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or even specific object? Nay, whether some of the favourite songs of polished societies are not amatory, are not Anacreontic, more than quite become the modest lips of innocent youth and delicate beauty Vol. I. p. 119. But it may be said, that discouraging the present practice would be injurious to many who are brought up to the professions alluded to, and deprive them of the means of a livelihood. If less encouragement were given to persons of those professions, there would, undoubtedly, be fewer brought up to them: but even taking the objection in the most formidable point of view, and supposing that those who are now paid so extravagantly were reduced in their incomes, would any injury arise to society from the superabundance of those just mentioned, being transferred to persons of much more importance, who greatly need it? I mean the ministers of the gospel, who, in many instances, do not receive from a family, for the labours of a year, what some music teachers have for the lessons of a month. It ought not to be, that men who labour night and day for our best interest should, in so many instances, be suffered to want the necessaries of life, while those, who may introduce to our families the greatest mischiefs, are pampered to the highest degree. Should any readers know of no minister of the gospel in the situation above mentioned, let me refer thea to the cases of poor pious clergymen relieved by the So ciety for that purpose, some of which are published annually. Look only into the newspapers of 22d Dec. 1803, and it will be found that Mr. Stock's donation of 100 1. distributed among ten persons bearing the ministerial office, some of whom have from eight to eleven children, within comes of 25 1. and down to 201. per annum; one of these, who has been successful in procuring this large addition to his income, is blind, and aged 72 years. This Magazine has borne repeated testimony to the poverty of many valuable ministers, and has called again and again for the liberality of the religious public in their behalf. Let only retrenchment be made from the superfluities of the wealthy and the middle ranks of professors, and every good work may meet with ample encouragement.

PHILADELPHIA,

*The writer of this is not a minister.

Sir,

QUERY.

To the Editor

It would relieve the mind of a Youth from much anxiety respecting his call to the work of the ministry, if some of your able correspondents would lay down a few plain scriptural evidences a person ought to possess before he enters into that solemn work. The insertion of this in your valuable Miscellany, will much oblige, Sir, yours in the best bonds,

XII.

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JOANNES

ESTABLISHMENT AND SUPPORT OF RELIGION.

Sir,

To the Editor.

THE late Dr. Rotheram, Rector of Houghton, in this county, when Fellow of University College, preached a sermon at St Mary's, in Oxford, on the Anniversary of his Majesty's Inauguration, Oct. 25, 1762. The sermon was published. Its design (from Dan. ii. 20, 21) is to point out the wisdom of Providence in the administration of the world; shewing that the division of the world into distinct societies and kingdoms, and their liability to changes, revolutions, and overthrow, is, on the whole, favourable to virtue and the public good; and proving from history, that the general course of human affairs, the progress of empire and dominion, the principal vicissitudes of times and seasons which have happened in the world, have been subservient to the establishment and support of religion. In the application of the subject to the immediate occasion of the discourse, he has the following passage, which I transcribe for the Evangelical Magazine, because the time, place, and circumstances in which it was delivered, render it deserving of remark; and because I, and many who will read it here, must regard the late missionary exertions in this kingdom as a happy justification of the preacher's foresight.

"Religion hath found an asylum in England, when driven from every other part of the world. When ignorance, superstition, and ecclesiastical tyranny have elsewhere usurped her place, England hath stood firm in her cause; hath reasoned, hath acted, hath suffered in her defence; hath maintained her in all her rights, and planted her in her native purity in foreign lands*. To the service of religion should all our successes, all the trium, hs, whether of our valeur or our learning, be devoted. And oh ! may we not here indulge the pleasing hope, that some circumstances, in the present situation of the world, seem to open out to that glorious time when Christianity shall be universally established! Why else, and to what other end hath it been ordained, that the Christian powers are almost the only commercial powers, and that all the great discoveries in the new western world have been made by them? And still more particularly, why hath it been ordained that we, the most considerable among the professors of the truly reformed Christianity, have of all others the most extensive commerce, and seem likely to possess the most extensive dominions in this new world? We can hardly suppose these striking circumstances to be the effect of chance, or to be permitted only for mere tem

The preacher's words are here, perhaps, too general and too strong. Let it be remembered, however, that in 1762 the American provinces were not dismembered from the mother country, whose conduct towards then, in point of religious privileges, was not to be complained of.

poral advantages. Christianity can never act under more favourable circumstances. Paganism and Mahometanism lie still; whilst Christianity, with all the means of conversion in her hands, carries on a constant intercourse with the remotest corners of the world. The period seems to be hastening on, when the discovery of the whole globe shall be completed; and when, by means of commerce, every part of the world shall be known to each other. Do not all these things seem clearly to be a prelude to that glorious time (for the time will conre) when "the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea: when God will turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the Lord, to serve him with one consent; and when the Lord shall be King over all the earth?"

Our excellent King's reign has been much and usefully occupied in encouraging voyages of discovery; and the name of Cook has immortalized his Sovereign's enlightened patronage of useful science. When this sermon was preached, the public mind was turned to Commodore Wallis's voyage; but, much as we may admire the preacher's sagacity, we can hardly think that even he anticipated the great increase which has been since made to our knowledge of the globe and its inhabitants. It has, indeed, opened an animating scene for the contemplation of Christians, and a glorious field for their exertions in behalf of their fellow-creatures, yet" sitting in darkness and the shadow of death."

