ward of his work;" fo is man from feventy years old and upwards, made to poffefs months of vanity; and wea rifome nights are appointed to him. When he lies down, he fays, "When shall I arife, and the night be gone?" and he is full of toffings to and fro unto the dawning of the day. When he fays, "My bed fhall comfort me; my couch shall eafe my complaint; then is he scared with dreams, and terrified through vifions;" fo that he becomes weary of his life, and, like Jonah, wifhes in hinfelf to die; and fays, "It is better for me to die than to live." We remark, 5. That the longeft period of mortal exiftence is comparatively fhort. It is foon cut off, like a fpider's web, and, like chaff before the wind, we fly away in hafte to our eternal home. If Jacob, at the age of one hundred and thirty years, acknowledged that his days had been few, with much greater propriety may the oldeft acknowledge that their days are few, now the common limit of man's abode upon earth is fo much contracted! How few, when compared with the days of man before the flood! And how fhorter ftill is human life when compared with ETERNITY! Conclufion. As the boundaries of human life are diverfified; as fome die in infancy, fome in youth, fome in the middle of life, and fome in old age,-ye that are parents, depend not on the lives of your children; they may be fnatched from you in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, Are you young? Boaft not of the ftrength of your conftitution, nor be flattered with the idea that you are far from the gates of death. How many flowers are cut down in their prime! Have you fearched the volume of the divine decrees, and found that you fhall not die in the days of your youth? Whatever may be the ftate of your health at prefent, or however far diftant the approach of the king of terrors to appearance may be, it would be the higheft mark of folly and prefumption even to boaft yourfelves of to-morrow, for ye know not what a day may bring forth. Are you paffed from youth to riper years, and arrived at the meridian of your days? Neglect not the thoughts of death. Prepare to meet your God. You are furrounded with daily inftances of the mortality of those of the fame age as yourfelves, and of many who were likely, but a little time ago, to live to as advanced a period as you can poffibly hope. The appointed feafon of your departure may be at hand; your fun may decline in hafte; and, ere you are aware, you may be called to "pafs VOL. IX. Xx the the important hour of death." Watch, therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh. Do you carry the marks of old age? Have the days of your years been extended to threefcore years, or threefcore years and ten, or fourscore years? Brethren, the time with you is certainly short; you cannot, according to the course of nature, have long to exift in this prefent world; you must foon fall afleep in the cold embraces of death, and launch out of time into an awful eternity. Enquire, with feriousness, what is the ftate of your fouls? Have you been fo long in the world and lived without God, and without Chrift, and without hope?→→ How fearful is your condition! How greatly are you to be pitied! And are you yet thoughtless and unconcerned about the falvation of your fouls? How fhocking! What, on the brink of ruin, and feel no defire to escape? Awake, and confider! You muft fhortly die, and, "except ye repent, ye must likewife perish." To thofe aged people who are found in the way of righteufnefs, I would fay, Give God the praife. Your hoary hairs are a crown of glory. Happy, my venerable friends, amidst all the infirmities of age, amidst all the labours, and toils, and forrows of declining years-happy is your prefent ftate-glorious are your future prospects! Almoft your race is run almoft your journey is at an end. At the end of your race, at the end of your journey, there remains for you a crown of glory! a reft of eternal duration ! Let your hearts be comforted, let your fpirits be revived, and lift up your heads with joy, for behold your redemption draweth nigh. J. K. प •རབར•ར ON RETIREMENT. A TASTE for retirement, for calm occupations and fimple pleafures, ought diligently to be cultivated by every one ambitious of folid contentment, or who afpires after the dignity of true independence. Sir W. Temple, in a letter to the King, tells him, "that, fhould the court not fuit him, he knows the way back to his garden:"—and for want of this power of abstraction, or, as Pafcall fays, "because fo few can fit quiet in their own chamber, the world is filled with fo much competition and uproar." ELY BATES. REVIEW OF RELIGIOUS PUBLICATIONS. Four Sermons, preached in London, at the General Meeting of the Miffionary Society, by the Rev. H. MENDS, W. ROBY, J. COOKE, and W. TYLER. To which is prefixed the Report of the Directors, the Proceedings of the Meeting, and a Lift of the Subscribers, 8vo. pp. 160. Price 25. 