illustrious character whose virtues and talents he has under taken to record. It is no mean accession to the literary wealth of the public, to be in possession of the life of one whose labours will form a most important epoch in the literature and jurisprudence of the East.

ART. IV.-Sermons on the Evils that are in the World, and on various other Topics; from the German of the Rev. George Joachim Zollikofer, Minister of the Reformed Congregation at Leipzig. By the Rev. William Tooke, F.R.S. 2 Vols. 8vo. 11. 15. Boards. Longman. 1804.

THE reputation already acquired by Mr. Zollikofer, minister of the reformed congregationat Leipzig, will certainly not suffer by the work with which Mr. Tooke has now fa voured the public. It abounds in large and comprehensive views, in deep thinking, in solid reasoning, and is distinguished by an arrangement at once easy and correct. The language in which the arguments are enforced, is manly and clear; and is well suited to the nature of the author's subjects, as well as to the manner in which they are treated. These Sermons are indeed not common productions; and while we recommend the whole of them to the Christian world in general, we think some of them peculiarly deserving the notice, the calm and patient attention, of those "Seekers" in religion (to borrow an expression from Mr. Pope's celebrated letter to bishop Atterbury) who deem themselves no vulgar inquirers, no ordinary sceptics. If they do not find an answer to their inquiries, if they do not obtain rest to their doubts, the fault is not in Christianity, it is not in the present acute and eloquent defender of it: it must be sought for elsewhere; and may perhaps be found where they least expect it,-in their own hearts. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness.' Rom.

X. 10.

The preface opens with these words: The teacher of religion and Christianity is at the same time, to the great mass of mankind, the only public teacher of wisdom.' This remark is commented upon with great ability, and we sincerely wish the clergy to give it that consideration which its importance so justly demands. Whatever demonstrates their responsibility, will, we doubt not, augment their personal diligence in the discharge of their duty.

The number of sermons contained in the two volumes is

Warburton's edition of Pope, vol. viii. p. 63.

fifty-eight, each of which is preceded by an appropriate prayer; and after what has been said of them, our readers will be more obliged to us for extracts than for any observations of our own. From the first four, however, 'on the evils that are in the world' (Deut. xxxii. 4.), which are intended "to vindicate the ways of God to man," we offer no quotations, persuaded that detached passages would give only a very in-, complete idea of the whole. "They seem to contain all the arguments by which it is possible to prove the present advantageous situation of man; and they will serve to diminish the magnitude, if not the catalogue, of natural and moral evils. The subject is extensive, and may be thought intricate; but it may be safely asserted, that he who does not rise from the banquet a sated guest, cannot complain either of the disposition or the preparation of the viands.

Sermons xviii. and xix. are on public diversions. Though we are not quite so bad as our neighbours, the French, yet this is with us an age of diversions. Natio comoda est.' We cannot therefore hope that the professedly dissipated will listen to any instruction which tends to diminish the quantity or the intensity of their pleasures; but if the quotation we are about to make should strengthen the wisdom of the wiser part of the British nation, some good will be obtained.

To every one who reflects on these past enjoyments in the silence of solitude, this question will naturally occur: What would be the consequence if I were to use these pleasures and diversions too often? Would they always continue thus harmless to me? Should I always so successfully overcome every temptation to envy, to pride, to vanity; always preserve the same order in my mind, the virtuous, the christian temper, and universal benevolence, so unimpaired; always secure my heart from levity and folly? Might I not gradually lose all relish for weighty and serious concerns, for whatever is generous and great? Would not at length my acts of divine worship, my exercises of devotion, silent meditation on God and religion, on my present and future appointment, the affairs of my vocation, the discharge of my christian, my civil, my domestic duties, become burdensome to me? Would it not cost me too much time in the decoration of my person, in the preparatives to these pleasures, and in recruiting myself after them? Should I truly enjoy my life, which is already so short and transient? Should I so employ it as becomes a reasonable being, a christian, if I were to give into so many dissipations, and direct my chief attention to frivolities?

