again he should know it. An apothecary of the town having therefore brought several sorts of poison, he took that opportunity of swallowing a considerable quantity of yellow arsenic before any of the company could prevent it, and languished from Tuesday till Saturday evening, tortured alike by bodily pangs and mental remorse to the moment of his dissolution.—~ His friends having been refused permission to bury him at St. Michael's, they purposed to have him interred in his own ground, at the bottom of Market-lane. But in that design also they were thwarted by the pious acrimony of the public mind; for one of the constables conveyed him, in a dung cart, without à coffin, to the cross roads near Spittle Barn, where he was interred, in a grave dug north and south, from some absurd superstitious notion, a stake having been driven through the uncovered corpse. Sir, HINTS TO PROFESSORS. To the Editor. Observing with pain the prevalence of dispositions incongruous with Christianity, among those who would be much affronted not to be thought Christians, but do not always remember, the close connection there is between doctrines and practice, I transmit you a few select sentences, which it would be advisable for the angry, covetous, revengeful, censorious, and peevish Christians, to treasure up in their memories, as bulwarks against the attacks of their darling sin. H-n. 1. THE ANGRY. The hasty man never wants woe. REHSIF. He is a fool who cannot be angry; but he is a wise man who will not. So much of passion, so much of nothing to the purpose. 'Tis a mark of great proficiency to bear easily the failings of others. If you are angry, you will have two troubles instead of one. Folly and anger are but two names for the same thing. anger. 2. THE COVETOUS. The covetous can be good to no man; but he is so to none so cruel as to himself. Hath not gold destroyed the virtue of millions? Did it ever add to the goodness of any? Riches are servants to the wise; but tyrants over the fool. The covetous serveth his gold; it serveth not him. He possesseth his wealth as the sick doth a fever; it burneth and tortureth him, and will not quit him till death. A covetous man roasts meat for others to eat. A covetous man makes a halfpenny of a farthing; a liberal one makes sixpence of it. 3. THE REVENGEFUL. Poorness of spirit will actuate revenge; greatness of soul despiseth the offence. He that disdaineth to feel an injury, retorteth it upon him who offereth it. That cannot be an injury which is never felt. The revengeful is feared: and therefore he is hated. Seldom is there any punishment which revenge can inflict more severe than what is suffered by him who inflicts it. 4. THE CENSORIOUS. Since you can bear with your own, bear with other men's failings. Pardon others, but not thyself. Speak not of me, unless you know me well. By others faults, wise men cover their own. He who knows most, commonly speaks least. 'Tis good to know our friends failings, but not to publish them. Think of yourself, and let me alone. 5. THE PEEVISH. Peevishness is still more unamiable than passion; and more destructive of happiness, as it operates continually. The peevish man betrays a low and little mind, intent on trifles, and engrossed by a paltry self-love, which knows not how to bear the very apprehension of an inconvenience. Those deserve to be doubly laughed at, who are peevish for nothing of any purpose. He who allows a cross temper to govern him, must be at stranger to tranquillity. There are thousands who, in public, appear to be all sweetness, who at home give vent with freedom to the most peevi h dispositions. THE HONOURABLE TRADESMAN. (An Extract from a Youth's Letter on leaving his Apprenticeship:) "I very much admire Mr. I entertain the highest esteem for him; he is actuated by a noble, generous spirit; and his integrity in business is almost without an equal, except his worthy father. (2 Tim. i. 5.) I do think that rather than do any thing unworthy an honest tradesman, or stoop to any thing mean, he would sacrifice his whole stock in trade.' Reading the Morning Exercises to-day, which were delivered above an hundred years ago, the following passage appeared suitable to stir up private Christians to lend a helping hand in Missionary Work. Your inserting it will oblige me. The whole discourse (from which this is an extract) is well worthy attention: it is volume iv, page 300. Westminster, Nov. 7, 1812. I am yours, truly, R. H. S. I WOULD earnestly recommend to private Christians,-Charge your consciences with this, as a necessary, excellent, honourable, and comfortable duty, That ye stand obliged, in all ways prescribed by God, according to your circumstances, to be helpful toward the promoting the gospel. Look upon your former failings as sinful, and to be repented of; and for the future, apply yourselves more vigorously and cheerfully to this blessed work. To move and encourage you hereunto, 1. Excite your faith to receive and realize those many glorious promises which are made to Christ, as Mediator, touching the establishment and enlargement of his kingdom in the world, as in Psalm ii. 8, &c. with abundance more of the same import. 2. Consider, that the preaching of the gospel is the ordinary means whereby subjects are gained to Christ, and brought under his governIf ye then promote the spreading of the gospel, ye enlarge the kingdom of Christ. ment *. 3. Tenderly pity and compassionate the many millions of the sons and daughters of Adam, who were hewn out of the same rock, and digged out of the same hole of the pit with yourselves +, who as yet lie in thraldom under Satan, and are members of his visible kingdom. It would, doubtless, be very grateful to you if your assistance might contribute any thing toward their deliverance out of that miserable bondage; and the means to procure it, is to keep on, as far as ye may, the bringing of the gospel among them: for that is God's appointed way to effect it + 4. Remember, that grace, when it hath its freedom of exercise, will draw you off from-centering in self, and raise in you a spirit of freedom and nobleness to seek the good of others, especially to advance the glory of God in the salvation of souls. Take heed that ye be not found in the number of those of whom the apostle speaks, in Phil. ii. 21: For all seek them now, not the things which are Jesus Christ's.' 5. I hope ye do not desire to be excused, or excluded from bearing any part in that honourable and glorious work, of being employed by Christ in your stations and according to your capacities) in the affairs of his kingdom; but that it would grieve you at the very heart to be laid aside, as a despised broken idol. When all this is recollected and maturely pondered, where is that godly private Christian that will deliberately say, I am not concerned to be helpful in such ways as are proper for me in promoting the entertainment of the gospel?' THE Rev. Dr. Ayscough, tutor to the family of the late Prince of Wales (his Majesty's father) in a