This little Volume is divided into fifteen chapters, and each of these into feveral fections. The Author's fentiments on fome occafions are not congruous to what may be commonly deemed orthodox or Calviniftical; but the firmness of his faith, the integrity of his heart, and his honeft defire to promote the interefts of genuine Chriftianity, are very apparent. We fhall only add a few extracts from the Work itself as a speci

men.

Chap. II. His nature, and his coming into the world. § 6. What he is in himself, before and above all things.' After prefenting a number of texts from the Old and New Teftament, Mr. Barker adds the following remarks. The Son of God was before all things in glory with God, fo as to be himself called Ged, fuperior to all angels, who are to worship him; and the wifdom which Solomon and the fon of Syrach fpeak fo exaltedly of, feems to be the divine wisdom in the perfon of the Mafiah, who was as one brought up with God, and by him when he made the heavens. He was the likeness of the invifible God, the exprefs reprefentation of his perfon and glory, and like him has the power of upholding all things, and his power is faid to be for ever. His being is derived from God, for he is the first born of every creature, the beginning of the creation of God, yet in time before all, and in nature fuperior to all?'

6

§7.-The Son and Word of God. After enumerating the proper texts, our Author proceeds. The Meffiah being the next in nature and dignity to the fupreme God, is called the Son of God, his only begotten and beloved Son. And his glory, grace, and truth was above all others; by which he fpake as never man fpake, did fuch works as were never feen in Ifrael, and was tempted, yet without fin. And this teftimony God bare to him by a voice from heaven at his baptifm and transfiguration; John the Baptifl was witness of the one, and the three apostles of the other. His words, by which he taught as one having authority, his works, which were beneficial miracles, and his virtues, by which he went about doing good, convinced his apoftles and others that he was indeed the Meffiah. He is alfo called the Word of God, because it was by him God fpake and revealed his will to mankind.'

Chap. XII. § 94. Benefit of his death. A facrifice for fin The texts being produced as ufual, it is added, From the time of Adam facrifices had been appointed, as the means of forgiveness of fins, and of reconcilement with God: fo under the gofpel, God required, before he would pardon fin, a folemn facrifice, to teftify his hatred against it, and warn men of the danger of repeating it; and the offering he appointed was that of the Son of God on the crois, which was the most precious that can be.'

§ 95.-Pardon of fin.' The texts of fcripture are exhibited as ufual, and it is then obferved, By this facrifice once offered, of Jefus Chrift, who died for us, is obtained the forgiveness of fins that are past, more generally and effectually than by the facrifices under the law of Mofes, and for thofe of all ages and all parts of the world. He is the Lamb of God, and by his blood men are cleanfed from fin, and encouraged to repentance.'

€ § 97 •

$97. He died for us. Mankind having finned were liable to punishment; and by the rule of the law," without fhedding of blood there is no remiffion." The Son of God, therefore, gave himself as a facrifice for men, and laid down his life a ransom for all who would become his difciples. He was cut off, not for his own fins, for he had none, but for our tranfgreffions, that by his temporary fufferings he might deliver man from utter deftruction. This was the means God thought fit to appoint for delivering men from the punishment of their offences.'

The above quotations give a brief view of this Author's manner, and his fentiments on particular points. It would be eafy to collect juft and fenfible remarks on other fubjects; but we fhall only farther take notice of the 14th Chapter, intitled,

It is a

His future kingdom and judgment.' A number of fcriptures are here, as at other times, collected: Mr. Barker obferves concerning them, Towards the end of the world, the kingdom of the Melfiah is to be more fully established in the earth. kingdom exceeding all others in extent, power, excellence, peace, and duration it is to be the kingdom of the Mefliah, for he is the righteous branch of David; the extent of it is over alí people, nations, and languages; the power of it is higher than the king of the earth; its excellence, that he fhall execute judgment and justice; its peace, that they fall dowell fafely; and its duration, that it shall never be destroyed. In the New Teftament it is called, giving Christ the throne of his father David; he is Lord of lords and King of kings; it is a kingdom in this world, and before the general refurrection. It is called a reign of a thousand years, whether that be meant to exprefs the real term, or as a general defcription of an indefinitely long time.'

