The National Register. — London, England, 1809-03-05 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER. MARCH 5. POPULAR PREACHERS. Nu. Con hath now sent his Living Oracle Into the world, to teach his final fill ; And sends his Spirit of Truth henceforth to du ell In pious hearts, an inward oracle '!'u all truth requisite for men to knou.—MlLTu REV. JOIIN WILCOX, A. M. F ELI-C 11.1 1 1121. EOLIMI:V. THOSE to whom the recollection of the Itcv. Elislta Faulke ner must readily recur (and who is there, of any - standing in the religious world, that does not remember him ), will fuel solici tous to know something of the character of his present •uccessor ip the pulpit of Ely-Chapel. Mr. Faulkener, wa, Minister of Ely-Chapel, and Afternoon Lecturer at St. (iiles's in the Fields : 41r. Wilcox is also Minister of Ely-Chapel, and Lecturer ot St. Cieorge the Martyr ia Southwark. Mr. I'aulkencr was numer ously followed, and is still held 41 remembrance, by the chart:hrs. IVilcox is now highly esteemed; and is likely to gain, as well as continue, in general estimation as a chnstian preacher. Let me be indulged to pause, for some short moments, on the clerical character of Mr. Faulkener; who is thus recalled to my observation, and of whom I scent to retain theanost lively recol lection. Elisha Faulkener lived but for the pulpit. His professional feeling was in him paramount to all other feelings ; and, what is not always the case, his ability WaS not inferior to his inclina tion. His sermons, which, two or three head-ootes excepted, were generally extemporaiwOus, were intrinsically interesting, and were always delivered with an euergy and dignity truly im pressive. No preacher bett:l - knew the authority attached to t',e sacerdotal cuaracter, or more eilicaciously availed him:elf of its commanding. influence. Ins ardour invested hint with that dignity to w bleb his person was not fully intaled. 11 is looks, his speech, his action, all bespoke him conscious of his sub lime function. It VI 71S iMpOSsi hie tint to listen to hint, and equally impossible to hear him indifferently. lie affected others as himself appeared to he affected. llis was the eloquence of the heart, rather than of the tongue ; for his language was sim ple, his illustrations todaboured b and his sentenee,softeo neAligent ly constructed. lle spoke, however, as one having authurn, and not as the scribes. His error consisted in carrying this superi ority to an extent that sometimes bordered on pomposity. It %Vas indeed amazing ; short as he was in stature, to contemplate him walking down the aisle of the church, aud then ascetalmg the pulpit. The pulpit was his throne upon earth ; though it formed only the steps of that throne, to w hich, let us believe, he has now ascende tin heaven! Ile must be considered as one of the last of the old-school of preachers iu this couotrv. lie is, therefore, to be classed with the Madans, and Patiicks, and Colons, and Decoetlogons, of I he pul . 1 feel pleasure in saying, el.en while now entering upon this clerical criticism, that the V. J %% LCO promises to supply one of the malty vacancies which the decease of vari ous eminent clerg) men, together with the augmenting intirioi ties of others, have occasioned in the christian church. Hal, log generally premised this opinion of his preaching, I shall, front anxiety for his improving and maturing those ministerial qualifi cations v. ith which he is happily ;..,.ifted, candidly state the par ticulars in which he strikes the as being still defective. The person of the present Preacher gives him many advantages ns an orator. IL is rather tall ; his form is manly, deport ment dignified, and his countenance prepossessing. Is he nut too seen-ible of these personal qualifications ? I would not he severe concerning Mr. Wilcox; but I could not amid ste:pccting, oiwe or t w ice during his Sermon for the Benefit of the I.uodon Female Yetiitentiary, that, conscious of his pulpit powers, he rather cit.:minded admiration. Ido not mean to question 1113 sincerity, of which his unfeigned earnestness was the best evidence. Certainly, however, there seemed too touch of uratorieal preparation about his professional deportment ; and too much anticipation of the success of his preaching. Let him, if possible, discard the precision of taking off his spectacles, after he enters the pulpit, and at the exact. instant when, having closed this portion of devotional melody, he is proceeding to pray, befora sermon, for himself and his 'hearers. lie makes little use of his glasses afterwards; aunt he might, at any rite, defer putting totem On till he was about to read and announce his text. The pulpit ra.lejs of Mr. Vi ilcux are ; as well as hi) diacourio, extetu- 15f) porary. lie Lou much hurries o'er our In-kris Prayor sti It, it:stead of iti being the an it forinkal only tied supplement to his own intercessions. Ii is vo i ce , w hi c h is li t )! II intit):l . lollS and powerrul, ensiblro Mr. IVilcox to deliver his pennon, and ellitaiclousl). Ile betrays, however, many of the errors incident t o ti le emelt , • poraneous eloquence. Evidently solicitous as to acctirstey and elegance of language, he too frequently attempts to k orr e ct, by recallin;f, his expressions; and one of the too:4 unfortunate coo , neetives of public speaking .