pleafing fpeaker. Thus a favourable opportunity for fpiritual improvement was interrupted, if not loft, and a good man devoted to usefulness, robbed of his peace by one who from fympathy of office, thould have been watchful for its fecurity. Although I hope this evil fpirit does not often appear in fuch dark features as are here delineated, its baneful influence, in lighter fhades, must be felt by the timid, muft be deplored by all who are governed by the tempers of Jefus. Sometimes. Mr. Editor, I attempt to speak in public: and, either from a fenfe of my mental poverty, or the proud fear of thofe who bear the veffels of the Lord with a ftronger, fteadier band than myfelf, I have been frequently rendered incapable of proceeding in their prefence with compofure; and when I have obferved indications of diffatisfaction, it has been very difficult, from the confufion and diftrefs they have occationed, to proceed with any degree of pleafure to the people. For ignorance and rudeness in the pulpit, I could no more offer apologies, than for an unfriendly, trifling difpofition in the pew. But fhould a breach of grammar, a mifplaced fentence, or an unguarded expreffion be followed with contemptuous fincers, and be made the fubjects of fport in private ?" Does it comport with the facred office of a preacher to provide tales relating to thefe things for the laughter of a tea-table? Shall they banish the divine Spirit that ought to pervade focial intercourfe, and provide nourishment, as is too often the cafe, for the prejudices of the gay and diffipated ? Students of divinity ought particularly to beware of the evils in themselves, they have fo much reafon to deprecate in others; and by cultivating their oppofite virtues, render themfelves worthy of the friendly tenderness they fo fenfibly need. He who does not hear his brethren with devotion and fympathy feems to forget that he is a fallible man, and liable to innumerable imperfections which require the mercy of heaven, and the forbearance of earth. He betrays fuch an inordinate opinion of his own import ance, and fuch want of candour to others, as may caute us to fear him; but on account of which, however great his abilities, we cannot love him. He gives occafion for the fneers and ridicule of thofe who are without, he violates that great command, “as ye would that men fhould do to you, do ye even fo to them," and he exhibits the reverse of esteems ing others in love better than himself. Such preachers as are too great, or too wife, to attend the miniftry of their brethren in the character of learners, re- VOL. VI. 3 M flect upon the wifdom of Providence in the variety of gifts which prevail in the church, they betray an ungrateful power of mind with regard to fuperior opportunities and qualifications. and they prefent an example to the laity, which, in proportion as it is followed, muit obftruct their fuccefs and destroy their own comfort. A ininifter of the gofpel, who poffeffes genuine learning and tafte in a fuperior degree, and who lives in a ftate of in imacy with the Lord Jefus, will imbibe and evidence his compaffionate, generous, and lowly difpofitions; he will not break the bruifed reed, nor quench the fmoaking flax, nor despise the joy of fmall things. His ambition and his glory is to be gentle among his fellow labourers, even as a nurle cherifleth her children. OBSERVATOR. REMARKS ON PROV. v. II. HE common tranflation renders it thus: "And thou THE mourn at the laft, when thy flesh and thy body are confumed." 1. The word "mourn," is too fecble to exprefs the idea contained in the original word Naham []. The Holy Spirit ufes this term for the rearing of lions, Ifai. v. 29. Prov. xxviii. 15. And even to express the roaring of the fea. Ifai. v. 30. The LXX probably read Nacham [E] to repent, and therefore have rendered it by μeraso, which is the word ufed for the defperate repentance of Judas, Mat. xxvii. 3. Note, there are two Greek words ufed for repentance, [urahua and Tavo] the former ignifying better remorfe for a criminal action committed, and the latter, a change of mind. 2. "And thy body." This fubitantive expreffes too much. Sheer [] is put for a remnant-part-the remains -in four fucceeding verfes. Ifai. x. 19, 20, 21, 22.-for the refidue, Nehem. xi. 20. And here it denotes the withered remains of the debauchee. 3. Are confumed." This is neither ftrictly true nor agreeable to the original Bichelath []. They are not yet actually confumed, but only confuming; for in the next verfe he is reprefented fpeaking. Perhaps the whole verfe may be more properly translated thus: "Lett thou roar when thine end thall approach: when thy fleth and thy remains are confuming.*" See the very elegant tranflation of the Book of Proverbs, by Dr. Hodgson, of Oxford, 4to, 1788. An exquifite feaft for a claffical taste. Let Let the young perfons into whofe hands this may fall, paufe a while to take a view of this miferable young man. His body confuming! his mind in extreme torture! How horrible the fituation to which he is reduced by the corrup tion that is in the world through luft! Separated, as it were, from human fociety, he roars now like a lion-he raves like a foaming fea, cafting up mire and dirt. How bitterly does he bewait the confequence of indulging the impetuocity of unlawful defires, and well he might bewail it in tears of blood. Alas! How many does Satan allure by a profpect of fleshly pleasure into a state of the most wretched pain and anguifh ! Who would not rather fear thee, O king of nations? Thy ways are ways of pleafantness and peace. To have the pangs of a guilty confcience-keen reflections that pierce the foul with many forrows-the terror and dread of an Almighty incenfed Judge, and the melancholy profpect of an awful eternity; this, my dear, young friends, this is the heritage of unclean finners. Have you launched out into the world in full fail, wafted by all the lively vigour of youthful blood and fpirits? O beware of thofe ftrange women," against whom Solomon, in his wifdom, gives you fo many falutary cautions. Pray without ceafing to the Spirit of Holinefs, that he may preferve you from all filtinefs of fleth and fpirit; and evermore remember that the Lord Jefus requires watchfulnefs and prayer united."Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. Avoid it, pafs not by it, turn from it, and pafs away." Jofeph's victory is obtained by flight. Who in his fenfes would exchange health of body, peace of mind, a happy enjoyment of his own existence and a profpect of a bleffed immortality, for the difeafe and pain and fhame, for the bitter convulfive agonies, for the horrors and terrors of mind that refult from finning against God by indulging a corrupted appetite? Sinners are called fools all through the book of Proverbs; and they only who fear God and keep his commandments, are denominated wife men.* *Dr. Watts's Hymn against Lewdnefs, deferves a place in the memory of every young perion in the world. See his Mifcellaneous Thoughts, No. XXXV. Auguft 7, 1798. Stratford. W. N. 3 M 2 ON ON THE OBSERVANCE OF THE SABBATH. For a Day in thy Courts is better than a Thousand.”Pfalm. Ixxxiv. 10. Ο Fall the inftances of Almighty Love which fwell the heart, and attune the tongue of the real chriftian, there are few that call more loudly for his gratitude than the divine appointment of one day in feven on which he can retire from the bufy fcenes of life, in which the fupport of a feeble body obliges him to engage, and enter into the facred temple; and into the more immediate prefence of Him" whofe loving kindness is better than life" itfelf. In the common intercourfe of civil fociety, he is often under the painful neceffity of mingling with thofe who love not his God, who are ftrangers to the refined delights of religion, and feel no defire after the enjoyments of that country for which he pants, and towards which he is conftantly advancing. With what rapture then ought he to behold the dawn of that bleffed day which gives him an opportunity of withdrawing from fuch connexions, and fpending his time in fweet communion with the God who is, indeed, (to ufe the animated language of a poet, whofe memory will ever be dear to the chriftian world) "The fource of ail his joys, WATTS. Now he finds in the houfe of the Moft High an anticipation of thofe fublime delights which he trufts he shall enter into the full enjoyment of, when the fream of time fhall have conveyed him into the boundiefs ocean of eternity: and, while every faculty of his foul is employed in contemplating the wonders of redeeming love, its tumultuous paffions are hufhed into filence, and tranquillity; and he enjoys in a copious meafure that peace to which the breaft of the worldling is a total ftranger. He ferves not his God with the fear of a flave, but he bows before him with the reverential love of a dutiful child, to the beft of fathers; and therefore he feels the truth of the affertion that the fervice of the Lord is perfect freedom. And can it be that any who profefs to be difciples of the bletfed Jefus, can voluntarily content to lofe any part of this joyful day? Will they not think that perfon one of their worst enemies who would rob them even of one thefe blits ful ful hours? Thus, indeed, fhould we conclude, if fad experience did not teach us that fuch conclufion would, in too many inftances, be wrong. When we take a view, on the morning of the fabbath, of many places of public worship, both in the establishment, and out of it, does not truth oblige us to fay that the thinness of the congregations indicates a fpirit very different from that of the pious Pfalmift, when he cried out" my foul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord?" How is it that fo many feats are to be feen vacant, fo many whole pews empty on that part of the day, when the body, after the refrething repofe of the night, is certainly belt fitted for action, and the powers of the mind moft in frame for the lively exercises of devotion; and when the protection which we have received during the filent hours of darknefs ought to inspire, our hearts with gratitude and our lips with praife? My fellow chriftian, my brother, my fifter in the gofpcl, let me call upon you to be careful that you are never, in future, chargeable with fuch blameable negligence: be it your study to improve every moment of the fabbath, which, for ought you can tell, may be your laft, to the glory of your God, and the benefit of your immortal foul. While numbers pervert this facred feafon to the indulgence of the moft criminal indolence, may you be enabled early in the morning to direct your prayer unto God for a blefling upon yourfelf and friends; and for divine aid, and fupport for the paftor whom Providence has placed over you: then, fummoning your children, or families together, chearfully fay to them, "Come and let us go up unto the houfe of the Lord;" fo fhall your fouls be fweetly prepared to praife and magnify his name; to fupplicate his mercy, and attend with ferioufnefs to his word. And you will prove to all that you are not among the unhappy number who give fad evidence that they love their bodies more than their fouls; but they would do well to think before it is too late, whether the excufes with which they pacify their coníciences now, will ftand them in ftead when they appear at a future day before the tribunal of a righteous Judge. O Thou who art the Shepherd of thy people, and the delight of all who truft in thee, vouchfafe to liften to the fupplication of the unworthiett of all thy fervants. Arife, O thou Sun of righteoufnefs! Arife, and thine upon thy church, and melt into love the fupine and lukewarm affec, tions which thy people have too much caufe to lament. Haften, O Lord the happy time, when the mountain of thine |