and fubmits at once to all the painful duties and hard fare of a camp, in an enemy's country. He travels through dreary fwamps, and inhofpitable forefts, guided only by the track of favages *. He traveries mountains, he paffes and repaffes rivers, and marches feveral hundred miles, with fcarcely bread to eat, or change of raiment to put on. When night comes, he fleeps on the ground, or perhaps fleeps not at all; and at the dawn of day refumes his labour. At length, he is fo unfortunate as to find his enemy. He braves death, amid all the horrors of the field. He fees his companions fall around him he is wounded, and carried into a tent, or laid in a waggon; where he is left to fuffer pain and anguish, with the noife of deftruction founding in his ears. After fome weeks, he recovers, and enters afresh upon duty.And does the Captain of thy falvation, O thou who ftyleft thyfelf the foldier and fervant of Jefus Christdoes He require any thing like this, at thy hands? Or canft thou deem him an auftere Mafter, because thou art enjoined to live in fobriety and purity, to fubdue a turbulent paffion, to watch an hour fometimes unto prayer, or to mifs a meal now and then, during the feafon of repentance and humiliation? Blush for shame, and hide thy face in the duft." P. 145. How beautifully does he defcribe the firft appearance of our Saviour in the temple! "When the parents brought in the child Jefus, to do for him after the custom of the law," and the priest, as was ufual, embraced the prefented child, and bleffed him; then the good old man, tranfported and overcome at the fo much defired fight, could no longer contain himfelf; but taking the holy infant in his arms, he poured forth with that voice, which was foon to be heard no more, the most melodious ftrains of gratitude and praife, bidding farewel to the world in the words of that hymn, which we are taught by our church to recite, on the evening of each day, and which to the good man, at the close of life, will be fweet indeed-" Lord, now letteft thou thy fervant de"part in peace, according to thy word. For mine eyes have feen "thy falvation, which thou haft prepared before the face of all peo"ple: a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people " Ifrael." God had performed his promife, had fhewn him the Meffiah, had filled his heart with joy, and made his old age honourable. Simeon had now gazed upon the fun, and thenceforth became blind to the beauties of this lower world. He defired to depart. Thus will it be with the juft and devout Chriftian, whofe heart is fet upon the Lord's Chrift, and the confolation of Ifrael; who is led by the Spirit into the temple, there to find, to behold, and to embrace him, by faith, in his holy ordinances." P. 385. We fhall conclude our extracts for the prefent month with a quotation, in which, amidst a variety of beauties, the appro priate and characteristic fweetness of this prelate's ftyle cannot N. B. This Sermon was written during the American contest. fail BRIT. CRIT. VOL. III. JAN. 1794. fail of engaging the reader's attention. We prefent it with the more pleasure, in full conviction that in the exquifite allegory with which it concludes, the feelings of his own heart were depicted. "The grand fecret in this, as in many other cafes, is employment. An empty house is every body's property. All the vagrants about the country will take up their quarters in it. Always therefore have fomething to do, and you will always have fomething to think of. God has placed every perfon in fome ftation; and every station has a set of duties belonging to it. Did we not forget or neglect thefe, evil thoughts would fue for admiffion in vain. Indeed, they would not come near our dwelling, any more than idle, vain, profligate people would think of visiting and teafing a man who laboured conftantly for his daily bread. If there be any one, who is of opinion, that his station does not find him employment, or that it privileges him to be idle, let him only fuppofe, for a moment, that when his foul fhall quit his body, and appear before God, he be afked the two following queftions-Whether he could not have done more good in the world? and, Why he did not? "But befides the duties we owe to others, there is a perfon very dear to every one of us, who claims no fmall fhare of attention and regard, I mean felf. Each man's mind is a little eftate at his own door, which is to be brought into order, and kept in order. It is naturally a wilderness; it is to be converted into a garden. Weeds and thifles must be rooted up; flowers and fruits must be planted and cultivated. Evil tempers and difpofitions must be difpoffeffed; and good ones introduced in their place. Husbandmen and gardeners, if they mind their bufinefs, have enough to think of. Who can fay his mind is yet completely in that ftate, in which he wishes it to be? And even if it were, fhould his diligence be ever fo little remitted, it would foon be out of that ftate again. He, therefore, who will receive and entertain all thoughts that tend to the improvement of his mind, needeth never complain of being without company. "For this purpofe, Wildom fpreads her ample page before him; the book of univerfal knowledge lies open to his infpection; and he may enrich his understanding with the experience of ages and generations. The life of one man is like the life of another; and he cannot find himself in circumftances, in which his predeceffors have not been before him, and his fucceffors fhall not be after him. Hence the proper ufe of history; and above all history, that which relates the lives of perfons in itations fimilar to our own. But there is no knowledge which may not be turned to use by him, who reads with a faithful and honeft intention of being the better for it, by applying all for his own correction and amendment. In the moral world, though not in the natural, there is a philofopher's ftone, which tranf mutes all metals into gold. Of the prefent age it may certainly ba faid with truth, that it is an age of fcience. The communication has been opened, by commerce, with all parts of the world. The prophet Daniel's prediction is fulfilled. Many run to and fro, and "knowledge is increafed." "Wifdom crieth without," but Folly has has the louder voice, and prevents her