The mountains feel the fudden shock;
As rams, from off the ground
They fpring as younglings of the flock,
The hills affrighted bound.

Thou Ocean, fay, why, as they came,
Thy billows backward fled:

And what,, O Jordan, urg'd thy ftream
To feek its fountain-head?

Ye mountains, whence the fudden fhock?
Why leap ye from the ground
As rams? As younglings of the flock,
Say why, O hills, ye bound.

Earth, inftant, to thy loweft base
Convuls'd, avow thy fear,

While heav'n's high Lord reveals his face,
While Jacob's God is near;

Diffolv'd beneath whofe potent stroke

The flint a torrent gave;
Who fpake; and from the yielding rock
Gush'd forth the bidden wave.'

The reader will undoubtedly be glad to find that the Pfalmift is at laft delivered from a crowd of wretched poets, who had overwhelmed his native grace and dignity under the rubbish of their despicable rhimes: the admirers of these beautiful compofitions may read them with pleasure in Mr. Merrick's tranflation.

XII. Occafional Sermons upon the following Subjects: The Office and Duty of Bishops, &c. Written by a late eminent Divine of the Church of England. 8vo. Pr. 5s. Knox.

T

HESE difcourfes, if we are rightly informed, were written by the late Dr. Lawfon. The greateft part of them are faid to have been preached in the chapel belonging to Trinity-College, Dublin; but we do not find that they were ever intended, by the author, for the prefs. They were collected, as the editor informs us, by a perfon lately deceafed, from several of the doctor's intimate friends, who had prevailed upon him to favour them with the perufal of those discourses which had afforded the higheft fatisfaction from the pulpit. Yet though they appear, in their prefent form, under all the dif advantages which can attend a pofthumous edition, they may be ranked in the first class of fermons. The author delivers

his fentiments, which in general are juft and manly, with a Aluency and energy of ftile, at once affecting the paffions, and convincing the understanding of the reader.

In the first difcourfe, he confiders the office and duty of bishops, and treats the question concerning their divine inftitution, with great moderation and judgment. Suppofing them to have been inftituted by the apoftles, there is, he thinks, in fcripture, fuch an account of them, as we might reasonably expect, confidering the imperfect establishment of the church. If by divine inftitution, be meant fuch an exprefs command of Jefus Chrift or his apoftles, as we are bound to obey, which we cannot depart from without violating his order, and tranfgreffing against God, in which fense the Holy Sacraments are of divine inftitution; I answer, that in this fenfe the order of bishops is not of divine institution. But if by these words be meant, that the apoftles, who were in general guided by divine infpiration, judged this form of church-government to be the moft convenient, and established it; that it was received from them, and continued in the feveral primitive churches in different parts of the world; in this lefs proper and ftrict sense of the expreffion, it seems clear that it ought to be admitted. But then, the confequence is not what too many have too zealously inferred, that all who reject this form of church-government are directly difobedient to Chrift, and that the powers by which their minifters act, are null and invalid-but that, where it may conveniently, and confiftently with the civil ftate and good of fociety, be established, it ought to be preferred; and therefore, where it is already established, and interwoven with the civil conftitution, as it is among us, they who diffent from it, act herein wrong and unreasonably.'

The defign of the fecond difcourfe is to prove that christianity is more pure and excellent than any other religion in the world, and that a revelation was neceffary to difpel the ignorance and errors of mankind. The intention of the author in the third, is to fhew that the incarnation of Chrift is a matter of the higheft joy. The inefficacy of external profeffions is the fubject of the fourth and fifth; in the fixth the author points out the advantages which arife from the different stations of mankind; in the feventh he obviates mistakes concerning original fin, and vindicates the conduct of Providence in the punishment of Adam; he fhews that the guilt of our first parents is not imputed to us; that our nature is not become fo corrupted by it, that we are under a neceffity of finning; that it has, indeed, by natural confequence, derived to us thefe evils, exclufion from paradife, mortality, pain, difeafes, and extraordinary liable

efs to temptation and fin; yet this difpenfation, he obferves,

in no respect contradicts the justice of God, because he might have formed creatures originally such as we now are; because our nature ftill tends to virtue, and if we followed its direction, we might ftill live well and happily; because God will make allowance for our infirmities; and, laftly, because he has provided a full and fufficient remedy for those evils of the first original fin, in the revelation of the gospel by Jefus Christ.

In the eighth difcourfe, he lays before the reader the nature, caufe, and evil tendency of falfe fhame; in the ninth, he dif plays the advantages of contentment; in the tenth, he enumerates the benefits of an early virtuous education; and, in the eleventh, he confiders the doctrine of the Trinity.

There are four cafes, he says, in which myfteries render a religion juftly fufpected; firft, when they conceal the rife of that religion, fo that we cannot examine whence it proceeds, whether from the fpirit of truth, or of falfhood. Secondly, when they involve fome contradiction. Thirdly, when they encourage immorality; and, laftly, when any other fyftem is found liable to fewer or lefs difficulties.

