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bly are the generous tendencies of the foul encouraged and ftrengthened by the Gofpel of our Lord Jefus Chrift in the expreis declarations and affurances of eternal life, in the high and elevating sentiments they give us of the heavenly state, and in the amazing manifeftations of the love of the Father of all, his love to mankind in Chrift Jefus our Lord; and in his willingness to communicate to us from the infinite riches of his bounty and goodness! What shall we more fay? if knowlege, if moral excellence, if God himself is the object of our felicity; these objects are infinite, and fuited to Beings formed with fuch capacities and defires, and for an eternal duration of existence. This little world, with all that may be poffeffed in it, can be no great matter to Beings of fuch a frame and conftitution.-This little world, in which we are to continue but a little time, were it all our own, ftill it would not satisfy; we should be fenfible of defires infeparable from our frame, which extend far beyond it. It is at prefent our convenient habitation, and greatly enriched with the goodnefs of our Maker; but we all know, that to the peaceful enjoyment of life in it, and to the tranquillity of our minds, two things are abfolutely needful, namely, a contentment with that portion of the good things of the world which Providence hath put into our poffeffion, though comparatively a fmall one; and a willingness to leave it, and all that is in it, when the Author of nature shall give the command: what then can fuch a scene be to creatures of fuch extended defires, after an endless duration of being, and unbounded happiness in it? It is true, we fee enough in this fcene to demonftrate fully the goodness of the Parent of the universe; and we find ourselves in a ftate in which being is fweetened and rendered comfortable by many favours; but that very goodness of our common Parent, raifes expectations which extend far beyond this world; and he does not justice to the goodness of God, or to his own frame, who raifeth his thoughts no higher.'

The fixth Sermon contains ufeful reflections on the forrows and fufferings of good men. In the feventh, the Doctor compares youth and advanced age, and points out their feveral advantages and difadvantages. In the eighth, he confiders the life of man, as it appears to the reflecting mind, in those parts of it which are past, and in thofe which are to come, and makes fome very pertinent obfervations upon thofe different views of it.

In the ninth and tenth Sermons, the Doctor confiders the principal reasons of the prefent conftitution of human nature, fo far as they are difcoverable by us; his principal defign is, to recommend induftry and diligence in thofe labours, and in that sphere of action which our Maker hath allotted to us. In the

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eleventh, twelfth, thirteenth, and fourteenth Sermons, he treats, in a very pious and rational manner, of the fovereignty and glory of God.

The fifteenth Sermon is a very useful and judicious one. The fubject of it is, the importance of laying down a certain plan for the conduct of life, and of fixed rules for the performance of its duties. After fully explaining the precept in his text, viz. to walk circumspectly, the Doctor proceeds to recommend it to his Readers by fome very juft and weighty confiderations.

But before we enter upon this head of Difcourfe, fays he, I muft obferve, that, perhaps, it may be alledged by fome, that there is no fuch thing neceffary; cannot every man judge as things turn out to him upon particular occafions, without any previous rules? is there any thing eafier? will not a good heart always incline to that which is right? and a little plain sense be ready to point that out to him? I answer, if there are men of fuch confirmed good affections, and good understanding in matters of religion, that the method now recommended can be of no use to them, they have, indeed, nothing to do with it. But if there are who need helps, who are not to firmly established, or fo happily guarded, in fuch cafe, I am perfuaded, that this doing of things in a certain and fixed method, will be of fervice to them; and this will eafily appear from the first argument I would offer to recommend it; which is taken from the amazing variety there is in our views and apprehenfions of things. Are we not all, at least many of us, fenfible that the fame things, at different times, do appear in a very different light to us? Is there not too much of the uncertain and capricious in our imaginations? Are not our fears and hopes, our delights and diverfions, nay, our fenfe even with respect to the moral quality of fome actions, apt to vary? Do we not find that things appear very different when the mind is gloomy and overwhelmed with melancholy, from what they do when it is eafy and joyful? Will a man have the fame fenfe of every thing, when in the cool morning he meditates in his clofet, as he has when his fpirits are raised with wine? To apply this particularly to the prefent purpose, do not we find, that even with respect to the duties we are called to perform, and the appearances of and approaches to evil, there is a variety in our imaginations concerning things, and in our fenfe of them. In our most serious and retired hours, and to our most deliberate thoughts, things will appear offenfive, wholly, or in a great measure, and yet, perhaps, when we get into the world, and our minds become elevated, that offence difappears, wholly, or in a great measure; and we will then fay and do things, which our more fober and deliberate thoughts would forbid as indecent, inexpedient, or,

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perhaps, approaching to evil. So again, with refpect to fome religious exercises, the mind in its beft and moft ferious state, may think them very important, and apply with much diligence to the performance of them; and yet another temper and mood may come, through bufinefs or company, in which they will not appear to be of any fuch moment, and in which a negligent and hafty performance will fatisfy. Befides, to offer no more by way of illuftration, who knows not how much the power of temptation biaffes the judgment, and blinds the moral eye? who knows not how much partiality to ourselves leads us aftray in judging? Now, if there is fuch a variety in our views and imaginations of things, if the mind is fo apt to be put out of its proper temper, and to be biaffed in judgment on particular occafions, is it not highly expedient and useful, that we should have certain rules and maxims laid down to ourselves, for the conduct of life; and that as little as may be, be left to the present imagination and hasty judgment? Is it not our wifest way, to form our judgments for the conduct of life, in the cooleft, most deliberate, and difpaffionate temper of our minds; and to pursue these judgments afterwards, when, especially in the hour of temptation the mind may be in danger of being biaffed, of warping unhappily towards that which is wrong. Safer is it furely, to purfue a judgment deliberately formed, than a fudden motion, on which perhaps we have not opportunity to deliberate, and in which the understanding may be under the influence of a prefent unhappy prejudice.

