I am led to make these remarks principally by an interview I had with a perfon fome time ago. Soon after being in his company, I found he spoke with much fluency and propriety, particularly about religion. My attention was excited by his converfation, for he appeared to have more enlarged views of men and things than moft I had met with. He spoke in terms fa high of fome particular characters, as induced me to think that their value was not fufficiently known. But foon after I was rather confounded by a fentiment he dropped concerning another character, which was as remarkable for its detraction, as the other expreffions were for their approbation. I had, indeed, heard fomething relative to the latter; but it was a circumftance that I fuppofed would never have been set forth in a criminal light, which he did in a very high degree. While I remained with him, he pursued the fame method in his discourse, and I saw plainly he fell into the fin of exaggeration; for while he could fcarcely find words to exprefs his encomiums on fome, he again appeared at a lofs to reprefent in a manner fufficiently horrid the faults of others."

To check this evil, which is wantonly indulged by too many profeffors of religion, let us think before we fpeak; and let us fpeak as dying men, who may the next moment give an account before God the Judge of all." Let us not be lavish of our words; nor appear in extacies while defcribing things which please us, nor agitated with a paffion bordering on malevolence towards thofe objects which offend us; for, having roufed the attention of difpaffionate and more judicious minds to an examination, and the refult being different from the reprefentation made, we shall become the objects of contempt, and our friends fearful to confide in us. Befides, by not carefully avoiding such habits, we thall plunge deeper and deeper into the evil; till we are fo loft to real fact, as not to reft fatisfied without fome unneceffary and unlawful addition to the moft plain and fimple thing.

May the reader of this in future guard well his expreffions. We all need the caution; but thofe in a peculiar manner who poffefs warm tempers and lively imaginations; for they are almoft fure to run into the error, without a conftant watch over their words. If we are not puffed up with felfconceit, probably we way ftop and enquire, "Have I not been guilty of this crime?"-Such a fufpicion of ourselves is entering on the direct way to be reclaimed.

Rotherham.

S-B-. WIDOWS'

WIDOWS' FUND.

To the Editor of the Evangelical Magazine.

SIR,

W

Devizes, April 12, 1798. E are defired by an affociation of Minifters, held this day at the Rev. Robert Sloper's place, to reprefent through your Magazine, to Evangelical Diffenters in gene- ral, and Minifters in particular, that the letter of Benevolus in your Magazine of October laft, has been the occafion of exciting farther thoughts for the relief of Minifters' widows. And we would hereby fincerely and earneftly recommend to the general attention a cafe of fuch magnitude and confequence to the relief of their minds who labour in word or doctrine; fo that they may purfue their work with less anxiety refpecting the fupport of the families they may leave behind them. We beg leave to add, that this affociated body prefs on other fimilar affociated bodies, that they would converfe much on the subject with their people and other benevolent perfons, from whom very much of the affiftance muft of course be expected. We are,

In the name and behalf of our Brethren,.

SIR,

Your very humble Servants,

JOHN WINTER, of Newbury, Berks.
JOHN HEY, Briftol.

WILLIAM DUNN, Bradford, Wilts.
ROBERT SLOPER, Devizes, Wilts.
JOHN JONES, Plymouth-Dock.

* Many other pieces on the fame fubject have been received, and are forwarded to Benevolus, who is endeavouring to digeft and bring forward a definitive plan to lay before the Public. [Editor.]

ANECDOTES.

A

"HONETY IS THE BEST POLICY."

Minifter of the Gospel fome weeks ago preaching upon the evidences of grace, among other things ftated that an holy courage and conftancy in the caufe of God was an indubitable mark of the reality of divine grace in the heart. This he clearly demonftrated in the examples of Jofeph and Caleb, of Shedrach, Meshach, and Abednego,

and

and of Peter and John before the Jewish Sanhedrim, A&ts, iv. 19. When animadverting on the laft mentioned instance, he added, this fcripture brings to my remembrance a circumftance which occurred feveral years ago in a place where I was preaching; seeing a person fitting in the front gallery, apparently much affected under the word, he attracted my attention, and the rather as he had a bishop's livery on. After fervice I mentioned the circumstance to one of the friends, who faid, "Sir, if you knew the man's real character, your heart would be much united to him." Some little time after the opening of our chapel, he came one Lord's-day evening with a view to ridicule the preacher, but it pleafed the Lord to fet home the word with a faving power on his heart, and, "He who came to scoff, returned to pray." The change wrought in him was too confpicuous not to be noticed, and a perfon with officious forwardnefs told the circumftance to his mafter. On this his Lordship took him to talk for attending a Methodist meeting, and told him he muft quit his fervice if he did not defift from going there; adding, you have a family, and if I difmifs you, no gentleman in the neighbourhood will employ you. confider this, and give me your anfwer in a fortnight. The fervant then addreffed his Lordship with a refpectful acknowledgment of his great kindneffes, admitting that if he was turned away it would be a great affliction; but added, "I am now, my Lord, as well prepared to give you an anfwer as I thall be feven years hence; for when it pleased God to affect my heart under the preaching, I expected it would reach your ears, and that I fhould be called to an account for my attendance at the chapel. I therefore prayed to the Lord that I might have an answer to give, and this fcripture came to my mind, which is the only anfwer I can give your Lordship, "Whether it be right in the fight of

God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye?" Struck with the honeft fimplicity of the man, his master replied, "and do you make me the judge in this matter?" He answered, "Yes, my Lord." Then faid his Lordship, "go and discharge your duty to your confcience, and you fhall continue in my fervice."

