forebodes. A future judgment and an eternal state, disclose awful prospects to the mind, already miserable by self-condemnation; and those prospects become more awful when the cloud of divine wrath is seen to rest upon them, and nothing meets the eye but lasting and uninterrupted misery. All that the world can bestow, all that has been enjoyed in it, all the consolation which philosophy can afford, or the hopes which infidelity can inspire, are not able to strip Death of the horrible form in which he appears to those who are labouring under a sense of sin, and languishing under the most painful forebodings of future punishment. Death presents itself as a most terrible object to the conscience of an awakened sinner, as he treads on the confines of the eternal state; and, especially when he remembers that to death man is subjected, in virtue of a divine sentence condemning to it, because of transgres

Fion.

From the fear of death, and from those evi's which are supposed to attend it, there is no deliverance but through an inerest in the Son of God, who, through death, destroyed him that had the power of it, and who is revcaled to us as the Resurrection and the Life. Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace, thereby good shall come unto thee.-He that beheveth on me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.'

ADJUTOR.

Sir,

ADVICE TO A YOUNG MINISTER.

To the Editor.

The following Letter having been sent to me by a Senior Minister, I thought the contents, though on a delicate subject, might be useful to others. If you think it suitable for the Evangelical Magazine, it is at Joar service. A YOUNG MINISTER.

My dear young Friend,

You have lately put on the harness of the Christian ministry. Aierey and Truth be with you! Permit one that is not far from putting it off, to offer a few serious and affectionate counsels, relative to the purity of your conduct. The umber of scandals which have taken place within the last few years, in different religious connections, especially those which have arisen from the misconduct of ministers, is truly affecting. I do not know that such things have occurred in a larger proportion among ministers, than among other professors of Christianity, and still less than among irreligious characters; at as inore is expected of Christians than of other men, and ministers than of other Christians, a more than ordinary count is made of their miscarriages.

It is of such things as these that our Saviour speaks in

Matt. xviii. 7, Wo unto the world, because of offences! It must needs be that offences come; but wo to that man by whom the offence cometh! If you examine this impressive passage, you will perceive that the term offence does not relate to any thing done by the world, but by the professed friends of Christ; and that not in the way of provoking displeasure, but of giving men occasion to stumble, or be offended with the gospel. The word is xardanov, and denotes a scandal brought upon Christ's name by the misconduct of his professed followers, which furnishes a handle to the world to continue in sin, and to reject the Saviour. The world is supposed to be seeking occasion to justify themselves in sin; and in the scandals among professing Christians, they find what they seck. It is thus that scandals among Christians are a woe to the world: they are so many stumbling-blocks, over which they fall and perish!

But if there be a woe upon the world by reason of scandals, there is a heavier woe on that man by whom the scandal cometh The reason manifestly is, that he incurs the blood of souls. The world may stumble at these things, and perish; but if our evil conduct has been the occasion of it, their blood will be required at our hands! They have only their own sins to answer for; but we, except we repent and obtain mercy through Jesus Christ, shall have both our own and theirs; or rather, theirs will so belong to us, as to be a part of our own.

Allow me, my dear young friend, to caution you against certain avenues which lead to these things, especially in the case of ministers; and to suggest a few preservatives against them. A minister must be supposed to possess the respect, esteem, and confidence of his people. Whether they be persons of inferior or superior condition, of his own or of the other sex, he is admitted to a friendly acquaintance with them. Were it otherwise, he could have but little hope of doing them good; yet at this door Temptation may enter. If, instead of applying the esteem and confidence with which he is treated to their proper uses, he be filled with a notion of his own importance, he will soon cease to deserve them. Where self-importance prevails, there is but little, if any, religion; and it this be wanting, the worst of evils may be expected to follow. There may be the greater danger of such a process, if he has been called to the ministry from the lower walks of life, so as not to have been formed at an early period to habits of delicacy, honour, and propriety. Being raised in the scale of society, he may be tempted to think himself an extraord:nary man, or he would not have been selected and exalted to what he is; and finding himself caressed, it may be, by persons of respectability, of both sexes, who, but for his being in

* See 2 Pet. ii. 18, 19..

he ministry, might never have noticed him, he is in the utmost danger, not only from the want of religion, but of a proper knowledge of himself and of the world, of being betrayed iato unseemly behaviour.

