Sect. 7. What is the duty of the faithful in consequence of this doctrine?

1st, That they truly and faithfully apply the means of grace, obtained by regeneration, towards the performing of good works*; 2dly, That they continually strive to become more abundant in them+; and, 3dly, That they persevere in the practice of them unto the end.

Sect. 8. What comfort attends the performance of good works?

1st, That the faithful are thereby ascertained of being in the state of graces; 2dly. That God will not impute to them their inherent weaknesses, but will more and more cleanse them from their infection||} and 3dly, That, according to his promises and mercy, he will richly reward them both here and hereafter T.

Obs.--Reward signifies, in an enlarged sense, an imparting of some advantages or favours in consequence of a previous good behaviour, but not strictly something merited, and that one has a right to demand. Salvation therefore is, with great propriety, called a gracious reward; that is, not merited, but obtained, by the faithful, through God's promise and their faith. Thus a father promises a reward to a child for raising a certain weight, in doing which he assists materially, and perhaps lifts it alone; yet he gives the reward to the child, if it has employed all its strength, and done its best towards performing what was required of him.'

Dismissing the contents of this volume, with our earnest wish that it may excite general attention, and promote the influence of christianity on our fellow-subjects of every rank and class; we cannot close our remarks without taking notice of the form in which it appears, as the first production of the new stereotype press. The term by which this mode of printing is described, (derived from spos, solid, firm, or entire) was introduced by the celebrated French artist, Didot: but the method itself was invented, though little known before his time, in our own country; as there is now in our possession a stereotype-plate of a page of Milton's Paradise Lost, cast, many years ago, by Mr. Foulis of Glasgow. The idea might probably be first suggested by the Chinese mode of printing: for in both cases the types are permanent; not moveable, as in the European mannen Instead however of cutting the types on wooden or metal blocks, as the custom is in China, the stereotype manner is executed by metal plates, cast in a plaster of Paris mould, which has received its impression from a composition of moveable types, set up in the common mode, and carefully corrected for that purpose. Of course, the plate so cast resembles the original composition of types, with every peculiarity of appearance and arrangement;

* James ii. 14.-2 Pet. i. 5. Mark iy. 20. Gal. vi. 9.-1 Thes. v. 15.-2 Thes. iii. 13. §1 John iii. 19, 20. || John xv. 2. ¶ Isa. iii. 10.-1 Cor. xv. 58.-Mal. iii. 16, 18.-Gal. vi. 8, 9.-Mat. v. 3, 12. XXV. 34. 36.

and

and differs from it only by being solid, and incapable of separation into distinct types. Each page is cast separately.

Two obvious advantages accrue from this method; first, economy in the expensive article of paper. The blocks cast for each page, being permanent, may be used occasionally, as the book is demanded by the public; without the hazard of waste copies in a large edition. Secondly, the expense of re-composing the types, for new editions, is saved. The principal inconvenience appears to be, that of precluding local corrections and improvements, in subsequent impressions of the same work. The stereotype mode is, therefore, best adapted to the re-printing of standard works: and we hope that it will prove of the utmost assistance toward a cheaper and more extensive circulation of the sacred scriptures. We congratulate the world on the adoption of this method, in our country, at the juncture when that admirable institution, the British and Foreign Bible Society, has just been established.

The execution of the work before us, demonstrates that this invention has been brought to a very high degree of improvement. The labours of Didot, we believe, were chiefly directed to the composition of the metal for stereotypes, which should be fusible, tough, and inflexible, to the utmost degree. His plates, like those of Foulis, were thin, and the wooden blocks on which they were nailed, were liable to be warped by use, and by accidents. We understand that Earl Stanhope has greatly improved the invention, by casting the plates very thick and solid, likewise augmenting and simplifying the powers of the press, by which the present work has been executed. We must add, that the paper employed in the copy we have inspected, is no less peculiar than the mode of printing; being the first specimen made by what is termed the machine; in which the sheets are extended to any dimensions, at pleasure. Its texture is solid, and even throughout; its colour, good; and by a certain roughness on its surface, in which it resembles copper-plate paper, it is adapted to take the imprint advantageously, but this, we presume, might be rendered smoother, if required.

We subjoin the standing rules of the stereotype office, which are prefixed to this elegant volume; observing, with pleasure, their analogy to those which have been adopted for the conduct of our Review.

، 1. Nothing is to be printed against Religion.

، 2. Every thing is to be avoided, upon the subject of Politics, which is offensive to any party.

، 3. The Characters of Individuals are not to be attacked.

4. Every Work which is stereotyped at this Office, is to be composed with beautiful Types.

5. All the Stereotype-plates are to be made according to the improved process discovered by EARL STANHOPE.

B4

6. School

6. School books, and all Works for the Instruction of Youth, will be stereotyped at a lower price than any other.'

We understand that an edition in a smaller size, for the use of young persons, and schools, is preparing at the same press.

Art. II. Modern Geography.A description of the Empires, Kingdoms, States, and Colonies; with the Oceans, Seas, and Isles; in all parts of the world: including the most recent discoveries and political alterations. Digested on a new plan. By John Pinkerton. The Astronomical Introduction by the Rev. S. Vince, A. M. F.R.S. &c. With numerous Maps drawn under the direction, and with the latest improvements, of Arrowsmith, and engraved by Lowry. To the whole are added a Catalogue of the best Maps, and Books of Travels and Voyages, in all languages: and an ample Index, 2 vols. quarto. pp. 1627. 41. 4s. Cadell & Davies, Longman & Rees. 1802. The same, carefully abridged, octavo. pp. 728, 12s. ibid. 1803.

