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one's own houfe," as well as to "bring up children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord." We are commanded indeed to be careful (or over anxious) about nothing; but we have at the fame time a promife that "all our needs fhall be fupplied ;" and that "no good fhall be withheld from them that walk uprightly." We are directed to diftribute of our property to thofe that want; but we are likewife told that "the liberal foul fhall be made fat; and that "what is, in this way, lent to the Lord he will abundantly repay.

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Laftly, if we look to that which is fo generally thought to confer happiness (how juftly let the experience of a Charles, a Lewis, or a Wolfey, decide), I mean honour, we shall find beyond a doubt, that the balance is greatly in favour of religion. How many would think themselves tranfcendantly happy if they could arrive at the poffeffion of an earthly crown and fceptre; and can thefe find no gratification in be ing heirs of a crown of life, and a kingdom of immortal glory? What importance do mortals arrogate to themfelves if they can gain admiffion to the palace of a terreftrial monarch, and boaft of a gracious interview; and fhall we think it no diftinction to be admitted into the prefence of the king of kings, and to enjoy communion with him, both in public and in private? Again, who does not think it an honour to affociate with the noble and the great? And is it nothing to have an intercourfe with the faints and angels of the Moft High; to have our names enrolled in the lift of those who are dear and honourable in his fight, and to be adopted into the family of heaven? O child of gaiety and diffipation, of avarice and riches, or of ambition and honour, whoever thou art, if thou shouldft deign to give this a perusal, feri oufly confider the subject, and let me entreat thee to try the truth of my obfervations by thine experience. Take religion for thy guide, thy counsellor, and thy portion; earnestly feek an interest in the blood of Chrift, the pardoning love of God and the fanctifying influences of the Holy Spirit. Pray earnestly that thou mayest be enabled to enter into the fpirit, and tafte the enjoyments of true religion. And after thou haft known what it is to have communion with God, and feel the fublime joys which fpring from true devotion, affuredly thou wilt not wifh to exchange them for the pleafures of this world: but if thou ftill refufeft to make the trial, tremble for the confequences; and remember, that if thou art refolved to perfift in thy obduracy, this feeble remonftrance from a female pen, fhall, with all the faithful fermons thou haft heard, and all the pious books thou haft

read, rife up in evidence against thee, in that day when thou shalt be called to ftand before the Judge of heaven and earth, and hear that dreadful fentence from his affronted Majefty, against which there fhall be no refistance, from which there fhall be no appeal.

Sandwich.

E. T.

THE REV. VAVASOR GRIFFITHS's LETTER TO HIS STUDENTS ON PARTING WITH THEM.

MY DEAR YOUNG FRIENDS,

DES

ESPAIRING of strength to serve you, at least this winter; and not knowing whether I may ever live to fee your faces more, I cannot take leave of you without a word of parting advice, at a time when I have scarce ftrength to write fo many lines as it contains. Take it as from your fincerely affectionate and perhaps dying friend; and conceive it as spoken to each by name.

1. Reft not fatisfied till you are fo interested in a Saviour, as you would wish to be in a dying hour.

2. Be ferious and hearty in your covenanting transactions with God; treat with him as you would in your dyingday, and let your fubfequent conduct be fuitable.

3. See that you confecrate all your attainments to the glory of God, and your Redeemer's intereft, and value fuch attainments as are moft fubfervient to fuch ends.

4. Be careful to make daily advancement in a pious life, and measure your advances by love to God and man, and a conformity to your Redeemer's temper and life.

5. Humbly and carefully form your religious principles by the word of God, and guard against that wantonnefs of thought, undefervedly called free-thinking, which hath been much the disease of the age; and those minds will be most apt to fall into this fnare, which know not themfelves-their natural and moral weaknesses. Be cautious of an undue fondness for either novelty or antiquity, but especially the former, as what in our rifing years we are most prompt to. Never allow yourselves to engage in controverfy without great neceffity, nor be attached to any hypothefis with fondnefs, fave for the truth which appears in it, and the divine authority that recommends it,

"May God be the guide of your youth, the end of your fives: and let him have your prayers who, in cordial wishes,

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YOU exprefs a wifh for fome particulars of the Rev. Mr. Thomfon, of St. Ginny's, in Cornwall, concerning whom a curious letter appeared in your Magazine for June laft. 1

