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condition of human kind, the morals have in them such purity and dignity, the doctrines, so many of them above reason, yet so perfectly reconcilable with it, the expression is so majestic, yet familiarized with such easy sinplicity, that the more we read and study these writings with pious disposi tions and judicious attention, the more we shall see and feel the hand ef God in them. J. S. B.

THE PRAISE OF PATIENCE.

PATIENCE is the guardian of faith, the preserver of peace, the cherisher of love, the teacher of humility: Patience governs the flesh, strengthens the spirit, sweetens the temper, stifles anger, extinguishes envy, subdues pride; she bridles the tongue, refrains the hands, tramples on temptations, endures persecutions, consummates martyrdom: Patience produces unity in the church, loyalty in the state, harmony in families and societies; she comforts the poor, and moderates the rich; she makes us humble in prosperity, cheerful in adversity, unmoved by calumny and reproach; she teaches us to forgive those who have injured us, and to be first in asking forgiveness of those whom we have injured; she delights the faithful and invites the unbelieving she adorns the woman and approves the man; is loved in a child, praised in a young man, admired in an old man; she is beautiful in either sex, and in every age. Behold her appearance and attire: her countenance is calm and serene as the face of heaven, unspotted by the shadow of a cloud, and no wrinkle of grief or anger is seen in her forehead; her eyes are the eyes of doves for meekness, and on her eye-brows sit cheerfulness and joy: her mouth is lovely in silence; her complexion and colour that of innocence and security; while, like the virgin, the daughter of Sion, she shakes her head at the adversary, and laughs him to scorn. She is clothed in the robes of the martyrs, and in her hand she holds a sceptre in the form of a cross. She rules not in the whirlwind and stormy tempest of passion; but her throne is the humble and contrite heart, and her kingdom is the kingdom of peace.

This portrait is copied by Bishop Horne from Tertullian's noble treatise on the subject. Sermon x. vol. ii.

THE EXCESSIVE ANTIQUITY OF THE CHINESE DISPROVED. Ir is well known that the Chinese pretend to an excessive antiquity. Their chronology exceeds ail bounds of probability: and, could their pretensions be verified, the Mosaic account of the creation must necessarily be discredited. But we have a singular fact to state, which will prove that their boasted antiquity really falls within the limits of the Mosaic Chronology. For the evidence we are about to produce, we are indebted to the discoveries of modern astronomy. The Chinese have ever made a point of inserting in their calendars remarkable eclipses, or conjunctions of the planets, together with the name of that Emperor in whose reign they were observed. To these events they have also fixed their own dates, There is a very singular conjunction of the sun, moon, and several planets, recorded in their annals, as having taken place almost at the very com mencement of their remote history. The far-famed Cassini, to ascertain the fact, calculated back, and decisively proved, that such an extraordinary conjunction actually did take place at China, on Feb. 26, 1012 years before Christ. This falls four hundred years after the flood, and a little after the birth of Abraham. Here are two important facts ascertained. The one is, that the Chinese are a very ancient nation; and the other, that their pretensions to antiquity beyond that of Moses are unfounded; be cause this event, which they themselves represent as happening near the beginning of their immense calculatious, falls far within the history and chronology of the Seriptures. Collyer's Scripture Facts.

ANECDOTES.

AN itinerant minister having preached at G. H. several times, with a prospect of success, was in one of his visits much discouraged to find that a set of players had given notice by hand-bills that they were to perform directly opposite to the house in which he was to preach, and precisely at the same time; but, to his great surprize and pleasure, he found the house unusually crowded, insomuch, that he with difficulty entered; while he was informed, that the players had but three persons to attend them, and, in consequence, left the place without performing.-What can more strikingly shew the utility of village preaching?

