French of the late Re fch as 1 ub ties i the i, the urtiers, hristian Five Readded an ish, King nch church paradoxical · point, he is ely, he whofe cience to apthe precepts of one; 1. because n of the law; 2. ite all the articles or, in other words, all the precepts of who violates the law Tuits him to do so. id at the court of king learned writer endeaught to be understood of e body, with the lofs of ipect to David, there was d. In conformity to this to feveral expreffions in the n improperly tranflated. er, the fubjects are treated nfe, for which the celebrated Lover of Concord. A Sermon 784, the Day appointed for the iam Backhoufe, D. D. 4to. 15. ifcourfe, adapted to the fituation ongregation, to which it was addreffed. forth before any creature existed, is the image of the Father's perfon, and the brightnefs of his glory, the revealer of his will, and the executer of all his purposes; that the Holy Spirit is the energy or effective power of the Father, manifested through the Son, to creatures in their creation, prefervation, and government; that the only begotten Son of God is the only mediator between God and man; that the father is now adminiftering, by Jefus Chrift, a difpenfation of grace and mercy, justice and truth, for the fanctification and falvation of mankind; that as the Father has delivered all things to Chrift, given him all power in heaven and in earth, all lawful authority must be derived from him, and thofe who reject his law, either in the conftitution, or adminiftration of government, having rejected his yoke, can have no fellowship with him; that it is the will of the Father that all fhould be quickened, renewed, reconciled, and delivered from the bondage of corruption; that fin and death fhall be utterly deftroyed, and all things fubjected to Chrift; and that Jehovah fhall finally rejoice in all his works, and be all in all. In an Appendix he explains the names applied to the Deity in the Hebrew Scriptures, Alehim, Jehovah, &c. and anfwers fome objections which may be urged against fome of the foregoing propofitions. In treating of thofe remarkable words, I am that I am,' Exod. iii. 14. he obferves, that the common tranflation has no meaning, or expreffes nothing more than what may be faid of any thing that exifts. But he tells us that if the words in the original are rendered, I will be what I fhould be,' they will convey an important meaning: that is, an intimation, that God will accomplish all his promifes. The author appears to be a perfon of learning and critical abilities; has taken infinite pains in collecting, arranging, and comparing texts of Scripture; and propofed his opinion, as every writer. fhould do on this exalted fubject, with diffidence and modesty. An Efay on the Scripture Account of the Efficacy of Baptifm; Faith in Chrift, his Obedience and Death to fave Men: attempted in a Difcourfe on Mark xvi. 16. Evo. 6d. Johnfon. This writer lays the foundation of his difcourfe on these words of Chrift, he that believeth and is baptized fhall be faved: from hence he endeavours to prove, that faith and baptifm are equally neceffary to falvation. He fupports his argument very ably. But its force and efficacy feem to be greatly invalidated, when we confider that owner, in the text, implies only admiffion into a ftate of falvation or fafety under the Gofpel; and that the final falvation of all Chriftians is to be effected, not by baptifm or faith only, but by a uniform obedience to the precepts of the Gofpel. Se, mons Sermons tranflated from the original French of the late Re James Saurin. By Robert Robinfon. Vol. IV. 8vo. 55. 3d. Dilly. This volume contains a fketch of Chriftian morality, fuch as the fermons of Mr. Saurin afford. Had the author drawn them up with a particular defign of exhibiting a full view of the fubject, he would have afforted and arranged ideas, which now lie difperfed and intermixed. However, the editor prefumes, the arrangement will appear neither improper nor unedifying. In thirteen fermons, the author illuftrates the following fubjects: the Neceffity of Univerfal Obedience, the great Duties of Religion, the fmall Duties of Religion, the Doom of the Righteous and the Wicked, God's Controverfy with Ifrael, the Harmony of Religion and civil Polity, the Lives of Courtiers, Chriftian Converfation, the Duty of giving Alms, Christian Heroism, Chriftiam Cafuiftry, the Neceffity of progreffive Religion, the moral Martyr. To these difcourfes is added an Effay on the Conduct of David at the Court of Achish, King of Gath, written by Mr. Dumont, paftor of the French church at Rotterdam, in a letter to Mr. Saurin. Mr. Saurin, as others have done, explains this paradoxical affertion of St. James, whoever offends in one point, he is guilty of all, upon these general principles: namely, he whose mind refolves to fin, and who forces his confcience to approve vice, while he commits it, fins against all the precepts of the law, while he feems to fin against only one; 1. because he fubverts, as far as he can, the foundation of the law; 2. because, although he may not actually violate all the articles of the law, yet he violates them virtually, or, in other words, his principles lead to an actual violation of all the precepts of the law; 3. because we may prefume, he who violates the law virtually, will actually violate it when it fuits him to do fo. In the apology for the conduct of David at the court of king Achish, mentioned 1 Sam. ch. 21. the learned writer endeavours to prove that the whole paffage ought to be understood of an epilepfy, a convulfion of the whole body, with the lofs of fenfe for the time; and that, with refpect to David, there was no madness, either real or pretended. In conformity to this idea, he gives a new interpretation to feveral expreflions in the