Nor is this all. Whatever may have been his previous station, being a minister, his duty requires him to converse with young persons of both sexes, of the lower as well as the higher orders, ou religious subjects. Such conversations, if condueted in a manner becoming the Christian ministry, are of great use; but this also is a door, at which Temptation many enter. If he forget the sacredness of his character, — if the confidence which is placed in him be employed in gaining an improper ascendency over unsuspecting innocence, if his conversations with the other sex be private and frequent, I will not say let him beware, but rather let them beware of him! Familiarities may originate in Christianity, and yet terminate in infamy. Timothy, though a man of God,' was Cautioned to treat the younger sisters with all purity *?

It

sa rule with the great and excellent John Bunyan, to avoid smuch as possible, being with one of the other sex alone,unning not only evil, but the appearance of evil.'

One great preservative against evils of this kind is, a diligent plication to reading and study. It was in an idle hour that David was overcome; and out of those ministers who have in as way dishonoured the name of Christ, the far greater part wil be found to be idlers, or persons who have been in the habit spending the greater part of the week in visiting,-not as the postle did, who taught from house to house,'-but sauntering way their time in eating, drinking, and trifling conversation. It may be said, All ministers have not a capacity for close od constant application;' but if so, they ought either to reaquish the ministry, or to fill up their time in some useful Employment.

But the greatest of all preservatives is walking with God. If we be in the fear of the Lord all the day long, we shall be safe, and not else. This is of more account than a thou

and rules. Without this, we had better be any thing than ministers. Is there no reason to fear that many of those who have indulged in impure practices are ungodly men? Such we know they were of old, who turned the grace of God into sciviousness. They who walked after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness,' are denominated cursed Children; and though me good men may for a time have been drawn into such ils, yet, surely, they must have been strangely lost to all at sense of religion ere they could give way to them. Open is are commonly preceded by secret departures from God;

• 1 Tim, y. 2.

and, except we be reprobates, will be followed with bitter la mentations, and a serious return to him.

Finally. Whatever of this kind has been permitted to take place in any of our connections, it is designed, no doubt, to be a warning to us. While we feel a proper abhorrence of the evil, it becomes us to tremble for ourselves. thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall.'

'Let him that

I am affectionately yours, &c.

Evangelicana.

Origin of Bunhill Fields Burying-Ground, London.

Tuis extensive burial-place is part of the manor of Finsbury, or Fensbury, which is of great antiquity, as appears by its being a prebend of St. Paul's Cathedral in 1104. In the year 1315, It was granted by Robert de Baldock to the Mayor and Commonaity of London. Part of it was, in 1498, converted into a large field for the use of archers and other military citizens to exercise in. This is now called The Artillery Ground.

In the year 1665, that part of the ground now called Bunhill (originally Bowhill) Field, was set apart as a common cemetery, for the interment of such bodies as could not have room in their parochial burial-grounds, in that dreadful year of pestilence. However, not being made use of on that occasion, a Mr. Tindal took a lease thereof, and converted it into a bu rial-place for the use of Dissenters. It was long called Tindal's Burialplace. Over the west gate of it was the following inscription: -- This church-yard was inclosed with a brick-wall, at the sole charges of the city of London, in the mayoralty of Sir John Lawrence, Knt. Anno Domini 1665; and afterwards the gates thereof were built and finished in the mayoralty of Sir Thomas Bloudworth, Kut. Anno Domini 1666.'

The fen or moor (in this neighbourhood) from whence the name 'Moorfields, reached from London-Wall to Hoxton; the southern part of it, denominated #indmill-Hill, began to be raised by above 1000 cart-loads of human bones, brought from St. Paul's charuel-house in 1549; which be ing soon after covered with street dirt from the city, the ground became so elevated, that three windinills were erected on it; and the ground on the south side being also much raised, it obtained the name of he Upper Moorfield. The first monumental inscription in Bunhill Fields is, Grace, daughter of T. Cloudesly, of Leeds, Feb. 1666.