notice: At

The two following anecdotes relating to the journey of Mr. Collison and Mr. Frey, to make collections for the Missionary Society, may be worthy of in Yorkshire, after a handsome collection on the preceding evening, a poor man, whose wages are about 28s. per week, brought the next morning at breakfast-time, a donation of twenty guineas. Our friends hesitated to receive it; doubting whether it was consistent with his duty to his family and the world to contribute such a sum; when he answered to the following effect: "Before I knew the grace of our Lord, I was a poor drunkard: I never could save a shilling. My family were in beggary and rags; but since it has pleased God to renew me by his grace, we have been industrious and frugal; we have not spent many idle shillings; and we have been enabled to put something into the bank; and this I freely offer to the blessed cause of our Lord and Saviour."-This is the second donation of this same poor man, to the same amount!!!

At W, in the same county, Mr. F—————, in the course of a sermon happened to say, that "if the ladies who came out of Egypt could give their golden trinkets to Aaron, to make a calf for the support of idolatry, surely Christian ladies would not deem it a great sacrifice to give up some of their trinkets, for the noble and benevolent cause of diffusing among the Heathen the unsearchable riches of Christ." The next morning a box was sent to Mr. C- -, by an unknown lady, containing an amber necklace, a pair of gold car-rings, and a diamond ring, as a present to the Missionary Society.

FOR MINISTERS.

ONE can never go about study or preaching, with much success, if any thing lie heavy on the conscience.

Aininister had need look to it, that he profits by all his preaching himself; because be knows not what others do: Many, he is sensible, get no good; of many more he is uncertain: so that if he get no good himself, his labours may be in vain altogether.

Few rare and worthy men continue so to their end; but, one way or other, suffer some declension or eclipse to befal them: falling into coldness, being surprized by some gross sin, or seduced and entangled by the world. Therefore, let me beware.

There is much need for Ministers, as well as private Christians, to pray to be kept in old age, and unto the end, as at any time; for many who have run well, and acted very commendably for a while, have sadly fallen, to the great injury of the cause of Christ. This may moderate our grief, when young men of great hopes are taken away.

O! how much rather would I die in peace quickly, than live and disgrace the gospel, and be a stumbling bloock to any!

Rogers of Dedham, in CHRISTIANE MILITIÆ VIATICUM, an excellent little book for Ministers, published by Dr. Ryland.

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Obituary:

MRS. SARAH PORRIT Was born at Runswick, a village on the coast of Yorkshire, near Whitby. In her early years she had few opportunities of knowing the truth; for in that part of the Yorkshire coast, the gospei is little known. Being possessed, however, of an inquisitive mind, she was much given to reading, and made great progress in the acquisition of knowledge. Having a lively imagination, and a feeling heart, she was a great lover of poetry, and wrote some poetical pieces herself. But her talents and her knowledge were, for a long time, unaccompanied with real religion. Her behaviour was decent ; and she was regular in attending the church; but she knew not the Gospel in its purity and power! At last, however, it pleased the Almighty to awaken her, and lead her to seek salvation through the blood of Christ. Various means were blessed for this important end : amoug these we may mention severe afflictions, the reading of the Scriptures, and the perusing of some religious poems, but especially Dr. Young's Night Thoughts: a book which she highly valued, though she afterwards found, that some sentiments which it contains, are not strictly evangelical. By such means the Spirit was beginning his work in her soul; but, she did not obtain clear views of the scheme of salvation by grace, till Providence gave her an opportunity of hearing the gospel in its purity.

In the year 1799, Mr. Porrit, her husband, who was master of a vessel, fell overboard, and was drowned, at a short distance from his own abode. After this peculiarly afflictive dispensation, Mrs. P. came, with her family, to reside at Whitby Here she attended the ministry of the Rev. Peter Thomson, a worthy minister, who died some time ago, at Leeds. Under his ministry Mrs. P. btained a distinct knowledge of the

method of salvation; and was filled with joy and peace in believing.

