THE

MONTHLY REVIEW,

For NOVEMBER, 1764.

Museum Rufticum et Commerciale; or felect Papers on Agriculculture, Commerce, Arts, and Manufactures. Drawn from Experience, and communicated by Gentlemen engaged in these Pursuits. Revised and Digested by feveral Members of the Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce. 8vo. 2 Vols. 12s. Davis.

F it be true, that the worst of avarice is that of fenfe, the public, we apprehend, will hardly be perfuaded, that the neglect of a certain refpectable Society, to publish the papers communicated to them, is not a defect in their conduct or inftitution. This neglect of the Society, however, as a body corporate, hath been in fome measure repaired in the prefent publication, by feveral of its individual Members, who have been public-fpirited enough to fecond the defign of the Editors, and affift them in the profecution of the work. This defign is, in the words of the preface, To collect and concentrate the experience of the learned in Agriculture and Arts into a small compass; so that the Reader of these volumes may know the fentiments, and see the practice, of those who are most eminently skilled in the works of Nature, or moft earnestly intent on the improvement of art, and may profit from the experience of others, without fharing their toils, their difficulties, or difappointments.'

To this end, we are told and promifed, that this Collection does and will contain, not only fuch curious papers as have been presented to the Society above-mentioned, of which copies are from time to time procured of their respective Writers, but alfo various other important articles from the moft ingenious Naturalifts and Artifts in Europe and America.

VOL. XXXI.

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It were needless to expatiate on the utility of a design which is fo very apparent; its execution will, nevertheless, admit of fome animadverfion. It is to be wished, in the first place, that the Editors had taken the liberty to fhorten the feveral papers contained in this work, and correct the ftyle; they being, for the most part, extremely verbose and tedious, and fometimes not more prolix than obfcure. It may be pleaded, indeed, that elegance of style is unneceffary in preceptive tracts and practical obfervations but elegance of ftyle is not what we contend for: it is by no means neceflary to amufe the Hufbandman, Artift, and Manufacturer with fine writing; concifenefs and perfpicuity, however, are abfolutely neceffary to all didactic or inftructive performances. But, perhaps, if the Editors had taken the liberty we advife, they might have offended fome of their Correfpondents, over tenacious of their own mode of expreffion; tho' it is notorious, that, in fubjects of this nature, those who have the greatest share of experimental knowlege, have not always the happiest method of communicating it. There is another motive also, which might weigh with the Editors in their retention of a great deal of that unneceffary verbiage with which this Collection is overloaded; and this is, that quantity is peculiarly neceflary to their mode of publication. The Authors of a periodical work, have not even the advantage of a stage-coach, that of going empty when they have no paffengers: they must bring a certain weight to town, tho' it be of mere luggage. It is this circumftance which gives us reafon to fear, that not only the merit of the work, but the credit of the original pieces inferted in it, will be affected by fuch less curious and valuable papers as the Editors may be under a kind of neceffity to admit, in order to fill up their stated number of fheets. It is not to be doubted, indeed, as they obferve, that a publication, opened particuJarly for collecting and preferving papers on thefe important fubjects, will induce Gentlemen to contribute all their useful obfervations; which, but for fuch a ready repofitory, would be loft, or so published, as to be of little fervice to the community. But we are not a little apprehenfive, that five sheets per month, of really ufeful Obfervations, may be fometimes with difficulty obtained, especially after a time, when the feveral subjects are farther exhaufted. Nay, we cannot help thinking, that notwithstanding the pains the Editors took to cultivate, an early correfpondence, there appears a dearth of matter so early as the latter end of the first volume; where we find a paper relative to a curious method of propagating trees, faid to have been invented by one Mr. Barnes. This method was published fome years ago, and, as we have reason to believe, originally invented by that induftrious Labourer in the literary vineyard,

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Dr.

Dr. John Hill+; univerfally allowed to be the most inventive of all practical Husbandmen. What adds to the impropriety of republishing this paper among original letters, without taking notice of its former publication, is, that it is pretended to be communicated by a Correfpondent, one Mr. W. T. B. who affirms, that he hath tried the faid method with fuccefs. Now, it is in vain, while fuch artifices as these are made use of*, that the Editors may think to enhance the credit of their work by lamenting, That they are not permitted to disclose the names of their Correfpondents; fome of whom ftand fo high in the learned world, that their fanction would carry into practice many excellent precepts, which have now nothing to support and recommend them, their own intrinfic merit excepted.' We would advise the Editors therefore, of this refpectable publication, to fhew themselves for the future, above these little arts of book-making, by candidly owning what they may think themselves obliged to borrow; as we make no doubt they will always have a fufficient quantity of original matter befides, to enfure a continuation of the fuccefs they have already met with and deferved.

+ See Review, vol. XX. page 568.

Will the Editors fay, they were really impofed on by a Correfpondent? This would argue them not to be quite so converfant with fubjects and tracts of this nature, as they probably defire to be thought.

K-n-k.

Conclufion of the Account of Dr. Duchal's Sermons. See our laft, page 287.

N our laft Number we gave a short sketch of the Doctor's

cond volume; we now proceed to the rest.

