The National Register. — London, England, 1811-09-22 00:00:00

v . THE NATIONAL REGISTER. ebe pulpit. No. XLVII. •0 , ••••MM• ' Oe virtue's 'Wing, to higher night arise; Deserve your bliss, anti viudirate the skies! tit that fallen Edifice which Europe vlauu'd, Von, like a guilts:, eolumn,' stand ; Blind to the birth which pregnant time await'. Awfully sate an the wreck of 'Wei. JERNINGIIAhI. tu Rev. THOMAS SHEPPARD, M. A. )4ORNING PREACHER, at PENTONVILLE CHAPEL. Modern professors have evidently but faint conceptions of the seal with which religion at first inspired our believing fathers. Its flame was not less warm in the hearts of the rich, than in those of the poor; and it burnt still more bright, though not more pure, in those ot the high, than in those of the low. History most abundantly substantiates this position. One fact may, never tbell:ss, prove the point. it is recorded of the brave Grillon, good as brave, who flouri.ihed towards the close of the fifteenth century of our era, that, listening one day to a sermon on the Passion ot the Saviour (" precher la Passion"), lw became vehe mently indignant at the treatment of Christ on the Cross; and, placing, his hand upon his sword, exclaimed--" Where wert thou, 6rinon Grillon died on the 2d of December, in the year 1615. Perhaps the spirit of the virtuous and valiant Grillon, however laudable elsewhere, partook too much of that in which Peter smote the ear of one of those who assisted in the apprehension of Jesus, and for the indulgence of which this disciple was so gene rously but effectually rebuked by his divine master. This was, perhaps, the case. Still the fact remains just the same, and comes roost clearly to the point. Naturally attracted by that species of eloquence which capti vates the imagination and electrifies the affections, seductive though is prove to the judgment, mankind are not immediately disposed to appreciate the value of that santiloquence which so licits attention, and insinuates conviction. Boanerges will have mare votes that Barnabas. Now is this taste, notwithstanding its popularity, the best of tastes ? Whoever bath examined the character of those discourses which were delivered by the great est preacher that ever appeared to enlighten and meliorate our vrorld,—those of the Son of God !—must perceive their charm terisaic excellences, next to tite truths which they teach, to con • sist in moderation, winningness, and simplicity. Thus did be speak and teach, who spake as never man spice. His was the ',till small voice, which yet his sheep heard, and which his sheep still know. • Retiredness of living and humility in teaching, shunning the glare of that world which they lighten, are most estimable on the port of preachers of the Gospel ; and that these qualities do very generally distinguish the ministers of our establishment, con ceding some few exceptions, none but their most obdurate oppo mints will be disposed to controvert. Amongst pastors who so Dive and teach, illuminating and improving their contemporaries, truth has to rank the Present preacher. The reverend THOMAS SHEPPARD, M. A. was formerly of St. k.dinund's Hall, in the University of Oxford ; an episcopal seminary which seems remarkable for the number of orthodox instructors with which it has, for some years past, supplied the pulpits of the established church. Mr. Sheppard has not risen immaturely into notice, but gained progressively and deservedly in the public eye. He succeeded the late reverend Mr. Faulkner, -and preceeded the reverend Mr. Wilcox, at Ely Chapel; and is now Minister of Pcntonville Chapel, being Morning Preacher ; and also Afternoon Lecturer, at St. Mary's, Stoke-Newington. Humility becomes orthodoxy. It is not by disguising his ge . au ine opinions, halting whilst thinking, in order to please most that Mr. Sheppard obtains the men by being honest with none, apos:olical reputa - ion of rendering himself all things to all. He simulates nut. Dqcidedly calviui,tic, zaid perfectly evangelical, his sentiments are ytt so urged ;is to conciliate attention and neu tralize hostility. He unreservedly proposes what is truth ; but then he discreetly enforces it. He is zealous at the same time, but his zeal has knowledge in it. Excepting some few head-notes, his sermons are quite extern. pore. They are all sufficiently premeditated, and naturally di vided, perspicuously reasoned, obviously Bin It rated, and feelingly applicatory to the heart. Both his deportment and delivery are impressive, yet free. None of the arts of style, none of the traps of speech, are to be found in him. AU is free; all IJ fair ; all is plain. He prays with exemplary devoutness and commendable pro. pricty ; never affecting too much to alter what so few eventually amend ; consistently regarding the established ordinances of the church. He reveres these forms of hers, and adopts them, though he could pray well without them. Although he stands but short in stature, and is not strong in voice, defects of this sort are not marked. These are the trifles light as air. The Rev. Mr. Sheppard has not put any thing to press. September 19, 1811. ONESIMUS.. TO THE EDITOR OF THE NATIONAL REGISTER. Sra—Observing in,your paper of the 15th an extract from The Taunton Courier, giving an account of a soldier pretending insen3f • bility to almost every kind of stimuli applied to arouse him,allow me to doubt the poor fellows hAtig the villain he is there repre. sented to be. I have myself known two instances within these few years of all the symptoms of fractured skulls, but which on denuding the parts, were discovered to be sound; but remen - .. ber, Sir, that the patients were cured without the use of the trefine, a discharge of blood issuing throul , ,h the sutures, bavieg I make no doubt, taken off the weight which pressed on the brain, and caused the symptoms. I do not recol.ect when he received the fall, but such a thing was mentioned, and, I am convinced, might have produced the insensibility described, and which might have been relieved to the way I have observed. The reason assigned for feigning illness was fear of receiving punishm;:nt for some fault he had committed, and that might do for a time, but surely when those about him proceeded so far as to run needles under his nails, he would have, at least, en deavoured to make his escape, and take his chance of being re captured and flogged, rather than submit to a repetition of such torture. How came he to groan when the pericranium was scraped from one particular part of the skull? Unless that part was more tender. As to his father's having got his discharge when young, from feigning sickness—people are so apt to invent arid add to such stories as the present, that I do not give cre dit to that report. I only wish the whole truth to be known — tor, if my ideas are right, it is cruel in the extreme, that the un fortunate young man should be driven from his home and ' friends in the way he is, with total loss of character, when it appears to me, he may, very probatiy, be an object of pity. Sept. 18. Your's, CHIRURGICIA. A general meeting for establishing an auxiliary Bible Society in Norfolk, was held on Wednesday, at Norwich; the Bishop of Norwich, and a number of other eminent Divines, assembled on the occasion. Various resolutions were agreed to for elfgcl,- ing the objects of the Institution, and the subscriptions amountv4 to 800 i. -- ----- On the 25th of February, Pulwan Sing, a Hindoo, who earned a precariow living by providing dancing girls at festi vals, obtained a prize in the Bombay lottery of 100,040, 5iCCa rupees. On the Sunday following he terminated his life by a WI from a horse which he had bought in consequence of his transition from poverty to opulence • thus exhibiting a Striking illustration of the old proverb as to t he effect of setting a bitgliar on horseback.