culiar art of introducing and illuftrating every fubject he treated, not only won the ear to liften, but left an impreffion on the mind never to be effaced. His labours in both hemifpheres were immenfe; his courage undaunted'; his zeal unquenchable; he fell a martyr to his work. The violence of his exertions often shook his conftitution, whilft the more placid Wesley, with equal conftancy of preaching, preferved his health to fourscore and upwards, unimpaired. Perhaps no man fince the days of St. Paul, not even Luther himself, was ever perfonally bleft to the call, and converfion of fo many fouls from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, as George Whitfield. The immenfe collections he made for charitable purposes fharpened the tongue of flander. Time hath affixed the feal of integrity to all his procedures. He was reviled for his ungarded expreffions, and fome enthufiaftic flights; but he dif armed his enemies by ingenuous acknowledgments and correction of his mistakes. How a youth furrounded with fuch popularity, and confcious of his own powers, was preferved from hatching the old ferpent's egg, laid in every human heart, is wonderful. The keen eye of malevolence was upon him, ready to feize occafion against him, or to make it; and it is a proof of no inconfiderable excellence, where fo many watched for his halting, that amidst the moft virulent abufe, fo little could be found juftly to accuse him. They who knew him beft must witnefs, how holily and unblameably he had his converfation in the world. Indeed, he was fo taken up with the unwearied labours of his ministry, in preaching, religious exercifes, and advice to those who were daily applying to him, that he had fometimes fcarcely leifure for neceffary food. The very things for which he was abused, he esteemed his glory; and refolved to spend and be spent on the fervice of the fouls for whom Chrift died. But he had his fpots, and fo hath the fun. He would himself have acknowledged many more than the nearest of his friends, or the bittereft of his enemies could difcover. He is now alike beyond

cenfure or commendation. What I remarked in him, I will speak and not be ashamed.

"In his preaching he fometimes pushed the ludicrous to the debasement of the dignity of the facred miniftry. He told a story so well, that it feduced him occafionally to purfue a vein of humour, more fuited to excite rifibility than to awaken seriousness; though fome impreffive truth always clofed the relation.

"The orphan-houfe of Georgia, which he adopted with too partial affection, seems to have engaged him in difficulties and immenfity of expenfe, greater than any utility which ever appeared to be derived from it; and the vast collections he made for it, though faithfully applied, gave a handle to the flanders of fufpicion.

"He too frequently indulged in cenfures of the clergy, which, however juft they might be, feemed the effect of refentment, and would rather tend to exasperate than conciliate their attention. Yet, it is well known, he was remarkably kind spirited, and averfe to controversy and its bitterness; and his moft intimate friends will bear me witness, that his temper was as amiable, and his conversation as fingularly cheerful, as his piety was deep and fincere.

"On the whole, as a man, as a chriftian, as a minifter, we shall not, I fear, look upon his like again speedily. After paffing through evil report and good report, during more than thirty years of inceffant labour, he entered into his reft in America, which had peculiarly benefited by his vifits; having croffed the Atlantic thirteen times, to preach the everlafting gofpe., with the power of the Holy Ghoft, fent down from Heaven. Whatever ignorance of his real character, the fatuity of prejudice, or the infolence of pride may have fuggested, the day is coming, when his great and adorable Master will condemn every tongue that hath rifen up in judgment against him, and fay in the prefence of men and angels, "Well done good and faithful fervant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord."

LONDON MISSIONARY SOCIETY.

[From the Edinburgh Missionary Magazine for Nov. 1800.] An Addrefs from the Directors of the Miffionary Society, to thofe Minifters of the Gospel who favour the Views of the Inftitution.

DEAR BRETHREN,

WIT

ITH gratitude and joy we recollect your ready and zealous co-operation and affistance in promoting the defigns of the Miffionary Society. The glorious and important caufe ftill, we truft, lies near both your hearts and ours: and our united purpose, through the grace of Chrift, is to perfevere and to abound in our exertions ftill more and more, nor to cease from our labours in the field of Miffions till death calls us hence, and our dear Master, looking down from heaven, fhall fay, "Come up hither."

