I hope that you, my good friends, I'll not willingly offend, What's amiss I'll strive to mend, And I think you will be respecta- III. Sing with melody in your hearts unto the Lord. Do not forget that real religion has ever to do with the heart; in reality, it is the penitence, the faith, the love, and the obedience of the heart. To sing with melody, is to sing with emotions of heart in full unison with the sentiments of the song. Is a hymn or psalm given out, descriptive of the sorrows of the penitent? He who utters the words with corresponding emotions of heart, sings with melody. Is the composition expressive of praise to God for his mercies? or of love to our divine Immanuel? or of devotedness to his honour and glory? or does it anticipate the infinite blessedness in reserve for the people of God? He who sings them with melody, is conscious of a spirit of holy gratitude, and sincere affection, towards the Divine Being; he knows, and, in some happy measure, feels, that it is infinitely reasonable that he should be the Lord's; and, on the wings of faith, he rises above terrestrial things; surveys, and longs to enter on the regions of everlasting bliss. It is, indeed, my very earnest prayer, that you may be inspired with this holy melody of heart. How lamentable is the consideration, that many utter sentiments, which in finitely concern them, of a kind the most delightful and awful, with the most entire indifference. Do not be guilty of this hypocritical profanation. Pray God to give you a new heart and a right spirit.' You cannot endure discords in music: O that the more direful discords which too commonly subsist between the heart and the tongue, were equally abhorred! Be anx iously concerned, my dear friends, to sing with the Spirit, and with the understanding also.' It is well known, that the late excellent Mr. Cadogan had but little taste for music. An eminent musician, who was one of his hearers, occasionally sung some of the finest pieces of composition, in his hearing; and, since he was in raptures himself, he often expressed his astonishment that his minister was not in raptures also. One day, however, Mr. Cadogan said to him, Give me leave, my good friend, to be astonished in my turn.-1 bring forward invitations of mercy, sweeter than the melody of heaven--threatnings unspeakably awful and alarming-I treat constantly of themes which employ the angelic harps in glory-and no sympathy is awakened in your bosom.-You are unaffected, unalarıned, unconverted:-no raptures of love, gratitude, or admiration are enkindled in your bosom. O, have I not reason to be amazed at your indifference? Let your hearts, as well as your voices, be found in tune,and God will lend a listening ear to your songs of praise, nor will your fellow-creatures withhold their approbation. How pleasing the reflection, that if you now thus celebrate the praises of God, the moment is not distant when, after a life of useful ness and felicity on earth, you shall meet together to celebrate, in a manner inconceivably more sublime, the infinite perfections, and the everlasting loving kindnesses of him, who has redeemed you by his own precious blood, and who will present you faultless before the throne with exceeding joy. This is, indeed, the sincere and ardent prayer of your unworthy friend, B. H. D. EXTRACTS FROM DR. STILLMAN'S TEXT BOOK. THE following pious reflections were made by the late Dr. Stillman, and will no doubt be read with much in terest and profit. They are found in a book, in which he was accustomed to record the texts of scripture from which he preached. The following is under date of Feb. 1797. On the 17th of this month February, I finished the thirty-ninth year of my ministry. I desire to bless God, that through his good hand upon me, I remain unto this time. But alas, how little have I done for him or his cause, though he hath favoured me with the greatest advantages to be useful, as to place and health. How seldom have I been laid by from my pub lick ministry! Glory be to God for health and friends; and all the blessings that have attended me through life. My time of service draws near its end. O that I may be faithful and useful to the last period of my life! Lord Jesus, forgive my barrenness, my every wrong temper, and yet glorify thy self of me, the least of saints, and chief of sinners. Amen. Feb. 17, 1798. This day I have been forty years engaged in the sacred ministry. How astonishing has the divine goodness been to me, that with my slender habit, and the threatening attacks of disease in early life, I should have been preserved to this time! To thy great name, Almighty God, I render all the praise. O that my feeble efforts through life, to exalt the Saviour's character, may be crowned with success; and may I at the last great day meet many at thy right hand, who are the seals of my ministry! But what cause have I of deep humility, that I baye not improved the time, thou hast given me, to better purpose. O forgive my unfruitfulness; and may the short time that remains, be devoted to thee with greater zeal and diligence. The time of my departure is at hand; help me to finish well; and in the close of life, to speak well of thy name, and of thy Son's name. And, O Lord, wilt thou be graciously pleased to provide a pastor after thine own heart, for the dear people of my charge! The residue of the Spirit is with thee. Feb. 17, 1799. This day finishes the forty-first year of my ministry. through thy good hand upon me, I I bless thy name, O Lord, that still remain; and am enabled in some measure to attend to the duties of my ministry. But I deeply bewail zeal in thy cause my barrenness, and want of life and Be pleased to hold me in thy right hand, and make me useful in thy cause till thou shalt call me hence. To live, may it be Christ, and to die gain. Feb. 17, 1800. This day completes the forty-second year of my ministry. I am astonished that a gracious Providence hath spared so barren, so sinful creature so many years! O, that he would forgive mine iniquities, and make me more useful, more humble, and spiritual in disposition, than in the years that are past! My soul longs to be swallowed up in God, and things pure. O that in life and death he may be glorified in me! And whenever he shall remove me from his church below, I pray that he will send to the dear people of my charge a pastor after his own heart!