reflecting upon it, when I am capable of reflection at all. Such a friend, none ever possessed but a christian, and surely a christian's love to his Saviour should be peculiar and exceed all other affection. Nothing is too much to do, or to suffer for him, who has done and suffered so much for me. And can I love sin, which crucified him, and which he hates and forbids? Can I disgrace the gospel I profess, which exhibits all this grace? Can I be idle, and do nothing for that cause, for which he bled? God forbid.

Falmouth.

T. G.

Mr. Editor,

Letter on Marriage.

Birmingham, March, 1811.

The following Letter, if inserted in your Magazine, will, I hope, be acceptable, and useful to many of your Readers. The original was given to me by a venerable aunt of mine, whose father, Mr. Edward Ensor was many years a useful Deacon of the Baptist church at Coventry. May the blessing of the Lord attend the perusal.

E. H.

B. C.

Although our acquaintance has been but short, yet my love and respect for you is not small, for your Parent's sake and more especially for Christ's sake, to whom you are devoted as a disciple and follower. Hearing you are supposed to be about to change your condition in the world, contrary to Gospel rule, and the advice of your best friends; give me leave to caution you in the name and fear of God, that as you are the Lord's by a voluntary covenant, and surrender of yourself to him, do not dare to act contrary to his Gospel rules and precepts, as in 1 Cor. vii, 39, 2 Cor. vi, 14. As you do (or ought to) pray; Lead us not into temptation, do not dare to lead yourself into a temptation which may last all your days. Inbred corruption is so great a clog and hinderance in our Christian race, that none need a second without them, to deaden their spirits, and cool their love to Christ and his ways: but rather to have yoke-fellows, to draw together in the yoke of Christ; and help-meets in the way to heaven; and heirs of the Grace of life, that their prayers may not be hindered. 1 Pet. iii, 7. Therefore I beseech you accept of no person for a Husband, who has not made the same choice as you have done. One who has chosen the Lord to be his God and Father, and

Christ his Lord, Head and Saviour, and the service of the Lord for his employment. This advice I the rather give you from the sad experience, and too late repentance of many professing young women, which I have known, who adventured to break over the hedge of sacred laws, their friends counsel, and the churches censure, in such cases. Some have met with heavy worldly crosses, some with sore woundings of conscience, hard to be borne; and some ended in absolute apostacy: all finding their sin in their punishment, one way or other. Indeed I am persuaded that Satan, who is the god of this world, sometimes stirs up some of his own subjects, to court some of the daughters of zion, upon a design to advance his own interest. When therefore any have in such a case prepared fetters for their souls, and have entangled themselves by promises of their own making, I have advised them, to delay the performance for one year, at least, and in that time to be humbly earnest with God to break the snare, and direct their way and God hath graciously done it to admiration; of which I could give eminent instances. How the case stands with you I know not, That the Lord Jesus, in whose name you have been baptized, would bless and keep you from all evil, preserving you to his everlasting kingdom, is the desire and prayer of him who presents his kind love to you, which love produced these lines, and who remains your cordial soul-friend,

Leominster, July 26, 1718.

Thomas Holder.

On the Profitable Hearing the Word.

Extracts from the York and Lancashire Circular Letter.

Will you allow us to attempt the correcting of some of those mistakes into which persons may, we apprehend, be liable to fall on this subject ?

Supposing we are always profited when we are pleased, is one of them.-Many things in the speaker may have a fascinating influence upon us when scarce any sentiment at all is communicated to the mind. So Ezekiel, on account of his eloquence in speaking, was a very lovely song to those who paid no attention, or at least yielded no obedience, to the truths he delivered. In other cases, the sentiment delivered may be cither in itself corrupt, or else be so misapprehended by us, as to be understood in a corrupt sense, and may on that very account be grateful to us; serving to flatter our pride, or to encou

rage our vain and deceitful hopes, or to keep us at peace while under the dominion of secret or of open sin. But even when the word is faithfully preached, and its meaning properly apprehended, it may please us when it does not profit us. We may be greatly pleased with the correspondence between what we hear and the system we have already embraced; or with the new light it may throw on points to us before involved in obscurity; yea, even with the clear conviction it may furnish of the falsehood of the sentiments we may have hitherto adopted, and of the truth of those of the opposite nature; and yet in all these instances, we may fail of complying with its humbling, sanctifying, animating design; be brought to no greater degree of conformity to the will of God, be no more useful on earth, and no better fitted for heaven than we were before we heard it. To suppose we are never profited but when we are comforted, is another mistake against which we deem it our duty to guard you. Many who hear the word are in an unawakened, unregenerate state, and alienated from the sources from which true comfort springs. On them the word must produce some important effects, and some of them of a painful nature, before it impart comfort to them. It must be as the hammer and the fire to break the rock in pieces, and must make them in some degree feel the disease of their souls, before it administer the remedy. Others, though not in a state of entire alienation from God, may nevertheless be in a backsliding or a lifeless state. These persons the word must cause to remember from whence they are fallen, and to repent and do their first works, before it give them comfort. But upon the most established and watchful christian the word has very important effects to produce, besides that of giving him comfort. It has to discover the imperfections of his holiest duties, to lay open the depths of depravity in his heart and nature, and thereby cause him to loath himself in his own sight, as well as to exhibit the great cure of those disorders provided in the perfect righteousness and all-sufficient grace of the Redeemer. It has to lay before him his duties, as well as his privileges; to show him his enemies and his dangers, as well as the security provided against them; to urge the necessity of a life of labour and self-denial on earth, as well as to display the glory promised him in hea ven. Hence it will be easily apprehended; that real christians may receive very material advantage from the word when they do not receive sensible comfort: they may now be sowing in tears, that anon they may reap in joy.

