thine houfe fhall be eftablished upon the top of the mountains, and all nations fhall flow unto it. Then fhall the morning of thy day behold thy worshippers flying to thine houfe as doves to their windows, entering thy gates with thanksgiving, and thy courts with praife; and anticipating with rapturous exultation the dawning of that eternal fabbath when they fhall have an abundant entrance into thy kingdom above, and join the angelic hosts in afcribing glory, and honor, dominion, and power to God and to the Lamb, for ever and ever. Amen.

Sandwich.

"We would fee Jefus." John xii. 21.

[A FRAGMENT.]

E. T.

WOULD fee Jefus in profperity that her facinating light, may not lead me to a dreadful precipice; but that his good Spirit may whilper to my heart the noble inducements chriftians have to devife liberal things; that I may ever be faying, "What am I, O Lord, that thou fhouldeft put it into my heart to do these things, when the earth is thine and the fulness thereof? It is but thine own which I return unto thee."

I would fee Jefus in adverfity, because he is a friend born for fuch a state; becaufe when all the fallacious props of happiness give way, his fingle name alone fupports the building. I would fec Jefus in adverfity, that I might order my caufe before him, for he has all power in heaven and on earth, and eafly can arrange future events, fo as to throw luftre on the darkeft circumstances.

I would fee Jefus in health, that I may turn at his gentleft reproof; that I may not be full and forget God, but be devoted body as well as foul, to his praife..

I would fee Jefus in fickness, because he healeth all my difeafes; he alone difpenfes the balm of Gilead, he alone is the phyfician there.

I would fee Jefus in ordinances; for what are ordinances, deftitute of him? As the body without the fpirit is dead, fo are ordinances without Chrift. He fhews himself through the lattices, he appears in his beauty, he is as the dew unto Ifrael, as the fhadow of a great rock in a weary land: his people fit under its fhade with great delight; his fruit is pleasant to their tafte. They fay continually in ordinances, Make hafte, O my beloved, be thou like a young hart upon the mountains."

I would

I would fee Jefus in focial intercourfe.-For what are the sharms of friendship? What the refinements of tafte? What the pleafures of converfation? Are they not all unfatisfying, and delufive, unicfs fanctified by the grace of this Re deemer?

I would fee Jefus in my own heart, as Lord of its affections, of its purposes, of its pleasures-as the grand mover of its hopes, and fears, the author of its exiftence and happinefs.

"Fear

I would fee Jefus in death, as the Sun of Righteoufnefs whofe beams in the darkeft moment can fpread light, and healing. I would listen to his voice faying, " To him that overcometh will I give to cat of the tree of life." not, I have the keys of hell, and of death." Arife, O thou wearied follower of thy crucified Lord, and enter into thy rest.

I would fee Jefus in glory, for what is heaven itself without him? But when we fhall fee him as he is, then fhall we be like him, and be for ever happy in his prefence.

DR

ANECDOTES.

DR. GUISE.

J. R.

R. G. loft his eye-fight in the pulpit during the prayer before fermon, and was thereby incapacitated from making ufe of his notes. After fervice, as he was led out bitterly bewailing his lofs, a good old lady over-hearing him, cried, "God be praifed your fight is gone: I never heard you preach fuch a fermon in my life.--I with the Lord had taken it away 20 years ago!" Thus the Lord often makes the deprivation of our perfonal comforts advantageous to our fellow chriftians.

DR. GILL.

This learned divine once preaching on human inability, a gentleman prefent was much offended, and took him to talk for degrading human nature. "Pray, Sir, faid the Doctor, what do you think men can contribute to their own converfion "He enumerated a variety of particulars. "And have you done all this?" faid the Doctor. "Why no, I can't fav I have yet; but I hope I fhall begin foon."." If you have thefe things in your power, and have not done them, you deferve to be doubly damned, and are but ill qualified to be an advocate for free-will which has done you, fo little good." RELIGIOUS

אן

RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE.

IRISH MISSIONARY SOCIETY.

the melancholy and diftreffed fate of our Sifter Kingdom, it must give much pleasure to the fincere friends of the Gospel, to find a miffionary fpirit kindling in that country, which appears in the following extrac from a letter of the Rev. G. Hamilton, to the Secretary of the Miffonary Society.

DEAR SIR,

Armagh, Sept. 3, 1798.

I HAVE the pleasure to inform you, that four Gofpel Minifters have united with us, in calling a Meeting of Evangelical Ministers and private Christians, to be held at this place, on the 10th of next month; October, in order to form a fociety for the propagation of the gofpel, both at home

and abroad.

