ART. IV. Sermons on practical Subjects. By the late Rev. Samuel Carr, D. D. Prebendary of St. Paul's, Rector of St. Andrew Undershaft, London, and of Finchley, Middlefex. Three Volumes. 8vo. Il. Is. Rivingtons. 1795

In

SO large a portion of mankind is abforbed in temporal attachments or religious indolence, fo many who know what is right are yet forgetful of it, that the admonitions of the preacher can never become fuperfluous, and they are received by many with more effect and impreffion, when reechoed in the clofet, than when delivered from the pulpit. For the fuccefsful exertion of this arduous tafk, it is neceffary to avoid the two equally injudicious extremes of fubtle difquifition, or loofe and declamatory elocution; for want of which caution, the folid tenor of evangelical gravity has too often been facrificed to the glare of rhetoric, or the oftentation of acuteness. It is on this confideration that we welcome, with no ordinary pleasure, the publication of the volumes before us. They embrace a copious arrangement of fubjects,' abounding for the most part in practical intereft, and difcuffed with foundnefs and familiarity. The fpecies of reafoning is univerfally fuch as the intelligent mind is accustomed to require; and the flyle is embellished with thofe temperate ornaments, which increafe its beauty, without deftroying its fimplicity.

It would be crowding our pages unneceffarily to cite the variety of fubjects upon which thefe difcourfes turn. They confift, as we have already stated, in a judicious felection of topics, calculated for general information, and amount in number to fixty-five. We cannot, however, omit to particuJarize a series of difcourfes upon the Lord's Prayer. The propriety of understanding this invaluable composition, demands, with ferious minds, but little enforcement; but the frequency of ufe diminishes the force of that admiration, with which it muft, upon deliberate examination, be received. Dr. Carr has introduced his obfervations upon this prayer by two remarks, illuftrative of its general tendency and character.

"Before I enter upon the confideration of the particular parts, of which this excellent prayer is compofed, it may not be improper to make two general remarks:

First, That it was intended for all capacities, and, therefore, is plain and fimple:-it was intended for all degrees, high and low, rich and poor, and is, therefore, comprehenfive, and expreffive of the wants of all-and, at the fame time, it is fhort; teaching us

thereby,

thereby, that the God to whom we addrefs ourfelves wants no information; and alfo, that not the length, but the fincerity, of our petitions, will be regarded by him.

"Secondly, I would remark, that the feveral parts of this prayer are difpofed in the wifest and most becoming order. It is addrefled to God, our heavenly Father: his honour and veneration are therefore, fitly, first confider'd. We pray, that his name may be hallowed by men, his kingdom enlarged, and his will done upon earth, with the fame alacrity as it is done in heaven. And, having thus declared our zeal for God's glory, we next pray to him for a fupply to our own wants and infirmities, as well for the body as the foul that he will fupply our daily neceffities with daily fupport; that he will forgive us thofe paft fins, which wound and lacerate our confciences, and guard us from thofe future affaults, which may endanger our virtue. And, laftly, we acknowledge his power to do all this, by declaring him the fovereign Lord, to whom belongs the kingdom, power, and glory, for ever and ever." Vol. I. P. 100.

The author then enters into a minute inveftigation of the respective petitions; and illuftrates, in eight difcourfes, the practical leffons with which it abounds. As the limits of our

work will not admit of various extracts, we fhall lay before our readers the close of the last difcourfe on this fubject, as it prefents a fummary of the author's obfervations on the whole of the prayer, and affords a very fufficient fpecimen of his general merits.

"With trembling feet, and at an awful diftance, I have thus far prefumed to follow the fteps of Omnipotence, and to explain the divine language of Him, who fpake as never man fpake: it now only remains, therefore, for me briefly to recall to your memories the fubftance of what I have before_faid in a more full and comprehenfive manner, and to give what I conceive to be the fenfe of this divine prayer, in a fhort paraphrafe upon it.

"Thou, God-who art our Father, and therefore moft willingwho art in heaven, and therefore moft able, to relieve the wants of thy diftreffed children upon earth; I acknowledge thy divine power and authority, with all the reverence and humility becoming a wretched and finful creature: yet, emboldened by that paternal kindness, by which thou haft permitted me to cry, Abba, Father, I dare to look up from earth to heaven;-to raife my voice in prayer, from this region of fin and mifery to that throne of ineffable majefty, on which thou haft been feated to all eternity.

