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soul; and in the augmented ardour of zeal and affection in every part of your ministerial work, With great respect and affection, I am, reverend and dear Sir,

March 31, 1810.

very faithfully yours,

A. B.

THE UNION OF CHRISTIANS COMMENDED.

(Extract of a Letter from a Clergyman of the Established Church, to a Director of the Missionary Society.)

YOUR great object, The Evangelizing the Heathen, must commend itself to the zeal of every one whom the love of Christ constrains; and the comprehension of your plan perfectly accords with my sentiments. I rejoice to see the different denominations of Christians who hold the Head,' and agree in the essentials of our most holy faith, striving together for the propagation of it at home and abroad: and the more this Catholic spirit prevails, the more encouragement, I conceive, we shall have to trust that God will be with us of a truth. The peculiar blessing which has rested on the Bible Society, has, in this view, been to me very remarkable; and the effect of it, in drawing good men of different persuasions nearer together, have already been very apparent. Real Christians need only be brought into contact, to enable them to discover that they are all 'true men,' and members of the same household of faith; and uniformity of heart and affection, I am persuaded, is more attainable, and infinitely more important than uniformity of opinion respecting outward modes of worship.'

A CATHOLIC SPIRIT.

A SPIRIT of extended universal love to our brethren in Christ, notwithstanding some smaller distinctions, has succeeded to ancient severity and bigotry. Two Scottish Presbyterian ministers of the Secession, have lately written the lives of two ministers of the Church of England, and warmly recommended their writings. Jerment has written the Life of Archbishop Leighton, and Brown the Life of Hervey. The doctrines taught by the ministers of the Associate Synods in Scotland, are the same with those of Leighton and Hervey. This happy agreement with regard to the great articles of Christian faith, must always create esteem and affection. May they more and more prevail among the followers of the

Lord Jesus Christ!

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Evangelicana.

ANCIENT PENITENTIARY.

To the Editor.

Sir, Reading Dr. Edward Ryan's History of the Effects of Religion on Mankind, 3d edition, 1806, p. 269, I observe that, 500 years ago, attempts were made to prevent Prostitution; and that Institutions similar to the Foundling, Asylum, Magdalen, and Penitentiary, were instituted: the account gave me pleasure, and it seems to me suitable to your useful Publication. I am, Sir, your well wisher, AN ENQUIRER.

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A. D. 1300. Before the reign of Elizabeth, Queen of Portugal, the gospel produced its usual effects in that kingdom, but operated in an extraordinary manner during the reign of this princess, who was distinguished for piety, charity, and humility *, She was so thoroughly persuaded of the vanity of dress, and of the idle amusements of the great, that she employed the time and money commonly spent in that way, in acts of devotion and charity. She passed her time in reading devout books, in attending divine service, or in relieving the poor, especially such as had been reduced from affluence to poverty. She visited the sick, and served them, dressed their wounds, and placed indigent females under the direction of prudent and virtuous matrons. This Queen reclaimed several prostitutes, endowed a large house for the reception of penitents, established a royal foundation for foundlings, and possessed an extraordinary talent for reconciling differences and terminating suits.

* Mariana de Rebus Hisp. xv. 18, et John de Torres.

METEORIC STONES.

Mr. Editor, I DARE say many of your readers were not a little surprized at the relation of the Showers of Stones, inserted in your late Supplement; and some might be disposed to consider it as a mere fabulous account, especially as the facts are said to have happened at so great a distance. Your philosophical readers, however, cannot be sceptics in such matters. The following instance of a stone falling from the clouds, may, perhaps, satisfy the most incredulous, as having happened at home. On the 17th of May, 1806, as a friend of mine was travelling with his cart, a few miles from Basingstoke, he met a person who enquired of him, whether he had seen a stream of fire descend from the air, like what is called

Falling Star, there having been some thunder just before. My friend had not observed it; but, going on a little farther, he found a large ball or stone on the middle of the road, which he took up while it was yet hot, threw it into his cart, and brought it home. Its external appearance resembles a metallic substance, similar to those stones sometimes met with in fields, and denominated Thunder Stones. This ball weighs two pounds and a half; and is preserved for the inspection of the curious. The writer of this article is ia possession of several others of the same kind.

