zoth of March, ibid. was more than an hundred years cld, and being at the Lizhard with the Reverend and worthy Dr Lyttleton Dean of Exeter, in the year 1752, we went to fee a venerable old man, called Collins; he was then one hundred and five years old, of a florid countenance, tood near his door leaning on his ftaff, talked fenfibly, was weary of life, he said, and advifed never to wish for old age. He died in the year 1754." Berlafe's Natural Hiftory of Corn wall, p. 292. "The very age itfelf of fome of our oldeft people is no lefs remarkable than thofe accidents attending old age which are mentioned in the two last paragraphs. "We have fo many inftances of men and women of an hundred years of age, or betwixt an hundred and one hundred and ten, that are now alive, or have lived within this laft century, that it would be tedious as well as needless to recount them all. "In the Journals wherein I noted the most obfervable things occurring here in my Northamptonihire travels, THEOLOGY. I find no more than twenty-three fuch inftances fet down, fifteen of men and eight of women; but I might and fhould have noted divers others of a like age, had I not observed them fo much furpaffed by the three following examples. "The firft at Braunfton. In the Regifter there I find there was one William Bren, a native of that town, who died at 121 years of age. "The fecond at Lutton, where, as the Rev. Mr Bullock, a Minifter in that neighbourhood, informs me, there not long fince lived one Jeremy Gilbert, a native of Apthorp in this county, who when he died was 132 and of great and fturdy strength to years old, and a man of found health, extreme old age. "The third is that well-known inftance at Northampton of Old John Bayle, for fo he was generally called a great many years before his death. He was born in the parish of AllSaints, Northampton, on 20th Augult 1592, as appears by the Regifter there. He died 4 April, 1706, in the 14th year of his age Morton's Northamptonshire, p. 472, CANDID REVIEW. left I make thee defolate, a land not inhabited. These are the words of this 'author's text. The fcope of his dif courfe is to fhew, that the Britif Nation are, at prefent, or have very lately been, in one of thofe fituations to which the warning in the text is addreffed; to establish and illuftrate the truth of the principles implied in this warning, and to accommodate it to the character and the circumftances of his countrymen,-he affumes, for his fundamental pofition, the Juft)." Thomas Cole, Minifter of and at the Lizhard, went one morning on foot from the Lizhard to Penryn, which is at least 13 miles, and returned again the fame day on foot to Lizhard, at which time he was at least 120 years, and was met going and coming by Mr Richard Erifey, of Erifey, as credible Authors report. *See Dr Keil's Account of his Death and Diffection in the Phil. Tranf. for A pril 1706, Vol. xxv. N. 306. the doctrine of a particular Provi- hortations then apply the previous doctrines and difcuffions to practice. 2. Such are, the fcope of this fenfible difcourfe, the leading truths it contains, the order in which thefe are arranged. The text and the fubject appear to have been judiciously chofen for the occafion. The fundamental doctrine is just, is skilfully detailed, and well illuftrated. The occafional application of that doctrine to the prefent circumftances of Britain is fufficiently happy. The public and political fins of the Nation are diftinguished with the fagacity of an able and experienced obferver of the ways of mankind. The concluding exhortations are affecting and impreffive. The ftyle is clear and eafy; fometimes elevated; neither negligent, nor elaborately correct. They whofe pulfe beats with fomewhat of republican irregularity may perhaps be inclined to think, that the latter part of this difcourfe betrays too much acrimony against the poor who are advocates for political reform. But we have not faid that it does. 3. The following is the introduction to this Sermon. We think it uncommonly artful and happy. of meditation on a day of fafting, of con"On hearing these words, as a ground trition and repentance, to avert national calamities, I doubt not but every one of us, as ufual, will endeavour to throw the blame from himself, and fix it on his neighbour. The poor will accufe, in their hearts, the rich and the great, for their pride, and luxury, and inhumanity; and the rich and great will, in like manner, accufe the poor, for their faithleffnefs, their ingratitude, and their double dealings. They who govern, will accufe those who are governed, of difaffection, wantonnefs, and fedition; and the governed will accufe their governors, of corruption, and venality, and the abufe of their power. But we muft not forget, my brethren, that although the immedibe afcribed to the iniquities of particular ate caufes of the downfal of flates, may orders of men, yet it is the accumulated guilt of a whole nation, collected often 3 A for for many years, that forms the procuring caufe, in the counfels of the Almighty, of the dreadful calamities that befal nations. "Let us then lay afide