We apprehend the mistake these observations are intended

to rectify, is not only frequently made, but is productive of some unhappy consequences; particularly as it leads weak and timid christians to entertain ungrounded fears and suspicions respecting themselves, and others to pass very undeserved censures upon their ministers, conceiving that their not receiving comfort is owing to a defect in their preaching; whereas it may be only a necessary and salutary piece of discipline in their heavenly Father; or if there be any blame in the case, it may more properly be charged upon themselves.

That we are always profited when our doctrinal knowledge is increased, is a third mistake against which we wish you to be upon your guard.

That an increase of knowledge in the system of Divine truth is very desirable, and, if well employed, is of great advantage, we readily admit; and that no one derives any saving benefit from the word, except he understand what he hears, we are fully persuaded, having no idea, that any profit can be communicated by merely mechanical impulse, without the exercise of the understanding. But still, we apprehend that men may have their doctrinal knowledge carried to a high pitch, without having their hearts at all suitably affected with what they know, or their lives at all made better. Do not then, brethren, content yourselves with such attainments, but on the contrary, estimate the degree of profit you derive from hearing the word, by the influence its truths have upon your hearts and lives, forming you more after the image of the adorable Saviour, and fitting you for that world of purity and love for which his grace has designed you.

Allow us to close this address by laying before you some directions, in order to your hearing the word with profit. And in the first place-

Keep in view the importance of the buisness. Previous to your going to the house of God, as well as when there, endeavour to impress your mind with the thought that you are engaged in business of great importance; that you are about to hear of the great things of God, the glorious gospel, and which will prove the savour of life or of death, accordingly as it is either received or rejected. Frequently meditate upon the hints we have already dropped on the importance of hearing the word with profit. When duly impressed with a sense hereof, you will awaken all your powers to attend to the truths you are hearing; and if the cares of the world, or any other concerns foreign to the business in hand, obtrude themselves upon you, you will repulse them, as Nehemiah did the artifices of his ene

mies, by saying, "I have a great work to do; wherefore should the work cease while I come down unto you?"

2.- Endeavour to secure some time for meditation and prayer, previous to your attendance upon the ministry of the word. Hereby you will be likely to bring your mind to a composed and serious frame, and impress it with a due sense of the im portance of what you are about; and not only be likely to hear with more attention, but also to bring down the blessing of God upon what you hear. The propriety of this advice must surely strike every one at first hearing; and a little foresight in the hearers of the word would, one would think, render the practice of it easy, especially on the Lord's day, on which day the duty recommended is chiefly to be attended to, and which by the authority of God, is wholly consecrated to religious purposes.

3. While hearing the word, guard against a disposition to criticise and find fault. Scarce any thing is more likely to defeat the salutary effects of the word than such a disposition. It generally arises from pride and a vain desire to be found wiser than our teachers; and never fails to keep the attention off from our own spiritual concerns, and employ it about the deficiencies of our ministers. You certainly believed your ministers to be faithful men, and qualified by the great Head of the Church for the office they fill, or you would not have called them to it, nor have continued to attend their ministry. It may then be reasonably required of you to receive the word from them with readiness of mind; as new-born babes desiring the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby. 4. Secure, if possible, some time for retirement after the opportunity of hearing is closed. Then recollect what you have heard, and what has been the frame of your mind while hearing it. Pray for a blessing upon it. Hereby you will fix the solemn truths of religion in your memory, digest the spiritual food, mix it with faith, and be likely to grow up unto the stature of perfect men in Christ.

5. Often think how soon your opportunities of hearing will come to a final close. You are hearing for eternity, but your hearing is confined to a narrow, a very uncertain space of time. Many who heard the word at our last annual assembly are now no more, death having, as already observed, in the course of the last year, made frequent inroads upon our assemblies, and removed numbers of our hearers and members from us. Oh! let each of us then hear the word as if we were hearing it for the last time, and, after the close of the present opportunity, to appear before our Judge.