Retrofpeét of American Literature— Mechanical Philofophy, Se. 693 
it feems to be much. inferior to’ Bitho 
Watlen’s ** Apology for the Bible.” 
Dr. Dwicur’¢** Plalms of David” 
is a new edition of Dr. Warts’s &* Plalms 
of David,” imitated in the language of 
the New Teftament, and applied to the 
Chiifian ufe and worfhip. In this new 
edition, the Pfilms omitted by Dr. Watts 
are verhfied, local~paflages are altered, 
and a number of Pflalms verfified anew, i. 
proper metres. Much praife is due to 
Dr. Dwight, for the diligence, care and 
Jabour with wihich he feems to have exe- 
cuted this tafk, which was c:mrnitted to 
him by the General Affociation of the 
State of Conneéticut; but as a Poet he 
is un loubtedly very far inferior to Dr. 
W alts, 
‘¢ Surprifing Accounts of the Revival 
of Religion in the United States of Ame- 
rica’’. is an anonymous performance, 
which principally relates to an extraordi- 
nary ftir in religion, lately obferved in 
fome of the Eattern States, and (ill more 
remarkably in the States of Kentucky 
and Tenneflee. Thefe agitations appear 
to be exceedingly fimilar to fuch as com- 
monly take place among the Methodifs, 
and other fecis of religious people, who 
have only recently formed themtelves into 
a feparate denomination. 
Mr. HEMPHILL’s * Difcourfe on the 
Nature of Religious Fafting’’ contains 
nothing calculated to fix the attention of 
the reader. The topics are drawn out 
ina very tedious and diffufe manner, and 
the ftyle is greatly wanting in correétnefs 
and elegance. 
Mr. Dopson’s * Letters cn the Ex- 
iftence and Character of the Deity, and on 
the Moral State of Man’’ contain many 
judicious obfervations, calculated to do 
good, and to leave durable impreffions on 
the minds of his readers. 
Mr. Srrainoe’s * Sermon delivered be- 
fore the Maffachuiett’s Miffionary So- 
ciety’” is founded ona text from Rom. 
xi, 25. ‘« Blindnefs in part is happened 
unto Ifrae] until the fullnefs of the Gen- 
tiles be come in.”? From this paflage of 
Holy Writ he deduces the following propo- 
fitions as the fubject of difcburfe, viz. “It 
is God’s purpofe, in reclaiming the world, 
to make the converfion of the Gentiles 
the occafion of the reftoration of the Jews.” 
In the difcuffion of this doétrine, Mr. 
Spring fir elucidates the general truth 
conveyed by the propofition; {econdly,” 
points out the courfe of Divine Provi- 
dence by which this gracious defign may 
be ‘fuppofed to be effected; and, thirdly, 
MonruLty Maa, No. 103. 
makes fome appropriate inferences and re- 
flections. 
‘A Paraphrafe on Eight Chapters of 
the Prophecy of Ifaiah, wherein it is at- 
tempted to exprefs the Senfe of the Pro- 
phet in proper Englith Style,’ is an 
anonymous performance. Like Mr. Gin- 
PIN, in his ‘* Expofition of the New Tel- 
tament,’’ the author attempts to explain 
the facred text, by exprefling what he- 
fuppofes to be its meaning in bis own 
wor’s, and with nearly as much brevity 
as in the original, 
Mr. Linn’s « Difcourfe, occafioned by 
the Death of the Rev. John Ewing, D. D. 
late Senior Paftor of the firft Prefbyterian 
Congregation of the City of Philadelphia, 
and Provof of the Univerfity of Peanfyl- 
vania,” is a becoming tribute of refpect 
to the memory of his departed friend ‘and 
co-paftor. Dr, Ewing was greatly diftin- 
ouifhed for the ex tent and variety: of his 
learned acquirements, and, for nearly half 
a century, had held an elevated rank 
amone the fciencific ornaments of Ame- 
rica. 
“¢ Negro Slavery Unjuftifiable: a Dif- 
courte,by ALEXanpER M‘Leop, A. M. 
Paftor of the Reformed Prefbyterian Con- 
grecation in the City of New York.” 
The fabject of domeftic flavery is one of 
the moft interefting that can engage the 
attention of the politician, the moralift, 
or the Chriftian. Mr. M. treats this fub- 
ject in an ingenious, comprehenfive, and 
forcible, manner. The plan which the 
author purfues i is, . Lo fhew that the prac- 
tice of buying, holding, or felling, our un- 
offending fellow-creatures, as ie is 
immoral. 2. To anfwer objections to this 
propofition. And, 3. To make a practical 
improvement ey Thele feveral depart- 
ments of the fubject are ably, and, for the 
moft part, fatisfactorily difcuffed. 
A multitude of other fernnons have ap- 
peared in various parts of the United 
States, during the period of this Review. 
Such compofitions, indeed, are by far the 
moft numerous and seam laied ef all 
that iffue from the prefies of America ; 
but moft of them have a local and tempo- 
rary object, or are draws up in that trite 
and common place-manner which can 
never be expected to excite any intereft in 
the public. 
MECHANICAL PHILOSOPHY, CHEMIS- 
TRY, NATURAL HISTORY, &c. 
The fifth volume of the ‘¢ Tranfaétions 
of the American Philofophical Socie‘y, 
held at Philadelphia, for promoting Uteful 
Knowledge,’’ gives renewed proots of the 
4 U diligence, 
