and he immediately ftretched it forth, and with great difficulty expreffed his name. Mr. D. then asked him if he was comfortable in his mind, he endeavoured to speak, but could not be understood; at length, however, fummoning all his powers, he emphatically pronounced the wordHappy;" and on the 10th of May, 1789, he breathed out his foul into the hands of his dear Redeemer, and entered into eternal reft.

His remains were interred the Wednesday following, juft at the entrance of his meeting-houfe in the burying-yard, a place he had chofen for himself fome years before his death; and the Rev. Mr. Thomas, of Leominster, whofe life is givén in a former number*, and who was his intimate friend, preached his Funeral Sermon, from Rev. xiv. 13.

Thus lived and died this good man, who by an upright walk and holy life confirmed the doctrines that he preached. Whilft here below he acted with an eye to the glory of God, and now, we doubt not, is joining with the glorious company above in fongs of praises that fhall never end. Reader, may thy life, thy death, and thy eternal portion be like his !

FOREIGN CORRESPONDENCE.

LETTER I.

From a Minifter in Switzerland to a Director of the Miffionary Society in London, dated Dec. 12. 1798.

Refpectfully beloved Brother in Chrift,

WE

E take the liberty of fending you the fecond bill of exchange in cafe the first for £. 12, inclosed in our letter of the 20th of November, thould have been loft. At the fame time, we have the fatisfaction to acquaint you of the lively and cordial intereft which our United Brethren in Switzerland and Germany take in the joyful accounts of the fafe arrival of the Miffionaries in the South Seas, and in the bleffed progrefs of the Miffionary work; and that they haften to fend their charitable mite for the fupport of this glorious inftitution, under praife, thanksgiving, and hearty wishes, which, we hope, will enable us foon to remit a greater fum than the first was.

Since our laft difpatch we have been informed, that, in the French Province of Languedoc, much inward, practical

See Evangelical Magazine for March 1798.

Christianity

Chriftianity prevails, and that the faithful there have expreffed a defire of having Preachers fent to them, which are neither of the Catholic, nor Reformed, nor Lutheran party; but who preach the pure gofpel in the demonstration of the Spirit and of Power. There are alfo, it is faid, fmall numbers of genuine Chriftians at Band the adjacent places, ftanding in communion with the dear Society of the United Brethren.

Juft now fome Quakers from Philadelphia travel through Germany, and hold public prayer-meetings. Intelligent and upright Chriftians in Germany affure us, that they do it with much unction, dignity and bleffing. Their chief defign is, they fay, to go to Paris, and to fee if there are not ftill men in that capital that have courage enough to unite with them in the adoration of God.

Baron Von Shirnding, who is the fame that fent the Rev. Mr. Dyfand to London to take an active part in your bleffed work, employs at present about forty Chriftian men to travel in Germany, and to disperse small religious tracts, either gratis, or for a trifle.

"It is extraordinary, (as one of our Brethren in Germany writes) and excites many ferious confiderations, to observe what uncommon things take place in our times. Let us be attentive to every thing, and encouraged to prayer and vigilance. I think, there is at present the fame appearance in the empire of religion and morality, as in the political world. In the fame manner as in the worldly empires two great parties are forming, both which prepare with all their might for the conflict, courting allies, and endeavouring to extend and maintain their territories; fo the two great invifible powers, the Lord of Heaven and Earth, and the Prince of Darkness prepare for the great approaching conteft, Who is to remain Lord of the world and of immortal fouls?-Both thefe Powers encrease the number of their friends; ufing many uncommon means, by private and public exertions, for obtaining their end. As at prefent in the political world the most anxious expectation is raifed, whether there will be peace or continuation of the war; how both parties will act or come to an agreement; and what will be the final iffue and confequence of the whole: So all the Chriftian world is on the tiptoe, to fee what progrefs the unheard of conflict between Light and Darknefs, already begun, will have-how the combatants will ufe their powers, which party will yield at last to the other, and on whofe fide will be the victory. Heaven prepares for new fongs of triumph,

P2

and

and Hell with premature joy glories in the fuccessful attempts of its enterprife. Among the armies of the Lord of Hofts there is an alternate fucceffion of hope and fear; and the party of Lucifer, as if infatuated by a poifoned cup, is boldly refolved, coft what it will, to attack the Rock of Zion. But, praifed be God, that our great Conqueror, our Saviour, has promifed us the certain victory. We know and experience indeed, that the Devil has great wrath at prefent, because he knoweth that he has but a fhort time; but we are alfo firmly affured, that the kingdoms of this world will become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Chrift; and that the Prince of this world, who ruleth in the children of difobedience, will foon be bound and caft into the pit. Hallclujah! Wisdom, and power, and ftrength, and honour, be unto our God, and unto the Lamb for ever."

With the best affurances of refpect and love from our Committee to your Society and Directors, I remain,

From a Minifier in Sweden to the Directors of the Miffionary

Society.

(Tranflated from the Swedish.)

