The National Register. — London, England, 1808-11-13 00:00:00

• ~. the only fear we entertain .6, that be will not be pecuitseCto nil parts equal to his genius. _ inctedon, as usual, displayed his fine voice and want o mite. The son4s were not sited . to his style of singing, and we', cannot hut admire Use. probabiyty with wbich Mr . . Reynolds has', introduced Spanish patriotism in the breaut • of a. Siberian inafti memo. . • - The Music hy Maszinghi, iiiporthy..4 his fame. The over-' t ure was a happy mixture of lender, and lively, and its claims to intsliity are nut totilly unfounded. The scenery splendid and appropriate, andthg, proecisions and coronation treOnt a tally grand spet tarle. in inch pteces, the merits of the Retort, composers, scene • r ooftree, and mechanists, are in general superior to those of the author. here they are nearly On a level. The story is well con ducted, the sole neither above nsr below criticism, some of the songs a re good and even poetical, others are wretched, , and the sent i m ents not always ustexceptionahle. The introduction of the ridiculous traveller afforded a fair ,opportunity of punishing and scaling into sileoce the crowd of modern tourists who confirm all. glut the public with affectation of sentiment, learning, and observation; and this op port duity was not neglected. Complete soca. , crowned this piece, and we must own, that although not., .mitled to such unqualified applause, it in some degree merited the favourable reception with which it met. Runcts:,—The Theatre opened on Monday night with The e - frst,r Spectre', anti Gout loughs r.t tork Smiths. The great attraction of the evening was Miss Smith's A n.leta. She was . received most fuvtatrahly, and seemed fully impresied with the distinction with which she was honoured. Mr. iluddart played Osmond, and was well received. The performance went off with considerable eclat, and the House was one of the fullest we have ever seta at the commencement of the season. , PONILAR PREACHERS. No. XIV. —wow , At once they sing, at once they pray ; They hear of Heaven, and—learn the Way ! WATTS. liwkiVol he to faun or seek for pow'r. By doctriues—fasitiou'd to the ♦aryin hour. tioLocmtrit. • :ROBERT HAWKER, D. D. ••.- FICIJI •v cal :ties 13!YRIS11. PLYJfOC 'A. • CONFORMABLY with the practice 1 have been enabled generally torparsue, I wish it were now in my power to de tail sotuc particulars of the. distinguished individual whose abilities I am about to appreciate. tie is indeed no ordinary character.' All, however, ..that I have :collected concerniug hint, is—that he Was formerly of Magdalen- Hall, Oxford; and that he has since been tbe Atithot. of Various Sermons, and Other Religious. Publications. hie is Vicar 'of Charles, Plymouth, where lie has been long established; and, if I may so describe Min, a Visitant Preacher, towards the close ofeach year, inAhe Churches Of the Metropolis. "have heard. that he was once Intended for the PrilfessiOn of Medicine ; but this rumour I do not pretend to amtheuticate, whatever credibility a possesses. Dr. IIAWFEIt. is variously estiinateil. He is followed bi those who are called evangelical christiarts, avoided by Close mho seem denominated orthodox churchmen, and 11- diculcd by those who ciinsidertheinselves free-thinkers. It is thereftre no trivial task to determine justly of his public prmensions. Attend :II aid admired as he is, aud-nurtured in the bosom of the national church, he has, even recently, `been denied admission into some of our pulpits. 'While then 1 endeavour to invest`. - ate his merits, and balance these with his defects," viewi; hint as in the pulpit;, let inc hope that my observations may not be wbolly , Unworiby , of him by whom they are occasioned. His popularity b un questionable ; but the inquiry is, to what cause are we to airribe the influence that he exercises over the blinds of his al , nost innumerable hearers ? 1 shall, however, first glance at the defects of this celebrated religiousinstructor. it is ilAcult to discover his imperfections. They arc _ - " Kosi•• • ::: ••• • , • • ••' • • --t• • • •• •' •Edtiseita • • •••••• itis - . ' rarelOetrlllte th ' Whilttlyos ikddiess4 bitnself tb his 'a .