6d. Chapman. CONSIDERING the number of fermons preached within these few years on miffionary occafions, we are pleafed to fee the tubject is not -exhaufted, but that, by the varied talents of the preachers in fucceffive years, the fubject is continually placed in new points of view. On the prefent occafion Mr. Mends fhews "dark providences" to be "no just reafon of difcouragement in miffionary exertions"-Mr. Roby offers an able apology for Christian_miffions to the heathen-Mr. Cooke thews "the advancement and perfection of the kingdom of God to be the defire of every Chriftian, and the end of miffionary exertions”—and Mr. Tyler' illuftrates the powerful influence of Divine grace" in the converfion and miniftry of the apostle Paul. But as we have given the texts and principal heads of difcourfes in our Intelligence, we think it unneceffary farther to anticipate the pleasure of our readers in their perufal. If not perfectly equal in point of eloquence or argumentation, as "one star differs from another ftar in glory," yet, the minifters of Chrift are all "ftars in his right hand," and receive light from him, fuited to illuminate their respective spheres. The Evangelical Clergyman, or a Vindication of the Religious Principles and Conduct of a Minister of the Gospel. By J. HODSON. 8vo. pp. 62. Price 1s. 6d. Sael and Co. THIS pamphlet originated in a late ftruggle for the election of guardians of the poor in the parish of Clerkenwell, in which the writer. avows, that his friends, in polling for the fuccessful candidates, had an immediate view to the choice of men of integrity to that office, and an ultimate defign in the event of a vacancy in the pulpits of that extensive parish, to fecure the influence of men friendly to the introduction of the Gofpel. To facilitate a measure of fo much importance to the best interefts of its inhabitants, the author endeavours to obviate objections against preachers of that defcription, by delineating the true character of the Evangelical Clergyman, whofe principles literally accord with the articles he has fubfcribed, and whose conduct exemplifies the precepts of the Gospel. Poems, tranflated from the French of Madame de la Mothe Guion. By the late W. CowPFR, Efq. Author of the Tafk. To which are added, fome Original Poems of Mr. Cowper, not inferted in his Works. Newport Pagnel, Wakefield; London, Williams, 1801. 1270. 144 pages, price 35. A defire to fee the admirable talents of Mr. Cowper applied to the embel lifhment of fpiritual fubjects, has been very generally and earnestly expreffed by the religious world. We doubt not that it will receive peculiar gratification from the volume before us, which is printed uniformly with the fmalleft edition of Mr. C's. former volumes. That it chiefly confifts of wranslations, will abate little of the pleasure to be derived from it; for it Xx 2 hardly hardly feems poffible that his genuine feelings, as intimated in various parts of his original writings, could have been more exactly or fully expreffed than they are in many of the poems he has tranflated from Madam Guion. The feclufion to which the was fubjected, by the want of fympathy in thofe around her, was attended with similar effects upon her mind, to thofe which Mr. C. experienced in the privacy that foothed his inveterate melancholy. Madam Guion published four volumes of poems on religious tubjects; chiefly in lyric verfe, fet to tunes that were familiar to her countrymen. From thefe, at the fuggeftion of his neighbour, the Rev. W. Bull, of Newport Pagnel, Mr. C. felected thirty-fix pieces, of which he has given tranflations or imitations. Prefixed to thefe, is a verfion of one of her heroic poems, on the Nativity of Chrift, abounding with poetical beauty, as well as fpiritual fervor. The other tranflated pieces are much shorter than this, in various metres, and different among themfelves, as to their kinds or degrees of excellence. We have been moft gratified with the Swallow, the Procedure of Divine Love, Longing to fee God beloved, Afpirations after God, Self-Diffidence, God hides his People, Secrets of Divine Love, Watching unto God, Joy of the Crofs, Neceffity of Self-Abafement, and Scenes favourable to Meditation. The reft have, however, their respective merits and beauties; and fome of them may appear, to other readers, fuperior to fome of thofe we have diftinguished. A judgment may be formed of their general firain by the fubjects that