ART. X. Sermons, by Charles Symmons, B.D. of Clare Hall, O UR language being enriched with fo many excellent difcourfes on every moral and religious topic, fenfible men have given it as their opinion, that our clergy may now be releafed from the labour of compofition, and allowed to deal forth inftruction to their parishioners from the public ftock. But we could never accede to this opinion, becaufe, in the firft place, it by no means appears that pulpit eloquence has reached fuch a ftate of perfection as the exertions of genius can no further improve, and because, in the next, it is a fentiment which tends to encourage idlenefs, and to juftify ignorance in a body of men, who, on every account, ought to be learned and active. A clergyman fhould be as much diftinguished from the laity, by the learning peculiar to his profeffion, as by his fable paraphernalia, and should defpife the idea of fhining in borrowed plumes. Appointed to teach the great truths of religion, it is his duty maturely to weigh them in his own mind, that he may literally bring forth out of his own treasures. And many would be the happy confequences were this generally practifed. Perhaps the diffipated and irregular lives of fome of our young clergy may in part be accounted for, from their having paid no regard to the compofition of their fermons. Strangers to ftudy, their thoughts, like those of the multitude, are never carried above the smoke and ftir of this dim fpot*, nor do thofe religious confiderations present themselves to their minds, which powerfully tend to counteract vicious propenfities, and to animate us in the pursuit of virtue. Minifters may often find better fermons than they can make, but those which are the refult of their own ferious meditations they will deliver with much more fpirit and effect; and what in our opinion is of infinite confequence, they will make a much deeper impreffion on their own minds, and contribute to render them alfo inftructors by example.-For these reasons we wish to see a fermon-making clergy. But while we would encourage them in theological compofition, we could wish to reftrain that rage for printing fermons which at present prevails. Every preacher who has acquired a little popularity, within, perhaps, a narrow circle, is folicited by his friends to prefent his works to the Public; and the fuccefs which has attended a few modern publications in this line, often gives effect to thefe folicitations. Hence, volume after volume has been poured forth from the prefs, in such rapid fucceffion, that fermons now appear in our booksellers fhops, "Thick as autumnal leaves that ftrew the brooks "In Vallombrofa" This abundance, added to the peculiar elegance with which the * Vid, page 125; where this allufion occurred to another Reviewer. moft moft serious fubjects are now treated, makes it difficult for a fermon-writer to engage the attention of the Public. Unlefs, therefore, his work has some striking excellence, he will acquire but little notice, reputation, or profit. The Sermons of Mr. Symmons will not probably be loft, and lie unnoticed amid the crowd. They are evidently the production of an elegant and improved mind; and though we have not been able to discover in them that novelty of firucture, which fome friends of the Author apprehended they poffeffed, we have read them with pleafure, and muft give them our praise. They are introduced by a fenfible preface (dashed with a little affected modefty, which we wifhed we could have blotted out), in which Mr. S. gives us a few fentiments on the compofition of a fermon, having been obliged, he tells us, to relinquith his original intention of opening his work with a profefled and regular Effay on the fubject. Some of his remarks accord with our ideas, but others we cannot allow to be juft. We must heartily join with him in condemning the modern practice of fubftituting, in the room of fermons, flimfy moral effays, of which the text is the only thing that evinces their having any connection with the facred writings; a mode of preaching which does not tend to explain the Scriptures, and which plays round the head, but comes not near the heart. No minifter, who fincerely wishes to do good, will adopt it. A fermon fhould contain an explanation of the text, nor can we fee any objection (notwithstanding what Mr. S. advances) to a regular and oftenfible divifion of it. We would by no means recommend the practice of our old divines of fplitting and