1805.] duct. Means for fireventing Sleep in the house of God. 315 FROM THE LONDON MAGAZINE. house of God. UCH has been already said MUCH There were, indeed, many people among us who seemed to pray to God; but we had Means for preventing Sleep in the reason to doubt the sincerity of some of them, as there was no suitable alteration in their lives, but much pharisaical ostentation, mechanical profession, and, we feared, interested views, for some of them seemed to pray, with no other design than to obtain a piece of Tobacco from us. on the impropriety of sleeping in time of divine worship. Ministers have often reproved from the pulpit, and writers have repeatedly declaimed against it in print. The practice, however, is still indulged; and it is lamentable to see how many convert the house of God into a place of repose; and thus disease, and excessive labor on the week days, have been alledged as causes; and there is no doubt but these may naturally tend to indispose for public wor In the month of October, we found our stock of provisions alalmost exhausted, and had re-grieve the Holy Spirit, and rencourse to our gracious Lord in der the ordinances of divine apprayer, who was pleased to an-pointment ineffectual. Bodily swer us, by inclining the heart of Francis Moritz, a Farmer, to send us a handsome present, consisting of a large Bullock, thirty Sheep, a quantity of Flour, Salt, &c. The Hottentot serv-ship. But what shall we say to ants, who brought these valuable articles, cheerfully added to them several sheep of their own, as an expression of their joy in the blessing of the Gospel being brought to their country-ed to by professors in general; and that is a too great indul men. them who cannot plead either of these, and yet are often found in this habit? It appears to me, that there is another cause, which has not been sufficiently attend About the same time we re-gence of the appetite,—a species ceived repeated warnings of our of intemperance which unfits danger from the Great-Kraal, both the body and the mind for the most numerous horde of devotion. I know not how it Boschemen, and who were all may be in other countries; but robbers. These people, who had it seems that, in England, Sunnot been included in the peace day is considered as a day in before mentioned, were ap- which many think themselves at proaching us, as we were inform-liberty to eat and drink more ed, with a design to surprise and destroy us; but we committed ourselves to the Lord, who enabled us to confide in his protecting care, feeling little anxie-not wonder at it; but how proty as to the event, and resolving to pursue our great object, which was to preach Jesus. (To be continued.) than on any other day in the week; and among those who consider this day as a day only of leisure and amusement we do fessors of religion should adopt this practice, and why it is that they cannot deny themselves a little, is strange indeed! Yet what is more common than to' hear of such dressing large and expensive dinners, and asking a that no more should be taken number of their friends on that than will be found necessary for day, as if it were a season ap- strengthening and refreshing, pointed for feasting and conviv- and so preparing the animal iality, rather than for the wor-frame for a decent and becomship of God! Is it any mattering behavior in the house of of surprise, therefore, to see peo- God.-Now should this paper ple, who have been taking more fall into the hands of any per. than their usual quantity of ani- sons who have hitherto been in mal food, and perhaps drinking the habit of sleeping during wormore than their usual quantity ship, let me intreat them to try of stupifying liquids, overcome the experiment; let them guard with sleep when they come to against preceding indulgence, sit down in the house of God? and I have no doubt but they will Surely, eating and drinking a find a difference. Should a sleepy few ounces less on the Lord's fit come on them, let them stand Day, in order that they might up, or change their posture in be more wakeful, worship God any other way, so as not to inin a better frame, and hear their commode others, and disturb minister with greater pleasure, their devotion. I cannot but cannot be thought either an un- think, if these means were tried, reasonable or an impracticable many might subdue a habit thing. We often hear them say, which is disgraceful to their indeed that they are sorry they characters, an insult to God, and were overcome; and that they a great trial to ministers. wished to keep awake, and be To what is above stated, many attentive; but that really it was arguments might be subjoined, not in their power. To this, per- as to the impropriety of the haps we may give credit. But practice, but we shall only select what is the reason? Does this one; and that shall be the resleepy habit arise from a natural-flection of a minister of the gosly heavy temperament of