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Row, Bloomsbury; S. Favell, Esq. Grove Hill, Camberwell; N. Child. Esq. Bishopsgate Within, A. MaitLay. Peckham; T. Wilson, Esq. Islington; J. T. Rutt, Esq. Goswell Street; J. Gibson, Esq. Great St.Helen's; T. Maitland, Esq. Walworth; W. Hale, Esq.Homerton.

His Majesty's Recovery. It will no doubt afford universal satisfaction to learn that it has pleased God, in answer to the united prayers of his people, to restore our venerable Sovereign, in a happy degree, to his former state of health. The King has walked out publicly; and has also had interviews with the Queen, and other branches of the Royal Family.

His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, the Prince Regent, has issued a Proclamation, appointing Wednesday, March 20, to be a day of Fasting and Humiliation in England and Ireland.

Congregational Asylum.

By request of Mr. Townsend, we add the following Extracts from Letters he has received on this occasion:

6

No. 4. The writer of this letter says, To meet the expences of the times and of a growing family, I have opened a small school.

The

consequences are, I am shut out from the congregation, I am hindered much from village-preaching, from visiting the sick, who live at a distance, and more than all this, I have brought on the jaundice by confinement and fatigue; so that it is utterly impossible for me to go on with the school;-but then what is to be done? My income is quite insufficient to support the expence of a boardingschool, and in the common dayschools nothing is done, and the morals are corrupted. I have one boy nine years old, and another not old enough. I could not ask my friends to educate my children; but I have no doubt but I could procure eight or ten annual subscribers, besides making a collection once a year.' Ng. 5.

We cannot but feel

thankful that your mind has been over-ruled, so as to lead you to exert yourself on behalf of ministers' children. We have seven; but the one we wish to be educated in the new institution is 12 years old. Our people are not sufficiently acquaint ed with the Plan for me to deter mine whether I can procure any subscriptions. They are in general poor.'

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No. 8. The letter I received under this number has been mislaid but I had read it so often to friends, of whom I solicited subscriptions, that I am sure the following are its principal, features: 'My whole income does not exceed £ 50 a year, from my people and school jointly. I have five children, three girls and two boys. My baker's bill is £30 a year; and of course we are deprived of many comforts. If you could take my two boys into the school, it would greatly assist

us.'

No. 12. I have often wished for such a seminary to send some of my sons to. I have eight children; six of whom are sons. The church and congregation over which I serve are small; my income is about 50 per ann. and a house to live in. I have not the pleasure of being known to you; but I am known to several of our congregational brethren. I have been here near 16 years, where our great Lord and Master has been pleased to own my poor labours for good to the souls of many.'

No. 13. 'On reading your be nevolent design in the Evangelical Magazine, I was much struck and affected. The only remuneration I have for my labours, is two or three collections in the year, to the amount of from 8s. to 17s. at a time. My family consists of seven children; all of whom are with us, and supported by us, by means of a small school and a little shopbusiness, which we have lately commenced.'. On looking over the list of this worthy man's children, I see that six of them are un ́der eleven years of age.

No. 14, is the case of a worthy minister, whose congregation, tho numerous, is so poor, that they con

tribute weekly to the amount of about five-and-twenty shillings. He has seven children; fonr of whom are wholly dependent on himself. When I talked with him about his family, on the 5th of January, a bitter cold day, he assured me he had not a single farthing.

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No. 15. The following extract is from a minister, whose congregation and salary are but small: 6 Dear Sir, So cordially do I approve the benevolent object which, no doubt, occupies your time and your thoughts to a very great extent, that, with my whole heart, I wish you success; and I will from this day, pray that the hand of God may be upon you and that he may prosper, beyond, the largest desire of your enlarged mind, this pious and laudable undertaking. That I may not seem like those who say to a destitute brother, Be ye warmed, and filled,' without supplying his necessities, I have enclosed this mite (a one pound note) which may perhaps purchase one stone. Could I send you enough to purchase 100, I am sure I should do it as cheerfully as this is done.