A fhort addrefs, expreffive of our design, has been prepared, and is now extenfively circulated among Evangelica! Minifters, and lay brethren of all denominations, who are zealous for the truth, and the enlargement of the Redeemer's kingdom in the world.-I have taken the liberty to mention this delign with a view of engaging the prayers of our dear friends in London. Your's lec.

GEORGE HAMILTON.

UNION OF INDEPENDANT AND BAPTIST MINISTERS, IN THE WESTERN DIVISON OF KENT.

ON Tuesday the 17th of July, 1798, a Meeting was held at Maidstone, at which the following Refolutions were unanimoufly agreed to.

I. We consider it to be of great importance for Minifters of the Gospel to extend their labours, as much as poffible, to the towns and villages, where the diffinguishing truths of Chriftianity appear not to be preached: and in which the inhabitants in general, seem to be ignorant of them.

II. We who are here prefent, being the Ministers of feveral Churches in the western part of Kent, profeffing and maintaining the important doctrines, of three equal perfons in the divine effence; eternal and perfonal election to grace here, and to glory hereafter; the univerfal guilt, and total depravity of all mankind; particular redemption by Jefus Chrift; free juftification by his imputed righteouinefs alone; efficacious grace in rege neration, fan&tification, and perfeverance to eternal life; do hereby engage to unite for mutual affittance, and joint exertion, in the spread of the goipel, in the vicinity of our refpective churches, and in the intermediate towns and villages more diftant, according to our abilities, and opportunities.

The other Refolutions, which for brevity we omit, related chilly to the formation of a fund for the fupport of this defign, the appointment of general half-yearly meetings, the nomination of officers, &c.

Mr. John Beeching, of Maidstone, was appointed Treafurer, and the Rev. John Stanger, of Betlei's Green, Secretary.

and

Ar this Meeting, feveral of the brethren were engaged in prayer, Mr. Jofeph Satterie, of Chatham, preached in the evening, from Dine xii. 66 4. Many fhall run to and fro, and knowledge fhall be increated."

The next Meeting is to be held on Tuesday the 23d of October, at two 'clock in the afternoon, at Mr. Ralph's Meeting, Maidstone, and a Sermon is to be preached in the Evening, by Mr. J. Stanger.

ASSOCIATION OF MINISTERS IN LANCASHIRE, CHESHIRE, AND DERBYSHIRE

ON Wednesday, Aug. 22d, feveral Diffenting Minifters, of the Independent Denomination, refiding in the contiguous parts of LANCASHIRE, CHESHIRE, and DERBYSHIRE, met at Tintwifle, and formed themselves into an Affociation, when the following, among other refolutions, were unanimoufly paffed.

That an affociation be formed for the purpofe of promoting a moře friendly intercourse among ministers, and christian brethren, and of confulting together for the wider extenon of the gofpel:That, for this purpofe, the Minifters, who form this Affociation, meet on the morning of the third Wednesday of every fecond Month, at the Chapels of the affociate Minifters, fucceffively.

That two of the Minifters affociated, fhall be appointed to preach in rotation at each Meeting: That after fervice, the Minifters fhall enter into conversation on the State of Religion in their respective congregations, and neighbourhood; and on such subjects, as may tend to accelerate their general defign-That, at all fuch Meetings, the Minifter of the place hall be the Chairman for the day:That the Meetings fhall be open to those of our Brethren who may be inclined occafionally to attend.

That if this Affociation fhould hereafter be so far extended as to render it inconvenient for all the Minifters to meet together, it shall then, by confent of the majority, be divided into Districts, and a general annual meeting fhall be held at the moft central place.

That, agreeably to the principles of an Independent Church, this Affociation fhall not, on any account, or in any respect, interfere with the private concerns of any of the churches ar congregations with which the Minif ters are individually connected.

The following Minifters compofe, the above Affociation: Meffrs. Angle. zark, Batley, Blackburn, Coles, Ely, Holmes, Hudson, Meldrum, Roby, -Smith, Sutcliffe, Whitehead.

DORSET ASSOCIATION.