These stones, when analysed, are always found to contain the same principles, being composed of silex, magnesia, iron, nickel, and sulphur. The late Edward King, Esq. published Remarks concerning Stones, said to have fallen from the Clouds, both in these days and in ancient times.' There is a paper in the Gentleman's Magazine for 1796, p. 726, on Stones fallen from the Air, a Natural Phænomenon,' by Mr. Bingley. An ingenious Frenchman (Laplace) has given some reasons to shew the proba Lility of such stones being discharged from some of those great volcanoes

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which are clearly perceived in the moon.-Instead of giving those reason s to your readers, some of whom, perhaps, begin to show their wisdom by their smiles, I choose rather to conclude, and to subscribe myself,

Basingstoke. Jan. 18, 1810.

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Sir, yours respectfully,

THE BLACKSMITH REFUSED ORDERS.

J. JEFFERSON.

Mr. Editor, MANY of your readers were doubtless amused and pleased with the anecdote of the Reverend Blacksmith, in your late Number. As a counterpart to Archbishop Usher's leather-aproned candidate, and to prevent blacksmiths, and other mechanics, from applying for holy orders without nis qualifications for the work, I send two anecdotes of similar applications, which met with a difierent reception, the one having probably been borrowed from the other.

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J. J.

WHEN Dr. Andrews became Bishop of Winton, a distant relation, a blacksmith, applied to him to be made a gentleman, i. e. to be ordained, and provided with a good benefice. No, said the Bishop, you shall have the best forge in the county; but every man in his own order and station.` Bishop Horne's Essays and Thoughts on various Subjects.

‘I HAVE read a tale of Robert Grosthead, Bishop of Lincoln, that being come to his greatness, he had a brother who was a husbandman, and expected great matters from him in point of preferment: but the Bishop told him, That if he wanted money to mead his plow or his cart, or to buy tacklings for his horses, with other things belonging to his husbandry, he should not want what was fitting; but he wished him to aim no higher, for a husbandman he found him, and a husbandman he would leave him.' Howell's Letters, vol. 3, Letter 8.

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In the present eventful and awful period, the minds of many are distressed with fears respecting the safety, security, and peace of the Dis senting, Seceding, and Methodist Churches; but they are calmed and comforted by the declarations of some, that very lately our beloved Sovereign has declared,' He remembers his coronation oath; and will not break it, but keep inviolate the religious privileges of his people; and that he will reject all innovations.'

I hope the following extract from the sermon of the Bishop of Salisbury, on September 22, 1762, at the coronation of his present Majesty, in the Abbey Church of Westminster, will be pleasing, and show the coincidence of circumstances in the kind providence that has preserved our aged Monarch and his steady recollective mind to the present time, with firmness and integrity.

The Bishop concludes thus ;-- And what can be more becoming this great and solemn occasion, than to offer up the most fervent supplications with one mind to Heaven, that the Holy Spirit of that God in whose presence the King and People are preparing to declare their mutual engagements, may pour into their hearts a sincere zeal for each other's happiness, and unite them in the strictest bands of affection!-May the sacred oath which our Sovereign takes at the altar of the King of kings, ever recur to h's mind as the genuine intentions of his own heart! may the homage which we pay him in all truth and faithfulness, be bound upon our hearts and minds with the ties of duty, gratitude, and love! - and from us may unfeigned loyalty spread itself through all ranks, give a right temper to the conduct of all his subjects, and establish his kingdom.' W. T.

E e 2

Sir,

JUVENILE DEPARTMENT.

To the Editor.

The following Address from Dr. Mather's Essays to do Good, struck me as so beautiful and impressive when I lately read it, that I could not help wishing all your juvenile reader's might peruse it; and as Dr. Mather's volume, though cheap, is perhaps out of the reach of some, I shall feel obliged by the insertion of this short Extract. Yours, S.