original, which he thinks have been improperly tranflated. In this volume, as in the former, the fubjects are treated with that animation and good fenfe, for which the celebrated author was diftinguished. God the Author of Peace and Lover of Concord. A Sermon preached at Deal, July 29, 1784, the Day appointed for the General Thanksgiving. By William Backhoufe, D. D. 4to. 15. Robfon. This is a plain, practical difcourfe, adapted to the fituation and circumstances of the congregation, to which it was ad dreffed. dreffed. It is publifhed by the worthy and benevolent author, for the benefit of feven orphans; and we hope it will anfwer this most laudable purpose. A Sermon preached at Richmond, in Surry, on July 29th, 1784, the Day appointed for a General Thanksgiving on Account of the Peace. By Gilbert Wakefield, B. A. 8vo. 6d. Johnfon. The author takes a general view of the late calamitous war,' and the danger we have efcaped. He expatiates on the abufe of our national bleffings, and our depredations and oppreffions in India and Africa; and fhews what will be the beft acknowledgment for the goodness of divine Providence in the re-establishment of peace, and in lifting up once more the light of his countenance upon us.-In what, fays he very justly, can a kingdom confide, but in the virtue of its inhabitants? And where is our hope, but in the universal amendment of our lives, in a fincere and national reformation Though this is not an elaborate difcourfe, not having perhaps been originally intended for publication, it is written with a confiderable degree of genius and vivacity. The Miferies of War, and the Hope of Final and Univerfal Peace, fet forth in a Thanksgiving Sermon, preached at Colyton, in he County of Devon, July 29, 1784. By Jofeph Cornifh. 8vo. 6d. Robinfon. The author defcribes fome of the pernicious effects of war. He then confiders what reafons we have to hope, that a time will come, when the peace of mankind will never more be difturbed by wars. From feveral paffages of Scripture, which he produces, it is clear, he thinks, that the principles and ' doctrines of Chriftianity will univerfally prevail; and that, when this is the cafe, wars must cease. We have fome doubts refpecting the validity of this argu ment; as great allowances must be made for the highly figura. tive and hyperbolical expreffions of the Oriental prophets. However this may be, the following reafons, he apprehends, may lead us to hope, that nations will in time grow wifer than to devour one another: first, princes find by experience, that much is to be loft, and little to be gained, by war; 2dly, men grow lefs and lefs difpofed to draw their fwords in religious quarrels; and 3dly, war, instead of promoting the increase of trade, in many inftances, proves its deftruction. A Thanksgiving Sermon on Account of the late Peace. Preached at Benn's Garden Chapel, Liverpool, on the 29th July, 1784. By Robert Lewin. 8vo. 6d. Johnson. In this difcourfe, the preacher very properly represents to his auditors the two following propofitions: ft. that national Ens are objects of divine difpleasure; and 2dly, that the divine mercy, mercy, in fparing a people notwithstanding their offences, fhould be confidered with gratitude, as the only method to enfure God's future aid and protection. A Thanksgiving Sermon, preached July 29, 1784, at the Parish Church of Olney, Bucks. By Thomas Scott, 8vo. 6d. Johnson. This writer, in a plain discourse, addressed to a plain country congregation, among other falutary and pious exhortations, chiefly infifts on the reafons which the people of this nation have to be thankful. A MISCELLANEOU S. 1 The Shield of Achilles, tranflated from the French of Monfieur Court de Gebelin 4to. IS. Robinson. M. Court de Gebelin's opinion, on this fubject, is well known. It is one of the moft judicious interpretations of a difficulty, which fcarcely required a folution. Nothing is more certain, refpecting Homer, than that different parts of the Iliad and Odyffey were recited as difinct poems, and that they were afterwards collected. It is a difputed opinion, whether the poet had an original plan, and wrote them as entire works, or whether the different parts were defigned to be diftinct. It is on the former fuppofition, that the only difficulty can arise; and even then we must fuppofe Homer to have anticipated Horace's rule; and to have rejected what is not nicely adapted to the original intention. It is indeed more probable that the fubject was popular, and that he dilated it as an entertaining and interefting one, without any regard to thofe parts which preceded or followed. We have no objection to M. Court's interpretation, that it is a picturefque defcription of the Greek calendar, if it must be 'really tried on the ftatutes of the Stagyrite. It is however unfortunate that, in his elucidation of the Shield of Hefiod, the fame event should be deftined to reprefent January, which in that of Homer was confined to September. Thefe allegories may be eafily adapted to any period; and it may be truly faid, that as much decifive evidence has been brought to fupport one opinion as the other. Thefe fhould be leffons of exercise only, like the practice of a fencing or dancing fchool, to fit the mind for better employments. In themfelves they are of little con-fequence. The tranflation is careful and exact; but feldom rifes to elegance or fpirit A Syftem of Vegetables, tranflated from the thirteenth Edition of the Syftem Vegetabilium of the late Profeffor Linnæus, published by Dr. Murray, and from the Supplementum Plantarum of the prefent Profeffor Linnæus. By a Botanical Society. N° II, III, and IV. 8vo. 55. each. Leigh and Sotheby. Thefe three Numbers complete the work, which is executed with great care, and as much accuracy as could be expected from |