preachers-that anothor chapel, containing 1000 sittings should be built in some eligible part of the city, the trustees giving up the title-deeds of the old one, to be sold in aid of this purpose-and that a committee, composed of friends to the object, should be appointed, of which Mr. Thomas Watkinson, York, should be treasurer, and the Rev. James Jackson, Green Hammerton, secretary.

The projectors of these evangelical schemes were encouraged to hope, that success would finally crown their labours; the congregation was now larger every Sabbath-day than the chapel would contain; many seemed to become the subjects of new and better feelings toward Dissenters; the ministers, too, delighted with their fortnight visits to York, increased the number of patrons, by the pleasing tidings which they conveyed to their own congregations; a greater number of coadjutors were found in York itself than were at first expected, who helped those much who laboured in the Gospel. But still the erection of an edifice, at the estimated expense of more than 3000 guineas, when only £120. collected in the city by personal application from street to street was in hand, and the rest was to be provided by donations and loans in other places, and that at a time when there was a general depression of trade, led the committee to pause; so that it was not till February 26, 1816, that the first stone of the new chapel was laid; a garden and house having been previously purchased for a site and burying ground in Lendall for £1000. The chapel is 57 feet by 53, with an excellent Sunday School and a vestry under a part of it, and was designed by Messrs. Watson and Pritchett, architects, York. It was opened November 7, 1816, when a numerous congregation assembled, and sermons were

preached appropriate to the occasion by the Rev. Messrs. Raffles, Cockin, and Bradley, and collections made in aid of the building fund, to the amount of £110. 13s.

The premises were conveyed in trust to Messrs. Rawson and Clap ham, of Leeds, and Messrs. Watkinson and Pritchett, of York, who promptly came forward at a time when serious obstacles impeded the progress of the undertaking, to give personal security for money to a considerable amount. As the finances of the congregation at first fell short of the calculations, and the trustees incurred a considerable expense in an unsuccessful resistance of the assessment of the chapel, the most strenuous endeavours of the committee were necessary to meet the expenditure; Messrs. Arundel and Jackson were therefore deputed to visit Leeds, Sheffield, Rotherham, Hull, Wakefield, Whitby, and other towns, to solicit pecuniary aid; but their most successful application was made in London, where, by the peculiar countenance given to the case by their metropolitan brethren, the sum of £568. was obtained. Several individuals presented liberal donations to the object; and as some of them have since gone to their reward in heaven, and the survivors have been taught better than to seek the praise of men, it will not perhaps be deemed indecorous to record the names of Thomas Wilkinson, Thomas Wilson, and John Ogden, Esqrs. London; Thomas Walker, Esq. and the Rev. James Bennett, Rotherham; George Rawson, Esq. and Messrs. Clapham, Leeds; Mr. Pritchett, York.

The total cost, including the expense of erecting a gallery for the Sunday scholars in 1823, and the travelling expenses of ministers in collecting, has been about £3800., of which sum £1200. have been contributed by the people themselves, and about £1500. by

feel themselves compensated and honoured, and others encouraged to associate together for similar purposes.

In conclusion, far be it from the writer to insinuate, that the work of evangelizing the citizens of York is, or should be, confined to one denomination, and it affords him pleasure in being able to re

cord, that a considerable degree of kindness and co-operation prevails among the different parties, who hold the head, in promoting general objects of religion and benevolence, and that a general stimulus has been given to the exertions of all denominations of Christians in York since the erection of Lendal Chapel. J. J.

REMARKS ON THE 23d PSALM.

THIS Psalm contains sentiments of fervent devotion, expressed in a manner at once beautiful and easily understood; and is, therefore, justly admired by Christians of every period and rank of life, and of every diversity of genius and education. An attempt to illustrate its meaning would be almost inadmissible; unless we should succeed in giving some interest to the attempt, by discovering the situation of the Psalmist when he was led to compose it. According to the usual character of Lyric poetry, the allusions in this Psalm are indirect and brief, and the transitions sudden and obscure; so that nothing more than conjecture can be pretended to, in endeavouring to account for them; yet there are some principles of interpretation, not likely to be disputed, which may contribute to recommend our conjecture, and to guide us in applying it. We may assume, for instance, that Scripture poetry may be legitimately illustrated from two sources chiefly the history of the past, and the prediction of the future; the occurrences which have literally happened, and their import as symbols of the accomplishment of promises, received from God.

On this assumption, I shall attempt to draw an illustration of

the 23d Psalm from the 16th chapter of the first book of Samuel, which gives an account of the anointing of David to be King over Israel in the room of Saul. The Psalm seems to possess internal evidence of being a juvenile composition; yet we cannot suppose it to have been written earlier than the period of the Psalmist's endowment with the prophetic gift of inspiration, which we are told, in the history, took place, when Samuel anointed him. Before that period, he was a spiritual worshipper, and, as such, was selected to be King, in preference to his brethren; but it was only from the time of his anointing, that he could say, "the Spirit of the Lord spake by me, and his word was in my tongue.' We may premise, further, that Samuel was directed to make a sacrifice to the Lord on the occasion; that he invited Jesse and his family to the sacrifice; that he desired David might be sent for from keeping the sheep; that he anointed and entertained him in the presence of his brethren; that the Spirit of the Lord came upon him from that day; that he returned, however, to his sheep till he was sent for by Saul; that during this temporary retreat, he began to compose his inspired songs, of which this Psalm may have been one of the first; and that the figures used in it are

all taken, either from his original condition as a shepherd, or from his recent ordination as the anointed of the Lord.

