deed it was equally contradictory to his practice as well as profession, to be found among those who followed the Gospel of Christ; but on hearing the particularly pleasing mode of singing at church, which was much spoken of, his curiosity was excited, and he said, he did not know but when next P-----n feast came, which was half way, he might go and hear the singing; but with some imprecation, that he would never hear a word of the sermon..

He lived about six miles distant, and when P-----n feast came, after dining with a party, instead of setting to drink, he came to the afternoon service, merely to hear the singing at the church, with a full resolution of keeping his vow, and excluding every word of the sermon.

He was a fat large man, and as it was a hot summer's day, he came in sweating and wiping, and having with difficulty found admission into a narrow open pew, with a lid, as soon as the hymn before sermon was sung, which he heard with great attention, he leaned forward, and, fixing hist elbows on the lid, secured both his ears against the sermon with his fore-fingers. He had not been in this position many minutes, before the prayer finished, and the sermon commenced, with an awful appeal to the consciences of the hearers, of the necessity of attending to the things which made for their everlasting peace; and the minister addressing them solemnly, "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear." Just the moment before these words were pronounced, a' fly had fastened on the carbuncled nose of the innkeeper, and stinging him sharply, he snatched one of his fingers. from his ear, and struck off the painful visitant; at that very moment the words, "He that hath ears to bear, let him bear,' pronounced with great solemnity, entered the ear that was opened, as a clap of thunder. It struck him with irresistible force; he kept his hand from returning to his ear: and feel ing an impression he had never known before, he presently withdrew the other finger, and hearkened with deep attention to the discourse which followed.

That day was the beginning of days to him; from that moment a change was produced upon him, which could not but be noticed by all his former companions. He never from that day returned to any of his former practices, never afterwards was seen in liquor, or heard to swear; began to pray, and hear God's word; for many years walked all weathers six miles to the church, where he received the first. knowledge of a dying Redeemer, and salvation through b name: And after about eighteen years faithful and clo e VOL. IV.

M

w.lk

walk with God, he died in the rejoicing of hope, and blessed him who sent the meanest of his creatures to open his ears to instruction.

Jan. 5, 1796.

Mercy and Judgment.

T. H.

IN N the last century a Scots gentleman of the name of Wastraw was remarked by all for his profaneness, but particularly for a sanguinary disposition, it being his study and delight to excite quarrels which ended in bloodshed. Hav ing succeeded in inducing a neighbouring gentleman to kill, another, and finding him greatly troubled on account of it, he gave him this horrid advice, namely, to practise it more as the best cure; for that he himself had killed six men; that on the first occasion he was rendered uneasy, but by a repetition of such deeds, he became quiet,

As Mr. W. was one day riding to a place where two persons had engaged to decide a quarrel by a duel, his horse stumbled on the side of a steep rock, and threw him down it a considerable depth, his sword falling out before him, yet, without any burt! His mind was greatly affected by this peculiar deliverance. The Lord broke in upon his conscience with great convictions of sin. Detesting the . object of his journey, he immediately returned home; where a gracious change was long evidenced by deep repentance and tenderness of heart. He spent much time in private, mourning on account of his sin. On the day of his death, which was not expected by any, he was overheard to be wrestling in prayer for a long time: At length the family, after waiting for him, and knocking much at his chamber door in vain, were constrained to break it open; when, to their great surprise, he was found dead on his knees, a vast quantity of blood having issued from every passage of his body, and swimming about the floor* ;---An awful proof to the world, that though God will pardon the sins of his people, yet he will not suffer some sins to pass without a visible mark of his anger, and taking vengeance on their inventions,

Charles IX. of France, the author of that dreadful maffacre, whereby the blood of fo many thousand Proteftants at Paris was fhed, died by an extraordinary effufion of blood from all the paffages of his body.

RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE.

ON Monday, Jan. 4, a meeting of the Trustees was held for the dif tribution of the profits arifing from the sale of this Magazine: When the following cafes, being properly recommended, were attended to, and

Believed.

£.100

O

To the Baptift Mission,

10

At an extra-meeting, fince the last half-yearly diftribution,

To the Miffionary Society,

Missionary Society.

BY the arrival of the Dadalus, a circumftance has lately transpired. which entirely relieves us of our fears, refpecting the fafety of thofe dea voted fervants of God, who may be fent by the Society to publish the glad tidings of falvation among the poor benighted inhabitants of the South-Sea iflands. On her return from Fort-Jackfon, fhe called at Otaheite, the place fixed on by the Society for the commencement of its operations. There, to the no fmall furprife of the captain and crew, they found nine of their countrymen, married, fettled, and living in the greatest cafe and comfort; who, being asked how they came there, informed them, that they failed from England in a South-Whaler belonging to Mefirs. Calvert and Co., called the Amelia, which had the misfortune to bulge upon a Ma rock,

rock. Finding it impoffible to fave the ship, or any part of the ftores, they got into the boat, committed themselves to the mercy of the waves, and, through the providence of God, were fafely wafted to the fhores of Otaheite. The natives, not unaccustomed to the colour of their skin, nor the found of their language, received them with every token of affection and joy; affigned them lands, and servants to cultivate them, and “wives of all that they chofe;" adopted them into the order of nobility, and, as the proof and infignia of their elevation, tattowed them from top to bottom. Happy as they were in their new fituation, the amor patriæ operated fo powerfully in one of them, when the Dedalus was about to leave the place, that his heart yearned for old England. But no fooner had he loft fight of land, than he began too late to repent of the folly he had committed. Poor fellow! his attachment to his native county deserved a better fate: For, on the arrival of the Dedalus in the Nore, a pressgang fe zing him and all the rest of the crew, conveyed them on board a hip of war, without fuffering them to fet their foot on land, or to have a moment's interview with their friends.