These points our author has particularly examined; and, in answer to a deiftical objection deduced from the mysteries of christianity, he demands, where that fyftem is to be found, which, fetting us free from the difficulties of religion, does not plunge us into greater ? Let this appear, fays he, and we fubmit to it. Now collect all the difficulties which we acknowledge to be in religion, whatever is incomprehenfible in the doctrine of the ever-blessed Trinity, in the incarnation and pasfion of our Lord, in the fupernatural operations of the Holy Spirit; add to thefe, all the fuppofed difficulties which we do not acknowledge, fuch as objections against the being or providence of God, againft the authority of our fcriptures; thofe taken from the multitude of fects and divifions among chriftians; collect all thefe, difpofe them to the best advantage, build up your fabric of infidelity on the ruins of religion. We demand what fyftem of infidelity can you declare yourself for, which is not much less defenfible than religion?

Will you chufe that of the atheist, maintain that the belief of a God is founded only in fuperftition and fearfulness? But is not this fyftem embarraffed with unconquerable difficulties? Are not the myfteries of Atheism infinitely lefs defenfible than the mysteries of religion? Is it not altogether shocking and contradictory to reafon? Will you fly to another party, become a difciple of Epicurus, acknowledge a God, but deny his providence? And is this a fyftem free from difficulties? Shew then how you can account for this; that God, who did not difdain to form, should disdain to govern the world?

6

world? How account for an infinitely wife and good Being making free reasonable creatures, yet giving them no rule to walk by; neither loving nor rewarding,virtue, nor punishing

vice?

Or, acknowledging the being and providence of God, will you deny revelation? But is this a fyftem without difficulties? Demonftrate to us then, that the fcriptures were not written by thofe to whom they are afcribed; that thofe perfons never wrought a miracle: Prove that fishermen and publicans, fome of the loweft and moft ignorant of the Jewish populace, were able, without fupernatural affiftance, to speak concerning the origin of the world, the attributes of God, the ftate of man, his nature and duties, in a manner more juft, more noble, more elevated, than the Platos, the Zenos, the Ariftotles, and all the fublime geniuffes who render antiquity venerable, and, at this day, fill the world with their glory?

⚫ Difcouraged by all these difficulties, will you determine, that the best system is to have a fixed one? Will you take refuge in scepticism, and doubt of all things? But is this a fyftem without difficulties? Try to be confiftent with yourself; look within; reconcile this fantastic scheme of universal doubting with the notions of your own mind, with the inward feelings of your heart and the dictates of your confcience. When this is done, which futely is impoffible, we fhall look for ferious arguments to oppose to you.

How then will you act? Where find an evidence to your liking, a light without darkness? Perceiving every system embarraffed with doubts, will you reject all, renounce all enquiry, and rush blindfold into the embraces of pleasure, refolved to enjoy the prefent, without hope or anxiety concerning doubtful futurity, and fay with the voluptuous man, Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die? But hath not this fyftem its myse teries? Suppofe religion barely probable, ought we not to be-lieve it, at leaft to act as if we did? The most important alternative of endless happiness or mifery; thould not this alone. be fufficient to confine us within the limits of our duty, and make us regulate our behaviour in fuch a manner, that if there be a hell we may escape its torments?

The fum is; religion hath its myfteries; this we freely profess: religion hath its difficulties; this we acknowledge: yet, after all, the mysteries of the gospel are not such as render a religion juftly fufpected; with all its difficulties, after all the objections and attacks of infidelity, this religion is the moft clear and certain of all fyftems, and the wifest choice man can make, is to embrace and adhere to it inviolably.'

He

He concludes his argument by pointing out the causes which render us unable to discover certain truths of religion, or to comprehend every circumftance attending the christian revelation.

The nature and merit of religious faith, is the fubject of the twelfth difcourfe: and the fum of what he fays, is this: The affent of faith is inferior in degree to that of sense and demonftration; yet it is abundantly fufficient to determine men thro' the whole courfe of their lives, as it is built upon ftronger probabilities, than those which govern the wisest men in all their actions and undertakings. This faith has a confiderable degree of moral worth, as it requires a good difpofition, care, and candour, in fearching for, and embracing truth; as it recommends, and is neceffarily connected with, the practice of virtue.

In the thirteenth fermon, he proves that morality is originally grounded in the nature and relations of reasonable beings, and that christianity is the most perfect system of morality in the world.

We are (fays he very juftly) obliged to love God, not merely because he hath commanded us to love him, but because he hath made us capable of loving him, and both by his perfections and benefits deserves and claims our love. Did not thefe, as foon as we can make any reflections on them, oblige us to love him, no fubfequent command could oblige us to it.

Why else are these things, the favours conferred on us by God, and the perfections of his nature, mentioned as reasons of love, which no ingenuous mind can refift? for if they be good reasons for our loving God, now that he commands it, they must be equally reafons for love antecedent to any command.'

The fubjects of the other difcourfes in this collection are thefe following: viz. The duty of performing acts of benevo lence; the excellency and importance of public thanksgiving to God; Divine Providence the fole guide of human affairs; the pernicious effects of evil company; the care of the poor recommended, especially of lying-in women; a religious life the fource of true pleasure; charity illuftrated and recommended from the life of Mofes; and, laftly, Oratio in funere Reverendi Viri R. B. S. T. P.

In these discourses the reader will perceive certain traces of a lively genius, great moderation, rational piety, and extenfive benevolence.