prospects, which the gospel affords; who rejoice in the renovation, the present comfort, and the eternal felicity, which it produces; who sincerely and ardently wish to diffuse, more and more, among your fellow men, its blessed and divine influences be not discouraged, undertake the glorious work, and exult in the prospect that opens before you! The divine wisdom, goodness, and power are pledged for your success. The cause, in which you are engaged, is that of your heavenly father, and, as the Saviour, whose religion you endeavour to confirm and extend, has already overcome all the powers. of darkness; so, your efforts, or those of your followers, will ultimately prevail. If If your own career must be closed before the palm of victory is obtained, the holy flame, which you have kindled, will not be extinguished, but will burn, with new warmth, and light, in the hearts to which you shall have communicated it; and your memory shall be blessed by remote generations.-God's day shall, at last, shine in full splendor! The knowledge of the Lord shall cover the earth; and Christ shall reign for ever and ever! AMEN.' Art. 42. Addressed to the Armed Association of the Parish of St. Luke, Chelsea, and to the Inhabitants at large, July 8, 1798. By the Rev. Weeden Butler, Morning Preacher of Charlotte-Street Chapel, and Chaplain to the Right Hon. Dowager Lady Onslow. 8vo. No Price, nor Printer's Name. A declamation prettily written, accompanied by a prayer suited to the occasion. It is an incontrovertible truth, according with the title of this discourse, that philanthropy, religion, and attachment to the interests and welfare of his country, are the best characteristics of the Christian soldier. Art. 43. We certainly know not what particular provocation this ingenious. author may have received, but we observe that, in the advertisement, he says with an appearance of warmth, I know that in attacking as I have, atheism and infidelity, I have stirred a nest of hornets.' The sermon, however, manifests much good sense, and forcibly, though briefly, presents sufficient arguments to guard the reader against the crime which it condemns. While we readily pay this tribute of approbation, we at the same time wish that there had been a greater manifestation of that candour, that humanity, and that kindness, which draw the attention and operate on the heart. We observe, on the contrary, more of a commanding and imperious air than suits the subject or the occasion; and surely some lines in the notes have an ungenerous or angry cast, and betray resentment, where that philanthropy and compassion should rather be exercised which so well comport with the Christian spirit, and which detract nothing from its dignity. In other respects, the discourse has great propriety, and will, we hope, be productive of that utility for which it is calculated. Dr. Gregory mentions it as a striking fact, of which Ban! ні. he he has been well assured, that no person intending to commit sui cide, and indebted for recovery to the exertions of the society, has ever attempted it a second time.' The sermon employs twenty-five pages of the pamphlet ; the remainder is devoted to an account of several instances of suicide which have fallen under the cognizance of the society.-The whole is concluded by two odes, the first, to Sympathy, by John Gretton Esq., the second, to Science, by Mr. John Palmer, Drury-lane theatre. *The foregoing article has been mislaid, for some time, by accident. Art. 44. Against self-Murder, preached at the Cathedral Church of Wells, September 17, 1797. By George Beaver, B. D. Rector of Trent, in the County of Somerset, and West Stafford cum Frome Billet, Dorsetshire. 4to. 15. Seely, &c. Suicide, though condemned by the dictates of sound philosophy, and yet more by the doctrines of Christianity, has met with advocates among those persons who, in the wantonness of disputation, have scrupled not to call in question opinions sanctioned by general consent, venerable for their high antiquity, and important from their beneficial influence on human conduct. Though it might not be incumbent on the author of the discourse before us to enter into a formal confutation of all the arguments of Hume and Rousseau on this subject, we are of opinion that he might have noticed some of their leading positions at least we may venture to affirm that it would have been as edifying to the congregation, as a defence of an obscure passage in Cicero, in which we feel ourselves little interested. The text (2d Sam. chap. i. ver. 9.) is very happily chosen: but we cannot think that Mr. B. has derived so many advantages from the example of Saul, in elucidating the subject of self-murder, as might have been expected. The situation of that unfortunate prince was very peculiar: though his last rash act was highly reprehensible, yet some extenuating circumstances might render him an object of just compassion; and the history of his reign, with the various events of his life, not less pathetic than instructive, might give rise to many fine moral and religious reflec tions. Mr. Beaver observes that "The founder of a sect, (Epicurus,) whose leading tenet was, that of all evils pain is the greatest, did yet patiently endure, to the last, the tortures of a most excruciating disease, without having recourse to the dagger, or the bowl, for relief: but this only proves the individual virtue of Epicurus. That his followers did not universally possess the same strength of mind is well known; and the stoics, who affirmed that pain was no evil, and affected on all occasions to rise superior to every weakness or infirmity of our nature, were extremely addicted to suicide. Self-murder can never be contemplated without horror, and we have always considered it as a crime of a very heinous nature: but our author, in the following passage, ascribes to it a degree of aggravated guilt to which we cannot assent: • Instead of a thousand arguments against the horrid crime, which we are now considering-Our blessed Lord hath declared-that alt Hi. ihanner of sins shall be forgiven to the sons of men, but the blasphemy against the HOLY GHOST;-which particular sin (whatever it may consist in-and what approaches soever may be made towards it) cannot, as is universally allowed, be now fully committed in the sense wherein it is there understood-so that we may confidently affirm that there is not a single offence, for which a name can be found, that utterly incapacitates a man, on this side the grave, for repentance -no transgression so flagrant, and highly aggravated-no impiety so overgrown, as, if truly and sincerely repented of, not to be comprehended within the extent of God's mercy.-Even the murther of his only begotten Son was not too great a crime for him to pardon. -St. Peter, in the very same breath in which he arraigns the Jews for having crucified "The Lord of Life and Glory," points out to them the means of obtaining forgiveness" Repent and be baptized" was the grand specific-the infallible cure for their unparalleled and most inveterate malady.