ramifying a fubject into numerous divifions and fub-divifions; but ftill we would be advocates for the lucidus ordo, for an obvious method. Artfully to conceal the plan of a discourse may ferve to perplex, but can be of no real utility. On the other hand, a few judicious divifions tend to give the auditor a clear infight into the fubject propofed for difcuffion; they conftitute agreeable pauses, and ferve to roufe the drooping attention. Convinced of this, we cannot but lament when writers and preachers of any eminence, who may be fuppofed to influence the public tafte, endeavour to render the use of them unfashionable. The remark which Mr. Symmons offers in favour of a concealed method may found pretty, but is, in truth, nothing to the purpose the fence' (he fays) which is concealed is ef fectual for the feparating of the grounds, whilst it neither breaks by its interruption nor offends by its formality.' This is an obfervation worthy the notice of a man who is laying out a ferme ornée, but not of one who is making a fermon; for here the fence that is not obfervable, is no fence at all. But though our Author would diffuade from the ufe of oftenfible divifions, he forcibly recommends regularity of arrangement. Το To this, he has himself paid particular attention in the Sermons now before us, in which the reader will fometimes meet with bold and vehement figures, and generally with a warm and coloured ftyle.' Some of them were preached at Cambridge, but the greater number at Tichfield Chapel, in the parish of Marybone, and are on the following fubjects: Serm. I. is on the Civil, Moral, and Religious Advantages derived from Christianity, from If. ix. 2. Among the civil advantages derived from Chriftianity, the Author reckons the abolition of flavery. We heartily with that the Negroe-trade (that opprobrium of the Chriftian world) did not militate against his affertion. Serm. II. is on Death, from Heb. ix. 27. Here fpeaking of the pang which fome apprehend is to release the foul from the body, he makes the following remarks: The apprehenfion is not only unwarranted, but contradicted by reason. When death is not hurried on by accident or excefs, it is merely the repofe of wearied nature, the termination of decay. Its near approach is ufually covered with infenfibility, and of the man who comes to his grave in a full age, like as a fhock of corn cometh in bis feafon, it may with propriety be faid, that he fell asleep. Even where the confummation is haftened before infirmity gives the fignal to depart, we may reasonably fufpect that the ftruggles, which are fo alarming to the beholder, are very little felt by the expiring,-as it is certain, that in many fpecies of fits, when every limb is ftretched and haraffed by the most frightful fpafms, the patient himself is altogether unconscious of pain.' Serm. III. is on Human Difcontent, or the Duty of Submiffion to God, Rom. ix. 20. Serm. IV. and V. on the Death and Atonement of Chrift, 1 Cor. i. 23, 24. Serm. VI. is on the Refurrection, Kev. ii. 8. Serm. VII. has for its fubject, the Natural and Spiritual Man, 2 Cor. vi. 10. Sermons VIII. and IX. are on the Difpenfations of God, and the Chriftian Difpenfation, 1 Kings, xix. 11, 12. Serm. X. relates to the temporal Advantages of a religious Life, Prov. iii. 17. Serm. XI. is on the Birth, Dignity, and Character of the Meffiah, I. ix. 6. In this difcourfe we were furprised to find Mr. S. declaring against what is called the Double Senfe of Prophecies as a notion deftitute of proof;' when, in his firft Sermon, he explains and brings forward the text to our notice as a prophecy of double afpect.' Serm. XII. and last, expatiates on the Neceffity of confiant Attention to the religious Improvement of Life, If. lv. 6. As a further fpecimen of our Author's manner, we shall give the following extract from the 10th Sermon, on the temporal advantages of a religious life; which we think one of the best in the volume: In this world, pleasure and happiness are evidently diftinct, and the high tones of the former will not melt into concord with the fweet, flow, grave modulation of the latter. The leffon of temperance is is forcibly inculcated by our nature. Prefcribing to the appetites their limits of indulgence, to their tranfgreffion the annexes imme diate punishment; and bidding furfeit invariably follow excefs, and depreffion every riot of the spirits, fhe intimates with fufficient clearnefs, that we are not born to folicit our