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 ritl;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 of
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 dis.
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 way, delivers
west indeeorOutly I) is pronounced by him as un ; when ha
slVs, " And forgive us our trespasses, &c: His pauses:
d:.ring the progress of his discourse, are often painfully
low, ; and tne termination of it is so abrupt 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 part of prueleacheeris,o:
.it undertake nut to &towline: 1 itndi Simply ury