dren, by the name of the Proteftant Union. The particulars of which we fhall foon lay before our Readers, together with the names of the FrufMr. Preston, of Miles's-lane, is appointed Treasurer, and the Rev Mr. Platt, of Holywell Mount, Secretary.

tees.

KENT ASSOCIATION.

ON the 4th of July, the Kentish Independant Minifters, held their Annual Affociation at Mr. Parnel's Meeting, at Canterbury; and at the new chapel in Watling. ftreet, under the patronage of the late Counters of Huntingdon. Mr. Pricftly, of Deal, preached the preceding evening, from 1 Cor. iii. 7.; Mr. Slatterie, of Chatham, the next morning, from Ecc. ix. 1o. on the fubject of improving the time: After morning fervice, the Minifters and Members of the Churches and Chriftian Societies, who chofe, joined in the commemoration of the Lord's Supper. In the evening, Mr. Beaufoy of Town Sutton, preached from Matt, xxv. 46, laft claufe. On the bleffednefs of the future ftate. Different minifters engaged in prayer, and giving out the hymns. In the evening, the affu. ciated minifters and brethren, &c. attended Mr. Cooper, who delivered a Sermon out of doors in the Friars, to about 1000 people, from Pf. ii. 12, Severa! more minifters attended than for two or three preceding years, and the bufinefs and fervices of the day, were conducted with mutual love and harmony with an increafe of brotherly love and union; with renewed purpofe to diffufe the Gofpel of Chrift in their respective circuits, and with evident tokens of the divine favour and approbation. The minifters of the affociation, voted their thanks to Mr. Leggett, for the publication of his Catechim on the Evidences of Chriftianity, adapted for the inftruction of young people, and agreed to recommend it to their respective congregations. The next affociation is to be held at Mr. Slatterie's great Meeting, Chatham: the Wednesday after the firft Sabbath, July, 1799.

DORSET ITINERANCY.

ON Wednesday July 11th, according to appointment, the Itinerant for this county from Hoxton Academy, having arrived at Dorchester, a few days before, feveral Minifters of the county and the committee from various churches aflembled at Mr. Underwood's Meeting. The fervice was began by Mr. Gambol; Mr. Sedcole, prayed; Mr. Denry, the Itinerant, addreffed the congregation from John i. 12, and Mr. Hopkins concluded.

Immediately after fervice, the Committee met and voted Geo. Kemp, Efq. their Treafurer, into the chair. The principle butinefs refpecting the Itinerancy being fettled, and his diftrict for the prefent appointed in the vicinity of Dorchefter, they adjourned.

Service recommenced at four o'clock, Mr. Bannister of Bristol, began with reading and prayer; Mr. Garteen took the interceffory prayer, and Dr. Duncan preached from John xx. & 21. Mr. Rogers concluded.

ORDINATION.

ON Monday, July 2, the Rev. Mr. Chamberlayne, and the Rev. Mr. John James, late students of the Countess of Huntingdon's College, Chefhunt, were ordained, at the Spa Fields Chapel, by the Rev. Mr. Piatt; Mr. Wearing; and Mr. Eyre. The account of their converfion, their religious views and experience, and their call to the miniftry, gave very great pleasure and fatisfaction to every serious person in the place.

CHAPELS

CHAPELS OPENED.

FOWEY CHAPEL IN CORNWALL.

WE prefume it will give the friends of religion great pleafure to hear, that the work of God begun at Fowey, by the inftrumentality of that dear fervant of God, the Rev. John Jefferson, now a Miffionary at Otaheite, has not suffered as was expected by his removal. Mr. Angear, of EastLooe, has fince preached to them occafionally with a confiderable degree of fuccefs, and they continue to increase. Mr. Marden, of Eaft Budleigh, in Devonshire, an itinerant minifter, has alfo frequently laboured among them, and by his difinterefted exertions in getting fubfcriptions, with what they could raise among themselves, and a debt of fifty pounds ftil! remaining, a neat and commodious chapel has been erected.

The above chapel was opened in a very folemn manner on the 23d of May laft. Mr. Marden, began the worship with reading the Scriptures. Mr. Cooper, of St. Columb, engaged in prayer. Mr. Paddon, of Truro, delivered a very impreffive difcoufe from Zech. iv. 9. Mr. Pomeroy, of St. Aurtle, concluded. In the evening, Mr. Pomeroy begun the worship with prayer. Mr. Cooper preached from Pf. lxxxvii. 2. Mr. Angear concluded. Mr. Paddon then baptized two children, and administered the Lord's Supper to near forty perions, who were enabled to rejoice in God their Saviour, and in the prospect of seeing still greater things than these.

