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QUERIES On BuildinG CASES.

occur in the Hebrew Scriptures; but various modifications of their root are of frequent occurrence in Chaldee and Syriac, in the sense of putting on shoes, or greaves. friend and amanuensis, Mr Morris, I was

As a literal rendering would, in English, be peculiarly awkward, the sense of the passage is expressed as nearly to the original as convenient phraseology would allow." Night-cloak :" שמלה, is an ample robe worn by the orientals when at rest, (Gen. ix. 23; 1 Sam. xxi. 10.) and used as their covering by night. (Deut. xxii. 17.) -" And became a burning." It was customary for a victorious army to heap together, and consume by fire, the refuse of the

spoil.

III. The cause of the change here foretold, ver 6, 7.

6. "Committed to him:" literally, " be on his shoulder;" the import of the figure is, that the weight of public administration should lie upon him. (Comp.chap. xxii. 22)-" His name shall be called:" literally, "he, or, one shall call," which is best rendered in English by the passive. The idiom is of frequent occurrence, especially in the use of the present verb.-" The Wonderful," is clearly a separate title; had it been intended to qualify יוצץ, it must have followed that noun.

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(To the Editors.) GENTLEMEN-In reading the "Remains" of the venerated Andrew Fuller, by his

much struck with a paper, entitled, "Remarks on Public Collections for building Places of Worship."

Persuaded of the truth and justice of those remarks, and gratified by the important queries he proposes on this subject, I felt desirous that those of your

readers who have not seen that interesting volume should sympathize with me in my convictions and pleasure, and determined, therefore, to extract part of them for insertion in your valuable miscellany. This determination I have carried into effect; and

hoping that these "queries," with a few others, may meet with your approbation, and trusting that they may be the means of reducing the number of those "begging excursions" which are now so frequently made, and of counteracting that spirit of worldly policy which induces so many congregations to enlarge or rebuild their places of worship totally unable to defray, in the hope only of a prospective increase to their numbers and respectability,

at an enormous expense, which they are

I remain, Gentlemen,
Your's, with great respect,
HONESTUS.

"1. OUGHT not congregations to be contented with places of worship suited to their circumstances?

"2. Is there not often more zeal exercised about the outward building, to gratify a popular taste, and appear with a sort of secular grandeur to the world, than there is manifested to enlarge, beautify, and build up that truly spiritual edifice, the church of God.

"3. If professors have a proper regard for real Christianity, personal and social, they will not be at a loss for a place to assemble in, to observe the laws of Christ. When this was the case in the first age, and the greatest part of the second, do we read of any such thing as collections for building houses of public worship? They had no stately temples; their collections were only for their poor brethren, and the expenses of their several societies. wch you are brought, and as yet continued even to be a prisoner for ye cause and testimony of Jesus Xt, is matter, many times, of great consolation, as well as of lively compassion. It is true your present state hath somewhat a bad aspect to ye eye of reason, you are driven from the creature, but it is to the Creator; you are deprived of outward liberty, that you may enjoy inward enlargement; you are taken from ye streame yt you may have converse with the fountaine, and can this be for a lamentation? Before your triall you were in a capacity but to enjoy ye ordinary food your fellow brethren do partake off; but now you are in a way to have choice food, honey out of ye rock, angells bread for your dayly fare. The love of God, ye power of Xt., ye prayers of saints are all on ye wing for your present welfare, in ye state you are in, and can this be counted misery? You are deprived, indeed, of constant refreshing society, not only of ye society of your deare relatives, but of your fellow prisoners; but are you left alone, are you not in a posture to have more intimate and immediate converse with your Lord and king by ye spirit? Now you have time to be instant in secret crys, frequent in heavenly meditations, whereby you may be filled with joy and consolation; and can this be matter of complaint? What is it suffers? only the flesh a little confinement, and will you be any loser by its being under ye yoke? you have now the advantage to mortify those unruly lusts and passions yt have warred against your soul, and disturbed your peace. Behold our King is coming, like a roe or a hart over the mountaines of Bether, to revive his work, to release his prisoners, to avenge himself of his adversarys; he is even at the doore to decide ye controversy, and to appeare in his glory; and dothe not this call upon all the saints to minde theire high and great concernments, to be preparing to meet him who is coming to raine downe righteousness upon them? And doe not you enjoy a choice reason for this? now you have time (and I hope you doe improve it,) to search and to try your owne ways, yt you may discerne and throw out every uncleane thing: now by pure and holy contemplation, you may take a view of ye glory of your King, of the dearness of his love, of the glory of his excellency, till your soul be filled with love and praise, till you be trans

"4. Is there not oftentimes as much money spent by our modern collectors, in travelling from town to town, as would provide a decent place of worship for most of our congregations?

"5. Are the monies thus collected always invested in hands which the majority of the society most approve? I am misinformed, if this be universally the case.