body?pel, on viewing some of his flock No; for on other occasions they in this unhappy situation :—“ I are as lively as any one. Does have been thinking," says he, it arise from their disrespect to" during the week, what subject their minister? No; they own I shall choose, that will be most they feel an attachment to him; profitable for my people; and and believe him, in many res- after having fixed upon one that pects, to be superior to others. I thought would be suitable, I Does it arise from the subject to have been endeavoring to considbe discussed, which they sup-er the best manner I should treat pose to be of no importance or it, in order to impress it on their utility to themselves? No; I am minds. The Sabbath arrived ; persuaded, that though these I ascended the pulpit; and now, may be sometimes the causes, thought I, God is waiting to be yet in general, it will be found, gracious, Jesus has promised that attention has not been paid to be in the midst,-angels are to the predisposition of the body looking on with eager expectafor public worship. It is not re-tion,the Holy Ghost is waiting quired that the Sabbath-day be to communicate his influence, a fast-day; but it is required, and all Heaven seems to be in that the Missionary Society there has received letters from Dr. Vanderkemp, at Algoa Bay; in By letters which our Baptist Brethren have received from India, we learn, that Mrs. Thomas, the widow of Mr. J. Thomas, is dead. Felix Carey has been ill, in some danger of a con readiness to shout praises to God, if but good is done in his name! But alas! these reflections have been no sooner indulg-which he mentions, that he had ed, the text named, and the been ill for a long time; but was subject announced, than I have mercifully restored and the beheld some nodding, others Lord had so blessed his labors, putting themselves into a com- that he had baptized more than modious posture for sleep, and two hundred Heathen. others actually slumbering! A death-blow, thought I, is given to all my designs, and to all the pleasing thoughts that occupied my mind. Why have I been studying? For what have I pray ed? Can God be in this place? Can I take any comfort to my-sumption; but hopes are enterself? It is as if my instructions tained of his recovery. Mr. Cawere of no weight, my sermons rey's second son, William, has of no consequence, and all my also been received into the attempts to do good in vain."church. The work of God goes Thus the preacher has retired to his closet with sorrow, under have seldom had an ordinanceon among the natives. They the idea of the little utility of his day without some additions. As ministrations; and been almost they cannot find employment for ready, with Jeremiah, to say, all the converts at Serampore, That he would "speak no more and as many of them come from in the name of the Lord." a considerable distance, it is their O ye that profess to worship practice now, after baptizing and and love God, and who have nev-receiving them into the church, er once tried to use the means to send them home to their against this evil practice, let me country and kindred, to tell what intreat you, by the sacred com- the Lord hath done for them.— mands of God, by the respect Among the converted natives, you should pay to your minis-there are two or three whom our ters, by all that is decent and interesting, by all the promises of the Divine Presence, as well as by all that is consistent and reasonable, to reform a practice which is such a cancer to your profit, a stumbling block to the weak, a plea for the wicked, and an offence to God! C. B. Religious Intelligence. BY a letter received by Mrs. Palin from Rotterdam, we learn friends encourage to preach the gospel to their countrymen.They have been cruelly beaten by them, and their lives threatened; but have borne it with much Christian patience and fortitude; declaring, in the face of their persecutors, that they were more concerned for them than for themselves. One of them is a young Brahman, and who has lately been married to a young Christian female.. LOND. MAG. ANECDOTES. GENTLEMAN of my A acquaintance was asked in for my ignorance and infidelity, branded me as a Precisian ! Danger of public amusements. ALYPIUS, a friend of St. Augustine, was accustomed to hold in the utmost horror and detestation the gladiatorial combats, which were exhibited in the age ted one day, by his companions, to be a spectator of those inhuman sports, he refused to go. They, however, insisted on his accompanying them; and drew him along against his will.