164 
composed of “ hewers of wood and 
drawers of water,” and possessing at- 
tractions that would be felt in the court 
of a prince, or the school of a philoso- 
pher. In this style we cannot conceive 
of a greater proficient, than the vicar of 
Boldre; and we strongly recommend 
these discourses to the frequent perusal 
and the careful imitation of the younger 
clergy, especially of those who reside in 
country villages. We do not know any 
thing of the history of Mr. Gilpin’s pa- 
rish, but we are disposed to believe that 
no ignorant fanatical declaimer can have 
gained a hearing there. If they who 
*‘ wander about from house to house, 
speaking the things which they ought 
not,” have infected the parish of Bol- 
dre also, the worthy vicar must be sin- 
gularly unfortunate in the flock over 
whom he presides. Twenty-five ser- 
mons are contained in this volume; 
twelve of these are upon the truth of the 
christian religion, the rest are upon mis- 
cellaneous subjects; such as—the poor 
in spirit; communing with our heart ; 
the children of the world; faith, hope, 
and charity; the widow’s mite, &c. 
From the following quotations, the 
character of these discourses may be 
justly drawn: of 
In the second sermon upon the words 
of the apostle, ‘ let every one that nam- 
eth the name of Christ, depart from 
iniquity,’ Mr. Gilpin observes ; 
«© In the first place, let us consider how 
disreputable it is to act unsuitably to our pro- 
fession. Even in common matters, in the 
business of this world, it is disgraceful. He 
who professes an art, or calling, and appears 
totally ignorant of it, is justly thought con- 
temptible. You know how discreditable it 
js fora man to takea farm, for instance, when 
he knows not how to manage it. He sows 
wheat where he should sow barley. His 
grounds are ill prepared for either; and his 
neighbours see him carrying into his barn a 
plentiful crop of weeds, intermixed with his 
corn. They laugh at his ignorance. He 
feels it, and is ashamed, 
«« Now, if our feelings were as strong in 
matters of religion as they are in the matters 
of this world, (and it is.a grievous thing, and 
much to be lamented, they are -not) we 
should think it as contemptible for a chris- 
tian to fall short of Ais profession, as for a 
man in any kind of business to be ignorant 
of that business. A christian’s proper dis- 
tinction is a holy life. He does not pretend 
to have more genius, or more learning, than 
a Turk ora heathen ; but he professes to be 
more chaste, more sober, more just, more 
charitable, more pious, and more resigned. 
THEOLOGY AND ECCLESIASTICAL AFFAIRS. 
-tian. 
And if he fail in these, he deserts the art he 
should live by. He is a mere pretender, 
plainly unskilled in his proper profession.” 
The exordium ef the sixth discourse 
afforded us much pleasure: : 
«« We often rest satisfied with a fair out- 
side. To be born in a christian country—to 
make a public profession of the christian 
faith, and to lead a life unstained by any no- 
torious sin, is enough to make a good chris- 
Jf other people consider us in this 
lizht, (and we are very candid to each other) 
we are ready enough to take our religion on 
trust. < 
«« There is a fashion in religion, as in every 
thing; and if we are in the fashion it is well, 
In ancient times, when men strictly followed 
the rules of the gospel, a different kind of re- 
ligion was in fashion; and such people as 
now often pass for good christians,. would 
then have been considered as shameful men. 
A man may now freely indulge the pleasures 
of life: he may give the world his heart: he 
need not trouble his head with the intention, 
the conditions, the promises, or the threat- 
enings of the gospel, and. yet he may be 
thoughi a very decent christian: he may be 
like his neighbours: he may be in the. fa- 
shion, 
«© Tn little matters all this is well. In the 
trifling affairs of life, we may conform to the 
manners and customs of the world: we may 
suffer fashion to make a change in our 
cloaths. But, for God’s sake, let us consider 
that religion is exactly the same now it ever 
was: it admits no fashion ; and if we take 
our measures of it from what we commonly 
see practised in these declining days, we may 
call it christianity, if we please; but we may 
just.as well call it any thing else. Tt is, in — 
general, no more like christianity, than a 
modern man of fashion is like an apostle.” 
To such passages as these, and of 
such chiefly is the volume composed, we 
give an unqualified praise; but truthcom- _ 
pels us to censure the worthy author, 
for having, in one instance at least, suf- 
fered his faith to overcome his charity. 
In the twenty-second discourse, speak- — 
ing of future punishments, after having — 
quoted some of those passages of scrip- — 
ture which are commonly supposed to — 
relate to that subject, he asks, 
«« How are we to interpret éhese passages? 
Are we to conceive them as expressing only 4 
some long period of time; or are we to consi+ 
der them in a literal sense? and that their > 
meaning is, that future punishments are re-~ _ 
ally to last for ever? : yt 
«Many people, it is true, have been led (but 1 
I apprehend aie by their own wishes) to — 
consider them in the forme: sense. I own, | 
I see no grounds for such an opinion from 
any rules of interpretation that 1 know.” 