From this time she continued to live under the influence of the gospel; and by her piety and circumspection, her patience and benevolence, and her attention to the various duties of the Christian life, she adorned the doctrine of God her Saviour. During the latter period of her life, she seldom enjoyed good health; but her frequent afflictions served to make her live nearer to God, and abound in the exercise of every Christian grace.

In August, 1806, she was attacked by a rheumatic disorder, which, in a short time, became severe, and assumed a dangerous form, being accompanied with other diseases, which had previously weakened her constitution. This illness she bore with amazing patience and fortitude. Sometimes, indeed, her spirits were depressed with sickness : at other times she was agitated with violent pain. Nor was she altogether exempted from doubts and anxieties with regard to her spiritual condition. Yet her mind habitually rested in the Lord, depending on the merits of Christ, and the pro

mises of a faithful God.

"He can

not deny himself," she was wont to say; "he will not leave ine;" and the thoughts of his unalterable truth and unchanging love afforded her the sweetest comforts amidst acute and tedious pains.

From the beginning of her illness, Mrs. P. was apprehensive that sle would not recover; but the prospect of death did not alarm her: for sometime, however, the thought of leaving her young family gave her considerable uneasiness: she was afraid lest any of them should neglect religion, and perish in unbelief. This distressing apprehension often filled her with anxiety; but at last she was able to dismiss these anxious thoughts, and was willing to leave them to the care of her

Heavenly Father. "I find," she said, that, to die comfortably, we must love God above all earthly friends." She was comforted with the thought that God could easily bring her children to himself, independent of the means which she, had she been spared, might have used for their salvation. "Who knows," said she, "but my death may be the means of their conversion "

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Having cast this, her greatest care, upon the Lord, she ceas d to wish for recovery; nay, she earnestly desired to be absent from the body, and present with the Lord." When she was asked, if she wished that God might prolong her life, her answer was, "Not a moment, if it be his will;" and this eagerness for her departure did not arise from impatience, but to a strong love to Christ and to Heaven. She one day was heard to exclaim, "O to be in the place where there is no sin!" On that blessed place she often fixed her thoughts; and the incidents which took place around her, were improved for raising her affections thither. On one occasion, when she had felt pleasure in conversing with a Christian friend, she made this beautiful remark: "If the company of a saint on earth be so pleasant, how delightful will it be to enjoy the company of all the glorious hosts above!" At another time, when it was observed that the beans of the sun were shining pleasantly into her chamber, she said, "There is a better Sun, whose beams are more refreshing." Her strong hopes of immortal glory were accompanied with genuine humility: she trusted in the merits of Jesus, as a ruined sinner, who could fice to no other refuge. She often wondered that God could shew mercy to such a sinner. When she was once expressing her low thoughts of herself, and was reminded that Manasseh, an odions tyrant,— and Paul, a blasphemer and persecutor, are now in leaven, among angels and glorified saints, she replied, with much emotion, "O, how astonished will they be to see me there!"

A hope so securely founded could not be overturned; and Mrs. Porrit's joy and confidence in a redeeming God, increased in preportion as her dissolution drew nigh. While her corporeal frame was racked with pain, she still relied on her Heavenly Father, and blessed him for his goodness. During the last days of her life, her increasing afflictions prevented her from speaking much; but it was evident that her mind was daily growing more dotached from the world, and more elevated towards God and Heaven; at the same time she had a strong regard for the church below; and the interest which she felt in its affairs, was strikingly discovered, even on the day before she died: it was the Lord's Day; and the communion was observed in the congregation. By the advice of her physician, she frequently took a little opium, to procure rest, and abate her pain: in the morning she had taken a little; but when she recollected that it was the Communion Sabbath, she regretted having taken it, and, resolving not to sleep while her fellow-christians were commemorating the Saviour's dying love, she desired one of her daughters to read to her a sermon on the Lord's Supper; and her mind was so impressed with the subject, that sleep was entirely banished. In the evening her end was evidently drawing near; her voice failed her; but though she could not speak what she felt, she gave clear indications that she was rejoicing, in hope of the glory of God. A little before her departure, she was heard to say, “Sweet Jesus, receive my soul!"the kind Redeemer soon heard her voice, and received her to himself in the morning of April 6, 1807, in the 47th year of her age.

