for this dying thief, of what he hath done for millions fince, of what he is engaged to do for all the nations of the earth, and a sense of what he hath done for us, will animate us with the ambition of bearing teftimony of our adoration of him in every fermon, of pronouncing bleffings on his name in our laft moments, and of uniting with all the redeemed, in the perfect and uninterrupted joy of his immediate prefence. P.

SIR,

SPECIAL PROVIDENCE OF GOD.

THE following account was extracted from a German Magazine, in which it had been inferted by a Gentleman, whofe brother, a worthy Minifter of Chrift, gave it to me, tranflated by himfelf. My friend alfo attefted that he knew Mr. Bakker perfonally, and had heard the fame flory from his own mouth.

Bristol.

DEAR FRIEND,

J. R.

You no doubt, recollect our last agreeable converfation

with our friend B. concerning the special providence of God over individuals, and more particularly over his children. The with our friend then expreffed, that a col lection might be made of the most remarkable inftances of God's paternal care of, and attention to, those who are his own, fupported by hiftoric proofs on which we might de pend, belongs by no means to the number of vain and idle wifhes, but is well worthy of being carried into effect.

In the mean time I will relate a particular instance of the evident interpofition of Divine Providence, which may ferve as a very proper fpecimen of fuch a collection. I can warrant the truth of the fact, and am perfonally acquainted with the man it chiefly concerns, from whofe own mouth I receiv ed the relation; and whom I know to be an upright perfon, and I am perfuaded a genuine Christian.

John Bakker, the fubject of this narrative, travelled in the year 1762 (the very first time in his life he had taken a long journey,) quite alone, from Zeyst, near Utrecht, to New Wied upon the Rhine, and was now upon his way from Cleves to Cologne. He had with him (befides many letters) a confiderable fum of money in gold, and fome watches

and jewels. His road led him through a wood, about four English miles in length, which at that time was infefted by French marauders, who, the very day before, had murdered a travelling taylor, of which, however, he had not heard any thing. Having proceeded in this wood for about half an hour, in unusual anxiety, of which he at last had rid himself, by engaging his mind in meditation on a text of holy writ, he perceived a man behind him, who asked him, What a clock it was? While he gave him for answer, that it was near eleven (in the forenoon,) there ftepped forth, from a thicket on one fide of the road, three other men, who immediately demanded his money.

He declared to them, that though he wanted it for his journey, yet he was ready to deliver it up to them. He actually produced his purfe, which contained about four rix-dollars (worth about thirteen fhillings,) and furrendered it into their hands. But now the villains, laying hold on him, tore his coat and waistcoat with violence from his body, and seized upon his fmall-clothes, in which he had his gold concealed, abufing him withal in a moft cruel manner. He inftantly intreated them to fpare his life, or, at least, to allow him a few minutes to commit his foul into the hands of God. But the robbers, who, amidst dreadful imprecations and barbarous treatment, were tearing off his fmall-clothes, at last agreed with each other to drag him from the road into the thick wood.

You may cafily conceive the deadly anguish he endured while in their mercilefs hands. But while the robbers, regardless of his groans and intreaties, were engaged in dragging him away, there came two men on horfeback full gallop behind him along the road, whom he could not fee, but at the appearance of whom the robbers immediately threw away his clothes, and efcaped with his purfe only, into the wood. The horfemen approaching, found him almost fainting, and taking his clothes to them on their horfes encourag ed him to run, as faft as he was able, along with them, in order to bring again into circulation his blood, congealed and flagnated through the anguifh of death. He did it as well as he could, laying hold of the tail of one of the horses, and was conducted by his deliverers into the next village adjoining the wood, where they took him to the bailiff of that diftrict. This gentleman, immediately on feeing him, and having received from the men a brief information of what had happened to him, cried out, with great emotion of mind, "My friend! you muft needs be a Chriftian indeed, and God muft have a fpecial regard for you." He then related to

him how he, going that morning into his garden to weed, on a fudden felt an impulfe to dispatch his men into the wood, in order to try whether any trace of the robbers, who had murdered the taylor the day before, could be discovered: and that thinking it might as well be put off for the afternoon, he had fuffered fuch anxiety and purturbation of his mind, as rendered his eyes fo dim that he could not fee a single plant in his garden. On which account he, ftraight returning into his houfe, in all hafte dispatched the two men on horfe back into the wood; and thereupon immediately recovered his peace of mind.