I well knew that excellent man, who died in the year 1781, He was educated at Exeter College, Oxford; and after entering into orders, became chaplain of the Tyger man of war, in which fhip he went to America. He was at that time a very gay perfon, and fo he continued for fome time after his return to England. When Mr. Hervey lived at Bideford, he contracted an intimacy with Mr. Thomson, and fubmitted his meditations and reflections to his revifal. It was alfo to that gentleman's eldest daughter that he dedicated the first volume. I have a letter from Mr. Hervey to Mr. Thomfon, which probably I may fend you for in fertion in a future number. Mr. Thomfon joined the fociety of Unitas Fratrum, or Moravians, many years before he died, although he still held his living, and refided upon it. His widow, a moft excellent and pious woman, died at Bideford in 1786. Mr. Thomfon was a man of lively paffions, and very apt to be jocular. He had a good poetical turn, and a volume of his relgious poems (without his name) was published by the late Rev. Mr. Furly, of St. Roche.

The Mr. Hill mentioned in Mr. Davidfon's letter is, or lately was, rector of Tavistock, near Barnstaple, in Devonshire.

You will be fo good as to excufe the hurried and irregular manner in which I have thrown together thefe brief notices; which may probably incline fome of your readers to tranfmit more fatisfactory particulars.

June 18th, 1800.

I am, Sir, yours, &c.

CLERICUS.

ORIGINAL LETTER OF THE LATE REV.

WITH

MR. BEDDOME.

September 27, 1760.

ITH refpect to your fpiritual concerns, what shall I fay? Your foul is in the best hand; your most important interests are lodged with the great Redeemer; to him the Father hath committed them; to him you have been enabled, by divine grace, to commit them; and he will be faithful to his truft. A fenfe of an intereft is defirable, but there may be an interest where there is not a sense of it. I wish I had your evidences. This I can fay, that I mourn -I look upwards. All that is dark and diftreffing in your letter, I feel; all that is otherwife, I want.

O God, all-holy and all-wife,
Open my heart, open my eyes;
Reveal thy felf, reveal thy Son,
And make thy great falvation known.

As once of old, fo now proclaim
Thy wond'rous love, thy gracious name;
To me thy pard'ning mercy show,
And Spread the Joys of heav'n below.

My tuneful voice I then will raise,
And all my powers fhall tune thy praise;
I'll in thy church thy works declare,
And celebrate thy glories there.

It has been a confolitary thought to me, that God is more glorified in the falvation of one foul through Christ, than in the deftruction of a whole world. O for a favory fpirit, an evangelical temper of mind! Dear friend, pray for me, that what I want I may experience, and then you fhall meet with the fame return from your unworthy, though affection ate friend,

B. B.

Ν

A MEDITATION.

IN walking across the fields a few evenings ago, I was attracted by the full appearance of the fetting SUN. What a glorious object, faid I, do mine eyes behold! But how much more glorious is he, by whom the sun was created and made! JESUS, thou SUN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, how far furpaffing this are the beauties with which thy perfon is arrayed, and which all around encircle thee! Yonder is an object that is given to change. A few hours paft, he shone with meridian fplendor; his luftre was fo bright that I was unable to look at him; but now he has confiderably exhausted his strength, and mine eyes are scarcely affected with the fight, But thou, O JESUS, art always the fame; with thee, the great fountain of light, there is no variableness, nor fhadow of turning-Trust, O my foul, this unchangeable friend. If thou believeft not, yet he abideth faithful; he cannot deny himself. His word of promife, like an anchor to the foul, is both fure and ftedfaft.

Looking ftill at the SUN as he gradually defcended below the horizon, I confidered again, thou, Ó SUN, wilt at one time fet to rise no more; thy glory fhall ultimately fade and die; and as the great monarch of the skies, thou must cease to reign. But thy glory, O JESUS, is permanent and eternal. "I know that my Redeemer liveth," though he once fubmitted to die. That he is now at the right hand of God, exalted to reign, and all his faints fhall finally reign with him, and behold his glory for ever. O that I may be one of that bleffed number!

When fhall this happy day of vifion be?

When fhall I make a near approach to thee?
Be loft in love, and wrapt in ecftacy?

Lord hafte the hour

Of joy and fweet repofe! transporting hope!

It grieved me that I was now interrupted in my reflections; for before I could find an opportunity to renew them, the SUN had totally disappeared. How animating is the profpect of poffeffing a world, where none of the things which now break in upon our serious moments shall ever be fuffered to intrude!

June 19th, 1800.

J. K.

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