• puce,. such 41 ! ,Ou . umation of. his s and e sacsef his delnteity { ..ind, owing to the. impressiostw,ki Areal eloquence always retslane4wthe Memory, his faults are hardly disceniible.iscen in the cillstmess of solitary retro spection. He has, nevertheless, his defeets. I find him sometimes so ra id, as to be hurried in his delivery • abd. his oratory can degenerate into tolloquiality. Such ex pressions as—" Put it down as unquestionable true," or " Set it down for. , an unquestionably fact ;" " Mr," repea tedly, instead of : Sirs; " My poor Brother 1" singling,. as it were, one of theeongre&ation ; It is lovely to remark," or 44 It is beautiful to ogerve," tiLe. &c. ; these expressions are evidently the effects of negligence, however habit may have familiarised them to the minds of public speakers, or tolerated them among general .hearers. The attraction of hilt: sermons is also not }infrequently diminished by injudi cious elongation. Nor do his apologies atone for this error " Allow me one more observation 1" or, 4 , One remark more 1" or, 46 I must add another observation t" or, " Ano remark just strikes me." All these are awkwatd ex cuses, lame connectives ; and are not required b)i the preacher lam here describing. I trust he will not Mistake me, when 1 add, to these cursory strictures on his preaching, that his discourses appear too spiritualised for the mixed congregations of this metropolis ; where many, who pro fess our most holy faith, and regularly attend the ordi nances of devotion, are, notwithstandin, almost ignorant of the very elements of religion. His Lang ua g e is of the same description as his sentiments. It is true, indeed, that he is the ambassador of a " kingdom not of this world yet, though this divine commission ultimately refers to the church triumphant, I wish he wonld oftener remem ber that he is ,still offering his credentials in .the church which is militant, What, however, are the high qualifications of this emi neat Ikli;lister of the Gospel ?—let it nut be asked ?oho has believed his report, but.whut his labours are calculated to accovlish, .:-• Accounting' all things, however otherwise estimable among men, but nothingness, when compared with the - kelleney of Christianit%, he has, in the spirit of•one of its , most illustrious defenders, determined to knots oaly ‘. Je sus Christ, and him crucified 1" Bence his reasonings, his illustrations, his exhortations, as in his published Sermons on the Divinity of Christ, all bear upon this chief corner stone," and unite to rear the only solid superstructure of religion. His -manner is impregnated with his sub . iect. Mark his whole deportment in the pulpit I—The aw *ful humility, with which he presents himself at the foot stool of Heaven s the ardour with which be enters into the singing Of the congregation I his intArcessinnal devot ion of soul ; the impressive distinctness with : which fie announces the subject of his . discOUrse; the divine fervour, the ani mated dignity, with which he asserts the character of his Redeemer and his God ; His very looks .have Language s and the primitive simplicity of his appearance gives to his person an indescribable seriousness. When citing Scriptural Authorities for the opinions ad vanced by him, which he continually does, his emphases are absolutely elucidations of the passages he instance. Ills appeals to the heart are irresistible. His gestures are not oratorical—they arc natural. Dic tated by his feelings, they are becoming as well as energetic. I have candidly specified the defects of Dr. Hawker; and I have also endeavoured faithfully to represent his merits. Something there is, in the - apparent state of his health, which does not authorise the hope, however desir able, that he will long be cOntinued to benefit the religious public. His ministerial exertions, were he to reside in tho metropolis, would.rapidly destroy his physical constitution. He burns with . the. zeal of better tunes. He is not a preacher; but an - epostle. _ November 12, 1808. ONESIMITS• 4 ** L. L. T,. was duly received.' Tie may depend on the confidence he desires; he is requested to ac:rpt tha:lc c, %/. .•' - : 3 1 ~„ . • ~~