form of a fervant," and being found in the likeness of a man. Yet farther, here is a theatre erected, in which is to be exhibited the moft auguft difplay of all the divine perfections. Here "mercy and truth thall meet together, and righteousness and peace kifs each other."

The first day! "important æra! Here history fixes her line, and marks all the great events, and revolutions of our Globe. Already hath fhe extended it, to the commencement of the 59th century of the creation-eventful period! Who can predict the changes of another age? But this may fafely be foretold, that the period is not very diftant, which fhall close them all. The light of this world fhall fet for ever; and its beauty be reduced to ruins, until he that fitteth on the throne fhall fay-" Behold, I create all things new!" and with his fecond fiat produce from the afhes of our globe, the New Jerufalem-" like a bride adorned for her husband." Then "hall the fun no more ' give light by day, nor the moon by night; but Jehovah fhall be our everlasting light, and God himtelf our glory.”

IN

"

N reply to the seasonable query of your correfpondent Minimus, I fubmit to your attention the following remarks intended to justify a decided negative. That the labouring poor are literally "groaning under comparative famine," will be admitted by all unprejudiced perfons; and can be only denied by thofe whofe tender mercies are cruel." Nor will the liberal reft without deviting liberal things for their relief. With pleafure I avail myfelf in this connexion, of your fupplementary note to a paper in your laft Magazine, entitled, "The Economy of Charity," (an admirable paper) in which you mention Public Dinners among the items, which might have been added to the propofed favings of your correfpondent. Of the principle and extent of that charity, which is expreffed merely by the furly gift of an occafional guinea, given rather to fave appearances, than to impart the fympathetic aid of rational benevolence, I Evangelical Magazine for January laft, p. 27.

have indeed a very low opinion. If my conception of Chriftian Charity particularly, be not strangely erroneous, it confifts chiefly in forrowing with thofe who forrow," and " bearing one another's burthen." The neceffity of abridging as it refpects, fuperfluities, with reference to our domeftic establishments, is pretty well understood. Upon what principle economy at home and profufion abroad can be reconciled, I am at a lofs to apprehend. Am I to be told, that, charity upon an extenfive fcale, is the object of all public dinners frequented by Chriftians; and that they are neceffary as means to the accomplishment of that end? Perith then the object, whofe only attraction is conviviality, whofe fupport itself defeats the end it means to ferve. Adverting to the expences incidental upon public dinners, who can for a moment hefitate to fay with the difciples, influenced by a better motive indeed, "might not this have been given to the poor?" This profufion not of grateful love, but pitilefs indulgence.

The degree of enormity attaching to fuperfluous entertainments must neceffarily be determined by the accumulation or diminution of public affliction. What then can be faid of that profufion, which, regardlefs of the multiplied tears and groans of the deftitute, pleads their caufe as its excufe, and adds refined infult to grofs barbarity? "Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the ftreets of Afkelon," that the avowed difciples of Him, whofe itinerant benevolence was ever in purfuit of mifery, and folicitous to counteract it, unimpreffed by the dignity of his character, the authority of his commands, and the beauty of his example, connect publicity and fenfuality with that part of religious duty, which ought ever to be retiring and selfdenying. May the conduct of profeffing chriftians henceforth be fuch, as fhall make it extenfively apparent, that, in their perufal of the facred volume, they have met with the apoftolic injunction, "Let your moderation be known unto all men." I make no referve for the neceffity of public dinners in any view. I am far from thinking them abfolutely important to any inftitution; but I believe the profufion which has in many inftances difgraced them would itfelf have formed a fund, from which the wretched, who plead against us, might have been liberally supplied.

To the Editor of the Evangelical Magazine.

REVI SIR,

With fincere pleasure I fend you another Letter from the Rev. C. B. whofe affecting circumftances are described in the laft Number of your Magazine, page 52. He is one of the feals of the late Rev. G. Whitfield's Ministry, and an Evangelical Minister of unblemished character. Tho' 74 years of age, he walked last year fixty miles from his poor habitation (according to his annual cuftom) preaching as he went, in the mott obfcure parts of the country. Surely fuch a labourer in the Lord's vineyard fhall never be forfaken by Him.

I am, Sir, your's,

Feb. 5, 1801.

PHILEMON.

To Mr. G.

L-T-H-, Jan. 27, 1801.

"I called upon the Lord and he heard me, yea he took me out of many waters, many forrows have encompaffed me about, but the Lord hath delivered me out of them all."

My very dear and invaluable Friend in the Lord,

B

EING fo amazed at the Lord's providence, and your goodness, with ail your helpers, that I am at a loss to form my poor mite of love; may the Spirit of love and truth guide my heart and pen! My dear fir, having with tears offered my poor mite of gratitude to my dear and heavenly Father, I now offer my thanks to you and all my other friends under God, for thefe your unexpected favours. This is the Lord's doing; O may it ever be marvellous in my eyes God give me a thankful heart! Of the box of rich bleffings we received, I have given Mifs W. an account. Many and rich they are, and have fupplied food for our bellies, and clothing for our backs and beds; the Lord reward both you and your helpers!