After other remarks on this part of the fubje&, it is added, The kingdoms of this world rife and fall; many great monarchies who have defolated and oppreffed, rather than governed the earth, have been destroyed and broken to pieces, and become as though they had never been: but the kingdom of the Meffiah is not like them; it is a kingdom of God; when once it is established, it will not be governed by worldly policy, but by the eternal laws of jus tice; nor fupported by the uncertain frength of man, but the power of God; and the event will be accordingly, that it will never be destroyed by any outward power, but continue to the end of the world.

I have here laid together what the prophets fay of the Meffiah's future kingdom; of which, however, as it is not yet come, we fhould fpeak with caution. The general fact, That toward the end of the world the Meliah fhall rule; that all the twelve tribes of Ifrael in their own land will be fubject to him; that all the other kingdoms of the world will alfo obey his laws; that it is a kingdom of righteousness, both in the juftice and mercy of the ruler, and the virtue, peace, and willing obedience of the governed; that it is a time of happiness; and that it will last to the end of the world; feems to be foretold by the prophets; but as to the particular cir. cumftances of that kingdom, I would not be pofitive about them.

Many

Many of the defcriptions of it in the prophets feem to be highly figurative; and perhaps we cannot always know certainly which are so, and which are literal. The worldly profperity and grandeur, the exaltation of Ifrael, and their fuperiority to other nations, is chiefly enlarged on in the Old Testament, in compliance with the Jewish defires, and conformity to their law, wherein prefent profperity is proposed as their reward. On this the New Testament lays little ftrefs, as appears by the extracts (in the prefent work) being much Jarger from the prophets than from the apostles. The New Teftament chiefly enlarges on the power being in the Meffiah, and his communicating a part of it to his difciples; and we find added, that he is to reign over the house of Jacob, the twelve tribes of Ifrael; that the kingdoms of this world, before the general refurrection, are to become fubject to him; and that he will be a good ruler over an obedient people.'

Such are our Author's reflections on this difficult part of facred writ. Some of our Readers will, no doubt, attend to them with pleasure. However, the whole of this performance has an evident tendency to convince men of the truth of the Christian revelation, and confirm them in the faith and practice which it teaches.

ART. XII. Some Obfervations on the Origin, Progress, and Method of treating the Atrabilious Temperament and Gout. By William Grant, M. D. 8vo. I s. 6 d. Cadell. 1779.

WE

E have perufed this fenfible, lively, practical treatise, with much more fatisfaction than all the fine-spun fpeculative ftuff, on the fame fubject, which the prefs has of late fo abundantly yielded. After giving an anatomical and phyfiological account of the gradual changes induced in the human body by indolence and high-living, Dr. Grant lays down the following as a true idea of the gout: "People living in a thick, heavy air, eating the flesh of ftall-fed and difeafed animals, drinking fpirituous and fermented liquors, indulging in ease, luxury, and excess, exhaufted by heavy mental concerns, and enervated by the debilitating paffions of grief, fear, luft, &c. are found liable to fuch an alteration in the fize, fhape, texture, and folidity of their organs, as to render them unfit for the natural functions. Hence a particular relaxation of all the folids; hence a peculiar morbid matter is engendered, producing a fever fui generis, which terminates by a fingular fort of crifis, called a fit of the gout, i. e. a critical deposit on the ligaments of the joints, refembling a true phlegmon in the beginning, but iffuing differently, and always returning '

The temperament thus formed, he calls the atrabiliary; and the difeafe being conftitutional, he does not doubt that it is alfo hereditary. Indeed, it is furprifing, that any physician

can

can be fo biaffed by fyftem, as to deny so evident a fact, as the hereditary tranfmiffion of the gout.

