TO THE EDITORS OF

THE NEW CHRISTIAN'S MAGAZINE.

Gentlemen,

IF the underwritten lines merit a place in your very ufeful and edifying publication, entitled the New Chriftian's Magazine, by inferting them as foon as convenient, will lay under a great obligation,

Your conftant reader and admirer,
ADOLESCENS.

Worcester, 4th Oct. 1783.

PSAL M CXXXIX.

REAT God! thou guardian of each hour,

Thou guide of all my ways;

My morning fters confefs thy pow'r,
And night proclaims thy praife.

The fecret purpose of my foul
Is to thy wifdom known;
Thine eye directs my walk by day,
And fees my lying down.

On ev'ry fide I find thy hand,
Where'er I turn my view;
And, 'ere my lips could fpeak my heart,
Thou, Lord, my meaning knew.

Vainly to trace fuch wondrous love,
My grov'ling reafon tries;
Fruitlefs attempt! my ftricteft fearch,
Th' amazing fubject flies.

Should hell infpire the blackened thought,
From thee my God to hide;
Where thould a helplefs mortal go,
In fecret to abide.

If I to heav'n direct my courfe,
There thy full glories thine;

And hell's dark prifon feels thy arm,
And owns the wrath divine.

If with the mornings early light,
I feek the western fea;

There fhall thine hand detect my flight,
And disappoint my stay.

If favour'd with the ev'ning fhades,
I court the raylefs night;
The gloom difpers'd, at thy command,
Shall yield me to thy fight.

Darkness and light, to thee the fame,
Fulfil thy great defign;

And funs, and thades, before their God,
With equal brightnefs thine.

Before that God, whofe piercing eye,
This curious frame furvey'd;
And in my embrio-ftate his fkill,
In every part display'd.

Thy boundlefs thought contriv'd the scheme,
And each proportion plann'd;
Before the clay, my future frame,
Was fafhioned by thy hand.

How fhall my tongue defcribe my foul,
Or paint the love I bear;

Or court the num'rous thanks I owe,
For thy furrounding care!

Lefs num'rous are the countless fands,

That fwell the lengthen'd thorey;
And in the morning when I wake,
I find the number more.

Search me, O God! with strictest view,
Explore each fecret part;
Know the receffes of my foul,

And frailties of my heart!

If error clouds my darken'd mind,
Remove the difmal gloom;
Conduct me with a Father's hand,
And bring thy fervant home.

HOP

OPE fheds on all its genial ray,
Our clouded life it gilds;

It brightens ev'ry gloomy day,
In forms our caftle builds.

It is a cordial to the breaft

That feels diftress and grief;
It rocks the troubled mind to rest,
And gives th' opprefs'd relief.

It gilds the chambers of diftrefs,
The captive's woes affuage!
It chears the widow, fatherlefs,
And aids the tott'ring fage.

The Chriftian's friend in death's dread hour,'
Difpels his fears away;
Prepares him by its foothing pow'r,

For everlasting day.

W. W

MEMENTO MOR I.

TH

HE drunkard doth himself refign,
To chearful friends and generous
wine,

The atheifts boast that there's no God,
Nor heeds, nor fears his vengeful rod,
The gay ones riot in excefs

Of earthly and uncertain blifs;
The avaricious lays faft hold
On all the tranfient charms of gold;:
The tyrant with defpotic fway,
Makes man his beat his will t'obey.
The murderer rolls in human blood,
Thus finners fly in the face of God,
Whilft wifdom's voice in ev'ry breath,
Cries aloud, Oh man! prepare for death!

O king of terrors! how couldst thou de

Atroy

The widow's hope, and her dear childrens' joy:

Alas! he's gone, and like a fpotlefs dove,

To increase the number of the bleft above.

TO A YOUNG LADY, WHO LEFT LONDON, TO ENJOY THE ADVANTAGES OF A RELIGIOUS RETIREMENT IN THE COUNTRY..

