MISS ISABELLA WHITE.

FEB. 18, 1805, died Miss Isabella White, after having endured a painful illness of three years with ex emplary patience and resignation. She had been sixteen years a respectable Member of the Independent church at Durham; and gave evident proofs of the sincerity of her profession. She was well informed, and established in the doc trines of the gospel : upright, blameless, meek, and humble in all her department; and, when not pre. vented by illness, indefatigable in attending the means of grace.

At the commencement of her indisposition, few were apprehensive that it would terminate in a dissolution. At intervals, there were some flattering symptoms of convalescence. Her friends, however, were disappointed: a cancer, which had been gathering in her breast, hastened the termination of her life, During her long confinement, the writer of this short account had fre quent and pleasing interviews with her. In that solitary state she appeared sedate, humble, and submissive; expressing a deep sense of her unworthiness, and always thankful to God for his tender mercies; rejoicing in hope, and patient under her severe afflictions!--In a letter to a friend, who sent her an account of the death of Lady Ann Erskine, she wrote thus: "It is indeed a very remarkable account : 1 think each of us may learn some lesson of instriction from it. Surely, it speaks to us in a language louder than thunder, "Be ye also ready; for in such an hour as ye think not, the son of man cometh."

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A few weeks before her death, she appeared as lively and as happy as ever she had been during her ill ness, When the writer expressed a hope of her recovery, she said, "I have no such hope: I would not have you pray for it any more. I can truly say I have no wish to be restored : if it were left to me, I could have no choice; but would leave it entirely to the Lord to do with me as it seemeth good to him " Her imbecility and bodily pains gradually increased; but she was kept, for the most part, in a sweet

composure of mind. A few days prior to her dissolution, fearing she might not have an opportunity of seeing her Christian friends, she desired her servant-maid to inform them all that she was truly happy in the Lord,-wishing, if any thing should be mentioned in pub. lic after her demise, that nothing should be advanced in her commendation, but that these words be commented upón: "And he shall bring forth the head-stone thereof with shouting, crying Grace, grace to it." (Zech. iv. 7.)

Two days before her death, she became sensibly apprized that her departure was at hand; and was exceeding happy at the prospect of it. She had a glorious view of Christ, and of her interest in him!

In a short time afterward she was once again embarrassed with fears; and cried out, " O Lord, thou wilt not leave me now to the suggestions of Satan! Forsake me not now, my dearest Lord." Then she said, " Get thee behind me, Satan; thou art a liar from the begiuning. The Lord hath gotten the victory, and thou art a con quered enemy.” Her fears being dispelled, she said, “The marriagecovenant is close and binding; but nothing so firm as that covenantunion between the Lord and my soul. The Lord is my husband; he hath told me so: he is mine, and I am his; ;- every tie is unloosed, and every bar removed. I am ready; I wait; I long for thy coming! O Lord, why dost thou delay"-She continued very happy the rest of that forenoon; and sometimes appeared as if she anticipated the triumphant song of the redeemed in glory; but in the af ternoon the disorder affected her intellects: she became insensible, and could not distinguish or recol. lect any of her attendants. In this state she remained, at intervals praying, from Tuesday afternoon till the following Thursday night, a little past twelve o'clock, when she fell asleep in Jesus. On. the Lord's Day after her interment, the sa lemn dispensation was improved in a sermon delivered at Framewellgate Meeting, from the text which the deceased had chosen. L. J.

REVIEW OF RELIGIOUS PUBLICATIONS,

The Works of Robert Leighton, D. D. sometime Bishop of Dunblane, afterwards Archbishop of Glasgow. A new and enlarged Edition, together with the Life of the Author, by the Rev. George Jerment, 8vo, Vols. I and II. (Ogle's Edit.) 14s.

THE character of Leighton is well known in the churches of the saints. While the most artless simplicity of manner, strong powers of bold and original thinking, accompanied with a vein of piety all his own, continue to please men of spiritual taste and discernment, Leighton must maintain the distinguished place he has long held among writers on Practical Divinity. By a careful search among the manuscripts in the Bishop's library at Danblane, lately made, at the desire of the publisher of this edition, by the commissary of that district, a considerable number of valuable expositions and tracts, in Leighton's own hand-writing, have been recovered, and sent for pub lication to London. Independent of this external evidence, the writings approve themselves to be his, by the same exalted and devout spirit which breathes through his works already published. You feel the powerful tendency of every page to lift and lead the heart to God. We shall select, in illustration of this, a few sentences from the second of the two volumes already printed, on the Eighth Psalm, p. 349. Speaking of the space of time ju which the Almighty Creator made all things, and of the divine wisdom theroin discoverable, he says, ' in part, we may observe some advantage in that way, that he made so many days work of it, and proceeded by degrees to bring it to perfection, that ye might the more clearly perceive, and the more distinctly consider, the greatness and excellency of the work, and wise contrivance of it in the parts and progress, which we could not so well Comprehend altogether. Now we consider him first framing one great mass; and then proceeding to beautify it: first, with that which is indeed the first beautifier of all things, light; and then ordering the successive interchange of it with its opposite darkness, that sets it off, and makes its beauty appear the more, giving their terms in Day and Night; then proportioning and divid2.111.

