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soon recover: but others, better acquainted with the disease and the influence of that climate, considered his case to be hopeless. Soon after the rising of the Conference, his disorder returned with more violence than ever. In all these changes, this servant of the Lord was able to say, without a repining sigh, "Father, not mine, but THY will be done!" Thus he lived, and thus he suffered many tedious months of severe affliction in a land of strangers :-and, thus, on the 20th of December, 1819, he breathed out his happy spirit, into the hands of that SAVIOUR and FRIEND whom he had so long and so faithfully served.

He left a wife and a son in the care of Him who has said, "Leave thy fatherless children, and let thy widow trust in ME;" and God was faithful to the trust reposed in him by his servant. The son, an infant, he speedily snatched away from a world in which the tears of the orphan are too often disregarded: And, to the widow he raised up many friends, who were ready and willing at all times to administer to her relief and comfort.

His funeral sermon was preached on the Sunday after his death, at Washington, Mississippi, to a large and melting congregation, on Rev. xiv. 13, by William Winans, a young man whom he had contributed to bring into the ministry, and to foster, in the infancy of his labours, with the tenderness of a parent.

Of his character, nothing so proper, perhaps, could be said, as that he exemplified, in a very unusual degree, the description of charity, so inimitably drawn out in the 13th chapter of 1 Corinthians. The loss sustained by his family is unspeakably great; that of the church much greater. We can be no otherwise satisfied under this dispensation of Providence, than by reflecting that it is of him who doeth all things well. He who has bereaved his church of this highly valuable minister, has the means in his hands of abundantly supplying his lack of service. May He send down a double portion of the Spirit which rested on this our Elijah, upon many that He shall call to cultivate the vineyard, from which He has taken his servant to his eternal rest!

吉米粒

Scripture Illustrated.

From the London Methodist Magazine.

To the Editor of the Methodist Magazine.

MY DEAR SIR,

THE testimony of Sir William Jones to the authenticity of the Hebrew Scriptures appears to me to be worthy of the greatest publicity. I have taken it from the eight discourses which

he delivered before the Asiatic Society. If you think it calculated to serve the great cause of truth, its insertion in your very useful Magazine will oblige your's, &c. Tunbridge Wells, Kent, 1820.

JOHN RABY.

"Theological inquiries (he remarks) are no part of my present subject; but I cannot refrain from adding, that the collection of tracts which we call from their excellence, the Scriptures, contain, independently of a Divine origin, more true sublimity, more exquisite beauty, purer morality, more important history, and finer strains both of poetry and eloquence, than could be collected within the same compass, from all other books that were ever composed in any age or in any nation. The two parts of which the Scriptures consist are connected by a chain of compositions which bear no resemblance, in form or style, to any that can be produced from the stores of Grecian, Italian, Persian, or even Arabian learning. The antiquity of those compositions no man doubts; and the unrestrained application of them to events long subsequent to their publication, is a solid ground of belief, that they were genuine predictions, and consequently inspired."

In answer to Y. Z. who thinks that verse 36th of the 7th chapter of the 1st epistle to the Corinthians, is frequently abused to the purposes of impurity; and who wishes to know whether it be properly translated, we observe, that the translation of the verse is sufficiently accurate, and the sense not obscure. It is, we think, as explained in the following paraphrase:-" But if any man, who is a parent or guardian, think that he behaveth himself uncomely that he should act indecently, or in a manner unbecoming his character, or unsuitably to her credit or reputation, towards his virgin, by hindering her from marriage, if she pass, &c. Gr. Eav n vægaxpos, if she be above age, or of full age, and need so require, και έτως οφελει γενέσθαι and it be necessary to be so done, whether the necessity ariseth from her conscience and inclination, or her being sought in marriage; let him do what he will-as he sees occasion, according to circumstances, either to give her in marriage or to keep her single. Or, as the words may be rendered, Let him do what she inclineth to; he sinneth not-in complying with her inclination in such a case. Let them, let such virgin daughters, marry. As both the Jews and Greeks reckoned celibacy dishonourable, some fathers might think it sinful to restrain their daughters from marriage; while others, following the opinions of the Essenes and rigid philosophers, fancied they acted properly in restraining them. The Corinthians, therefore, had judged it necessary to consult the apostle on that head."-See Benson's Commentary.

The Attributes of God Displayed.

DEAR SIR,

From the London Methodist Magazine.

To the Editor of the Methodist Magazine.

WHAT I now transmit, are specimens of the "Works of God, selected from the immense and the minute: from the most formidable animal, the most terrific reptile, and the little ant. How surprising is the scale of being, and how diversified the chain of existence! How each, and all, subserve the great purposes of the Creator! I have drawn these accounts from a celebrated work, in which extracts are inserted, and denominated, "Additions to Natural History."

I am, dear Sir, with profound respect, your's, very truly,
Kettering-1820.
W. B. BROWNE.

Hail, Sovereign Goodness! all productive Mind!
On all thy works THYSELF inscrib'd we find,
How various all, how variously endow'd!

How great the number-and each part how good!

BLACKLOCK.

A REMARKABLE ACCOUNT OF A LION AND LIONESS IN THE CITY OF PARIS.