And what disorders would not hence ensue? Here are the affairs of my calling, which I cannot neglect without manifest prejudice; the due management whereof demands a disengaged mind, a continued industry, and an unwearied application; there are do mestic affairs, which are seldom to be postponed without injury, or solely entrusted to others without waste, which without the in spection and interference of the master or mistress may easily get

into confusion. Here are innocent uneducated children, who want the presence, the care, the support of their parents; whose mind and heart are to be formed by them; whose education should be their principal, their favourite employment; and who in their absence are never out of danger from bad example and noxious impressions: there are widows, orphans, poor, sick, friends, ac-. quaintance, whom as men and christians we are bound to assist, to advise, and to comfort; whose happiness we may and should promote, not merely by our alms, but by various personal services and soothing attentions.-But how can I fulfill these duties, how comply with these demands, if I make too frequent a use of public amusements and diversions? if I dissipate in such pursuits the attention, the means, the time, the faculties, which I want for so many more important objects?" Vol. 1. P. 352.

From Sermon xix. on the subject before mentioned, we make the following valuable extract.

The too frequent use of social pleasures and dissipations has a pernicious influence on the mind, and promotes an habitual levity

of conduct.

We are indeed principally framed for joy, for the contented and cheerful enjoyment of our existence, and all the bounties of heaven, but not for levity; the former, but not the latter, wisdom and religion are adapted to promote. Joy, real permanent joy, is a serious thing; rises out of sedate reflection and consideration; is the fruit of a wise, virtuous, pious heart, a heart glowing with love towards God and man: levity is the assassin of this joy.Seriousness is not melancholy; bat neither is true joy noisy and iotous. Levity is indeed not wickedness, not iniquity; it is, how ever, but too frequently the way to both.' Vol. I. P. 372.

The author's description (in the same sermon) of what is not, and what is, good company, a term miserably prostituted, is very worthy of notice.

That is not real, noble, christian company, where people only sit together-often entirely for the sake of enjoying social amusements and pastimes. Much less is that to be called company, where people come together for making a parade of their distincrions; for casting a shade upon others, for making them feel that they are less rich, less honoured, less beautiful, that they have less taste and wit, less of the elegance and fashion of high life; when people come together for spying out each others' defects; for discovering their latent infirmities, and dragging them forth for the finger of scorn to point at; sifting out of them their smaller of greater secrets; making sport of their foibles; abusing their simplicity and open-heartedness; or employing their mistakes and passions as instruments to their selfish views: or, when people come together, merely for coming together; for shunning the irk someness of domestic quiet; for seeing and being seen; for learning some new trifling fashion; or solely for amusing themselves with idle pastimes.

No, that alone is real company, where persons of benevolent affections associate in an useful way; forget all difference of fortune, station, quality, condition, personal privileges; and devoid of envy, of jealousy, of party-spirit, of rancour, of petulance and satirical derision, esteem and honour all men as they find them, as brethren, and as men; do each man justice; not only strict justice, but tempered with candour and indulgence; allow each to pass for his full value, and unmolestedly to exert his particular talents and abilities; lend their strength to the weak, their understanding to the ignorant; impart confidence to the timid, shew a bitter example to the faulty, and sympathize with the virtuous; rejoice with the merry, and weep with the mourner; make the bad which is seen or heard serve as a warning, the good for encouragement and example; cover and conceal the former, and acknowledge the latter with cheerful applause. This, my friends, is company which renders both ourselves and others wiser and better.'

P. 374.

In Sermon xx. on the principal sources of infidelity,' the author thus speaks of the pernicious influence of pride.

