valuable ministers; one of whom has devoted himself to labour among the Heathen abroad.

Masquerade.

at

This species of amusement, at all times unworthy of men and of Christians, is peculiarly unseason able and improper under the present serious circumstances of our country. We were, therefore, much concerned to read in the public prints, a long account of Mr. Thel. Jason's Masquerade, House; where, beside innumerable follies, such as an ass-race, and the assumed characters of jockies, kitchen-maids, waggoners, butchers, gods and goddesses, &c. a groupe of grotesque figures was exhibited, in tended to personify and ridicule the worthy Members of the Society for the Suppression of Vice, whose harangues were chiefly directed against the immorality of masquerades, to the no small amusement of the company, including many of the noble and great of our country, who were not ashamed thus to bur. lesque a number of wise and good men, laudably associated to promote the true interest of the united kingdom.

The Half-Yearly Meeting of the Independent association in Corn wall, was held at Falmouth, on Tuesday, April 3. Mr. Henrings introduced the services of the day; Mr. Phillips preached from Isaiah Ixii. 6; and the service was con cluded, as usual, by administering the Lord's Supper to the church, and other Christian friends present; in which several ministers engaged. In the evening Mr. Wall prayed; Mr. Turnbull preached from 2 Cor. iv. 7; and Mr. Wildbore, jun, concluded. The different opportunities were well attended; and many found them refreshing and profitable

seasons.

April 5, the Burgher Associate Presbytery of Edinburgh admitted the Rev. P. Thompson, late of Whitley, to the pastoral charge of the Associate Congregation of Albion chapel, Leeds. Mr.P.Comrie,

The

Newport, preached the preceding evening; Mr. Styles, of Cowes, preached before breakfast; Mr. Loader, of Fordingbridge, preach. ed in the forenoon, on Public Wor ship (which he was requested to publi h); Mr. Bogue, of Gosport, preached in the evening. Lord's Supper was administered after the sermon in the morning. Messrs. Winter, Lewis, Eisdale, Hopkins, M'Gibbon, Davis, &c. engaged in different parts of the morning service; which was con cluded by the late venerable Mr. Ashburner.

June 5, the Rev. Jos. Such (late of Ingatestone) was ordained pastor of the Baptist Church in Steventon, Bedfordshire. Mr. Hennel, of Wollaston, began in prayer; Mr. Freeman, of Cardington introduced the business, and read the confes sion, &c. Mr. Vorley, of Carlton, offered the ordination-prayer; Mr. Hunt, of Ridgemount, addressed the pastor from 2 Tim. ii. 15; Mr. Sutcliffe, of Olney, exhorted the church from 1 Thes. iv. 1; and Mr. Pincharde, of Bedford, concluded. This congregation, tho one of the oldest in the county, had been brought very low; but it is now raised to 400 people, with a pleasing prospect of continuance.

June 6th, the Rev. John Allen, from Hoxton Academy, was or dained pastor over a church recently formed at Lynn, in Norfolk. Mr. Carter, of Matishall, delivered the introductory discourse, from Mat. xxi. 23; Mr. Newton, of Norwich, offered up theordination. prayer and gave the charge, from

Tim. iv. 16; Mr. Kinghorn, of Norwich, preached to the people, from Heb. xiii, 22.- - In 1802, a person in London, accidentally hearing that the above meeting, formerly occupied by the Presbyterians, was shut up, made appli.cation to obtain a supply during the Midsummer vacation; which, however, he could not procure till the following year.

June 7, the Rev. John Renals was ordained pastor of the church at Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, of which the late Rev. Mr. Carver was many years minister. Mr. Hennell, of Wollaston, began the service with prayer; introductory discourse by Mr. Whitehead, of Creaton; Mr. Bull, sen, of Newport, engaged in the ordinationprayer; the charge by Mr. Grundy, of Lutterworth; text, 1 Tim. iv. 6; Mr. Gill preached to the people from Phil. ii. 29; and Mr. Washbourn, of Wellingborough, concluded. In the evening Mr. Tol. ler, of Kettering, preached from Psalm xxii. 30; Mr. Hillyard, of Redford, prayed before, and Mr. Philipps, of Chedworth, in Glou. cestershire, after the sermon. The congregations were very numerous and attentive; and the services highly pleasant and gratifying to ministers and people.

June 12, 13, 14, the Baptist Association in South Wales, met at Fymnon, Pembrokeshire, wheneight sermons were preached by Messrs. Breeze, T. Jones, D. Davies, T. and C. Evans, T. Thomas, and M. Jones. Several other ministers engaged in prayer, &c. The next General Meeting to be at Cwmivor, Carmarthenshire.

June 20, the Rev. Jos. Walker Was set apart as pastor of the Inde. pendent Church at Newmarket, Suffolk. Mr. Nicklin, of Burwell, began with prayer; Mr. Lacon, of Stowmarket, explained and introduced the business of the day; Mr. Walker, sen. of Peppard, offered the ordination-prayer; Mr. Doug las, of Reading, gave the charge, from John xii. 26; Mr. Gardner,

I

of Newport, preached from 1 Cor. iii. 23; Mr. Dewhirst, of Bury, concluded the service, and preached in the evening; when Mr. Shepherd, of Ely, and Mr. Douglas en gaged in prayer.

