Page images
PDF
EPUB

claimed Philander, "left Gracilis! why the last time I faw you, you were extravagant in his praifes. His ideas were fo original, his voice fo fonorous, his action fo graceful, and his manner fo energetic, you pronounced him the greatest preacher you ever heard.""I really thought fo," faid Mutator, "till Eugenio came to town; but he has quite altered my opinion."" Pray who is Eugenio?" enquired Philander."I do not much wonder," replied Mutator, "that you are ignorant of him; this is the first time of his vifiting the metropolis; but when he becomes known, he will eclipfe every body elfe."-"On what account?" faid Philander. "Why," anfwered Mutator, "becaufe--" "I fuppofe you mean," fubjoined Philander, "because he is a different perfon, a new face, that great Gospel magnet of thefe wondering days.""Surely," faid Mutator, "you are not ferious in talking thus; you mean to banter me. "Not I, truly," replied Philander; "if you could learn the impropriety of fuch a changeable difpofition, and act accordingly, it would much more adorn the profeffion of the truth than does a zealous, but transient attachment to a preacher; not because he is really more eminent than others, but because he is of more recent appearance."-" What, then," exclaimed Ventofus, who had hitherto been filent, "I fuppofe you with us always to hear one Minifter. This would be lifelefs work indeed. Variety and change are ef fential to improvement." "That I much queftion," faid Philander. Such a practice may gratify a fickle mind, and may, in fome cafes, be attended with advantage; but it is not calculated to increase knowledge, or establish the mind. Excufe me for adverting to your cafe, Curiofo," continued he, "it gives birth to the error with which I think you are chargeable, and, perhaps, to feveral others." Here Ventofus interrupted him by faying, "Really, Philander, I think you are very bigotted. You fhould remember every perfon does not think as you do, and therefore give them the fame latitude you take for yourfelf."-"This I will most cheerfully do," faid Philander, "and the evil will be cured at once. I embrace the liberty of the Gospel, and wish to extend it to others. Thence I learn that it is a good thing for the heart to be established with grace. Now I conceive you purfue methods, which have no tendency to promote this object. You gain no benefit from a minifter unless he is popular. If he declines in this refpect, you imagine his preaching is dry, infipid, and perhaps legal; and concur in the cenfure of others, that fuch a perfon, once a favourite with the Public, is not what he used to be.

This clearly proves, either that he is changed, or that you are mistaken; if he is altered, it must be either for the bet ter or the worse. In the former cafe, you are not justified in leaving him; and even in the latter, you may be mistaken in your judgment; and if fo, you carelessly, though inadvertently, leave him, under whom you once profited, and are hereby guilty of a contempt of one of God's meffengers. I believe it feldom happens, according to the common courfe of things, that a minifter is the worfe for advancing in years. If his knowledge and experience increase, this ought to endear him to the people; whereas, in common, his continuance with them is the oftenfible reafon for departing from him."

Philander was now affailed by all his vifitors, and charged with making unfriendly ftrictures upon their conduct. "I can only fay," replied he, with much coolness, "that what I have advanced on this fubject is confiftent with reafon and fact. Let me appeal to your experience."-" But stop," faid Ventofus, "here comes Mnafon; we will have his opinion." Upon being introduced, he apologized for his intrufion, which he faid he feldom had occafion to do on that day, in which he never paid any idle vifits; but he had been to fee a fick brother, and finding himself weary, had called in for fome refreshment. Philander told him that apologies were needlefs in his circumftances, at the fame time that he perceived the confufion of his other guests at this undefigned, but poignant reproof which had dropped from Mnafon. "We have," faid Ventofus, addreffing himself to Mnafon, "for fome time been converfing on a fubject, which we will now refer to you. Philander con

demns the practice of many perfons, in following different popular preachers, and thinks we ought to confine ourselves chiefly to a flated miniftry."-" In that," anfwered Mnafon, "I think he is perfectly right. You fee I am now old; I have flood for many years a tree planted, I hope, by the Lord's right hand; and though not fo fruitful as I could wish, yet I truft not altogether barren. I have for many years fat under the truly venerable Judicator, and find more inftruction, and as much fatisfaction in him as ever. With him I began my Chriftian race, and with, or shortly after him, I hope to end it."-" I am fure," faid Mutator, “the cafe is very different with us: we have been but a few years in the good old way yet, and-" fubjoined Philander, "have had as many favourites as moons." This fudden interruption quite difconcerted them; and though at first

