phenomenon in the moral world, which would otherways perhaps be altogether inexplicable: that I mean of men's behaving, and deliberately chufing to behave, with the greatest infolence and arrogance, contempt and ingratitude towards those, to whom of all others they are moft obliged. And yet those there are of that evil nature, that-the goodnefs of which they are made deeply fenfible, is that which gives them the greatest pain and confequently it must be their own benefactors, on whom they look with the moft malignant eye; and thus the generous benefactor himself is fometimes not a little embarraffed. Upon the whole, however, his duty is plainly this, to go on in acting towards them the kind and friendly part, and to leave their fouls, and their future account, to God and themfelves. For, from our Saviour's own example, we learn, that, though there are many too vile to be the objects of our esteem, there are none either fo depraved in temper, or so despicable in condition, as to be beneath the notice of our benevolence and compaffion. The fervant of one centurion fhared alike in his miraculous compaffion with the fon of another; and even the unclean detefted leper feels the reftoring touch of his friendly hand. Nay, fuch was the unconquerable force of his benevolence, that he laboured inceffantly for the highest good of thofe who were ever making him the bafeft returns. In imitation then of this pure, fpotlefs example, let us neither grudge our favours to the worst, nor disdain to bestow them on the meanest of man- ' kind. And in the manner of conferring them let us remember that there is a grace, humility, and condefcenfion, that at once increases the merit of our compaffion, and enhances the joy of him towards whom we exercife it. Let us not infult and reproche, while we feem to commiferate and relieve. And let us avoid with deteftation all that affuming, haughty air in conferring our favours, which may feem to indicate, that we rather do it for the fake of fhewing our fuperiority, than of exercising our benevolence. Let the humble language, even of our most beneficial and useful actions, be the fame with that of our Saviour's, "fee, thou tell no man." For to the perfect humility of his temper, I think we are plainly led by the evangelical history itself to afcribe this injunction.'

The fermon entitled the Demoniacs is founded upon the miracle of the dæmons entering into the fwine. The Author declares his apprehenfion that the accounts of the demoniacs in the gospel hiftory, are fo many inftances of a real diabolical poffeffion, and that the feveral diftempers under which they laboured, were truly owing to a diabolical influence and agency. This, he thinks, is what every one must allow to be the moft obvious fenfe and meaning of the language made ufe of by the Evangelifts in relating the feveral inftances referred to. InfoREV. Feb. 1772. K

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much that nothing but the total incredibility of the thing itfelf can reconcile the mind to any other account of it.' The principal part of the difcourfe is therefore employed in confidering thofe arguments which fupport his opinion, and endeavouring to obviate the objections raifed against it. But for thefe particulars we must refer our Readers to the Author himself.

In the fermon on the miraculous Increase of the Loaves and Fishes, our Author, after fome general reflections, principally applies himself to explain and inculcate the virtue of frugality. We fhall tranfcribe what he fays in introducing this part of the difcourfe, as we think it contains an hint that may be useful in this age of luxury and extravagance.

Never furely, he obferves, could there have been lefs occafion than at fuch an entertainment as this for the exercise of frugality. Little, we may prefume, did any of the multitude, think of "gathering up the fragments which remained" after fo miraculous a repaft. With more probability may we imagine, that many of them might be almoft tempted to think of living for ever by miracle alone. But to prevent any prefumptuous expectations of this kind, especially among his own immediate difciples and ftated attendants, our Lord expressly orders them" to gather up the fragments which remained, that nothing might be loft." Frugality has been the leffon of wifdom in every age; and it has ever been the labour of her fons to make men fenfible of its importance. But never, furely, could it have been with fuch peculiar energy inculcated as here by our bleffed Saviour; and that, not only on account of his extraordinary miffion in general, but likewife the particular nature of that very miracle itself with which the recommendation of the duty is fo immediately connected. It is a duty which we are extremely apt to overlook, in confequence of the vain imagination we entertain of a plenteoufnefs and abundance that renders it unneceflary. We think that we fhall always be fure of a competency without it; and that it is a virtue fit only for those whofe penurious and fcanty circumftances conftrain them to the obfervance of it. But, furely, if fuch a plea as this could ever have had any force, it must have been in the cafe before us. Gather up the fragments! why, what occafion can there be for that, might fome be ready to fuggeft, upon hearing fuch an injuction given, when we may, at any time, be thus miraculously fupplied? yet fuch were the orders given by our divine Inflru&tor, and, as in the wifdom of his prophetic character he has chofen with fuch a peculiar emphasis and force to inculcate upon us this duty of frugality, it is that which I propofe, in the remaining part of our difcourfe, more difinally to treat of. It is a fulj &t that may not at first view, appear to be of a very elevating or pathetic nature. Yet Cicero, I remember, breaks out in raptures upon it, "Ye gods,

