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Ition which can be urged against benefit societies, that many of the members drink to unwarrantable excess. We lament that such a consequence should follow from so useful an institution. Mr. Plumptre has placed before his reverend brethren a model worthy their imitation; and happy shall we be to hear that every clergyman who is called upon on such occasions, is induced to go and do like him."

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CHRISTIAN BENEFICENCE, the Anniversary Sermon at the Meeting of the Society established for the Benefit of the Widows and Orphans of deceased Clergymen within the Diocese of Durham, preached in the Cathedral Church of Durham, Sept. 6, 1804. By CHARLES PLUMPTRE, M. A. Rector of Long Newton. Rivington.

R. PLUMPTRE, to whom every charitable society, and more particularly that of Durham, is indebted for this valuable discourse, is the author of the Christian Guide, a book which we recommended to the notice of our serious readers, as calculated to be exceedingly useful both in the retired closet, and the assembled family. The general opinion, as we learn from our bookseller, has coincided with our own; and not only the contemplative clergyman but the religious household has benefited by our author's laudable exertions. Mr. Plumptre, in the sermon before us, has added to his well-earned fame. He has very judiciously illustrated his subject: he has not, it is true, appealed to the feelings of his auditory; he has not delineated the lamentable situation of the distracted widow, nor the irreparable loss sustained by the fatherless children; but he has shewn the nature and the duty of Christian charity in a manner worthy a Christian preacher.

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"It is to be lamented, he says, that in the common forms of speech and the ordinary usage of the world, we often hear almsgiv ing accounted the whole of charity; this too in contradiction of a plain, and, as if in the Spirit he forsaw this corruption of speech and practice, marked distinction made by the Apostle. Almsgiving is but an equivocal expression of our minds; it may spring from pure charity, and it may arise from ostentation: it may be sincere and aim at nothing but the Glory of God and Vol. VIII. Churchm. Mag. Jan. 1805. K the

the good of a fellow-creature; and it may be hypocritical and seek only the applause of men. But when it is of the former kind, it is one of the strongest marks of charity to part with our worldly substance on disinterested principles, when required to make the sacrifice by our heavenly King, is one of the surest tokens of our faith in his protection. As a test therefore of our faith the Apostle asks the question, "Whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassien from him; how dwelleth the love of God in him?”

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"In the exercise of this last part of charity upon the proper motive a Christian seizes on convenient opportunities of indulging his benevolent disposition. In remembrance of what he hath received from the love of God and of his Son, he will avail himself more especially of times for benefiting the household of faith; he will shew kindness in the first place to those who may have born any particular relation to his Saviour, and been instrumental under him in publishing to the world the glad tidings of his salvatiou; in doing which he has the precept of an Apostle for his direction and a promise of the Saviour himself as the hope of his reward."

Our readers will, from this quotation, judge of the merits of the preacher. We have not selected it as containing more excellence than any other part of the discourse, but as a fair and impartial specimen of what the sermon contains. We cannot withhold the following address to the auditory.

"But not for the widow only and orphan children in their earliest years do we solicit your assistance; but for the sons and daughters of Clergymen, who by the providential disposal of carthly things have never risen above the distressed condition in which they have been left, or have fallen since under the pres sure of distress and poverty: by a latitude of construction, honourable to the Society, such of every age being considered as orphans and partaking of its influence. We solicit your aid in behalf of our brethren likewise labouring under peculiar circumstances of calamity: who, contending with the increasing prices of every necessary of life or other unforeseen exigencies, are unable to maintain and educate their respective families. A situation painful and pitiable! for a man of liberal sensibility may surely be pardoned, if he have felt some inward difficulties and encounter'd some secret reluctance before he could persuade himself at last to apply for charitable assistance and accept the beneficence of strangers."

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We have received the following Letter from a Clergy-: man of the highest respectability; and we insert it most readily, begging leave to add, that we shall be happy to receive any of his communications.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCHMAN'S

MR. EDITOR,

MAGAZINE.