• Pride is one source of the prevailing infidelity. Those who suffer themselves to be governed by this vice, are the slaves of vanity. As such they wish to exalt themselves above others; they want to distinguish themselves from the crowd; they would be wiser than the rest of mankind. They account it disgraceful, from the high opinion they entertain of their own penetration, to think and to judge as other men do. The farther therefore they keep aloof from the opinions and sentiments of others, the greater and more exalted are they in their own imagination. Hence it is, that they have no taste for truths which are in a manner received and credited by all. Hence it is that they assent to the most extraor dinary propositions without much reflection, merely because they are extraordinary. What is singular and out of the way has so many charms for them, that they grasp and maintain it, without so much as examining whether it be wrong or right, true or false, useful or prejudicial. In like manner as they act in regard to the things of this world:-nothing is agreeable to them if it be not extraordinary and rare; they despise what is common, though never so beautiful in itself, never so excellent and beneficial:-so likewise do they act in regard to religion. As they reject and deride it now, because even the mechanic and the day-labourer, the meanest among the people, have the happiness to understand and to believe it; so would they profess and maintain it, if infidelity were common and prevalent. But is it not inexcusable folly in a matter of the highest importance, to pursue a method which no man of sound understanding and good taste would adopt in the ordinary transactions of life? Is the truth or the falsehood of a proposition to be judged of by the greater or smaller number of its adherents and defenders? May there not just as probably be truths which are acknowledged and revered by a great part of mankind, as there may be errors which have spread far and wide over the face of the earth? Is it not CRIT. REV. Vol. 4. February, 1805. L

an inconceivable absurdity to sacrifice the interests of our immortal spirit, and the hope of everlasting felicity, to the vain desire of distinguishing oneself from others? What should we think of the prudence of him who should leave the plain and safe highway, only because it is plain and safe, and strike off into the most dangerous by-paths for reaching the place to which he was bound?

Pride, moreover, prevents a man from relinquishing the opinions he has once embraced, or retracting the errors he has long maintained. It prevents him from examining afresh a circumstance on which he has before decidedly pronounced, and pursuing this examination with greater attention and care than he has hitherto bestowed upon it. Should he do this, should he actually alter his sentiments, he must acknowledge his weakness and ignorance; he must allow that he has been premature and deceived in his judgments; he must grant that others excel him in perspicacity, in wisdom and knowledge. But how distressing must it be to the proud spirit to make such a humiliating expression, and so far to deny his darling propensity! P. 392.

Sermon xxi. is on some of the prejudices against Christianity.

One prejudice against it,' says the author, is built on the small influence this religion has had on the temper and conduct of its professors. It is seen, that many who name the name of Christ, are no better, not more virtuous, not more holy, than they who have only the light of reason for their guide, and thence is drawn an unfavourable conclusion against the excellency and divine origin of the christian religion. We must confess that this charge is not without foundation; it is a truth which daily experience but too much confirms; a truth which in all equity ought to shame and confound us, which should rouse us from the perilous sleep of sin,, from our spiritual slumbers, and incite us to the zealous discharge of our duties. But where falls the disgrace arising from this truth? Where justly lies the reproach? On Christianity, or on its unworthy professors? Certainly on these, and not on that. No, we need not be ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, that is invariably a power of God unto salvation. But Christ must be ashamed of us, who declare ourselves his disciples, without following his example, and being so minded as he also was. Or, is not the Christian reigion the holiest religion that ever was delivered to mankind? Is there one vice, one sin, one failing, that it does not expressly condemn, that it does not severely prohibit? Is there one virtue, one good quality, which it does not recommend, which it does not forcibly press and inculcate? Have not all its doctrines, all its comnands, all its promises and threats, evidently our improvement and sanctification in view? Are they not all adapted in their very nature to make us the most just, the most affectionate, the most beneficent, the most generous of mankind? Is it possible for motives to goodness to be stronger than those which the Gospel holds out to us? Should we then reject and despise a doctrine thus consti tuted, because many who pretend to embrace it, neglect altogether the practice of it, or oppose its salutary influence? Then should we