ST. COLUMB's.

ON Sunday, June the 10th, a neat place of worship was opened at St. Columb's, Cornwall.

In the morning, the Reverend Mr. Paddon, of Truro, preached from 2 Chron. vi. 41. In the afternoon, Mr. Parfons, of Truro, from Ephef. vi. 24. And in the evening, Mr. Paddon, of Truro, from 1 Sam. vii. 12. "Ebenezer." The auditories were large and attentive, and it is hoped that good was done in the name of the Holy Child Jesus.

HYTHE,

HYTHE, is an extenfive village in the new Foreft, Hants. It stands in a pretty populous neighbourhood; but its inhabitants have long been neglected as to their spiritual and everlasting concerns; they have been as fheep wandering in the wilderness without a fhepherd, deftitute of any place or means of public inftruction. The parish church, is three or four miles off, and the nearest church two miles.

Some Christian friends, in Southampton, (which lies at three miles diftance across the water, and near twelve miles by land) were touched with compaffion at their state: And latt year, a house was opened for the worfhip of God. The Gofpel was preached. Litening congregations attended. Many of the inhabitants expreffed themselves pleased, that public worship was fet up, expreffed a delire of its continuance, and fome appeared deeply and hopefully affected with concern about their eternal state. Many circumftances concurred to prove the neceffity' of a larger and more convenient place to affemble in. A chapel has been erected by voInntary fubfcriptions. Its foundation was laid with prayer, and its topfone has been brought forth with praite. A fuitable minister has been 34

VOL. VI.

provided

provided for a year, and has begun his labours among the people; and all has been conducted hitherto, without any charge to them.

On Wednesday the 20th of June, the chapel was opened for public worthip. Mr. Kingsbury, of Southampton, began the fervice with reading the Scriptures, then gave a fhort introductory account of the defign of the meeting; of the fteps which had been pursued from the first; fome obfervations adapted to the bufinefs of the day; and recommended, place, people, and minifters to the care, bleffing, and prefence of the Lord of Zion. Mr. Chapman, Mr. Bromley, and Mr. Ramfden, who had spoke to the people from time to time, gave out the hymns. Mr. Bennett of Romfey, and Mr. Balfour of Glasgow, engaged in prayer. Mr. Bogue of Gofport, preached a Sermon well adapted to the occafion, from Pfalm Ixxii. 16. Mr. Cox of Fareham, concluded the whole service.

In the evening at fix, the people re-affembled, Mr. M'Gibbon prayed and read a paffage from the Scriptures; Mr. Steile of Winchetter, prefented fupplications and thanksgivings. Mr. J. Adams, of Salisbury, preached a fuitable difcourfe from John iii. 8. Mr. Lloyd, of Lymington, closed the facred business of the day. Numerous congregations attended, more than filled the place; and had reason to say, the Lord was there, and it is hoped that the Lord fhall count when he writeth up the "people, that this and that man was born there."

PARK CHAPEL.

ON Sunday, July 1ft, a very neat place of worship, called Park Chapel, about four miles on the road from Bury to Blackburn, was opened for religious ufes. In the morning, Mr. Blackburn, of Delph, began the fervice with prayer, and reading fuitable portions of Scripture; and Mr. Roby, of Manchefter, preached from Matt. xviii. 20. "When two or three are met together, &c." In the afternoon, Mr. Roby preached from Job xxv. 4, and Mr. Blackburn, from 1 Cor. iii. 11.

Before the erection of this building, a fmall handful of people had affembled at Holcome Chapel, about a mile and a half distant from the prefent. The chapel was in a ruinous condition; and, what was worse, the Gofpel was either not faithfully preached in it, or but little bleft, till it pleafed God, a year or two ago, to fend Mr. Holmes among them; his activity and diligence has been very acceptable and fuccessful. In confe quence of this, lome respectable Diffenters in the neighbourhood propofed to unite with the old congregation, and, by their liberality and influence principally, the prefent commodious chapel is erected in the centre of a populous neighbourhood, deftitute of any other place of worship. In the morning of the day on which it was opened, the chapel was much crouded: and in the afternoon, one half of the congregation could not prefs in. The Service was therefore conducted with inuch feriousness and decorum, in the open air,

CHARLESWORTH.

ON Wednesday, July 18th, the new Chapel at Charlesworth, in Derbyfhite, was opened. Mr. Sutcliffe, of Chapel en le Frith, preached in the morning from Luke x. 5. “Peace be to this house.” And Mr. Blackburn, of Delph, from Pf. xlviii. 9. "We have thought of thy loving "kindness, O God, in the midst of thy temple." In the afternoon, Mr. Smith, of Manchester, preached from 1 John iv. 11. "Beloved, if God fo "loved us, we ought to love one another."