The publication of these cases is certainly laying open the naked ness of the land; but ought it not to be laid open, with a view to stimulate our wealthy brethren, who have certainly done much, to abound yet more and more in works of faith and labours of love?

JOHN TOWNSEND..

The names of those who wish to befriend this object, will be received by the writer of this paper, at No. 10, Crane Court; and No. 3, Howford Buildings, Fenchurch Street; where the printed Circular Letter may also be had.

On the Congregational Asylum.

Sir,

To the Editor.

In the Evangelical Magazine for November last were the outlines of a Plan for the Relief of Aged Ministers, and for an Asylum for the

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Maintenance and Education of their
Children. The object is certainly
desirable,
class of men de-
serve more to be preserved
solute poverty in the decline of life
than ministers of the gospel. Much,
however, as I have been pleased.
with some parts of the plan suggest-
ed by the Rev.J. T., one thing I am
sorry to observe, namely, That it ex-
cludes from the above Institutions,
all ministers and their children now
generally known by the name of
Calvinistic Methodists. I beg leave
to suggest, Whether it would not
promote that Catholic spirit which
should ever be maintained in the
church of Christ, if ministers of the
above denomination, properly at-
tested, who should themselves sub-
scribe, or make collections, and
procure subscribers, to either of
the before-mentioned Institutions,
might not in such cases be entitled
to a share of the benefits, resulting
from them?-But, if the constitu-
tion of those Societies will not ad-
mit of this, then I beg leave to di-
rect the attention of such ministers,
and their numerous and popular
congregations, to this subject; -
their friends in London and its vi-
cinity, at Bristol, Bath, Cheltenham,
Reading, Brighton, &c, do not want
the means, nor the will to promote
an object so important; nor will
they, I am persuaded, when the case
is fairly stated, permit their minis-
ters, after labouring among them
with zeal and fidelity, to be the only
ones for whom no provision is
made.. I shall be happy if the
Rev. J. T. or some other gentle-
man, will have the goodness to in-
form the public, through the me
dium of this Magazine, if the pro-
posed coalition be practicable; and
if not, I submit it to my brethren,
Whether they ought not to convene
a Meeting of the Ministers and Ma-
nagers of places of their own deno-
mination, in order to arrange a
Plan, and to establish a Fund for the
above purposes.
T. JACKSON.
Stockwell.

[Our Poetic Correspondents are requested to excuse us till next Month.Ĵ

G. AULD, Printer, Greville Street, London.

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THE

EVANGELICAL MAGAZINE.

APRIL, 1811.

T

367%

MEMOIR

OF

? THE LATE REV. GEORGE COWIE,

OF HUNTLY:

THE late Rev. George Cowie, of Huntly, was born near Bamff, on the 26th of July, 1749, of parents placed in circumstances which the world calls respectable; but who appear to have been like most of the inhabitants of that country, at that time, fully satisfied without any experience of real religion. Mr. Cowie's father having had several daughters, vowed, that if he were favoured with a son, he should be devoted to the service of the church. Tho' this vow was doubtless founded in ignorance, yet the great Disposer of all events made it subservient to the accomplishment of his gracious designs. In consequence of it, his son at the age of seven years was sent to the grammar-school; and at 12 gained a bursary by competition, at Marischal College, Aberdeen. Here he pursued his studies successfully for the usual period; and was appointed a schoolmaster in the Presbytery of Huntly, being 16 years of age. Of this part of his life, he says, in his Diary, That he was dead in trespasses and sins, living in the lusts of the flesh; pleasing himself, but displeasing and dishonouring God, under the power of unbelief, hardness, blindness, pride, preBumption, profaning the name and Sabbaths of the Lord, cursed by the law, and despising the gospel of God; so that if he had been cut off in this state, he must have perished to all eternity, and that without remedy.?

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His first alarm about his soul was occasioned by witnessing the death of an uncle, in the year 1765. This salutary alarm was confirmed by a variety of threatenings from the word of God, which stuck so fast in his conscience, that he was brought very low. He knew not any experienced Christian to whom he could unbosom his complaint; and those whom he took ⚫

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