--I am waiting till he bid me come. To be continued) Review. The Work of Faith, the Labour of Love, and the Patience of Hope; illustrated in the Life and Death of the Rev. Andrew Fuller, late Pastor of the Baptist Church at Kettering, (Eng.) and Secretary to the Baptist Missionary Society from its commencement in 1792. Chiefly extracted from his own papers, by John Ryland, D. D. 8vo. pp. 362. Samuel Etheridge, Charlestown. (Massa.) Same work, 12mo. pp. 328. THIS volume contains a great variety of useful and interesting matter. The life of Mr. Fuller was filled up with the most important and laborious services, for which no man perhaps was ever better qualified than himself. Long will his name be cherished with love and esteem, by the whole Christian world. He was among the first promoters of the Baptist Missionary Society, formed in 1792, and acted as secretary to it until his death. Much of the volume before us is taken up with details of the services performed by Mr. Fuller, in behalf of this Society. An interesting account is given of his religious exercises, his settlement in the ministry at Soham, and of his peculiar trials on removing to Kettering, on which subject his biographer remarks, "that men who fear not God, would risk the welfare of a nation with fewer searchings of heart, than it cost him, to determine whether he should leave a little church scarcely containing forty members, be sides himself and his wife." A brief account is given of his various publications and extensive correspondence, accompanied with remarks by the biographer. Large extracts are made from his diary, in which the pious exercises of his mind are delineated. It would give VOL. 1. 13 us pleasure to transcribe many pa ges of this work, but our limits will admit of this brief sketch only. We sincerely recommend the whole to the perusal of our readers; they cannot fail to derive from it both instruction and delight. The following letter was dictated by Mr. Fuller ten days before his death, and subscribed by his own hand, directed to Dr. Ryland. "My dearest friend, "WE have enjoyed much togethery which I hope will prove an earnest of greater enjoyment in another world. Lord's vineyard, and he has given us We have also wrought together in the to reap together in his vintage. I expect this is nearly over; but I trust we shall meet and part no more. I I am satisfied to drink of the cup which have very little hope of recovery; but my heavenly Father giveth me to drink. Without experience, no one can conceive of the depression of my spirits; yet I have no despondency. I know whom I have believed, and that he is able to keep that which I have committed to him against that day. I am a poor guilty creature; but Christ is an almighty Saviour. I have preached and written much against the abuse trine is all my salvation and all my deof the doctrine of grace; but that docsire. I have no other hope, than from salvation by mere sovereign, efficacious grace, through the atonement of my Lord and Saviour. With this hope, I can go into eternity with composure. wilt! Here I am; let him do with me Come, Lord Jesus! come when thou as seemeth him good! "We have some, who have been giving out, of late, that if Sutcliff, and some others, had preached more of they would have been more useful." Christ, and less of Jonathan Edwards, If those who talk thus, preached Christ half as much as Jonathan Edwards did, and were half as useful as he was, it is. It is very singular, that the Mistheir usefulness would be double what sion to the East should have originated with men of these principles; and without pretending to be a prophet, I may say, if eyer it falls into the hands ef men who talk in this strain, it will soon come to nothing. "If I should never see your face in the flesh, I coul! wish one last testimony of brotherly love, and of the truth of the gospel, to be expressed by your coming over, and preaching my funeral sermon, if it can be, from Rom. viii. 10. I can dictate no more, but am Ever yours, "ANDREW FULLER." "All mis "When under great anguish, he, one day, said to one of his sons, ery is concentrate in me!"-Bodily misery only. I suppose, father?"-"Yes, nothing else." But the expression which he used to Mr. Blundel of Northampton, was the most characteristick of any of which I have been informed:-"My hope is such, that I am not afraid to plunge into eternity!" On the Lord's day morning on which he died, May 7, 1815, he said to his daughter Sarah, "I wish I had strength enough."