fitting round an ale barrel, many of which ftand ready upon carts, for the refreshment of the faints. The heat of the fummer season, the fatigue of travelling, and the greatness ' of the crowd naturally dispose them to drink; which inclines • some of them to fleep, works up the enthusiasm of others, • and contributes not a little to promote those miraculous con< verfions that fometimes happen at thefe occafions; in a word, in this facred aflembly there is an odd mixture of religion. fleep, drinking, courtship, and a confufion of fexes, ages, ⚫ and characters. When you get a little nearer the speaker, 'fo as to be within the reach of the found, tho' not of the fense of the words, for that can only reach a small circle, • even when the preacher is favoured with a calm; and when ⚫ there happens to be any wind ftirring, hardly can one sen❝tence be heard diftinctly at any confiderable distance; in this • fecond circle you will find some weeping, and others laughing, fome preffing to get nearer the tent or tub in which the parfon is fweating, bawling, jumping, and beating the desk ; ' others fainting with the ftifling heat, or wrestling to extri'cate themselves from the crowd; one feems very devout and ferious, and the next moment is fcolding and curfing his ‹ neighbour, for fqueezing or treading on him; in an inftant after, his countenance is compofed to the religious gloom, and he is groaning, fighing, and weeping for his fins; in a word, there is fuch an abfurd mixture of the ferious and comick, that were we conveened for any other 'purpose, than that of worshipping the God and Governor of nature, the scene would exceed all power of face.

But when one confiders, what folemn awe should accom'pany the pronunciation of his name, and what decent gravity attend his worship, and fees fuch an unhappy contraft, "if his heart be not entirely unacquainted with the feelings of humanity, the figh will force its way, and the pitying tear ftart into his eye; efpecially if he knows, that many of the clergy encourage this abfurdity; that this is the time, when they vie with one another for popularity, and try who can <conveen the greatest mob; that fome of the elders are fo 'fond of these religious farces, that they have threatned to 'abandon their churches, if the abfurd practice of preaching ' without doors fhould be difcontinued; and that even those of the clergy, who have fenfe to perceive its inconveniencies, and ingenuity to own that it is wrong, yet want courage to oppofe the popular frenzy, and refolution to reform what in 'their own hearts they cannot but condemn. Whether we 'confider this practice in a moral, political, or religious light, we fhall find it attended with very bad confequences; how

• much

• much must it encourage drunkenness when fuch crowds are conveened, from all quarters? what mut the consequence be, when a whole country fide is thrown loofe, and young fellows and girls are going home together by night, in the gayeft season of the year; when every thing naturally infpires warm defires, and filence, fecrecy, and darkness encourage them? when I was a young fellow at my apprentiship, I was < a great frequenter of thefe occafions, and know them fo well, that whatever others may think, I would not chufe a wife that had often frequented them, nor truft a daughter too • much, among thofe rambling faints; old maids may perhaps be allowed to revenge themselves of the world, by growing religious at the eafy rate of running from facrament to facrament; and they who are in pain to be provided with ◄ husbands, may poffibly find their account in frequenting thofe facred affemblies; but I would advise others to go but • seldom, and never to a greater distance than that they can return before fun-fet; left by frequenting them too much, they contract an idle difpofition of mind, and by staying too late, they get into a bad habit of body.'

The Author goes on to obferve, that the confequences of this practice are very bad, confidered in a political light; that the common people lose many labouring days by facramental occafions, and that the country is deprived of the fruit of their induftry. Every facrament, at a moderate computation, he fays, by its three idle days, cofts the country about 1121. 10s. without including the days that those who live at a great distance must lofe in coming and going, nor the loffes the former must fuftain, when occafions happen in the harvest or feed-times, &c.

The foregoing extract will fufficiently fhew this Author's manner of writing. The remaining part of his letter is employed in pointing out the inconveniences that attend extemporary prayer; a fubject which he confiders at full length, and moft part of what he fays upon it, appears to be extremely juft. The whole performance, indeed, is fprightly and animated, and contains many things that deferve the attentive confideration of thofe to whom it is addreffed.

Difcourfes on feveral public Occafions, during the War in America. Preached chiefly with a view to the explaining the importance of the Proteftant caufe, in the British colonies; and the advancement of religion, patriotism, and military virtue. Among which are a dif

a difcourfe on adverfity, and also a difcourfe on planting the sciences, and the propagation of Christianity, in the untutored parts of the earth. With an Appendix, containing fome other pieces. By William Smith, D. D. Provost of the College and Academy of Philadelphia. 8vo. 3s. 6d. Millar, &c.

THE

HE principal defign of these difcourfes is, to fhew the value of the bleffings arifing from the enjoyment of the Proteftant religion and civil liberty, and to infpire a becoming zeal for their defence. They are written with an excellent fpirit, and in a sprightly animated manner; the language is clear and forcible, the fentiments generally juft, and often ftriking.

The first discourse has no immediate connection with the fubjects of the reft, and was preached on the death of a beloved pupil; the second was delivered when General Braddock was carrying on his expedition to the Ohio, and contains an earnest exhortation to religion, brotherly love, and public fpirit, from these words, Love the brotherhood, fear God, bonour the King.

