has placed me, borne testimony that this is the case? Alas! I blush at my visible defectiveness, and my secret sins. O! may pardoning love be revealed, and sanctifying grace be experienced and my soul be quickened to a inore diligent, zealous, faithful, and useful discharge of those duties which are incumbent on me!

I see and hear of the vigorous exertions of ministers and pious men, of different denominations, in propagating evangelical truth, and supporting the cause of Christ in various methods: O, my soul, arise from the dust, mingle thy exertions, employ thy talents, unite thy prayers, extend thy good wishes, and hope for success.

I see and hear of multitudes, some of whom are contented with a mere form of religion, and build their hopes of salvation upon this shadow; while others are rushing headlong to destruction, regardless of their souls eternal concerns, inattentive to the voice of God in his word, or alarming providences! Shall men thus lie deceived, or run madly to destruction, and I see the danger and sit mute? O! let a sacred concern for the honour of God, and bleeding pity for perishing sinners, awake my drowsy powers to activity! and may God pour out his Spirit upon his ministers and congregations, and bless every effort that is made to do good with great success, that millions of sinners may be brought to a saving knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus! and let all the people say, Amen.

Gornal.

J. W.

To the Editor of the Evangelical Magazine.

Dear Sir,

To promote the dispersion of plain sermons and tracts, and to encourage the worthy Author of the Village Serinons, I send you an abstract of a letter, which I lately received from a minister in Essex: it relates to a farmer who died a few months ago in that county. Though name and place are not particularly mentioned, you may rely on the authenticity of what is here communicated.

"The late Mr. P was in a decline for many months. I often visited him, and lent him Mr. Burder's Village Sermons. He took great delight in reading them; and I have reason to believe they were instrumental in opening the eyes of his understanding to see his sinful state, and in directing him to Jesus, the Friend of sinners, -particularly the Sermon concerning the Pharisee atid

the

the Publican. I will just mention the state of his mind. when drawing near the world of spirits. Once, when I visited him, he told me, that the sins of his youth were rolling over his breast as a great burden. Afterwards, when I asked him the state of his mind, he said, ' Peaceable." Upon my inquiring whence he derived that peace, or what was the ground of it, he answered, Christ. He saw himself a poor, miserable, helpless sinner, and that, without Christ, he must perish.

"During his illness, which lasted a considerable time, he was not observed to utter a fretful or unbecoming expression. His patience was strong; and he seemed thankful to every one that rendered him the most trivial service. Generally, I found him in a praying spirit, thanking God for his mercies, and imploring an increase of faith to go through the trying hour, which he well knew was fast approaching. The last time I saw him was on the evening before the day of his death. The subject of our conversation was, That there was only one way to Heaven for church-people and those that went to meeting; and that Christ was that way. At parting, he put out his dying hand; I shook hands with him, bid him farewell, and saw him no more. I have been informed since, that on the next morning, seeing his hands turn black, beginning to mortify just before his departure, he said to his wife, I am glad of it.' He longed to be gone; being ready to say, Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly."

May the increasing distribution of religious publications, in every form, be abundantly useful!

Stratford.

THE SUPERIOR DISTINCTIONS

OF REAL SAINTS.

W. N.

IN N every age of the world, the God of Heaven has had his saints upon earth. But, alas! as yet their number has been comparatively few. In the days of Noah, when God sent a flood to drown the world, there were not so many as nine in all. In the time of Abraham, the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah did not contain ten. In the age in which Micah the prophet lived, the number was but small. He complained that it was like the grape-gleanings of the vintage. In this age, all men have not faith. It is less difficult to find Deists and Atheists, than those who

VOL. X.

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who are saints indeed. This is matter of deep lamenta→ tion, because a true saint is a valuable consideration. The world knoweth him not. It knew not Christ. Did men know the worth and value of the saints, they would not continue to despise and persecute them; as they generally have done, ever since the days of Cain. Whatever the saints may be in the sight of men, they are precious in the sight of God. They are made partakers of his divine nature; they love him with a supreme affection; they study to be like him; to him they give glory, to men they do good; they are the salt of the earth; they are the lights and pillars of the world. No wonder that the man after God's own heart accounted them the excellent of the earth. We know he was a great king, and yet made himself their companion. Such is the peculiar nature of their distinctions, as to elevate them far above all other people in the world. This will evidently appear, if we only just glance at their respective honours, treasures, and sacred pleasures. It is well known, that the honours, wealth, and pleasures of this world, are among the many obstacles which hinder sinners from becoming saints; but were men to make a just comparison between heavenly and worldly honours, treasures, and pleasures, they would never barter away the former for the latter. They would say, the latter are deceitful, dissatisfying, and soon fade away; while the former are substantial, delicions, and perpetually increase. We therefore will choose the good part, which shall never be taken from us.

