out his sense of divine grace and his own unworthiness: Oh! says he, how unworthy have I always been of such dear favours with which I have been indulged. I can say, in the views of many infirmities, I have obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful in the ministry to the best of my light. Oh! that I had but more light and liberty, in my Lord's work, in every respect. Alas! how short have I come of filling up the character I have unworthily bore in the churches."

Mr. Wallin died June 12, 1733, in the fifty-fifth year of his age.

He was a man of great moderation, though of them who profess the Calvinist scheme of religion, and did not run into those flights of justification before faith, and of good works in no sense being necessary to salvation; but with the English Baptists in general, held that none can be said to be actually reconciled, justified or adopted, until they are really implanted into Jesus Christ by faith; and accordingly, in his discourses, did

In this vault are deposited

the remains of

The Reverend Mr. EDWARD WALLIN,
Who departed this life

June the 12th, 1733, aged 55.
His singular natural accomplishments,
Joined to a personal acquaintance with mankind,
Were greatly improved

By his experience as a Christian,
And his abilities as a divine.
So that

When we consider the vivacity of his wit,
The penetration of his judgment,
The compass of his knowledge,
The force of his reasoning,
And the facility of his address,

It is doubtful whether he was more to be admired
In civil or religious life.

His conversation was pleasant and instructive,
His advice generous and faithful,

His sermons judicious and affectionate;
He was a great blessing to the church
of which he was pastor,

A father to several in the ministry,
Who grew up under his influence,

And an happy instrument of the glory of God,
Both in the city and the country.

RELIGIOUS COMMUNICATIONS.

THE PRESBYTERIAN MISSIONARY.

Messrs. Editors,

cient materially to relieve the expenses of the Society. I engaged

place, and immediately commenced my labours.

In a short journey which I late-to spend every fourth week in each ly performed, I became acquainted with an aged clergyman who had for several years devoted himself to the missionary service. He was a man of simple habits, of modest deportment, of strong common sense and ardent piety, and was besides ardently interested in every thing which relates to the success of the Redeemer's kingdom. You will therefore believe that I listened with peculiar pleas ure to the account which he gave me, as we were walking the deck of a steam boat, of the manner in which he had prosecuted his missionary labours.

I generally arrived on Monday at the settlement in which I was to preach on the succeeding Sabbath. The week was occupied in visiting from house to house. An opportunity was thus afforded of visiting every family of each settlement as often as once a month. The consequence was, that I became very generally acquainted with all my people, and some from each family were at meeting on the Sabbath. It was not long before my labours were peculiarly blessed. An extensive revival of religion commenced in my circle of labour, and spread over many parts of the surrounding country. The vices for which the people were remarkable, are retiring, and the effects of moral culture are delightfully visible.

I

"I entered that part of the country," said he, "where I now reside, in the year 1813. In all that portion where I labour, there was not then a single minister of any denomination. The inhabitants generally spent the Sabbath in fishing, hunting, frolicking, and I found, however, at the first, amusements. Fighting and quar- that on the Sabbaths when there relling on all occasions of publick was no preaching in a settlement meeting were common. The peothe people spent their time in ple were destitute of books of a amusement. I remonstrated with religious nature, and were equally them, and urged them to stay at destitute of any desire to read home, and read religious books ; them. My field of labour seemed they replied, They had none. in every respect most unpromising. said, Read your bibles; they reI began by selecting four set-plied again, We have none. tlements at convenient distances led to the establishment of librafrom each other, as the places ries. I drew up a subscription where I would commence the paper of a simple form, which was preaching of the gospel. I then immediately filled up, and thus in applied to some persons with the different settlements libraries whom I had become previously ac- were quickly organized. I began quainted, and asked how much with Scott's Bible, and books of they would give for each Sabbath's this character, which were eagerly preaching with which they should read, and were, on the Sabbath esbe supplied. They subscribed pecially, of very great importance. willingly, and encouraged others This means of circulating religious to do likewise, until a sum was knowledge, has been of incalculathus engaged in each place suffi- ble utility.

