His third chapter is intended to fhew that God is a friend to us. This (it is faid) is the voice of nature and Scripture, the language of heaven and earth, and the uniform teftimony of every creaturethe most glorious and excellent God addreffes us by each, and fays CALL ME FRIEND. This fhould infpire us with joy and confidence, and make the ftrongest and grandeft impreffions upon our fpi

rits.

CREATION arofe from his boundlefs benignity, and is therefore one imperfc& expreffion of it. I know not what lovelier thought can enter the heart of man, than is conveyed by the hymn of the celeftials-Thou art avortly, O Lord, to receive glory, and honour, and power, for thou haft created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. It was the PLEASURE OF GOD that his immenie and boundless goodefs fhould iffue in fuch a creation as this. In his eternal and allcomprehenfive mind he formed a fair and well-furnished world-calling things that were not as though they were; and amongit the rest of the creatures with which it fhould be replenished, defigned one nobler than the others, who fhould be capable of knowing both him and them,-of contemplating the glorious excellencies of his Maker, and of partaking a felicity in him, as well as a being from him.'

The PROVIDENCE of God operates for the prefervation and happiness of men, and hence his friendly difpofition towards them appears. The vaft variety of creatures that fill this world continually, receive from his liberality-the eyes of all wait upon him, and he fatisfies the defire of every living thing: he underflands the afking look of each, and grants the expected fupply. Not a sparrow is fergotten before God: he feeds the inferior creatures that they may miniiter to man-to his necefiities, and to his entertainments; fo that, in the iffue, all the tender mercies of God that are over all his works do terminate in us, and we may fay of every thing that pleafes us, either for beauty or ufe, THAT IS MERCY TO ME-another effort of the Creator's kindnefs, to make my stay in this world, agreeable and happy to me.

He continues our breath, and gives us our bread in a continual fucceffion from day to day. He maketh his fun to arife on the evil and the good, and jendeth his rain on the juft and the unjust-and all under the character of OUR FATHER WHICH IS IN HEAVEN. He gives his benefits where he is not received with them, amongst the evil and anthankful-they enter the doors that are shut again the divine benefactor-they jay unto God depart from us-and yet he fills their boujes with good things. Shew me the friend befides, that will continue his bounty and be conftantly overlooked.

There is nothing in our houfes-nothing in our poffeffion, but we may each of us write upon it—DONUM AMICI COELESTIS -the gift of my great and heavenly FRIEND, who indeed giveth all things richly to enjoy one of whole titles is, FATHER OF LIGHTS, and Author of every good gift, and every perfect gift to the children of men. He gives all with the pureft benignity of intention-not to enfnare us, but to bless us to the utmoft; when it happens otherwife, the caufe and the blame are in ourfelves; we put a fting to the honey of his bleflings, and a thorn to the rofe of thofe delights which he fends us.

His FRIENDLY Counfels guide us-his FRIENDLY bounty fupplies us-his FRIENDLY rebukes awaken and correct us-as many as I love, I rebuke and chaften-it is his FRIENDLY vifitation that preferves our fpirits-it is his prefence and power that keeps us from danger or delivers us out of it. He is with us in fix troubles and in Seven-he carries us through all our uncertainties-is better to us than our fears and is a rock Bigher than we are when our hearts are overwhelmed within us. Able to do for us exceedingly, abundantly, above all that we can ask or think. In fickness he is near us-in death he is with us; he delivers us from both, or caufes that neither shall do us any harm.—

But what fhall we fay to it, when befides his protection, his counfels, his promiles, and his various bounties, we recollect that he has given us HIS VERY SELF in the perfon of his divine and bleffed Son!-Is not this FRIENDSHIP-both in the most unqueftionable reality, and in the highest degree of it?-One of the poets hath an ingenious fancy to exprefs the paffion wherewith he. found himself overcome, after a long refiflance.

That the God

of Love had fhot all his golden arrows at him, but could never pierce his heart; 'till at laft he put himself into the bow, and darted himfelf ftrait into his breaft. This doth fome way adumbrate God's dealings with men; he had long contended with a ftubborn world, and thrown down many a blefling upon mortals; and when all his other gifts could not prevail, he at last made a gift of himself, to teftify his affection and engage theirs." GOD fo loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him fhould not perish, but have everlasting life. Herein is LOVE-no falfe pretence, no fictitious counterfeit, but the true fubftance, the superlative degree of it-that Gon fent bis SON to be a propitiation for us.' This pious and practical Effay is concluded in the following manner:- To close all-let us remember, that FRIENDSHIP WITH GOD, is the proper temper of man in this preparatory state.—We are going to GOD; and therefore must be the FRIENDS OF GOD. Our HEAVEN (if ever we have one) must be begun upon EARTH. It is by a restoration to ourselves, and to our GOD now, that we are to enjoy ourselves and him eternally. Let us be induftrious in this our preparatory work, and Gon will work in us, and with us, of HIS GOOD PLEASURE. He will affift us with pleasure, and reward us with pleasure.