"But, let me not prefume to utter my own wants, till I have expreffed that veneration, which is due to thy adorable effence and attributes: may, therefore, thy name be hallowed! may it never be uttered but with pure and hallowed lips! may it be known and adored by all the nations of the world! may thy divine majetty be above all things glorified and honoured! and may whatever more immediately relates to thee or thy fervice, ever be treated with becoming decency and refpect!

"Yet,

Yet, where, alas! is that decency and refpect to be found where, rather, is not thy name defpifed, and thy authority trampled upon, by open wickedness or fecret hypocrify, by careless indifference or avowed infidelity? To correct, therefore, this rebellious temper of thy prefumptuous creatures, may thy kingdom come! Make all the world to acknowledge the kingdom of thy dear Son, by embracing his doctrine, and obeying his precepts; rule in our hearts by thy kingdom of grace, that we may live as becometh the Gospel of Chrift; and hatten thy kingdom of glory; that, when this life is ended, we, with all thefe that are departed in the true faith and fear of Chrift, may reign with thee in glory for ever. And in order to this, may thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven! May we patiently fuffer whatever thou art pleafed to lay upon us, in our paffage through this vain and tranfitory world; ever looking up to our great Exemplar, who, in the midft of agony unlupportable, was enabled to cry out, Not my will, but thine be done! And may thy frail creatures on earth, in proportion to their firength and abilities, endeavour to exe cute thy commands with the fame faithfulness and alacrity, as they are done by the holy angels and minifters in heaven; who cafe not, day and night, to encircle thy throne, and are ever on the wing to perform the facred mandates of their great Matter.

"But, though we cannot be thus perfect in our obedience, yet we know, thou wilt not be extreme to mark what is done amifs ;-thou wilt pity what thou canst not approve; and wilt not leave us deftitute, though we have no right to thy favour. Relying, therefore, on that gracious difpofition, whofe nature and property is ever to have mercy, we farther request thee to give us this day our daily bread. Below upon us, little as we deferve them, the neceffaries and conveniencies of a mortal body, which, day by day, our various wants and infirmities oblige us to call for;-and ftill more efpecially, give us, day by day, that better bread of life, which is neccilary for the fupport of our immortal fouls here, and without which we muft die eteruaily.

And whilft we thus bend the knee to thee for a fupply of our own wants, O melt our hearts to a tender confideration of the wants of others. Teach us to pity and comfort thofe afflicted thousands, whofe hard lot is mifery and diftress, and whofe unfheltered nakedness is expofed to the cold winds of heaven, and the piercing calls of unfatisfied hunger.

"And, fince in this mortal state we cannot be free from fin, fuffer us to request from thee the forgiveness of that fin :-Forgive us our refpatles, our trefpaffes against thee, a God-even as we forgive the trefpafles and infirmities of men, weak and fallible like ourfelves.

I know, O gracious Father, that my tranfgreffions against thee are many: I feel, therefore, the neceffity of thy forgivenels, without which I can have no comfort here, and mifery mult be my portion hereafter. I know, too, that thou haft promifed that forgiveness on the condition only of my forgiving others their trefpaffes: I do, therefore, with gratitude and joy, accept the gracious condition: I do now in thy prefence, to whom all hearts are open, from the bottom of my heart forgive all thofe, who have injured me in thought, word, of

dead;

deed; and I refolve to make this readiness to forgive the leading principle of my conduct through life, even as I hope to find forgivenefs at that awful hour, when naked and defenceless before thy throne, I can have no hope or refuge-no anchor of my foul-but in that mercy, which thou haft promised through Chrift to the gentle and forgiving.

