system, in which confession to | sion to be chaplain to one of these regiments, and to attend my countrymen to the field, to teach them how to live, as well as how to die! It may be easily supposed that I had not in this journey formed any good opinion of the dignity of human nature, or of the moral situation of man; yet a compassion for human woe, and a desire to administer to it the only remedy that can effect a cure, have never, I think, been half as strong in my mind as I now feel them. To create a missionary spirit, I would recommend a view of the internal state of those unhappy millions to whom the word of salvation has not yet been sent. The impressions thus received will be at once more vivid and more permanent than those which are received merely from the narration of others; yet, in the absence of such an opportunity, authentic descriptions of the present state of other nations cannot be too numerous or too frequently the priest secures absolution for every sin; and the repetition of a few prayers, in which the understanding has no share, and from which, therefore, the heart must be excluded, is the easy price paid for the assurance of freedom from all misery after death? Of the true nature of moral purity and felicity, the people are ignorant; nor is any one permitted to instruct them. They have no hope that can purify the soul; for, an escape from misery is the utmost height to which their hope aspires. They go from the pantomime to the mass, and from the mass to the pantomime, without being conscious of any abruptness in the transition, or of having, by their attendance on the one, incurred any unfitness for the other. Each is an affair of the senses, and both are performed with equal ease; so that the soul, without some aid superior to that which the papal religion affords, must be lost amidst the "deceivableness of unrigh-read: and if this communicateousness." The Bible, that would tion shall contribute to awaken undeceive them, is the dread of compassion for immortal souls, their spiritual rulers: but, I trust, my labour will be well repaid. the day of their redemption draweth nigh." In conclusion, I must remark, that, though I have always regarded with strong affection my native land, I was, comparatively speaking, a stranger to the feel On my return to England, a gale from the N. W. detained the vessel, for two nights at Ostend; and this delay afforded me an op-ings of gratitude to God for its portunity of seeing some thou- transcendent mercies, till I had sands of the army, returned from experienced this short suspenAmerica, disembarked. The sight sion of their enjoyment. I now was distressing; for, being sup- revolve in my mind with peculiar plied with spirituous liquors, by pleasure such scriptures as these: the suttlers, at a very low price, the men indulged to great excess; and, while I reflected with pleasure on their courage and patriotism, I sincerely regretted their impiety. If any consideration could reconcile me to a military life, it must be the permis Happy art thou, [O Britain!] He is thy shield and the sword of thy excellency." "Let thy way, O God, be known upon earth, and thy saving health among all nations l' Oxford, Oct. 9, 1815. J. H. Obituary. MR. JOHN COOK, SON OF JOHN AND ESTHER COOK, Of Houndsditch, Died June 10, 1815, aged 21. FROM his diary it appears, that his first serious impressions were made at an annual meeting of young persons, four or five years ago, when an address was delivered from John, xxi. 15. "Lovest thou me." This, he says, set him on serious inquiry, and led him to earnest prayer, to know whether he loved the Lord or not. For a long time, previous to the affliction, which terminated in his dissolution, he experienced much darkness and distress of mind, from a discovery of the depravity of his nature, and most violent assaults of Satan, who was permitted to inject into his mind the most horrid and blasphemous suggestions through which he was deprived of both peace and hope for months together. At the commencement of the year 1814, he was taken unwell; when the Summer was sufficiently advanced he was removed into the country, and though on his return he appeared much better, it was soon ascertained that no radical cure had been effected. In the month of July, 1814, his brother put on Christ by profession, and. united with the church in Little Alie-street, Goodman's Fields, of which his father has been for several years a much respected deacon. This circumstance of his brother's baptism made a strong impression on his mind; and though he desired it, he was not to be persuaded to walk in the same path, not being fully satisfied of his interest in divine love. After his return from the country he thus writes: "I am returned from the country much better; may the Lord sanctify all his dealings to the good of my soul.