The

The Gospel had been preached in its purity, and with confiderable fuc cess, at the old chapel, for a great length of time; but its decayed state rendered it neceffary to take it down. To accommodate a ftated congre gation of near eight hundred people, a new and very neat Chapel is erected on the fame pot. At the opening, there was a crouded auditory on both parts of the day. We hope the pleasure then felt will be frequently renewed in the experience of the ftated worshippers, and that the glory of this latter house will be greater than of the former.

DISTRIBUTION OF PROFITS.

ON Tuesday, July 3, a meeting of Trustees, was held for the distribu tion of the profits of this Magazine, when the following cafes, being properly recommended, were attended to and relieved.

ON February 24, at Plymouth Dock, died, Mr. John Mitchell, who for 30 years had been a follower of the Lord in the regeneration; and there was much of divine love manifested in his latt illness and dying mo

ments.

He was by nature of a weak and delicate conftitution, which, added to an aithma, mightily oppreffed him. It might with much greater truth be faid of him than of a Philofopher well known in the republic of letters, that he poffeffed a capacious mind, with a flender transparent body;" for the one was all fubftance, the other mere fhadow,

About seven weeks preceding his death, the languot and debility of a wern cut conftitution, manifefted that the tottering tenement was at length about to fall. And then it was that the divine life, which for many years 3 A 2

had

had been thining with frequent manifeftations of occafional brightness, burft forth with a fplendor of glory seldom obferved in thefe latter ages of the church. To enumerate the gracious expressions which dropped from his lips, even but a fingle day in this illness, would much exceed the limits to be observed in an Obituary. They were indeed uninterrupted during his waking hours, and like the lips of the spouse in the Canticles, dropped as the honeycomb. His whole converfation was of the sweetness, the certainty, and the personal affurance of redeeming love. "I have been view. ing (aid he one day to a friend that came to fee him,) I have been viewing the everlasting covenant, and how gloriously that covenant is fulfilled between the Father and the Son in redeeming his people; and I have been tracing my intereft in it, and I know that my Redeemer liveth, &c. bleffed be his lovely name!" Upon another occafion he expreffed himself, "I am just going over Jordan, but I fee the land of promife, and it is indeed a rich, and a good land. I am going to my precious Chrift! but a few conflicts more, and all ftrife fhall end for ever! What fhall I do, when I fee my dear precious Chrift?" and immediately added, (putting his hands before his face) "I will proftrate myself at his footstool, and lay worthy is the Lamb that was flain, &c." He lay at one time after having quite exhaufted himself with talking of the precioufnefs of the Saviour, quiet as though afleep, and then fuddenly exclaimed, "Huzza! huzza! victory for ever in the blood of the Lamb.". -The enemy did not however leave him altogether free from his buffetings. He fpoke of them occafionally. But for the most part, the Lord wonderfully comforted his fervant, and gave him to triumph in the perfect affurance of falvation,

The churches of the faithful in the neighbourhood of Plymouth and Dock, were much refreshed in suitable improvements of this Providence, and in the rehearsal of the Lord's gracious dealings with his fervant, from the Evening Lecture of the Rev. Dr. Hawker, in his church, on one Lord's Day, and the Sermon of the Rev. Mr. Jones, in his meeting, on the following. And we mention thefe circumstances, rather as a pleafing proof of the effects of vital godliness, which cannot but unite in one, all the real followers of the Lord Jetus Chrift. And we confider it a happy prefage of the promised period, when Ephraim fall not envy Judah, and Judah fhall not vex Ephraim. May the Lord bring again that happy feafon with increafed fulness, when the churches fball bave reft throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria: and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghoff, may be multiplied.

MISS ESTHER SYMONDS.

[A LETTER FROM HER SISTER.]

MY dear fifter, previous to her illness, was indulged in a remarkable manner with the miles of her heavenly Father; her confolations were very great, and expressed to me and a younger fifter, with a degree of rapture. She faid, the thould be loth to change fituations with any one on earth, She frequently, mentioned a variety of Scriptures, that feemed to indicare to her a long and extraordinary affliction; but faid, her defire was to be paffive, and refigned to the Lord's will.

1. After the great change had paffed upon her mind by converting grace, her foul was taken up in the contemplation of the eternal ftate; and fpiritual fubjects were the only things the feemed engaged in. The greatest part of her time was devoted to the Lord in fecret; the evidently appeared to live entirely above the world, and feldom even fjoke on temporal

things,