from being heard, as the fhould be. Move a little out of the noife of one, and the found of the other will teal gently upon the ear. Through that she will take poffeffion of the heart, and introduce vifitants, of whom you need never to be afhamed. "The heart, however, is capacious; ftill there is room-And lo, a proceffion appears advancing towards us, which will fill up every part-led on by one, in whofe air reigns native dignity, and in whole countenance majefty and meeknefs fit enthroned together; all the virtues unite their various luftres in her crown, around which fpring the ever-blooming flowers of Paradife. We acknowledge at once the queen of heaven, fair RELIGION, with her lovely train; Faith, ever mufing on the holy book; Hope, refting on her fure anchor, and bidding defiance to the tempefts of life; Charity, bleffed with a numerous family around her, thinking no ill of any one, and doing good to every one; Repentance, with gleans of comfort brightening a face of forrow, like the fun fhining through a watery cloud; Devotion, with eyes fixed on heaven; Patience, fmiling at affliction; Peace, carrying, on a golden fceptre, the dove and the olive-branch; and Joy, with an anthem-book, finging an Hallelujah! Liften to the leader of this celeftial band, and she will tell you all yon can defire to know. She will carry you to the blissful bowers of Eden; she will inform you how they were loft, and how they are to be regained. She will point out the world's Redeemer, exhibited from the begin ning ia figure and prophecy, while the patriarchs faw his day at a diftance, and the people of God were trained, by their fchoolmafter the Law, to the expectation of him. She will fhew you how all events from the creation tended to this great end, and all the diftinguished perfons, who have appeared upon the ftage, performed their parts in the univerfal drama, the empires of the world rifing and falling in obedience to the appointment of Providence, for the execution of his counfels. At length, in the fulness of time, she will make known to you the appearance of the long-defired Saviour; explaining the reafons of his humble birth, and holy life; of all he faid, and all he did; of his unfpeakable fufferings; his death and burial; his triumphant refurrection, and glorious afcenfion. She will take you within the veil, and give you a fight of Jefus, for the fuffering of death, crowned with honour and immortality, and receiving horage from the hofts of heaven, and the fpirits of juft men made perfect. She will pafs over the duration of time and the world, and place before your eyes the throne of judgment, and the unalterable fentence, the glories of the righteous, and the miferies of the wicked. -The thoughts fuggefted by this variety of interefting fubjects, are thoughts which will deferve admittance; and if you will please to admit them, we may venture to fay, "the houfe will be furnished with guests." P. 258. * We are not without our fufpicions that there is no fufficient authority for the plural ufe of the word luftre in this fenfe. BRITISH CATALOGU E. ART. 15. POETRY. The Pindaric Difafter, or the Devil Peter's beft Doctor. A HE tale told by Paul Pungent, though if he be of the Pungent family, it must be in a bastard line, is this: Peter Pindar having fwallowed a spider, goes to a doctor for advice-but in vain: he then returns home, and is relieved by the Devil; but the venom of the fpider's poifon remaining, is that which has tinged all the bard's com pofitions. Peter ftill finds the venom corroding his heart, And its keen biting influence pervades every part; If these falts have any Pungency, it certainly is not of the attic kind. ART. 16. Ode for the Encania, held at Oxford, July 1/93, for the recep tion of his Grace William-Henry Cavendish, Duke of Portland, Chancellor of the University. By Robert Holmes, D. D. Professor of Poetry. 4to. Is. Oxford, Cooke and Fletcher. This ode is very fpirited throughout, and fometimes fplendid; perhaps it too ftrongly reminds us of Gray's compofition, in a fimilar ftyle, and on a like occafion. The foundation of the univerfity by Alfred, is thus happily expressed: How fafe a reft from rapine's idiot hand- They each great Alfred to the wanderers gave, ART. ART. 17. The Ruins of a Temple. A Poem. By the Rev. Jofeph Jefferson. To which is prefixed, an Account of the Antiquity and Hiftory of the Holy Ghost Chapel, Bafing ftoke, Hants; with an Appendix, containing Hiftorical and Explanatory Notes. 4to. Is. T. North. Of the poetry here prefented to the reader, the following may fuffice as a specimen : 'Tis but a moment bounds our latest breath, A fpan hath well described the narrow space; Be it thy prayer to know the Saviour's grace. The Notes and Appendix explain the parts of the poem which have reference to the antiquity and hiftory of Holy Ghoft chapel. ART. 18. A Political Dialogue between two Illuftrious Friends. A Poem. Yarmouth. 4to. Is. Axtell. The two illuftrious friends, introduced in this exhibition are, Satan, and Tom Paine. We are happy to fee the art of printing arrived at fuch perfection at Yarmouth, as thefe pages prove it to be, and fhall be ftill more happy, when the art of poetry keeps pace with it. ART. 19. Liverpool Odes, or Affectionate Epiftles, for the Year 1793. By Junius Churchill, Efq. 4to. 1s. 6d. Johnson. Junius Churchill, Efq. is obviously an imitator of Peter Pindar, Efq. and it may be faid of him, as of the imitations of the original Bard, Pindarum quifquis, &c.; for, in fpirit, wit, and humour, it must be confeffed he is no more like the facetious Peter, than Liverpool to London, or " I to Hercules." Thefe affectionate epiftles contain much acrimony, addreffed to the Mayor of Liverpool, and a celebrated Liverpool Architect, whofe names, not being mentioned at full length, are likely to be deprived of that immortality which the poet intended for them. The following lines will equally tend to eftablish the author's claim to reputation, as a poet, and as a grammarian: Thou ne'er ufurps the freeman's right, P. 26. ART. 20. Modern Manners. A Poem, in Two Cantos. By Horace Juvenal. 4to. 4s. Evans. General fatire can fcarcely be mifplaced: the poet may be fecure in the fertility of crimes to find fome object, upon which the shaft, G 3 originally, |