[ocr errors]

they intended to spend the afternoon with Philander, and the evening at fome lecture, they now began to prepare for a departure. When Philander perceived this, he told them that he did not judge it a breach of true hofpitality, to reject fuch vifits as thefe; "and," added he, as I never expect, fo I never prepare for them; but if you will take fuch fare as we have, you fhall be welcome; and after dinner we will accompany Mnafon to hear Judicator." They accepted the offer, and, amongst other things which were mentioned in converfation, Mnafon particularly requefted them to remember, that there were relative duties between a Minifter and his people, which ought moft confcientiously to be regarded. On the minifter's part, by watching for the fouls of his hearers; and on the people's part, by holding up, and ftrengthening the hands of their minifter. Thefe duties," continued he, " must be neglected by a conformity to that practice for which you have been contending against Philander. There feemed a general ac quiefcence in this obfervation, and the time being come to go to the place of worship, they went accordingly, and were all of them properly feated before the commencement of the fervice: for it was a maxim with Mnafon and Philander never to disturb public worship by a late attendance, which they confidered both as indecent and criminal. They accompanied Judicator in his addrefs to the Throne of Grace; but were not a little furprized to hear him read for his text the benediction of David, "Blessed are they that dwell in thy house, they will be still praising thee*. From which he took occafion to fhew the privilege they enjoyed in having public ordinances to refort to. The duty of fuch as have this mercy, as confifting in a conftant, ftedfaft, and perfevering regard to them. The peculiar advantage which refulted from DWELLING in the Houfe of God,-great caufe for praife, and a difpofition correfponding to it. When the affembly were difmiffed, they departed from the courts of God, acknowledging the benefit they had received from the difcourfe, and refolving, in the ftrength of Divine Grace, to be, in future, more stedfast, and always to abound in the work of the Lord, which shall not be in vain.

*Psalm laxxiv. 4.

CHIOS.

VOL. I.

3 C

ON RESIGNATION.

A SPIRIT of refignation to all the will of God ought

ever to be confpicuous in the life and conduct of every believer in Jefus. The advantages that refult from the continued poffeffion of it cannot be too much infifted upon, fince our own comfort and usefulness in the Church of Chrift greatly depends upon our poffeffing this Chriftian difpofition. Many examples we have in the Word of God of perfons living under its benign influence, who, on all occafions, have been fubmiffive under difficulties of the greatest magnitude. Nor is the Sacred volume destitute of characters indulging a contrary temper of mind, the history of whofe lives present to us a fcene of difcontent and mifery.

Let us enter into the meditations of a renewed foul under the influence of the Holy Spirit; fuppofe him to be deprived of his deareft earthly comfort; is not his language fomething like this?" From thy bounteous hand, my God, I receiv ed the bleffing; when I received it, I bleffed thee for it; during the interval of its continuance, I was, in fome meafure, grateful that it was prolonged to me; and now thou haft taken it from me, I chearfully refign the gift to thee, the kind benefactor that bestowed it." Is he called to part with the amiable partner of his life, to whofe counfels and endearing care he was much indebted? Does he behold, or hear of a brother in Christian fellowship change an abode of mifery for realms of blifs? We find him ftill acquiefcing in the Divine difpofal, being fenfible that

"Such are not loft, but gone before,
"Where fin and forrow are no more.

But from what fource do thefe lively, yet refined effufions of his mind flow? Surely, they must arise from a firm perfuafion that all things fhall ultimately work together for his good thus he is enabled to meet every event of Providence with compofure; and he at last refigns his foul into the hands of God, who is able to keep what is committed to him.

M. F.

THE THUNDER STOR M.

AN EXTRAORDINARY PROVIDENCE.

[Extracted from a German Magazine.]

Na eertain diftrict of Upper Lufatia, there arofe, on the

I Lards Day, April 18, P1773, about noon, an alarming

thunder ftorm. The Rev. Mr. G, the parish minister at E-, immediately on perceiving it, felt fome anxiety. He went to church, catechifed the children, and intended to preach. But, while the congregation were finging an hymn after the catechifing, he went out of the church, to look round, and perceived the thunder ftorm hovering over the village, and lowering over the very church. He feemed to feel an unusual intimation of fome impending danger and disaster, but could not, for a confiderable time, come to a determination whether he should afcend the pulpit to preach or clofe divine fervice, and difmifs the congregation. It was not till during the last verse of the hymn, when he was to go into the pulpit, that he refolved to drop the preaching. He ftepped before the communion table, and addreffed the congregation in words to this effect, "That a heavy thunder ftorm was hanging over them, and it was ftrongly impreffed on his mind, that God was about to vifit them on this very day; but it might, perhaps, be moft proper for every one to be at his own houfe, he therefore would now clofe divine fervite for this time." Having read the collect, and pronounced the blefling, the congregation fung the usual clofing verfe," Blefs our going out, O God! when we come in alfo blefs us, &c." During these last words, the minifter being upon the point of entering the veftry, a mighty flash of lightning ftruck into the wall of the fteeple behind the organ, and fell upon the gallery, in which about thirty perfons ftood, chiefly school-boys, and among them three fons of the clergyman. The lightning ran from behind thro' the floor of the organ loft, along a beam towards the front of it, and then downward along a pillar which fupported the loft. On both fides of this pillar, on the lower gallery, a number of people were standing. A youth was killed, and another man, ftupefied, was fixed immoveable on his feat. From this lower gallery the lightning pierced through the floor into the pews of the women below, where one perfon was fo

« PreviousContinue »