over us here; she was terribly frightened, and thought it was the day of judgment, and in she run with another gossip of hers, who was of her mind and against me, and down they Tell upon their knees on the floor, and said, Abraham, come and pray for us; so said I, What is the matter, dame? Oh' said she, it is the day of judgment, it is the day of judgment, ar'nt you afraid? Afraid! no, said I, what should I be afraid of? If it is the day of judgment, then I shall see Christ Jesus, my Lord, and that will be a joyful sight. So, my Lady, I began to sing a hymn. By and by the storm was over, and then they both forgot the fright it had put them in."

He died in the 106th year of his age, persevering in the Christian walk, and adorning the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things; and, as a ripe sheaf in the day of harvest, was gathered into the bosom of our Saviour in peace by a gentle dissolution, old and full of days.

RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE.

ON Tuesday, July 5, a meeting of the Truftees was held for the dif tribution of the profits arising from the fale of this Magazine When the following cafes, being properly recommended, were attended to, and relieved:

We are forry to fay, that the finances of the Moravian Brethren are confiderably embarraffed, in confequence of two congregations, on the frontiers of Germany, from whence they ufually received large fupplies, being difpersed by the war. This is the more to be lamented, as

they

they have no less than one hundred and thirty-five miffionaries in various parts of the world to be fupported.

N. B. Several cafes were not admitted, not being recommended agreeably to the rules.

MISSIONARY SOCIETY.

SINCE the last General Meeting, the Directors have been unwearied in their exertions; and, we are happy to fav, that, by the bleffing of God on their endeavours, the first important Miffion to the South-Seas is nearly compleated. Having purchafed an excellent fhip, and fitted it up with proper accommodations, twenty-nine Millionaries in town and country were collected together, and folemnly fet apart for the work of the Million, on Thursday, July 28, at Zion Chapel. As notice of the designation had been given from the pulpits of the friends of the inftitution in London, on the preceding Sabbath, feveral thousands of people were affembled long before the time of worship commenced. So crowded and ferious an affembly has been feldom feen on any occafion. Every ear was attentive to the judicious and folid difcourfes of the preachers; and every heart feemed to feel when thofe fervants of God, who had freely offered themfelves in this arduous undertaking, folemnly pledged themfelves to perfevere in the name and strength of the Lord.

No less than ten Minifters were engaged in this pleafing and extraordinary fervice: three prayed; Dr. Hunter preached; and Dr. Williams delivered a folemn charge to the Missionaries; an Epifcopalian, a Scotch Seceder, a Prefbyterian, an Independent, and a Methodist, united in the designation of the Miffionaries, addrefling them severally in the following words, "Go, our beloved brother, and live agreeably to this holy word; (putting a Bible into his hand), and publish the Gofpel of our Lord Jefus Chrift to the heathen, according to your calling, gifts, and abilities, in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghoft;" to which each replied, "I will, God being my helper."

Such a fight was truly impreffive, not merely on account of its novelty, or the advantages that may refult to the leathen world, but for the cordial affection which fo happily fubfifts, and evidently increafes in Minifters of different denominations, who, previous to this inftitution, had neither fellowship nor intercourfe with each other. We cannot, at fo late a part of the month, detail the particulars; nor will our being prevented be very material, as the difcourfes themselves will be published, together with the names of the Minifters who engaged, the Miffionaries who were fet apart, and all the particulars of the fervice.

We understand that the Bibles, prefented to the Miffionaries, were given by John Bailey, Elq. of Hackney, a member of Mr. Eyre's congregation, with this felect paffage written in each, with his own hand, "Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghoft; and lo! I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world."

The fhip is called, The DUFF, and is expected to fail in a few days, under convoy with the hips that are going to the Eaft-Indies. The friends of the Society in London, and fome other places, particularly Sheffield, have contributed liberally various articles, either as ftores, or for the equipment of the Millionaries.

In a fubfiquent number we may be enabled to lay before our readers the names and donations of many of thefe generous contributors.