The finner's chief inducement to genuine repentance is a perfuafion that God is not inexorable, but that there is forgiveness with him through Jefus Chrift. This may be illuftrated by a remarkable anecdete refpecting the Tufcu

lani, a people of Italy. Having offended the Romans, whose power was infinitely fuperior to theirs, Camillus, at the head of a confiderable army, was on his march to fubdue them. Confcious of their inability to cope with fuch an enemy, they took the following method to appease him. They declined all thoughts of refiftance, fet open their gates, and every man applied himself to his proper business, refolving to fubmit, where they knew it was in vain to contend.

Camillus entering their city, was ftruck with the wisdom and candour of their conduct, and addressed himself to them in thefe words: "You only of all people have found out the true method of abating the Roman fury, and your fubmiffion has proved your beft defence. Upon these terms we can no more find in our hearts to injure you, than, upon other terms, you could have found power to oppofe us.'

The Chief Magiftrate replied, "We have fo fincerely repented of our former folly, that in confidence of that fatisfaction to a generous enemy, we are not afraid to acknowledge our fault."

SELECT SENTENCES.

OD loves without paffion; is angry without perturbance, and that repents without change.

In God, time hath no fucceffion; that which is past is not gone, and that which is future is not to come.

To reject what we cannot comprehend, is not only to fin against faith, but against reafon, which acknowledges itself finite and unable to search out the Almighty to perfection. We are exalted not only above Adam in Paradise, but above angels; their King is our elder Brother.

He that hath loved his people fo as to unite them to Chrift when they were ftrangers, will he hate them when they are his members?

There is a greater diftance from death to life, than from life to action.

The Holy of Holies was crucified between two thieves. To pretend juftification by the works of the law, is as unreasonable as for a man to produce in court the bond which obliges him to his creditor as a teftimony that he owes him nothing.

Death is an enemy that threatens none whom it doth not strike.

VOL. VI.

Ff

RELIGIOUS

RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE.

LONDON MISSIONARY SOCIETY.

[ERRATUM. It was NOT Dr. Coke, who preached at Surry Chapel the fame evening that Mr. Hill preached in the City Road Chapel, as mentioned in many copies of our laft. We were led into the mistake by a perfon then prefent, and corrected it in the remaining imprefiions fo foon as it was discovered.]

ANNUAL MEETING.

IN our laft we announced the appointment of the Preachers to be engaged at the enfuing Meeting. We have now to add, that the following is the order in which the fervices are to be conducted:

On Tuesday the 8th instant, a Special Meeting of the Directors will be held at four o'clock at Haberdafher's Hall."

On Wednesday morning, the 9th, a Sermon will be preached before the Society at Surry Chapel, by the Rev. Mr. COCKIN; fervice to begin at half past ten. At three o'clock a General Meeting of the Soctety will be held at the Scot's Hall, Crane Court, Fleet-ftreet; and in the evening, at fix, the Rev. Mr. BREWER will preach at the Tabernacle.

On Thursday morning, at eleven, the Society will meet again at the Scots' Hall; and in the evening, at fix, the Rev. Mr. BALFOUR, will preach at Tottenham Court Chapel.

On Friday morning, at half past ten, the Rev. Mr. WEST will preach at Spitalfields Church.

N. B. We are authorized to state, that the annual accounts of this Society will, as ufual, be balanced on the 21ft of next month, it is requested, therefore, that fuch contributions as are defigned to be inserted in the list of the year, which terminates on that day, may be forwarded to Mr. Hardcattle, Treasurer, No. 8, Duck's-foot-lane, as much before it as poffible. May 1, 1798.

AMERICAN MISSIONARY INTELLIGENCE.

Extracted from the New York Spe&ator, of Saturday Feb. 24, 1798. THE Northern Miffionary Society, in the ftate of New York, met on Thursday laft in the town of Troy, and was opened with a fermon by the Rev. Alex. Proudfit, from Mark xvi. 15. "Preach ye the gofpel to every

ereature."

From the reports of the different departments, the Society had the pleafing fatisfaction to find, that fince their laft meeting their number was confiderably increased; their funds augmented; and their profpects highly flattering, that they will foon have a permanent foundation laid for fending Miffionaries amongst the heathen; and of refcuing the wretched inhabitants on our Western frontiers from barbarity, ignorance, and delufion, and leading them to civilization, fcience, and religion, by the glorious light of the gospel of Chrift.

The Society received a confiderable addition, during their fitting, from different denominations of Chriftians, all of whom appeared cordially engaged in promoting the great objects for which it was inftituted.

In order to folicit the divine co-operation and bleffing, they appointed the fourth Thursday of April next to be observed as a day of fafting, hu miliation and prayer by the Members of the Society, that they may unite in fupplicating the God of heaven to raife up Miffionaries, and furnish them for the arduous work; to pour out his holy Spirit in copious effufions upon

them,