On the following Sabbath her death was improved, in the congre. gation of Cliff-lane,' by a discourse from Job vii. 1.6, "I loathe it: I would uot live alway" a text which she herself had selected, and which is peculiarly expressive of her contempt for the world, and her desire of eternal life.

Y.

RECENT DEATHS.

Died, on Saturday, Sept. 12, 1807, at Deptford, Mrs. Ann Rout, aged 77. To a life of unbounded benevolence was added a confidence in the approach of death, that nothing but a well-grounded hope in the mercy of God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, could inspire.

THE Rev. Dr. Daniel Fisher lately finished his course at Hackney, aged 76. He was born near Cockermouth, in Cumberland; and re ́ceived his academical education in 'London, under Dr. Marryat. For several years he exercised his ministry at Warminster, where he kept a flourishing boarding-school. In 1771, he succeeded the late Dr. Walker, as classical and mathema-year of his age. On Tuesday, Oct.

tical tutor, in the academy at Homerton: he was afterwards appointed divinity tutor, in the room of Dr. Conder: he was also one of the Tuesday lecturers at Broad Street. When the infirmities of years increase, he resigned his tutorship, and spent the rest of his days in private. He was a Calvinist in sentiment; and his discourses, though not popular, were evangelical, judicious, and practical. He was possessed of great prudence, and unaffected humility. He was exact in ordering all his affairs. In conversation he was pious, cheerful, and full of anecdote, his temper was mild, placid, and peaceable. In short, his whole moral and religious character was not only unexceptionable, but truly amiable.

On Wednesday, Sep. 30, died the Rey. Mr. Braithwaite, minister of Hatton Chapel, London, in the 33d

the chapel (where they had been 13, his remains were conveyed from laid during the preceding Sabbath) in a hearse drawn by four horses, and attended by his friends, in 24 Church, where they were deposited mourning coaches, to Elackfriars in a vault adjoining to that of the

late Rev. Mr. Romaine.

Several very striking instances of sudden death have of late occurred in the parish of D. An apothecary, not long ago, was called from public worship for medical interference; but (awful to relate!) he was only permitted to be an eyewitness of the sudden summons a neighbour had received to quit for ever all terrestrial things, and to stand before the righteous bar of God. A few days after this solemn Though the failure of his speech, occurrence, another person in the and of his intellects, towards the neighbourhood, who in the evening Jast, prevented his expressing a high retired to rest, enjoying a very fadegree of joy in the prospect of yourable state of health, was found dissolution, he had long discovered in the morning a stiff pale corpse! a settled hope and a calm expecta--But a short interval elapsed, and tion of future blessedness, and a pa- a young woman, walking in the tient waiting for it. The powers of street toward evening, fell down understanding, memory, and speech, and almost instantly expired.— so totally forsook him, that his dis- Shortly after, a female servant of mission from the kody became a respectable family shared a similar more desirable than his continuance fate. She retired to bed at the usual in it. hour in good health and spirits, with the other servants. At the time of rising in the morning, she appeared rather unwell; and on being spoken to, heaved two or three deep signs, the last of which sighed her soul into eternity. In about half an hour after, the writer was a witness to the solemn scene; and attempted to improve it, by making a few appropriate reflections, and addressing the Almighty with humbie supplications, in the presence of the mourning relatives and friends.

His remains were interred in Bunhill-fields, when the Rev. Mr. Kello ,pronounced the funeral oration. The Rev. Mr. Wall, preached the funeral sermon, at his meetinghouse, Moorfields, Dr. Fisher having been a member of the church at that place for many years. In the afternoon of the same day, another funeral discourse was delivered at Hackney, by the Rev. Mr. Palmer, which is published, and from which this short account is taken.

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