the fea of Galilee, furrounded with ftorms and tempefts, is ready to give over every thing for loft, and to cry out, Lord save, or Iperish; the Redeemer, as then, is yet but the nearer at hand, to rebuke both winds and waves, though he feemeth as if he heard not. In fhort, as nothing can arife to overthrow the fecurity, fo nothing fhould be found fufficient to call down, even for a moment, the confidence of him, in whose breast the Holy Spirit witnesseth to his spirit that he is a child of God. Once affured by thofe infallible evidences which the Holy Ghoft hath given, that he hath begun a good work in the heart, we ought not to doubt but he will complete it unto the day of Jesus Christ. The believer may have his dark and trying hours. The furnace of affliction to throw off the reprobate filver may be heated yet seventimes hotter than it was wont to be heated; but in all this the voice of Him who ftands by, and orders both the process and the fire, may be heard by the ear of faith: Be still, and know that I am God. For a small moment have I forsaken thee, but with great mercy will I gather thee. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment, but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer. For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord, that hath mercy upon thee.

A LETTER FROM A FREE-THINKER TO ONE OF HIS OLD COMPANIONS.

depart out of the

7OU will have heard by this time that I was unexpectedly out having leifure to take leave of my friends. On entering into a new ftate, I learned infiinitely more in a moment, than any man can do in the longeft life spent in the deepest study, and moft diligent refearch. I immediately found that we had been greatly mistaken in many things. The thinking principle is not deftroyed, as we were fometimes inclined to fuppofe, nor does it lofe in fleep all confcioufnefs of existence. So far from being either totally extinguished or even asleep only for a while, I can affure you, it is much more active and intelligent than ever. It breaths a purer air-but I am not permitted to disclose to you the fecrets of the invisible world. The strictest filence is impofed upon every inhabitant, however willing we might be to impart the difcoveries we have

made for the benefit of our former affociates. But it will be no breach of our laws and regulations for me to mention, that I have now no longer any doubts remaining. All here is awful certainty. This one advantage I poffefs, if advantage it can be called. But you have another far more precious, which I cannot enjoy. You have still an opportunity of reviewing your judgment of things, and foregoing it, on fufficient evidence, for one more juft and reasonable, though it should lead to a very different conduct. Let me beg of you to diftruft your own understanding. Seek a fafer guide. It is no difgrace in this inftance, where the cause is fo important, to borrow light, when your own is fo very faint and imperfect. If you think me ftill in being, that I am neither annihilated nor infenfible, you feel, I doubt not, a ftrong defire to know what are now my fentiments on thofe various fubjects that used to engage our attention, and on which we took the liberty to differ in opinion from most of our neighbours. Do you not often with, if it were poffible, to see me again and converse familiarly with me, that I might answer all your inquiries? I am not allowed to fatisfy you. Nor need you at all regret that I cannot appear. You may, if you please, without any extraordinary affiftance, foon be in poffef fion of all the knowledge neceffary for you, till you remove. You have already the means in your power of acquiring as much information as can be ufeful, and as it would be proper for me to communicate, were I to affume a bodily form, and revifit your earthly region. It was our great folly, my friend, to defpife and reject the helps that were kindly held out to us. Hinc ille lacryma! Could you but I dare not-You will be anxious to learn what is become of me, whether I be happy or miferable. "What is that to thee?" Confult your own fafety, and rejoice that it is not yet too late. Remember how fuddenly I was fummoned away. "A warning was denied." "To-morrow, perhaps, thou fhalt be with me." Nay, even, " This Night thy foul may be required of thee." More, O much more, could I fay. But here I muft ftop. This last and best office, pity pleads with me to render. May you be wife, and profit by itFarewell.

VOL. I.

* Luke, xvi. 29, 31.

"T

A SOLEMN CALCULATION.

HE aggregate population on the furface of the known habitable globe, is estimated at 895,300,000 fouls. If we reckon, with the ancients, that a generation lasts 30 years, then in that space 895,300,000 human beings will be born and die; confequently 81,760 must be dropping into eternity every day-3,407 every hour, or about 56 every minute! How awful is the reflection!"

Reader, is it not the most dreadful infatuation to trifle with eternal things, on the brink of that awful world, into which more than

"A thoufand wretched dying fouls have fled
Since the last setting fun." WATTS.

Thou art yet in the number of the "living, who know that they shall die." Oh! may it be thy concern and mine, so to "number our days, that we may apply our hearts to that wisdom," which makes men "wife unto falvation, through faith which is in Chrift Jefus."

