and very seasonable caution to those who bear the maternal character, and are desirous of performing the maternal duties. "Another cause of female ruin, which I should think unworthy to claim your attention, but on account of its extensive and destructive effects, and because women of strict principles can, if they will, counteract its influence; is the little attention given to the propriety of external decoration. It is not easy to suppose, that purity of mind prevails, where indecency, or even impropriety, in apparel is adopted and encouraged. It seems rather inconsistent for a mother, whose first duty it undoubtedly is, to preserve, in her daughter's mind, the amiable timidity of chastity, and the delicate reserve of modesty, to permit her to appear in a manner, which conveys an idea of something more than boldness. On the extensive prevalence of such examples I need not insist; nor on the folly, the vanity, the extravagant expences, which devolve, with prevalent modes of habiliment, to the very lowest ranks.

"But all these give advantages to the treacherous seducer. For him is the, as yet innocent, victim too often decorated; while trifles, instead of sound opinions, engross her understanding; and trifles, imprudently accumulated in personal ornament, betray her into difficulties and distresses, which licentious vice, impatient for its prey, watches its opportunity to remove.

"With this fatal attention to trifles is al

ART. XXI. Practical Discourses by the James's Parish, Bath.

THE former volume of these discourses came under our notice last year, and we gave as faithful an account as we were able of the blemishes, and the excellencies by which it was distinguished. The volume now before us possesses much of the same character as its precursor; displays the same ardent mind, the same zeal for the honour of the gospel, the same indignation against those who despise or who disregard its injunctions, and the same occasional negligencies of stile. The volume comprises nine sermons: 1. The duty of hearers of the word. 2. The importance of religion to states. 3. The bles sings, happiness, and advantages of public worship. 4. Christian beneficence. 5. Brotherly love. 6. The redemption of time. 7. The road to salvation. 8. The friendship of the world and its consequences. 9. The duty and qualities of preachers of the word.

Throughout the whole of these animated discourses, Mr. Warner seems to have had in view the admonition which

ways a desire, and, among the opulent, a habit, of continual dissipation and amusement. The great business of life is neglected for these, and the great object of it as much forgotten, as if our manners were submitted to the doctrines of Epicurus, instead of being regulated by the precepts, restrained by the prohibitions, or sanctioned by the promises of the gospel. Nor is this confined to the superior ranks. Is it not notorious that the provision which should be made for old age, or for posterity, from the earnings of industry, is continually dissipated in a giddy round of pleasures? But will any parent, who has maternal affections, endure the thought of her child being betrayed, in the midst of these enervating, these intoxicating delusions, into ruin? Can she answer it to herself to conspire with the world against her own child, by encouraging her to prefer fleeting plea sures to permanent happiness? Can she behold, without horror, the danger of her be ing cut off from society, or even from life, in the midst of such a heedless career? If she cannot do this, let her, as she regards the vir tue of her child, preserve her from the dan gers of dissipation, by precept, by warning; but especially, by her own domestic example."

From the whole of this discourse, we are led to suspect, that the selection might have been made so as to secure to the deccased author a larger and a more durable portion of fame.

soever a man soweth, that also shall he reap."

If ye shall betray the trust which ye have vo luntarily undertaken to discharge; if ye with hold or pervert the precepts of the gospel; if ye apply to the crying sins of the times in which ye live, the gentle emollients, the pa liating excuses which secular interests may suggest in their behalf, instead of the caustic apostrophes which the gospel of Christ hai levelled against them; depend upon it, your treachery will be punished by an adequate retribution; ye may succeed in your worldly ains, but you will infallibly lose your souls; for God has himself declared to every teacher of his word, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me."

Caustic apostrophes lose none of their force in passing through the lips of our preacher; but we are not sure that either Mr. Warner's reputation, as a minister of the gospel, or the sacred cause of re

ligion and virtue in which he is so zeal ously engaged, would in any respect suffer, if he copied more closely that union of mildness and severity which so admirably characterised the discourses of the Saviour.

In the second sermon, "upon the importance of religion to states," Mr. Warner insists upon the duty of regular attendance upon public worship, and inveighs against every practice by which the lower or the middle orders of society are detained or allured from the services of the christian temple. The practice of Sanday drills appears to have been principally in his view; and soon after the delivery of the sermon he communicated his opinions upon that subject more fully, in a letter inserted in the Bath Chronicle. In the preface to this volume, that letter is reprinted, together with a short cor

respondence which it occasioned. Mr. Warner here stands upon vantage ground, and although his letters failed of attaining the proposed end, (that of prevailing upon the magistracy of the city of Bath to prevent the further profanation of those hours of the sabbath usually set apart for the service of God) yet they occasioned to himself (he observes) a gratification, second only in degree to that which would have resulted from a complete accomplishment of their design, an unanimous and public vote of thanks from a full and respectable vestry of his own parishioners.We congratulate him upon having parishioners so well disposed; and heartily join with him in commending the sentiment of bishop Home," If men will protect religion, God will protect them."

WHEN the important relation between a minister and his people has subsisted long, with mutual satisfaction and advantage, it is natural for the hearers to wish that some portion of the instruction they have received should be preserved by more durable materials than their own decaying memories; that they may have at hand the wise counsels, and the consoling words of their faithful pastor, and be able to impart to those in whose welfare they are most deeply interested, the truths which have impressed their own minds, kept alive and invigorated their own piety, soothed their own sorrows, and animated them in the discharge of the great duties of life. Such a wish is creditable to the people, and highly gratifying to the conscientious minister. To such a wish the respectable publication now before us is owing; as appears from the singularly modest introductory address by which these sermoons are ushered into the world.