--" 1 say," '' I say," 6 pjLy 4 continually employed by hint, either to rv•uate Ina thread of hie di-course, or to enforce swat, particular point *sr o pini o n. l'ossessiog, as this preacher does pis-t S , st ineonsitlp:rahln euce of phiraws, let the orator, 'a how% cr L the spi tt o . ,4 of h i,, popular ext rtions, divest of evt ry anxiet, rv,. lie cting• petty defects. If the heart be but in flow, words; Will !~itiu illy, Ind therefore forcibly, suggest diet is Lties-;y' c, for inaccuraQ ; or, rather, the rapidity tiie speaker, UUrpf , lug along tt lilt Itiin the s:,;tipatily ErnoW Ibeta lei4ttre to discover incidental and trivial deviation s feol t i customary propriety, it is alike bungling and iinpotitie t u s it respects extemporary oratory, for the spett4er, by his hr { tlttiuh' correctio:s, point out inaccuracies which went imperceptible. This defect is easily reatediablt: l ittid is these. fore deserving of little toleration. . Mr. IN ilco s i does not, 1 think, trust wholly to tho lle appears to premeditate much of lus language ; ;111 1 1 lti b v im , to assist his memory ith the divisions, pernups leading ttotii inenis, of his sermon. 'fliese pardonable, if not indisliglit ti bie t. a..sistances seem contained within the leaves of his poi , Act bibl es Ili, language, truth require , sue to observe, partaloi vitt fief or the modern evangel:cal somin:try. Ile is, Ito wtler, 6 1 0 11 11 0 1 y mose cla, , iral and polished thao the chapel preactivr 4 of the evaii4eliral connection.. Without mentioning it lig-alit-4 him as a fault, I nufsl friAi l rt as a detect, though it is one by no means ltecOlial: lo preacher, that is nut more deeply acquaititild the motives of human actin's. Molt of this deticienvy this fli;.4 c,.rnible in his Sermon f the L udoa female Veniteett h fy, Zealous as were his appeals to t aneetions of his podilit ; raid satisfactory as might also he his represeteations of On h it tu fe and conduct of this Evangelical Alagdaleu, there roc s strike and move—little of the origioality of humanity tit i o s! l powerful ehtllliiiitts, combined of mind and heart, WOO! r” i t; the most oegligeot, and affect the most canons, of heili4.:7:‘ I remarked other seeinitig iiicongruities. Whet( lie was so jat.toi lt , admonishing the juvenile pitting of his congregation ago iost Jig vaiiitv ut gay dresses; did it never occur to hint, that ;lo t preacher was himself handsomely attired, and graceln!ly gam? Remarking this trilling intanipatinilit), was ; 'how, ever, really surprised, whew Air. AV oleos, appealing fit the feelings of the females arrow' him, on heitall of the &i f , ones whose relief he Was isteaidinz, described one of frtti feimitie penitents, to them, as " a Wiwi:Aiding sister !" Ido hot s up, pose him to have been ;twat*. of 'this curious epithet, its I ittt convinced lie did not persakve Ate strange effect of its joithedifilp application. Let Mc-W*44. beware of OPP PY44l4ifill tie; cent rick ies. ' Of the charitable 10144111tiun denominated the London lielhule Penitentiary, so hurntruely advocated by Air. Wiletq l pleased to find, that, while " a part of the house is 41101:1)101.: ated to Irvine. Sc rs ice,in which suitable discourses aro defi ed ; every Lord's Day ; by approved Aliuisters of the tiosto:l i ce,tivelv anpoint‘A to that duty," yet it has not expedient that tho 'Worship sliould be open to the Poblif,'? the Ma?;dalen-t hapelisk .1 think, quite enough. A writer, , of / shrewd sense and sound thought, Mr ; fhl t k i contests thcnpritnettble :of the Loudon Female Peottention tether. Itir prolitphlet on the subject, it should he 4 . 1:16,4km i contains tuote•of stsegious argument than of solid 1111111iiiii;k ; whatever are ft's authors claims to the suffrages of the nut expect to-obtain the oblations of the besot. 4 io nt i g h e are forbid to do evil in order that good may come, itto t o fit nu injunction which forbids us to do good lest evil 51m41.4 Let this FAnale Penitentiary be 4hlised ; and lei, the ol,suo t i it take the credit ut abusing it to themselves. llovoieyef 1 mil respect Mr. Hale's powers of ratiocination ; 1 haft!, tilefehov i to deprecate his want of comoriserati,m, Wickeslnos§ WW I often quite as titifortunate as it is criminal ; is mostly emitted. fig OUT CULTIIIaSiOn. s Mr. V . Vilc.)x confesicd, from his own pulpit, that fig ti& on , . lione prejudiced against the Lo9duti Veniale but declined, at the saute time, with a candour lionotiibl e s ttr Teti cl.tatater, Lis vulu.itary renunciatiou, fruz mu T I\ 4 l