the districts which he vifited, by Queen Anne's bounty: "There "were chapels," fays he, "endowed with not more than forty, and fome with twenty fhillings a year, in which, when any duty was done, it was performed by a layman, perhaps "very illiterate. But, by the help of the bounty, aided by "fome contributions, they are now able to fupport regularly "ordained ministers, who are generally of irreproachable lives "and characters, and not without a competent fhare of knowledge and fome of them are really learned, though few of "them have feen an univerfity. As they live in a cheap country, at a distance from the great world, and its ambitious views, they appear contented and happy." In 1783, the late Lord Guildford, then Lord North, the worthy Chancellor of Oxford, whofe memory there, as elfewhere, must be ever cherished with affection, with proper and unfolicited regard to his pretenfions, propofed, to his acceptance, the Divinity Profefforship, then vacant by the death of Dr. Wheeler, which, with unaffected diffidence, and confcious of his declining years, Dr. Townfon gratefully, but refolutely, refufed. After an important life, dedicated to literature, and to the great objects of his profeffion, in which he difplayed the virtues, and promoted the influence of religion, he died of a dropfy, attended with an asthma, on Sunday, the 15th of April, 1792, at Malpas, to the fincere affliction of the parishioners, whofe minds he had enlightened, and whofe affections he had engaged. His labours in divinity were continued to the last; and Dr. Churton, in his account, has furnifhed us with a felection of his Criticisms on the Sacred Text, which display a great depth of reflection, and great accuracy of judgment, The confideration of a life fo important has led us, perhaps, too long from the work to which the account of that life is prefixed: we now, therefore, haften to give our account of that production. The Difcourfe begins with an Introduction, in which we are furnished with a fummary view of the 12 Sections into which the work is divided: we are then prefented with an Harmony of the Four Evangelical Accounts of our Saviour's Refurrection, placed in four parallel columns, with a collateral Paraphrafe ; and this part is followed by feparate Obfervations on each Section, extremely important in themfelves, and very illuftrative of the circumftances to which they relate. The author fometimes. takes the liberty in the Paraphrafe, and fucceeding Obfervations, of departing a little from our very valuable tranflation, where it is of confequence that the original fhould be fomewhat more literally rendered. He profeffes to tread nearly in the footsteps of Mr. Weft; but he enforces his reafoning by new confidera tions, and certainly illuftrates his accounts by new arrangement, and by the introduction of fome explanatory particulars. Inferted with this view, we find a very learned examination of the form of the holy fepulchre, explained by a plan; and a reprefentation of a part of Jerufalem: the latter taken from the plan of Villalpandus, Whofe map, with the addition of the houfes from Cotovicus, illuftrates," as Dr. Townfon obferves, the incidents of the morning of the refurrection, as if fabricated for that very purpose:" and yet, we may venture to affirm that thefe learned men had not the most diftant idea of the ufe to which their defigns would be found applicable. Dr. Townfon accurately difcriminates the refpective particulars of the three days of our Saviour's crucifixion and refurrection, minutely confiders every circumftance in the different relations, reconciles the apparent inconfiftencies; accounts for particular omiflions, and furnishes a clear aud confiftent history, confirmed by confiderations and reprefentations, in which much learning is difplayed, without any parade: we hope therefore to hear no more on the exploded theme of irreconcileable difcordances in the Evangelical Accounts of the Refurrection; "Since," as Dr. Townfon remarks, "the variations which are fuppofed to " abound, in this part, particularly, of the writings of the facred penmen, are among the proofs that we have the hiftory of "our Lord's refurrection in its original ftate. Any changes "made in it, would have been fuch as were imagined best fuited "to reduce their narrations to a more evident agreement with "each other." "Each of them," fays our author in another place," has a peculiarity of method and defign in treating the fame argument; contracting or enlarging, omitting or add"ing, and fetting the fame object in a different point of light, "as his own propofed method and defign led him. Yet a fpi"rit of accurate confiftency runs through their works thus di"verfified: fo that, fitly framed together by a fkilful hand, "they unite into a body of hiftory that is harmonious in all "its conftituent parts; and to what can this be afcribed, but "to the energy of the original before them? But there is no "original or pattern to the first authors of hiftorical relation, "to bring and keep them to this perpetual confent, under dif"ferent views, and in the fmall and lefs obfervable, as well as the more ftriking features of that which is delineated by "them, except the real exiftence of it. "Such therefore, that is, facts really exiftent in time, place, "and manner, as they are defcribed, were, with the other "parts of this holy hiftory, the refurrection, the appearance, " and the afcenfion of our Lord Jefus Chrift." Two Two Indexes, one of the texts of fcripture, the other of perfons and things, complete this important work. The nature of the difcourfe itself not being fuch as to require, or conveniently to admit of many extracts, we do not fcruple to infert, from the Life, the following Alcaic Ode, written by the author, in the year 1749, on the death of his friend and school-master, Mr. Wyatt : "O Alma Virtus, læta capeffere "Te, Diva, fan&tum confilium, et tuum Crito, juventutis togatæ Ingenuas animare mentes, Amore magnæ laudis; et ingenî "Critona morent exanimem boni; "Affixa, mœfto non fine carmine, Life, p. xi. The expreffion of "ingeni ciere lumen, lumine de fuo," contains an elegant allufion to the famous lines of Ennius, "Homo qui erranti," &c.