how

how little do men understand what an amazing fund of richest there is, even in frugality alone!"

In the fermon on the Refurrection of Lazarus we find the following paffage, tending to obviate a mall difficulty which fome perfons have found in one particular of the relation given of it by the Evangelift: Our Saviour cries out with a loud voice, a voice so naturally fuited to the dignity of the occafion, "Lazarus, come forth; and he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot, with grave clothes ;" or, as the paffage might be rendered, with his grave clothes; in his fepulchral garments; in the very dress of a buried corps; and his hands and feet are faid to have been bound with thefe "grave clothes," or fepulchral garments, because the manner of dreffing the body for interment among the Jews, was the wrapping a certain quantity of linen around both the trunk and limbs; fo that we are not to imagine that his hands were tied together, and in like manner his feet, for then how could he have come out of the grave? but the linen was fwathed or bound about each arm, and each leg apart, to the very extremity of the limbs and this accounts for our Saviour's following injunction, "loofe him, and let him go." Though his burial garb did not abfolutely hinder his walking, yet it muft needs have been a great obftruction to it, as well on account of the napkin that was bound about his face, as the entanglement of his feet in the refpective covering of each." This may ferve for the fatisfaction of fuch who imagine there is fomewhat objectionable in this particular part of the account; but, in truth, when once we are convinced that any perfon had this power of raifing the dead, any other difficulties, relating to the bandages and grave-clothes, muft directly vanish!

All that we shall farther felect from these volumes is a few of the obfervations in the difcourfes on the refurrection of Christ.

Inconfiftencies and contradictions (this Author remarks) are faid to occur in the accounts that have, by the feveral Evangelifts, been given of the refurrection. But this is a charge founded only, fo far as I am able to difcern, upon the relation of fome circumftance by one or more of these hiftorians, that is not to be met with in another of them, or upon fome little variety in recording the fame. But if differences of this kind are to be confidered as contradictions, what hiftorian will be free from them? And if in this view allowed to invalidate the historic teftimony, what narrative can pafs for authentic? And yet, to give all poffible indulgences to the delicacy of unbelief, fuppofing there had been fome flight variation in thefe narratives of the Evangelifts, amounting to what we call a contradiction, and in relation to fome minute circumftance of the event, fo long as they all concurred in relating the fame grand

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fact, and agreed in all the principal and leading circumstances of it, I fee not how this could any way have diminished the validity of their evidence upon the whole. For example, what if one of the Evangelifts had told us, that John outrun Peter in going to the fepulchre, and another of them, that Peter outrun John, would the main fact have been at all the less credible on account only of this trifling difference, though really contradictory? As to that other objection which has commonly been looked upon as of principal confideration in this argument, our Saviour's not appearing after his refurrection to the Jewish rulers, and to the people of the Jews in common.-His affecting to do this would have been manifeftly inconfiftent with the perfection of his moral character, and the native humility of his temper; the Jewish rulers might have feen our Saviour after his refurrection, if they would, and the Evangelifts no where fay that they did not; however, they plainly appear by their conduct to have been fully fatisfied of the reality of that event; -and this is all the advantage we could have reaped from his formally prefenting himself in their affemblies. And, as to the Jewish people, confidering the fplendor of his preceding miracles, thus heightened by that of his own refurrection, there was the greatest danger imaginable of exciting, by an unrestrained and public appearance among them, fuch a commotion, as muft have been in the highest degree obnoxious to the ruling powers, and confequently have been a prejudice inftead of any real fervice to that very caufe which it was the main defign of the refurrection itself to abet.'