principal gratification from the sense. To be more affected with this truth, let us contemplate the man, who, expatiating over the wide field of pleafurable licence, defpifes the narrow fobriety of life; who, calling moderation weakness, and prudence fear, applauds himself on his triumph over those prejudices, as he is pleafed to call them, under which we tamely ftoop. But in what ftage of his luxurious progrefs are we indeed to envy him the pre-eminence of his delights of him it may properly be faid, that in the fulness of his fufficiency he is in ftraits. In the high tide of youth and of health, his fatisfaction is never genuine and unmingled,—even at this fanguine period, he muft experience fome anguish, and much fatiety and in the very fountain of enjoyment fomething of bitter will bubble up, and dafh it with diftaftefulnesseither he has violated the peace of families:-or (if the diftreffes of others cannot touch him), he has embarraffed his circumftances:-or he has endangered his perfon:-or he has fullied his reputation. Has he fortunately efcaped thefe caufes of uneafinefs ?-others prefs on him which he cannot evade. When the furrounding activity of life feizes on his attention, he fees the thousand hands of fociety in motion; each by contributing. to the general, advancing a right to its particular advantage. - His natural equals have left him behind his inferiors are by his fide, and pushing beyond him.-While ufelefs and ftationary he meets with neglect from the worldly-with pity and defertion from the good. In the purfuits of others, exercife is rewarded with ftrength; and fuccefs ufually with refpect-in his the firft is debility, and the laft contempt.-To others, fucceeding years, if they yield not all that may be fondly.expected from them, ftill bring with their hours fomething that is valuable.-To the bufy, more experienced wifdom. To the ftudious, larger information.-To the virtuous, easier felf-command, and brighter hopes.-To the voluptuary alone they offer no compenfation for their decay. To him they fupply nothing new they open no fresh fources of ideas :-they give no better profpects to hope,-but, converting appetite into fever, they affociate inflammation with weakness. And if they bring amendment nearer to his wish, they remove it further from his power. As over a blunter palate they pour the fame lufcious cup, they repeat the fame fad tale of life wafted; improvement loft;-degradation incurred;friends abandoned.' We cannot take our leave of this work without pointing out a few novelties of expreffion, which, we are perfuaded, the Author, when he confiders them, will not attempt to vindicate. Superogation + of neighbouring excellencies-The Great Creator remained undetected (a word exciting a very improper idea) amidft * Job, xx. 22, + We know of no fuch word. his works-The fighting attributes of God-Severity an accident of the Divine Nature-Flashes of the Saviour's Divinity-Mortality liable to diffolution-To difplay religion by a happier attitude. We have alfo obferved a number of typographical errors, especially in the punctuation, which the Author afcribes to a careless Printer. But these are all trifles, which cannot deftroy the merit of the work, and Mr. Symmons may ftill be the means, under the bleffing of God, of turning more than ONE* from the error of their ways to righteousness, and thus fave fouls from death. See the conclufion of the Preface. ART. XI. The Wrongs of Africa. A Poem. Part the First. 4to. 2 s. Faulder. 1787. ICTION is fometimes faid to be the foul of poetry. There are fubjects, however, in which fancy can scarcely pass beyond nature;-in which, consequently, the poet's office is rather to defcribe than to invent. The wrongs of Africa afford us a fubject of this kind. So numerous and horrid are the miferies created by that cruel fpecies of commerce, the flave trade, that the poet, in order to produce the ftrongest impreffion on the imagination and feelings of his readers, has only to follow the track of the hiftorian, and clothe plain facts in the dress of fimple and easy verfe. This task the Author of the present Poem has executed with judgment, tafte, and genius. The following extract may ferve as a fpecimen of this Writer's defcriptive powers, and elegant diction: Deep in the fhady covert of a wood, That fcreen'd from noon-day rage the flight-built bowers, To meet the threaten'd blow; whilft youth, alarm'd, Of fupplicating age was pour'd in vain: L -Fond |