Marvellous are the footsteps of God's providence! no event, great or fmall, takes place but according to his divine appointment. The depth of his defign, in this ftriking incident, no mortal line can fathom. But we may be affured it did not happen in vain. The friends and relatives of the Miffionaries are hereby freed from anxiety, as their welcome to the island is no longer doubtful: And the Society has now reafon to hope, that the fame fhip, which conveys them to the spot, will bring back tidings how their meffage is received; fince, by means of the eight who remain, and who must be perfectly acquainted with the language of the place, the Miffionaries will be able to converfe with the natives as foon as they arrive, inftead of waiting, for feveral months, to acquire the language themselves, as was at firft expected. Whether these our countrymen be ferious or not, it is highly probable, that, on feeing a houfe erected for the worship of the God of their fathers, they will be very folicitous to have their children, the fruit of their marriage, devoted to him in baptifm, and taken under the care of the Miffionaries to be trained up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Thus will a fchool be immediately formed of children just beginning to lifp English. Many other pleafing circumstances may easily be conceived, which we have not room to enumerate. This event, however, renders it neceffary that the Society fhould act with caution, and fend, if poffible, twenty, or more, at the firft embarkation: Otherwife, fhould thefe perfons be viciously difpofed, they might be tempted, as foon as the fhip withdraws its protection, to ftrip the Miffionaries of their books, tools, and various articles with which they may be accommodated, and expofe them to great difficulties.

We are happy to fay that there will be no want of men nor money. Upwards of 6000!. have already been paid into the Treasurer's hands, and much more is expected, as the friends of the inftitution ftill continue vigorous in their exertions. Many ferious and valuable perfons have offered to devote themselves to the Lord's fervice; among whom, we uns derftand, there are a man and his wife who have been lately examined and accepted. The committee of examination, in confequence of numerous applications, have established, in various parts of the kingdom, fubcommittees; compofed of two or more country Directors, affiited by neighbouring Minifters, belonging to the Society: So that it is hoped, in the course of a year, a hundred qualified perfons will be found, on the books of the Society, ready to go forth, with their lives in their hand, into any part of the heathen world, where the providence of God may call them.

At the two latt me nuhly meetings of the Directors, the mode of con veyance, as we are informed, was taken into confideration. Three modes

were

were fuggefted: A paffage hired in a South-Whaler a chartered fhip, engaged by the friends of theftitution-and a small veffel of 150 tons burden, purchafed by the Society itself. After the most careful inquiries had been made, and various eftimates produced, the fift was unanimou rejected, and a committee chofen, to confider, and report to the next meet ing, which of the two laft modes would be moft proper for the Directors to adopt.

Three hundred and thirty-four pounds have been fent from the Rev. Mr. Hey at Bristol, fince this paper went to the prefs, and confiderably more will follow: One hundred pounds from Stirling, and more expected from our brethren in Scotland; with a great number of fmaller fums collected, and fome confiderable subscriptions.

The monthly prayer-meetings of the Society in London have hitherfo overflowed. A litt of the places where they are to be held, for the present year, we fubjoin.

Jan. 4,

Miffionary Society Prayer meeting, for the Year 1796, to be beld

At the Rev. J. Humphries's, | Union-street, Borough.

Wells-street, Oxford-street.

| Collyer's-rents, Long-lane, Borough.
| Orange-street Chapel, Leicester-squ
Swallow-street, Piccadilly.

| New-road, Whitechapel.
Walworth.

Feb. I,
March 7,

Rey. Alex. Waugh's,

Rev. J. Knight's,

April 4,

May 2,

Rev. Dr. Trotter's,

June 6,

Rev. T. Bryson's,

July 4,

Rev. P. Mills's,

OBITUARY.

Account of the Death of Miss Hatton, of Salop.

MY DEAR BROTHER,

WAS, about a fortnight, a happy witnefs of the unfeigned faith and unwearied patience of my dear departed fifter, now with God in glorv. She was not permitted to entertain the leaft doubt or fear of falvation towards the clofe of her long and painful life, though he was not favoured with any joyful manifestations of her reconciled Father's love, till the was conflicting with the agonies of death, which lafted upwards of four hours: Then the declared, fhe would fing the believer's fong, "O death, where is thy fling! O grave, where is thy victory! the fting of death is fin; but thanks be to God who has given us the victory, through Jefus my Lord." And in that bleffed interval, many fweet and evangelical expreffions dropped from her trembling lips; from which the true believer, in the fame awful circumftances, might gather much comfort and stability. "I rejoice," fays fhe," that I am faved by grace alone; this will heighten my happiness above! A finner faved!-Mercy, mercy!" When my fifter Fanny asked, "What is the world to you now?”—“ My dear," the replied, "no more than a bit of burnt paper; only my friends that are in it." Perceiving my mother and fifter to weep over her, the modeftly reproved them. You grieve me; why do you grieve at my happiness?

I am