Might it not here be added, that the miraculous effufion of the fpirit, foon after, was a fufficient public teftimony to the reality of Chrift's refurrection and afcenfion.

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ART. IX. The Rites and Ceremonies of the Greek Church in Russia; containing an Account of its Doctrine, Worship, and Difcipline. By John Glen King, D. D. Fellow of the Royal and Antiquarian So. cieties, and Chaplain to the British Factory at St. Petersburgh. 4to. 1. s. Dodley, &c. 1772.

WE

E have here a curious and inftructive work, upon a fubject hitherto but very imperfectly known. The divine, the philofopher, and all who have a taste for ecclefiaftical antiquities, may derive confiderable advantages from an attentive perufal of it. The generality of readers, indeed, will find little to gratify their curiofity in a work of this kind; but to him who views the various appearances of fuperftition with a philofophic eye, who makes human nature his ftudy, and who attentively confiders what an extenfive and powerful inAuence the attachment to religious inftitutions has had on hu

man

man affairs, in every period of the world, it will afford both pleasure and inftruction.

Dr. King, by his fituation as chaplain to the British factory at Petersburgh, and from other very favourable circumstances, has been enabled to throw more light upon his fubject, and to give a clearer, more distinct, and more fatisfactory account of the Greek church, than any of those who have written concerning it before him. He appears, through the whole of his work, to be well qualified for the task he has undertaken, and writes in a candid, judicious, and liberal manner.

We cannot give a better account of his plan than by tranfcribing his own words:

'The Greek church, fays he, as it is at prefent established in Ruffia, may be considered in respect of its fervice as a model of the highest antiquity now extant; notwithstanding any immaterial variations from other Greek churches, which may have crept into it; as they all differ from each other perhaps in fome inconfiderable circumstances. I imagined therefore it might be a good ftep towards illuftrating the antiquities of the Chriftian church at large, to give an account of the ceremonies of this and I refolved to study them in the Slavonian language, the language in which they are performed, that my materials being taken from the books of the fervice might be authentic, and that veracity and exactnefs might compenfate for the defects which may be found in the execution. One peculiar advantage my fituation has afforded me, was being a fpectator of the practice of these ceremonies; which otherwife would not eafily be understood by any perfon accustomed to fo few ceremonies as are retained in either of the British churches; fo that a bare relation of them would have been almost ufelefs to an English reader. If I fhould reckon the circumftance of being a ftranger as another advantage, it would perhaps be thought extraordinary; and yet it is certain that objects, which make a fenfible impreffion from their novelty, are often paffed over without attention by thofe who are accustomed to them; whereas the ftranger naturally enquires the meaning of every thing he remarks unlike the ufages of his own country.

The process I have obferved, in the following undertaking, is this. In giving an account of the doctrine of the Greek church, I have mentioned only its diftinguishing articles; for it did not feem neceffary to mention thofe general points in which all Chriftian churches are agreed, fuch as the redemption, the refurrection, &c. In order to give a clear idea of its rites and ceremonies, I have defcribed the churches and their ornaments, the vestments of the clergy, and the facred utenfils; all which are illuftrated by prints. After which is given a fpecimen of all the fervices in one day, viz. the vefpers, the after-vefpers, the mefonycticon, the matins, the canonical hours, and the communion offices; in all which I have been careful to explain the most remarkable circumstances by notes; and have endeavoured alfo to give fome account of the moit particular fervices in a fhort introduction to each: these fervices, I am afraid, may to fome readers appear too long, but I thought prefenting them at their full

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