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I am glad to hear that you have frequent opportunities of preaching among the great. If you can gain them to a good and exemplary life, wonderful changes will follow in the manners of the lower ranks; for, ad Exemplum Regis, &c. On this principle Confucius, the famous eastern reformer, proceeded, When he saw his country sunk in vice, and wickedness of all kinds triumphant, he applied himself first to the grandees; and having by his doctrine won them to the cause of virtue, the commons followed in multitudes. The mode has a wonderful influence on mankind; and there are numbers that perhaps fear less the being in Hell, than out of the fashion! Our more western reformations began with the ignorant mob; and when numbers of them were gained, interest and party-views drew in the wise and great. Where both methods can be used, reformations are like to be more speedy. O that some method could be found to make them lasting! He that shall discover that, will, in my opinion, deserve more, ten thousand times, than the inventor of the longitude.

My wife and family join in the most cordial salutations to you and good Mrs. Whitefield. I am, dear Sir, your very affectionate friend, and most obliged humble servant,

SIR,

B. FRANKLIN.

CRITICAL ENQUIRY,

To the Editor.

IT has been often remarked, that the Hebrews had a peculiar way of using the participle with the verb, to denote, according to some, the certainty; and, according to others, the importance of the event. It occurred to me, in reading, the other day, Whether the true import of the phrase, were not the commencement and continuance of an action till its completion? Thus, when it was said to Adam *, "In dying thou shalt die;" which our translators render, " Thou shalt surely die," and the Seventy," Thou shalt die the death;" I conceive the meaning to be, That he should then begin to experience that death which terminates only in eternal ruin. Waits says,

"Soon as we draw our infant breath,

"The seeds of sin grow up for death."

So Adam, the moment that he fell, became mortal; and besides that, being condemned already, he became also dead in law.

When it was said to Abraham, "Blessing, I will bless thee!"† the phrase implied, that God would continue and increase his blessings, fill, in the end, he should be a blessing to all nations.

There are many similar expressions, I believe, in the Old Testament; and I should be obliged to any of your critical and Biblical readers to point thein out, and to examine whether they will bear the interpretation here proposed. Yours, JOD.

Gen, ii, 17. † Gen. xii, 2.

ANECDOTES,

A LAY.COMMENTATOR.

Ar the time when the late Mr. Lacy was pastor of the Baptist church at Portsea, some of the brethren (chiefly those of the dock-yard) constantly ushered in the morning of the Lord's Day, at six o'clock, by meeting in the vestry for social prayer, exhortation, and conference on some portion of Scripture, alternately*. At one of these conference-mornings, the text led to charity: all spoke in their turn, if they chose, when it rested with Charles Benjamin, who was a waterman, and lived between Portsmouth and Gosport. His comment on the text was as follows: "I shall say nothing more than this,-We have been talking of charity; it would be good to put it in exercise: here is our brother, Ephraim Forth, goes to Dock every morning this cold weather without a great coat; and here is my shilling towards buying him one." The good men took the hint; and Ephraim was enabled to purchase the necessary next day, and went to Dockt," warmed, if not quite filled.”—Query, Can the laity expound Scripture?

This laudable custom, I find, is still continued there, and has been, without intermission, for more than half a century. James ii. 16.

LAMENTABLE IGNORANCE.

MR. A. B, after his conversion, owned, that when in his carnal state, he used to say his prayers seven times over every Monday morning, that he might not have the trouble of them all the rest of the week.

A FEW years ago, a lady, visiting her brother at C--, observed, he had not many cherries in his garden that season; and said, That, as it was a very fruitful year, she could attribute it to nothing but the amazing increase of Sunday-schools lately. Formerly, the boys used to go a bird-nesting on Sundays; but since folks had undertaken to make them so wise, the birds were suffered to multiply in such quantities, that she supposed we should soon have no fruit at all! ! !

QUERIES.

1. How may we ascertain, Whether our thoughts are the result of a gracious influence, the suggestions of Satan, or of our cor rupt depraved nature?

2. WHEN we receive comfortable impressions under the hearing of God's word, how may we know whether they are true or false? or, in other words, Whether they come from God, or are only the joys of the stony ground hearer?

M. O.

REVIEW OF RELIGIOUS PUBLICATIONS.

