:

confide therein, and, when in the path of duty, to leave events to God; to admonish and reprove with honesty, plainness, and meekness, without reserve, or respect of persons; never to preach unto others any doctrine or duty, but what I am well persuaded is consistent with Scripture, nor without first preaching it to myself; to have respect to my Redeemer's glory, and the good of souls, above my own ease, gain, or reputation to survey the state of religion in my own soul, and in my congregation, and to bear my people on my heart before God, as my particular charge and concern; to aim at the revival of religion, by instituting and urging the use of all likely means, seasons of humiliation and prayer, catechising, religious meetings, &c.; to attend seriously and immediately to the remonstrances of conscience, as God's monitor, and endeavour to distinguish between groundless scrupulosity and a proper sense of duty; to strive to bear on my mind a constant sense of the evil nature and tendency of unbelief, and distrust of God, as a sin against the gospel constitution, and pregnant with all other sins; remembering that, as God has given a sufficient ground of hope in the gospel, every sinner is under an obligation immediately to believe the report, and accept the indefinite offer of Christ with all his saving benefits."

as

Though greatly beloved by the church at Llanywchllyn, and highly esteemed in that part of the country, an ill state of health induced him to think of removing. It was found, that the fogs arising from Llantegid or Bala Pool, were injurious to his constitution, so that a change of situation was deemed advisable. He therefore accepted, in 1777, an invitation from the Independent Church and congregation assembling in St. Thomas's Green, Haverfordwest, the pulpit being then vacant by

the resignation of the Rev. John Hughes, who had removed to Bristol. Here Mr. Evans found religion in rather a languishing state, partly owing to the temper and conduct of two or three persons, on whose behaviour and example much depended. A few passages from some of the sermons he preached at the Green, will not only exhibit the character of his ministry, but give a pleasing idea of his zeal and piety.. "Every thing that has a right to speak, speaks against sin. God says, Destroy it, or I must destroy you: the law says, Destroy it, or I must condemn you: the Gospel says, Destroy it, or I cannot bless you: Christ says, Destroy it, for I came to destroy the works of the devil: the Holy Spirit says, Destroy it, or I cannot dwell in your souls: Heaven says, Destroy it, or I cannot open my gates to receive you and the holy soul says, Destroy it, or I am robbed of my happiness and peace!-Scripture and reason declare, that the happiness of heaven is reserved for none but just and holy persons; and that those of a contrary character must suffer an eternal disappointment, as to their expectations of attaining it. What, then, must be done to be saved? The only thing that can be successfully done, is to apply to Jesus Christ, the only Saviour of sinners, and that for two important blessings -justification and sanctification; or an interest in his merits, and the influences of his Spirit. Both are equally essential to our happiness. To these two points, the whole of revelation refers; and an accurate knowledge of the plan of salvation depends upon a clear apprehension of them. If they be separated, the consequence will be, either libertinism or legality; and if they are not properly distinguished, grace and works, law and gospel, will be sadly jumbled together. Justification is a sentence passed on the believing

sinner, on account of the righteousness of Christ, in which he believes; but sanctification is a work wrought in the soul, by the Holy Spirit, in consequence of which the justified person becomes holy in all manner of conversation."

In a sermon on 1 Cor. xv. 2., he mentions the following truths, as necessary for his hearers to "keep in memory," that they might be "saved by the Gospel," and not be found among those who "have believed in vain."

66

First, That the love and mercy of God are free and sovereign in their exercise, depending on no external motive to call them forth; nay, that they even surmount all obstacles of unworthiness and demerit. This is a principal doctrine of revelation; and the truth of it has been abundantly demonstrated in the giving of Christ, to be 'a propitiation for our sins. Secondly, That Christ, by his atoning sacrifice, has so far satisfied the demands of divine justice, and the honour of divine government, that God can, consistently with all his perfections, save a poor sinner.-Thirdly, That whoever will, is welcome to look unto him, and trust in him for salvation. Yea, all are called, and it is the duty of all to comply. The heavy laden, the thirsty, the fearful, the inhabitants of the highways, the backslider, and even the wicked, are called-are called earnestly and entreated. Fourthly, That believers must live unto his glory, in all reverence, and obedience observe all things' that Christ has commanded. worthy of their high vocation,' and be filled with the fruits of righteousness.' These are things that must be retained and kept in memory, as fixed principles, and as inducements to piety."

'walk

At the commencement of a new year, Mr. Evans addressed his congregation in the following awakening manner:-" If some

This year shall be unto thee a time of much affliction and perplexity;' while another would read, in black letters, the words of our text, This year thou shalt die !' -If you die this year unprepared, you must this year enter into a state of never-ending misery! No longer deceiving yourselves with the hope of heaven, your iniquity, hypocrisy, and delusion, will present themselves before you. The light of divine truth will find its way into your unbelieving hearts, and conscience will turn your eternal tormentor. You will recollect the inany mercies you have abused, and the many instructions and admonitions, which have been thrown away upon you. Your mirth will be turned into sorrow, your pleasantness into gloom, your honour into shame, your false hope into distraction, and your joy into weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth! You will have no agreeable companion, no pleasing prospect, no sympathizing friend, no mitigation of anguish, no relaxation of torment, no hope from future ages, nor any relief from die this year, ages past! If you prepared to leave the present world, you shall this year enter into a state of eternal happiness. Your troubles, conflicts, and dangers will be over. You will soon join with angels and perfect saints, in beholding and praising God, while you shall drink of the river of his pleasures. Since you may die this year, prepare for the solemn change. Be persuaded to

seek, first of all, the kingdom of God, and his righteousness;' and then, if you should live longer, all things needful shall be given you." (To be continued.)