In the seventh, the Doctor fhews what is to be understood by glorifying God, and in what sense the divine glory is to be the end of our actions. In the eighth, he endeavours to explain the fcripture doctrine of the Mediation of Chrift. The method he obferves in treating this fubject is as follows:-He lays before his Readers, in the first place, the fcriptural account of the matter, fummed up as briefly as poffible; fecondly, he enquires into the ends to be ferved by the mediation of our Lord, and fhews how the various parts he acted, anfwered thefe ends; after which, he makes reflections upon the whole, with a particular view to the removal of fome difficulties, which have been thought greatly to embarrass the subject.

The fcriptural account of this matter, fays he, is as follows: That mankind having univerfally perverted their way,

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and having been in a state of moral darknefs, guilt, and corrup tion; liable to the divine displeasure; it pleafed God, in his infinite goodness and clemency, to fend his only begotten Son, to leek and fave them, from this deplorable state and to prepare the world for the introduction and appearance of this divine perfon, many predictions, fome even from the very early ages, were published concerning him; nay, the Jewish religious conftitution is reprefented as, in many inftances, typical of him, and as fhadowing out his priesthood and kingdom. That, in the fulness of time appointed by the Father, he accordingly came into the world; took our nature upon him, with its finlefs infirmities; converfed with mankind; by his doctrines and precepts laying the foundation of a kingdom of truth and righteoufnefs; in fubftance the fame with that which the God of nature had originally founded in the heart of man. That when he had fulfilled his public perfonal miniftry, the divine authority of which was clearly evinced by the many miracles he worked; he then, according to the counfels of the Father, gave himself up to fuffering, and to the death of the cross. There, in fcripture language, he offered himself a facrifice for fin; fhed his blood for the remiffion of it; and gave himself a ransom for many. That he rofe again from the dead; and because he humbled himself, and became obedient to death, even the death of the cross; therefore God hath alfo highly exalted him; hath placed him at his own right hand; fubjected all things to him; made him head over all, and gave him all power and authority, in heaven and on earth; which power and kingdom he will retain till the confummation of all things; when he is to deliver up the kingdom to God, even the Father, that God may be all in all. That we are to regard him as conftituted by the Father, to be our head and Lord; that from him immediately, we receive the bleffings and advantages of the gofpel kingdom and difpenfation; that he hath unalterably fixed the terms of our acceptance, and falvation; and that he is appointed to be our Judge at the great day.

Thefe are the main things taught us in Scripture, concerning the Mediation of our bleffed Saviour. And there should feem no need of multiplying words to fhew, that this is, in truth, a most amazing fcene; that nothing of a more interesting nature can enter into the heart of man: nor is it poffible for any thinking perfon to believe it, without feeing that it demands his ferious attention; cfpccially, with regard to the im provement to be made of it.'

The Doctor, in the next place, confiders the ends to be anfwered by this interpofition of the only begotten Son of God, and tells us, in general, that the raifing of mankind, dead in

*trefpaffes

trefpaffes and fins, to a holy and divine life, and to the happinefs which is annexed to it, was unquestionably the great end.

In order to fhew how the part our Saviour fuftained, and what he did and fuffered, tend to promote this great defign, the Doctor obferves, that he was of the highest importance to this end, as he became a light to the world; giving his Difciples the cleareft and fulleft inftructions, and with the greatest and most unquestionable authority; putting them into the only true way to falvation; delivering them from ignorance and darkness; from the bondage of fuperftition, and furnishing them with those principles which are the fources of all that is good and happy.

As our bleffed Saviour diffufed that moft glorious light which,, of all things, was moft neceffary to anfwer his great and good defign, of fhewing men what they ought to do; fo, does his mediation, we are told, suggest to them fome most powerful motives to obedience; fuch as are wonderfully fitted to work on ingenuous minds.-The love of the Fa her towards mankind, and his earneftnefs for their falvation, appear moft remarkably in this difpenfation.-The manner in which our redemption and falvation is effected, namely, by the incarnation, the fufferings, and death of the Son of God, is of moft perfuafive tendency to engage the heart, to fill it with a juft fenfe of those things which concern our falvation, and with the most useful fentiments.

God fendeth his own Son, in flesh, who came (in obedience to the Father) to accomplish an end, which did the highest honour to the Father; and fhewed, through the whole of the part he acted, a merit the most confummate that ever was exhibited on the theatre of this world. As the reward of this, the Father exalts him to the highest and most important ftation; investing him with all power and authority; placing the conduct of our falvation in his hands; particularly giving him authority to pardon the fins of the truly penitent, and to confer life eternal on them. This method of receiving the penitent into favour, and the honour which is done by it to our Mediator, that, through bis hand, all bleffings and advantages fhould come to us; is the moft folemn teftimony which God could give to mankind, of his regard to what is excellent and worthy: that nothing is, in his eftimation, to be compared to it; and that the highest honours and happiness will always be conferred upon the greatest merit. But then, it is not poffible to confider the matter in this light, without feeing, that where fuch approbation of, and regard are fhewn to, exalted merit, there muft be, at the fame time, a proportionable difpleasure at fin; for, that penitents receive the remiffion of it, by an authority conferred as the reward of the moft confummate merit, cannot but point out to

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them