Sidor som bilder
PDF
ePub

24.

Important to Literature. As the present Insurance Companies seem to have agreed to withhold their protection from Printing-offices, it is to be hoped, that in this company-forming age, such illiberality will only serve to call into existence some new concern, which, on fair and liberal terms, shall throw their protecting shield over a valuable class of tradesmen, and afford to printing establishments that security which other species of property enjoy.

Lord Cochrane.-On the 27th of June, Admiral Lord Cochrane reached Portsmouth in the Brazilian frigate Peranga, commanded by Captain Crosbie, which ship left Maranham 36 days since. His lordship was cruising off the Western Islands, when, meeting with strong winds, and his ship wanting repair, he bore away for the above port. His lordship saluted the flag of Admiral Sir George Martin, flying on board the Victory, in the harbour, which was returned by that ship. It is conjectured by the naval circles, that his lordship's visit may have connexion with his restoration to the British naval service.

Petrified Wood.-About the year 1760, the Emperor of Germany being desirous to know the length of time necessary to complete a petrifaction, obtained leave from the Sultan to take up and examine one of the timbers that supported Trajan's bridge over the Danube, a few miles below Belgrade. It was found to have been converted into an agate, to the depth of half an inch only; the inner parts were slightly petrified, and the central parts still wood. These piles had been there upwards of 1600 years.-Kirwan's Geological Essays.

Combustion of Iron by a Jet of Sulphur in Vapour. If a gun-barrel be heated red-hot at the but-end, and a piece of sulphur be thrown into it; on closing the mouth with a cork, or blowing into it, a jet of ignited sulphurous vapour will proceed from the touch-hole. Exposed to this, a bunch of iron wire will barn, as if ignited in oxygen gas, and will fall down in the form of fused globules in the state of proto-sulphuret. Hydrate of potash, exposed to the jet, fuses into a sulphuret of fine red colour. Silliman's Journal.

To extricate Horses from Fire. Throw the harness over a draught-horse, and place the saddle on the back of a saddle-horse, and they may be led out of the stable as easily as on common occasions. If time allows, put the bridle on them rather than the halter, and the difficulty of saving them will be still further lessened.

Literary Notices.

Just Published.

Part II. of Dr. Jamieson's Dictionary of Mechanical Science. 5s.

Goldsmith's History of England Abridged. By R. Simpson. 3s. 6d. bound. 6th edition. Goldsmith's History of Rome Abridged. By R. Simpson. 3s. 6d. boards. 7th edition.

The History of Scotland. By R. Simpson. 3s. 6d. bound. 13th edition.

Goldsmith's History of Greece Abridged. By R. Simpson. 3s. 6d. bound. 2nd edition.

The Last Part of Clarke's Geographical Dictionary. 5s.

The Christian's Great Interest. By the Rev. William Guthrie. With an Introductory Essay, by Thomas Chalmers, D. D. 12mo. 3s. boards.

Letters of the Rev. Samuel Rutherford. With an Introductory Essay, by Thomas Erskine, Esq. Advocate. 12mo. 4s. boards.

A Visit to Dalgarnoch; or, Tales of Scottish Piety. 12mo. 2s. 6d. boards.

The Christian. By the Rev. Samuel Walker, Curate of Truro. With an Introductory Essay, by the Rev. Charles Simeon, Cambridge. 12mo. 3s. boards.

A Treatise on the Religious Affections. By Jonathan Edwards. With an Introductory Essay, by the Rev. David Young, Perth. 12mo. 7s. boards.

Henry Graham; or, The Christian's Danger from the World. 18mo. 3s. boards. Harding's Short Hand. 4th edition. Enlarged and Improved. 3s.

Parts I. and II. of the History of Cornwall. By Hitchens and Drew. 6s. each.

Volume I. of the Cottage Bible. By Thomas Williams. Dedicated, by permission, to the Right Rev. the Lord Bishop of Salisbury. To be continued in Monthly Parts, and completed in Two Volumes octavo.

Discourses on the Lord's Prayer, in a Series of Lectures. By the Rev. Samuel Saunders, of Frome. 8vo. 10s. 6d.

A Second Edition of Reviews, written by the Rev. Robert Hall, A. M. of Leicester. Now first collected together. 8vo. 5s.

