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The Duty of Habitual Devotion . IV . The Importance of Diligently Keeping the Heart . V . The Dangerous Tendency of Ease and Affluence . VI . The Question of Barzillai considered and improved . VII . The Love of Christ
manifested in laying down his Life . VIII . Observations on the Story of the Man born Blind . IX . Faith , the Victory that overcometh the World . X . Keeping the Commandments of Christ the only unequivocal Proof of our Love to Him . XI . The Wisdom of
adapting the Temper to the Condition . XII . The Guilt and Danger of slighting the Offer of Christianity . XIII . Against Censoriousness . XIV . Against Censoriousness . XV . The Nature and Sources of Religious Joy . XVI . The Duty and Reward of a Christian Minister . Appendix . From this table of contents it will
have appeared that the discourses are chiefly devotional and practical . They are at the same time Christian . Expositions of scripture and doctrinal arguments and reflections are interspersed ; and these justify the interesting statement of Mr . Kentish , [ XIV .
^ 74 , ] that , half a century ago , Mr . Bretland had the courage to assume the then singular and obnoxious character of a preacher of Unitarianism , avowing from his pulpit in the Mint Meeting-house at Exeter , the principles of the absolute Unity of God and the unequivocal Humanity of Christ .
Mr . Bretland ' s fondness for metap hysical studies occasionally appears in the Sermons , but that which most distinguishes and recommends them is Christian simplicity . The reader is constantly pleased with the evident purity of the preacher ' s views , and with the kind and tender affections of
his heart . The Sermons to the Young exhibit a strong sympathy with them in their deepest and best feelings . His Funeral Sermons are the effusions of one who had himself tasted of the cup of sorrow .
But our readers will be well pleased that we should spare our own remarks fbr the sake of two or three extracts . In Serm . X . of Vol . I from Psalm xxvii . 10 , the following is supposed to be the soliloquy of a child who has acquitted himself well in the discharge of filial obligations : " The God who blessed me for a time with parents , who with the tendere « t
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care cherished me in the days of infancy and watched my heedless steps in giddy childhood—who shared with me in all my joys and sorrows , and reared me with the most affectionate solicitude to riper years—has now removed them . Their concern for my safety , health and
happiness , claimed from me the return of the warmest attachment , and to theirs was my heart united . Grief wrung my throbbing bosom when I saw them in pain or trouble , and joy took possession of my soul and brightened up my dejected countenance on the removal of their afflictions .
To lighten their pressures and increase their enjoyments was my prevailing aim , and , when my attempts for that purpose were successful , exquisite pleasure was their reward . When the weight of years and the attack of disease threatened their approaching dissolution , what tongue can express the emotions which I felt while ,
bending over their bed , I marked with tearful eye the rapid advances of the king of terrors ? How ardently did I wish the fatal stroke to be averted , that they might be restored to me a most delightful charge , and that I might enjoy once more an opportunity of shewing them how dear they were to me , by yet stronger and
more frequent proofs of the tenderest affection than had appeared in my former conduct ! But Thou , the great arbiter of life and death , who never afHictest willingly , didst not see fit to grant me the desire of my soul . If in ardent prayers which I poured out before thy gracious throne for their recovery , I felt not all
that readiness which became me to acquiesce in the event I dreaded , convinced , as I am , that every event is under thy direction , do Thou forgive a fault proceeding from the excess of an affection , which , duly regulated , thou highly approvest . And now , having performed the last office for those whose ease and happiness
it was my pleasing study and endeavour to promote , allow me to indulge the comfortable hope , that thou hast upon the whole beholden with approbation what I have done in the way of filial duty from the most genuine love and a principle of
conscience , though mixed with defects , which I deeply lament , and that , an orphan , I shall be favoured with thy paternal care . Thou , O God of mercy , art the Father of the fatherless !"—Pp . 183 ,
184 . There is an unusual elevation of thought in Serm . XIV . of the same volume , on Psalm viii . 3 , 4 , of which the following passage is a specimen : €€ If looking on a heap of sand we wished to select any particular grain for our inspection , we should find it ex-
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44 Review . ' —Bretlands Sermons .
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Jan. 2, 1821, page 44, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2496/page/44/
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