Ir is the practice of some devout hearers of the word, when they have heard a sermon, to consider, What good thing have I now to ask of God with a peculiar importunity? They are also accustomed to call upon their children, and make them answer this question: Child, what blessing will you how ask of the glorious God?—after which, they charge them to go and do accordingly. In pursuance of this piety, why may not this be one of the exercises which shall conspire to form a good evening for the best of days? Let it be a part of our work on the Lord's, Day' evening, seriously to ask ourselves the following question: - If I should die this week, what have I left undone which I should then wish I had been more diligent in performing? My friend, place thyself in dying circumstances; apprehend and realize thy approaching dissolution. Suppose thy last solemn hour arrived; thy breath failing,thy theoat rattling, thy hands with a cold sweat upon them, only the turn of the tide expected for thy expiration;-in this condition, what wouldst thou wish to have done more than thou hast already done for thy own soul, for thy family, or for the people of God? Think upon this question, and do not forget the result of thy thoughts;-do not delay to perform what thou hast resolved upon. How much more agreeable and profitable would such an exercise be on the Lord's Day evenings, than those vanities to which that evening is too commonly prostituted, and by which all the good of the past day is defeated! and if such an exercise were often performed, O how much would it regulate our lives! how watchfully, how fruitfully would it cause us to live!-what an incredible number of good works would it produce in the world! Will you remember, Sirs, that every Christian is a temple of God? It would be of great service to Christianity, if this notion of its true nature were more frequently and clearly cultivated; but, certainly, there yet remains very much for every one of us to do, that the temple may be carried on to perfection; that it may be repaired, finished, purified, and the topstone of it laid with shoutings of Grace, Grace unto it!' As a branch of this piety, I will recommend a serious improvement of the various dispensations of Divine Providence, which we have occasion to notice. More particularly, have you received any special blessings and mercies from the hand of God?-you do not suitably express your thankfulness; you do not render again according to the benefit that is done unto you, unless you set yourself to consider, What shall I render unto the Lord? You should contrive some signal thing to be done on this occasion; - some service to the kingdom of God, either within yourself or among others, which may be a just acknowledgement. and memorial of what a gracious God has done for you. This is an action to which the goodness of God leadeth you ;-and I would ask, How can a good voyage or a good bargain be made, without some special returns of gratitude to God? I would have a portion of your property made a thank-offering, by being set apart for pious uses.”

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MR. CHRISTOPHER GABRIEL

Was born at Falmouth, in 1746, of pious parents. An account, left by himsel', states, That till he arrived at the age of 14, he remained in Nature's darkness; yet vainly thought that all was well; yea, so imperfect were his views, that, when in the commission of sin, he thought God looked on him with pleasure! After this he was tempted to believe there was no God; and that his parents only wished him to think so for the sake of discipline; and so strong was this delusion, that he was induced to imagine it was of no consequence what evil he committed; and that feigned sorrow would be sufficient to excuse him from the punishment due to his sin. Oh, what a monster of iniquity had I like to have been!' said he; and how great was that grace which still preserved me, while dead in trespasses and sins, amidst all the restraints of my dear parents, who guarded against every breach of the Sabbath, instructing me in the Assembly's Catechism, inducing me to read the Bible, and bend my knees before God in prayer; and also to attend public worship. Often would my dear mother take me aside, and converse with me on the Sabbath evening, weeping while she catechized me;' and he always acknowledged this as the foundation of his Christian knowledge.

He was put out apprentice in the same town; and then thought he would neglect the whole of the duties he had been taught to observe; but Conscience would not permit this altogether. About this time he used to go some miles from home, where he was employed with others; with some of whom he went to hear the Methodists; and the Lord, who was rich in mercy, led him to some private meetings for prayer, &c. on Sabbath evenings, among the Baptists; and there be dates his first abiding impressions. Being now alarmed, he was led to break of

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outward sins; and now the value of his immortal part, and the folly of neglecting its interests were perceived by him: but soon the enemy. appears to have persuaded him that a moral righteousness was sufficient; and he became a Pharisee. He attended the Sacrament; and thought this was the only ordinance he had neglected to fit him for Heaven: but about this time the vile blas- a phemous thoughts, which were suggested to his mind, destroyed his j fancied hopes, and led him to think he had sinned against the Holy Ghost. Thus he was forced to cry in bitterness of soul, What must I do to be saved?' Again he attended where sermons were read, there being little gospel preached at that time in the town; and thus the Lord was pleased to enlighten his mind in the way of salvation, and particularly by Erskine's discourse, entitled The Comer's Conflict,' from these words, While the child was yet coming, the Devil threw him down and tore him.' This appeared peculiarly applicable to him: also Bunyan's Grace abounding' was made a blessing to him. He again went to Penryn, amongst the Methodists; from which he appears to have received benefit. He was also induced to attend the ministry of the Rev. T. Wills, at St. Ann's; and often walked 13 miles, and returred again the same evening, acknowledging he received much benefit from his preaching. On a Monday, while at work, those words were applied, with peculiar power and sweetness, to his soul: This is the will of Him that sent me, that yo should believe on the name of the only begotten Son of God.' The thrice happy, and never-to-be-forgotten moment now arrived,' saith he, when I was led to see it was the Father's will I should believe in Christ; and I found power to look to Him, and to rest my soul on his atoning blood for the pardon of all my sins, and to view his righte ousness as mine! Rejoicing in the

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