ON

ON Thursday, July 14, Mr. Robert Greig, preacher of the Gofpe under the infpection of the Affociate Synod, was ordained paftor of the congregation at Stitchel in the county of Roxburgh, by the prefbytery of Kello, in the following manner :

The Rev. John Brown, of Whitburn, began the service with finging and prayer. The ordination-fermon was preached by the Rev. James Henderfon, of Hawick, from these words, 2 Tim. ii. 15. "Study to fhew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be afhamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." After this Mr. Greig gave a public confeffion of his faith, affigned the motives of his entering into the miniftry of the Gofpel, and folemnly engaged in divine ftrength to fulfil its various duties. This he did by anfwering the questions put to candidates in the formula of the Seceflion church. After this he was fet apart to the office of the ministry, and the paftoral care of that corgiegation by prayer, with the laying-on of the hands of the prefbytery. The right hand of fellowship being given to him by the Minifters prefent, Mr. Henderfon proceeded to give the charge to him and to the people. He was followed by the Rev. Mr. Ure, of Ayton, who addressed the congregation in a discourse from Luke, viii. 18." Take heed how ye hear ;" and, after prayer and singing, difmiffed the affembly in the usual

manner.

By the fame channel we are happy to learn, that the Kello Association for aiding the Miffionary Society have collected and tranfmitted to the Treasurer ninety-two, and the affociate congregation, at Yethelm, in that neighbourhood, eight—in all one hundred pounds.

ON

OBITUARY.

Death of Mr. John Pelly Lepard.

March 21, 1796, died, after a lingering nefs, Mr. John Pelly Lepard. He was an inftance of early piety, being impreffed with convictions for fin, when only about nine or ten years of age, by reading Mr. Bunyar's Pilgrim's Progress, and enjoying the frequent instructions of his mother, for whole attention to his best interefts, he used to say, he Could never be fufficiently thankful. His diftrefs of mind, about the time above-mentioned, was greater than is usual to children of his age. He was particularly depreffed and agitated one Lord's day morning, but was much comforted and encouraged by a fermon preached by Mr. Hutchings, at his meeting-houfe, Rotherhithe-Road, from Matt. xi. 28. "Come unto me, &c." For fome time after this he walked very happlly in the ways of God; many difcourfes which he heard were deeply impreffed upon his heart, and one more particularly, from Pfa. Ixii. 5, preached at Mr. Barber's meeting-houfe, Founder's-hall, Lothbury, My foul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him,” He did not, however, continue long in this pleafant and joyful frame, but, after a while, fell into a flate of infenfibility and thoughtlefinefs. He confequently caft off fear, and reftrained prayer before God;" till it pleafed the Lord to place him under the roof of a near relation, who is at this time a worthy member and useful officer in a church of the Baptift denomination. In this connection, which lafted for many years in one form or another, he experienced a happy revival of the work of God in his foul, and continued to walk in the ways of God with growing pleasure. He was one of thofe Chriftians who loved and cherithed clotet devo tions, habituating himself to reading, meditation, and prayer; and it is a circumftance worthy to be recorded, that his private exercifes were much bleffed to the foul of one of the family in which he lived, who used to watch for his time of retiring, and frequently heard him engaged in the

46

duty

duty of prayer. Nor was this the only inftance in which he was ufefut i for his converfation and prayers were bleffed to feveral branches of his fan.ily, and eminently fo to a female fervant, who acknowledges that fhe owes the life and salvation of her foul, inftrumentally, to his devoti onal family exercises.

Few Chriftians have enjoyed a stronger faith in the doctrine of a superintending Providence, or have acted more under its influence, than Mr. Lepard. He made a point of spreading all his concerns before God in prayer, and afking his direction and bleffing, influenced, no doubt, by this Scripture, "In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." Prov. iii. 6. In a very trying providence, by which he was long and painfully exercifed, he not only confulted the writer of this article as a friend, but requested him to lay his cafe before the Lord in humble prayer, and alfo to difcourfe upon Pfa. cxxxviii. 7, 8. "Though I walk in the midft of trouble, thou wilt revive me," &c. At length, when the Lord appeared for him, and gave him the full experien of that Scripture, he was as careful to acknowledge his mercy, and to give him the praise of his deliverance.

During his laft illness, which was long and trying, the truth and power of religion were frikingly exemplified in his experience. This diforder was of a fluctuating and flattering nature; but, in all its changes, he difcovered the temper of a true Chriftian. He confidered himself in the hand of his God, and expreffed great fatisfaction in his reliance on that precious promife, Heb. xiii. 5. "I will never leave thee, nor forfake thee." God was indeed with him, by his fupporting prefence, during the whole of his illness; for he was enabled to refign himself to the will of his heavenly Father without fo much as a fingle complaint.