As we improve in FRIENDSHIP WITH GOD, every thing will be FRIENDLY to us; both within and about us. The fun fhall not Smite us by day, nor the moon by night we shall be in league with the ftones of the field and the beasts of the field fhall be at peace with us. Every creature fhall act in FRIENDLY concert with the great CREATOR for our benefit; and be the minifter of his goodness, not of his vengeance. We may command the tribes of the EARTH-and look up to the firmament of HEAVEN ;-may challenge the fervices of its glorious hofts, and immortal angels-and call all things ours, becaufe GOD ALMIGHTY is fo. Bleffed are they that do his commandments-They have a right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. All is open to THE FRIEND OF GOD.'

We fhall only obferve farther, that this Author appears to have been converfant with the old divines of different denominations,

many of whofe practical writings, however neglected at this time of day, must be acknowledged to contain very fenfible, striking, and elevated fentiments, difcovering often the inward piety of the Au thor, and tending to produce and improve a religious fpirit in thofe who perufe them.

Art. 21. Paftoral Advice to young Perfons before Confirmation. 8vo. 6d. Shrewsbury printed, and fold by White, &c. London,

1772.

Whatever tendency confirmation may have to beget or increase fuperftition, it is nevertheless highly probable, that if it is explained and conducted with proper caution, ferioufnefs, and diligence, it may have a very happy influence upon the minds of young perfons. Such feems to be the opinion of the Author of this small pamphlet, who therefore has laudably employed his endeavours to promote to worthy and important an end. Great thanks are due to him from all who are folicitous for the real welfare of youth, and the profperity of the community. His advice is truly paftoral; it is folid, pious, rational, and properly pathetic. It appears to us extremely fit to be put into the hands of young perfons, particularly at the feafon which the title fpecifies, being well calculated to affift and preferve him in a courfe of wisdom, religion, and virtue. The Author has added fome prayers at the end, one of which is a paraphrate upon the Lord's Prayer: and we have perufed them all with much fatisfaction.

Art. 22. The Sin of Sodom reproved by St. John Chryfoftom, Patriarch of Conftantinople: Being two Sernions in his Commentary upon St. Paul's Epifle to the Romans, faithfully tranflated into English from the original Greek. To which is prefixed, a brief Account of the Life of that Saint. By Edward Lewis, M. A. Rector of Waterstock and Emington, in Oxfordshire. 8vo. 1s.

Dilly. 1772.

The fecond of thefe fermons is most directly levelled against the abominable vice mentioned in the title. Each of the difcourfes is founded on a paffage in the first chapter of St. Paul's epistle to the Romans, from the 18th verfe to the 27th. This Chriflian Father expoftulates with great energy upon the fubject, and endeavours to guard his hearers against fo miferable a depravity. One remark which he makes, upon the manner in which the Apostle gives his account concerning it in the place above mentioned, it may not be improper for us to infert. It is as follows:

Here alfo may we justly admire the wisdom of Paul, who falling upon two things oppofite to each other, could fo exquifitely go through with both of them. His defign was to fpeak with modefty, and yet to ftrike the hearers: now both can hardly be brought to bear, one being an impediment to the other; for if you would fpeak modenly you cannot reach the hearer; would you ftrike home, naked and clear must be your expreffions. But this intelligent and holy foul admirably effected both, by the term "Nature;" heightening the accufation, and at the fame time using it as a fort of veil, whereby to carry on the difcourfe with decency.'

* Dr. Adams, of Shrewsbury.

Whatever

Whatever particular view Mr. Lewis might have in fele&ting these two difcourses, we find he has a farther defign: he prefents them to the world as a fpecimen of the writings of St. Chryfoftom, and of the abilities of the Tranflator, who, it is added, if the world feems willing to receive it, intends, in a little time, to prefent it with Chryfoftom's moft pious, judicious, and learned commentary, in English, upon that whole divine epiftle, contained in thirty-two fermons, which equal ninety of thofe of the prefent day.'

This Father, it is well known, was famous for his eloquence, on which account he was furnamed Chryfoftom, or golden mouth ;-but it might have been more candid in our Tranflator to have paid his compliment to a favourite Author, without paffing a kind of general cenfure upon the preachers of the prefent age.

