to speak to them; I glory in being their disciple. In what light then do you consider a sincere man, who denies our Lord's divinity? In the light of a mistaken brother; in every other attitude an object of esteem, and in that of denying the divinity of my Lord, an object of my tenderest compassion. All this argues great coldness to your Lord! I would rather be frozen into a formalist, than inflamed with the fire of hell; in the first case, I should be a harmless statue; in the last, a destroyer, like the devil.

Which of the ten commandments does a man break by following his own convictions in religion? Suppose the worst, that he is in an error; yet his error remaineth with himself. Is any of us less wise, less just, or less safe, because another does that for himself which we every day do for ourselves? Our safety is not endangered by his taking the liberty to think for himself: it is we who endanger his safety by taking the liberty to think for him. In such a case we should be less wise and less just than we ought to be; as he would be if he allowed us to run our liberty into such licentiousness. How is it that men, Christian men too, can see one another's sicknesses, and hear of one another's misfortunes, without any emotions of anger, and with all the feelings of humanity and pity that Christians ought to have for one another; and that they cannot bear to hear a conscientious man avow sentiments different from their own without a red resentment, that like a hot thunderbolt hisses and wounds, and

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kills where it falls? No; it is not justice, it is not prudence, it is not humanity, it is not benevolence, it is not zeal for these dispositions; it seems as if it were the explosion of an infected heart, where the milk of human kindness never flowed. If such emotions can proceed from Christians, we must suppose what we are loth to think; that is, that some Christians are in some unhappy moments divested of all the principles of their holy religion, and actuated by the dispositions of the most ignorant and cruel of mankind. But, say they, though we receive no injury, yet God is dishonoured. Ah! is God dishonoured? Imitate his conduct, then; does he thunder, does he lighten, does he afflict this poor man? Behold his sun enlightens his habitation, his rain refreshes his fields, his gentle breeze fans and animates him every day, his revelation lies always open before him, his throne of mercy is ever accessible to him; and will you, rash Christian, will you mark him out for vengeance? I repeat it again, imitate your heavenly Father; and, at least, suspend your anger till that day, when the Lord will make manifest the counsels of men's hearts, and then shall every man have praise of God.

Plea for the Divinity of Christ, and Village
Sermons.

ROBERT ROBINSON was born, 1735, at Swaffham, Norfolk: educated at the grammar school of his native place, he made an early proficiency in clas sical attainments. His excellent mother, left a

widow with a family, bound him apprentice to a hair-dresser in Crutched Friars, London. He now became a follower of Whitfield, Romaine, &c. in fact, a zealous methodist! With them he commenced preacher at Norwich; but leaving them, he, in 1761, settled with a Baptist church at Cambridge. His family increasing, he had recourse to farming, and other secular employments. He was engaged in preaching both at Cambridge, and in all the villages around it; he also studied hard, and acquired an immense stock of knowledge. He was highly esteemned by some of the heads, and many of the members of the University of Cambridge. In 1790 he went to preach a charity sermon at Birmingham, where he died suddenly in his bed, having reached the fifty-fourth year of his age. He had injured his health by excessive application, but expired just as he had wished, "quiet and alone!" As a PREACHER he was inimitable. His volume of Village Sermons, with Morning Exercises at the end of them, are unique: they are singular in their subjects, original in their illustrations, and practical in their tendency. Clamours were raised about his orthodoxy, but he had a sound head and a sound heart ever intent on promoting the best interest of his fellow-creatures. Altogether an extraordinary man, neither his talents nor his attainments were of a common description. He possessed an exquisite genius, a rich fancy, and a simple yet impressive eloquence. His two great works are his History of Baptism and his Ecclesiastical Researches, each a quarto volume. His mis

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cellaneous works, in five octavo volumes, were collected and published by Mr. Benjamin Flower, who has written a prefixed Memoir of him with fidelity. His admirable translation of Saurin's Sermons, with his masterly Prefaces, as well as his History and Mystery of Good Friday, are well known in the religious world. Never was there a more enlightened and ardent friend both of the civil and religious liberties of mankind.

86.

CALEB EVANS, D.D.

BRISTOL.-DIED 1791.

It has never been my custom, as you well know, to give hard names to those that differ from me, even on subjects of the highest importance; and you will not therefore expect any thing of this kind in the present publication. The wrath of man will never work the righteousness of God; and, I hope, I have learned to tremble at that word of my divine Master, Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? Railing accusations may be as easily applied to the support of error as of truth; and can only tend in either case to inflame, never to convince or persuade. We ought as sincerely and cheerfully to admire the virtues of those that may differ from us the most widely, as we would wish to detect and avoid their errors. But suffer me to

caution you against the opposite extreme, that of scepticism and indifference-a temper of mind, of all others, the most unpardonable, and the most pernicious. It is the highest insult we can offer to the God of truth, and has the most direct tendency to banish truth, and, with it, all true virtue and happiness out of the world. But amidst the clash of contending parties, and the jarring of such very discordant sentiments, as are propagated and zealously contended for in what is called the Christian world, in the present day, it becomes more necessary than ever for all that would be able to give a reason of the hope that is in them, with meekness and fear, uprightly and impartially to search the scriptures, and judge for themselves. Your faith will otherwise be of no use to you, it will stand in the wisdom of men, and not in the power of God. Then only can you receive the truth so as to derive any saving benefit from it, when you receive it, not as the word of men, but, as it is, in truth, the word of God, which also worketh effectually in them that believe. The truth will be of no avail to you if you are not sanctified by it, and made real Christians. And then only will you recommend it to others, to any good purpose, when it appears that you yourselves have been made by it truly humble,. holy, heavenly-minded, useful, active, and benevolent, abounding in every good word and work, as those that are wisely persuaded their labour shall not be in vain in the Lord.

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