WISE REPLY OF A PIOUS ARCHBISHOP.

HEN Archbishop Leighton was asked why he did not preach on the political fentiments of the times, as all the reft of his brethren did? he answered," that if all the reft of the brethren preached on time, then furely one poor brother might preach on eternity." Burnet.

EXTRACT of a Letter from the late Rev. JAMES TURNER, Pastor of the Baptist Church in Cannon-street, Birmingham, to the late Rev. JOHN RYLAND, sen. Pastor of the Baptist Church in College-lane, Northampton. Dated the 29th of July, 1765.

"A

PROVIDENCE, equally remarkable, and awful, hath lately happened amongst us. One of our members has been violently perfecuted by her husband for eight or nine years together; and he has not only kept her from meeting, but has beat and abufed her moft abominably,

and has often threatened to kill her, and once had like to have poifoned her; but the fnare was broken, and the efcaped. They lived about three miles out of town, but he has often fworn he would come and pull me out of the houfe, and I know not what mifchief he would do me befides.

"Some time fince, fhe was taken very ill, and he condefcended to have me come and visit her; and not only fo, but came to fetch me himself; and I went, and prayed with her, and he kreeled with us, and feemed forrowful that he had ufed her in fuch a manner, and promifed to let her have her liberty for the future, &c. But behold! fhe no fooner recovered, than his ugly spirit returned! But how will you bear to hear the reft?-About five or fix weeks ago, he was killed by his waggon! In his dying moments he begged of his wife to pray for him, and gave her all he had."

Serious Reflection in the Moment of Folly.
[AN EXTRACT.]

"A SOCIETY of gentlemen, most of them poffeffed

of a liberal education and polished manners, but who unhappily had been feduced from a belief in the facred Scriptures, ufed to affemble alternately in each other's houfes, on the banks of the Tweed, for the purpose of ri◄ diculing Revelation, and hardening one another in their infidelity. At laft, they unanimously formed a refolution folemnly to burn the Bible; and fo to be troubled no more with a book which was fo hoftile to their principles, and difquieting to their confciences. The day fixed upon came; a large fire was prepared; a Bible was laid upon the table, and a flowing bowl stood ready to drink its dirge. For the execution of their plan, they fixed upon a young gentleman of high birth, brilliant vivacity, and elegance of manners, but whofe name is concealed, from a regard to his honourable and truly worthy family. He undertook the task; and, after a few enlivening glaffes, amidst the applaufes of his jovial compeers, he approached the table, took up the Bible, and was walking refolutely forward to put it in the fire; but, happening to give it a look, all at once he was feized with trembling, palenefs overfpread his countenance, and his whole frame feemed convulfed: He returned to the table

and, laying down the Bible, faid, with a ftrong affeveration, We will not burn that book, till we get a better!" But

Men may live fools, but fools they cannot die!' YOUNG.

For this fame gay and lively young gentleman came to die, and on his death-bed obtained fincere repentance, deriving unfhaken hopes of forgivenefs, and of future bleffednef's from that book he was once going to burn.

"This anecdote the writer had from feveral minifters, who attended him during his laft moments."

IOTA.

Mr. Benjamin Linthorn's solemn surrender of Himself to God.

THE may lately found among the papers

HE following may probably be gratifying to fome of

our readers. It was

of a person who lived and died a respectable member of an Independent church at Poole, in Dorfetfhire; being writ ten by him when he was about eighteen years of age, on the day when he made a folemn furrender of himself to God. Covenants of this kind were more frequent in thofe days than at prefent, and were recommended by perfons of the firft eminence for learning and piety. Among others, Dr. Doddridge has given us the form of one in his Rise and Progress of Religion in the Soul.

O MOST dreadful God! for the paffion of thy dear Son, I befeech thee accept of thy poor prodigal, now proftrating himself at thy door. I have fallen from Thee by mine iniquity, and am by nature a fon of death, and a thousand fold more the child of hell by my wicked practice. But of thine infinite compaffion thou haft promised grace to me in Chrift, if I will but turn to thee with all my heart. Therefore, upon the call of thy Gofpel, I am now come in, and throwing down every weapon, fubmit myfelf to thy mercy. And because thou requireft, as the condition of my peace with thee, that I fhould put away my idols, and be at defiance with all thy enemies, which I acknowledge I have wickedly fided with against thee; I here, from the bottom of my