The National Register. — London, England, 1808-11-21 00:00:00

TIE NATIONAL REGISTER. 9' 1e 'theatre at Sydrrey appeats to be in a very non-' state,'" Said a Gentleman, to John Kemble, Speak ing. tit the Botany Bay theatricals, an acconntof which ap peaied in the papers a few months since. " Yes," replied the tragedian, '+ the performers ought to be all good, for they have been selected, and sent to that situation, by very excellent .1 Niko; ! The house of a Clergyman. in the vicinity of Islington, Was lately broke open and plundered. the robbers on taking leave, wrote on a piece of paper which lay on a devk.—" Watch as well as pray." POPULAR. PREACHER& No. XV. DEV. SIDNEY bMITII, M.A. WHILE lamenting the deciiii4e 'of one *he i*as desig hated for the Sacred rioicAith, and the most affecting of his inimitable compositiohs, LVeidlttiii our divine poet conceived himself authorised to ttdvert to those characters who too -often unworthily occupy We highest functions ith which humanity is acquainted. Milton exhibits to us, in this instance, the sublime union of poetry with prophe cy. The lapse of nearly two hundred years, far from ren dering his reproof obsolete, has only illustrated the sound ness of his views and confirmed the truth of his admoni tion. I fear there may still frequently be occasions, when tills spiritual censure will forcibly recur to the recollection u my readers. The REV. SIDNEY SMITH, 'preparatorily educated at Winehester, was formerly a Fellow of Net* College, in Oxford. He was intended for Physic• ' and studied, at Edin burgh, with reference to the medical profession. Turning his attention, however, to Divinity, he accordingly disposed himself ter Holy Orders. I am not thoroughly informed of the early progress of Mr. Smith ; but I know that, as I.ectnrer on Moral Philosophy, he attracted' Considerable adthiration, doting two or three seasons, at the Royal In ltituliun and 1 .. am assured that this fishiouable popula rity prepared the way for his ascending the pulpit or the Foundling Chapel, where he is still an alternate Eieniug Preacher. Ile is also Morning Preacher at Berkeley and Nitzroy Chapels; and he has lately through the patronage of Lord Holland, become a beneficed clergyman in York shire. This tatter preferment, notstithstatulingl has not prevented him from again repairing to the inettopoßs: He was called into Residence on his Living, by hisdiocesan ; yet he found interest enough to be exempted faun circum stances, to which his temper must with difficulty have sub mitted ! To his talents, indeed, the south is infinitely more propitious than the north; and of him it will never be said, that " Remote from towns he tan his wildly race, "Nor e'er had charged, nor irtsh'd to aortic, his place !" Who, after all, would desire to confine any preacher to the only sphere of exertion most - unfavourable to his Mol lifies ? Mr. Smith is . perfectly . calculated for Berkeley especially. during wind is called 0.6 winter of the town; but, how would his country auditors ~.rape and mar vel at " clanking chains," " hazardous privileges," " pre " press of. society," " sublime nasality," 44 Stupendous • ‘ prodigy,". &c. ? Look up they might, and doubtless would, " .the hungry sheep," in amazement, to their spiritual shepherd to their being " fed," if . they hunger for the " food of life," I am fearful that they might " look up " in vain. • . Nerer do I augur well of the preacher who appears to think well of himself: Lightly must that mad estimate the priest's ofice, and deplorable is the situation in which bantam's ' ,who clues not tremble to place,lniaself, as it were, between his fellow-creatures and his God !---Long as he Dtay have listened to the teaching of Gaimtliel, yet if he bas sat, fOr one sour, at the feet of his Redeemer, he will serious!) know, and eteriastinly feel, the awful regponsi. 410. gl. bility attached to the Ministry of the Gospel of Christ. Conscious whose servant he is; and full of tlie iiiiptirtan . ee of his commission, he williheartily diffident of himdelf, he invariably imploring the assistance of that Holy Spirit, which, though by his ministration; can alone make his in structions effectual and beneficial ! So impressed, his whole conduct will he consistent with his convictions: If custom compels him to join in the preparatory service of the sane. tuary, he will; without affectation, exhibit an example of piety to the people. He will mingle fervently, yet unas sumingly, in their devotions. Seen, he will not see; and even disturbed, he will remain midi verted. He cannot consi der himself as the proper gazing-stock of his congregation ; nor will he thus return compliment for compliment, and bow to one of his hearers with as much complae.encv as to the name of Jesus ! He will not so demean himself. He will not disgust the feelings of others, and dei:;!ratte his oun dignity, Sidney Smith's deportment did not dispose me to thilq: very highly of his clerical diameter. Ile seemed as cul pably indifferent to his situation, as 'he was sufficiently con scions of his own consequence. Perhaps, as he ram., among moral divines, he does not conceive it of any impoit once to Supplicate spiritual succour in the dischar.. , e of li:s preceptive duties : for, when he enters the pulpit, he no sooner kueeitthan he rises from the cushion. He now ri t l;v. his hands, with due gracefulness ; and; since he take; no part in the melody of devotion, he has leisure to look about; and survey his assembied auditors. This task, it is but justice to own, he performs with all possible compia ceney. His person, however; is really imposing: fie is tall, well built, comely in couutenance, and striking in his manner. His voice is manly, though rather too powerful; and his delivery is commanding. His appearance is altogether pompous. If it be true; as Whispered, that he aspires to become one of our ecclesiastical dignitaries, he will; should his wishes be accomplished; walk loftily enough under the mitre. I am not so sensorious as to withhold from him this tribute. Mr: Smith appears to be partial to the cannons of Eccle siastes; but he is particularly addicted to the first verse of 1 the second chapter,—from w hich he has delivered the same sermon not less than twice on the same sabbath ! I When t 1 he lays old of some " Soliloquy of Salomon," he, as one de sirous of wisdom; will hardly let it go. This choice, con• sidering . the complexion of his preaching; is far from being injudicious. Ido not deny to him the praise of 'writing . some sentences, as when, describing the Miseries o f irreverent oil-age, he talki of persons, answering this de scription, " growing old withoUtgrowing wise ; and Fa' gathering nothing; Iron' the lapie of years, hot the outward symbols of decay ;" yet, at his excellency discovers itself most in . brilliant declamation, I certaiuly commend him for selecting such subjects as are best calculated to display his . oratorical pretensions: • bet hiM; therefore, keep to moral and prudential apotheghms, One of " the Masters of" our modern ." liael," he will do well to confine him self tb human expositions. Entitled, however, as he is to considerable literitry d is. tiaction, I subinit to Mr. Smith, from respect to his mental acquisitions, how far the use of "It is ' sit" and " /s'n't it; instead of It is not and Is it not, is recoacileable with true taste, or consonant with the principles of accomplished rioquotice t 1 hrso wish to ascertain, why and in our Lord's • Prayer (the whole of which Mr. Smith, by the w a y , delivers west indeeorOutly I) is pronounced by hi m as un ; when ha slVs, " And forgive us our trespasses, &c: His pauses: d:.ring the progress of his discourse , are often p ainfully low , ; and tne termination of it is so abrup t as to create b the sensation of deficiency: Conciseness is not always elegance. I have allotted to the circumstance of Mr. Smith's deli. vering the same Discourse twice during one Sunday. How_ 1 far this practice is allowable on the pa rt of prueleacheeris,o: . it undertake nut to &towline: 1 itndi Simply ury IF • ' TrK !• 1 r ' l l l l l' D