This

I regret to inform you, that I know of no one who could be obtained, either as a temporary, or a permanent supply. And when you reflect that there are from one thousand, to fifteen hundred Baptist churches in the United States, who, like yourselves, are destitute of pastors, you will perceive the difficulty of obtaining one to supply you. Being unacquainted with the history of your

In this region, where thirteen years ago, there was not a single church of any denomination, there are at present four or five Presby-as terian, and several Baptist and Methodist Churches, and many of them in a flourishing condition. The people are supplied with Bibles and tracts, and every thing betokens the signal blessing of a preached gospel statedly dispensed, and accompanied with kindred means of religious cultiva-church, or of an individual among tion."

It is proper, Messrs. Editors, to remark, that whatever may savour of egotism in this narration is attributable to me, and not to the Missionary. For the sake of brevity, I have thrown into a continuous account what was related to me in consequence of repeated questions. The form of the thing alone is altered. The facts are just as I received them.

On this simple statement I shall make no remark. It illustrates most perfectly my ideas of the duty of a Domestick Missionary. Were this plan adopted by every one of your labourers, instead of riding over immense tracts of country, and preaching once in a year or two to destitute settlements, it is evident that much more good would be done, and much useless expenditure retrenched. Yours truly, VIATOR.

you, the remarks which I shall make, will be on general principles, and I shall quote your language, because it is, I fear, descriptive of feelings prevailing too generally in our churches.

You propose to seek for a temporary supply only. I believe the inclination to look only to the present emergency, is a fruitful source of many evils to the churches it sometimes induces them for reasons comparatively trivial, to dismiss their ministers. When a church dismisses a minister it not only loses his ministerial labours in publick preaching; but another item should usually be added to the account, frequently quite as important, the entire loss of his personal influence, as man, as a christian, and as a minister.

a

No successor can take up this influence and appropriate it to himself. It must be obtained by personal intercourse and labour, and the slow result of the exhibition of the Christian character. A A change of ministers is in many cases connected with irregularity or neglect of discipline in the church. Such changes do much to cherish an Athenian spirit, Acts xvii. 21. already too powerful even among good men.

was received in due season. You state that you are "destitute of a minister, and desire me to recommend a suitable person to supply you for the season. You indulge the hope that the cause of Christ would prosper among you, should you be so fortunate, as to obtain a man of respectable talents.”

If you are unable to support a minister yourselves, would you not do well to unite with some sister church, and lay a foundation for a permanent support, and seek for a permanent supply?

The connexion between a minis-[] commendable. But churches err, when they make them indispensable, or found their hopes of the success of the gospel upon them.

ter and his people ought unquestionably sometimes to be dissolved, especially where it was originally injudiciously formed, or things occur, which no human prudence can foresee or control, which may make it necessary.

Look to God, my brethren, for a minister-honour him by setting apart a day to be devoted to fasting and prayer, and with a sense of I would invite you, my brethren, your dependance, seek his directo contemplate the source from tion and blessing. If you drive which every good and every perfect covetousness from you, and with gift comes, and to found your hopes willing hearts offer of the goods of the progress of the cause of of your stewardship for the tempoGod among you, upon the DI-ral support of a minister; if you VINE BLESSING, accompanying hunger for the bread of life, and your efforts and the labours of after doing your duty submit it to your minister, should God grant God, to send by whom he will, to you one. You indulge the hope feed you with the bread of life and that the cause would rise if to become your pastor; and after you had a man of talents." Is it using every exertion that christian not equal with the Lord to save by obligation, or human prudence may few as by many? Has he not de- enjoin, you look to God to carry termined to stain the pride of all forward his cause, and to establish human glory? Are we not taught truth in the earth ; if you are that without Christ we can do willing in all things to deny yournothing" And do not facts dem-selves for the enjoyment of spiritonstrate that the cause of Christ al instruction, and to devote yourdoes not advance in the world in the selves to his service, God would way that human wisdom would ac- make windows in heaven, sooner count as being, not by might nor than you should famish for the by power; but by my Spirit, saith bread of life-or he would convert the Lord?" But, alas! how much ex- some violent opposer, and make posed even good men are, to as-him your pastor, as he converted a sociate their hopes of the progress persecuting Saul of old—“ Behold of the gospel with human talent or the Lord's hand is not shortened, literary attainment. Superior that it cannot save; neither his mental powers, and the embellish- ear heavy, that it cannot hear." ments of science, are certainly de- Respectfully yours in the gospel sirable for a minister, and a proper of a precious Saviour, regard for them by the churches is