Maitland's History of London, p. 775. Dr. Goodwin was buried there in 1679; Dr. Owen in 1683; and John Bunyan in 1688.

I HAVE often thought there is a great similitude between the scoptical reasoning of Infidels, and that of the Negroes on the river Gambia, concerning a maiter of fact, which, although to them strange and unknown, was no less true. Mr. Mungo Park says, Considering the use that is made of the elephant in the East Indies, it may be thought extraor dinary, that the natives of Africa have not, in any part of this immense continent, acquired the skill of taming this powerful and docile creature, and applying his strength and faculties to the service of manWhen I told some of the natives that this was actually done in the coun tries of the east, my auditors laughed me to scorn; and exclaimed, Tobaubo Jonnio! (white man's lie). See Park's Travels, p. 17.

ANECDOTES, &c.

Spiritual Improvement of a Rose.

A GENTLEMAN being with the late Mr. Hervey, in his garden, he plucked a rose, and desired him to present it to his wife, to put her in mind of the Rose of Sharon. The lady paid that regard to the giver and the gift, as to put it into a frame with a glass. Mr. Hervey hearing of this, wrote the gentleman the following lines: Your lady has shewn the most welcome complacence to me and to the rose; to me, in accepting what is less than a trifle; to the rose, in putting it to such an use. Could that poor vegetable know, it would rejoice to be a remembrancer of its amiable Creator. The prophet calls upon the whole creation, inanimate as it is, to exult and triumph in the grace of our incarnate God. Sing, O heavens! be joyful, O earth! break forth into singing, ye mountains! O forest, and every tree, whether cultivated or wild! -for the Lord, by his incarnation, blood, and righteousness, hath redeemed Jacob and glorified himself! most magnificently displayed all his divine perfections, in the salvation of Israel! I heartily wish she may every day become more and more acquainted with the Rose of Sharon, that his loveliness, riches, and glory may be revealed in her heart by the Holy Ghost! Happy the souls in which this flower of Heaven blossoms, who are charmed with its beauty, and refreshed with its odours! their happiness will not fade away as a leaf; but, like the merit and mercy of their Lord, will be new every morning, new every moment, and new through eternal ages!'

by me.

Gospel Support in the Views of Death.

[Anecdote of Mr. Boston, of Etterick, Author of the Fourfold State.] JULY 20, 1721. Awaking out of sleep, I was taken extremely ill of a kind of heart-swooning, -a most vehement heat and sweat being felt While in my agony, Death stared me in the face. The doctrine of Grace, concerning the gift and grant of Christ and eternal life (John iii. 16; and 1 John v. 11); by which I understood, that God hath given to us mankind sinners (and to me in particular) Christ and eternal life, whereby it is lawful for me to take possession of it as my own, was the sweet and comfortable prop of my soul, believing it and claiming it accordingly. Boston's Memoirs, p. 376.

JUVENILE DEPARTMENT.

EVIDENCES OF CHRISTIANITY.

OUR pious forefathers merit the highest encomium for their attention to the religious education of their children; but, unhappily, the Eyidences of Christianity made no part of their catechetical instruction. This bas had an effect not at all anticipated by them, but much to be regretted by us. When the emissaries of infidelity assailed our youth with their artful objections to the authority of Scripture, they were, in general, unprepared to answer them. They had been taught indeed to reverence the Scriptures as divine, but not to prove their divinity by substantial arguments; and, therefore, when grace prevented not, after the first shock to their religious feelings, they listened with astonishment; and soon fell under the plausible reasonings, or well-pointed raillery of their assailants.

Happily, the present age is well provided with Evidences of Christianity for every class and every age; and the difficulty is, not to find, but to Flect from so great variety. Some attempts have been made to furnish infant minds with a sketch of the Evidences of Revelation, in the way of