June 21, the Rev. Robert Pickering, late student at Rotherham academy, was set apart as pastor of the Independent church at Brig. stock, Northamptonshire. Mr. Chadwick, of Oundle, introduced the service; Mr. Toller, of Kettering, delivered the introductory discourse, and asked the questions, &c. Mr. Wood, of Rowell, offered the ordination-prayer; Mr. Whitehead, of Creaton, delivered the charge from Tim. iv. 16; Mr. Spencer, of Kilsby, addressed the church and congregation from John xiii. 353 Mr. Bullock, of Ashley, conclud. ed by prayer; Mr. Gronow, of Weedon, preached in the evening from Mat. vi. 6.

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June 28, the Rev. Mr. Redford was ordained at Windsor. Mr. Yockney opened the service; Mr. Douglas, of Reading, introduced the business of the day; Mr. Eng. lish offered the ordination-prayer; Mr. Slatterie addressed the minister from 1 Tim. iii. 2; and Mr. Cooke from Deut. xii. 19; Mr. Fryer, of Mr. Hammersmith, concluded. Douglas preached in the evening. By the account read by one of the members, it appears there was a Dissenting Congregation at Windsor as early as 1714. For some years since 1777, the worship was con ducted in a private house by Mr. Ford, of Miles's Lane, and afterwards in the present place of wor ship by Mr. Burgess, till his death. Mr. Redford has been with the people about eighteen months.

On July 1st, the Independent chapel at Gornal, Staffordshire, was re-opened by the Rev. Mr. Styles, of Cowes, in the Isle of Wight; it being necessarily enlarged to admit the poor children of the Sunday School, which has lately greatly increased under the preached word.

The span

So gaze we on life's fairest form;
But soon obscur'd, some gath'ring storm,
Or late's severe decree,
Veils with impenetrable maze
Health's richest glow, fair Fancy's blaze,
And Youth's festivity.

But if, fair orb, thy mystic flight
Involves the world in deepest might;

Soon shall thy dazzling rays
These sleeping scenes again revive,
Bid Nature's fairest beauties live,

And bloom beneath thy blaze!
And soon, tho' virtue's children sigh,
And feel the pangs of misery

Eclipse life's transient day,
Religion's cloudless sun shall rise,
Fill the sad soul with glad surprize,
And chace all mists away!
Borne on the wings of faith divine,
We view Emmanuel's glories shine
Oh may his genial ray
Illume this heart with peerless light,
Subdue my sin, that mortal night,

And beam unclouded day.

Thy fading splendors, Sun, must cease,
Thy orb constone in time's abyss,
Th' appointed circuit run;
But cloth'd in radiance sublime,
Thro' all eternity shall shine

Sir,

God's uncreated Sun.

To the Editor.

M. G.

ON MAN'S MORTALITY.
LIKE the fair rose, in vernal pride,
Or like the never-slumb'ring tide,
Or like the blossom, fresh and gay,
Or like the early dawn of day;
Or like the cloud, 'mid tempest high,
That floa's across the stormy sky,
E'en such is man, the heir of sorrow!
Alive to day, and dead to-morrow!
The blushing rose soon fades away,
His course the ocean will not stay;
The blossom fades, the tempest flies,
And man, the child of frailty, dies!
Or like a tale that soon is told,
Or like a meadow gemm'd with gold,
Or like a bird with plumage gay,
Qr like the dew-drop pearls of May,
Or passing hour, or fleeting span,
E'en such, in all his pride, is man!

The grass decays, the tale is ended,
The bird is flown, the dew's ascended;

is short, the hour is past,
And his long home man seeks at last!

Or like a bubble in the brook,
Or glass, in which vain man doth look,
Or shuttle sent from hand to hand,
Or letters written on the sand;
Or like a thought, or like a dream,
Or like an ever gliding stream, -
E'en such is man, who soon will know
That all is vanity below!

Bubbles our wasting lives betoken,
The shuttle stops, the glass is broken;
No letters traced on sand remain,
Our dreams are brief, our thoughts are
vain;

And like the stream that passes by,

Is man, who only lives to die!
Like Autumn's leaf, or like the snow,
Or Kike the journey man doth goi
Or like the river's flow and ebb,
Or like the patient spider's web;
Or like the fruit, or like the flow'r,
Or like the short lived April show'r,-
E'n such is man, who toils to gain
The chaff of the immortal grain!

The leaf decays, the snow is past,
The roughest journey ends at last;
The web is torn, the show'r is o'er,
The fruit delights the taste no more;
The flower fades, the flood's suspended,
Man's hour is come, and life is ended!
Or like an arrow through the air,
Or like the lightning's sudden glare,
Or like the vapour of the sky,
Or like the goal for which we try,
Or like the minstrel's pleasant song,
Which we, tho' vain, would fain prolong;
E'en such is life, with all its cares,
Fast floating down the tide of years!

The arrow soon to earth declines, The lightning but a moment shines ; He stops ho doth most sweetly sing; The cloud is ever on the wing; The race, tho' hard, will soon be o'er, Aud living man be seen no more! If ev'ry thing above, below, Aloud doth mortal's frailty shew; If we, ere long, must take our flight From this revolving day and night, And our eternal portion be In realms of joy or misery, Let us no more in trifles spend The life which must so shortly end; But, whilst the sun salutes our eyes, To righteousness and God arise, Let each, who has a soul to save, Extend his views beyond the grave; And, while salvation still is nigh, To Christ, the friend of sinners, dy. So, when this deeting state is o'er, And time with us shall be no more; When e'en the elements around Shall in consuming flames be found, Upheld by faith, we will not fear, For our redemption draweth near.