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fition of folly, ingratitude, pride, and prefumption. He is a worm ftruggling under the foot of Omnipotence. He blots out from the records of his life the highest favours God can bestow, and the beft fervices man can perform; he imperioufly arraigns the juftice and goodnefs of his Creator and Judge, threatens to throw off his allegiance, and demands that his own will be made the rule of the divine conduct. But this fin carries its own punishment along with it. Does it not increase the weight of every burden, and prolong the period of fuffering? While it obliterates the remembrance of ancient mercies, it infufes bitterness into every exifting comfort, and leaves the murmurer himself without ballaft and without compafs, expofed to the mercy of an unknown tempeftuous ocean.

Mofes, although defpifed and condemned by the people committed to his charge, became their interceffor at the throne of grace. In all their afflictions he was afflicted. He was not feen rioting in luxury while they were perishe ing in want; and it was well for them that he was a man of another fpirit; that he was fuperior to the provocations of peevishness and enmity; that he forgot his own fufferings, and could fo readily forgive their infolence, in the confidence of his intregity, and the hope of Jehovah's interpo fition. How wonderfully the talents and tempers of men are adapted to their ftations! and with what exactnefs grace is proportioned to their trials! No man, not poffeffing the wifdom, meeknefs, and devotion of Mofes, could have maintained his honour or his usefulness with such an untoward generation. So conformed to the will of God, and fo exalted in his favour,-fo dead to every confideration but his glory, and the happiness of Ifrael, our admiration of his character can only be interrupted by our deteftation of the fottishness that could treat that character with fuch indignity. In these, and various other particulars, our Saviour was a Prophet like unto Mofes. He was reviled without retaliating; the wonders he performed were degraded by no oftentation; his forbearance and magnanimity overcame all the obstacles thrown in the way of his miniftry; he patiently endured the crofs, and uniformly despised the fhame. In life and in death he was wholly devoted to the best intereft of an indigent, murmuring, rebellious, barbarous people.

How happy it was for this guilty generation, that the man ordained of God to be their leader, was in temper and conduct fo unlike themfelves! a man meek in fpirit, ftrong

in faith, fervent and powerful in prayer! When Mofes cried to the Lord, the Lord immediately fhewed him a tree, a part of which he was commanded to caft into the waters, and the waters were made fweet, palatable, and wholesome. While the infidel, to deftroy the miracle, afcribes the healing of the waters to the natural virtues of the tree; and while the Jew, following vain traditions, and proud of the miracles wrought in favour of his nation, afferts that the tree itfelf was bitter, the child of light will humbly adore that omnipotent Spirit of God, who firit moved upon the face of the waters, and by whofe fovereign influence this aftonishing change was effected in the waters of Marah :-that God the Spirit can never be at a lofs for inftruments to accomplish his works; that for the encouragement of our attention to ordinances, he employs means in fulfilling his defigns, when his arm alone is adequate that in fituations the most unpromifing and diftreffing, he, according to his word, will ap‐, pear for the fupport, confolation, and deliverance of his people. Of these truths we fhould never lofe fight; thefe truths fhould be deeply engraven upon our hearts.

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We have a greater Advocate with the Father than Moses; even Jefus, who is gone into Heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities, and powers being made fubject unto him. An intereft in his love will reconcile us to every disappointment; believing views of his. crofs will fweeten every affliction; the profpect of that period when the Lamb in the midst of the throne fhall lead them unto living fountains of water, and wipe away all tears from their eyes, will elevate their thoughts and affections far above thefe troubled fcenes, and increase the ardour of their defires to depart, and to be with Chrift. Our prefentfecurity refts upon no legal conditions; our full redemption upon no mere probabilities. The Lord Jefus is our furety, our guide, our defence, our fulness; and he is the fame yesterday, to-day, and for ever. We may be in want of temporal comforts; we may be exercised with many calamities; we may walk in darkness, and have no light; but faithful is he who hath called us; and he will never gather our fouls with finners. Let us then cease to murmur, let us live by faith, and let us daily anticipate the glories of that reft which remaincth for the ranfomed of the Lord.

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A PROPOSAL TO FORM SOCIETIES
IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE KINGDOM,

FOR DISTRIBUTING RELIGIOUS TRACTS.

