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two on the reading of other publications. Serious and well-written books certainly may be of use when read in subordination to the Bible; and it is pleasant to see persons any way fond of perusing them, especially in an age so characterized for its disssipation and vanity; but we are prone to run to extremes. While one age is remarked for its ignorance and indolence, another is remarked for its affectation of knowledge and pretended literature. At the present period we see persons fond of collecting large libraries, and reading almost every thing, while, alas! thus attempting to gain all, they obtain nothing! If we would be wise, let our books be few, well-chosen, and well read. Books (that have cost learned men years of labour and difficulty) once superficially read, and then put upon the shelves merely to be looked at, is the way indeed to preserve their covers, but not the way to gain their contents. We may be always reading a variety in a desultory manner, and never get any real addition to our intellectual store. We may pass from book to book, be acquainted with all the titles of publications from the oldest writer down to the present day, and, after all, we may have "laboured without profit, and studied with out information." Now as the end of reading is, or should be, the profiting of our minds, we should be careful how and what we read. Young beginners especially would do well to ask and follow the advice of their superiors, and those who are more acquainted with books, and likewise to consult the best and most impartial reviews. By these means they will be able to discover what are, and what are nbt, worth reading; and if people wish to profit by what they read, they should go about it with much care, prayer, and supplication. The generality of readers neglect this; but if we consider it our duty to implore the bles sing of the Almighty on the food we receive for the nourishment of our bodies, much more should we earnestly intreat him for a benediction on what we read as the food and nourishment of our minds. Let us then be not only careful, observant, retentive, but praying readers, that the Lord may bless what we peruse for the real advantage of our immortal souls, that our minds may be more instructed, our hearts enlivened, and our lives more uniform and consistent.

LECTOR.

LETTER

LETTER FROM THE REV. MR. HAWEIS.

Mr. EDITOR,

AS it is the design of your Evangelical Magazine to make

the word of truth more diffused and better understood, I shall beg the favour of you to insert my request to any of your numerous readers, among whom will be found some men of science and literature, that they will favour me, through the medium of your Miscellany, with criticisms on any texts they may have remarked (if my translation of the New Testament hath fallen into their hands) wherein I have mistaken the Original.

To make the word of God better known and clearer to readers of common capacity, is surely highly desirable. have attempted it, but numerous eyes can see further than those of an individual. I am earnest to court candid criticism, and wish, in a second edition, to improve by any assistance of this sort, which may be afforded. The discussion of particular and more difficult passages of the Scripture would, to many of your readers, form a useful and entertaining part of your Magazine, as it would to Your humble servant,

T. HAWEIS.

A LETTER FROM A COUNTRY FARMER,

TO JOSEPH HARDCASTLE, ESQ. TREASURER OF THE MISSI ONARY SOCIETY; INCLOSING A TEN POUND BANK NOTE.

DEAR SIR,

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HAVE read with delight the account of the late meeting of Ministers to establish a fund for spreading the glorious Gospel in the dark regions of heathenism. As it has pleased the Lord to place me under the joyful sound, and, in some small degree, taught me to prize it, and as he has given me something to spare for the promotion of it, I am persuaded that I cannot lay out a small portion more to his glory, than in forwarding the good work which you have undertaken; that of ploughing up the fallow ground of the hearts in those uncultivated lands. My employ teaches me, that the soils, not before disturbed, are the most likely to pay the husbaudman for his toil; and I have no doubt but it is the same in a spiritual sense. Toward the necessary

expence

expence of equipping those ploughmen for their work, I beg the inclosed small sum may be added to the large sums already in hand. I sincerely pray for a blessing on the glorious undertaking, and am, dear Sir,

(I trust in the Lord)

Your very humble servant,

December 8th, 1795.

A FARMER,

AN AFFECTIONATE ADDRESS

TO A YOUNG CHRISTIAN.

EVERY sincere lover of Christ must feel a peculiar pleasure in observing serious appearances among young persons. Mindful, however, of the difficulties under which the lambs of Christ's flock usually labour, he wishes to give them every assistance of which he is capable. Such is the design of the following address, which is dictated, not in the spirit of pride and self-importance, but from the warmest sentiments of love and affection.

YOUR present profession of adherence to Christ, my dear young friend, arises not, I trust, from transient emotions of religion only; you are in some degree convinced of its truth and excellence, and are determined by grace to follow Jesus through every opposition. Your eyes have been opened to discern your natural, guilty, and depraved state. Sensible that you can do nothing to recover yourself, you place all your confidence in the atonement, righteousness, and grace of Christ, for complete redemption; and are de sirous of living as an eternal debtor to his free grace, glorifying him in your soul and in your body, which are his. If this be your character, I hope you will listen with attention to the advice of a stranger, who is unfeignedly solicitous of your spiritual comfort and improvement.

