pear unto all men. He is recommended, In all things by pray◄ er, and supplication to make known his requests unto God. Now, if this is his duty, the acquisition of wealth by the purchase of lottery tickets-by various modes of speculation, by pawn-brokerage, usury, &c. must be equally without the pale of the Christian's rule: for, can a blessing be expected, in those pur suits, wherein success must result from the disappointment and misery of others?

On the passages relative to Judas.

The passages relative to Judas, when taken in their connexion, as different facts of the same history, do not contain any inconsistency, but are perfectly consonant. Judas as a covetous man, expected the applause of the High Priests, and a suitable reward; he had, however, remorse of conscience, and repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief Priests and Elders; and he cast down the thirty pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself. Mat. xxvii, 3, 5. Now this man purchased a field, (or obtained possession of that which was afterwards purchased for him,) with the reward of iniquity, and falling down headlong, (from his suspension) burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels, gushed out. And it was known unto all the dwellers at Jerusa lem, insomuch as that field is called in their proper tongue Aceldema, that is to say, the field of blood. Hence it was in the estimation of the Jews accursed, and would be abandoned. For it is written in the book of Psalms, let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein. Acts i, 18, 19, 20.

Sir,

Extraordinary Field at Amersham.

To the Editor of the Baptist Magazine.

If you consider the following remarkable account worthy of a place in your Magazine, the insertion will much oblige some of your constant readers.

At Amersham, in Buckinghamshire, there is a spot of Ground which has been spoken of from generation to generation, as being the place where a martyr was burnt. It is in a field, (now called Ruckles,) on an eminence near to the church. The spot of Ground forms a circle, and is about twenty four ards

in circumference. When the field is fallow, or the corn first springs up, that particular spot cannot be traced out, but is altogether invisible. Yet when the rest of the field begins to flourish, and look green, the blades in this mysterious part begin to dwindle and look unhealthy. And as the harvest approaches it appears more and more barren and unfruitful: and although particular pains have been taken, (such as extra manuring and removing the soil,) to make it as fertile as the other part of the field, yet it has baffled every effort.

The fact I have related is a matter which causes much interesting enquiry at Amersham and its vicinity. Thousands have been, and still may be witnesses to it. This year the field is sown with wheat, and may be seen to great advantage. How then can this remarkable phenomenon be accounted for, in-any other way, but as a manifestation of the displeasure of God, against cruel persecution? It appears to bear with it the broad stamp of such displeasure; and is fixed, I should imagine, as an awful monument of divine indignation against all those who are persecutors of the followers of Christ. Great indeed must have been the provocation of God, who is a God of long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, ere he would have cursed the ground which he destined as the support of his creatures. We, however, are short-sighted mortals, and must wait for the developement of the dark and mysterious things of providence, till that day when God will make all things clear :"Not Gabriel asks the reason why,

Nor God the reason gives,

Nor dares the favourite angel pry,
Between the folded leaves."

How then, Sir, can Christians, those who have a real attachment to the blessed Redeemer, be sufficiently thankful for the privile ges which they now enjoy! We may indeed say, the lines have fullen to us in pleasant places, we have a goodly heritage. We can now sit down every man under his vine, and under his figtree, without being lawfully made afraid.. We may openly a yow our sentiments, and use the utmost of our endeavours to promote the cause of Christ, without the dread of being racked on the wheel, or barnt at the stake, for the worship of our God. The days of popish superstition are happ ly on a rapid decline; the kingdom of Ant-christ to ters, and is ready to fall, effectual means are now made use of, by a glorious co-operation of the Christian World, that a spirit of genuine piety may be diffused

through the land, and that the interests of the Redeemer may be spread far and wide. I am, Sir, Amersham, May 8, 1811.

Yours VERITAS.

P. S. For particulars of the burning of the martyrs at Amersham, see the account of Win. Tilsworth in the old editions of Fox's book of Martyrs.

On Providential Answers to Prayer,

Mr. Editor,

The following extract from Dr. Watts's Improvement of the Mind, is so admirable a reply to the Infidel objections which are often raised against the providences of God being in answer to prayer; that I should feel obliged by your giving them a place in your Magazine. IOTA.