Moft Honoured Fathers, and

Beloved Brethren,

YOUR

OUR truly praife-worthy undertaking, as a mean to guide the heathen from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, by fending forth the gospel of our Lord Jefus Chrift, which is effectual to falvation, even to the end of the world, has proved to my heart the most joyful and delightful news that could come to the knowledge of man; for till then I felt deep affliction, not only becaufe of the heathen darkness in which fo many millions of my fellow-creatures are immerged; but likewife for the spiritual drowfinefs and blindnefs which more and more feems to gain ground, even among thofe called Chriftians, and in the moft enlightened countries.

I view, as it were in a pleafing trance, the treasures of bleffing you will reap, the fweet delights your hearts will experience, and the glorious rewards that one day will be diftributed among you, if you but hold on as you have begun, in this your grand occupation: Neves, for one twink

ling of the eye, allowing the intruding views of frail man to intermeddle with it; but act fimply and purely from the warmeft zeal for fpreading into a wider field the kingdom of our Lord Jefus Chrift, and the guidance of fouls to the knowledge and experience of falvation.

To labour for Jefus and the furtherance of his views, reprefenting his love to man; for his fake to furrender property, health, ftrength, comforts, mortal friendships, nay, our credit, and the vital fpark itfelf; how glorious! how beneficial-Is not this noble minded and bleifed? what object could man to better purpose bestow whatever is lent him?-For what attainments is he called upon to run greater rifks? and from what fource could he draw a sweeter peace than from fuch a facrifice?

If our dear Lord himself could fay-" It is my meat to do the will of him that fent me," O, how much more ought each of us to fay, "It is my meat, the very longing and defire of my heart, to contribute my part to the glorifying of this Emanuel, by guiding fouls purchafed with his blood, to the knowledge of him?"

No doubt but this is the fentiment of every person who knows what it is to be conftrained by the love of Christ, and to be actuated by his Spirit.

O, how my heart pants for an opportunity to contribute, even in the fmalleft degree, to this your labour of love for immortal fpirits! but in whatever light I view my means, the refult is painful. Perhaps, indeed, I might be able to collect a few pounds among my friends; but, alas! what would that do? The grandeur of your plan, and the libcrality of your nation, would make fuch a mite unworthy of being noticed, My warmeft and moft heartfelt prayers for a profperous iffue of all your undertakings, fhall, however, through divine grace, never be forgotten: And I pray that the Friend of Souls, in a very special manner, may accompany with his Spirit's might and power, the teftimony that your Miffionaries thall deliver of him, of his love to finners, the high price he paid as an atonement for their fins, the efficacy of his death and refurrection, and the complete falvation that there is in him.

Happy men, your lot is enviable; your occupation is a glorious one. I look up to the Father of Mercies daily in vour behalf, as well as I am able; and this not only gives life and vigour to my foul, but my fpirit feems alfo to par ticipate in it, and is frequently fo engaged that it fometimes feels as it were out of the body, and aflifting you in offer

ing

ing to these poor heathens that unfpeakable tranfcendant falvation which Jefus has purchased for them, and which he is fo defirous fhould be made known to all his blood-bought band.

Your claim on us and our affiftance is just in every point of view. I pray God that you may find among us an active co-operation, answerable to the hope you have of us in this refpect, and the confidence wherewith you favour us: Al though I otherwise efteem it an honour to be born in honest Sweden, yet muft I blufh when I confider that my nation has contributed fo little to the diffufion of the light of the gofpel among the heathen nations. Overwhelmed as our Swedish Zion on one hand is, with religious fects and parties, who teach philofophy in place of religion, shake to the very foundation the doctrine of faith, endeavour by their new fyftem to make us out of humour with the word of God, and reject every thing that their reafon cannot fathom; and on the other hand, with a liftlefs, lukewarm, dead, Christian formality; yet, bleffed be the name of the Lord Jefus, he has in the midst of us a goodly number of faithful and true witneffes; many fteady and lively fouls, in all degrees and ranks of life, who adhere to the truth, and are not toffed to and fro; but, as well in their knowledge as walk, are an honour to his gofpel; who bear in their heart the tendereft fympathy to his caufe, and are zealous for the spread of his kingdom. But how far thefe may have it in their power to give any confiderable affiftance towards erecting that noble and beautiful temple of God, for which you are fending materials, among the heathen, I dare not as yet take upon myfelf to pronounce, nor to exprefs any certain hope: I pray God that my weak faith alfo in this refpect may be difappointed!-May I fome day have the happiness to hear that Sweden alfo, in one way or other, has contributed to give you a powerful aid, and affifted in procuring a plenitude of heaves for the gospel harveft; thofe fweet realizations of a precious Saviour's atoning paffion, death, and refurrection.

I join, with heartfelt fincerity, the gofpel fentiment which reigns among you, excluding none that love our Lord Jefus Chrift in fincerity and truth, although differing from you in private peculiarities; for your object is the glory of God, and to love as brethren. I alfo believe that every one who, in a living faith, has received our Lord Jefus Chrift as his atonement with God, and as his might and ftrength to break the power, the dominion, the guilt, and the punishment of