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cenfion of our bleffed Saviour; the miraculous Effufion of the Spirit; the Abufe of the miraculous Gifts among the Corin thians St. Peter's miraculous Cure of the lame Man; Ananias and Sapphira; Elymas the Sorcerer; the Popish Miracles; and a concluding Addrefs.

After the remarks we have curforily made on the former vo lumes, we have now little more to add, than that the Author continues to write as becomes an ingenious and fenfible man, and in, an agreeable, inftructive, and practical manner. particular fubjects which he has chofen have afforded him an opportunity of infifting and enlarging upon the credibility of the gospel hiftory, and alfo of establishing and illuftrating the evidence of its truth. He does not fail to give proper attention to these points, which are here presented to our view with strength and folidity; while, at the fame time, he offers a variety of other confiderations (as they arife from his different fubjects) which refpect the temper and behaviour that becomes the profeffors of Chriftianity, and which he recommends with conviction and energy. Although he may in fome refpects differ in fentiment from feveral others who believe the gofpel, we apprehend that perfons of every denomination may peruse these Difcourfes with fatisfaction and improvement.

The miracles of Chrift were of divers kinds, performed in a public manner, and in a fhort space of time, as well as upon fudden occafions: they appear with a real dignity, and are commonly directed to fome immediate and important ufe, while they bore an illuftrious teftimony to the divine authority of the person by whom they were effected; in their different kinds and circumstances, they alfo lead to feveral reflections of a practical and profitable kind. Particulars of this nature are frequently infifted upon in these Difcourfes.

Toward the clofe of the fermon on the miraculous Cure of a Leper, the Writer obferves that, We have here two different fpecies of humility in a very lively manner exhibited: that of the recipient, and that of the donor. And then only is it, that benefits appear in all the perfection of their grace and loveliness, when humility adorns alike the perfon, who receives and he who confers them. Sometimes the humility of the one expreffing itself in petitioning for the favour, is apt to excite the arrogance of the other in beftowing it. But in fuch a cafe, it must furely lofe more than half its merit; and on the other hand a favour received with haughtiness is fure to be received with lofs; because it cannot in that cafe be received with innocence and hoAnd yet there are thofe, who, though they love the benefit, cannot bear the thoughts of the obligation, and have even that malignity of fpirit as to envy the goodness by which they are daily cherished. And this accounts for a wonderful phenomenon

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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 thofe, to whom of all others they are moft obliged. And yet those there are of that evil nature, that-the goodness 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 embarralfed. 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 Saviou:'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 fo 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 those 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 difdain to bestow them on the meanest of mankind. 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 exercifing 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 hiftory 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 gofpel history, are fo many inftances of a real diabolical poffeffion, and that the feveral diftempers under which they la boured, were truly owing to a diabolical influence and agency. This, he thinks, is what every one must allow to be the most obvious fenfe and meaning of the language made ufe of by the Evangelifts in relating the feveral inftances referred to. InfoREV. Feb. 1772.

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much that nothing but the total incredibility of the thing itself 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 Leaves and Fishes, our Author, after fome general reflections, principally applies himself to explain and inculcate the virtue of frugality. We shall transcribe 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 furcy, he obferves, could there have been lefs occafion than at fuch an entertainment as this for the exercife 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 flated attendants, our Lord exprefsly 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 fentible 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 itfelf 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 unneccflary. We think that we fhall always be fure of a competency without it; and that it is a virtue fit only. for thofe whofe penurious and feanty 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 Inflructor, and, as in the wisdom 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 diftinely to treat of. It is a fubject that may not at firft view appear to be of a very elevating or pathetic nature. Yet Cicero, I remember, breaks out in raptures upon it, "Ye gods,

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

In the fermon on the Resurrection of Lazarus we find the following paffage, tending to obviate a fmall 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 fo 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 drefs 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 cach 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 must 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 raising the dead, any other difficulties, relating to the bandages and grave-clothes, muft directly vanifa!

All that we fall farther felect from thefe volumes is a few of the obfervations in the difcourfes on the refurrection of Chrift.

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 circumstance by one or more of thele hiflorians, 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 ali 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 lefs 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 splendor 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 instead of any real fervice to that very caufe which it was the main defign of the refurrection itfelf 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.

ART. IX. The Rites and Ceremonies of the Greek Church in Ruffia; containing an Account of its Doctrine, Worship, and Difcipline. By John Glen King, D. D. Fellow of the Royal and Antiquarian Societies, and Chaplain to the British Factory at St. Peteríburgh. 4to. l. is. Dodfley, &c. 1772.

WE "The

E have here a curious and inftructive work, upen a fubject hitherto but very imperfectly known. The divine, the philofopher, and all who have a tafte 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 study, and who attentively confiders what an extenfive and powerful influence the attachment to religious inftitutions has had on hu

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