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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), March 1815, Edition 1 of 1, Page 166, REVIEW. ci Stilt pleas'd to praise, y$t not afraid to blame."—Pope

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    • REVIEW. ci Stilt pleas'd to praise, y$t not afraid to blame."—Pope
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      Untitled Article

      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

      Untitled Article

      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

  • Citation
    • 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/