But ah! what have I faid? Can I hope, then, to preserve this unfinning obedience? Dare i prefume thus far on the frailty of human nature? Alas! whilft I do in all fincerity thus profefs to make thy law the rule of my conduct, I know, O God, whereof we are made-I remember that we are but duft. Oftrengthen me, therefore, by thy aid in these holy refolutions ;-fuffer me not to be tried above what I am able to bear;--fuffer not my weakness to be enfnared by the temptations of the world, the flesh, or the devil;-give me not up in anger to the power of my own heart's lufts, by which, without thy aid, I am fure to be overcome; but either keep me from the hour of temptation, or by thy grace and prefence fupport me under it.

"And deliver us from evil :-from that evil one, who is daily feeking whom he may devour;-from the evil and mifchief of fin;-and from the evil of mifery; that is, thy wrath and everlasting damnation, which is ever the confequence of fin.

"And this, we acknowledge, thou art able to do: For thine is the kingdom; the authority and right of dominiou over all, whether men or things:-Thine is the power; the ability and strength to command all:-Thine is the glory; the glory and honour of all that is perfect, excellent, or amiable in the world; and that, not only at prefent, but through all ages-from everlafting to everlafting, for ever and

ever.

"Let all the people, with united hearts and voices, fay, Amen!

"And may that God, who fitteth fupreme in heaven, ever condefcend to hear and grant our petitions, whenever we address him in the words of this divine prayer, through the merits of Jefus Chrift our Lord." P.231.

Ani

We cannot take our leave of these elegant and inftructive difcourfes, without beltowing upon them our moft liberal and decided commendations. They feem, in our judgment, to poffefs all the important requifites for family lectures. mated without enthufiafm, and ingenious without fubtlety; they prefent an equal feaft to the understanding and the heart; and may justly be confidered as a very valuable accellion to the voluminous, yet imperfect flock of domeftic divinity.

ART, V. Montalbert. A Novel. By Charlotte Smith. In three Volumes. 12mo. 125. Low. 1795.

WE have before expreffed our admiration of the fertility of

this lady's imagination. This novel ftrengthens the remark, For, although by an accident, the critique upon it has

been

been for fome time delayed, Montalbert followed the Banished Man with steps uncommonly precipitate. Yet the work bears but few marks of hafte in the compofition; unless perhaps in its catastrophe, which a little leifure might perhaps have guided nearer to the coaft of poetical juftice.

In the early part of her work, the novelift has given full fcope to her fatirical turn; the characters of an impudent, important, country attorney; an empty, rakish, young divine; and of a vulgar, uninformed, country clergyman's family, are given with great humour, and with traits that real obfervation will fometimes verify. In general, indeed, fatire prevails throughout the work; and fhe has not even fpared the hero of the piece, Montalbert; whofe pride, infolence, and jealoufy, make him fo exceedingly difagreeable to the reader, that he not only wonders at his fuccefs with Rofalie, the nymph of the tale, but feels, at the close of the novel, a fenfation of anger at the lady, who difpofes of all their deftinies, for the allotment of happinefs to her fullen, faturnine favourite, and of folitary wretchednefs to the amiable Walfingham, who, almost alone, among the perfons of the drama, can be faid to have merited happiness.

Rofalie is moulded on this entertaining novelift's favourite model. Unadorned by any of thofe accomplishments, which the world in general fuppofes neceffary towards the formation of a girl of fathion; bred too in a family, where the can neither profit by precept or example; the ftill, by dint of a good understanding, and a naturally graceful perfon, makes and fecures conquefts, which might have efcaped the highly educated beauty.

If we add to thefe portraits that of the melancholy Mrs. Vyvyan, whofe tale is replete with horror, and whofe continual fufferings more than balance her errors, the fkeleton of the work is in our hands. The vacancies are pleatingly filled up with eafy, familiar converfation, and with the most interesting imagery. Mrs. Vyvyan, in her fortunes and character, bears a very strong, though probably an accidental refemblance, to Lady Crowbery, in Mr. Cumberland's novel of Henry. The circumstances are interefting, and are well depicted by both writers; nor does it feem reafonable to fufpect, that Mrs. S. whofe mind has fuch inventive powers, would borrow from a novel fo well known, and fo little prior to her own in the time of publication.

The defcription of the earthquake at Meffina, and of the terrors of Rofalie when confined at Formifcufa, are in the author's beft manner. It were indeed to be wifhed, for the credit of her pathetic pen, that thefe fcenes could be introduced

among