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ing the rooms of the great house info upper and lower, according to his model and design; then decorating the with rich furniture, and providing all kind of store in great variety and abundance: and thus having first prepared all, having built, beautified, and replenished so stately a palace; then framed he the guest for whom he intended it, and appointed to dwell in it. "Then he said, Let us make man after our image." Thus the work of itself, and the order of it, and all the parts, carry on them His name that formed them. How do his power, wisdom, and goodness appear in the in! and yet, how little do we see and observe them! They shine brightly in all his works; but we are blind, we look on them and see him not! O, what a childish trifling thing is man, in all his ways, till he learn to reinark God in all; and have his soul, upon all occasions, musing and admiring, and sweetly losing itself in God, that immense sea of excellencies! What à bottomless wonder is that Power, from which, by a simple act of will, issued forth all being! This vast fabrick, and all things in it, he willed they should be; and where never any thing was, there ap peared on a sudden Heaven and Earth! The earth settled upon his word, that it cannot be moved; and enriched with such a variety of plants, flowers, and fruits growing forth, and springs and mines within the bowels of it. The seas fitted for navigation, and the multitudes of creatures in it, small and great, and the impetuousness of it, jet contined and forced to roll in its channel, but cannot go forth, small sands giving check to the great waters! Oh, how strong and large that hand which, without help, expands the Heavens as a curtain! Look up and sec, consider their height and soundness,

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such a glorious canopy, set with such sparkling diamonds! then, think how swift is their motion, and yet unperceivable to us, no motion here below comparable, and seem not to stir at all!- and in all, their great Lord Jesus so conspicuous! And yet, who looks on them with such an eye as to behold him as David here," When I consider thy Heavens, the work," &c. He is admirable in all; the very lowest and smallest creatures have their won dors of Divine Wisdom in their frame 4 B

more than we are able to think: magnus in minimis. He is great in the least of his works. The smallest ffies, how strange the fashioning of organs of life and use in so little room! The man who is still in search of wisdom, will find a school and a lesson in all places; and see everywhere the greathess and goodness of his God. If he walk forth in the evening, when this lower world is clothed with the dark mantle of the night, yet still he can look upwards to the pavement of the throne of God, and think how glorious it is on the other side, when the moon and stars make this side, even in the night, so beautiful! and this view of David looks like a night-meditation, by the view of moon and stars. Thy Heavens; these thy works so glorious, thon, therefore, infinitely more glorious! - then can not but increase in wonder, that dwelling above these Heavens, thou regardest so poor a worm as man, creeping on this earth!"

Missionary Transactions, No. XIII. 8v0, 45.

This is the continuation of a work published occasionally, under the direction of the Missionary Society, in which the most important transactions of that body are officially communicated to the public, and far more largely than can be expected in this, or any other Magazine, comprizing a variety of subjects.

The present Number contains Extracts from the Journal of Mr. Kicherer and other Missionaries from Holland to the Cape; - Proclamation of the Durch Governor at that place; the Report of Dr. Vanderkemp and his colleague, Mr. Read, for the Year 1804; with Letters from other labour. ers there; Interesting Letters from Missionaries lately gone out to the Coromandel Coast in India; and to the island of Ceylon, where Mr. Vos and others are gone to labour; -A Letter from Mr. Hillyard, Newfoundland ; → and a General Account of the State of the Mission at Orabeite.

To those who warnestly desire the extension of the Redeemer's kingdom in the world, and the translation of Cimminorial souls out of darkness into, marvellous light, these communications must be much more interesting than Ahe most important of those political occurrences which engage and agitate the world. The increasing efforts of the Swalety to diffuse the knowledge

of the Saviour in India and Ceylon, will excite earnest prayer to God for success. The preservation of Mr. Kicherer and his companions in a most dreadful storm, will call forth many thanksgivings; while the patient per severance of the Missionaries at Otaheite, notwithstanding all their discouragements, will occasion mingled sensatious of pity and admiration. Extracts from their Journal, with the particulars of several tours made through various parts of the island, the character of Pomarre, and other curious particulars, will form, we are told, a future Number of the Missionary Trans actions.