The figures of the Psalmist are taken, first, from his original condition as a shepherd.

When he looked upon the flock, which he was now soon to leave, and thought of the unknown requisites for the new and exalted station, to which he had been so unexpectedly appointed; he must have been distracted with anxiety, had he not been directed to cast his cares upon "the Lord," from whom his appointment came. With the experimental knowledge of the love of God, on the one hand; and the consciousness of his own insufficiency, on the other; how naturally did he express his humble confidence in the language of the pastoral life: "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want." "What shall we eat? and what shall we drink? and wherewithal shall we be clothed?" are the questions of first necessity in the esteem of the natural man. It is essential to the office of a King, to be able to answer these questions, not only for himself, but for the people under his care. What a picture of distress is that in Isa. iii. 6, 7. "Thou hast clothing, be thou our ruler."-" In my house is neither bread nor clothing: make me not a ruler of the people." Happily David felt no such difficulty. Looking up to the Lord for every thing, as his sheep did to him, he anticipates such an abundant and suitable supply, as those creatures enjoyed, when, after eating to the full, they lay down" in pastures, verdant even in a warm climate, and were led to drink of waters, not too rapid, nor too deep; not muddy and turbulent, but clear and tranquil, and perfectly safe, as well as refreshing. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters."

But an abundant supply of our wants is sometimes our greatest danger. "How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!" Even "the man after God's heart," might be tempted to sin most grievously; and, as one acquainted with the plague of his own heart, he may now be supposed to be aware of his danger. The thought of wandering from the Lord his Shepherd, was to him, as nothing less than spirtual death. But it was his comfort to know the Lord, not only as the giver of repentance at first, but also as able to renew again to repentance after a fall, to sanctify wholly, and to preserve to the end. This he believed the Lord would do, in such a way as to humble the penitent sinner to the dust, and to glorify all the holy perfections of his own adorable name. restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake."

"He

Next to the danger of sinning against God, is that of encountering the hatred of the enemies of God, which his people experience while pursuing the path of duty. This danger must increase, in proportion as he calls them to duties of importance, and to stations of honour. Such was the danger of David from the jealousy of Saul, and from his wars with the Philistines, and with many other enemies, both at home and abroad, and both before and after he was seated on the throne of Israel. It was the danger, not of a rare occasion, but of the journey of his life. Now, in the hill country of Judea, and according to the modes of warfare which then prevailed, a mountain was a place of refuge, but a valley was a place of straits, of intricacy, of obstruction, of ambush, of surprize, of circumvention, and of extermination. No wonder if the gloom of the vallies was associated, in the minds of the shepherds, with the darkness of death. When

passing those narrow, rough, and winding defiles, filled with torrents, overgrown with thickets, infested with wild beasts, and hardly visited by the rays of the sun; they would find it necessary to make their flocks frequently pass under the guiding" rod," to keep them together, and to number them, that none of them might be lost; and constantly to use the defensive "staff," (1 Sam. xvii. 40.) that no enemy might pluck any of them out of the Shepherd's hand. It was the happiness of David, in the prospect of the most formidable difficulties, and emergencies, and adversaries, to be taught to say, "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me."

The figures of the Psalmist are next taken from his recent ordination as the anointed of the Lord. And we now see the occasion of that "Love, joy, and peace," which he is led so strongly to express.

The only way in which Samuel could with safety perform the service assigned him, was to take an heifer with him to Bethlehem, as a sacrifice to the Lord. This gave him an opportunity of inviting to the sacrifice, not only the elders of the city, but Jesse and his sons. It was proved by the event, that of all Jesse's numerous family, the feast was intended precisely for that individual, who was least thought of on the occasion. Even Samuel himself, when he looked on Eliab, said, "Surely the Lord's anointed is before him." But he found he was mistaken. 66 Again, Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse, The Lord hath not chosen these. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, be hold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and

fetch him; for we will not sit down till he come hither." One cannot help suspecting, that David was not merely overlooked by his Father on account of his youth; but hated by his brethren on account of his religion. That Eliab, whatever he might pretend, was not really of pious character, may be inferred from the reason given for his rejection. "Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man-looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart." From all that we are told, the rest of the brothers of David were rejected on the same ground. That Eliab is not unjustly thought of, in this opinion, is manifest from the reception he is said to have given to David, when sent by his father to visit his brethren in the camp, according to the narrative in 1 Sam. xvii. 28. " Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left these few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle." How proper for a man, in such circumstances, whose "foes were those of his own house;" when he found that he had been invited and waited for by a prophet of the Lord, on the occasion of a sacred feast, although his relatives had not so much as told him of the invitation; to ascribe so distinguished an honour to a special interposition of the providence of God, and to say, "Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies!"

But greater honour still had been put upon David," in the presence of his enemies."-" And he sent and brought him in. Now, he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the Lord said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he. Then