Dr. Grant's fecond chapter treats on the proper means of rearing children, so as to prevent the atrabilious temperament. Here is a curious and inftructive parallel between the form and conftitution of the country girl and the young lady of fafhion; much, as may be fuppofed, to the difadvantage of the latter. We fhould be tempted to infert this' paffage, did we not think it better to apprife our fair readers where they may meet with fuch a picture, than to expofe it to the common gaze, by hanging it up in our fhop-window. Under this head, the Author candidly retracts an opinion he had once advanced, that every woman qualified to be a mother, was alfo qualified to fuckle her own child;' being now convinced, that the milk of a healthy wet-nurfe, from the labouring clafs, will lay a better foundation for strength of constitution than that of a lady in fashionable life.

The third chapter contains the fimple method of curing the atrabilious temperament when recent.' From this, which is interspersed with many ufeful remarks, and appofite well-told cafes, we fhail quote the conclufion, which he calls The Special Method of Cure abridged.

He that means to cure the gout radically, and what I call fecundum artem, muft ftrictly obferve the following rules:

1. He must quit the flat, fertile, cultivated plains, during the summer season, every year, and remove to the highest parts of the country, where the air is thin, pure, and piercing.

6 2. Learn to amufe himself with country diverfions, so as to fatigue himself every day. Of thefe, fishing and wading in the clear fiream is the best, walking is next, riding is only a fuccedaneum, and a carriage is not equal to the intention.

3. Avoid populous towns and great cities, fhun all occafions of anxiety, debilitating paffions, noxious diffipations, exhaufting pleasures, and heavy mental concerns, or intense thinking, even on agreeable subjects.

4. Keep to regular hours of exercise, eating, and fleeping; fhort fleep is beft, on hard beds, in the early part of the night. 5. Let his apartments be large, lofty, ill-finished, and well warmed by ftrong fires.

6. He will foon feel the advantage of frequent bathing, much friction, and warm clothing.

7. His diet muft be in proportion to his exercise, both in quality and quantity; but he must never quite fatisfy his hunger at any time. In general, it is proper to abstain from butter, fat, high-feafoned, falted, and fmoked meats. Some forbid black flesh and pork; but I do not find much difference, so that the fat and fkin are taken away. Wild fowl, and game of

8

all

all kinds, are proper; and fo is fish without butter-fauce. Ani mal food must not be ufed above once in the day; four days in the week he may eat meat, but never mix fish and flesh in the fame day, far lefs in the fame meal. Butter-milk, whey, fruit, greens, roots, feeds, bread, and dishes prepared from them, ought to conftitute the greater part of his nourishment, especially during the fummer and harveft. Tea and coffee, thin chocolate, and cocoa,' agree with most people, mixed with milk, provided they eat no butter along with them.

8. The best common drink is cold water; but when he takes animal food, he may drink fmall beer, cyder, wine, or fpirits very much diluted.

9. When he eats heartily at dinner, he ought to eat no fupper, but fuffer the ftomach to be quite empty once in twentyfour hours.

10. He must be well rubbed all over every night and morning; and although I wish him to be warmly clothed, yet I think he ought to walk out in the open air as much as may be.

II. When he is quite free from all complaint, fea bathing, or even cold bathing, will agree with most people, to restore the ftrength.

12. But in all fituations he must take care to keep his body regular, by taking fulphur at night when he is coftive; and if he fhould be tormented with wandering pains, the arum-root and fcurvy-grafs will be of fervice to him.'

The propriety of all the rules and precepts here suggested will probably be generally admitted; except perhaps that concerning fishing and paddling in cold water, which is more than once repeated in this pamphlet, and may be thought to favour too much of Highland origin. To this fource likewife may be imputed the Writer's unreasonable prejudice against breeches, which he will not allow to his nurfelings till they are twelve years old. A fmile may perhaps be excited by the Doctor's defcription of the ftout, healthy ruftic, undebauched by luxury and full living, whofe "lean lank face, hollow belly, harsh, hairy fkin, high cheek-bones, and hard prominent mufcles," feem very graphically to depicture the bonny northern swain, when just arrived on a vifit to his fouthern neighbours.

On the whole, we candidly recommend this entertaining and inftructive piece to thofe perfons for whofe ufe it is profeffedly written; and who, if poffeffed of fufficient firmnefs and felfcommand, may receive great benefit from the precepts it incul

cates.

MONTHLY