In the fecond place, by laying down to ourselves, and steadily pursuing, fuch rules, the bufinefs and duties of the Chriftian life will be more fuccefsfully performed. For the illuftration of this, let us fuppofe that a perfon has deliberated with himself carefully, and judged what is fit for him to give in charity, for a certain time, be it a month or a year. In this he endeavours to judge impartially, without giving way to a narrow covetous temper, on the one hand, or to undistinguishing and indiscreet profuseness, on the other. When he has devoted fuch a part of his fubftance as he deliberately judges he can fpare, will he not be better prepared to perform those charitable offices, than another who does not walk by any fuch rule? In the latter cafe, when a man has no land-mark to guide him, a covetous temper may magnify what he gives, or has given, in his own imagination, and, on particular occafions, may too much contract his fpirit. On the other hand, if his temper is culpably generous, he may without attending to it, give what he cannot fpare with juftice to the world, his dependents, and himfelf. Surely thefe inconveniencies which on both hands are obvious, are beft prevented by a man's conducting himself by a

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certain rule. Juft fo with refpect to fecret devotion, or that of families, with refpect to reading and meditation; if a perfon has no stated times for these services, which you will allow me to fay are very important, and walks by no rule with respect to them, but gives to them, now and then a little time, as he can moft easily spare it; he will undoubtedly find great inconveniences in this negligence, and himself in danger of being im pofed upon by it. Men are generally apt enough to tire of these exercises; and their imagination to represent a little time fo employed, as a great deal; fo that every little avocation will be enough to interrupt them, or to divert the mind entirely from them, for that time. According to the old obfervation, what a man can do at any time, he is apt to neglect altogether; fo that if men have not some stated feafons for converfing with their Maker, that bufinefs will probably be entirely neglected. But though men do not neglect it altogether, yet if they walk by no rule or measure, they are apt to be too hafty in it, and not to allow time enough, that deliberate contemplations of the Divine Being, and folemn addreffes to him, may make fuch impreffions on the mind as are neceffary to answer the declared ends of all devotion. There is a wide difference, as experience fhews, between uttering haftily a few fentences in the prefence of God, without preparation of mind, without care and attention, and fuch a compofed deliberate application of the powers as will give opportunity to the nobleft of all fentiments to poffefs the foul, and affect the heart-A wide difference between praying in fome fort, and doing it in the manner that tends to fill the mind with admiration and love, with gratitude and duty, with pleafing truft and confidence! Now, if men are in danger of trifling in fuch services, is it not highly expedient that they should have fome rule, or measure, to guide themfelves by? A man's ftate and circumftances in the world are fuch, that they allow him to spend fuch a portion of time in ferious meditation, and converse with his Maker, he fees he can redeem so much time from his worldly bufinefs, without any lofs to him, should he not then resolve on employing it, be it lefs or more, in these services, and regularly to apply himself to them, as the ftated feafon returns, without fuffering himself to be drawn away by any avocations but what are unavoidable? I am fully perfuaded, that walking thus by rule, would be found exceeding falutary and profitable. There will be a very perceiv able difference between the effect that fuch a ftated and deliberate application of the mind to devotion, as a part of the conftant business of life will have upon it, and that of a few hafty ejaculations, with which fome, perhaps many, are apt to fatisfy themselves. I have been the more particular in this, because it fhould feem that nothing is a means of preferving the mind in a

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good temper, and of making religion prevalent in it, equal to frequent deliberate converfe with our Creator, in ftated feafons frequently returning. And I am perfuaded there never was, nor will be, a cafe in which men fo applied themselves, but that they found their account in it. So likewife in many other refpects, we fhall find our time beft improved, and our business in life beft performed, if in all things, as far as it can be done without a ridiculous ftiffness, we proceed by rule.'

The fixteenth Sermon contains practical reflections on the Divine Omniprefence. In the feventeenth, the Doctor fhews, that the fense of right is the standard by which we must judge of the character, and conduct, of all moral agents; even of the Supreme. In the eighteenth, he difcourfes from these words Jefus faith unto them, my meat is to do the will of him that fent me, and to finish his wark.

We have now given a fhort account of the contents of these two volumes, and cannot conclude this article without recommending them to the attentive perufal of fuch of our Readers as look upon religious fubjects to be of all others the most important. Those whofe fupreme ambition it is to cultivate good difpofitions, to improve in virtue, and to reach the true dignity and highest perfection of their natures, will receive great advantage from them. Few Writers appear to have thought more, or more juftly, upon religious fubjects, than Dr. Duchal; and tho' many surpass him in elegance and sprightliness of compofition, there are none who seem to have had a stronger sense of the importance of religious truths, or who have represented them in a manner better adapted to imprefs the minds of serious and rational Chriftians.

For our account of a former volume of Sermons by this Author, fee Review, vol. VIII. p. 23.

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An Enquiry into the Structure of the human Body, relative to its fuppofed Influence on the Morals of Mankind. By Charles Collignon, M. D. Profeffor of Anatomy at Cambridge. 8vo. IS. Printed at Cambridge, fold by Beecroft, and DodЛley, in London.

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HE good defign of this ingenious and learned, though fometimes declamatory, performance, is to difcufs, and, in effect, to defeat, that excufe for, or rather justification of, our vices, which so many are willing to conclude inevitable, from their very conftitution. Or, in our Author's own words, to en quire how far (the natural ftructure of the body confidered) man may ftill be free; free from the greatest tyranny, that of unreasonable

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