letter to the Rev. Dr. Doddridge, tells the following very pleasing little story: :-'I have one great encouragement to quicken me iu my duty, the good disposition of the children entrusted to me. As an instance of it, I must tell you, that Prince George (to his honour, and my shame) has learned several pages of your book of verses, without any direction from me. Rom. x. 14, 15, 17. † Isa. li. I. † Read Luke iv. 18; and Acts xxvi. 17, 18. Obituary. MR. JONATHAN HERNE, Late of Hoxton Square, departed this life, after a very short illness, on the 12th of May, 1812, aged 55 years. This worthy man derived his origin from a respectable ancestry of Protestant Dissenters. He was born in London, Feb. 27, 1757, and baptized soon after by the late Dr. Jennings. Mr. Herne enjoyed the advantages of classical instruction at school, and the still more important privileges of a religious education, by which he was happily preserved from those loose principles, and vicious indulgences, by which so many young persons are ensnar ed; and it pleased God so to bless the means of instruction which he enjoyed, that his mind became early impressed with a deep concern about salvation. At the age of 22 he was admitted a member of the church of Christ on the pavement of Moorfields, then under the pastoral care of the Rev. Dr. Conder, and the Rev. W. Bennet, April 2, 1779. The circumstances of this period, when Mr. Herne publicly gave up himself to the Lord and to his church, are rendered memorable to many, by their having about the same time become members of that religious community; some of whom are still remaining, and others, together with their late estimable friend, after having given incontestable proof of the power of religion on their minds, have been removed and joined to the blessed society of the church above. The relations of a husband, a father, and a brother, he sustained with the greatest honour to his character, both as a man and a Christian, by constantly mingling the indulgence of every kind of social feeling with the consistent exercise of piety and prudence. His religious profession was not austere and repulsive in his own family, but amiable, and sweetly impressive on all around him. His con house was a house of prayer; and his family devotions were ducted in a manner which rendered them at once pleasing and profitable. For some time after he had set out in the ways of religion, his mind was strongly exercised with doubts and discouragements, arising partly from the temptations and suggestions of the great_adversary of souls, and partly from clouded and incorrect views of evangelical truth, through which he occasionally suffered considerable depression and anxiety of spirit; but, by the blessing of God accompanying his diligent search into the scriptures, and his humble, serious, and prayerful attendance on the ministry of the word, he soon began to discover an improve ing acquaintance with the prin ciples of the gospel; in conse quence of which, his confidence to, wards God became more and more established, until he attained that ، good hope, through grace' which filled him with habitual tranquillity and cheerfulness of spirit. This was, indeed, a distinguishing trait in his religious character, mingled with holy reverence of God, and delight in devotional exercises, both private and public; at once evincing the vitality of religion in his own experience, and recommending its amiableness to around him. all character could not but be noticed in the church of which he was a member; and accordingly he was chosen to the office of a Deacon (though on his own part with great reluctance) at a Church Meeting, held Dec. 2, 1790, when he had attained only the 32d year of his age. He did not, however, consider the whole duty of a Christian, as performed by these or any other acts of a religious nature. He understood and constantly acted on that part of holy writ which says, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself; and in this spirit he went every prudent length in alleviating the distresses of the poor and the needy and the Lord seemed to bless every operation of his hands, so that what was freely given him in a way of providence, he freely used for the glory of God, and the benefit of his fellow-creatures. In addition to the duties of domestic and public worship, and to that of lending pecuniary assist ance to the needy, he was sure to be found at the house of sickness, or mourning, with the tribute of consolation, speaking a word in season, and offering up supplications to the Father of mercies, with and for those whom he was thus visiting. Nor did this good man confine his prayers for the distressed, to the sick chamber, or the society of mourners; he was sure to carry their concerns in his mind, and notice them in his stated family. devotions, He manifested also a concern for the interests of the neighbourhood in which he lived; and no occurrence of moment could take place there thatwas not referred to the throne of grace, in the morning or evening worship in his fanily. It is worthy of observation, how strict he was in his preparation for approaching Sabbaths, and the spirit with which he kept them. It has frequently been noticed in his family, that, so early as the Thursday preceding the Lord's Day, he would be remembering it in his prayers, and endeavouring to prepare his mind for its approach; and he often laid this injunction on his children and others, to slight their Sabbaths,' never Some years after this, when Mr. H. paid a visit to Mr. Fuller, at his country house, Ponder's End, he mentioned a farther design of building and endowing another set of alms-houses for aged females. Intelligence like this awakened the most lively sentiments of compassion in the mind of our friend, and the thing uppermost in his thoughts was to look out for a piece of ground suited to the purpose of buildng; and this he providentially met with in the course of 24 hours, of which Mr. Fuller was informed by the proprietor of the land; but that gentleman dying in the interim, the matter was of course for the present laid aside; yet this good man, ever restless to subserve the cause of humanity, where there seemed an opening so to do, made an early communication of Mr. Fuller's intention to his surviving daughter, who, greatly to her honour, said, that whatever her father had proposed thus to do, she would carry into execution." Some ground was then obtained, through the instrumentality of Mr. Herne, in Gloucester Street, near Hoxton, and purchased by that Lady, who caused houses to be built thereon, for the residence of 16 necessitous and aged women; and placed a sum of money in the Bank, the interest arising from which has made a comfortable support for their inhabitants. This sum, and the management of the family, is under the direction of trustees; and Mr. Herne was appointed one of the number. The trustees to both sets of alms-houses confided the superintendence of them to the care of our deceased friend; and those |