tice; and all its peculiar truths, fo far as they concern us, have a practical tendency: whereas, it is too apparent, that a great deal of fpeculation and refinement do fometimes rather pave the way to fcepticism, infidelity and even to atheism, than produce any folid effects for the fervice of our fellow-creatures. These reflections, with others, naturally arofe in our minds while perufing this volume :-but we fhall now close the article by prefenting to our readers fome extracts from these difcourses, which we are perfuaded will be received with pleasure. In the conclufion of the fermon on the parable of the Rich Man, are the following reflections:

"But God fays unto him, Thou fool, this night thy foul Thall be required of thee; then whofe fhall thofe things be, which thou haft provided " not thine own most certainly; and yet, having made no other provifion for thyfelf than thofe earthly goods, which are this very night to be refigned for ever, what must neceffarily be thy portion, but difappointment, remorfe, fhame, vexation and miferie?" In the place where the tree falleth, there it fhall lie." A faying of Solomon, which, if it be applied at all to the future state of mankind, must neceffarily carrie in it this important meaning: according to the prevailing taste and relish, with which a man leaves the prefent, and enters upon an invisible state of being, mult be his happiness or his miferie there. If it be a temper, a tafte, a relish, futed to the enjoyments and pleasures of that other ftate, then will happiness undoubtedly be his lot. If it be a tafte, a difpofition of mind, accommodated only to the prefent world, how is it poffible that he should be happie, when the prefent world is with refpect to him no more? Or how can he be otherwife than miferable, in confequence of the reflexions, which he will then be forced to makę upon his own egregious follie in fuffering himself to enter upon another ftate without having once confidered, wherein his happiness in fuch a state, could only, and muit needs conut? Were any of us to think only of removing in a little time into fome other part of this habitable globe, where the feafons of the year are extremely dif ferent from what they are in thefe British ifles; the heat, or the cold, vastly more intenfe; fhould we not be very folicitous to make our preparations accordingly? And fhould we not find our neglect of doing fo, prodigiously inconvenient when we arrived there? This I mention as fome faint illuftration of the neceffitie of a man's being poffeffed of an holie and virtuous temper at the time of his quitting this world, in order to his participating in the happiness of the next. Were it poffible that we could in this world be equally happie; what ever might be our internal or moral character, yet still how evident, when we take into confideration another ftate, in which neither the love of pleasure, nor the love of wealth, can have any other influ ence, but to heighten our miferie and diftrefs, and into which we are everie moment liable to be fummoned, that virtue must be our only wife and confiftent choice, the grand and ultimate object, if we would confult aright our own trueft felicitie and good, of all our aims and all our wishes; and that this is a purfuit to be inflantly engaged in, if not already entered upon, and with unabating diligence

and

and perfevering alacritie to be profecuted and carried on? May it never be the lot of any one here prefent, when this awful fummons fhall be given, to fay to himself, "thou fool, whofe fhall thofe thing, be, which thou haft" fo anxiously "provided!"

On the parable of the builder we find the following just and animated obfervations:

- If ferious reflexion and mature deliberation be indeed of fuch vaft importance, in order to our engaging with confiftencie and proprietie in the profeffion of religion, and in the purfuit of virtue, then certainly and upon the fame general foundation fuch reflexion and deliberation muil be highly neceffarie before we reject religion and difcard the obligations of moralitie. Whether religion be true or not, it is at least infinitely defireable, that it fhould be fo. Who, that makes any pretenfions to being a reasonable creature, can poffibly queftion or difpute the wide and boundlefs difference between the government of a wife and eternal deitie, prefiding over all the affairs of the world, fuftaining its order, directing its events, able to uphold our fouls in existence throughout the endless ages of immortalitie, and difpofed by the free and inexhaustible benevolence of his nature to make us everlaftinglie happie; and the blind dominion of univerfal chance? Confcious as we must be of our abfolute inabilitie to fupport our own exiftence for a fingle moment, what inexpreffible horror must there be in the imagination, that there is no other being in nature, upon whom we can depend for the prefervation of it? Is it poffible then, that any one fhould give a more flagrant proof either of his ftupiditie or of his madness, than muft appear in his entertaining fuch an imagination, without having made the fubject of a deitie and of a providence, the matter of his most diligent and thoughtful enquirie? But is there fo much as any appearance of this in numbers, who fpeak and feem to think upon this fubject, as if they believed in neither?, The implicit fubmiffion of the understanding to the direction of others, fo much exclaimed againft, as fuppofed to be the method in ufe among the believers in religion, and with which indeed many fuch are but too juftly chargeable, is however far from being peculiar to them. An implicit infidel, whether with refpect to Chriftianitie in particular, or religion in general, is now no uncommon character. Numbers there are, who by no means think it neceffarie to enquire into this matter, but take it for granted upon the folemn word of their guides and leaders, that Chriftianitie is a fable and religion a jeft. But furely fuch perfons as thefe, if they will acknowledge no other obligation, must be bound at least for their own fakes, unless they have given up, along with other principles, even that of felf-love and a concern for their own happinefs, not to trifle in a matter of this infinite moment, nor to think of difcarding religion by a few witty fayings founded upon principles, which they themselves have never made the fubject of one ferious or deliberate thought. If poffibly I fhould now be addreffing myfelf to any fuch, I most folemnly admonish you, that, if you must be unbelievers, you be fo upon principle, And for your own fakes let the fault lie wholly in the error of your underftanding, and not in the corruption, pride, vanitie and prefumption of your hearts. "Count" well the coft," ere you pretend

