Current:

Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), July 1826, Edition 1 of 1, Page 416

Page 416
Page 36
36 of 64

On this page

  • Departments (1)
    • REVIEW. " Still pleased to praise, yet not afraid to blame*"—Pope* .
  • Text (3)
  • Transcript

    • Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.

      Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.

      Review. " Still Pleased To Praise, Yet Not Afraid To Blame*"—Pope* .

      REVIEW . " Still pleased to praise , yet not afraid to blame *"—Pope * .

      Untitled Article

      A'Rt . L— -Discourses , Doctrinal and Practical ^ delivered in Essvw-street Chapel . By Thomas Belsharn , Pastor of the Congregation 8 vo . pp . 496 . R . Hunter / 1826 . MR . BELSHAM has been longknown'through a large circle of readers as a doctrinal and

      controversial writer on theology , but he has been no less celebrated in the smaller circle of his hearers as a preacher . At the instance of many of these , he publishes this volume ; alleging as one reason of his compliance with the solicitations of his friends , that he is

      " in a great measure incapacitated by age and infirmities from public service /* ( Advert . ) The Discourses are both 4 C Doctrinal and Practical , " but

      the latter more than the former ; and considering the excellence of some of the Practical" Sermons , and also the notoriety of the preacher ' s doctrines , we almost wish the whole series had been confined to moral and

      devotional subjects . The Discourses are twenty in number . Sermon * I . ( on 2 Cor . v . 7 ) is entitled " The Tendency of the Christian Dispensation to enlarge the

      Comprehension of the Mind . " The thoughts and argument and language of this discourse are somewhat philosophical . The following paragraph is the key to the preacher ' s system , as stated in this and other discourses :

      " There is One Being in the universe who beholds all things , past , present , aud to come , in one comprehensive survey . Of his absolute perfection we can judge only by analogy to our own limited capacities and powers . He looks at once through all created existence , and sees

      the whole course of events taking place in regular succession , at their appointed season , in conformity to that groat and glorious plan , which was arranged by infinite wisdom at the suggestion of infinite benevolence : and which being carried into effect by almighty power , can

      -* We use both the words " Sermons " and " Discourses . " The one is in the title-page and the other is the running title .

      Untitled Article

      not in any part of ifc fail of success , aud must ultimately terminate ^ the -grand result which hi was his . s ^ ygreigp , ^[\\ to accomplish , the virtue , or 4 er , and happiness , of all his rational creaijpn . In } jj s eye , therefore , evil i < $ ejf . 1 $ aj ? £ Qrb | ed ii \ the immense proponderance of good

      which it is calculated to produce : and the great Creator , when he surveyk his works , pronounces them all good ; declares that all are correspondent to hJs sublime and magnificent idea ; and in the sure prospect , the clear and distinct view of that infinite mass of happiness which will be the ultimate result , of his

      infinitely wise and benevolent operations , he is at all times infinitely happy . "—Pp . 4—6 . We not only agree with , but admire the observation , that " The simplicity and spirituality of the Christian dispensation , its entire freedom

      from ritual mcumbrance , the sublimity and importance of its doctrine , the correctness , purity and perfection of its mo * rality , and the infinitude of its object , all concur to prove , that this is the last of the moral dispensations of God to man * kind ; that it is wisely adapted to the

      improving state of the world ; that it is calculated to accelerate that improvement ; that there is great reason to believe , that , as the world becomes more enlightened and more wise , the Christian religion , in its original purity and

      truth and beauty , will be more generally received , so that , in the end , the prophecies which announce its ultimate prosperity and success shall be literally accomplished ; and * the knowledge of the Lord shall cover the earth as the waters cover the sea /"—Pp . 19 , 20 .

      In the application of the discourse , the preacher takes higher ground th ^ n is attained by the experience of every Christian . He remarks that " the

      man who habitually regards himself as born to an infinite expectation /' 1 . must be always cheerful and happy , 2 . possesses love to God and is devoted to his service , 3 . has a copious

      source of benevolence the most and disinterested , 4 . is reconciled to all that happens , 5 . is restrained from " exorbitant desire of inferior , and especially of criminal gratifications , " ( he is surely restrained from all cle&irc

      Untitled Article

      ( 416 )

  • Citation
    • Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), July 2, 1826, page 416, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2550/page/36/