all partial and particular views, till they fhall rife before us with full conviction, in tracing the hiftory of our prefent ftate, and, with the bleffing of God, turn our thoughts, for a little, on the following obfervations, which appear naturally to arife from the words of the Prophet." II. The Sentiments and Conduct becoming Britons in the prefent Conjuncture: A Sermon preached in the, Church of Canongate, on occafion of the General National Faft, 27 Feb. 1794. From Joel i. 6,-15 By ROBERT WALKER, F. R. S. E. Senior Minifter of Canongate, and Chaplain of the Chamber of Commerce of Edinburgh. CREECH, 8vo. 45 Pages. Is, 1. The fine paffage of Scripture on which this Difcourfe is founded, expreffes, by a molt admirable affem blage of impaflioned fentiments and vivid images, the diftrefs of a country invaded by numerous, fierce, and powerful enemies, and encourages the miferable people whom fuch an Invafion overpowers, to feek relief from God in religious folemnities A quotation follows, from fome reporter's detail of Mr Pitt's fpeech at the opening of the prefent Seffion of Parliament. The author then enters upon his Difcourfe with a tacit fuppofition, as it fhould' feem, that his countrymen may have fuch calamities to fear from the French, as thofe which the infpired writer has enumerated in the Text. In fome introductory paragraphs, he accumulates various images, expreffive ftill of the horrors of hoftile invafion: breathes a defiance of our enemies, in the confidence of Divine aid; and invites his audience to the fanctification of the faft, in obedience to the commands of the King, and in order to propitiate the favour of Heaven. The firft Head, thus introduced, is employ. ed in an attempt to evince, that, al though individuals be, in the prefent 2. We must obferve of this dif courfe, in general, that its parts hang too loofely together. The author has not spoken out his purpofe with fuf ficient precifion, nor pursued it uniformly. It was at leaft indecent, to place Mr Pitt and the Prophet Joel cheek by jowl at the head of his sermon. Quotations from Parliamentary Speeches can rarely be proper in the pulpit. It is not true that Divine Providence difpenfes retributive justice to nations and to individuals, upon two fchemes of government, entirely distinct from each other: nations are made up of individuals: a nation is merely a creature of human abstraction: All national acts proceed wholly from the deliberation, the refolution, the operation of individuals: by whom but by individuals muft every stroke of the punishment of national guilt be borne? Who but individuals enjoy the rewards of national merits? Let us no longer be told, that God governs the universe by an aukward complication of defigns, and a confufion of temporary expedients. The blemishes in the ftyle of this difcourfe are too few, and too minute, to deferve particular notice. At, non frangere perfequimur. If there be fomewhat in this difcourfe to blame, it has much more which demands our praise. It displays throughout, interefting ardour and dignity of fentiment. The preacher feems to be himself deeply impreffed with a conviction of the truth of his doctrines. He fpeaks, although with honeft indignation, yet with no unchristian malignity, whenever he has occafion to allude to thofe enemies against whom we have been obliged to take up arms. His ftyle is ftate ly, and generally elegant. Under the fecond head especially, are not a few well-turned fentences and eloquent paragraphs. Nor are there wanting obfervations on human life, and the workings of the heart, if not quite original, yet not hackneyed. 3. We are forry that we can fpare room for only the following extract: "Let us take a view of the happy Conftitution of our Public Government - Conftitution adapted equally to fecure the bleflings of Liberty and Religion-by virtue of which the meaneft in all our land is protected from the hard hand of the oppreffor, nor has caufe to fear the perfecutor's rage, while he worfhips the Lord God of his fathers accord ing to his confcience-by virtue of which 'the Sovereign can exact no part of the property of his fubjects, for any purpose, without the confent of the Commons of the land reprefented in Parliament-by of the Commons of Great Britain in Parvirtue of which the reprefentative body liament can propofe no tax on their conftituents, which will not affect themselves and their eftates perfonally-by virtue of which, equality of law, Equality of pretenfions from virtue and talents, the only fenfes can acknowledge, are acknowledg grounds of equality which men in their ed, and have been, in innumerable inftances, exemplified in the loweft and higheft conditions-by virtue of which no British fubject can be tried, but for an offence against an exifting law recorded, or by practice acknowledged-by virtue of which he may plead his own caufe, employ authorised counsellors to plead for him,- or by one request, however late or unexpedient, obtain an order from his judges to have fuch counsellors appointed in his behalf-by virtue of which the amount of the evidence against him muft be weighed