to

to build your hopes, or rather your rejection of all hope, upon the denial of religion. As a profeffed and public advocate in its caufe, I am not afraid to call you to the freeft examination of its principles. Indeed, all that I fear is, that you will not be free; that fome abfurd, and as in fuch a cafe as this, we must call it, impious, affectation of fingularitie, fhould biafs yonr inquiries, or the prevailing influence of fome fenfual and inordinate affection fhould incline you to "fay in your hearts," even before you can have had time to fay it in the real conviction of your understanding, "that there is no God." And having mentioned this, let me conclude my short but fincere addrefs to you, with obferving, that how great foever may have been your former fins, or is the prefent depravitie of your tempers, this is fo far from being a reafon for your renouncing a deitie, that on the contrary, you may think with infinite pleasure of refering yourfelves to his forgiving mercy. For, if there be indeed a God, he is a God merciful and forgiving. You cannot avert his wrath by prefumptuously denying his existence. But you may do it by repentance, and the denial of your own irregular and vitious inclinations.'

In the difcourfe on the parable of Dives and Lazarus, among other things, it is obferved, that one particular which it plainly points out to our obfervation is, the immediate tranfition of the foul at our departure out of this world, into a ftate either of happiness or miferie.' I know, indeed, (the Author fays) that the argument drawn from this parable, in favour of the feparate confcioufnefs or existence of the foul in a future ftate, has been confidered by fome as being no way conclufive, on account of its being deduced from a parabolical reprefentation. But it is to be remembered, that there are in fcripture two kinds of parables. Of the one kind are those, which are formed by way of allufion or fimilitude to the common objects or common occurrences of life; fuch as that of the marriagefeaft, the talents, the vine-yard, and the like. Others of them are formed after the narrative manner, and confist of some fictitious ftorie or relation, fuch as that of the man whofe goods were increased, -and this of Dives and Lazarus. In the former there are several circumftances introduced, that are purely ornamental;-in the other, there is no neceffitie of introducing thefe merely ornamental or purely connecting circumftances: they therefore feem to require a greater ftrictness in the explication of them: though it is not to be imagined, that even in thefe, everie minute circumftance of the ftotie was intended to convey fome diftinct or feparate truth. It is likewise to be observed, that in parables of everie kind there are always fome principal and leading circumftances, which are pointed out, partly by the formation and structure of the parable itself, and partly by thofe general maxims of religion and fentiments of Chrif tianitie, upon which they are all in common founded. Now, as to that before us, it must furely be evident to everie one, that a main and principal point intended to be reprefented by it, is that wide, effential difference, which is to take place in a future flate between the profligate, licentious, or avaricious rich, and the fober, honest, and virtuous poor. In defcribing this difference, our Saviour gives not the leaft intimation of any diftant period, at which it fhould

commence,

commence, nor hints at any circumftance or event, which can at all contribute towards directing our thoughts to any fuch period. But thus he expreffes him felf: "The beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bofom. The rich man alfo died, and was buried; and in hell, he lifted up his eyes, being in torments." Can any thing more naturally or ftrongly than this implie the fuppofition of a continued confcioufnefs, notwithstanding the diffolution of the body by death, as of a well-known, univerfally received, and undoubted truth?'