Our hearts,' fays the Author, would venerate those who were to be the faithful companions of our good and bad < fortune through fome ftrange country; and shall not our <very fouls burn within us towards the whole human race, who, as well as we, are to pass through all the untried fcenes of endless being?

• Good heaven! what a profpect does this thought present to us? Eternity all before us! how great, how important • does man appear! how little and how trifling the ordinary 'causes of contention! party differences, and the vulgar diftinctions between fmall and great, noble and ignoble, are here entirely loft; or, if they are feen, they are seen but as feathers dancing on the mighty ocean, utterly incapable to tofs it into tumult.

In this grand view, we forget to enquire whether a man is of this or that denomination! we forget to en'quire whether he is rich or poor, learned or unlearned! These are but trivial confiderations; and, to entitle him to our love, it is enough that he wears the human form! it is ' enough that he is our fellow-traveller through this valley of tears! And furely it is more than enough, that when the 'whole world fall tumble from its place," and the heavens "be rolled together as a fcroll," he is to ftand the last shock • with

with us; to launch out into the fhoreless ocean beyond; to 'fhare the fortunes of the endless voyage, and, for what we know, to be our infeparable companion through those regions, over which clouds and darkness hang, and from whose confines no traveller has returned with tidings!

Another motive to brotherly love, is its tendency to foften and improve the temper. When a reigning humanity has fhed its divine influences on our hearts, and impregnated them with every good difpofition, we shall be all harmony within, and kindly affected towards every thing around us. Charity, in all its golden branches, fhall illuminate our fouls, and banish every dark and illiberal fentiment. We fhall be open to the fair impreffions of beauty, order, and goodness; and fhall ftrive to transcribe them into our own breasts. We fhall rejoice in the divine administration; and imitate it by diffufing the most extensive happiness in our power. Such a heavenly temper will give us the inexpreffible meltings of joy, at feeing others joyful. It will lead us down into the house of mourning, to furprize the lonely heart with unexpected kindnefs; to bid the chearlefs widow fing for gladnefs, and to call forth modest merit from its obfcure retreats.

To act thus is the delight of God, and must be the highest ⚫ honour and moft exalted enjoyment of man. It yields a fatisfaction which neither time, nor chance, nor any thing befides, can rob us of; a fatisfaction which will accompany us through life, and at our death will not forfake us. then we fhall have the well grounded hopes of receiving • that mercy which we have fhewn to others.'

For

In the third difcourfe, which was delivered at Bristol, in Pennfylvania, on occafion of the public faft, May 21, 1756, when the province was groaning under all that load of mifery which was the confequence of Braddock's defeat, a parallel is drawn between the state of our colonies and that of the Jews, in many remarkable inftances. The fourth fhews the Chriftian foldier's duty; the lawfulness and dignity of his office; and the importance of the Proteftant caufe in the British colonies: it was preached in Chrift-church, Philadelphia, April 5, 1757, at the defire of Brigadier-General Stanwix, to the forces under his command, before their march to the frontiers.

The Author's addrefs to the officers is as follows: And now, Gentlemen Officers, you will permit me to address the remainder of this difcourfe more immediately to you. "I know you love your King and Country. I know you regard thofe men under your command, and would wish to

• fee

2

• fee them fhining in the practice of those virtues which I have 'been recommending. But yet, after all, this muft, in a great measure, depend upon yourselves.

If, then, you would defire to have any tie upon their • confciences; if you would wish to see them act upon principle, and give you any other hold of them than that of • mere command-let me, Oh let me befeech you, to culti'vate and propagate among them, with your whole influence and authority, a fublime fenfe of religion, eternity, and redeeming love; let the bright profpects of the gofpel of Jefus be placed full before their eyes; and let its holy precepts be inculcated frequently into their hearts!

But, above all things, let the adorable name of the everlafting Jehovah be kept facred among you! glorified angels fall proftrate before it! the very devils themselves tremble at it! and fhall poor worms of earth; dependent on a pulse ⚫ for every breath of being; furrounded with dangers innumerable; marching forth in the very fhadow of death; today here, and to-morrow in eternity-fhall they dare to blafpheme that holy name, before which all nature bends in • adoration and awe? Shall they forget their abfolute dependence upon it for all they have, and all they hope to have?

Alas! when the name of our Great Creator is become thus familiar, and prostituted to every common fubject, what name fhall we invoke in the day of danger? To what refuge fhall we fly amidft the various preffures of life? to whofe mercy fhall we lift up our eyes in the hour of death? and into whofe bofom confign our fouls, when we launch. 'forth into the dark precincts of eternity?

'Once more, then, I beseech you, let the name of the 'Lord be holy among you; elfe have you no fure foundation for virtue or goodness; none for dependence upon Providence; none for the fanctity of an oath; none for faith, nor truth, nor "obedience for confcience-fake."

Next to religion and a fovereign regard to the honour and glory of your great Creator, it will be of the utmost 'importance to cultivate, in yourselves, and thofe under you, ' a noble, manly, and rational enthusiasm in the glorious caufe wherein you are engaged; founded on a thorough conviction of its being the caufe of juftice, the Proteftant cause, the caúfe of virtue and freedom on earth.

Animated by this fublime principle, what wonders have. not Britons performed? How have they rifen, the terror of

the