-But-what Physician of the Soul can come to his aid, who has industriously eluded his reach, by having rashly fled into the regions of darkness, with his carcase mangled by himself, and all his spiritual corruption about him?" There is no work or device"-no amendment "in the grave."-Those bodies which have descended thither, whilst the blood had scarcely ceased to gush out from the wounds impiously inflicted on them by their own members, will, one day, bleed afresh, and be consigned to everlasting torments, on their becoming again the miserable receptacles of the unhappy spirits by which they had been actuated here on earth.' Surely, in the black catalogue of human crimes, there are some more malignant and mischievous in their consequences than suicide; and, we should suppose, more offensive to God. We know not why a total deprivation of reason, which is allowed to be an excuse for the violation of every other moral or religious law, should not in this case be considered at least as a palliation of guilt. The conclusion of the sermon is in a different strain, and breathes such a spirit of good sense, piety, and resignation, that we are confident our readers will thank us for inserting it. May it be the earnest and constant endeavour, as it is the indispensable duty of "every one that nameth the name of Christ," not to frustrate the great end, for which our lives were given to us. Let us not, either in thought, word, or deed, depreciate an existence, which is, in itself, of so great a value, as to enable us, by a due improvement of it, to purchase an eternity of happiness. However burthensome it may prove, the good Christian will sustain the weight with patience; considering it as imposed upon him by his Heavenly Father, for a trial of his virtue-and, as for those who are conscious of an ill spent life-when the hand of God shall lie heavy upon them, let them kiss the rod wherewith they are chastised, and bless their merciful Creator, for not having cut them off in their full career of iniquity, but leaving it still in their power to implore, and, by a sincere and hearty repentance, through the merits of CHRIST JESUS, who died for the sins of the whole world, obtain his forgiveness.' Ban CORRES CORRESPONDENCE. To the MONTHLY REVIEWERS. • GENTLEMEN, 'IN For the honour of Goldsmith, and from the love of truth, I beg leave to inform you that the poem, literally as those writers have given it, is to be found in so modern a book as "Lettres de deux Amans, Habitans de Lyon," by M. Leonard, 1792. Their cacusation of Golds smith being probably the only part of this work which has been deemed worth notice, and much inquiry having been ineffectually made for a book under the title which they have given to it, this notice may not be unnecessary. M. Leonard is the author of some pastorals, and a young writer; and probably, had he seen our English Journals, would have corrected the ignorance or the malignity of the anonymous writers abovementioned. S. written by Ibrachi The anonymous author of Daphne, a poem, [see Rev. May, p. 94.] is dissatisfied with our mention of his ludicrous performance. This is no uncommon case. He thinks us wrong in our disappro bation of the design of his work :-we adhere to our opinion-the author abides by his dissent: let his readers decide between us. A Correspondent remonstrates, in favor of the sect called Quakers, against a remark made in our Rev. for May, p. 105, that "all sects of Christians have persecuted in their turn, when they have possessed the power." The tenets of the Quakers are certainly less likely to encourage persecution than those of other sects of Christians: but we did not allude to them in the above observation, because we did not recollect when they have possessed the power,"-except in their settlement in Pennsylvania; where, indeed, they set an example which the whole world ought to follow. Verax informs us that, in the frontispiece to the "Lives" of "honest Isaac Walton," (Rev. for October last,) that portrait should have been said to be "from an original in the possession of Mrs. Hawes," not Howes; and that it is much to be lamented that the engraver has mistaken the character of the face, and the general style of the painting.'-Verax also observes that among the editions of valuable books still wanted, is that of Douglas's Criterion of Miracles. The price is wonderfully enhanced since the first publication, and indeed a copy can with difficulty be obtained.' 6 S. O. will find one of the pamphlets, which he mentions, noticed in our last vol. p. 237. The other escaped us. P. 192.1. 9. for Prussians,' read Persians.--P. 196. 1. 10. from bottom, take the comma from 'society,' and put it after hard ship.' P.253.l.6. for polical v political. . r. V. THE MONTHLY REVIEW, For AUGUST, 1798. ART. 1. The Life of Edmund Burke, comprehending an impartial Account of his Literary and Political Efforts, and a Sketch of the Conduct and Character of his most eminent Associates, Coadă jutors, and Opponents. By Robert Bisset, LL. D. 8vo. pp. 592. 8s. Boards. Cawthorne, &c. 1798. I N our Review for June, we noticed a life of Mr. Burke written by Mr. McCormick; of which we complained that too little attention was given to the private life of that remarkable man, while too copious a detail of his works, his speeches, and his public conduct, was spred through a quarto volume. In the work now before us, there is less reason for that complaint, because we have rather more of what rational curiosity may seek to know concerning its subject; yet we have still to la ment that this information is buried beneath a heap of matter, which the author seems to have accumulated around it with the most superabundant industry. We agree with Dr. Bisset that general biography is among the most useful and most agreeable of our studies; and we believe that the majority of his readers, as well as ourselves, would have acknowleged the particular importance of a well written life of Edmund Burke, though the Doctor had not devoted his first twelve pages to the demonstration of that importance. It is because we are fully sensible that no species of composition contributes more to the entertainment and the improvement of the human mind, than accounts of men, the variety of whose fortunes or the extent of whose powers have raised them to the notice of the world, that we lament that so few have successfully cultivated this field of literature: It is because we looked with much anxiety for well-written and well-judged memoirs of a man whose very extraordinary mental powers, whose private history, and whose public conduct, all tend to excite a strong interest in whatever concerns him, that we are sorry that Dr. B. has introduced into this volume so much matter which does not in any way VOL. XXVI. concern |