriftian know that he grows in grace will be fufficient to give our readers an idea of this notable performance : Sometimes (fays Mr. Hayward) growth in grace is more quick and visible. God does great work in a little time. Some Chriftians make great improvements, and come foon to a state of manhood. They ripen apace for a better world, and make great advances in divine life. When God is as dew to their fouls, they revive as the corn, grow as the wine, fhoot forth their branches, and make a green and flourishing appearance. When "the fun of righteoufnefs arifes upon them with healing under his "wings, they go forth, and grow up as calves of the fall.' Mal. iv. 2. As the fun in his return from the winter folftice by his warmth nourishes frozen Nature, and makes it look green and • "beautiful; beautiful; fo when the fun of righteousness, after fome long time ⚫ of withdrawment, comes to thine again upon the foul, he feels the warmth of his reviving beams, and finds a glorious and ⚫ fudden alteration. He is then like calves of the fall, which are fitting for flaughter, and therefore makes much quicker improvements than thofe that are in the open field: The Chriftian, ⚫ like them, grows fat, and makes very visible advances in holiness. When God fills the pool of ordinances with his heavenly rain, we are fenfible of it, feel the refreshment, and go from firength to ftrength.' We apprehend this fpecimen will abundantly fatisfy the curiofity of our readers, and fhall therefore conclude this article by fubjoining to the cafes of confcience the following queftion, which we fubmit to the folution of these two learned divines, viz. Whether Meff. Pike and Hayward could not employ themselves much more rationally and ufefully in fome honeft trade or profeffion, than in thus bewildering themselves and others in idle difcuffions, and fruitlefs lectures at Little St. Helen's? Art. 24. The odious nature of Unfaithfulness in general, with Jome particular aggravations of its guilt, and prefervatives from it. A Sermon preached at Stafford, August 22, 1756. at the Affizes held there by the Right Honourable the Lord Chief Baron Parker, and the Honourable Mr. Juftice Clive, by Jofeph Crewe, D. D. Rector of Muxon, Staffordshire. 4to. Pr. 6d. Whiston and White. The author in this fermon endeavours to fhew the evil tendency of unfaithfulness; from the confideration, firft, of its nature and effects in general; and, fecondly, the aggravations of guilt, which it deriveth from fome particular circumftances not uncommonly attending it. The difcourfe is well adapted to the occafion, and might, for aught we know, have its defired effect on the congregation during its delivery, which we apprehend is as much as any modern preacher can expect: it cannot however give much pleafure in the clofet, on account of its ftile, which from a vifible affectation of purity is rendered extremely ftiff and difagreeable. For instance: By oppofing (fays the Doctor) the circulation of good offices, or wilfully failing in their reciprocal performance, it tendeth to deftroy the cement of fociety and out of the very foundation, on which hopes of the beft fervices had, not unreafonably, been built, it caufeth apprehenfions of the worft to fpring.' Is not the laft period remarkably aukward? And again a little further in the difcourfe : When the plumage, as it were, of the most innoxious animal is affumed, for the fake of infufing the venom of the most noxious, " without any, or with lefs, fufpicion; what had been called a bene'ficent or friendly mind, lofeth, at once, its nature and its name; and degenerateth into the meanness of infamous craft, and the 3 • inalig malignity of dangerous perfidy. I defigns, profeffed, alarm ou caution, and put us upon our guard: and from the difhonour or detriment, projected by an open enemy, fecurity may fuccefsfully, fometimes, be fought in retirement, or prudent methods of defence. But, in walking or maintaining familiar intercourfe with the unfaithful, difguiled under the mask of friends, we walk, as it were, * on fire, concealed under materials of harmless appearance: and, whilft our fteps had feemed to be fafely taken, continually are we indangered by the latent deceit." As this author, doth, in our opinion, feem to labour under a [kind of tumour, or verbofity, which cannot but be painful to himself as well as his readers, we would recommend to him as the certa piacula, a frequent perufal of the works of Addifon, Sherlock, and Middleton, which could not fail of reducing his hydrops, and rendering his next performance lefs elaborate and prolix, as well as much more correct and intelligible. WE have received an angry letter from forme zealous, friend of Dr. Patten, concerning our remarks on that gentleman's Apology: (lee our Review N. VIII, Art. 7 the letter is fign'd 3.1. which, being interpreted, can only fignify mistaken man. The author hath there ventured to affert, that the CRITICAL REVIEWERS have fome latent connections to warp their integrity, that they can difpenfe with faults in one writer, which they never pardan in another, and that the REVIEW is an holy office erected for the heretical pravity of thofe mifoelievers who differ from a particu. lar fet of men, patronised and protected by the authors of the REVIEW. In answer to this and all other fach charitable opinions of our per, formance, we beg leave in juftice to curfelves to affure M. M. or the miftaken man, that we are intely guiltlefs of the crimes laid to our charge; that to his friend,, Dr. Patten, we are abfolute ftrangers, and as to his adverfary the author of the Remarks on the biskop of London's Difcourfes, whom the letter-writer is fo angry with us for admiring, we do not fo much as know his name; we have no pri vate connections, prejudice, or partiality in favour of or oppofition to any particular fet of men. We only claim an equal privilege with the reft of mankind of declaring our opinions, and fhall always fubmit them with the utmost deference to the judgment and determination of the public We are oblig'd to T. H. for the hints given us in his Letter, and fhould have been glad if he had mention'd the pieces of poetry, &c. omitted in our REVIEW, that we may give our remarks on them the first opportunity. The typographical errors pointed out to us by our obliging cor refpondent A. M. fhall be taken notice of in our errata the advice which he has given will be followed, and the uniformity which he recommends, obferv'd. THE CRITICAL REVIEW. For the Month of December, 1756. ARTICLE I. The History of Great Britain. Vol. II. Containing the Com- TH HIS is one of the few performances of modern authors, which we can read with fatisfaction and commend with pleasure. The materials are well arranged; the facts are, in general, related with perfpicuity and precifion; new lights are thrown upon many occurrences which were not well understood before: the connections of ftates, and politics of princes, are judiciously explained and unravelled: the paroxyfms of the English conftitution carefully noted and diligently defcribed: the characters accurately delineated, and the reflections just and pertinent. The author seems to be mafter of his fubject: his language is copious, and his diction correct. Yet with all this merit, the work may not be altogether without imperfections. We do not, however, by way of reproach, observe, that the hiftorian seems to have begun his performance with a warm (not to call it a weak) side towards thofe princes of the Stuart family who have fat upon the throne of England, and a pique, of education, against the Protestant Diffenters. Without fuch prepoffeffions, perhaps, no writer ever affumed the pen; and we have the lefs reafon to impute them as capital defects to Mr. Hume, as they do not feem to have warped him from the truth in any part of the narration: on the contrary, we think we can perceive, in the course of his production, those prejudices vanishing before the power of histoVOL. II. Сс rical |