We now folicit your help in a very important matter. At the last general meeting, the Society, ftrongly feeling the neceffity of having Miffionaries well qualified for their arduous work, came to the unanimous refolution to give inftruction to a certain number of promifing young men, for the space of two years, before they began their Miffionary labours abroad: they entreated the Directors to carry the measure into effect without delay. The bufinefs was taken into immediate confideration, and the Directors applied to the Rev. Mr. Bogue, of Gofport, to undertake the tuition of the perfons defigned for Miffionaries. He has accepted of the office, and is ready to begin the work. He entreats your fervent prayers, that he may be abundantly qualified, and greatly ftrengthened, for the difficult and laborious fervice; and that his attempts may be crowned with eminent fuccefs, and a fignal bleffing from on high.

But we have not yet found a fufficient number of perfons fit to be fent to receive inftruction from him. We therefore apply to you. The Lord Jefus, the great Head of the church, has never ceafed to beftow gifts on men,

in a manner fufficiently abundant for furnishing a fupply for the ordinary work of the ministry, and for spreading the gospel among the Heathen. In the bofoms of the churches these men are to be fought and found. But for want of thefe gifts being obferved, improved, and called forth into action, thousands of Luthers and Calvins, of Elliots and Brainerds, have paffed unnoticed through life, and the world has been deprived of the ineftimable benefit of their labours. But the mine is not exhaufted. Jefus ftill communicates of his fulness to his people; and there is ftill a fufficient number of perfons scattered among the different churches of Christ, who are endued with thefe gifts and graces, which may be confidered as radical qualifications for the work of the ministry, and which, when fuitably improved and matured by inftruction, will render them meet to be faithful, able, and fuccefsful Miffionaries in Heathen lands.

Are there not to be found in your fociety, perfons of fuperior natural abilities, of a quick apprehenfion, of a found judgment, of a deep knowledge of divine truth, eminently pious and devoted to God, full of zeal for the glory of the Redeemer and the falvation of immortal fouls, who adorn the doctrine of God their Saviour by walking honourably in the different relations in which they are placed, and who are taken notice of for poffeffing great humility, prudence, a peaceable difpofition, and a fpirit of love? Such are the men we want. If you know any of this character, who are not precluded by their fituations and relations in life from engaging in Miffionary fervices, recommend the fubject to their confideration. There may be perfons of the character juft mentioned whom you do not know; for that diffidence and modesty which often accompany both great gifts and great graces, frequently conceal them from view. Inquiring froth thofe of long standing in the church, may lead you to the knowledge of them.

The work of a Miffionary, you are fenfible, is fo great, and the evils arifing from the mifconduct of an unwor thy perfon fo many, and fo pernicious, that we need not VOL. II. No. 3. G

exhort you to exercise much caution, and to examine, with the utmost care, into the talents, piety, temper, and conduct of those you recommend; it may be more neceffary to encourage you to hope, that fuch perfons are to be found, and to intreat you to fpare no pains im endeavouring to find them. You yourselves are, by the great Head of the church, placed in a fituation from which you think you cannot remove, to preach the gofpel to perishing Heathens. It will be an honour, and is it not a duty to endeavour to find a perfon who will go in your place? Pray for wifdom and fuccefs; and may you have the happiness to recommend to us Miffionaries, who fhall be inftrumental in the converfion of thousands, and tens of thousands, of such as are now fitting in darknefs, and in the fhadow of death.

It is our with to have a library for the use of the feminary. As there are many difciples of Jefus who would feel much pleasure in making a prefent of useful books for fo noble a purpose, an intimation of our defign will be a fufficient motive with numbers to enrich the library with their donations.

You will, we doubt not, judge it proper to read this letter to your congregation; and we beseech you and them to have a proper remembrance of the feminary in your fupplications, and efpecially in the meeting where prayer is offered for the propagation of the Gospel among the Heathen. Never, on thefe occafions, let the Miffionary feminary be forgotten. We are, &c.

Account of a late Revival of Religion in a Part of the Highlands of Scotland. By Alexander Stewart, Minif ter of Moulin; in a Letter to the Rev. David Black, Minifter of Lady Yefter's Church, Edinburgh.

I

DEAR SIR,

Morlin, Sept. 1, 1800.

WAS by no means furprised to find, by your late letters, that the communications which I had made to you, from time to time, concerning the ftate of religion