Whether or not the learned body, before whom Doctor Rotheram delivered these impressive words, have, as a community (professedly associated for the advancement of religious knowledge) hailed the period as "Auspicium melioris Evi," and met it with a diligent zeal to improve the advantages it has presented for the propagation of Scriptural Christianity, may be questioned: but the lovers of Jesus will rejoice that many of its members have joined with their fellow disciples, of different denominations, in promoting the blessed undertaking; and that their united labours have received many marks of divine approbation.

"

May the Lord of the harvest strengthen all that have consecrated their services to him, that they faint not in their work; and send down a daily increase of the Missiona'y Apostolical Spirit! The time is big with events. Satan and his agents are unusually busy ;-the prayers of the Church are unusually fervent, and particularly directed to the spread of the gospel; the effect begins to appear: never before was the truth so extensively declared. The soldiers of the cross-should be harnessing everywhere; and not a look of eutrality, or a thought of indifference should be found in all the camp, O! that none who have the cause of God at heat may lose this golden opportunity of appearing on the Lord's ide! Durham, W. F.

ANECDOTE OF A HOTTENTOT YOUTH,

HAVING read in some of the last numbers of the Evangelical Magazine, the great good which hath been done by the means of Missionary labours amongst the Hottentots (and which cannot fail to gladden the hearts of all those who are anxiously desirous for the extension of the Redeemer's kingdom, and the salvation of the poor Heathen) I am induced to forward the following affecting anecdote of a poor Hottentot youth, in which will be seen, not only the strength of his natural affection for his mother, but a proof of that extravagant notion, which, alas! so much prevails with them, of committing the awful crime of suicide, with the view of seeing their absent relations or friends. AsĮ know the parties, I send you it; and should you think, by giving it a place in your very intelligent and very useful Magazine, it will tend in any measure to excite a concern for the poor deluded Heathen in the minds of those who know the truth, it is at your service, leaving you to make what reflections you may think fit.

MARINER.

IN the year 1801, while Lieutenant R. was lying at the Cape of Good Hope, in His Majesty's ship Star, he invited a fine Hottentot youth, only eleven years old at that time (whose father was just before drowned) to become his servant. The boy readily accepted the offer, continued with his master some time in that ship, and at last, came to England with him. The said officer lately joined His Majesty's ship Zealand, at the Nore, as one of her Lieutenants, taking the lad with him. The poor Hottentot, for some time previous to his joining this ship, and after, had expressed the strongest desire of returning to see his mother. Being told by his master that he could not get home till the war was over, he did not like a prospect so obscure; and always indulging the thought he should see her if he was dead (and having no one to instruct him otherwise) on Sunday the 12th of February, after waiting on his master at dinner with the rest of the officers, in the saine calm temnper of mind as usual, he descended from the ward-room to the lower gun-deck, pulled off his Sunday dress, and clad himself in his oldest apparel; then, with great composure of mind, jumped over board and drowned himself, with the full expectation of seeing his mother.

This youth, who could swim like a fish at another time, now sunk like lead in the mighty waters, never making his appearance after he got below the surface; and where the infallible word assures us he must continue till the sea gives up her dead.

THE CAVILLER REPROVED.

173

A CERTAIN man went to a Dervise, and proposed three questions: First, Why do they say that God is omnipresent? I do not see him in any place; shew me where he is. 2dly, Why is man punished for crines, since whatever he does proceeds from God? Man has no free-will, for he cannot do any thing contrary to the will of God; and if he had power, he would do every thing for his own good.-3dly, How can God punish Satan in Hell-fire, since he is formed of that element; and what impression can fire make on itself?

The Dervise took up a large clod of earth, and struck him on the head with it. The man went to the Cadi, and said, "I proposed three questions to such a Dervise, who flung such a clod of earth at me, as has made my head ache." The Cadi having sent for the Dervise, asked, "Why did you throw a clod of earth at his head, instead of answering his questions?" The Dervise replied, The clod of earth was an answer to his speech; he says, he has a pain in his head; let him shew me where it is, and I will make God visible to him:- And why does he exhibit a complaint to you against me? whatever I did was the act of God; I did not strike him without the will of God; and what power do I possess !And as he is compounded of earth, how can he suffer pain from that element "-The man was confounded, and the Ĉadi highly pleased with the Dervise's answer.

THE IGNORANCE AND HARDNESS OF HEART OF DYING SINNERS, CAN ONLY BE KNOWN TO THOSE WHO ATTEND THEIR DEPARTING HOURS.

I was at Pewsey, attending an old man of but indifferent character, approaching his end, and endeavoured to impress him with a sense of his sinfulness, and the necessity of looking to Christ for pardon and peace; but he persisted he had always done his duty as well as he could, and had never done any harm to man, woman, or child in his life. An old woman, who well knew him, and observed my pity and surprize at his ignorance and insensibility, came up to the bed, and seizing his elbow, shook it, and said, "John, thee must tell the gentleman, T. H. thee art a great sinner."

QUESTIONS PROPOSED, &c.
[Continued from our last.]

Is a Member of a church justifiable in withdrawing from it, if the undisciplined state of the same disturbs the peace of

his soul?

J. T.

DOES the Spirit of God implant a principle of divine life in the soul, without the intervention of any means whatever; or does he make use of the instrumentality of the sacred scripELACHISTOTEROS. tures, in effecting that glorious change?

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