The Life of Moses; designed for the
Amusement and Instruction of Youth.
By a Lady. 12mo, 80 Pages, 15. 6d.
THERE is a peculiar difficulty in
works of imagination, founded upon
Scripture - history.
the sacred writers possess such a
The style of
dignified simplicity, and speaks so
directly to the heart, that it is
hardly possible to render their nar-
Tatives more interesting, either by

poetical diction or invention. Some
writers, however, have thought
otherwise; and, after the example
of Klopstock and Gesner, have at-
teinpted to recommend these sub-
jects to us by the splendor of lan-
guage and the charins of the drama.
This fair writer is by no means with
cut merit in her line; and tho' we
prefer the chaste and dignified style
of the venerable legislator, we are
by no means confident that our young
readers may uniformly do the same;
nor would we discourage the first
attempt of a young female pen, to
recommend the Scriptures.
has availed herself very properly,
She
not only of Scripture materials, but
of the traditions detailed by Jose.
phus and the Rabbins. Had we read
The work, however, with more se-
werity than we have, we could not
have refused the apology, modestly
offered in the following paragraphs
of the preface, which may also
give our readers a short specimen
ot her style; we cannot say, how.
ever, it is preserved equally good
thoughout.

-

The writer of the following pages has two indisputable claims on the candour of the public, · claims which they will not disallow. She is young, and in adversity. Scarcely yet entered her twenty-second year, she has drank deep of the fountain of human affliction; nor has hitherto been permitted to refuse the bitter draught of keen disappointment.

The history of Moses has be guiled many a tedious hour, which, perhaps, would otherwise have been

devoted to a melancholy lassitude and the public appearance of this little volume, is intended for the amusement of young persons of ei ther sex. For them it was written,

to them it is dedicated,-and from them may it meet with a favourable reception!

"And ye, judicious critics! before Will ye be more cruel than Pha whose maturer judgment the juve. nile pen trembles to appear, say, raoh? Oh! rather imitate the gen tle Thermuthis, and protect the in. Destroy not the bud, though tenfant Moses. It is a firft attempt. der. It may, when improving time blossoms, prove a valuable flower," shall have expanded the opening

The Life of Joseph. In Eight Books. By J. Macgowan. Third Edition. 18m0, 250 pages. 25. boards.

ground than the preceding: it is THIS work stands on higher the Third Edition, and has received It was also the production of a pen repeated sanctions from the public. well exercised in writing:-for this reason, however, it is entitled to less indulgence. It is certainly not free from the general fault of works cover a want of acquaintance with of this nature; and it seems to disthe eastern writers, and their forms of expression, which are necessary to give it the colouring of nature. On the other hand, we confess it abounds with just and useful obquaintance with the human heart, servation; it discovers a deep ac an extensive knowledge of the piety and benevolence. Such are world, and, above all, a spirit of the genuine characteristics of this little work; on which account, we rusal of our young readers, for can safely recommend it to the pe larly designed; -and we are happy whose instruction it was particu to find such works to recommend, with writings of imagination of the when the public are daily pestered most dangerous tendency.

Elegy on the Death of the Rev. H. Hunter, D.D. &c. By T. Beck. 8vo. (elegant) price 6d.

By the notes appended to this little Elegy, we learn that the Doc. for was born at Culross, in Perth

share, and educated at the university of Edinburgh. In 1771 he accepted the pastoral charge at the Scots church, London Wall; and continued with the same congrega. tion till his death. But a few weeks since, the Doctor went to Bristol Hot-wells, for his health, where he died on the 27th of last October, in the sixty-second year of his age. He was buried at Bunhill-fields, No

vember 6, when Mr. Steven delivered an oration at his grave; and, on the following Sabbath morning, a sermon was preached on the occasion by Mr. Nicol; and another in the afternoon by Mr. Steven. As the Doctor was a man of no common talents, so he has met with an eulogist of no mean ability.

In this Elegy, Mr. Beck very properly enumerates, and justly discriminates, the Doctor's several publications; and concludes his literary character with the following lines, which are no less honourable to the poet than to the Doctor, and to his country:

**Oh Scotia! from thy cold unge

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adapted as well for the amusement as instruction of the rising genera. tion. The author is an humble imitator of Dr. Watts; and we think he has been particularly successful in his moral songs. Many of his hynins will be acceptable in schools; and the whole forms a pleasing present to young people.