In the first vifit which I paid him, he expreffed great thankfulness to God that he had been long acquainted with his grace-that he was neither a man of the world, nor a mere profeffor of religion. Speaking of the people of the world, he quoted the following line of Dr. Watts,

"Like brutes they live, like brutes they die."

And concerning profeffors he faid, "They do not love the righteoufnefs of the Gofpel, neither are they concerned to be made meet for glory." Having spoken of the heavenly ftate, he fuddenly expreffed himself in the moft pathetic and vigorous language refpecting its glory and bleffedness; which he concluded with a quotation of 1 Cor. ii. 9. "Eye hath not feen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them which love him."

At another vifit he took occafion to speak in terms of Arong regret, that he had not united himself, in full communion, with fome Chriftian Church. He faid he had frequently been deterred from it, by a fear that he had not attained to that high degree of Chriflian affurance and joy, which it was fo defirable to poffefs; but that he really believed, after all, that pride had been the chief hindrance.

In my laft interview he told me, with how much delight he had been reading Mr. Flavel on the Soul, and said he had never, till lately, understood what intimate union fubfifted between the body and the foul. He spoke cheerfully of death, and said, “I know in whom I have believed." This text appeared to afford him much fupport and comfort, and fcarce a day paffed but he quoted it. He likewife mentioned the pleasure he had feit in reading the hymn of Dr. Watts, "Come, all har monious tongues, &c." He defcanted on the amazing glory of the Gofpel, and repeated, with great fervency, Job, xix. 25, 26. and 2. Cor. Y. J. In fhort, through the whole of his illness, I found him in a frame of mind most comfortable and happy. He always spoke like one who

knew

knew the truth-who felt the power, and enjoyed the comforts of religion. He was indulged with a calm and tranquil fpirit to the very laft, and fo imperceptibly did he fall afleep in Jefus, that thofe who ftood around him were not fenfible of the precife moment in which he was difmiffed from the body, to be with him in whom he had "believed, who is able to keep that which he had committed to him till another day."

By his departure, the caufe of civil and religious liberty has loft a difpaffionate, but ardent friend; fociety, an ornamental and ufetul member and the poor and afflicted, a humane and liberal benefactor. As a man, he was endued with a good natural understanding, which he improved by reading; he was of a mild and amiable difpofition, and, among his focial connections, he proved himself to be a prudent adviser, a difinterested friend, and a companion in whom the serious and the cheerful were happily united; he was an ardent friend, but a gentle enemy; often has the writer heard him vindicate the good name of an absent friend, and with equal zeal strive to throw a veil over the faults, and acknowledge the virtues and good intentions of those who had been his enemies. His bereaved partner has loft a tender and affectionate husband. His parents have loft a fon, who, by his dutiful and obliging deportment, added not a little to the comfort of their declining years. His children, none of whom are yet old enough to feel the magnitude of the lofs they have fuftained, are deprived of a father, in whom was united the character of a watchful guardian, and a skilful vigilant inftructor.

Though, in early life, he was a profeffar of religion, and a Proteftant Diffenter by the bias of education, yet the friend who pays this tribute of respect to his memory, and who not only knew him well, but often converfed with him upon thefe fubjects, can take upon him to affirm, that he was finally a Chriftian by the power of divine grace, and a Diffenter upon mature examination and ftrong conviction. Though he was attached to, and worshipped with a congregation of the Baptift denomi nation, yet his candour and liberality to those who differed from him, are worthy the imitation of Chriftians of every defcription.

REVIEW OF RELIGIOUS PUBLICATIONS.

Four Sermons, preached in London at the Second General Meeting of the Missionary Society, May 11, 12, 13, 1796; by the Rev. Mr. Lambert, Hull, Rev. Mr. Pentycross, Wallingford, Rev. Mr. Jay, Bath, and Rev. Mr. Jones, Llangan. To which are prefixed, the Proceedings of the Meeting, and the Report of the Directors, with a Portrait of Captain Wilson. By order of the Directors. Published for the Benefit of the Society. Price 2s. 6d. Chapman, London. THE original importance of this institution rendered it an early

and primary object of our attention; its increasing influence, its benevolent tendency, and its probably happy effects will demand an additional portion of public regard and encouragement. The sermons before us, and the report prefixed to them, contain an ample view of the objects of the Society, and of the progress it has already made towards their attainment. 3 C

VOL. IV.

Mr.