"6. Would it not be better to confine these collections to districts, when the state and circumstances of the congregation are known?

"7. Should not ministers and respectable persons be very careful in signing recommendations of petitions, when they are not well acquainted with the particulars of the case? I have known this to be too often done, in order to get rid of the petitioners, and send them off to another congregation."

To these important queries may be joined three others.

8. To those recommendations which ministers may conscientiously give from intimate knowledge of the circumstances of the "case," is it not very desirable that the dates of the month and year should be affixed? It is a well-known fact, that some "cases" are now, or have very lately been, before the public, whose recommendations were given from ten to fifteen years ago.

9. In all applications, ought there not to be a particular inquiry made into the necessity for the erection, enlargement, or re-erection of the building--the circumstances of the people-the efforts they themselves have made, both previously and subsequently to

the commencement of the building; and then should not the subscriptions be given or withheld according to the merits or demerits of the "case," and not according to the character of the applicant, as he may be bold or diffident in his solicitations?

10. As there will occasionally arise a necessity that "a case" should be submitted to the religious public, and as the establishment of a general building fund seems impracticable or inexpedient, would it not be desirable, that, in large towns, where there are several dissenting congregations, a united committee, for the examination of cases, should be formed-and that the people should be earnestly requested to relieve no case whatever, which had not the sanction and signature of the committee-or in small places, where a committee is unnecessary, the signature of the resident minister?

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(To the Editors.)

GENTLEMEN- ENTLEMEN-It is said that "a word to the wise is enough.” I have been between twenty and thirty years connected with a congregation of Dissenters, one of the oldest in London, who have sent Deputies from the time of their first appointment in 1732. In looking over their lists, I believe it will be found, that till very recently, the same persons were almost constantly elected on their Committee. This evil, for such I suppose it came to be regarded, was attempted to be remedied in December 1814, when it was resolved, "That no Deputy be eligible to the Committee for more than three successive years." This not producing the intended effect, or to a very limited extent, another resolution was passed, January

1823-"That, in every annual election of the Committee of this Deputation, there shall be at least three Deputies who have not before been on any Committee of this Deputation during the last ten years." This forced an opening for some new members of the Committee; but still that which custom had now made a sort of presumptive right, a hallowed enclosure, on behalf of those who had been so long on the Committee, continued to operate on their behalf so powerfully, that they could be spared only during the year of their ineligibility, and they continued to meet their old friends again, on the day they became eligible for the reelection; so that, notwithstanding the introduction of some stirring spirits, there is yet, it is apprehended, room for just complaint on the part of some congregations and individuals, as it respects the present formation of the Committee. The Deputies, at their annual elections, whatever be the exigencies of the times, seem disposed not to disturb any of the worthy old members of the Committee, who have the grand qualifications, as they have been

esteemed, of representing the dissenting congregations, of being rich and respectable, as the phrase is, whether they are capable or not of giving their attendance, or whether their attendance is of any service or not. The consequence of this mode of proceeding has been, and is, that you may find one congregation sending two Deputies, who shall be both members of the Committee, and another congregation continuing to send Deputies for ninety years successively, who shall never have the satisfaction of seeing one of their Deputies elevated to the honour of being on the Committee. I am not greatly concerned whether these remarks will have any influence to break the uniformity of election to which I have referred, but I thought it a subject not unworthy of notice, especially at the present juncture, when much is expected from the activity and exertions of the Deputies, as the annual election both of the Deputies themselves, by the dissenting congregations, and of their own Committee, is at hand. I remain,

Gentlemen,

AN OLD CONTRIBUTOR.

ORIGINAL LETTERS.

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XLIII. - Mr. Robert Steed to Mr. Philip Cary, Exeter Jail. The following interesting letter written by Mr. Robert Steed, pastor of the Baptist Church, bling in Currier's Hall, from 1691 to 1703. It is addressed to a Mr. Robert Cary, an Apothecary of Dartmouth, who wrote some celebrated works on Baptism, and who, about the year 1660, was confined in Exeter Jail for the cause of Christ. From papers in the hands of some of the descendants of Mr. Steed, in Devonshire, it appears that he was brought up to the medical profession, which he relinquished about 1660, and spent the following twenty