Urania's Mirror; or, A View of the Heavens, on a plan perfectly original. Designed by a Lady. Consisting of 32 large Cards, on which are represented all the Constellations visible in Great Britain. The Stars are perforated, according to their relative magnitudes, and accompanied with a familiar Treatise on Astronomy, by J. Aspin. 2nd edition, considerably enlarged and improved: £1.8s. plain, fitted up in an elegant box; or, £1. 14s. beautifully coloured."

The Lost Spirit, a Poem. By J. Lawson. 4s. boards.

Leigh's New Pocket Road Book of England, Wales, and Part of Scotland, on the Plan of Richard's Itineraries. With 55 maps. 8s. bound.

The Protestant Vindicator. Nos. I. II. III. The Devonport Ark. Nos. 1. II. III. and IV. Twelfth Report of the London Society for the Improvement, &c. of Female Servants. A Catechism on the principal Parables of the New Testament. By W. F. Lloyd. In the Press.

A Second Edition, in 12ino. of The Ten Commandments, illustrated and enforced on Christian Principles. By the Rev. W. H. Stowell.

The Bible Teacher's Manual. Part IV. containing Deuteronomy. By Mrs. Sherwood, author of "Little Henry and his Bearer," &c.

Jairus; or, the Home Missionary. A Narrative of Facts. In 1 vol. 12mo. By the Rev. J. Young, of Folkestone.

LONDON: PRINTED AT THE CAXTON PRESS, BY H. FISHER, SON, AND CO.

(

[graphic][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors]

THE

Emperial Magazine;

OR, COMPENDIUM OF

RELIGIOUS, MORAL, & PHILOSOPHICAL KNOWLEDGE.

SEPT.]

"READING IS THE CIRCULATING MEDIUM OF INTELLECTUAL COMMERCE."

MEMOIR OF ABRAHAM REES, D.D. F.R.S.

(With a Portrait.)

THE father of this learned, industrious, and able writer, was the reverend Lewis Rees, a dissenting divine of the old orthodox stamp, whose name is yet revered both in North and South Wales, for his zeal and usefulness during a ministry of seventy years. When he first settled in the county of Montgomery, that part of the principality was covered with darkness to such a degree, that the good man, in the discharge of his professional duties, experienced great opposition. The insults which he met with from his ignorant and bigoted countrymen, however, only acted as stimulants to provoke him to more diligence, and the exercise of his pity and concern for their spiritual welfare. To avoid the assaults and indignities which were aimed at him by those who threatened his life, he frequently travelled from one place to another in the darkness of the night. On the Sabbath, and during the hours of leisure at other times, he preached to crowded audiences; nor did he neglect any fit opportunity that offered, of instructing the children and younger branches of those families who attended upon his ministry. Such was his success, that he established large congregations in various places, where before there had been but a very few individuals disposed to think seriously of religion, and where he began his labours for a reformation, at the imminent hazard of his life. After spending many years in this field of toil and danger, he removed to Glamorganshire, in South Wales, where he continued to be followed as a popular and useful preacher almost to the end of the last century, when he died, at the advanced age of ninety.

[1825.

respectable seminary for Protestant Dissenters at Carmarthen, he removed to London, and became a pupil in the academy founded by Mr. Coward, at Hoxton, and which was then conducted by Dr. David Jennings and Dr. Samuel Morton Savage. On the death of the former, in 1762, a new arrangement took place; Dr. Kippis being appointed classical tutor, and Mr. Rees, though only nineteen years of age, taking the department of mathematics and natural philosophy; to which studies, on the recommendation and with the assistance of his friend Dr. Price, he devoted as much of his time as his other engagements, and views as a candidate for the ministry, would allow. The satisfaction which he gave, as an assistant instructor, induced the trustees to appoint him resident tutor; the duties of which situation he continued to discharge for more than twenty years. In the mean time, he did not lose sight of the calling to which he had been destined by his pious father, as well as led by his own inclination. At about the age of twenty-three, he was ordained pastor of the Presbyterian congregation meeting in St. Thomas's, Southwark. His predecessor was Mr. Henry Read, who, with his brother, Mr. James Read, strenuously opposed, in 1719, the imposition of articles and confessions of faith upon dissenting ministers; and for which they suffered not a little obloquy from their more compliable brethren. Mr. Henry Read had presided over the congregation in St. Thomas's above half a century, and with such popularity, that for many years he was obliged to take his station in the pulpit nearly an hour before the commencement of the service, on account of the crowds of auditors who literally blocked up the aisles of the meeting.

