forth fruit meet for repentance; and, accounting the time past more than fufficient to have neglected the fouls of the heathens, that you now exert yourselves with tenfold ardour, and ftrive, in the fervency of prayer, and the energy of active endeavours, to infure fuccefs. If you do not, will either heaven, earth, or hell pronounce you clear from their blood?

ON

RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE.

N Tuesday, January 3, a Meeting of the Trustees was held for the distribution of the profits arising from the sale of this Magazine; when the following cases, being properly recommended, were attended to, and relieved:

N. B. Some cases were inadmissible, the persons recommended not answering the description given in the printed rules, and some could not be attended to, as they were not properly recommended.

Miffionary Intelligence.

CAPTAIN FISHER, of the ship Nymph, sailed in company with the Duff from Portsmouth, till off the rock of Lisbon; there they parted; and from thence he wrote to his wife, informing her how happy he had been in such company, and regretting exceedingly that his lot was not so cast that he might have gone with them to the country of their destination. It is pleasant to receive such unimpeachable testimony of the blessedness of the missionary band embarked in this precious vessel.

Several persons have offered for the African Mission; some have been already examined, and others have their papers before the Committee, and their examinations are proceeding as the solemnity, caution, and diligent inquiries made concerning the candidates will admit. We hope also the friends of the Society in the country are zealous in seeking proper persons for the mission.

We are exceedingly sorry and disappointed to hear, that the application to the East India Company, to permit a mission to Hindustan, has not met the approbation and countenance it deserves. The refusal, though couched in the politest manner, afflicts us; as every attempt to carry the Gospel to twelve millions, or more, of poor heathen, under the government of the Company, ought to be reverenced and encouraged by those who bear the Christian name. We flatter curselves, on further consideration of the matter, there may be a revisal of this important subje&, which has been so universally favoured throughout the kingdom.

However the efforts to penetrate into Africa will not be intermitted, and the present state of the Cape of Good Hope affords a very promising prospect, if God, in his providence, at a peace is pleased to preserve this country under the British dominion.

The Bishop of London has ordained and sent a very excellent young man to St. Kitt's, who gives the most promising expectation of being a zealous labourer among the poor negroes. It will be honourable for themselves, and cannot but greatly redound to the glory of our Lord, and the advancement of his kingdom among these, the most to be compassionated objects under the British dominion, if the Society for promoting the Gospel would endeavour to search out some willing to devote themselves to this service-men dead to this world, and alive to the great concerns of immortal souls. Such are to be found if sought; and the number of zealous and faithful clergymen, who could recommend proper subjects if applied to, would doubtless scon be able to furnish labourers for that harvest. Our remaining North American possessions also are fearfully neglected in this behalf, and crying mightily" Come, and help us." While we, as a Missionary Society, are doing a little, nothing would more rejoice us, and every real Christian in the kingdom, than to see those, who have funds so much more extensive, and influence so abundantly greater, exer ing themselves in the promoting real Christianity in the life and power of it: Not sending out those who could not live at home, or were unqualified for so high a calling, but selecting men of a devoted spirit, who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity, and are willing to spend and be spen' on the service of men's souls. When such violent efforts are made that the name of God our Saviour should be had no more in remembrance, it highly becomes every man who is a Christian, not in word and in tongue, but in deed and in truth, to exert his most vigorous efforts, and not suffer little differences in opinion, about modes or forms, to present an apple of discord. Let every man be active in his own way; and God speed the work!

The attempt to awaken the Jews to a consideration of their own Scriptures continues at Bury-street every Sunday evening; addresses to them have been published in order to engage their attention. The congregation has been well attended, and some of these children of Abraham, though in no great number, have heard the word of truth. The Gentlemen who manage the lecture have wished to assist the sick and afflicted sons of Israel; a little has been done in this way, though secretly, it having been threatened, that if any made appli

cation to us, they should be for ever excluded from help from the synagogue. Some little opposition has been shewn to the distribution of the notices circulated of our designs; but we hope the candour of our proceedings, the purity of our object, and the importance of the subject itself, will engage a renewed and serious examination of the prophecies and their fulfilment, and whether Jesus of Nazareth be the true Messiah, and, in the emphatical sense, the Son of God.