AGNOSTOS.

REVIEW.

A Sermon occasioned by the death || who has so much delighted and in

of the Rev. John Ryland, D. D. preached at Bristol, England. By ROBERT HALL, M. A. Second Edition, London.

It is with no ordinary pleasure that after a lapse of years we are again permitted to meet an author

structed us. We must however express our deep regrets that, though he has lived threescore years, he has given so few of his thoughts to the world. Instead of the few occasional sermons which he has published, might he not have given at least one

connected series of sermons in defence or illustration of some of the grand distinguishing doctrines or duties of religion? While such men as Bunyan and Watts, who were less eminent preachers and writers, are yet by their works doing incalculable good from age to age, may we not still hope and pray that our author will do more than he has yet done to extend his usefulness beyond the short term of human life?

ings, and of several minor pieces which have never been republished in this country.

The divisions in his sermons. are neither numerous nor formal, and yet design and order may be seen in every part of them. In his discourse on Infidelity, which is a long one, there are only three grand divisions distinctly marked, and under one of these as many subdivisions. He somewhere expresses his opinion that the English mode of dividing sermons, is generally too formal and artificial; that the force of the arguments is thus broken, and the warmth of the pathos cooled that by exposing at once all that is to be done, and thus enabling the hearers to anticipate us, we blunt the edge of their curiosity, and weaken their attention. His practice accords with his theory. His divisions are such as appear to arise in his mind while pursuing his subject, and not such as are previously made to guide him in his investigations. His plan is made for his thoughts, and not his thoughts for his plan.

:

These remarks are not made without a consciousness of the power of our author as a pulpit orator. With no gesticulation to attract the eye of his audience, he speaks to them with the ut most simplicity and seriousness. Without the least apparent effort to produce effect, he gradually becomes warmer and warmer with the progress of his subject, till all his powers seem to be enlisted, and till he has unconsciously acquired an entire ascendency over his hearers, which he maintains with unbroken vigour to the end of the discourse. He always studies his subject before he addresses his audience, and has therefore something to say. He never carries into the pulpit any thing more than a brief skeleton of his sermon; and his language is mainly such as occurs spontaneously in the progress of the discourse he has therefore all the freedom and ardour of the most unpremed itated effusion. He is a scholar by education and by constant habit; and therefore his language is, without any effort, chaste and even elegant. His voice is feeble and of little compass; but this is forgotten in the excellence, the magnitude, the sublimity of his thoughts, and, above all, the gradent majesty and elevation. cious and heavenly spirit with which they are imbued.

His texts are often little more than mottos, which aptly indicate the subject of discourse. He enters not into philological investigations, or rather gives no proof of it, except by drawing the right sentiments from the text: and this, it is conceived, is the proper use of exegesis in the pulpit.

His style is uncommonly pure and classical. He exhibits Chalmers' reach of thought, without falling into his occasional barbarisms of language. He is always dignified: but when he rises to boldness of conception, as he often does, his style assumes a correspon

He displays none of that pride of talent, too often conspicuous in Nor are we without a high es- the great. He appears to forget timation of our author's printed himself, and to be engrossed with sermons, to say nothing of his his subject. It is true, he exhibits political and controversial writ-genius and learning, but it is with