privilege are not terminated. Rejoice, therefore, O ́ye who love the gospel! The fields are ripe for the harvest; - be animated with the thought: but" the harvest is great, and the Jabourers few." Let your exertions, therefore, be redoubled; and while ye pray the Lord of the harvest to send in faithful labourers, do ye act up to the spirit of the prayer, and devote your thoughts, your words, your actions, and your property to the glorious work!

In submitting the following sketch to public observation, I wish it to be understood, as by no means opposing those institutions which already exist of this kind. They are, in many respects, excellent; but, perhaps, a more popular and general plan may be adopted.

There are, I think, none who have visited the streets of London in the evening, who can, for a moment, doubt its necessity or importance. An effectual blow, aimed at prostitution, would be directed against one of the strong holds of Satan. It is a vortex which ingulphs multitudes of both sexes; it is the prolific parent of every other sin, drunkenness, theft, robbery, murder; it is the shrine at which are daily immolated the dearest interests of thousands, health, property, and happiness; every kind of individual, social, and domestic comfort. O then, feilow-Christians, let us direct our attention to the subject with that zeal and persevering exer tion which its magnitude and importance demands!

The institution to be under the conduct of females of respecta bility, possessed of suitable talents and undoubted piety.

Situations should be provided for their reception. Retired spots would be desirable; and buildings of a suitable size and kind are frequently to be met with in secluded villages, which are unoccu pied, because too large for persons of moderate income, and too old-fashioned and tasteless for persons of large property.

Some intelligent and respectable ladies in London, would, per. haps, devote a certain time each day to receive applications from the unfortunates. It would be necessary that a house be provided where such applicants could be lodged for a night or two, till re moved to the permanent residence.

As many of these distressed women would never perhaps hear of such a design; or if they heard of it casually, remain ignorant of its nature, and of the place or places where they may apply, it would be necessary often to issue short and judicious advertisements, which should catch attention and facilitate applications.

As an indiscriminate mixture of female penitents would be attended with much inconvenience, it would be advisable to have different situations for different classes; such, probably, as these:

I. Women who occupied the station of servants. These might be employed in such a way as would qualify them again for the station they were accustomed to fill; and, it is presumed, that, after a suf

ficient probation, no family, well disposed to the cause of Christianity, would refuse to take them.

II. Women who may have been the daughters of sensible tradesmen, or of respectable people in low circumstances, who had never been at service, and whose education, though confined, had been of a higher kind than the first class; these might be qualified to fill the station of superior servants, assistants to milliners, or shop

women.

-

III. Women who, having received a superior education, are fit to superintend the education of young ladies, whether in public seminaries, or by private tuition, or to become companions to ladies of fortene. Such may be perfected in the knowledge of geography, French, &c. the arts of drawing, music, and finer kinds of work, which, in their unhappy situation, they may have neglected or forgotten.

All other qualifications, however, will be but so many snares to vice, if the principles of morality and the sacred obligations of Christianity are not, by every possible means, interwoven with all the parts of the institution. This would be therefore the grand concern of the superintendants. Every thing would depend, under the divine blessing, on their qualifications, on the regulations formed, and on the strict enforcement of those regulations. Whatever would tend to render their situation comfortable and happy. By whatever mode vice may be made to appear in all its deformity, and the religion of Jesus in all its beauty and loveliness, it should be adopted. C-.

EXTRACT FROM THE LATE REV. R. ERSKINE.

To the Editor.

Dear Sir, IN consequence of the pleasure and profit I have frequently derived from the perusal of the following passages in Mr. R. Erskine's Sermon on Jeremiah xxx. 21, I feel urged to request that you will favour it with a place in your useful Miscellany; and, I trust, many of your Readers will, under the divine blessing, enjoy similar advantage with A WELLWISHER.

yours, &c.

"HENCE See the duty of all that hear the gospel, and what the Lord is calling you to this day: it is even this, that your heart be engaged to approach unto him, whose heart was engaged to approach unto God in your room; that so, approaching heartily unto Christ, you may approach confidently to God in him; for there is no approaching to God but by taking Christ by the way. O then, let your hearts be engaged to approach unto Christ! This is the very design of all that we have been saying, even to engage your hearts to the Son of God. And, Ŏ Sirs, what, in all the world, will engage your hearts, if the engaged heart of Christ do it not?

66

He is come here this day to court your hearts; the very beart of a Saviour is come down to court the heart of a sinner; and to court you with this argument, That his heart is so much upon you, that he engaged his heart to approach unto God in your room. Away with the Devil's logic: ." May be it was not for me that Christ engaged, nor for me that he approached unto God; for there is but a select number, that were selected from eternity, for whom he engaged and approached." In order to shut this objection out of the way, let me tell you, Man," That secret things belong to God; but to us the things that are revealed." Let an infinitely wise God answer for his own decrees as well as he can; but you dare not be answerable to God for meddling with them; and you meddle too far, if the thoughts thereof discourage you from coming to Christ this day. Will it be a good answer for you, before the bar of God, "Lord, I thought, perhaps, I was not elected; and, therefore, my heart could never be engaged to Christ? What answer can you expect from God, but the like of this, Wretch that thou art, had you not my revealed will to be a rule of your duty? and did not I reveal, that, upon the peril of damnation, you was to close with my Christ? and what had you to do with my secret decree? How durst you attempt to be wise above what is written? Who but the Devil could suggest that to your heart, that you was not an elect? And he was a liar for saying so; for he told you what he did not know himself.' How does the Devil act herein like himself, while he would carry you up to the pinnacle of the temple of eternal predestination at the first instant, that you may thence throw yourself down from the battlement of Heaven to the bottom of Hell, which was the way himself went, and he would have you along with him. O will you