On the concluding words of this parable," If they believe not Mofes and the prophets, neither will they be perfuaded though one rofe from the dead," we find fome very ftriking and pertinent reflections, of which our limits will allow us to give our readers only a brief fpecimen. The words (fays our Author) convey to us this important fentiment; that whatever difficulties there may be attending this or that particular and extraordinarie inftitution of religion, whatever may be our own doubts concerning it, there are ftill certain plain, common and univerfal principles and obligations of a religious nature, which are abundantly fufficient for the moral regulation of our conduct, and for being a juft and equitable ground of our condemnation, if we neglect to govern it accordingly. From hence the corrupt and profligate part of mankind, who may be difpofed to licentious principles for the fake of giving the better countenance to their licentious practices, may very ufefully learn, that they will by no means be able to furnish themfelves with any fufficient excufe or palliation for their wickednefs, merely by throw ing away their bibles. Can they obliterate the perfections of the eternal Deitie? Can they deftroy that relation which they ftand in to him as his creatures, and as the fubjects of his moral government? Can they throw a veil over the face of nature, fo as to fcreen from their own eyes the evidence, which it affords us of the divine existence, perfections and providence? Can they deftroy their own rational and moral constitution, and make themselves anew? Can they give the mighty ftream of happiness a different course from that in which God himfelf has ordained it to flow? or alter his eternal law, that virtue, virtue only fhall be our fovereign good? Are they able to prove, that Deitie neither will nor can continue the exilence of mankind beyond the grave? let them do this, and let them enjoy the honour of being confiftent profligates. But let them not imagine that they can vacate the obligations of religion, or the importance of its principles, by furnishing themselves with a few trite and infignificant objections against the Chriftian institution of

it.'

It is farther added in connection with the above mentioned text:Though the gospel of Chrift did not firit conftitute religion. yet is it the higheft, the nobleft, the best adapted means we can poffibly conceive of inculcating its principles, of enforcing its obligations, and of impreffing them with their proper influence and all their vital energie upon the mind; fo as to enlighten, to paritie, to exalt it;. to raise it above mean, worldly and fordid pations, to inspire it with an heavenly tafte and relish, and to promote our perpetually advancing meetnefs for the realms of heavenly and everlafting joy.

Since this article was drawn up, Mr. B. has published his 3d and 4th volumes; but we have not yet had an opportunity of perufing them.

ART. III. A Treatise on the Dysentery: with a Defcription of the Epidemic Dyfentery that happened in Switzerland in the Year 1765. Tranflated from the original German of John George Zimmerman, M. D. Phyfician in Ordinary to his Britannic Majefty at Hanover, by C. R. Hopfon, M. D. 8vo. 4 s. bound. Riving

ton. 1771.

F

ROM this treatife it appears, that a putrid fever had raged for a confiderable time in feveral parts of Switzerland, and particularly in the canton of Bern: that the dysentery fucceeded this fever, and was likewife accompanied with the fever: that there was an evident analogy between the dyfentery and the preceding putrid fever that the cause of both was a putrefaction of the juices; and that, in the dysentery, a corrupt, putrid, and bilious matter was lodged in the ftomach and intestines.

The following is Dr. Zimmerman's hiftory of the epidemic dyfentery:

It made its first appearance in the month of June; in Auguft and September rofe to its highest pitch; in the beginning of October loft ground in all parts; and in the middle of this month, generally speaking, made its exit. Though ftill, in the middle of November, fome here and there were feized with this disorder; and even during the fevereft cold in December, and January 1765, I faw people who were attacked by a gentle dyfentery: in like manner, about this time, under the fame conftitution of the air, the putrid fever, as it is called among us, and particularly the putrid pleurify, began their ravages, principally in Lausanne, and extended them wide around as far as our canton, and the neighbouring provinces of UpperAuftria and Swabia.

Many were taken with this malady, without the leaft preceding fymptom, and that chiefly in defperate cafes; in others, it gave tokens of its approach before-hand, and came on by degrees.

All those who were violently difordered, were feized at firft with an universal chill, which had different degrees of duration; fometimes it was long and very violent, many had only a small paroxyfm, with many it returned in the courfe of the fever, and went off in a hot fit. All of them felt likewise an extreme laffitude over the whole body, at the first coming on of the diforder, and that generally in the back and loins. The cholic came on immediately at the beginning, with great violence; but the evacuation, with fome people, did not follow fo quick; many were at first even bound, thefe had violent tormina, and were in a much worfe condition, than those who were obliged directly to hurry to ftool.

Almost every one, on their first being feized, complained of a bitterness in the mouth, and a continual inclination to vomit. Many brought up, juft after the cold fit, a bilious matter; fomé

vomited