by Impartial Men, appointed from the clafs of citizens nearest his own flation by virtue of which the interpretation of Law is not committed to needy and dependent men, who might be tempted to fell the facred decrees of juftice, but to men provided with liberal falaries, confirmed for life; and thus removed, as far as human precaution can go, from any inducement to pervert juf dividual can be at once fequeftered from tice-by virtue of which no fufpected inthe execution of every purpose, good or bad, by a mandate immuring him in a dungeon by virtue of which the fair and equal trial, that has been described, muft fpeedily follow detainment or incarceration for any alledged offence-by virtue of which it is not poffible, even for the refentment of the Sovereign, (fhould that be fuppofed poffible) to procure that fo fubjects fhould be waved, in a cafe the. much as One of thefe privileges of the moft perfonal to himself. "Britons! What other liberty, What other equality would you covet? "Caft your eyes (if they can bear the contraft) on that Government by Revolutions, which your enemies mean to fubftitute inftead of that which has been reprefented !-to fubftitute by a war of invafion, and to perpetuate by the operation of the permanent inftrument of death." III. Fidelity to the British Conftitution, the Duty and intereft of the People. A Sermon, preached in the New 3A 2 North North Church, Edinburgh, on Thurf day 27 February 1794, being the day appointed by his Majesty for a General Faft. By THOMAS HARDY. D. D. Printed by DAVID WILLISON. IS., On the title page is prefixed to this Difcourfe a well-known fentence of the hiftorian Tacitus, in which he hazards a conjecture, that a mixed form of government, fhould fuch ever be established, might prove more excellent than any other. The text, the 15th and 16th verfes of the twenty fixth chapter of Ifaiah, fpeaks of a nation, in the augmentation of whole power, and the extenfion of their empire, the beneficence of God Kad been remarkably exerted; and who, in trouble, humbly fought re lief from him. The Introduction afferts the existence of an intimate connexion between religion and national profperity; refers to the facred hiftory of the Jews, for a train of facts, from which Divine Providence appears to have regulated the general concerns of that people by exhortations, threatnings, rewards, and purifhments, difpenfed with a due and uniform regard to their piety or wickednefs; and concludes the illuftration of the principle, with reprefenting the conduct of Providence towards all nations, to have ever been substantially the fame, as to the Jews. The author then paffes to the confideration of his text. Its firft propofition he finds to be not lefs true of the British Empire, than of the Jewish State, of which it was originally predicat ed; the example of the Jews, recorded in the fecond, may therefore, with the better hopes, be imitated by Britons. In amplifying the application of that first propofition to the circumtances of the British Empire, he fingles out our commerce, as the im mediate fource of the national greatnefs, or rather as actually conftituting in itfelf that greatnefs. He then produces fome inftances from hiftory, to prove, that, where commerce flou rifbes, there muft civil liberty neceffarily be enjoyed. His next tranfition is, to the divifion and arrangement of the principal parts of his discourse. The firft Head enumerates, as the blessings which we enjoy, as a People, the union of the vigour of Monarchy, the wisdom of Ariftocracy, and the freedom of Democracy, in our Conftitution and Government; a religious eftablishment, which excludes not liberty of confcience and of worfhip: Liberty of action, fpeech, and writ ing, fo far as this can be exercifed by any perfon, without directly and intentionally injuring others; the fecure poffeffion of property, upon which is founded a distinction of ranks highly favourable to virtuous emulation, and to the beft enjoyments of focial life. The fecond Head is employ ed in, ftating the prefent Grounds of Alarm," upon which, amidst thofe national bleffings, we find reason to apply ourselves, with fearful fupplication, to the mercy of God: They are the total diffolution of order among a great nation of our neighbours, accompanied with the most furious frenzy, and the most lamentable diftrefs of that unhappy people ;-theig hoftilities against us and our allies; 66 their fecret practices, to foment treachery among ourfelves, and to break us into difunion; the defenfiye war in which we have thus been unavoidably engaged; and the mistaken conduct of fome among ourselves, who strive to kindle in the nation the flames of civil diffention. The third Head exhibits our "Grounds of Hope," amidst thofe alarms; thefe are that economy of Divine Providence, which ever ultimately fupports" the interefts of order, morality, and religion, upon earth;" the recollection of many deliverances obtained in former times, from the hand of God; well-manned fleets, and well-appointed armies; and in the great body of the nation, a fund of good principles and of good fenfe, not |