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These were published in 1756, entitled "Thirteen Sermons, preached on Various Occasions, by the reverend and learned John Owen, D.D. of the last age," to which an advertisement is appended, stating, that "to be fully satisfied they are genuine, Mrs. Cooke,* of Stoke Newington, by this means informs the reader, that her pious grandfather, Sir John Hartopp, Bart. wrote them in short-hand from the doctor's own mouth, and then took the pains to transcribe them into long-hand, as thinking them worthy of being transmitted down to posterity." The year preceding his death, Sir John assisted in compiling memoirs of Owen, drawn up principally by Mr. Asty, pastor of the church in Rope-Makers' Alley, and perfixed to a folio volume of sermons and tracts, which was dedicated to the baronet. The death of such men as Abney and Hartopp was a heavy loss to the dissenting interest, on account of their private worth and public spirit; but their kindness to Watts will keep their names in remembrance by the church of Christ-a kindness shown without exacting obsequious submission or displaying the usual pride of patronage.

The funeral sermon which Watts preached for his early patron, was founded upon Heb. xii. 23, "the spirits of the just made perfect;" and forms the second of the two discourses which he published, entitled "Death and Heaven, attempted in two funeral discourses in memory of Sir John Hartopp and his lady deceased." These appeared in July, 1722, with a dedication to his former pupil, who now succeeded to his father's title and estates. It would be a sufficient proof of the value and usefulness of this production to state, that it was a favourite book with the amiable Doddridge, his solace at Lisbon when in declining health, soothing him under the prospect of being

* Mrs. Cooke, second daughter of Nathaniel Gould, Esq., and Frances Hartopp, and wife of Thomas Cooke, Esq., some time governor of the bank. She died in 1763, aged 63, at Stoke Newington.

+ Entitled" A Complete Collection of the Sermons, &c." The preface was written by Matthew Clarke, Thomas Bradbury, and Thomas Ridgley, D.D.

buried on a foreign strand. Its popularity carried it through several editions during the life-time of the author, and led to its circulation in America and on the continent. Professor Frank was so much pleased with it, that he engaged a person to translate it into German, which appeared after his death at Halle in Saxony, in the year 1727, with a recommendatory preface by Professor Rambach, his successor in the divinity chair. The plan of the latter discourse, and many of its leading features, are drawn from an ingenious treatise, published by a nameless author in 1683, entitled "The Future State, displaying the progressive Knowledge of the Blessed in Heaven." An edition of this little work was published in France in 1700, and a German translation appeared at Frankfort ad Mænum, Both of Watts's sermons with a preface by Dr. Pritius. abound with passages of considerable beauty; a vein of ardent piety runs throughout; the style is more than usually sprightly and vivacious; the fancy of the writer is evidently on the wing, and his imagination excursive, yet it does not attract from the highway of truth, nor betray into error and inconsistence. It has, indeed, been objected, that some of his views of the station, employment, and happiness, of perfected spirits are not expressly sanctioned by the sacred page; yet they harmonise with the general tenor of its brief and brilliant revelations, and are certainly supported by the inferential evidence of the scriptures. Though inspired truth maintains a dignified reserve with reference to the future-though it seeks not to gratify the longings of the ambitious, or the fretful impatience of the curious-though it sympathises in all its details with that secresy which sits awful mistress of the creation around usyet hints are thrown out which we may follow and improve, without incurring the charge of being wiser than what is writ

* Professor Rambach is known as the author of a series of discourses on the Passion, preached during Lent, at Jena and Halle, in 1721 and 1722. They were An abridged edition was published in 1730, and translated into English in 1763.

published by J. Gray, of York, in 1819.

These were published in 1756, entitled "Thirteen Sermons, preached on Various Occasions, by the reverend and learned John Owen, D.D. of the last age," to which an advertisement is appended, stating, that "to be fully satisfied they are genuine, Mrs. Cooke,* of Stoke Newington, by this means informs the reader, that her pious grandfather, Sir John Hartopp, Bart. wrote them in short-hand from the doctor's own mouth, and then took the pains to transcribe them into long-hand, as thinking them worthy of being transmitted down to posterity." The year preceding his death, Sir John assisted in compiling memoirs of Owen, drawn up principally by Mr. Asty, pastor of the church in Rope-Makers' Alley, and perfixed to a folio volume of sermons and tracts, which was dedicated to the baronet. The death of such men as Abney and Hartopp was a heavy loss to the dissenting interest, on account of their private worth and public spirit; but their kindness to Watts will keep their names in remembrance by the church of Christ-a kindness shown without exacting obsequious submission or displaying the usual pride of patronage.