VII, The Compassion of Christ. Isa. xlii. 3.- VIII, Necessity of Holiness. Jer. xiii. 27. — IX, The Inportant Question. John ix. 25. — X, Waiting on God. Hab. ii. 3.-XI, The Christian's Complaint. Ps. exlii. 4.XII, The Impotent Man. Acts iii. 8. — XIII, Motives to Usefulness. Mark xiv. 8. - XIV, The Last Passover. Luke xxii. 11, 12. — XV, Pe ter's Confession. Luke v. 8. - XVI, Hypocrisy exposed. XVII, Reconciliation to God. 2 Cor. v. 20. XVII, Self-Love. 2 Tim. iii. 2. — XIX, Spiritual Convictions. John viti. XX, Excellency of the Law. Ps. cxix. 66.

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The author of these Serinons has long since finished his mortal course, and entered into his rest. He was much respected whilst he lived, nor less lamented when he died. ile was of the Baptist denomination, a serious experimental Christian, and a sound preacher, in every sense of the word. As a true disciple of the old school, he implicitly followed his Bible whereever it led him; and reposed unshaken confidence in his guide. Qa the one hand, he never shunned a full declara tion of his belief in the doctrines of the Trinity, the Divinity of Christ, the Atonement, Justification by Faith, the

ther as one congruous whole. Did our limits admit, we should gladly insert one of them, that the reader might judge for himself.

A Defence of the Christian Doctrines of the Society of Friends, against the Charge of Socinianism, and its Church Discipline vindicated, in answer to a Writer who styles himself Verax; in the Course of which the Principal Doctrines of Christianity are set forth, and some Objections obriated. To which is prefixed, A Letter to John Evans, the Author of A Sketch of the Denominations of the Christian World, and Strictures on the Eighth and Ninth Editions of that Work. By J. Bevans, jun.

In the early part of the history of this Society, there were many warm controversies between them and other dénominations, on various Christian doctrines. Of late years their doctrinal principles appear to have attracted less attention, and to be but little understood. A case of discipline, however, which occurred in 1800 and 1801, has occasioned an ample discussion among themselves.

One of their female preachers, Hannah Barnard, a native of America, coming over a few years since, after she had travelled some little time in England, began to be suspected as to her soundness in the Christian faith, as professed by the Friends. She was first privately admonished; but without elect. In 1800, she requested of the yearly meeting the usual certificate, to enable her to visit Germany. This request, calling for a public acknowledgement of the unity of the Friends in England with her ministry, was objected to by some, on the ground of her not being of the same faith with the Society! A full investigation of the truth of this charge followed: the result of which was, a certificate was refused her; and she was advised to return home to her habitation. Dissatisfied with this advice, she appealed to some farther hearings in their different meetings; but every investigation, it seems, came to the same conelusion: her sentiments being avowedly Unitarian, and in many things Deistical, she was first silenced as a preacher, and in the end disowned as a member.

Being thus disappointed, the friends of I. Barnard (for she had her friends) resolved on an appeal to the public. Her principal advocate signs himself

Verax; and has written more than. once. The design of his pieces is to prove, that the first founders and most able writers of the Society were favourable to Unitarianism; and that the late proceedings contained a departure from both their doctrine and discipline. Verax was answered by a writer who signs himself Vinder; and the present performance follows on the same side, containing a review of the case from first to last, as to what was done in England.

The controversy thus far appears to have been confined to those who were, or had been members of the Society: but Mr. J. Evans, in a new edition of his "Sketch of Denonlinations," sided with H. Barnard and her advocate, complaining of the Society for their proceedings respecting her; and adding, "We used to think that the Quakers abhorred every thing which bore the most distant resemblance to persecution; and we still indulge the hope, that, laying aside all prejudice and passion, they will return to that perfect freedom of sentiment which constitutes the glory of unadulterated Christianity." On this occasion the Letter contained in chap. i. was addressed to Mr. Evans; and as in the following editions of this work he did not make such alterations in his statements as were satisfactory, our author has added Strictures on those editions, and upon the Work itself; shewing, as we think, by the clearest evidence, that he has not only misrepresented the Quakers, and endeavoured to give their opinions à Socinian cast, but that his whole performance is "evidently devoted to the cause of the Socinians and Universalists."

After having shewn in his Introduction, that the proceedings with H. Barnard were in perfect harmony with the rules of discipline established in the Society, our author proceeds, in chap. ii, iii, and iv, to give evidence that the doctrinal principles of the early Friends were not Socinian. The second chapter contains An Examination of the Principles of W. Penn respecting the Trinity, the Divinity of Christ, &c. In perusing it, we are satisfied that Penn was not a Socinian: he believed Christ to be "God, equal with the Father;" but his opposition to the Calvinists led him, in the heat of controversy, in a work entitled "The Sandy Foundation shaken,” to express himself in a manner very auch resembling one, and incapable of being thoroughly defended by a Triaïs