HE Inftitution, Progrefs, and Succefs of the RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY, have been frequently announced to the public, through the medium of this Magazine; and, we truft, it becomes every day more apparent, that the difperfion of small tracts on ferious and Evangelicat fubjects, is a practice happily calculated, under the divine' bleffing, to diffufe facred knowledge, and to promote the beft interefts of mankind. The encouragement which the Society has already experienced, fufficiently proves that this method of communicating religious inftruction, meets with general approbation,

In this we rejoice, yea, and we will rejoice. That some good is done, is matter of pleasure and praife. But are we to ftop here? Is good enough already done? By no means This is but the firft fruits, we truft, of a harveft far more glorious and abundant. We have reafon to think that where one benevolent perfon now employs himself in disperse ing tracts, an hundred equally benevolent and active might be engaged in the fame good work:-that where one tract is now difpofed of in this manner, a thoufand might be difperfed, if the attention of pious perfons were duly excited to this good work. And what method can be devised for this end, more likely to prove effective, than the inftitution of Voluntary Societies for the express purpose of diftributing Religious Tracts?

The Society first mentioned, has done worthily in recommending this object to the notice of the public, especially in that excellent performance, No. I. of their tracts,➡ in raifing fubfcriptions to enable them to print tracts in a cheap and handfome manner, and in engaging the various talents of fome ufeful writers, and thus furnishing the country at large with a pleafing variety of excellent productions. Thus far is well but at prefent it may be feared that very few perfons, comparatively, are actively engaged in diffeminating the truth among the thoufands, the millions, -of the ignorant and the vicious.

It is, however, much to the honour of feveral Clergymen (and fome of the dignified orders) together with other zealous Gentlemen in the county of Durham, that they have fet before us an admirable example, well worthy of imme

diate imitation. They have eftablished a fociety at Darlington, with the view which we wish to recommend. It is probable that many other Societies would be formed for the fame purpose, if a fuitable plan were prefented. We have therefore extracted the following Rules, in part, from thofe of the Darlington Society, with fome alterations, which ferious perfons, who approve of the general idea, may adopt or diverfify, as their local circumftances or parti cular inclinations may direct.

Outlines of a Plan for the Regulation of a Society,
for the Distribution of Religious Tracts.

RULES.

I. That this Society fhall be established for the fole purpofe of circulating Religious Tracts.

II. That every Subfcriber of

or month) fhall be deemed a member.

per year (quarter

III. That feven of the Subfcribers be annually chosen as a Committee, for the management of the concerns of the Society, who fhall meet once a month, on or oftener, if they deem it neceffary. One of the Committee to be Treasurer, and another Secretary for the year.

IV. That the Tracts fhall be, in general, felected from thofe published by the Religious Tract Society in London.

V. That no Tract shall be admitted, but by a majority of the Committee at a monthly meeting; the fame having been propofed the month preceding.

VI. That every member may receive three-fourths of his fubfcription in tracts; the remaining fourth to be employed by the Committee in defraying the expences of the Society, and in diftributing tracts according to their difcretion*.

Inferior regulations will naturally occur. In moft cafes, the great difficulty will be to find an active perfon to begin. In general, the Minifter is the fitteft to take the lead, in default of the Minifter, fome generous layman may fupply his place. In fome cafes, it may be expedient that an annual Sermon be preached, to recommend the Inftitution, and, if need be, a Collection made for its furtherance.

*This will enable them to difpofe of a number of Tracts to a member, or other perfon, who travels, or has the best opportunity of diftribution; perhaps greater than any of the Committee theinfelves. Pedlars may be furnished with a number, at a reduced rate.

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It feems alfo defirable that every member engage himself to give away fome tracts in his particular connexion, were it but one, uniformly, every week, to the moft fuitable object he could think of; and it might contribute greatly to the general good, if the Committee would devife rules for this purpose.

Who can tell what extenfive advantages may be derived from a general and zealous adoption of this plan! Enough good has been already done, by the bleffing of God, to encourage far more diffufive attempts. Chriftian brethren, the time is fhort let us be up and doing, and the Lord be with us. Amen and amen. G. B.

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QUERIES.

I. NOTHING is more certain from Scripture and experience, than that the Holy Spirit does fupernaturally operate upon the hearts of God's people; and notwithstanding, after what our Lord fays, in John iii. 8, concerning the myfterious nature of fuch operations, no one should at tempt to explain how they are performed; yet, as believers can, in fome meafure, difcern the difference between what is fpiritual and what is only natural, I fhall think myself much obliged if fome of your correfpondents would answer the following Query:-"In what refpects, and by what means, can believers diftinguifh the fuggeftions and influ ences of the Holy Spirit upon their fouls, from those which arife in their minds, in fome way or other, folely froni

nature?"

Buckingham.

G. G. S.

II. As the Chriftian Epoch is dated from the Birth of our Saviour, why does not the new year commence on the 25th of December? Why is not the 1ft of January set apart, in commemoration of his birth?

It our Saviour was crucified on the Friday, and rose again early on Sunday morning (which appears clearly from the Evangelifts) how could the words be verified which he fpake of himfelf, Matthew xii. 40, "For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly, fo fhall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth ?"

STROPER.

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