Citizen Felix brought a lion and lioness to the national menagerie in Paris. About two years after, Felix fell ill, and another person was employed to fill his place, in the care of these formidable animals. The lion, sad and solitary, remained from that moment, constantly seated at the end of his cage, and refused to receive any thing from the stranger; his presence was even hateful to him, and he menaced him by roaring. The company of the female also seemed to displease this monarch of the woods. The uneasiness of the animal made him be thought really ill, but no person dared to approach him. At length Felix got well, and meaning to surprise the lion, he crept softly to the cage, and shewed only his face against the bars; the lion directly made a bound towards him, patted him with his paws, licked his hands and face, and trembled with pleasure. The lioness ran to him also, but the "king of beasts" drove her back, seemed angry, and unwilling she should snatch any favours from Felix; a quarrel seemed to take place between them, but Felix entered into the cage to pacify them; he caressed them by turns. After that time Felix was frequently seen between the formidable couple, whose power he has fettered, holding a kind of conversation with them. If he wishes them to separate, they obey his commands, and at the least sign from him, lie down on their backs to shew strangers their paws armed with terrible claws, and open their mouths full of tremendous teeth; and are rewarded by being permitted to lick his hands. These two animals were both of the same mother, and had always lived together. VOL. IV.

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A VERY EXTRAORDINARY ACCOUNT OF A PILE OF SERPENTS, IN GUIANA, SOUTH-AMERICA.

"In the savannahs of Izacubo, in Guiana, I saw the most wonderful, the most terrible spectacle that can be seen; and although it be not uncommon to the inhabitants, no traveller has ever mentioned it. We were ten men on horseback, two of whom took the lead, in order to sound the passages; whilst I preferred to skirt the great forests. One of the negroes, who formed the vanguard, returned full gallop, and called to me, 'Here, Sir, come see serpents in pile.' He pointed out to me something elevated in the middle of the savannah, or swamp, which appeared like a bundle of arms. One of my company then said,This is certainly one of the assemblages of ser pents, which heap themselves on each other after a violent tempest; I have heard of these, but have never seen any; let us proceed cautiously, and not go too near.' We continued our way slowly; I fixed my eyes on the pyramid, which appeared immovable. When we were within ten or twelve paces of it, the terror of our horses prevented our nearer approach, to which, however, none of us were inclined. On a sudden, the pyramidal mass became agitated; horrible hissings issued from it, and thousands of serpents rolled spirally on each other, shot forth out of the circle their hideous heads, presenting their envenomed darts and fiery eyes to us. I own I was one of the first to draw back; but when I saw this formidable phalanx remained at its post, and appeared to be more disposed to defend itself than to attack us, I rode round it, in order to view its order of battle, which faced the enemy from every side. I then sought to find what could be the design of this numerous assemblage; and I concluded that this species of serpents dreaded some collossean enemy, which might be the great serpent, or the caynean, and that they re-unite themselves, after having seen this enemy, in order to attack or resist him in mass. On this occasion, I shall hazard an opinion, which I found on several other observations; it is, that the animals in the New World are more advanced than the men in developing their instinct, and in the social combinations of which they are susceptible; the silence and the solitudes of the woods, leaving the greatest liberty to all their motions, the individuals of the same species casily meet; and those species which are the best organized feel, without doubt, that impulsion of a common interest which announces and pro

*

*Some of these serpents are from thirty to forty feet in length, and four or five in circumference. I brought the stuffed skin of one of the species back to France, and gave it to the Museum-it was 21 feet long, and 13 inches in diameter. The caynean is of the oviparous species of crocodiles, the egg from which it proceeds is no larger than that of a goose, an animal grows to the anormous length as the above-named serpents.

but

vokes to the same end the concurrence of all their means; after having acknowledged in animals different degrees of intelligence, such as memory, deliberation, will, we are reduced to mere conjecture as to their means of communication. It is certain, that those which possess the organs of voice, have their cries of alarm, of rallying, of love, and of anger; and may they not also have those requisite to combine their chases, to distribute the posts of attack and defence, the different labours for their common constructions, as well as for supplying their common habitations with necessaries? Can we conceive that beavers cut down great trees, drag them to the river, form and plant piles, beat mortar, build their lodge without speaking to, and understanding each other? Wherever there are different parts, and a common or general direction, there is police and government. We are not yet acquainted with the legislative power of bees and wasps, although we are so with their executive power; and who knows but what their humming and buzzing, monotonous to our gross organs, have the variety of accent necessary for the promulgation and the execution of their laws?

A WONDERFUL ACCOUNT OF AN ANT-HILL, IN SOUTH-AMERICA.

"IN the middle of an immense savannah, or swamp, perfectly level as far as the eye could carry, I observed a little hill, which appeared to be formed by men. My companion told me it was an ant-hill. What! said I, is this gigantic construction made by an insect? He proposed to conduct me, not to the hill, where we might have been devoured, but near the road of the labourers. We soon discovered several columns of ants going to and coming from the forest, and bringing back pieces of leaves, roots, and seeds, or grains. Those ants were of the largest size, but I did not venture to observe them too nearly. Their habitation, which I examined at about forty paces off, appeared to be about fifteen or twenty feet high, and about thirty or forty diameter at its base. Its shape was that of a pyramid cut off at a third of its proper height. I was informed that when a planter had the misfortune to discover one of these formidable fortresses in clearing his newly acquired lands, he was obliged to abandon his establishment, unless he was powerful enough to carry on a regular siege. My informer said this happened to himself; he wished to extend his plantations, and discovered such a hut as was then before us. He caused a deep circular ditch to be dug, and filled with pieces of dry wood, and after having set fire to the whole circumference, he attacked the ant-hill with cannon. The demolition of the fabric dispers

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