OBITUARY.

IED, the 27th ult, the Rev. Mr. Davis, many years pastor of a Baptist

D'meeting at Reading.

On Wednesday, the 18th inst., at Reading, the Honourable and Reverend W. B. Cadogan, A. M. Rector of St. Luke, Chelsea, and St. Giles, Reading: He preached the Thursday evening preceding the Lecture at St. Giles's, from the 1st and 2d verses of the 67th Psalm, "God be merciful to us, and bless us, and cause his face to shine upon us, Selah. That thy way may be known on earth, thy saving health to all nations."

January 15th, at Hammersmith, the Rev. Morgan Jones, LL. D.

REVIEW OF RELIGIOUS PUBLICATIONS.

The Glory of Religion, founded on the Doctrine of the ever blessed Trinity; or, Sabellianism Refuted. Addressed to the Church under the pastoral care of Mr. Mansell. To which is added a Refutation of his erroneous Work, entitled" An Appeal to the Christian Professing World. By George Fossat. The second Edition, carefully corrected, 8vo. Pages 98. Price 1s. 6d. Button, Matthews, Richardson, &c.

THE

HE office of criticism is often invidious, and almost sure to provoke displeasure, where the honesty of truth forbids us to commend. Though strongly convinced of the doctrine of the triune God, here so violently pleaded for, and though avowed Athanasians, we are compelled to acknowledge, both of the author and editor, non tali auxilio aut defensoribus istis opus eget

The defence of the deity of the Son is less exceptionable; that of the deity of the Holy Ghost is far from being unexceptionably expressed; and much better answers to Sabellianists have already appeared. But were the arguments adduced more substantial than they appear to us, the violence, harsh expressions, and unbecoming language, used by the editor and author, would certainly meet our censure. All controversial writers should observe the good advice given by a wise man, suaviter in modo, fortiter in re. The Poetry will not bear mention: The less we say of it, the less we shall offend the author. The goodness of his design we cannot doubt; the efficacy of his refutation much. Happily a multitude of excellent treatises on the personal deity of the Son and Spirit are extant, that are suited fully to satisfy an awakened inquirer.

The

The Excellency of the Knowledge of Jesus Christ: A Sermon, preached before the Society in Scotland for Propagating Christian Knowledge, on Thursday, June 22d, 1796. By Thomas Davidson, D. D. one of the Ministers of Edinburgh. Ogle, Edinburgh.

THIS is a plain serious sermon on an important subject. Leave out the last page, and it will do for any Sunday in the year, as well as the occasion on which it was preached. The most remarkable thing in the discourse is its omissions. We should have thought that a benevolent mind would have hailed with joy the erection of other Societies of a similar nature, to promote the same glorious object in a more extensive degree. But not a syllable is to be found on the subject. It is passing strange! Is it possible that any of the Scotch Clergy have adopted the rules of the order of La Trappe, whose shaven inmates would not inquire nor know what was passing in the world around them? Or, can there be any thing of the jealousy which antient virgins sometimes feel, when they see their younger sisters rising up to maturity, and drawing away their admirers? But we will conjecture no more. We only add our fervent wishes,that God may diffuse on all our Northern, and Southern brethren too, the spirit of Moses, when he said, "Enviest those for my sake? Would God that all the Lord's people were prophets !"

Divine Agency necessary to the Propagation of Christianity. A Sermon preached at Glasgow, May 17, 1796, before the Friends of the London Missionary Society. By the Rev. Andrew Duncanson, Minister at Airdrie. Pages 50. Price 6d. Ogle, Edinburgh.

THE enlightened zeal of our Northern brethren merits our warmest commendation. Here is another good sermon that was preached before the friends of the London Missionary Society, at Glasgow. The subject, Isaiah, li. 9, is well chosen, and well treated. We hope that Directors, Missionaries, and all connected with the Societies, will ever bear in mind that by the powerful energy of the Holy Spirit alone, the heathen can be converted to God. May a deep sense of this lead all who are concerned in missions to fervent and unwearied prayer, and to a constant and humble dependence on his gracious aid!

POETRY.

POETRY.