The National Register. — London, England, 1809-03-26 00:00:00

POPULAR. PR EA CH ERS. No. XX% 111. What wealth in •outs, that soar, dire, range around; DiAlaining limit, or from time or place ; Aud hear at Once, in extensive hear, the Almighty nut and the Trumpet's Sound ! Youria. REVS JOLIN HEWLETTi B. Ds OF THE FOUNDLING CII.IPP.t: • A spirit of Oriigious enquiry seems generally excited; It was natural, hided& that successive ctittracters of the mi nisters of religion, extensively disseminated, should attract more than usual attention towards religion itself. Young persons especially, with whom the practice oi divine wor ship is too () ten the effect of duty rather than of delight, Of necessity rather than of inclination, perceived that there was, in the beatific of holiness, something infinitely more estimable than they were accustomed to anticipate. Thou sands, let. it be hoped, living once alike indifferent to churches or chapels, will now exclaim, with pious Dr. Watts;— Lord ! how delightful 'tis to see A whole assembly worship thee ! I have been there, and still would go; 'Tis like a little Heaven below. Of this gratifying attendance on ecclesiastical ordinances, our churches and chapels, reckoning nothing on our many other religious assemblies; furnish incontestible evidence . . Go where we may, right or left, eastward or westward, from Lisson-green to the Foundling, from St. James's in Piccadilly to St. Mary at Hill, or, turning southern, from 6t. George's in the Borough to the Asylum Chapel, as *mailed audiences, young and old, however otherwise dif fering, testify UnanAnous concurrence in the performance of devotional engagements: Whatever are the vices of our age, it is not, as it respects religion, the age of prac tical infidelity. Even theoretical infidelity ceases now to assail our ears, and insult our hearts. Happy; therefore; am I to observe, independently and conscientiously, of the present preacher, the REV. JOHN HEWLETT, that his pulpit labours are eminently calcu lated to impress the understandings, and improve the dispositions, of the numerous and respectable audiences to which they are eontinir.lly addressed. He is, be it known, Morning Preacher at the Foundling Hospital ; and his hearers being chiefly those who attend morning service, are necessarily less promiscuous, and consequently more reputable, than numbers of such persons as are seen thronging to the devotion of the evening. 'The fact is ac knowledged ; and the distinction is deserving of obser ration. Of the individual history of Mr. Hewlett, I am enabled to state, accurately it is believed, that he formerly kept a school, for some years, at Shacklewell ; with which, how ever, he has parted, rather advantageously. He is of Mag dalen College, in Cambridge. Mr. Hewlett is known in the literary world, as author of a Vindication of the Parian Chronicle;' a tract which displays great learning on the *abject of the Arundelian Marbles. He has also collected and published three volumes of his Sermons ; and he is now editing a New Edition of The Bible, originally under taken by the late Dr. Gregory, which appears monthly, in parts; and which promises to supply a truly valuable de sideratum id our theological literature. It must be seen, even Irvin this hasty specification of his exertions, that Mr.. Bewlett is abundantly qualified for his clerical avocations. There is much impressive solemnity both in the person •od manner of this preacher. His professional deportment is sufficiently dignified, and his countenance is indicative of his sincerity. His action, however, is little varied; while his voice, naturally unpowerful, frequently becomes inau dible. This latter defect is to be regretted, because, care• MAIICH 26. folly as Mr. Hewlett's Sermons are composed, lie never de livers an uninteresting sentence: he says nothing but what merits to be hearri; and much, very much, that his hearers must be anxious to treasure up for their own service. He seldom entangles himself, nor does he perplex others, with the subtilties of theology; or the dogmas of school- Practieal, rather than theoretical, his reasoning ap peals directly to the understandings of his auditors; his il lustrations are familiarly intelligible; and his conclusion* are therefore demonstrative. Whether we are to impute it to such considerations as the foregoing, Certainly it is sometimes the defect of Mr. Hewlett's discourses, commonly with those delivered I.y many other christian teachers ; that he expatiates on the necessity of possessing faith without explaining the method by which it can be obtained. We hear satisfactorily , of " the truth, and the life ;" but we do not learn enough of 66 the way" which .leads•to truth in this world, and to life in the ne t. Easy is it to -tell men to be good, or to ex hort goo men to the practice Of virtue. All the difficulty cOtiSists,. or it is the work of truth, in explaining to sinners how It is they are to become righteous ; and to invigorate even itt the bosoms . of the elect, the trust that " endures to the end V' This, nevertheless; is the peat task of him who, as one of the heavenly workmen, needs not to be ashamed of his spiritual workmanship. Intelectually illuminated as he is, elevated, as he ought to feel, above particular prejudices; I was astonished tis hear Mr. Hewlett preaching against " visionary fanatics." I fear, indeed, that it is to some feeling of this nature we must trace his general reluctance to elucidate ' the Mys tery of Godliness!" Godliness, however, it still one of the greatest mysteries with which human being are acquainted; and well does it behove the " Stewards of its Mysteries," whether men will hear or forbear, not to shrink from . declaring, as they ,may know it, " the whole Council of God 1" Standing between the Maker and the creature, the pillar of cloud by day and of fire by night, let the minister of religion, wheresoever situated; shake the diet of this earth from his feet: ONEsiltes. March 23t1t4 1809. PROII.NrIA LS. SURREY ASSIZES. Ilti*GSTO!l, THURSIS.I Y, MARCH 23. William John Speed, a Lieutenant-Colonel in the arms', wn indicted for bigamy, in Marrying Ann Thorn, his former wife he• ing still living. it appeared that the prisoner at the far, in the year 17f5, was an Ensign in the Mattines, and became acquaint ed with a Miss Nelson, whose father wai then an Alderman, and who had been a Mayor of London. He married that Lady on the 9th of September 1189, at the Parish of Furneux Pelham, In the county of Hertford. He continued with his wife fur some years, and had children by her,. but in consequence of hat propriety of conduct on his parts she was compelled to seek re fuge with her father, and in the year 1192 articles of separation were signed between them. The prisoner was abroad for some time, and in the year 1799 he lodged In the house of a Mr. Thorn a respectable market gardener, near Putney. Ile soon found means to insinuate himself into the favour of hii second daughter, and she was persuaded to marry hini. Ile represented himself as a Lieut.-Colonel in the Army, and as one having the best ex pectations. His marriage with •Miss Nelson, and his identity being proved, Miss Thorn deposed, that the . Prisoner came to lodge at hot. father's on the dth of October, 1799, and she mar ried him in the November following. After 1w had lived with her about five filalltilS he went to Halifax, and left her pregnant. lie never contributed far the support of the child. The ptkoner said he had erred thrn*-h ignarance. Aftet signing a deed of separation from his wife, he instituted a suit in the Ecclesiastical Court, either to compel Iris wife to return td him, or to get an absolute separation s and in a motion, which was made in the King's Bench, for a prohibition, Lord Kenyon had said from the Bench, that after that deed he was as free at air. Thinking himself thus free from restraint, he did marry Nliss Thorn, and continued with her anti) his tonal'' , duties called biaralma& TIM NATIONAL REGISTER.