against that hypocrisy, which says, Lord! Lord! yet doth not the things that he commandeth; against that insincerity which spares some beloved sin. Be not content, my friends, to hear your people take the gospel on their lips; be not content till you see it shine in their lives, regulating their tempers, subduing their corruptions, sanctifying them in soul, body, and spirit. Rest not till you see "Christ formed in them" in all holy dispositions; in all the graces of the Christian temper. Let them hear much of heart-religion. For want of this, vital godliness decays, closets are neglected, the spirit of prayer is departing, secret sins are not discerned, duties are neglected, and many have a name" only "to live, while they are dead." You will, I am sure, excuse the liberty I have taken with you. I write under the strongest impressions of the importance of the subject; under a painful feeling of that superficial profession; that neglect of gospel-holiness, which disgraces the religion of Jesus. O, my friends, be not afraid to preach the whole gospel.. in all its sanctifying influences, as well as its saving love! You may be reproached for it as legal. Some will say, "this is a hard saying, who can bear it?". And, many who cannot give up their evil passions and corrupt affections, may depart and walk no more with you. But none of these things will move the faithful ambassadors of Jesus. While they declare faithfully all his counsels, while they keep close to him and his gospel, they have nothing to fear. While you are his zealous and faithful labourers, you have much to hope. His blessed assurance is, "Lo! I am with you always, even to the end of the world." May you, my friends, after being made the honoured instruments of turning many to righteousness here, be received by your divine Lord and Redeemer, to shine for ever in his kingdom above! A HINT TO TROUBLESOME PROFESSORS OF THE GOSPEL. He that troubleth you shall bear his own judgment, - CHRISTIANITY, at its commencement, had to oppose not only the natural pride and obstinacy incident to corrupt na ture; but prejudices arising from the practice of Gentilism, and from mistaken views of the Mosaic dispensation. Many of the Jews believed the gospel, or professed to believe it; but, from imperfect notions of its nature and freeness, and from an attachment to the abrogated rites of the ceremonial law, brought in sentiments which, if not totally subversive of the gospel, yet tended to obscure its glories, abridge its privileges, and destroy its admirable simplicity. Such Judaizing Christians existed' among the Galatians: and against them, together with their doctrine, is this whole epistle directed. This text is a part peculiarly awful and instructive: though written with an immediate reference to those who troubled the Galatians, it may, I apprehend, adinit of a more general application; — an application to those of the present day, who, by any means, disturb the peace of the churches of Christ. To consider this evil conduct and its consequences, may not be unworthy the attention of any, and especially demands the attention of schismatics and disturbers. Disturbances in churches are sometimes produced by raising mere circumstantials to the importance of first principles and essentials in religion; giving infinite weight to every trifle; agitating, with fury, questions on which the wisest and holiest men have agreed to differ; charging those who conscientiously differ from them, with stubborn ignorance or designing hypocrisy. Some disturb churches by confining their view to one important truth, and dwelling or insisting on that to the exclusion of the truth. Instead of considering truth in its whole extent, one idea is seized, dwelt on, and propagated, — while he who dares to consider the word of God as containing an assemblage of truths, which form a glorious whole, is charged with legality, and ignorance; which, instead of demanding pity, prayer, and reason, deserves all the chastisement that bitter bigotry and unchristian cruelty can inflict. Others disturb the Churches of Christ by insinuations to the disadvantage of a minister. A numerous people love the man, and listen to his doctrine and precepts with delight. Sinners are converted, and saints edified, and all walk in love, maintaining the unity of the Spirit in the boud of peace, till some root of bitterness springing up troubles them. The minds of some are warped; they hear without candour, perhaps, without prayer. The ininister's designs are misrepresented. Sentiments are charged on him which his soul abhors. Every expression is tortured, till they make it confess a falsehood. Such conduct justly offends the more serious and peaceable. With the offending party, expostulation becomes vain; and, confident in their own discernment, the conversion of thousands, by the minister's means, could not convince them that God does, or will, or can, own his labours. That a minister may so act or preach as to deserve the disapprobation of his hearers, is a melancholy truth, which every candid mind must confess, and every pious mind lament. The minister, however, may preach the important doctrines of the Fall, the atonement and divinity of the Redeemner, the info ence of the Holy Spirit, and all others which are deemed Evangelical; his life may be unimpeachably exemplary; — yet he gives unpardonable offence, which warrants the most cruel insinuations, or the most awful charges: and why? Because he may not have made these offended and offending ones of sufficient importance; or, because he will not dwell exclusively on their one favourite doctrine, the truth and importance of which he admits, and feels to as great a degree as themselves; or, perhaps, because the God of nature has not furnished him with a voice and manner perfectly agreeable to their wishes. And a series of moral defects is an offence of a far less magnitude than a want of such, or such a way of preaching! If such troublers of the Israel of God read these lines, may we ask them, Have they ever properly considered this text? If they are Christians, real Christians, do they not find deadness of soul, a crossness and bitterness of temper, little becoming the disciples of him whose name and nature is love? Do they not attend, without advantage, the same ministry, under which they once professed to have derived instruction and comfort? Is there any real difference in the doctrines preached? Why, then, is there such a difference in their feelings? Is it, or is it not, because God has given them over for a time to bear their own judgments?" And is not such unprofitableness a judgment which every real believer must dread? 