have been specified. The original poems confift of two, which were given to Mr. Bull with the preceding tranflations of all the annual verfes for a bill of mortality at Northampton, that were compofed by Mr. Cowper; and of an infcription by him, copied from the tomb of a gentleman, buried in the churchyard at Newport Pagnel. Moft of thefe have appeared in periodical publications; but having never before been collected, are very properly fubjoined to the tranflations. The only one that has not an immediate connection with religion, is an excellent poem on friendship, comprifing more than 200 lines; which, we believe, has not till now been in print. That it is not, however, mifplaced in this collection, will appear from the last three ftanzas, which we fubjoin, as the only fpecimen our limits will admit. Enquiring into the requifite qualifications for friendflip, Mr. C. fays, "Purfue the fearch, and you will fin. And, after fumming all the reft, A principal ingredient. The nobleft friendship ever fhewn, The Saviour's Hiftorv makes known; Though fome have turn'd, and turn'd it : And whether being craz'd or blind, Or feeking with a bias'd mind, Have not, it feems, difcern'd it! Oh friendship! if my foul forego Thy dear delights while here below, Or may my friend deceive me !” The The first of the original poems is a beautiful epiftle sent to an Englishwoman, who had been brought to the knowledge of the Gofpel after having married and settled in France. It was printed in the Theological Mifcellany for July, 1789; and in that, and the two preceding volumes, are inferted extracts from twenty-five letters, written by the fame lady to whom this epiftle was addrefled, and introduced with a narrative of her interefting history. Mr. Bull has added a brief preface, which fully establishes the propriety of his own conduct in committing this volume to the prefs. We are confident, that in doing fo, his motives have been highly commendable; and that the religious public will feel themselves greatly indebted to him for the pleasure and benefit that must be enjoyed in the perufal. The Amen to Social Prayer, illuftrated and improved. A Sermon preached at the Baptift Monthly Meeting, Nov. 20, 1800. By A. BOOTH. Price 15. Button and Son. IN the introductory part of this very fenfible and serious difcourfe, the preacher apologizes for having called the attention of his auditory to a fingle word; and affures them, that nothing could be more contrary to his idea than the practice of taking any part of Scripture as a text, "to "be the fubject of a trial of fkill, in order to excite popular curiofity, and "to afford amufement." Mr. B. afterwards proceeds to remark, that when the word amen is prefixed to an affertion, it fignifies "affuredly, certainly," but that when it concludes a prayer, it is then "petitionary and, as it were, epitomizes all the requests with which it ftands con"nected." After defcribing the ufe made of this word Amen in the facred volume, especially in Numb. v. 22. Deut. xxvii. 14, 26. Neh, viii. 6. Rev. xxii. 20. 1 Cor. xiv. 16. and alfo in the worship of the early ages; the preacher then obferves, that this term fuggefts, first, That we fhould pray with understanding, with fervour, and with expectation. Secondly, That the fame comprehenfive and emphatical term fuggefts a variety of falutary cautions and keen reproofs, with regard to focial prayer. Under each of thefe heads Mr. B. offers feveral very fuitable and important particulars; in perusing which, the reader will find both pleasure and inftruction. The conclufion of the fermon contains a ferious and affectionate addrefs, 1. To those who habitually take the lead in prayer; 2. To those who are filent worshippers; and 3. To thofe who have little or no regard to prayer. This fermon exhibits ftrong proof that Mr. B. is a preacher of found judgment, great gravity and ferioufnefs, and who feels all that folemnity in devotional exercifes which fhould be poffeffed by those who are a mouth to God for their fellow-christians in focial prayer. The Mercy and Juftice of God, difplayed in the Death of Two Criminals = or an Account of J. Duncomb, who was hanged at Aylesbury, and W. Slingo, who died in Prifon. 15 Pages, Price 2d. or 12s. 6d. per Hundred. Williams. FROM this little tract there appears encouragement to believe that the man who was executed, after having been guilty of robbing and wounding a perfon on the highway, became a fubject of godly forrow, and obtained peace with God, through the only Saviour of finners. The other, who had enticed him to fin, and afterwards turned evidence against him, feems to have funk under the weight of his own remorse. We under ftand |