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REVIEW. ci Stilt pleas'd to praise, y$t not afraid to blame."—Pope
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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Art . I . Sermons on various important Subjects , by the late Rev . Ralph Harrison : to which is prefixed a Biographical Memoir of the Author . With a Discourse on occasion of his Death ; by the Rev * John Holland . Svo . pp . 367 and xvi . Longman and Co . and Johnson and Co . 10 s . 1813 . MR . HAHRISON , whose posthumous sermons are here presented to the public by his son , Mr . William Harrison , is well known by his Sacred Harmony . He was for many years joint-minister with the late
Dr . Barnes , of the respectable dissenting congregation , meeting in Cross Street , Manchester ; but , as we have already given some account of him [ v . 601 , 602 . ix . 264 ] , we shall observe only with regard to his life , that it appears to have been such as to create a natural desire in his
surviving friends of possessing a volume of his discourses . There is at the same time sufficient merit in these sermons to recommend them , independently of the considerations of friendship . The reader soon perceives that they are the productions of no ordinary mind ; they
uniformly display an enlightened understanding , a sound judgment , a correct taste , and , which is of more importance , clear views of scriptural truth , and pure moral discernment . In the distribution of his subjects , the preacher is remarkably simple and unaffected 5 but perhaps the plans of his sermons are rather too uniform . He
is often peculiarly happy in his definitions and descriptions . The style is perspicuous and neat , and sometimes elegant . Throughout all the discourses there prevails calm good sense ; often united
with a glow of affection that touches the heart , but never interrupted by those bursts of eloquence which arouse the imagination and seize the passions . On some of the subjects we expected more fervour than we have found .
USTone of the sermons are doctrinal , but the opinions of the author now and then appear , and we may , we presume , rank him under the general denomination of Unitarian . On practical topics we know few
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sermon-writers that , excel Mr . Harrison 5 none that may be read with more profit by young persons and in families . In this view , also , his Discourses are recommended by their brevity , a property of sermons which all preachers agree to extol , but which , judging by our experience , all find it difficult to maintain .
The sermons are xxiv in number , under the following titles : —Wisdom ! Domestic Union . The Duties of Pareuts . The Duties of Children . The Duties of Masters and Servants . Discretion , History of Joseph . Review of Divine Mercies . Contentment . Compassion * Praise . Forgiveness , Faith . Persecution . Beneficial Ef .
fects of Christianity . Human Life a Pilgrimage . The Love of God . Tta necessity of Watchfulness . Charity . Mutability of Life . The Christian Life . God the only proper Object of Glory . Danger of bad Company . History of Cain and Abel .
In the following passage the principles of Protestant Dissenters are well and boldly stated : the extract is from the first sermon , entitled , " Wisdom , " delivered ' ? on occasion of the establishment of the Manchester Academy , in the year 1786 , " and now re-printed . 1
" That Christ is the only kingin his church , and permits no one to share in hig authority—That he has left behind him no successor , to act as his vicegerent or representative upon earth , with power to alter , to add to , or to interpret the laws of his kingdom—That no profession , rani , or number of men has dominion over the
conscience—That the scripture 3 s a complete rule of faith , and that the application of this rule helong-s to every private Christian—That to substitute creeds and confessions , drawn up hy fallible men , for the words of Christ and his apostles , is an
unwarrantable and dangerous imposition —That to inflict penalties of any hud whatever for nonconformity to human systems , or to exclude others from communion , because they do not receive our standard of orthodoxy , is a violation o [ men ' s natural and Christian privileges .
Pp . 31 , 32 . , The reader will be p leased with ^ expostulation on the subject of m duty , from" Sermon iv . . . " The honour due to parents ' ? " natural expression of gratitude * «
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Review. Ci Stilt Pleas'd To Praise, Y$T Not Afraid To Blame."—Pope
REVIEW . ci Stilt pleas'd to praise , y $ t not afraid to blame . "—Pope
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), March 2, 1815, page 166, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1758/page/38/
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