With a view of engaging a farther attention to the works of this celebrated orator, the prefent pamphlet contains alfo a short sketch of his life; to which is added, his character as a writer and a preacher as it is given by the learned Du Pin; who has indeed delineated it in very strong and pleafing colours. He has been always regarded as a man of a noble genius, and of great piety; but his warmth and zeal betrayed him into mistakes, and fometimes even, as is intimated by this Writer, to a degree of perfecution. He died in the year 407. Mr Lewis obferves, that the Fathers are in no great repute in this country;' a truth which is the lefs to be wondered at, when we confider, that though there is much good fenfe, as well as piety, in many of their performances, there is alfo in fome of them a great deal of puerility and fanaticism, which are difgufting, and few that however ufeful they may in other refpects be, they are not to be depended upon as certain guides in matters of religion: but this Tranflator has a very good reafon for the above remark, which is, that fince fuch is the cafe, he thinks it a matter of too great hazard for him to attempt an English publication of the whole commentary, unless he is favoured with fome encouragement to the propolais which are shortly to be offered to the public.

Art. 23. The Devil no fallen Angel; proved from Scripture. Being a Specimen of what has been revealed to the vileft of Worms and the chiefelt of Sinners, Nathan Walker. 8vo. !s. Bladon. The title, alone, will fufficiently indicate the flate of the poor Author's brain. Art, 24. A Treatise on the ever-bleed and adorable Trinity, and Unity in Trinity. 8vo. I s. 6d. Bladon.

By the fame Mr. Walser, Author of the preceding article,

MEDICA L.

Art. 25. The Anatomy of the Human Body, &c. compofed (on an intire new Plan) in a Method very different from all Anatomical Writers, Sc. To which is [are] fubjoined fome Physiological Tracts, and a copious Index. By William Northcote, Surgeon, 8vo. 6 s. Becket. 1772.

The Author having, as he informs us, experienced the indulgence of the public, in their favourable reception of the work not long fince published by him, under the title of the Marine Surgeon, has been induced to offer this performance, originally compofed for his

Kk 3

own

own private ufe, as a proper fupplement to that publication; particularly with a view to accommodate the naval furgeons with a complete and compendious repofitory of medical and anatomical knowledge, well adapted, from the fmallnefs of its bulk and price, to their circumstances and fituation. We need only to add, that the prefent compilation may very properly answer the Author's profeffed purpose of conveying inftruction to the tyro's in the art, and of furnishing the more informed part of the faculty with a convenient lemembrancer.

Art. 26. A concife Hiftory of Anatomy, from the earliest Ages of Antiquity, &c. By William Northcote, Surgeon. Svo. 3 s. Evans.

1772.

This very fhort historical abstract may be confidered as a proper introduction to the preceding work, from which the anatomical tyro may collect fome of the ornamental parts of knowledge belonging to his art. We fee not however the propriety of the numerous infulated, and fometimes not very intelligible paragraphs, and even intire pages, in Latin, which frequently and unexpectedly occur in the text. For our parts, we must own that we cannot poflibly comprehend the Author's motives for thus choofing fometimes to make the English, and fometimes the Latin tongue, the vehicle of inftruction to his pupil; who may not, poffibly, be a Latinift, or, though an excellent claffic, may, like us, Linguists and Critics as we are by profeffion, find himself utterly unable to conftrue many of the very crabbed paffages, that he will here meet with, in the laft-mentioned tongue; after making all decent allowance for falfe pointing and errors of the prefs.

Art. 27. Methodus prescribendi exemplificata Pharmacopœis Nosacomiorum Londinenfium, Edinburgenfium, &c. A. Gul. Northcote, Chirurgo. 8vo. 3 s. 6d. Evans. 1772.

Mr. Northcote not yet thinking the fea furgeon's library complete -for what is a workman without his tools has here furnished him with a manual of extemporaneous formule, collected from the pri vate or local difpenfatories uf St. Thomas's, St. George's, Guy's, the London, and St. Bartholomew's hofpitals; and from those of the hofpitals at Petersburgh, of the Royal Infirmary at Edinburgh, and the Hotel Dieu at Paris. To thefe are added two other fhort collections of prefcriptions; one under the fignature of D. I. C. and the other under the magnificent, but fcarcely merited title of Medulla Medicina Univerfa. The Author's defign might, in our opinion, have been much better anfwered, if, inftead of thus fwelling his fea furgeon's little library with all thefe duplicates and triplicates of the fame medicine, he had judiciously felected a body of single formulæ, for each intention, from the whole collection.

Art. 28. An Effay on the Formation, Structure, and Ufe of the Teeth, &c. By Meyer Lewis, Operator for the Teeth in Oxford. 8vo. I S. Wheble. 1772.

Mr. Lewis cannot think that we deal hardly by him, when we declare that we very readily fubfcribe to the propriety and truth of his declaration at the beginning of this pamphlet; where, after fome proper encomiums on the ingenious and elaborate treatifes of Mr,

Hunter,