-There are other merits obfervable in the compofition, and very little that can be liable to objection. It is pleafing to fee fome fhare of the lighter graces of literature, united with the more important qualities or accomplishments of the mind. ART. XX. Contemplations on the Sacred Hiftory, altered from the Works of Bishop Hall, by George Henry Glaffe, M. A. Rector of Hanwell, Middlefex, late Student of Chrift Church, Oxford. 4 vols. fmall 8vo. 16s. fewed. Faulder. THE HE merits of Bishop Hall are original genius, and fervent piety; his defects are thofe of his time, prolixity, quaintnefs, affectation. To preferve the former for the admiration and and edification of more critical and lefs pious times; and to remove the latter, with every injudicious admixture of topics likely to create offence rather than to inftruct, is to render an effential fervice to the cause of piety. By very confiderable omiffions, by occasionally confolidating two or three contemplations into one, by omitting fome, tranfpofing the parts of others, and fo changing the language, as to make it not only intelligible but plealing to a modern reader, Mr. Glaffe has extracted from the work of Bifhop Hall a religious manual, which will undoubtedly be well received by no finall part of the community; by all who wish to turn their own thoughts, or the attention of their families, to topics of the first importance, and in a manner very pleafing. We read the facred hiftories, and we pass by them too often without much reflection. Such meditations point out in each narrative the matter most worthy of regard, and the deductions fitteft to be drawn from them. The additions made by the prefent editor appear to be in general judicious, and the 103d Contemplation, which is wholly written by him, affords an inftance of fuccessful imitation. The most effectual method of conveying a general notion of the plan and execution of this work, appears to be to give a fpecimen of the original, and then to fubjoin the alteration of it as given by Mr. Glaffe. The fecond and third of the Bishop's contemplations are entitled, of man and of Paradife. Thefe two Mr. G. hast formed into one, under the title of PARADISE; the first three pages of which contain the fubftance of that on man. Bishop Hall; But (O God!) what a little Lord haft thou made over this great world. The leaft corn of fand is not fo fmall to the whole earth as man is to the heaven: when I fee the heavens, the fun, moon and ftars; O God, what is man? who would think that thou fhouldeft make all thefe creatures for one? and that one well neer the leaft of all? yet none but he can see what thou hast done; none but he can admire and adore thee in what he feeth; how had he need to do nothing but this, fince he alone must doe it? Certainly the price and vertue of things confift not in the quantity: one diamond is more worth than many quarries of ftone, one loadstone hath more vertue than mountains of earth: it is lawfull for us to praise thee in ourselves: all thy creation hath not more wonder in it then one of us; other creatures thou madeft by a fimple command; man, not without a divine confultation: others at once; man, thou didst firft form, then infpire others in several shapes, like to none but themselves; man, after thine own image; others with qualities fit for fervice; man, for dominion. Man had his name from thee; they had their names from man. How fhould we be confecrated to thee above all others, others, fince thou haft bestowed more coft on us then others? What fhall I admire first? thy providence in the time of our creation? or thy power and wisdom in the act? First, thou madeft the great houfe of the world, and furnifheft it; then thou broughteft in thy tenant to poffeffe it. The bare walls had been too good for us, but thy love was above our defert. Thou that madeft the earth ready for us before we were, haft, by the fame mercy, prepared a place in heaven for us, whiles we are on earth. The ftage was first fully prepared, then man was brought forth thither as an actor or fpectator, that he might neither be idle nor difcontent: behold thou haft addreffed an earth for ufe, and heaven for contemplation: after thou hadst drawn that large real map of the world, thou didft thus abridge it into this little table of man; he alone confifts of heaven and earth, foule and body. Even this earthly part, which is vile in comparison of the other, as it is thine (O God!) I dare admire it, though I can neglect it as raine own; for, lo! this heap of earth hath an outward reference to heaven: other creatures grovell down to their earth, and have all their fenfes intent upon it: this is reared up towards heaven, andhath no more power to look befide heaven, then to tread befide the earth." Then follows a long detail of the various parts of the body, after which the author proceeds: "Yet this body, if it be compared to the foule, what is it, but as a clay wall that encompaffes a treafure, as a woodden box of a jeweller; as a coorse case to a rich inftrument; or as a maske to a beautifull face! Man was made laft, because he was worthieft, The foule was infpired laft, because yet more noble. If the body have this honor to be the companion of the foule, yet withal it is the drudge. If it be the inftrument, yet alfo the clog of that divine part, &c,” This, with the remainder of the fecond Contemplation, to the amount of more than two folio pages, is thus given, and condenfed by Mr. Glaffe; "But, O God, what a little lord haft thou made over this great world! When I fee the heavens, the fun, moon, and ftars, Lord, what is man? Yet none but he can fee what thou haft done; none but he can admire and adore thee in what he feeth: how had he need to do nothing but this, fince only he can do it! "It is lawful for us to praife thee in ourfelves. All thy creation hath not more wonder in it, than one of us. Other creatures thou madeft by thy mere command; man, by a divine confultation others at once; man thou didst first form, then infpire: others in feveral fhapes man, in thine own image others, with qualities fit for fervice; man, for dominion. How fhould we be confecrated to thee above all others, fince thou haft thus diftinguifhed us above all! First, thou didit create the world, and furnish it; then broughte thou in thy tenant to poffefs it. Thou that madeft the earth ready for us before we had a being, haft by the fame mercy decorated a place |