As it is by the word of God that we at first are made spiritually alive, so our progress in the divine life is promoted by the same means. Searching the Scriptures therefore is a duty of great importance; nor is it possible to express the benefits derived from a judicious and comprehensive knowledge of them. The assertions of the inspired Apostle are highly interesting. The boly Scriptures are able to make thee wise unto salvation, through faith, which is in Jesus Christ. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God,

and

and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works, 2 Tim. iii. 15---17. Ponder seriously these words; and let your practice bear evidence that you firmly believe them. The real value of the word of God can only be known by a practical acquaintance with it. You cannot therefore study your own happiness to better purpose, than by daily searching for wisdom in that inestimable treasure. If you come, in the humble spirit of a child, to God as your teacher, and, sensible of your natural inability to discern divine truth spiritually, look to him to guide you by his Spirit into all truth, you shall soon attain higher degrees of solid knowledge. Your difficulties and misconceptions shall gradually be cleared up: Nor will your understanding of the truth enable you merely to contend for it against adversaries; you shall possess that inward and invigorating power of it, which God only can give, and by which the soul is transformed into his image. From being a babe in Christ, feeding upon the sincere milk of the word, you shall attain the character of a strong man, able to digest the more mysterious parts of divine truth, and shall even acquire the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgment of the mystery of God, even of the Father, and of Christ.

Intimately connected with the duty of searching the Scriptures is that of maintaining the spirit of prayer. In vain do we otherwise hope to preserve the life of religion. With our knowledge we may please and edify others; but all must be cold and dark within. Backslidings from the ways of God usually begin in the careless performance of closet devotion; and our spiritual prosperity may be judged of by our regard or aversion to private prayer; be advised then, my dear fellow-traveller, often to retire for the purpose of enjoying sweet fellowship with your heavenly Father. Fear not that he will refuse to manifest himself unto you: Remember his promise, Before they call, I will answer; and whilst they are yet speaking, I will bear. All the delights of the sons of men are no compensation for the loss of even one moment's real fellowship with God. Blessed are they who know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O Lord, in the tight of thy countenance. In thy name shall they rejoice all the day, and in thy righteousness shall they be exalted. Certainly they bid fairest to attain the highest degrees of spiritual delight and improvement who are men of prayer and devotion: Let not any thing then hinder you from this

high enjoyment: And endeavour to acquire a habit of lifting up your soul to God by pious ejaculations. Thus you shall go on your way rejoicing.

But while I urge the propriety of conscientiously observing secret duties, public ordinances are no less useful and necessary. They have a mutual influence upon each other. A lover of Christ loves also his tabernacles. His soul longeth, yea even fainteth, for the courts of the Lord, Young Christians, however, seldom need to be urged upon this head. It is more seasonable to remind them, that they must be careful of the spirit in which they attend ordinances.-From my own feeling and that of many others, I would humbly warn you, my dear reader, to beware of placing too much confidence in means. Your soul will flourish under the Gospel in proportion as you attend simply upon the Lord himself. Sitting thus at the feet of Jesus, and receiving the truth from his mouth, it will ever be new, savoury, and refreshing to you. Sensible that the richest variety of means are ineffectual in themselves, you will look to Jesus for his presence and blessing. Thus ordinances become wells of salvation, and pastures where our souls are nourished, Very different, however, must be the effects of that carnal manner of observing divine institutions with which many are contented. Higher degrees of speculative knowledge they may indeed attain, but must remain strangers to its vital power and influence. Their ignorant admiration of men will probably be succeeded by disaffection and disgust; and their apparent love of ordinances converted into contempt even of the form of godliness: So dangerous is it to rest satisfied with the means, without enoying the power of religion!

Sometimes you are perplexed, as is usual with young converts, with the many distinctions which obtain among pro fessing Christians. Let not this, however, in the smallest degree, discourage you. You will soon learn that a perfect agreement in lesser external matters is incompatible with our présent imperfect state. When your knowledge of the word of God is enlarged, you will discern no such differences among real Christians as at first you imagined. Only be patient, humble, and teachable; and God will guide you through every difficulty, You shall be directed to associate with that body of his people where he hath determined to prepare you for glory; and shall, I trust, enjoy so much of the. Spirit of Christ, as will determine you to love his VOL. IV. . members,

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