HAPPY, highly favour'd maid,

From the noife of folly fled,

Like the filver-pinion'd dove,
To the land of peace and love.
Not a moment would'st thou stay,
When thou heard ft thy Saviour fay,
"Rife, my fair one, come away."
Knowing, if thou didst repair
To holy folitude and pray'r,

1

He who call'd would meet thee there.
In retirement thou shalt know
Joys religion can bestow.
She thall of them all partake,
Who could earthly joys forfake;
Youthful pleafures who could fly,
(Crackling thorns that blaze and die;)"
And in bloom of beauty thew'd
How to quit the world for GOD.
In the ftill fequefter'd hour
Gay delufions tempt no more.
Pride and envy foon are dead,
Wantonnefs and folly fled.
In whofe places we may fee
The lovely grace humility,
As at Bethle'm the was 'fpy'd,
Waiting by the manger's fide:
Charity from heav'n defcending,
Hand and heart to all extending:
Innocence as noon-day bright,
All array'd in lily white:
Wifdom born and bred on high,
Guide of mortals to the sky,
Still, with fweet, tho' penfive look,
Mufing on the myftic book.
All of thefe we feek in vain
In the bufy hum of men.

They thun the mad fantastic croud,
Giddy, thoughtlefs, light, and loud.
In the mind preferv'd fedate,
Meek, and quiet, they are met
And in bofoms, such as thine,
All with beams united fhine.

Let the world in fneering tone
Ridicule and cenfure on,
'Till in men and angels fight
Death and judgment prove thee right,
And manifeft, to ev'ry heart,
Thou haft chofe the better part.
Happy, highly favour'd maid,
From the noise of folly fied!

ACADEMICUS.

GRATITUDE TO GOD FOR PROVIDEN

TIAL MERCIES.

God my heart to thee afcends,
Its maker and its king;

And owns thy goodness far tranfcends

The praifes I can bring :

My feanty praifes, Lord, how mean!
How defpicably poor!
For all the gifts thy bounties bring,
And make my cup run o'er ?

While many of thy dearest faints,

And better far than I,
Pour out their piteous fad complaints,
And pierce us with their cry!

While in their fouls th' invenom'd darts
Of bitter anguish lie,
Or crush'd by mifery, their hearts
Groan their last gasp and die;

Lord! what am I, my God, my King!
That I thy grace fhou'd prove!
Should tune a chearful note and fing
Thy providential love!

Lord what am I, or what are mine,

That thou fo kind thouldft be;
Shouldft lavish all thefe gifts of thine,
On fuch a wretch as me!

O'er dimpling waves my little bark,
Thy gentle fpirit bears,
Protects from adverfe ftorms my heart,
And keeps my head from cares.
O! may this head to know thy will
Continually improve!

● may that heart be fervent still,

And flame with heav'nly love! Thus gliding down life's gentle ftream May I advance to thee;

"Till fafe I launch with heart ferene, On vaft eternity.

Ti

RELIGION.

O what fequefter'd lone retreat,
Lov'd nymph, doft thou direct thy feet.
Far diftant from the noify crowd,
The great, the bufy and the proud;
Doft thou refide in cavern hoar,
With fages vers'd in myftic lore?'

Ah no! The friend of God and man,
Far, far fuperior is thy plan;
'Tis thine to footh the widow's figh,
Tis thine the orphan's tear to dry:
To raise diftrefs's drooping head,
To give the naked cloaths and bread.
When forrows o'er the mind prevail,
Thy balm celeftial fhall not fail;
Thy faithful fervants, after death,
Thou crown'ft with glory's lafting wreath.
Still, ftill difplay thy facred art,
And warm and animate the heart.

CONTENT.

AIL, fweet content! whofe magic

HAIL

pow'r

Can blunt misfortune's keenest dart,
And when black skies with tempeft lour,
Serene and chearful guard the heart.‘
All gracious, hither urge thy way,

And make my breast thy dearest cell;
My mind protect from dire difmay,
And round me fpread thy potent fpell.
Inftead of pride, which now confumes,
And wears my fpirits by her cares,
At fancied flights full idly fumes,
The victim of her peevith airs.

Good humour then ftill, blithe and free
Defpifing pomp and hating strife,
Shall crown with gay hilarity

The circling periods of my life.
Inftead of envy's baleful train,

That mourn amidst fair pleaty's store; If heaven's funshine, or its rain, Pour greater at a neighbour door: Benevolence, with heart humane, Wishing all happy as herself, Shall then extract from thy rich mean, Gold far more precious than mere pelf. S. PG.

SOLITUDE.