-I have many fears about the root of the matter being in me, I am so carnal. I fear my spot is not the spot of God's people. O Lord, search me and try me. I am astonished at the Lord's forbearance, it is of his mercies I am not consumed!" November 20.-" I hope I had some consolation to-day in hearing that the Lord will not suffer one of his little ones, that believe on him, to perish. I trust the Lord has begun his work on I be enabled to :-may my soul: give him all the glory." November 27.-I fear I have caused the Lord to frown on me, and leave me in darkness through disobeying his commands, in not attending to his ordinances; yet I fear to go forward, perhaps Satan presents some, if not all of these difficulties to my mind." December 4.-" I am thinking about going before the church; but fear, when questioned about my experience, I should say more than I have felt; yet, though dark and doubting, I cannot give up my hope." December 11.-"In the course of the last week I trust I have seen it to be both the Lord's will, and time, for me to obey his commands; something within says no, yet I feel as if I could delay no longer; I have been encouraged by Mr. S. and the messengers, and now I leave my case with God and them, pray, ing that if I am deceived, or a often expressed a wish, if it were deceiver, they may by all means the Lord's will, that he might be reject me." gone before morning. On the December 25th.-"On Thurs-day week before he died, he said, day evening last myself and five" this is my birth day; and if I more spoke before the church; should be taken to-day, it will I hope the Lord was with me; be a happy day to me." Soon for while the exercise was distant, after, feeling himself worse, he the mountain appeared large said, "I am going, blessed Jesus indeed; but, as I approached, it come!" disappeared altogether; the Lord was better to me than my fears. I hope I had no other motive than his honour and glory.-Blessed be the name of the Lord, he now indulges me with liberty at a throne of grace." January 7, 1815. "I have this day professed my attachment to Christ, by following him through his watery grave, and felt some pleasure in so doing, knowing it to be his command. I have also to-day sat at the table of the Lord; but was I a spiritual partaker? I have many fears, but cannot give up my hope." During his long affliction not a single murmur was heard from his lips; but he often expressed his sense of the goodness of God towards him. He was an example to those about him, saying but little, but always walking steadily, and spending all his leisure hours in devotion. When first laid aside from business, he said, "I have got one step out of the world, and wish not to return. On the first Lord's day in March he communed at the Lord's table for the third and last time.-His medical attendant finding him much worse, gave up all hopes of his recovery: he replied, he could not have brought him better news, as he hoped he could say, "Come Lord Jesus, come quickly!" Speaking of death, he said, the sting is taken away. When retiring to rest he VOL. VII. On the evening prior to his departure, his mother said, "My dear child, you are going to heaven." He replied, "Do you think so? O happy change!" The last words that were distinctly heard, were, "Come, come, take, take." At half past one the following morning, his happy spirit departed to eternal rest. His remains were deposited in Bunhill-fields; and, on Lord's day afternoon, June 25th, his pastor improved this painful event from Luke, v. 32, a scripture selected by himself for this purpose. Our departed friend was what he was by the grace of God. In him we discover a deep conviction of human depravity; much jealousy of his own heart; -earnest desire to know his real character, and be saved from soul deception;--fearfulness of professing what he had not felt, and steadiness in maintaining what he did profess, relying alone on Christ for salvation. His affliction was painful,—his race was short,-and his end was peace. W S. MR. JAMES GIBSON, The missionaries say, that "he has left a most pleasing testimony behind him to the praise of Divine Grace." 3 s Many persons now and then read over a psalm or a chapter in the greatest hurry and confusion, and are impatient to finish the task.But is the duty of searching the is laid aside? is there no need of scriptures performed when the book application? is there no work for conscience to do, no treasure for memory to keep, no good for faith to receive, and meditation to digest?" Our second specimen is taken from the 24th page of the same discourse. THESE are most excellent sermons. For this opinion we give the following reasons:-They are evangelical in the highest degree. -They are very sensible, and uniformly so; as they do not contain a single observation that is silly or trifing. They have an uniformly good tendency:-the "Life and immortality, so long style is neat and perpicuous, with-hid beneath thick clouds of ignoout being wanting in energy. rance, are now brought to light by They abound with apt and very opposite