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 12, the Minifters belonging to this Affociation, held their half yearly Meeting at Beminfter. The Rev. Mr. Cracknell, of Wareham, preached in the morning from John vii. 45. Of a truth, this is the Prophet. In the evening, the Rev. Mr. Gurteen, of Blandford, Dan. v. 27. Tekel, thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting. In the afternoon, the Rev. Mr. Davis, of London, addreffed the congregation, from I Cor. i. 18. The preaching of the cross is, to them that perish, foolishnefs. While the Minifters belonging to the Affociation were met to deliberate on the bofinefs of an Itinerant for the County, the Rev. Mr. Denny, who, for the two laft months had laboured in that capacity, in the vicinity of Maiden Newton, gave a pleafing account of the number of hearers, their difpofition to attend, the peaceableness and good order manifested in the feveral places, fome inftances of oppofition defeated, providential appearances in providing places to affemble in, hopeful impreffions made on fouls, and the respectful and affectionate attachment of the feveral congregations to himself. More than 8co perfons in the feveral villages of that neighbourhood, to whom, a few weeks ago, the Gospel of Chrift was, as truly "trange things," as to the Athenian Philofophers on Mars' Hill, (A&s xvii. 20) attend weekly on his preaching. He was unanimously cholen Itinerant for the county; and the affociated Minifters, viewing with thankfulness, this opened dour, as the Call of God, expreffed their united VOL. VI.

3 N

with,

with, that he continue in his prefent fphere, till fome warning voice in Providence remove him; or, the blefling of the Spirit on his labours, appoint his ftation among them, no longer an Itinerant, but a fettled Minifter. In the evening preceding, he preached from 2 Cor. xiii. 5. On the Thurfday evening the Rev. Mr Hyatt, la ely ordained at Mere, Wilts, preached from Heb. xi. 2. Locking unto Jefus.

The Rev. Meffrs. Wilkins, Salt:en, Sedcole, Morren, Harrington, Gambol, and Wheaton, engaged in the Work of Prayer.

The folemnities of the occanon left a pleating and ferious impreffion on many of the attendants.

SUFFOLK ASSOCIATION.

AT a meeting of Minifters and others, belonging to Congregations of Proteftant Diffenters in the County of Suffolk, held at Wrentham, July 24, 1798, the Rev. John Mead Ray, in the Chair,

Refolved, That it appears to this meeting, that to preach the gospel in villages and other places, where there is an opportunity of conveying religious inftruction, is an object defirable and important-That this meeting does earnestly recommend it to the diffenting minifters of the county of Suffolk and their respective congregations to exert themselves in endeavouring to carry the preceding refolution into effect-That letters be addreffed to every diffenting congregation, and to fuch individuals as may be -Hikely to co-operate with the object of this meeting, to request a retum of the ftate of religious information in the neighbourhood in which the facieties or individuals refide; and alfo to furnish a plan, of what mode may be beft adapted to their respective fituations-That the following gentlemen, Mr. J. B. Tailer, Woodbridge; Mr. W. Buck, Bury; Mr. S. Prentice, Bungay; Rev. J. M. Ray, Sudbury; Rev. E. Johns, Bary; Rev. S. Lowell, Woodbridge; Rev. H. W. Gardiner, Southwold; and Rev. C. Atkinson, Ipswich; be a committee to receive reports from the various congregations, and that the faid committee meet at the Angel, at Debethain, on Monday, September 24, at five o'clock in the afternoon, to form a plan for the confideration of a future general meeting. The Rev. C. Atkinfos, of Ipswich, was appointed Secretary.

EVANGELICAL ASSOCIATION, FOR NORTHUMBERLAND, &c.

AT the annual Baptift Affociation, held at Hamfterly, Durham, in Whitfunweek, Minifters of different denominations being prefent, one of them introduced the important fubject of village preaching, and after ma ture confideration, it was refolved to folicit a general meeting of minifters and others at Parkhead, Cumberland, the fecond Wednesday in Auguft. Accordingly on Wednesday morning, Auguft 8, 1798, they met at half past ten o'clock, in the meeting houte of the Rev. A. Carnfon, when Mr. Hill preached from Pfalm cxxii. 6. Mr. Whitefield preached from Luke xix. 41. and the fervice was concluded with finging and prayer.

The intention of the meeting having been fully explained, and the importance of fending a Miffionary through the aforefaid counties having been ftrongly urged, the following refolutions were agreed to:

Refolved, that this fociety fhall be called the Evangelical Affociation, for propagating the gofpel in the villages of Northumberland, Cumberland, Dur. ham, and Weltmoreland. That th ministers fhall recommend this fociety as public as they can, and fhall endeavour to obtain fubfcriptions, Loth in