into notice with a dedication_rather novel among Protestant dissenting Ministers, "To the Worshipful the Mayor, Corporation, and Inhabitants of the Town of Saffron Walden, and also, to the congregation before which they were delivered." Perhaps, we should have passed over such a Dedication as a little piece of juvenility, which riper years would not repeat; but in the Preface we meet with the following pas sage, "While it is my own endea vour, in connection with many of my venerable brethren in the Establishment, and also among some of the more enlightened Protestant Dissenters, to scatter around the seeds of genuine religion." We hope this phraseology is not indicative of the writer's disposition to connect himself with worshipful Mayors and Corporations, or even with certain venerable brethren, at the expense of a conscientious separation from the world, as a holy man of God, or even at the price of those Principles of Religious Dissent in which he has been educated. We are always grieved when we witness the esprit de corps estranging the affections of such as are really brethren; but we equally deprecate all attempts to force a connection where Unity of Spirit is wanting, as well as every unnecessary approach to a fellowship with the men of this world. These remarks are intended for our readers in general, and we have no doubt but the Author of these valuable Lectures will accept them as a token of our love and respect. The Subjects of Discussion in this volume are 1. The Resolution of St. Paul to magnify Christ. 2. The Evidences of Religion in the Heart. 3. Advantages of true Godliness. 4. The End of all Things. 5. The Conclusion of Life. 6. The Second Coming of Christ. 7. The Misery of the Wicked in a future State. 8. The Happi ness of Heaven. These are very suitable topics for popular edification: and the manner of their discussion does equal credit to the taleuts of the author as a writer, and to his fidelity as a minister of Jesus Christ. We select as a specimen the peroration to the 5th lecture. The text is, Man giveth up the Ghost, and where is he? Is the question proposed concerning a wicked man; concerning one, who had yielded himself to the slavery of his passions; concerning one, who had li ved in hostility to Jesus Christ, and the way of his commandments? Look for him in his old hauuts, Perhaps the spirit is hovering round the ball-room. It used to be there. When united to the body, scenes like these were its chief Is it not there now? No. delight. Then where is he? Perhaps he has returned to the theatre? How frequently did he try to entertain himself with the trifling amusements of the stage! Scarcely any performance was announ. ced, but he replied,---I'll be there. Has he not returned thither? No Again I inquire, where is he? Search the Tavern. He was often to be met with among his companions in dissipation and vice. Scarcely an evening passed, but he was lewdly singing the drunkard's song, or following the ghost of sensuality, to the pale haunts of vice and debauchery! Is he not come back to his old retreats? No. Then, where is he? Perhaps he has revisited the the card table? This was no uncommon method by which he killed time. Is he not there now? No. Where is he? Alas! alas! what do I hear! Me *This is not intended to condemn, as everlastingly lost, all who are found in such places, or in such employments; though they are by no means to be defended. But only to point out the common engagements of the unconverted, thinks a messenger from the invisible world whispers in my ear,--"You have searched the ball-room, but he's not there; and the theatre, but he's not there; and the tavern, but he's not there; and the card table, but he's not there No: he had despised the God of all his mercies, while on earth. He would have nothing to do with Jesus Christ. The law and the gospel were equally the subjects of his sport and contempt. And, --as the close of all---I just saw him in hell, lifting up his eyes in torments!' O God! if such be the end of the workers of ini quity, come with all the power of thy Spirit and grace into this congregation to night, and if there be a sinner here, now meet with him in a way of love and mercy. But probably the same question may be asked concerning a good mau. He has given up the ghost, and where is he? Perhaps he has returned to the house of God? It used to be his delight to meet there with the Lord's people. He would frequently say,---"How amiableare thy tabernacles, O Lord of Hosts. As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so doth my soul pant after God. I was glad when they said unto me, let us go into the house of the Lord." Is he not there now? No. Search then at the throne of grace. O how it once filled his heart with joy to draw near to the Father of his mercies. How enraptured he would sometimes feel, when pouring out his desires before, the Divine footstool. It was his heaven while below, and how frequently did God manifest his favour to him, while enga ged in that delightful duty! Has he not returned there? No Surely I see him in Abraham's bosom. Yes, 'tis he! He has left the trials of life forever. He is now ranging in the fields of intellectual pleasure He has taken an eterual farewell of every earthly good He is at the fountain head of the