---

regard the ruining suggestions of a black Devil more than the kindly notions of a Saviour? O will you not rather outshoot the Devil in his own bow, and draw an argument from faith, from what was done from all eternity? Was eternal life promised in Christ before the world began was all engaged for from eternity? Then there is the less to do for me, when this promise of eternal life comes directed and offered; for "to you is the word of this salvation sent," that Christ hath engaged for all that concerns our salvation; and we have no thing to do but, through grace, to consent that this engager be ours, to do all for us. From all eternity the Mediator's heart was engaged to the work of our redemption; and from this infinitely high and eternal tower there are ropes of divine promises hanging down, for us to lay hold on with our hearts; "for the promise is to us, and to our children, and to all that are afar off." And when our hearts embrace any these promises that are fastened to Christ's engaged heart, then our hearts are carried up, in God's order, to the knowledge of

of

W

the divine counsels, and go up the Scripture-stair; while Satan would have as begin at the top, that we may fall down headlong. Now, among these promises that are let down from Christ's engaged heart, for us to embrace with our heart, this is one," I have loved thee with an everlasting love, therefore, with loving-kindness will I draw thee." O Sirs, here is a cord of love let down; and the upper end of it is fastened to Christ's heart, and the lower end of it hanging down the length of your hearts and O, shall not Christ's heart and yours be knit together this day! Here is a cord to bind your heart to his heart, and his heart to your heart." O strong cord of God's making! O shall not the Saviour's heart, and the sinner's heart meet together this day! Will the heart of Jesus gain no heart in this house to-day Yea, we hope there shall be a meeting of hearts betwixt him and a remirant here. O then, sinners, come into his heart, for his heart is open; and I have a commission to tell you, that his heart is open to you, and opened so wide, that you may all go into his opened heart. It is not a hard heart, like yours. No, no! If he had been' as hardened against you as your hearts were hardened against him, he would never have engaged so heartily to approach to God for you; nor ever sent,us to tell you his heart's love towards you. O believe it upon his word, he is not hard hearted! No, his heart is a inelt heart, saying, I do earnestly remember you still. My bowels are troubled for you: I will surely have mercy upon you" From the very time that I engaged for you, which was from all eternity, I do earnestly remember you still; and now the time of live is coine, the time of setting out my heart towards you. My bowels are sounding for you, my heart is melting over you, and warm drops of love are falling down from my melted heart to your" hard hearts, that they may be melted and dissolved, so that both yours and mine may be melted into one and being fun together with the fire of my everlasting love, they may be engaged to each other for ever! O Sinher, sinner, sinner! O enemies, enemies to God, enemies to Jesus! O hard hearted sinner! Words and rods, calls and threatenings, sermons and sacraments have not melted your heart; and if you' go to Hell, the flames will never melt your heart-but here are the flames of infinite love from the heart of a God-man. What will this do? Ah! a God of love is come down; and must not the mountains melt before him? Yea, mountains of enmity and unbelief, and hard flinty hearts will melt like wax before him! A live coal from the flaming altar of Christ's engaged heart, is come down to put fire to your cold-rife heart. O is the blessed fire kindled? Is your heart engaged to him, or not?"

ON THE CHOICE OF PROPER COMPANY.

Dear Sir,

To the Editor.

SHOULD the following Remarks, which took their rise from a Query in your Miscellany for August, p. 364, meet your approbation, they are at your service, Yours, &c.

AMATOR VERA AMICITIÆ.

I TAKE it for granted, your Correspondent has considered the distinction between intercourse with mankind in general, and habits of close and frequent intimacy with individuals in particular. It is to the latter, I conceive, he has reference; and, surely, it cannot be matter of doubt, whether the Christian should receive the man of the world into his confidence, as his bosom friend, in whose company he can take pleasure. If we reflect, that we are prone to assimilate the manners and customs of our more familiar associates; and so much are we warped, by fondness and partiality, as frequently to adopt their very foibles, hence the importanee of choosing proper companions, whom it would be our glory as well as advantage to imitate and resemble. It is an old adage, “ That either we shall make our companions better, or they will make us worse." We cannot maintain a state of neutrality here. The mind will be active; nor can it be a matter of indifference whether we please our friends, or not. If we really esteem them as such, we shall be anxious to secure their favour and regard; and thus be in danger, if we are of opposite sentiments, either of disguising our own opinion, or of keeping the obnoxious subject out of sight.

We may observe further, that others will, in a great degree, form their opinion of us from the company we keep. This, very frequently, stamps a man's character, to his honour or disgrace, They generally associate, from a similarity in temper, disposition, pursuits, or principle; and thus interest or prejudice unites them in one common tie; and they are thus classed in the minds of others. It is there we look for them, and from thence they are denominated. If we are found mingling with men of the world, or those whose conduct is known to be extremely reprehensible, which is the same, shall we not appear to countenance their ways? A censorious world, which is always eagle-eyed to mark the walk of such as are not of the world, will infer that we approve of that in their conduct which is justly blameable, and so become partakers of their evil deeds; while the godly will be grieved that we give the enemy occasion for reproach; and be ready to tax us with lukewarmness and indifference in religion. Such consequences should influence the man of God, especially ministers, whose conduct is, or ought