arguments, and yet hang the gospel. Reason might balance important citations from scrip-in suspense, or waver in uncertainty. ture, with useful anecdotes and | Fancy, finding a crude mass of sayings of wise and good men.And they are of that kind which are most needed, being, as to style, subjects, and length, eminently adapted to be read in families on a Lord's day evening; or, in villages, where the preaching of the gospel cannot be obtained.Minds, the most polished and extensively informed, will find nothing to disgust them; and the common people will understand the sense of our author without any difficulty. - Subjoined are a few specimens of the style and spirit of the work. We select the first from the 29th page of the second sermon. “ Now let me ask, do you come to the Bible for life, even the very life of your souls, which has been forfeited by sin? Are you impressed with the solemn conviction, that its doctrines and precepts require the heart, the whole heart? Are you | fully and earnestly intent on the things which belong to your peace? | fables, had power to embody them by the final sermon, "How are we bewildered and lost in contemplating the grandeur, and terror, and glory of the last day? For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God.-Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, and said, “Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his saints; and when he appears, beside the spirits tianity "in the inner man," too many have been seen, when thus situated, resigning themselves, without a struggle, to the solici tations of pleasure, and voluntarily descending, from the bold elevation of the Christian's enjoyments, to the grovelling meanness of the worldling's desires; till, at of the just, myriads of bright angels | will form the train of his attendants. Behold, he cometh with clouds, and his triumphal chariot, encircled with glory, rolls over the celestial plains!' Hark! he speaks, and his voice penetrates the universe, while, at the same instant, the living are changed, and the dead raised. From the deep bed of the ocean, and the dark vault of the sepulchre, im-length, these essentially opposite mense clouds hear the awakening call, and start to life.-The earth, which has become as one vast bury-every ing place, heaves with strong convulsions, and opens to set free the prisoners of death. All the tribes and nations of every age obey the powerful summons. Lo, millions of millions come forth from their grave to stand before the universal Judge, for every eye shall see him, and they also that pierced him, and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him." The Temptations of a Watering-Place, and the best Means of counteracting their Influence. A Sermon, preached at Union-street Chapel, Brighton, by John Styles, D. D. beings have amalgamated, and prominent feature of distinction has worn down to one common resemblance. The author of this sermon, therefore, has chosen a very seasonable, and, if we consider the particular circumstances in which he is placed as a minister, a very necessary subject; while, in the discussion of it, he has appealed to the professors of religion, in many very suitable and excellent admonitions. Though, however we are disposed to extol the laudable design and tendency of this performance, we consider it liable to some objections. There is too much of effort throughout; and the effect does not always seem proportionate to the labour. The author does not always appear to distinguish between idleness and leisure. The former necessarily implies moral culpability; while the latter derives its character only from the mode of its application to the purposes of good or evil. Neither are, properly speaking, temptations; and, certainly, not peculiar to a watering-place. He says, "The temptations of a IT has been frequently lamented, that professors of religion, while spending a few of the summer weeks at a watering-place, for the purposes of recreation, or health, have, in many instances, stained their religious reputation by needless, if not criminal, conformities to its fashions and follies; though, in fact, no situation can be more favourable to the display of Christian character, none afford a better opportunity for the exemplification of those unearthly principles, and tendencies of mind, which ought ever to dis-place of fashionable resort, of tinguish the disciple of Jesus course, affect those only, who, Christ. Instead of manifesting by profession, separate themselves that separation of spirit from the from the world." How so? For, world, that disunion of heart if fashionable visitors are the from its vanities, that contempt tempters, they are also tempted, of its glory, that abhorrence of in turn, to greater excesses; and, its spirit, and that purity of cha- by this admission, the author racter, which would mark the has completely blunted one side nnchecked operation of chris- of the double-edged sword, of |