The Unrivalled Felicity of the British Empire. A Sermon preached at Salters' Hall, Nov. 7, 1802, by the Rev. James Steven, Minister of the Scots Church, Crown Court, 84. Published at request. 8vo. is.

FROM the closing words of the parting benediction which Moses pronounced on the nation of Israel (Deut. xxxii. 29.) Mr. Steven in this well-written sermon, demands of his audience the obla tion of their gratitude to God, for his singular goodness to these isles of the sea. He dwells on our na tural advantages of insular situation, fertility of soil, and salubrity of climate; on our civil liberties, and the inherent provisions of the constitution to correct accidental disorders, and supply deficiencies; on our religious privileges, which, after many a struggle by our devout ancestors, were, at length, by the glorious Revolution, as the preacher nervously expresses it, "asserted by the subject, conceded to by the sovereign, and sanctioned by the law;" and on providential interpo sitions, particularly the defeat of the Spanish armada, the preservation of the king and parliament from the gun-powder prot; and, above all, the recovery and establishment of our liberties by the arrival of the Prince of Orange, and by the protestant succession to the crown, in the illustrious family of Hanover. While we muse on these most important benefits, may the fire burn, and the flame of our gratitude ascend to Heaven! Let us, as the preacher recommends in the close of the sermon, wisely discern and gratefully acknowledge the agency of God in all these blessings,-guard against the abuse of them, and study to feel their constraining power to acts of piety, and to works of righteousness.

Publications deferred to our next

Obituary.

MRS. SARAH MOORE.

APRIL 17, 1802, died at Ashbourn, Derbyshire, Mrs. S. Moore, wife of the Rev. G. Moore. Her affliction, though short, was exceeding painful; but, to the praise of rich grace, not a murmur escaped her lips throughout all her illness. Her love to the ministers of Jesus was such, that she was never more happy than when she could mani fest it. When free from domestic concerns, it was the joy of her heart to retire from men, and converse with God. Her affliction was of that nature, that her friends could not converse much with her, without great inconvenience on her part; and as none about her doubt. ed the safety of her state, they were contented and thankful for the few words from her. Now and then, as the case admitted, during the few last days of her affliction, I copied some of the weighty words which survive her.

Sunday morning, April 11, when I went into her room, and asked how she did? She answered, with the sweetest emotion, in the words of that hymn, "When I tread the verge of Jordan," &c. with some other passages of our sacred poets.

Monday, April 12, she said, "He is on the first step of the ladder, coming down to fetch me up to him." The enemy is chained; he can do me no harm." In the evening, when nature was a little relieved, her bursts of praise to the Lord for his mercy, I hope never to forget. In this happy interval, she repeated some lines of poetry which I was not acquainted with, and desired me to sing them. I told her I did not know the words. Her answer was, perhaps too true, "You mourn when you should sing."

Tuesday. "My life is held in awful suspense." I urged submission to the Lord's will; to which she replied, "Oh, my dear, I could bear it for a hundred years, were it

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thankful for, if he does no more for us! The Lord appeared for me; in the Mount of Difficulty he has been seen. -The Lord grant me While the an easy passage!" Rev. Mr. S. a clergyman of her acquaintance, and another friend, stood by her bed-side, she said, several times, with much fervour, "You see now nothing will do, but an interest in Christ."

Wednesday. I said, I hope yout are happy, my dear?' Her answer was, "Not without a cloud."

Thursday. I said to her, 'I hope the Lord supports you?' Her reply was, "There is my hope!". When I told her I had brought her a cup of coffee, she answered me, with a smile of praise upon her fase, "More mercies in the wilderness !" Afterwards she said, "I want to have nothing at all to do with self; I want to have done with self, and to be swallowed up in God!" When I said to her, I hope you have given me and the dear child up to the Lord; and as sured her I would endeavour to act by her as a father, her answer was, "I have, and am not afraid to leave her in your care, as I have given her up to the Lord.”

Saturday. I was afraid the close of life would be attended with great pain, and therefore withdrew, to ask the Lord to grant her her heart's and my soul's desire, an easy passage! I had scarce risen from my knees, when a friend who attended her, brought me word she was gone; so that my fears were sweetly disappointed.

On Sunday evening, hier old and respected friend, the Rev. Jonathan Scott, from Matlock, preached a

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