purest and most sublime enjoyments. May we all have grace so to live, and so to' die, as eventually to be sharers with him of this felicity. The Consolations of the Gospel, under afilictive and bereaving Providences: A Sermon, on occasion of the much-lamented death of Mr. William Clapham. Delivered in White Chapel, Leeds, Oct. 14, 1810, and published at the Request of several of the hearers. By William Eccles. Burditt, &c. 18. We stumbled at the threshold of this discourse on meeting with "the doors of the shadow of death;' but proceeding onward, we felt much interested and we hope edified by the piety, affection, and pathos of the preacher. The whole is well calculated for use. fulness, and we hope its circulation will not be confined to those who requested its publication. Some interesting particulars relative to the deceased, we intend to extract for our Obituary next month. The Maniac, with other Poems. By John Lawson. Burditt. 3s. The principal poem in this little volume suffers considerably by the manner reminding us of Montgomery's Wanderer of Swit zerland, with which it will by no meaus bear a comparison in any respect. The strain of melancholy which runs through the whole cannot fail of being attractive to some readers; but, notwithstanding some evidences of sensibility and imagination, we do not expect the volume will much interest the public in general, or the religious public in particular. Religious Books lately published. 1. A Viudication of the British and Foreign Bible Society, in a Letter addressed to the Rev. Dr. Wordsworth, chiefly in reply to his Letter to the Right Hon. Lord Teignmouth. By William Dealtry, M. A. 8vo. 78. 6d. 2. Sermons and Extracts consolatory on the Loss of Friends, selected frem the following eminent Divines; viz. Bishop Bull, Information of Works in hand from Theological Writers will be inserted under this article. Bp. Horne, Abp. Tillotson, Ach- THEOLOGICAL NOTICES. deacon Paley, Thomas Gisborne, William Jones, Dr. John Drysdale, Dr. Doddridge, Dr. George Hill, Dr. Blair, Dr. Harwood, ArchdeaconShepherd, John Brewster, Dr. John Edwards, Charles Drelincourt, Dr. Maclaine; including a Dissertation, by Dr. Richard Price, on the Reasons for supposing that Virtuous Men shall meet hereafter in a State of Happiness. 8vo. 8s. 3. Sermons. By the Rev. R. Polwhele, Vicar of Mannaccon and of St. Anthony, in Cornwall, and Author of the Histories of Devon and Cornwall, Poems, &c. &c. 8vo. 10s. 6d. 4. Letters on the Prophecies, selected from eminent writers. By J. Smith, Gentleman. 8vo. 98. 5. A Funeral Discourse, occasioned by the death of the Rev. Dr. Barnes, preached at Cross street Meeting-house, in Manchester, on Sunday, the 15th of July, 1810. By John Yates. 2. 6. A Series of Discourses, containing a system of doctrinal, experimental, and practical religion, particularly calculated for the use of families, preached in the parish church of Dewsbury, York shire. By the Rev. J. Buckworth, M. A. Vicar. Post 8vo. Ss. and in good 12mo. 4s. 7. Universalism confounds and de troys itself; or Letters to a Friend on Dr. Huntingdon, Dr. Chauncy, Mr. Winchester, Petitpierre, Dr. Young, and Mr. Reilly'sSchemes, which are shewn to be made up of contradictions. Interspersed with direct arguments in proof of the endless misery of the damned; and answers to the popular objections of the present day, against the Doctrines of Grace, &c. By Josiah Spaulding, A. M. Northampton, Massachusetts. Svo. 78. We understand that the Village Preacher will not in future be published in Numbers; but it is intended to complete a volume for publication in the course of the year. The Second In the press: The Bishop of London is printing a work on the subject of Calvinism, which will comprehend his last three Charges, with considerable additions and nu'merous quotations from the works of Calvin and of the Ancient Fathers. Mr. John Bellamy proposes to publish by subscription, in two octavo volumes, the Fall of Deism, wherein the objections of the Deists against the Old and New Testaments, during the last sixteen hundred years, are answered, by a strict adherence to the literal sense of the Hebrew language. N The Rev. G. B. Mitchell has nearly ready for publication, Family Sermons for every Sunday in the year, selected from the works of Archbishop Secker. A new and corrected edition of The Pilgrim's Progress; in 8vo. price 128. in which the language of that admirable work is somewhat improved, several of its ob scurities elucidated, and many of its redundancies done away. By the Rev. Joshua Gilpin, Vicar of Wrockwardine, Salop. A few copies will be printed on royal paper, and hot-pressed, price 188. RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE. BAPTIST MISSION. We learn that Letters have lately arrived from the Baptist Missionaries in Bengal, contain ing encouraging accounts. (dated March 26, 1810,) speaks of Mr. John Peter as having en tered on his work in Orissa with a spirit that appeared truly pleasing, and of the door opening before him more freely and exten sively than was expected. It al30 represents Carapeit the Jessore Missionary as very diligent and successful. The church in that district of which he has been ordained the pastor, consists of four branches, about thirty miles distant from each