WEET companion of the mufe,
Lovely Solitude, appear;

All thy calm content infufe,
Soften anguish, banifh care:

Lead me, O majestic queen,
Through the aromatic fcene.
Nature's copied here by art,
Joyful we the fraud confefs,
Yet fo clofe performs her party
'Tis but nature's better drefs;

Solitude, here fix thy feat,
Here in Cowley's foft retreat.
Teach me all the healing pow'rs,

Of each plant and every tree; Say how fhort-liv'd are the flowers; Bring the moral home to me.

Bid me fleeting life defpife! Make me humble, make me wife. Stretch me on the verdant mead, Where the murm'ring river flows, Where the elm expands her fhade, And each rifing beauty blows;

There I'll fay in peace of mind, "Empty greatnefs, fall behind," Pride within thy humble cell, Never yet aprear'd her head; Solitude, with thee I'll dwell, Pride with me is long fince dead. Cold to pleasure, deaf to praife, Here I with to end my days.

00

LIST

ART. 1. A Charge delivered to the Clergy of the Archdeaconry of St. Alban's, at a Vifitation bolden May 22, 1783. By the Rev. Samuel Horley, L. L. D. F. R. S. Published (with additions) at the Request of the Clergy, 4to. 3s.

T

HIS learned and excellent writer, after an introduction full of refpect for the clerical function, enters upon the difcuffion of, and points out in a masterly manner, but with a true Chriftian fpirit,the mistakes, mifconftructions, and evil tendency of Dr. Priestley's Hiftory of the Corruptions of Chrifti anity. Having done this, Dr. Horiley concludes with the following candid declaration: "I feel no fatisfaction in detecting the weakneffes of this learned writer's argument, but what arifes from a confcioufnefs, that it is a discharge of fome part of the duty which I owe to the church of God. It is a mortifying proof of the infirmity of the human mind, in the higheft improvement of its faculties in the prefentlife, that fuch fallacies of reafoning, fuch mifconAtructions of authorities,, fuch distorted views of facts and opinions, fhould be found in the writings of a man, to whom, of men in the prefent age, fome branches of the experimental fciences are the moft indebted.

ART. II. The Beauties of Methodism," felected from the Works of the Rev. John Wesley, A. M. 12mo. 2s. 6d.

An excellent half crown ordinary for the lovers of incoherent nonfenfe. We know the frequenters of the foundery love to be up and doing; and as this favory fpiritual treat from works of boneft John's preparing, it cannot but, it must be, fuitable to dainty palates.

ART. III. A Sermon on Matthew v. 18. By Henry Dimock, M. A. Vicar of ChippingNorton, and late of Pembroke College, 4to. Is.

In this difcourfe is an emendation of a rext in Ezekiel ́xxvii. 17. According to qur

English verfion, the prophet is made to say, "They (the Tyrians) were thy merchants; they traded in thy market wheat of Minnith and Pannag, and honey, and oil, and balm,” The author fuppofes Minnith and Pannag to be a corrupt reading; and would subftitute in their place Zith, Upbag; the text he would then render-" They traded in thy market wheat, the Olive, and the Fig, &c." Which articles of trade the writer thinks were the commodities of Canaan; and fit fubjects of commerce with Tyrian merchants.

ART. IV. Vicarious Sacrifice: or, the reality and importance of Atonement for Sin by the Death of Chrift, afferted and defended, against the Objections of Dr. Prieffley. By R. Elliot, A. B. 8vo. 2s. 6d.

That the corruptors of Chriflianity are not fuffered to administer their baneful poifon, without fufficient antidotes being at the fame time pointed out by the faithful la bourers in the vineyard of their master, muft be, in our opinion, afcribed to the fpecial grace of God, and his providential care in the prefervation of his church. Chrift has here, we fee, raised up another advocate to fupport the facred truths of his gofpel; which we think Mr. Elliot has done with a fpirit, perfpicuity, and fome ftrength of

argument.

ART. V. A New Tranflation of St. Paul's Epifle to the Hebrews, from the Original Greek, with explanatory Notes. By Samuel Hardy, Rector of Little Blakenbam, in Suf folk, and Lecturer of Enfield, in Middlefex, 8vo. Is. 6d.

This author is too whimfical for a faithful tranflator, or just expofitor. He difcovers much prejudice, little candour; and in fome parts of his tranflation the original meaning of the text is either obfcured or perverted.

CHRO

FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE.

Manheim, November 15.