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ported with admiration, and conformed to his glory; and is not this a choice privilege? You may now be in heaven all the day, no busines to divert you, nothing to disturb you, saints to be your daily visitants, with whom you may take sweet counsell, and above all, ye Comforter, ye Holy Spirit will now come unto you, and abide with you. Oh! then can a disquieting thought arrise? or if it appeare, shall it be entertained? Should it not be (I hope it is) thy care to know how to walk sutable to such rich mercies, and to manage such precious opportunities to his praise, should you be found squandering away such precious precious houres in vaine thoughts, idle dreames, sordid slugishness, or foolish talk, what an abomination will it be, what a provocation to the eyes of his glory. And if he should once withdraw, and leave a soul alone in prison, and permit the tempter to be the soules companion, what a case would

such a one be in A man's own house and home, his dearest relations, his sweetest outward enjoyments, prove but sad and dolefull to him when ye Lord hath hid his face. What then will a prison be in such a time as this; when the heavens are blacke over us, and ye earth bloody under our feet, without the Spirit to cheare and to supporte the soule. What care then should be taken to walke in the feare of God all ye day long, to be very diligent least he should depart from us. I hope you are by the Lord taught these things in power, soe yt you are abounding in ye work of ye Lord, growing up as a calve in the stall, soe that your prison will prove but a scowering place, a refining furnace, that you come forth as gold shining with ye glory of Christ upon you. Now is the time in which you may thrive, in which you may be furnished with ye choice jewels of the King's treasure, a season for you to get a rich stock of heavenly furniture; if it should be neglected, you may be delivered as to the outward man, but your soul will remaine in greater poverty and bondage than ever. I hope you do not forget ye Lord's precious ones whom the enemy hath appointed for the slaughter, theire time of tryall tryall and execution being, in the enemy's account, at hand.

It is said the Lord heares the groaning of the prisoners, which seems to hint as if he had a peculiar regard to the cries of the imprisoned ones. Oh, then, be

you much frequent and earnest in pouring out your soul before God, yt he would appeare and deliver his turtles, his darlings from ye power of ye dog wch, I hope, ere long shall be accomplished. I cannot enlarge, only my desire is yt you may rejoice in your portion, and in that honour which ye Lord hath put upon you to be a sufferer for his glorious cause, and yt you may walk humbly before him, lying at his feet, whereby you may be in a capacity to enjoy him, in whose presence is fulness of joy.

These few lines I have written to you, desiring they may be of advantage to your soule. The Lord make you of a very serious weighty spiritt yt may take in divine impressions, according as they are presented, whether for direction or for consolation. Finally, let me heare from you how it fares with your soule in prison. But it may be I shall be with you next weeke, if the Lord direct my way unto you. The Lord keep you spotless till the day of his appearing; strengthening your soul with might, that you may hold out without weariness and fainting.

I remaine, Your affectionate Brother, and fellow waiter for everlasting glory,

ROBERT STEED.

P.S.-All your naturall and Christian relations are well; these, and other lines had been written before this, had not some spoken of hopes of your enlargement before this time.

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XLIV. From the Rev. John Wesley to the Rev. Charles Wesley.

The Rev. J. Wesley, having been deeply interested with the Moravian Brethren when in Georgia, resolved to visit their settlements in Germany, and left Eng. land, with Mr. Ingham, for Hernhutt, June 1738.--The following letter was written in the journal.

Utph, July 7, Old Stile, 1738. DEAR BROTHER,-I am now with the Count, at his uncle's, the Count of Solms, five or six hours from Marienburg; and have stole an hour to let you know that hithertoo God has been very mercyful to us in all things. The spirit of the brethren is beyond our highest expectations: young and old they breath nothing but faith and love at all times, and in all places. I do not therefore concern myself with smaller points, that touch not the essence of Christianity; N. S. No. 37.

but endeavour [God being my helper,]
to grow up in these after the glorious
examples set before me; having already
seen, with my own eyes, more than a
hundred witnesses of that everlasting
truth, "Every one that believeth hath
peace with God
creature." See therefore, my dear bro.
and is in Christ a new
ther, that none of you receive the grace
of God in vain; but be ye also living
witnesses of the exceeding great and
precious promises, which are made unto
every one of us through the blood of
Jesus. Adieu.
JOHN WESLEY.

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XLV. Dr.John Erskine, of Edinburgh, to the Rev. G. W. Whitefield.

Kinross, 24th August, 1748.

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REV. AND DEAR BROTHER, --I ceived your kind letter about three weeks ago; and it gave me the greater joy, as a month before there were accounts in the London prints of your death, and from what New England friends had writ abt your indisposition, I dreaded the report was true. The affairs, both civil and religious, of our country have taken many surprising turns since you was wh us; and as you express it, many that were first are last. I take it that Edinr. was the place in Scotland where your ministrations were most signally blessed, for though in this parish there were above a hundred subjects of the late revival, yet none of them dated their awakening from your sermons, but from those of Mr. Burnside, their late pastor, and of other neighbours. But in Edin. a great and glorious work was begun. Multitudes brought to the inquiry, what shall I do to be saved, who, till then, Galliolike, cared for none of these things. I had occasion to be intimately acquainted wt a considerable number of young men, who were at that time awakened; we often took sweet counsel together, and went to the house of the Lord in company, and I scarce think I ever spent my time so delightfully as the winter you left Edint., having frequent opportunities to joyn wh these lively Christians in prayer, praise, and Christian conference. I know of none of them, but one who seems to have apostatized.

But as for the ladies at that time under serious impressions, I am afraid things have not turned out so favourable

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