Admiral Tyrrell came up to Samuel Fothergill in the public rooms at Bath, before many of the nobility and gentry, saying" Mr. Fothergill, I have a very high opinion of your people's principles and practices, especially the inwardness and spirituality of your silent worship"-Samuel replied " Admiral, I think such a testimony rather extraordinary from thee as a man of war, concerning us, and our principles, which are against all fighting"The Admiral answered," I am of your principles in that particular, and fully believe the time will come, when nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither learn war any more; but as every dispensation of unerring wisdom must have a beginning ; this has had amongst you, but has not reached us yetAnd as to what you hold of a union and communion with the divine intelligence, I know by a happy experience it is attainable in this life, one instance of which now occurs to me when I had the honor of commanding three of his majesty's ships of war as Commodore, some time before the late peace was concluded, account was brought in, that five large French men of war, were bearing towards us, much superior to any of ours in men and guns A council of war was called, and while they sat, I retired to my cabin alone: after getting into perfect silence, I heard in the secret of my mind, a language intelligible to my understanding, as any words ever were to my outward senses" Go up and fight the French fleet, for I have delivered them into thy hand"-I rose reverently thankful for this gracious intimation, and went to the council, letting them know, that we should Y fight the French fleet, and that I was sure of victoryAll was made ready, and we engaged; and the event proved the certainty of this divine intimation, we having gained a complete victory, as set forth in the history of that war." With regard to those termed new light reformers, and their mode of address-it would be happy for those persons, if the contempt of earthly distinctions to which we have alluded, has been produced in them, by a more near and intimate prospect of that glory, before which all worldly splendor fades upon the sight-from such a prospect as this, the weakest would derive strength to trample under foot, those customs of society, which in various measures intercept the religious and moral progress of man-Experience proves, that any thing short of these eternal prospects, will never uniformly animate, or prove productive in the work of reformation-It confirms the testimony of Him who knew all things— "Make the tree good, and its fruit will be good"—this is also the language of reason- -It is easier to make a slight alteration in our habit, or mode of address, than to effect a change in our natures-but modes and habits signify nothing without this change, except so far as they influence, what may be termed in a very indefinite sense,-public morality-The axe of reason sometimes lops off the branches of evil-but grace strikes at the root-reason tastes the fruit of certain trees in the moral vineyard, and tells you they are bitter-grace, like a secret leaven dropped from the hand of a philanthropist, ferments in the sap; nor ceases; until it has transformed the vegetative principle into its own nature-the fruit will then speak for itself" Make the tree good, and its fruit will be good," was the motto of those men, who in modern times, were eminently useful, in pulling down the pride of Babylon, and planting the humility of Zionthe true foundation of a reform-they preached Jesus and his salvation-Europe and America saw the change and rejoiced"Make the tree good, and its fruit will be good," was the motto of St. Paul-he preached Jesus and his salvation, as the ground work of all acceptable morality-the idols fell on every hand-if not from the temples made with stone-from temples of infinitely more value-the work of an eternal Artist-The proverbial affection of the primitive christians to each other, shew what kind of morality this new doctrine producedEurope and Asia witnessed it--but alas! many reformers since, have found out another mode of converting sinners, than that of Jesus and his salvation-instead of these, they have substituted reason they have placed it on the Saviour's throne-but reason, although the gift of God, possesses not his power to break the obdurate heart; to melt it into coutrition, and to stamp upon it the divine image-this alone is the prerogative of a once crucified, but now highly exalted Saviour-and all attempts at reformation, by or through any other Saviour; will prove as the morning cloud, or as the early dew that passeth away-A cistern that will hold no water. FROM A MAGAZINE, WRITTEN AT SEA NEAR THE ISLAND OF SICILY. Sweet is the face of night, and scarce a breeze, Straight let my wond'ring soul with rapture gaze, And view the Eternal in yon round of stars- Thousands of starry worlds bestow their light, In adoration let me quickly kneel, And thank thee for the benefits I feel, Praise thee for light, whereby I gladly see, These glorious works; and in their glories Thee. VATIONS ON THE DOCTRINES OF INFALLIBILITY AND EXCLUSIVE SALVATION. The Calvinists believe with other christians, that man is fallen and depraved---so completely fallen, that he possesses no power whatever to restore himself All that is truly good in man, they conceive to be a free gift; the purchase of Christ's blood--all that deserves that name as performed by him, the fruit of this gift-to. man in his natural state they allow neither virtue nor power---and all his fair shews of righteousness, as polluted as his flagrant acts of wickednessSo far their sentiments, if I have rightly understood them, nearly correspond with the Arminians---but their characteristical features are yet to be pourtrayed---I have frequently contemplated them---think I know them, and shall endeavour to do them justice. * This must be understood rather in a religious, than a moral sense. |