His son, the subject of the present During his connexion with the somemoir, was born at or near Mont-ciety at St. Thomas's, the diploma of gomery, in the year 1743. After receiving the elements of education under Dr. Jenkins, who conducted a 81.-VOL. VII.

Doctor in Divinity was conferred upon Mr. Rees by the university of Edinburgh, through the recommendation

3 D

of some persons of distinction in the literary world, who bore a willing testimony to his merits as a preceptor and preacher. After officiating at this place about fifteen years, on the death of Mr. Nathaniel White, of the Old Jewry, the congregation there unanimously invited Dr. Rees to become their pastor; which call, with the consent of his friends at St. Thomas's, he accepted. Under his ministry, the society prospered and increased; his discourses from the pulpit being argumentative, interesting, and instructive, while his manner of delivery was equally serious and impressive.

whom, followed Dr. Priestley, with whom, we believe, the series of annual sermons ended. From the beginning of the design, Dr. Rees was looked up to as the person best qualified to discharge the duties of a resident tutor in the natural sciences; and he continued to do so as long as the institution existed. But though great things were expected from the New College, as it was called, there were not wanting some persons of shrewd judgment, to foresee and predict the speedy fate of this splendid edifice. One objection to the new establishment, was the expensiveness of the system of educaAfter the lapse of some years, the tion therein adopted; and another, of congregation built a new and more an equal, if not greater, import, was spacious chapel in Jewin-street, where the circumstance of admitting other the Doctor continued to preach as long pupils besides those intended for the as his health permitted.-But we must ministry. It was observed, that such now revert to his academic labours. an association tended to raise the In the year 1784, Dr. Savage and Dr. views of theological students above Kippis resigned their connexion with the condition they were about to octhe seminary at Hoxton; and Dr. Rees cupy in life; and it was reasonably soon after followed their example. feared, that a promiscuous education The cause of this separation has never like this, would rather weaken than been properly explained; but there is cherish the spirit of zeal and humility reason to believe that it was occasion- which ought to be the leading characed, in a great measure, by some dis- teristic of the Christian teacher. In satisfaction expressed on the part of answer to this, the English universities the trustees, at the wide departure of were referred to, where, it was said, this academical institution from the young men sometimes form connexions doctrinal principles which it was es- with the sons of the nobility, and theretablished to support. The old semi- by procure valuable preferment. But nary at Hoxton, therefore, being now as it happens, that the dissenters, broken up, and that at Warrington, as while they remain such, can enjoy no well as the one at Daventry, falling ecclesiastical benefices or distinctions into rapid decay, it was resolved by at all, it is surprising how such an a meeting of the more liberal and idea could have entered the heads of wealthy dissenters in London, to form intelligent men. And even had there another near the metropolis, on a more been any justification for such a plea, extended scale than had as yet ap- it could only have been one that was peared in England, for the education at direct variance with the fundamenof young men in the free principles of tal principles of nonconformity, at nonconformity, unshackled by creeds, least as far as regards the character articles, and confessions of faith. Ac- and conduct of its ministers; in whom cordingly, a large subscription, head- it is expected that they should be abed by Mr. Newton, a gentleman of for-stracted from selfish views and worldly tune, was entered into, and in a short time a fund was provided, sufficient for the purchase and fitting up of some extensive premises at Hackney. The building went on with alacrity, and at the opening of it in 1786, Dr. Kippis, the principal director and tutor, preached a sermon, which was published. The next commemorative discourse was preached by Dr. Price, who was succeeded, in 1788, by Dr. Rees, and he by the younger Mr. Hugh Worthington, of Salter's Hall, after

ambition. Considering all this, the decline of the New College at Hackney was no more than the natural consequence of an immature project; but there were other causes which combined to hasten its dissolution. The primary or ostensible object of the scheme, was the settlement of an academy to prepare young men for the ministerial office, and on that account ample funds ought to have been secured in the first instance; instead of which, the expenses of the establish

« FöregåendeFortsätt »