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POETRY.

LINES

ADDRESSED TO THE LADIES ON THE SUBJECT OF MISSIONS.

MY

[By a Female Friend.]

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Y fair young sisters of the British isle, [smile, On whom propitious Nature deigns to Permit me now your feelings to address, Accept my lays, nor scorn the feeble verse; Leta young sister's maiden verses move Thewarm emotions of your gen'rous love. Born in a Christian land, with blessings Crown'd,

Our lot is cast upon this happy ground, Where Gospel blessings in abundance flow,

Strangers to th' extremes of human woe! Nay more, some few so highly favour'd

are, [ear, The sound not only has address'd our But by the pow'rful influence of the word, Our hearts are turn'd to seek and serve the Lord. [his love, We know the worth of Christ, we feel Who left for us the shining realms above; For us he laid his robes of light aside, For us he languish'd, and for us he dy 'd! While for ourselves we humbly wish to raise

A altar to our God and Saviour's praise; Our thoughts to neigh'bring nations let [mourn.

us turn,

And all their gross and fatal darkness O let us bear them on our hearts to God; Pray him to send his glorious word abroad! Let bless'd philanthropy our hearts expand, [land;

And long t' have Jesus crown'd in ev'ry His glorious Gospel felt, his grace ador'd, And barb'rous nations own and love the [vey;

Lord. Females, 'tis true, cannot the word conBut tho' we cannot preach, 'tis curs to

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Converted thousands of the heathen race, Whom God will make the trophies of his grace. [expand

Let us our thoughts indulge, cur views And see them plac'd with us at Christ's right hand,

Delightful thought! to hear our Jesus say, "Whate'er ye did for these, ye did for

me!"

above!

[love, Hear heathens bless us, f. r our gen'rous While God's high praises fill the courts Iftheir boast,. Of joys like these, can worldlings make Who have their blooming years in picasure lost? Lean be known', Pleasure-false nam'd!--no pleasure But what is found in Jesus' love alone. More of this love may we aspire to know, And spread its savour round while here below. [gage,

And O! may we with heathen lan's en-
To bless redeeming grace fromage to agez
Til met in one bless'd family above,
We see our Saviour's face, and join to
praise his love.

ISAIAH, XL. 1 I.

"He shall gather the lambs with his 'arm, and carry them in his busuid.”

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AMBS in Jesus' fleck, atterd, Weak and feeble as you a e, Know you have a pow'rful trien", In ev'ry danger to deferd,

And save from ev'ry share.

Greedy

Greedy wolves may prowl around, Waiting to secure their prey; But if you thro' grace are found Feeding on the shepherd's ground,

HE'LL drive your foes away. Well he knows what help you need,

Nor will he that help deny : Number'd with his chosen seed, Him you'll find a friend indeed, Whenever you apply.

Torrid suns may make you faint, Barren desarts make you moan, Still his ear attends your plaint, Never shall a weary saint

In vain to Jesus groan.

His kind arms shall you uphold,

His soft breast shall give you rest, He shall nothing good withhold, From a lamb within his fold,

'Till made completely bless'd. ADELPHOS.

THE RAIN.

REAT source of Nature,wond'rous skill

GRE

And goodness all thy works display, The winds and waves obey thy will,

And wand'ring vapours as they stray. Thou dost the secret fountains place, Whence gushing down the mountains steep,

The floods themselves a channel trace
To travel to the mighty deep.

Invisible to mortal sight,

From thence the buoyant atoms rise, And float in the etherial height,

Till clouds obscure the nether skies. Then, when earth's thirsty surface pants Beneath the summer's fervid reign, When fade the flow'rs, and droop the plants,

In gentle show'rs they fall again. The silent damps on night attend,

And spangle ev'ry blade with dew, Or drops more rich than pearls descend, And Nature's fainting tribes renew.

Across the sky is painted now

The sign that did man's hope restores The emblematic cov'nant-bow,

That God will deluge earth no more.. The soften'd furrows now become A bed prolific, whence doth spring The corn's green blade, the flow'rets bloom, [bring. And fruits that Autumn's stores shall So, when the show'rs of grace divine Upon the soul of man descend, The fruits appear, the graces shine, That shall in life eternal end.

VERSES,

ALIQUIS:

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For all within was wild and strange,
And all was silent wonder round.

Tho' oft your moving lips I see,

No cheering sounds my ears admit;. All nature is as dumb to me

As I, alas! am deaf to it. Aided by you-industrious art

Defective nature doth imprøve;
And helps me thus, with grateful heart;
To thank you for your gen'rous love.
I came-nor knew to speak or read;
Lost to myself, my friends, and man;
I go-prepar'd to earn my bread,

And shew the world your useful plan.
ALIQUIS.

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THE

Evangelical Magazine,

FOR SEPTEMBER, 1796.

The Directors of the Missionary Society, supposing that the friends of the Institution, would wish to peruse their farewel Address to the Missionaries, requested that it might be inserted in the Evangelical Magazine. The contents of it are so valuable, that we give it the most conspicuous place, persuaded that every serious person, who reads it, will be highly gratified. ]

A FAREWEL LETTER,

From the DIRECTORS of the MISSIONARY SOCIETY, to the MISSIONARIES going forth to the Heathen in the South-Sea Islands; August 9, 1796.

THE

HE Directors, acting in name of the Society, feel a paternal solicitude in behalf of the Missionaries, whom, by the good hand of God upon them, they are enabled to send forth to this great work. As an affectionate parent parting with his youthful sons, when they are going forth to the field of danger and of honour, is hardly able to give over his admonitions; so, dear brethren, beloved in our Lord, after all the counsels and encouragements you have heard from the mouths of many individuals, we, as having a special charge of your interests, and those of the Society, cannot dismiss you into the arduous warfare, without pouring out our hearts unto you in this parting exhortation.

"The Lord himself watch, and be witness between you and us, when we are absent one from another," if there is not in our hearts an affectionate, deep, and permanent concern, and longing towards you all, in the bowels of Jesus Christ. The evident tokens of the grace of God in you, and your generous ardour impelling you to engage in this work, have bound our hearts to you by the strongest ties. It abates, however, in no small degree, our anxiety respecting you, that we are able to place you under the care of such a Captain, one whom we accept as a peculiarly valuable gift of divine love to the Society. That God hath singularly prepared him, by his providence and grace, for so important a trust, cannot be doubted. To you it belongs to sweeten his voluntary exile and separation from his family, his country, and his Christian friends. To a government so mild and intelli VOL. IV. gent

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