other; to each of which, he pays a monthly vi sit, preaching the word, and administering the Lord's Supper, where also, at his request, 4 Hin doo brethren are sent to reside. If his success continue, it is hoped these four branches may become so many distinct churches. Between January 1st, and March 26th, twenty five had been added to the different churches, ten of whom were at Berhampore, and twelve in Jessore. In another Letter, (dated May 23d and 25th 1810) mention is made of the Baptism of the mother of Deep Chund, who by her tears and intreaties had formerly drawn him aside into idolatry; but who was afterwards induced by his intreaties to attend on the preaching of the word, which was blessed to her conversion. The church and congregation at Cal cutta were on the increase. Four had been added in the last month, and six more stood as candidates. Religion was much the topic of conversation in the city. The galleries of the chapel required to be finished. The charity school amounted to fifty boys. Twelve or thirteen soldiers from Fort William attended the chapel, and appeared to be seriously enquiring after salvation. The same was true of many of different nations in Calcutta. Mr. J. Peter and those who were with him in Orissa, among whom was one newly baptized, had formed themselves into a church. The above is the substance of the intelligence. A more particular statement will be given in No. XXI. of the Periodical Accounts. A SAILOR'S LETTER, containing a one pound notè for the Baptist Mission. Dear Sir, H. M. Ship, St George. As we are going to sea to-morrow, I write to tell how you much we are indebted to you for your concern for us, since we heard of you; the Letters received have greatly strengthened us. May the Lord Jesus, whose servant you are, bless you, and make his cause to prosper in your hand, that many may be given who shall prove a crown of rejoicing in the day of Christ, and a proof that labour was not in vain, nor strength spent for nought. Thanks be to the Lord who enables us in some measure to persevere in our duty in this place; but what reason have I to mourn for my dullness and lukewarmness in his cause! The Lord Jesus is always manifesting his precious love to me, but, ab, what unkind returns do I make, "When darkness long has veil'd my mind, * And smiling peace once more appears ; Then, my Redeemer, then I find, The folly of my doubts and fears. Dear Sir, the Lord is very gracious to us in raising up another person, (a seaman) who I trust is a loving disciple of our blessed Jesus; we are a great means of edifying one another, and I hope that before long our number will be increased, when we shall carry on a prayer meeting. I have sent you £1 for the support of the Missionaries, I wish that I could give more. I rejoice to have it in my power to throw in my mite towards the spread of the Gospel among the poor heathen. May those that sit in darkness hear of salvation through a Saviour's precious blood. We are now going to sea, and it is probable our ship will be brought to action before we return; but I trust the Lord will preserve us in the day of danger, as I have often been protected in the hour of battle; so I go on singing, Tho' rocks and quicksands deep, Thro' all my passage lie Yet Christ will safely keep, And guide me with his eye. How can I sink with such a prop As bears the world and all things up? Surrounded with licentiousness and blasphemy in an abondoned Man of War, these words have often been greatly impressed upon my mind, Tell me no more of earthly toys, " REPORT OF THE BRITISH ÅND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 1810. In consequence of the remit tances made for an edition of the Scriptures in the Polish language, by the British and Foreign Bible Society, the first sheet of the Old Testament issued from the press in April of the last year. Copies were sent to all the principal Protestant congregations in Poland. It appears, that the proposed Edition, comprising 3,000 Copies of the whole Bible, and 4,000 extra Copies of the New Testament, had been advanced in March, to the beginning of the Prophecy of Daniel, and there was every rea son to expect that the work would be prosecuted to its conclusion with all possible expedition. Copies of the Bible in Lithuania, from their great scarcity, bear a most exorbitant price: the people of that country are in a still more impoverished state than even the inhabitants of Poland, and of course more incompetent to provide a new edition of the Scriptures, which was much wanted. The Lithuanian nation contains upwards of a million of people, many of whom are truly pious, but very poor. Four thousand copies of the New Testament, in French, have been purchased, and sent to different depots, in Montbeliard, Nismes, and other places in France. From several parts in the south-eastern provinces of that country, authentic accounts had been received, that many Roman Catholics requested copies of the New Testament, and had perused them with great eagerness and gratitude. The Romanese Testament, undertaken by a Society of active Christians They are since increased to seven. F The things I lov'd before; And I desire no more. Write as soon as you can and pray for us. Farewell-yours in Christ Jesus, Rev. G. C. S. Penzance. Vol. III. |