--She asked, "To do what?" He replied, "To worship, child.” Soon after, his daughter Mary enter ing the room, as soon as he understood who it was, he said. "Come, Mary, He was then come and help me." raised up in bed, and for the last half hour appeared to be engaged in prayer. His children surrounded his bed, listening attentively, to catch, if possible, the last words of their dving parent; but nothing could be distinctly heard, but " Help me!" which words were repeated several times. Then, with his hands clasped, and his eyes fixed upwards, as in the attitude of prayer, he sunk back, sighed three times, and expired." pp. 332-335. We are informed that the octavo volume mentioned at the head of this article, is designed as the first of an uniform edition of Mr. Fuller's works about to be pubLished by the Rev. Mr. Collier, of Charlestown, (Mass.) This copy is also enriched with an elegant engraving of Mr. Fuller. A Series of Letters on the Mode and Subjects of Baptism, addressed to the Christian Public. To which is prefixed, a brief account of the commencement and progress of the Author's trial on those points which terminated in his embracing Believers' Baptism, in a Letter to a friend. By Stephen Chapin, late OUR readers have already been informed of the change of sentiment which has recently taken place in the Rev. Mr. Chapin on the subject of Baptism. This change has issued in his dismission from his pastoral charge of the Congregational church in Mont Vernon, (N. H.) not however because any conduct on his part had destroyed his usefulness in that place, or lessened the affection of the people for him; but simply, because he could not continue the practice of infant sprinkling with a good conscience. The reasons are stated in these letters; and they must have been strong reasons indeed, which could induce him to renounce practice, which he had so early received, and so long attempted to support; which had received the sanction of a great multitude of Christians for more than three hundred years, and which every consideration of an earthly nature would powerfully constrain him to continue. Few ministers have the happi ness of being as comfortably settled in life as was Mr. Chapin. The people at Mont-Vernon looked up to him as a faithful friend and guide. They loved and revered him for the tenderness and assiduity with which he had laboured to promote their welfare. His brethren in the ministry, we are also assured, have been accustomed to speak of him as a Christian, and a preacher, in terms of high and unqualified approbation. Sufficient proof of their confidence and esteem is exhibited in the letter of recommendation delivered to him by the council, called to sanction the proceedings of the church in accepting his request for a dismission from his charge. From this letter we could give extracts, were it necessary. The character of Mr. Chapin, both as a scholar and a preacher, is so well known and established, and the sacrifices which he has been obliged to make, in consequence of embracing the doctrine of believers' baptism, so great, that we are persuaded the publick will be anxious to peruse his Series of Letters" on that subject. To his Pedobaptist brethren in particular, these letters cannot fail to be highly interesting. They are written by a man in whom they have the fullest confidence, that he would write nothing which he had not fully investigated, and which he was not as fully convinced to be the truth. They must be sensible that it is for the truth's sake alone that he is induced to publish any thing on a subject which has been so long controverted. But controverted it must be, until the truth is triumphant. Error must be exposed, in order to be abandoned. And we rejoice that the minds of Christians begin to be open to conviction on the subject of baptism. Nothing can be farther from the spirit of the gospel, than a blind and obstinate adherence to preconceived opinions or practices, without regard to the evidence by which they are supported. person should refuse to yield to the light of truth, from whatever source it may be derived. Let us lay ourselves open to conviction. Let us bring our principles to the test of scripture and sound argument. If they be correct, they will shine with additional lustre ; if they be incorrect, we ought to abandon them. To be right, should be our highest ambition and happiness. No We make these remarks for the benefit of our readers generally; but they are more peculiarly ap plicable, we think, to our Pedobaptist brethren. Far be it from us to invest ourselves with infalli bility on the subject of baptism, or to charge them with an obstinate adherence to error. But we are very sure that many of them are satisfied to remain ignorant, entirely ignorant of the arguments by which we think our practice is supported, and theirs refuted. All the prejudices of education, all the influence of great names, and the endearing ties of blood and friendship, combine with the dread of change, and the supposed inconvenience of baptism by immersion, to secure their countenance to infant sprinkling, without allowing them to examine the arguments for another practice. We have indeed witnessed with great pleasure the increase of candour among them within a few years past. Some of their first men have acknowledged, that immersion was practised in the primitive times, and not a few have avowed their willingness to admin. ister baptism in that mode, to such as might desire it. Indeed we have seen some of them "go down into the water," after the example of Philip and the Eunuch; so that the controversy seems now to be brought within a narrow compass, and we are not without hope, that the day is not far distant when we shall be permitted to meet them on the ground of the primitive disciples. Time was, when the Baptiste were not allowed peaceably to enjoy the privileges of citizenship, and there are some persons now living who have experienced no little inconvenience from the opposition of the Pedobaptists. But we wish not to call up those times of trouble and strife. We have fallen upon happier days. Baptists and Pedobaptists now look upon each other as brethren, and combine their efforts to spread abroad the knowledge of salvation. We could point out many instances in which illiberal remarks have been made with respect to us, by Pedobaptists, both in public and private. But we are not conscious of deserving them. The Baptists have generally proved themselves to be the friends of or |