Dear Sir, I received your kind letter, dated Jan. 9, 1800, but it came not to hand till the 23d, with a demand on my worthy friend, Mr. H., for 217 which we have received. But whence is this to me, that my God and his church fhould thus look upon me, while many of our poor fellowcreatures are ftarving for want, and I and my family might justly have been in the unhappy number. O Lord, why

me,

me, why me! My dear friend, I have been under thefe waters for fome years, and to all outward appearance could never have been released, my place being fo poor that the people can scarce make provifion for the Lord's table, fo I can expect but little from them; and provifions fo exceffive dear for these five years, that fearing the Lord's name thould be flurred I have laboured in my bed with conflicts, till my fhirt has been wet on my back; nay, fo have I fought with the Devil and unbelief, that I have walked the floor in the night, crying," O Lord, I befeech thee deliver my foul." Thefe two texts often followed me, Pfalm xxxvii. 3. and Pfalm 1. 15. with many more; but the Lord hath raised you up for my deliverance. Indeed, fir, I fcored up my dear Lord a great debt, but I little thought that he had given orders to you, and my dear friends (unknown to me) to remit it; but he knew both you and me, and my wants, and now you under him, as the executors of his goodness, have remitted it with honour. Bleffed be his dear name, and thanks to you; the Lord reward you all, amen!

And now, my dear friend, I will just give you a little fketch of what, under God, you and your helpers have done; you have been the means of stopping the mouth of an accufing Devil, dafhing unbelief out of countenance, treading carnal reafon under foot, fupplying the needs of the hungry, clothing the backs and beds of the naked, croffing the books of creditors, ftopping the mouths of enemics, and made me a wonder to all the country. You have fet a pearl into all your crowns, delivered me and my poor family as out of a whale's belly, and once more fet our feet upon dry ground. Bleffed be our God, and thanks to you, for once more my feet ftand upon eyen ground. I can fcarce write for weeping. Your favour juft cleared me from the world-we paid fifteen pounds for bread, and the rest for other things. Men's fhoes are ten fhillings a pair; wheat is 1. 4s and 11. 5s. per bufhel; and we cannot have two pounds of bread for a fhilling. O for faith to trust the promife of my God! I hope he will yet deliver me. I have one favour to beg, not to nourish my pride, nor to please a vain fancy-no; God forbid! It is for the glory of God, to fend me a letter with all your names that have helped me, to rear up a monument in the hiftory of my life, of God's goodness by your means, to infcribe them as in a plate, for my dear children to view when I am dead and gone; how a covenant-keeping God did deliver their poor father, and fupported them according to Pfalm xlviii.

14. "That they may tell it to them that come after." O! my dear friends, let me beg a fhare in all your prayers for us; and now, my dear friend, fuffer me and my poor family, as on our knees with tears in our eyes, to blefs God for you, and that he may crown you all with every bleffing. And now with tears farewell! the Lord bless you all. Amen! I am your's in the Lord,

C. and A. B

To another benefactor, on the fame occafion, Mr. B. writes, "When the box of bleffings came, I was fo overwhelmed with joy, that, as our people emptied it, I could only ftand and weep and praife the Lord."

SIR,

ŒECONOMY OF CHARITY.

To the Editor.

co

Correfpondent in your last fuggefted a plan of nomy by which perfons in the middle ranks of life may be enabled to do good by very moderate favings without an enlargement of their expences. The plan is good, and will, I hope, be acted upon by many. At the fame time, as man is fo perverfe a creature, as always to run into extremes, I am fearful that even this excellent idea may be abufed, and my fufpicion has been encreased by the following circumftance:

My neighbour, Mr. Saveall, is a very affiduous tradefman in the watch branch, who has by economy and ap plication to bufinefs, in better times than thefe, faved a decent property; and as the love of money commonly encreafes with the opportunities of gain, he has grown more and more parfimonious as he has fucceeded in bufiness, till he has acquired the above appellation. I met with him the other night at my next door neighbour's, Mr. Goodman, who takes in your Magazine, and this piece lying on the table introduced a converfation on the importance of œconomy, as affording the means of benevolence. In the courfe of chat we learned from Mr. Saveall the following particulars of his generofity, and the means employed, as he faid, to enable him honeftly to afford it.

1

Mr. S. who till lately, never, I believe, indulged a thought of giving, has been excited by the good example of his neighbours to fubfcribe to our parish Soup Eftablishment, befide actually giving fome little donations in private inftances of fickness and diftrefs which have come under his obfervation;