"The author of these discourses has no other apology to offer for their public appearEnce than one, which has often been received with suspicion, and sometimes with contempt. He persuades himself, however, that in his case, the solicitation of friends will be allowed to be a plea of more than common weight. He has been for twenty-eight years the minister of a religious society, from the members of which he has received incessant and innumerable marks of friendship. A few months ago a note was delivered to him, signed by thirty-two of them, requesting that ANN. REV. VOL. III.

he would give them an opportunity of reading to their families a few of the sermons which, he trusts, something better than compliment or partiality induced them to say that they had heard with pleasure and advan tage. It would not become him to attempt te vindicate the soundness of their judgment, in putting him upon this service; bat he must be allowed to mention that their usual hindness and liberality towards him were displayed by their sending, together with the request, a subscription, which amply secures him from all pecuniary risk in the publication. To their particular use this volume is most gratefully and affectionately dedicated.

The friends of the author intimated, in the note which he has mentioned, a hope that some of his sermons might not only be reviewed by themselves and their families with advantage, but be acceptable and useful in a somewhat larger circle than that to which they had been confined. He has no will be realised. But having been induced very sanguine expectations that such views lication of it will not be held unpardonably to print the volume, he trusts that the pubpresumptuous."

The liberality of the congregation at Call-lane deserved to be thus recorded, and will, we hope, be the means of exciting a similar spirit in other opulent societies; many of whom would gladly see some of the labours of their ministers

perpetuated, but reflect not that they are in general those who cannot trust to a casual purchase to defray the great expence incurred by publishing a work of

even a moderate size.

K

The volume before us contains twenty sermons. 1. The desire of life. 2. The unreasonableness of discontent. 3. The unprofitableness of discontent. 4. The 4. The union of godliness with contentment. 5. The influence of the changes of life to promote the fear of God. 6. The resemblance between the rain and the snow, and the word of God. 7. The sinfulness of disregarding conscientious doubts. 8. The lawfulness of deriving innocent enjoyments from the gifts of God. 9. The generous and comprehensive spirit of the christian religion. 10. The disinterested benevolence of our Lord Jesus Christ. 11. Active benevolence honoured and rewarded by God.. 12. The proper estimation of ourselves with regard to God. 13. The proper estimation of ourselves with regard to men. 14. The long suffering of brotherly kindness. 15. Observations on the unbelief of our Lord's kinsmen. 16. God not chargeable with the sins of men. 17. The guilt incurred by leading others into sin. 18. The danger of suffering ourselves to be misled by others. 19. The importance and necessity of pleasure in the service of God. 20. Death considered as a separation from the society of men.

These important subjects, selected and arranged, as is evident from the above enumeration, with great judgment, are treated with ability, and many weighty practical truths, deduced from them, are enforced with much energy and effect. We sincerely regret that our limits will not allow of all the extracts we should be glad to make. We will, however, select one passage, as a favourable specimen of our author's style and manner, and containing sound doctrine, too much. overlooked and despised in the present noisy state of religion amongst us. It forms one topic in the sixth discourse.'

"There is, thirdly, another point of resemblance between the rain and the snow, and the word of God, to which our thoughts may be turned with advantage; and that is, in their common manner of operation; both produce their intended effects gradually, gently, and silently.

"Such a point of resemblance is more plainly marked in other passages of scripture; in the words of the great messenger of God to his ancient people, my doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass; and in the prophetic declaration quoted before with a different view,' he shall come down like

rain upon the mowen grass, as showers that water the earth.'

"The waters of heaven occasionally descend in torrents; and though, when they do so, they certainly accomplish some purdevastation and ruin within a small circle, of wisdom and kindness, they spread pose and beyond that circle pass away with the same speed and violence with which they fall. It is when the rain drops upon the pas tures of the wilderness, and when the dew distils unperceived, that the hills rejoice on every side, and the vallies are abundantly covered over with corn. It is in the silent, though never-ceasing influence of these great agents, that, in climates like ours, almost sure and uninterrupted fertility is produced. Unlike many of the performances of men, their effects are vast without parade, and magnificent without report.

It was mentioned, you remember, as one of the characteristics of the long-promised Saviour, that he should not strive, nor cry, nor cause his voice to be heard in the streets.' freedom from all violence, noise, and preLike gentleness, like entire tence, are the genuine characteristics of the word of God, by whomsoever delivered. It appears to be the fixed rule of him, from whom it comes, that it should drop as the rain, and distil like the dew. Once, indeed, he spake to his people from the midst of tre but this was to answer an extraordinary pur mendous darkness, lightning and thunder; pose. be in parts of the ancient law, or some cir cumstances of its dispensation, to the storms which ravage the earth, and alarm its inhabitants; nothing of the kind is to be seen in the gospel of Jesus Christ, and the way in which it was promulgated. The Saviour and his religion uniformly came down like the the usual gentleness and silence of the showsmall rain upon the tender herb,' and with ers that water the earth. He himself de clared, that the kingdom of God cometh not with observation. In the beginning, it came not with pomp and power, and a loud report among men. It prevailed gloriously indeed; but without any helps or recomSo it has proceeded

And whatever resemblance there may

mendations of this sort.

in subsequent ages; gently, modestly, and privately, like its founder; unpretending, like the principles on which it is built. So it proceeds at present; and the more strictly it abides by this rule, the more free it is from all just suspicion. As well when it first takes possession of the heart, as in its esta blishment and progress, it appears the more truly honourable the less notice it claims. the more sure in proportion to its gradual advancement.

"Christians have imagined, indeed, that the quick and powerful' nature of the word of God ought to be displayed by some striking change; especially at its first entrance inte the mind. But most pretences to sudden and noisy conversion seem to be strongly reproved by that representation of the divine