1.. If they are not real Christians, (and such persons frequently are not) is not such a mode of conduct the way to be confirmed in ignorance, obstinacy, and hardness of heart? "I beg leave to close this piece with the recital of an anec dote, which may be considered as a living and painful illustration of the Apostle's declaration. In the neighbourhood of a small, but truly pious, affectionate, and catholic Calvinistic church (of which the writer was a member)' there was a congregation belonging to Mr. Wesley's society. The two con gregations were in the strictest bonds of Christian friendship. Their houses and hearts were open to each other. The ministers of those churches were more than common friends. They differed on the doctrine of election, but the grace of God had made them one soul. In Mr. Wesley's society was a very zealous free-will lay preacher, who occasionally came to the town in which the Calvinistic church met; he seized every opportunity of introducing his peculiar sentiments, throwing the church into confusion, and making the people miserable with bitter contentions, on points which they had previously considered as no bar to the exercise, of Christian love. When my venerable and excellent pastor was lamenting it to his worthy friend, the minister of the Wesleyan congregation, the latter said, grieve that Mr. has acted so impro 66 perly; I could not have done it: nor would I, for the world, have that text against me, which appears applicable to him," "He that troubleth you shall bear his own judgment." The writer of this has since been in company with this zealous laypreacher, who then was, and still continues, a daring and hardened infidel. EIRENICOS. LETTER,' WRITTEN BY THE SHEPHERD OF SALISBURY PLAIN, To the Editor. Sir, Many of your readers, without doubt, have read, with pleasure and instruction, the little cheap Repository Tract, entitled, "The Shepherd of Salisbury Plain." Some, perhaps, may not know that the admirable account was founded on a real character and facts. Having met with an Original Letter, in the Shepherd's own hand-writing, addressed to a respectable Farmer, I have thought it may be acceptable to your readers to insert it in your Magazine, with no other alterations than in the spelling of a few words, and the omission of a few repetitions and a paragraph or two. A short account of his death, from a London News-paper, of September 15, 1796, may properly be inserted, as a sort of Preface to the Letter. Basingstoke. I am yours, &c. JOSEPH JEFFERSON. "LAST Week died, at Wyke, between Bath and Bristol, in -the seventieth year of his age, David Saunders, of West Lavington, Wilts, whose distinguished piety and moral excellence furnished Miss H. Moore with materials for her much admired story of The Shepherd of Salisbury Plain." The dimness of his sight had obliged him to give up his occupation, which he had followed for more than half a century on the same farm, until about six months back: - since which time several respectable farmers, who well knew his worth, entertained him, by rotation, at their houses; and as a mark of their unfeigned respect for his memory, they had his remains conveyed from the place of his decease to his own parish, and buried with more than common solemnity." Dear Friend, THE LETTER. Littleton, Aug. 16, 1799. I received a kind and welcome letter from you, dated July 25; which letter I could not answer myself, by reason of the infirmities and weakness of body I was then under; but I desired friend Wastfield, of Imber, to answer it in my stead; and I hope you received it to your satisfaction; but not having since heard from you, I concluded the hurry of harvest prevented. I then acquainted you, my cousin James Saunders was coming at Michaelmas to be your servant, if God shall permit; but he desired a protection from you, that he might come safely from Salisbury to you, and not be molested by the press-gang; for hearing lately of many instances that have happened, he says, he is afraid, not being used to travel; and being a mother's delight, she will not be satisfied so I hope you will let him know how he may come safely. I hope he will answer to your satisfaction; for he says, he will endeavour to the utmost of his power. You must excuse his spiritual ignorance, for he never had any instruction; and may the Lord open his understanding, and teach him to know bis blessed will! I am ready to conclude he will be a good servant; for I am near him, and do not see but he is very diligent, and understands his business. He says, he cannot afford to come under eight guineas a year; and he will put a helping hand to forward his master's business, so far as not to neglect the flock when under his care. I could wish a few books amongst you, lately wrote by friend Wastfield. I have dispersed many of them; and they are liked much. They are wrote in a simple and innocent style, to promote the glory God. They are entitled, "The Gospel-Mirror, both to Professor and Profane." of As for my part, I am but very poorly in body, having very sore legs; and cannot perform the business of my flock without help. As to the things of this world, I have but little share, having my little cot to pray and praise my God in, and a bed to rest on so I have just as much of the world as I desire. But my garment is worn out, and some of my Christian friends think they must put their mites together and buy me one, or else I shall not be able to endure the cold in the winter: so I can say, Good is the Lord! he is still fulfilling his promise: "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." When I read in your last, the tender humility the Lord, by his grace, has wrought in your soul, in bringing you to sit down among the Magdalen and Jerusalem sinners, my aged soul praised God on your behalf; for it is such sinners as Jesus Christ came to seek and save. For he says, "I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance ;" therefore, let me, as a wellwisher to your soul, intreat you to yield yourself up to God. Let him have the whole pre-eminence to reign and rule over you, that, as he has begun the work of grace and salvation in your soul, he may carry it on till the day of the Lord Jesus; and you can truly and experimentally say, with the apostle, You have found redemption in his blood, even the forgiveness of sins; " for in the Lord have I found |