HAVE long considered it as a thing greatly to be desired, that the Clergy should have an opportunity of seeing, in a collected point of view, the advertisements of all the religious books and tracts that are printed, or are intended for publication; as many, according to he usual-mode now pursued, constantly issue from the press, which escape notice. I take in a daily paper, and. every month the Anti Jacobin Review, and the Ortho dox Churchman's Magazine. But very many books are published, which I never hear of. I have, therefore, Sir, to propose to the booksellers, and to authors who wish their books to be known, that they advertise them frequently in your Miscellany, instead of being at the enormous expence of advertising in the several papers. The advertisement of a single sermon, consisting only of a few lines, in the newspapers, is six shillings, or more; and an author must advertise in five or six papers, at the least, before those who are likely to be purchasers can be apprized of his publication. To this must be added, the necessary expence incurred by renewing the adver→ tisements in these fleeting journals several times.

The deductions unavoidably made hereby from the profits, are of so very serious a magnitude, as to deter many authors from advertising their works, on which account they are kept in obscurity, and a considerable loss is sustained.

Should the reviews speak favourably, and the author or bookseller be desirous of giving to the world the testi

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mony of the critics as a recommendation of his work, the expence of advertising will be just double. This is a serious evil; and, although I am not an author, I shall be happy to be the instrument of remedying it.

What I have, therefore, to propose to you, Mr. Editor, is this; that you print this letter and disperse copies of it in the reviews and principal magazines, and that you also send copies of the same to the principal authors and their booksellers, many of whom will, I doubt not, promote the plan by the advertisement of their publications. I am sanguine enough to hope, that in your next magazine will appear advertisements of the works of the Bishops of London, Durham, St. Asaph, Bangor, Gloucester, St. David's, Oxford, Chester, Rochester, Bristol, &c.; of the Deans of Winchester, Pe terborough, &c.; of the Archdeacons Daubeny, Pott, Nares, &c.; of the Bampton Lecturers; of Drs. Sturges, Rennel, Paley, White, Gray, Glasse, Randolph, Watkins, Hales, Gardiner, Munkhouse, Whitaker, &c.; of Messrs. Ludlam, Pearson, Clapham, Gisborne, E. Whitaker, Glasse, Faber, Farrer, Wrangham, Plumptre, Brewster, Partridge, Haggitt, Shepherd, Thirlwall, Polwhele, Cooper, &c. &c.

Notices of the publications of these writers, and of many others, will, I presume, appear soon in your va→ luable Miscellany, to which I shall be glad to see subjoined extracts from the several reviews.

Let this mode of advertising be once established, and assuredly many publications will get into greater circulation than they can now possibly do. It will also convey much valuable information to the body of the clergy and students of divinity; and be of considerable advantage to authors and their publishers. I should much lament if this plan were to be treated as visionary; and many of the writers above enumerated will, I hope, prove

its utility by adopting the method I have here recommended for the scheme, I repeat it, will be found a mutual accommodation to booksellers, authors, and to the public.

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Y

MERRICK.

E works of God, on him alone;

In earth his foot-stool, heaven his throne,

Be all your praise bestow'd;

Whose hand the beauteous fabrick made,

Whose the finish'd work survey'd,
eye

And saw that all was good.

The angels all with loud acclaim
Admiring view'd the new-born frame,
And hail'd the eternal king;
Again proclaim your maker's praise,
Again your thankful voices raise,
And touch the tuneful string.

Praise him, ye bless'd ætherial plains,
Where, in full majesty, he deigns
To fix his aweful throne;

Ye waters, that above him roll,
From orb to orb, from pole to pole,
Oh! make his praises known!

Ye thrones, dominions, virtues, powers,
Join ye your joyful songs with ours,
With us your voices raise;

From age to age extend the lay,
To heav'n's eternal monarch pay

Hymns of eternal praise.

Cælestial

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