The funeral sermon which Watts preached for his early patron, was founded upon Heb. xii. 23, "the spirits of the just made perfect;" and forms the second of the two discourses which he published, entitled "Death and Heaven, attempted in two funeral discourses in memory of Sir John Hartopp and his lady deceased." These appeared in July, 1722, with a dedication to his former pupil, who now succeeded to his father's title and estates. It would be a sufficient proof of the value and usefulness of this production to state, that it was a favourite book with the amiable Doddridge, his solace at Lisbon when in declining health, soothing him under the prospect of being

* Mrs. Cooke, second daughter of Nathaniel Gould, Esq., and Frances Hartopp, and wife of Thomas Cooke, Esq., some time governor of the bank. She died in 1763, aged 63, at Stoke Newington.

+ Entitled" A Complete Collection of the Sermons, &c." The preface was written by Matthew Clarke, Thomas Bradbury, and Thomas Ridgley, D.D.

buried on a foreign strand. Its popularity carried it through several editions during the life-time of the author, and led to its circulation in America and on the continent. Professor Frank was so much pleased with it, that he engaged a person to translate it into German, which appeared after his death at Halle in Saxony, in the year 1727, with a recommendatory preface by Professor Rambach, his successor in the divinity chair. The plan of the latter discourse, and many of its leading features, are drawn from an ingenious treatise, published by a nameless author in 1683, entitled "The Future State, displaying the progressive Knowledge of the Blessed in Heaven." An edition of this little work was published in France in 1700, and a German translation appeared at Frankfort ad Mænum, with a preface by Dr. Pritius. Both of Watts's sermons abound with passages of considerable beauty; a vein of ardent piety runs throughout; the style is more than usually sprightly and vivacious; the fancy of the writer is evidently on the wing, and his imagination excursive, yet it does not attract from the highway of truth, nor betray into error and inconsistence. It has, indeed, been objected, that some of his views of the station, employment, and happiness, of perfected spirits are not expressly sanctioned by the sacred page; yet they harmonise with the general tenor of its brief and brilliant revelations, and are certainly supported by the inferential evidence of the scriptures. Though inspired truth maintains a dignified reserve with reference to the future-though it seeks not to gratify the longings of the ambitious, or the fretful impatience of the curious-though it sympathises in all its details with that secresy which sits awful mistress of the creation around usyet hints are thrown out which we may follow and improve, without incurring the charge of being wiser than what is writ

* Professor Rambach is known as the author of a series of discourses on the Passion, preached during Lent, at Jena and Halle, in 1721 and 1722. They were published in 1730, and translated into English in 1763. An abridged edition was published by J. Gray, of York, in 1819.

ten. The landscape may have the mists and shadows of the morning twilight upon it, but the gleams of light that perforate the covering, and open a passage for our vision, enable us to form some idea of the scenery upon which the darkness rests. It requires, indeed, a steady hand to throw the sounding line over the battlements of the present; a matured judgment to know how far to proceed and when to stop; yet excursive as Watts's attempt undoubtedly is, in no instance does he trespass upon forbidden ground, or violate the boundary that separates faith from presumption. His views of the administration of future glory being proportioned to individual attainment— of heaven being a state of constant improvement-are generally held by the orthodox. The same progression that marks the character and experience of the Christian on earth, will doubtless attend him beyond the grave, and accompany him in his passage through eternity; he will go from "strength to strength" before "God in Zion," as well as during his journey to the "holy mountain ;" and be ever advancing to an increased likeness to Jehovah, in knowledge, purity, and glory, in boundless progression and infinite approximation, discovering at every step some new tract of moral and intellectual splendour, of unpierced and unapproached light, yet to be attained. "In the world of spirits made perfect," he observes, "David and Moses dwell: both of them were trained up in feeding the flocks of their fathers in the wilderness, to feed and to rule the nation of Israel, the chosen flock of God: and may we not suppose them also trained up in the arts of holy government on earth, to be the chiefs of some blessed army, some sacred tribes in heaven? They were directors of the forms of worship in the church below under divine inspiration; and might not that fit them to become leaders of some celestial assembly, when a multitude of the sons of God above come at stated seasons to present themselves before the throne?" We know for certain that there are gradations of rank and authority among the angels that "excel in strength," thrones and dominions, prin

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