— When they had all taken their seats, the games commenced. Alypius shut his eyes, that objects so abominable might not pollute his mind. "Would to God," said Augustine," he had also stopped his ears!" For having heard a great cry, he suffer company, What led him first to embrace the truths of the gospel, which formerly he was known to have neglected and despised? He said, "My call and conversion to God our Saviour was produced by very singular means:-in which he lived. Being inviA person put into my hand Paine's Age of Reason: I read it with attention; and was very much struck with the strong and ridiculous representations he made of so many passages of the Bible. I confess, to my shame, I never had read the Bible through; but from what I remembered to have heard at church, or accidentally on other occasions, I could not persuade myself that Paine's report was quite exact, and the Bible quite so absurd a book as he represented himself to be conquered by ed it. I resolved, therefore, that his curiosity, and opened his I would read the Bible regularly eyes to see what it was, imaginthrough, and compare the pas-ing that he still retained the powsages when I had done so, that er of shutting them. One of the I might give the book fair play. combatants was wounded. No I accordingly set myself to the sooner did he behold the purple task; and as I advanced was so stream issuing from the body of struck with the majesty which the unhappy wretch, than inspoke, the awfulness of the truths stead of turning away his eyes, contained, and the strong evi- they were arrested on the obdence of its divine original, ject, and became intoxicated with which increased with every page, those brutal combats. He was that I finished my enquiry with no longer the same man: he, the fullest satisfaction of the by degrees, imbibed the sentitruth as it is in Jesus; and with ments of the multitude around my heart penetrated with a sense him, joined in their shouts and of obligation I had never felt be- exclamations, and carried away fore, resolved henceforth to take from the amphitheatre a violent the sacred word for my guide, passion for returning and not and be a faithful follower of the only did he go the second Son of God. But, judge of my time with those who had ensnarsurprise! I no sooner began to ed him, but he himself enticed avow my sentiments, and to others. Yet this man began at change my course of life, than first with an abhorrence of such those who never reproached me criminal amusements, and re possessed of so much, and that he wished to employ it so usefully nor was he less surprised, when having the curiosity to ask him, How he had been able to procure this sum? he ingenuously answered, That for forty years, since he had conceived this design, he had retrenched from his food and clothing all that was not absolutely necessary, that he might have the con May our young people learn, by this example, to distrust their own courage and resolution, and to shun the entertainments of the stage, and all such diversions; which may prove as in-solation before he died, of leav jurious to them as these did to ing in his village a house erectAlypius! ed to the honor of the true God! Admirable zeal for the house off God. Missionary Zeal. FRANCIS XAVIER (called the Apostle of the Indies) being about to undertake a mission which appeared extremely haz ed with by his friends, on the great dangers he would have to encounter from the malignity of the climate, the sterility of the land, and the barbarity of the in thing was gloomy and terrific, This representation, though just, was so far from deterring him from the attempt, that it seemed to inspire him with more zeal for the arduous enterprize. Ax old Chinese went one day to a Missionary, who was in his village, to represent to him the extreme desire he had of build-ardous, was strongly expostulating a church there. "Your zeal is laudable," said the father to him; "but we have not now the means of defraying so great an expense." I aspire to do it myself,' replied the villager. The Mis-habitants: in short, that every sionary, accustomed to see him for many years lead a very poor life, believed him not to be in a situation to accomplish what he promised. He again praised his good intentions, representing to him the extent of the village," The most tractable and opuconsequently the large size of a suitable building, and his incompetency to so great a work.-Excuse me,' replied the countryman, I believe myself able to do what I propose.' "But do you know," said the father, "that two thousand crowns at least are necessary for such an underta-be more intrepid than Missionking?"I have them all ready,' returned the old man; and if I had not, I should not thus have importuned you.' The Missionary was much charmed at learning that this good man, whom he had thought very poor, was lent nations," said he, “ will not want preachers; but this is for me, because others will not undertake it. If the country abounded in odoriferous woods and mines of gold, all dangers would be braved, in order to procure them: Should merchants then aries ?--Shall these unfortunate people be excluded from the blessings of redemption? It is true, they are very barbarous and brutal; but let them be more so; he who can convert even stones into children of Abraham, |