You may, my dear friend, eafily conceive the fenfations of the heart of our traveller, who had been fo mercifully delivered, at this relation of the bailiff; who, in addition to his having proved the means of faving his life, took the moft kind and liberal care of him, and lodged him that day and the enfuing night at his own houfe. Directly after this, measures were taken to fearch after the robbers, and divine juftice caufed them to be difcovered and apprehended, when they received their deferved reward.

Methinks this event is a moft affecting inftance of the Lord's looking down upon his own in mercy and favour, and of his knowing how to deliver and preferve them in a moft wonderful manner. O! that we might ever trust in him, refigning ourselves, and all our concerns, with filial confidence and faith, unto his holy will and providential care! I am, &c.

MINISTERIAL ACCOUNTS AT THE GREAT DAY.

[AN EXTRACT.]

in the former part of the laft was

A preaching before an affociation of Minifters, and in or

der to quicken their regard to the principle, end, and motive from which they acted, pointed to them the laft and awful day of judgment, and having brought in Christ the Judge, as taking his place on the throne, he then, by an elegant prosopopaia, reprefented him as calling his Ministers to an account, examining how they had preached, and with what views they had undertaken and difcharged the work of the miniftry." What did you preach for ?"-" I preached Lord, that I might keep a good living that was left me by my father of 150 or 200 pounds per ann. which, if I had

not entered into orders, had been wholly loft as to me and my numerous family." Chrift fays to him, "Stand by, thou hast had thy reward."The queftion is put to another, "And what did you preach for ?" He anfwered, “Lord I was applauded as a learned man, and I preached to keep up the reputation of an excellent orator, and an ingenious preacher." Chrift's answer to him likewife was, "Stand thou by, thou also hast had thy reward."-The Judge puts the question to a third, " And what did you preach for ?" Lord," fays he, "I neither aimed at the great things of this world, though I was thankful for the conveniences of life, which thou gaveft me; nor did I preach that I might gain the character of a wit, or of a man of parts, or of a fine fcholar; but I preached in compaffion to fouls, and to please and honour thee; my defign in preaching was, Lord, that I might win fouls to thy bleffed Majefty." Upon this the Judge called out, "ROOM, men! ROOM, angels! let this man come and fit with me on my throne, as I am fet down with my Father on his throne; he has owned and honoured me on earth, and I will own and honour him through all the ages of eternity."

The refult of all then was, that the ministers went home much affected, refolving that, through the help of God, they would mind the work of the miniftry more, and look better to their aims and ends than ever.

THE TENDENCY OF FREE THINKING.

Mr. EDITOR,

SHOULD you think the following anecdote of Mallet, taken from Davies's Life of Garrick, worth inferting in your valuable Magazine, as contradictory to the frequent affertion of Deifts, that mankind would be as moral without what is called revealed religion, as with it, you would oblige a conftant reader. W. H.

"THERE

HERE was a ftriking peculiarity in Mr. Mallet's conduct that ought not to be omitted, as it may probably convey fome useful advice to others. He was a great free-thinker, and a very free speaker of his free thoughts; he made no fcruple to diffeminate his fceptical opinions wherever he could, with any propriety, introduce them. At

his own table, indeed, the lady of the houfe (who was a ftaunch advocate for her husband's opinion) would often, in the warmth of argument, fay, "Sir, we Deifts." The lecture upon the non credendo of the free-thinkers was repeated fo often, and urged with fo much earnestness, that the inferior domeftics became foon as able difputants as the heads of the family. The fellow, who waited at table, being thoroughly convinced that for any of his mifdeeds he should have no after-account to make, was refolved to profit by the doctrine, and made off with many things of value, particu larly the plate. Luckily he was fo clofely purfued, that he was brought back with his prey to his master's house, who examined him before fome felect friends. At firft the man was fullen, and would anfwer no queftions put to him; but being urged to give a reafon for his infamous behaviour, he refolutely faid, "Sir I have heard you so often talk of the impoffibility of a future state, and that after death there was no reward for virtue, nor punishment for vice, that I was tempted to commit the robbery." "Well but you rascal (replied Mallet), had you no fear of the gallows?" "Sir, (faid the fellow, looking fternly at his master), what is that you, if I had a mind to venture that? You had removed my greatest terror, why should I fear the leffer?"

to

A TESTIMONY TO THE HOLY BIBLE.

By the late Sir William Jones, one of the judges in the su preme court of Bengal.

IR William died about two years ago.

His laft act was

died in

with his hands clafped together, and his eyes turned upward towards heaven. "I have regularly and attentively read thefe holy Scriptures, and am of opinion that this volume, independent of its divine origin, contains more fublimity and beauty, more pure morality, more important history, and finer ftrains of poetry and eloquence, than can be collected from all other books, in whatever age or language they may have been compofed."