HE letters from Munich cannot fuffi

duct of the king of Sweden, during his abode in that city. On his arrival, the monarch alighted at the city gate, and walked up to the houfe where he was to lodge. On calling for the hoft, he asked him for the apartments intended for the king and his fuit. Being informed of the price, "You afk too little (faid he), kings do not come every day to lodge with you." Upon this the hoft replied, "the honour done me by the monarch fills my heart fufficiently; why fhould I make him pay more than another?" Some perfons who Occupied the first and fecond floors of that houfe were preparing to quit them; which the king perceiving prevented, faying, "that his majefty had good legs, and could very well get up to the third story." At the fame time the monarch's retinue arrived; and honeft Albert (the hoft) found with furprize that he had been fpeaking with the king in perfon. The king went to the play, the hoft gave a ball, at which were prefent upwards of 200 perfons. The king fpoke with great affability to the widow of the learned Oosterwalt who was prefent. On his departure, his majefty made a prefent to the hot of a gold watch and chain, and 24 ducats.

Vienna, Nov. 15. According to letters from the frontiers of Turkey, of the 2d of this month, a total revolution has happened in the Ottoman miniftry. The grand vifier and the grand admiral have alone preserved their offices. It is added that the English ambaffador has declared openly to the reis effendi, or minifter of foreign affairs, that the king his mafter would fee with pleasure, that the grand fignior thought ferioutly of reconciling himfelf with the two imperial courts, as a longer delay might caufe a general conflagration, the confequences of which would not be favourable to the Ottoman empire.

Weft-Pruffa, Nov. 15, At the departure of the poft, accounts were received, that all the powers to whom the Dantzickers have applied for affiftance have declined granting their request, and have advised them to agree to the demand of Pruffia; and a private letter from that city has the following paragraph: "Our firmnefs will profit us nothing, and thus we shall be obliged to give way, and we hope three weeks will terminate the whole affair between us and his Pruffian majefty."

DIARY.

Vienna, Dec. 3. We hear that the plague has ceafed in that part of the fron tiers of Turkey, which borders on Poland, and the quarantine is ftopt. The Ruffian troops there make no movements, and the winter, which begins to be felt, seems to indicate that hoftilities will not be commenced this year.

GAZETTE INTELLIGENCE.

T

St. James's, November 22.

HE King has been pleafed to appoint Thomas Walpole, Efq. to be his ma jefty's minifter plenipotentiary to the elector palatine, and minifter to the diet at Ratisbon.

Carleton-house, Nov. 20. His royal highnefs the prince of Wales has been pleafed to appoint the lord vifcount Lewitham to be lord warden of the Stannaries, and fteward of the duchy of Cornwall; the lord viscount Melborne, of the kingdom of Ireland, and the right hon. the lord Spencer Hamilton, to be gentlemen of his royal highness's bed-chamber; colonel Sir John Dyer, Bart. to be groom of his royal highneffes's bed-chamber; and colonel Charles Leigh, of the third regiment of foot guards, and lieut. Edward Scot, of the third regiment of foot, to be his royal highness's cquerries.

Whitehall, Dec. 19. The king has been pleafed to grant the dignity of baronet of Great Britain to the feveral gentlemen under-mentioned, and the refpective heirs male of their bodies lawfully begotten, viz. John Guife, Efq. of Highnam-court, Gloucefterfhire. Sir Andrew Snape Hammond, Knt. ditto. Andrew Snape Douglas, Efq. captain in his majefly's navy. Charles Barrow, Efq. of Highgrove, Gloucestershire, -Remainder to Thomas Crawley Boevy, Efq. of Flanley abbey in the fame county., John Morihead, Eiq. of Trenant-park, Cornwall. The Rev. R. Rycron, D. D. of Carlton, Yorkshire. John Silvefter Smith, Efq. of Newland-park, Yorkshire. John Lambe, Efq. of Great Melton, Norfolk, -Remainder to his brother Edward Hafe, Efq. of Sall in Norfolk, &c. Thomas Durrant, Efq. of Scottowe in Norfolk. Lucas Pepys, M. D. of Brook-ftreet, Grosvenorfquare, Remainder to his brother William Weller Pepys, Efq. of Ridley in Cheshire. Francis Wood, Efq, of Barnley in Yorkshire, William Fitzherbert, Efq. of Jeffington, Derbyshire. Thomas Beevor, Efq. of Thethel in Norfolk.

The king has been pleased to present the Rev. William Jackson, B. D. to the office or place of reader or profeffor of the Greck tongue in the aniverfity of Oxford, void by

the