The real saint is truly honourable in many respects. He is so in his descent; he is born from above. There is in him a divine principle and nature, which always tends to God as its source and centre: he is honourable in his employment: he will not demean himself to be at the beck and call of every lust and passion: he will not do the dirty work of Satan, sin, and the world: he is a servant in waiting upon the King of kings; and is determined to be steadfast, immoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord: he is honourable in his company and attendance: he visits, and is visited, by that great Jehovah, before whom seraphs vail, and whom the Heaven of Heavens cannot contain! His fellowship is truly with the Father, and with his son Jesus Christ: he has access to God as a child to its father, and is honoured to walk in the light and smiles of his countenance. The secrets of the Lord are with him; and he sends his holy angels to

pitch their tents round about his dwelling; to keep him in all his ways through life; and, at death, to take his spirit home to Heaven! There he shall be honoured with being for ever with the Lord!

All the saints have treasures equal to their honours. Among men, some have titles above their estates, while others have riches without titles; but the saints of God, in the best sense of the words, possess both titles and treasures. These sons of God are heirs both of earth and Heaven: by nature and sin they have only meanness and misery. They are poor and miserable, and wretched, blind and naked; but, by grace, they have all things, and abound. He, whose is the earth, the cattle, the silver, and the gold, knows, and will supply all their needs, according to his riches in glory. In a special manner he will enrich their souls with all spiritual blessings: they are rich in that faith which is daily received out of the fulness of Christ : they have pardon: they have peace with God and conscience they are justified: they have everlasting consolation and good hope; yea, a hope full of glory! they have a source of contentment and comfort which the world can neither give nor take away their souls are covered with the robe of their Redeemer's righteousness; and they possess the rich gifts and consolations of his Holy Spirit. But what they possess, is not equal to what they expect in the eternal world. Now, they are the sons of God; out it doth not yet appear what they shall be It is true, they have great and good things in hand, but far greater and better in hope. Now they have an interest and advantage in every promise, in every providence, and in every perfection of God; but there is laid up for them in Heaven, a crown of glory that fadeth not away. When this world and all things therein shall be consumed, the saints will inherit an eternal weight of glory. O for a share in those unsearchable and durable riches of Christ! What debtors are the saints to him who became poor, that through his poverty they might become thus rich!

It will appear that such honors and treasures as distinguish believers, can never be pregnant with sorrow. This is a world of sorrow; but it is sin, and not rea ity that hath made it such, It is a vile slander on true religion, to call it a melancholy thing. It both requires and inspires such joys, as nothing earthly gives or can destroy. There have been in the world those who have had both titles and riches, without r health or heart to ioy

them. Some are yet to be found, who have riches and sorrows therewith. The saints also may be in heaviness, through manifold temptations; but at the worst, it is far better with them than it is with the wicked at the best; besides, when they are sad, religion is not the cause of their sadness: their greatest sorrow is, that they find so little of it in themselves, and see so little of it in others. On these accounts they sometimes wet their couch with tears. But there are seasons when they have soul, calm sunshine, and heartfelt joy. They find Jehovah's paths are peace, and his service perfect freedom! His service hinders them of no pleasures whatever, whether natural or intellectual, but such as are irrational, impure, and destructive; they have the pleasure of a good conscience; they have a joy in God through Jesus Christ. In waiting upon God, in his house and ordinances, they can say with truth, "Lord, it is good to be here." Their very souls are delighted while they behold the fair beauty of the Lord: believing, they rejoice with a joy unspeakable, and full of glory. To them there is no consolation like those of the Holy Spirit. Every way choice are the pleasures of the saints. They never surfeit, but always satisfy: there is no danger lodged within them: they never corrupt nor debase, but always refine and ennoble the soul: they do not, like carnal sinful pleasures, end in gall; but are such as give delight on review. In fact, they never terminate; they increase till death, and are then consummated with everlasting joy, where sorrow and mourning are for ever done away!

I

Scarborough.

S. B.

To the Editor of the Evangelical Magazine. DEAR SIR,

SPENT a few weeks this summer at Buxton, in Derbyshire, a place much resorted to, both on account of its mineral waters and salubrious air. In walking up one of the surrounding hills above Pool's Hole, I went into a cottage, made in the lime-stone rock, where an old couple reside rent-free. After conversing with the husband upon religious matters, who I found, like all men by nature, was ignorant of the way of salvation, relying on his prayers, repentance, &c. his wife produced the following letter, from one of her sons by a former marriage, who had been supported, when young, by begging and assist

ance