THE

HE science of Geography tends so directly to the enlargement of the mind, and to improvement in useful knowledge both human and divine, that some of the most pious, as well as most learned of mankind, have devoted their labours to its advancement. Dr. Büsching, in the introduction to his excellent work on Europe, demonstrates the great moral utility of this science; and Dr. Watts, whose diversified talents, united with eminent benevolence and piety, have acquired the esteem of all parties, as well as the admiration of his own, justly observed, that there is not a son or daughter of Adam but has some concern with geography.

These considerations render it a subject of regret, that the British nation, notwithstanding its unparalelled navigation and commerce, should hitherto have remained far behind its continental neighbours, in geographical knowledge. The inferiority of our general treatises on this science to those which have long since been published in various parts of Europe, and still more our inattention to those elaborate performances, even when naturalized in our language, prove this humiliating fact. It is, however, a pleasing reflection to lovers of science and of their country, that during the reign of his present Majesty, and under his peculiar auspices, such a cause of reproach has been greatly diminished: Britain has taken the lead in maritime discovery, has furnished the best materials to foreign geographers, and has at length produced a treatise on the science, which is justly deemed worthy of being translated into other languages.

It is our wish to cherish the growing attention of our countrymen to geographical subjects; and Mr. P's performances afford us too favourable an opportunity of promoting this object, to require an apology for recurring to the periods of their publica

tion. A brief account of those books, which were previously in common use, and were almost the only sources of information on the subject to English readers, may best elucidate the improvements for which we are indebted to our author.

Of these, the earliest, and the most extensively circulated, was Salmon's Geographical and Historical Grammar. Fearing a deficiency of national taste for information purely geographical, Salmon confined that department of his work to very narrow limits, and filled the chief part of his octavo volume with chronological events. His plan, which was avowedly adapted ad captandum vulgus, completely succeeded; and he is entitled to the praise of having excited in his readers a relish for works in geography. Many a boy, beside the poet Burns, has been obliged to this grammar, not only for the first rudiments of knowledge, but for the desire of fuller information. The nation, however, was not then prepared to give due attention to so laborious, and so scientific a work, as Büsching's Europe: a translation of which was printed in 1762, with excellent maps, in a style that did honour to the publishers; but it was imprudently dilated to six volumes in quarto, and it remained almost unknown. A similar disadvantage attended the System of Geography, published two years afterwards, by Fennings and Collyer, in two folios. They borrowed freely from Büsching; but deviated from his distinctness of arrangement: and the arts by which they aimed to attract, and to entertain, failed to circulate so bulky a compilation. Guthrie, at length, availed himself of Salmon's pattern, and of the degree of inquiry which it had excited; new modelled, and curtailed, the historical department of his grammar; added much commercial information: and, with aids from progressive maritime discovery, his work was enlarged, from one to two volumes in octavo; and afterwards, to a respectable quarto, which assumed the title of a System of Modern Geogra phy. The only later publication requiring our notice, is that of Walker; a philosophical, rather than a geographical work. This ingenious and eccentric author, introduced original and valua ble information,, respecting Ireland, France, and the United States of America; but rendered his volume unsuitable for general use, by mingling his political and religious prejudices, with most branches of his subject. The last edition of his book has been, in a great measure, purified from the former alloy; but the latter is less likely to be detached.

In this state, Mr. Pinkerton found the science in our country. The occasion which remained for its improvement, was obvious and great; and he has performed as much, as was perhaps to be expected from the efforts of any individual. His original work has been too long before the public, to demand from us an examination proportionate to its extent, and to its merits, as a new publication:

publication: but a comparison of it with the abridgement, which will probably obtain a much wider circulation, may gratify our readers; and our critical predecessors have left ample room for general remarks that may be useful to future geographers.

The author has laudably followed the example of Büsching, in consulting authentic documents, instead of relying on former compilations; and he has added a material improvement, by frequently referring to his authorities, not in the loose and general manner of Walker, but in a method which may enable his readers to examine for themselves. He has also rendered the information thus collected, much more distinct than in preceding works; by dividing his description of states sufficiently known, into four chapters. The first of these comprises the name, extent, original population, progressive geography, historical epochs, and antiquities; under the title of historical geography. The second chapter, is termed political; under which head the author includes religion, ecclesiastical geography, government, laws, and (actual) population. The third, which he calls the civil geography, relates to manners, literature, towns, edifices, and commerce. The fourth, on natural geography, describes the climate, face of the country, soil and agriculture, rivers, lakes, mountains, botany, zoology, mineralogy, and islands.

The order in which Mr. P. has treated subjects so extensive and various, resembles that of Büsching, except in the distribution of them into chapters: yet it is obviously, in most respects, the reverse of natural order; and long experience in the science convinces us, that, if that which is natural and unalterable in each country had been first treated, and afterwards that which is changeable and progressive, the difference would have been favourable both to the author and to his readers. His talents are indeed displayed to advantage, by filling up three chapters with so much interesting matter, and with so little tautology, on each country, before he describes its natural state ; but he has thereby rendered his work less valuable, as an object of reference, than those which regularly detail the provincial divisions of states, and afterwards describe what is most worthy of observation in each district. In this instance, his performance can never supersede the utility of Büsching's.

In nothing have geographers differed more, than in the order wherein they place the various countries of the earth. That which Mr. P. has preferred, is new, and we cannot but think it, in one circumstance, singularly unfortunate. He arranges the states of Europe, not according to their natural vicinity, but according to their supposed importance. After beginning, with great propriety, at the British islands, and making an easy transition to France, he transports his readers to Russia; thence to Austria; then back to Spain; and again back to Turkey: an arrangement