"Watch narrowly in every dispute, that your opponent does not lead you unwarily to grant some principle or proposition which will bring with it a fatal consequence, and lead you insensibly into his sentiment, though it be far astray from the truth. Two months ago, Fatalio had almost tempted his friend Fidens to leave off prayer, and to abandon his dependance on the providence of God in the common affairs of life, by obtaining from him a concession of this kind. Is it not evident to reason,' says Fatalio, that God's immense scheme of transactions in the uui verse was contrived and determined long before you and I were born? Can you imagine, my dear Fidens, that the blessed God changes his original contrivances, and makes new interruptions in the course of them so often as you and I want his aid, to pręvent the little accidents of life, or to guard us from them? Can you suffer yourself to be persuaded that the great Creator of this world takes care to support a bridge which was quite rotten, and to make it stand firm a few minutes longer till you had rode over it? Or, will he uphold a falling tower while we two are passing by it, that such worms as you and I are might escape the ruin? But you say, you prayed for his profection in the morning, and he certainly hears prayer. 1 grant he knows it but are you so fond and weak, said he, as to suppose that the uni versal Lord of all bad such a regard to a word or two of your breath, as to make alterations in his own eternal scheme upon that account? Nor is there any other way whereby his providence can preserve you in answer to prayer, but by creating such per

petual interruptions and changes in his own conduct according to your daily behaviour.'

I acknowledge,' says Fidens,' there is no other way to secure the doctrine of divine Providence in all these common af fairs; and therefore I begin to doubt whether God does or ever will exert himself so particularly in our little concerns.'

Have a care, good Fidens, that you yield not too far: take heed lest you have granted too much to Fatalio. Pray let me ask of you, could not the great God who grasps and surveys all future and distant things in one single view, could not he from the beginning foresee your morning prayer for his protection, and appoint all second causes to concur for the support of that crazy bridge, or to make that old tower stand firm till you had escaped the danger? Or could not he cause all the mediums to work so as to make it fall before you came near it? Can he not appoint all his own transactions in the universe, and every event in the natural world, in a way of perfect correspondence with his own foreknowledge, of all the events, actions, and appear ances of the moral world in every part of it? Can he not direct every thing in nature, which is but his servant, to act in perfect agreement with his eternal prescience of our sins, or of our piety? And hereby all the glory of Providence, and our necessary dependance upon it by faith and prayer, are as well secured, as if he interposed to alter his own scheme every moment.

Let me ask again, did not he in his own counsels or decrces appoint thunders and lightenings and earthquakes to burn up and destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, and turn them into a dead sea, just at the time when the sins of those cities were raised to their supreme height? Did he not ordain the fountains of the deep to be broken up, and overwhelming rains to fall from heaven, just when a guilty world deserved to be drowned; while he took care of the security of righteous Noah, by an ark which should float upon the very deluge of waters? Thus he can punish the criminal when the pleases, and reward the devout worshipper in the proper season, by his original and eternal schemes of appointment, as well as if he interposed every moment anew. Take heed, Fidens, that you be not tempted away by such sophisms of Fatalio, to withhold prayer from God, and to renounce your faith in his providence."

The Moral Law a Believer's Rule of Walk and Conversation.,

In

My Dear Friend,

a series of Letters to a Friend.

LETTER III.

In my last I attempted to prove, that the sacred Oracles were only designed for, and of no real use to any, but the elect of God. Consequently, their whole contents belongs solely to them. All the promises, immunities, and blessings thereof, can be claimed by none but them. Its commands precepts, exhortations, cautions, &c. can't be of any real advantage but to them; yea its comminations, menaces, and the like, are not of any profitable use but to the heirs of grace. This, if you are consistent with your own principles, you must allow, consequently, you ought at least, to esteem it as a matter of duty and obligation in the saints, to obey the precepts thereof. But you spurn at duty, and suppose the believer has nothing to do with it; substituting the word privilege in its stead, and making them, as it were, synonymous. To suppose the saints have nothing to do with duty, is freeing them altogether from the obligation of obeying the divine injunctions. But this must render the greatest part of the divine records of no use to any son of Adam; and God must then have given the greatest part of his word in vain ; which is abhorrent to suppose. All obligations imply duty in them, on whom the obligation lies Command and duty,precept and obedience,are correlates,and reciprocally include each other. Scripture precepts comprize a duty of obedience in those for whom they were, written. They were written solely for the profit and advantage of the elect. Every iota then, whether doctrinal or practical, belongs to them, and include their obligation to the whole. To substitute privilege for duty, is perverting terms distinct in themselves, and of opposite signification, and calling things by wrong names, which neither justice nor common sense will allow. Duty is duty, privilege is privilege; they are separate and distinct things, and whoever confounds them, are certainly ignorant of the nature of both. Duty is something to be done, in a way of obedience to such as have authority over us. Privilege is the enjoyment of a blessing, in hand, or hope, in a way of free favour and bounty in the giver, without any merit in, or price given by the receiver; to confound them, and make them synonymous is absurd, and contrary to the just use of language,

You say duty is legal, and belongs to the law, with which the Vol. III.

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