« I shall be satisfied when I awake, with thy likeness.”—Psalm xvii. 15. IN these words are two distinct propositions, two great arguments, which bore up David's spirits under his troubles. The men of this world are satisfied with their hopes and their blessings; "Well," saith David, "there will come a time, when I shall be satisfied too. I have not all the good things of this life that I could desire; but I am far from being satisfied with spiritual blessings." It is the character of a saint, that he is never satisfied

*Among the early supporters of the Dissenting meeting at Castle Hedingham, Essex, was the excellent family of the Ashhursts, who at the beginning of the last century occupied the ancient seat at the Castle, as a country residence, to which they occasionally invited the leading Dissenting Ministers of the metropolis. Dr. Watts was a frequent guest. Tradition reports, that the lovely grounds and secluded walks around the Castle

were favourable to the efforts of his and that while on one of his muse, visits to this beautiful spot, he composed many of the "Divine Songs for Children." During his stay, he usually preached at the meeting-house, and the sermon which we now print from a very neatly written manuscript, was no doubt taken by some member of the family who heard and afterward transcribed it, as it was found among the family papers with "Mr. Watts, October 23d, 1698," written in the margin.

L. Majendie, Esq. the present proprietor of the mansion, courteously gave this MS., with a second in the Doctor's own hand writing, to the late venerable Robert Stevenson, and by the kindness of his amiable relict, we are able to present it to our readers. Though it has not the finished excellence of those sermons which the Doctor prepared for publication, yet it is an interesting fragment, and connected with very pleasing recollections.

with holiness in this state. There is a difference between content and satisfaction. Content is described to be this, when we have bounded our desires according to the proportion of things that we enjoy and possess, and we can never be happy in this world unless we do so; but satisfaction is, when our desires are enlarged to the utmost, and yet are filled. This they cannot be in the present life, but this was David's portion in the world to come. You that have your desires after holiness, as David had, though they be boundless and infinite, yet they shall be satisfied. ́You may stretch your souls to the widest capacity, and yet not one corner of them shall be unfilled.

The second thing considerable is this, I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness. It was a likeness to God that Adam had in innocency; this was David's endeavour here, to have the image of God restored to him. The image of God that Adam lost, consisted in his holiness, and goodness, and in his dominion over the creatures; but I am apt to think the chief design of the word likeness, in our text, is meant of the holiness of God, for holiness is set out by God's likeness in Scripture, and David said, he should see God's face in righteousness, in being justified, and he should not only do so, but should be satisfied with the holiness or likeness of God, which he should be made partaker of.

The third thing in the text is the term awake. We may be said to awake.

1. When our souls awake into in hell. This life, this world, is -so Dives is said to awake eternity,but as it were a dream, that our souls are in at present, and the

images of things represented in our fancies, show them as good and delightful, whereas, in truth, they are all vexation; and then of God, and infinite and eternal things, we have but a slight notion, but a glance, as it were, in a dream. Our souls are not so perfectly exercised about divine things as they should be; we cannot see the real value of eternal objects, but we shall awake from this corrupted flesh, and shall see then how amiable God and holiness are.

2. We may be said to awake, when our bodies awake from the

dust out of our graves. David, an Old Testament saint, had a sense of this; "in this world I cannot be satisfied with holiness, but hereafter, when my body shall awake out of the dust, I shall be satisfied with the likeness of God;" not that I suppose the soul will be more happy, when united, than it was while separated from the body, but then both body and soul shall have a new likeness to God.

The doctrine is this, that conformity to God in holiness, shall be a satisfaction to saints in the world to come.

I. I shall endeavour to show what this conformity to God in holiness is, and wherein it consists. In order to do this, consider a little what is the nature of this divine holiness. The holiness of God is difficult to be explained, because our holiness is a conformity to the law God hath given us, but God hath given himself no law as he hath given us.

1. The holiness of God in Scripture is set forth by his separation from all his creatures, and exaltation far above them. Thus saith the high and lofty one that inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: I dwell in the high and holy place. His name is Holy, and the character of that holiness is, that he inhabits eternity. His creatures are things but of yesterday; but God

is from all eternity, he dwells and sits on the throne of his holiness. It is in reference to the holiness of God, that the altar and utensils of it were of old called holy: God's people were called a holy people. In the New Testament we have many descriptions of the like nature, where the saints are called a chosen generation, a royal. priesthood; they are mine, saith our Saviour; it is out of the world God hath given them to Christ. Now reflect in what an eminent degree the saints shall be conformed to God in holiness in the world to come. They were once mixed on earth with sinful men, and their dust mingled with the dust of sinners; but there shall be an amazing difference between them at the resurrection. They shall then be made like to their Lord Jesus, and sure he is at a great distance from every thing that is unholy.

The second thing whereby God's holiness is described is, that he acts according to the perfections of his own nature. Our holiness consists in conformity to the rule God hath given us, and God's holiness consists in conformity to himself. In conformity to this, creatures are holy too, when they act as God doth, when they make God their chief end, and when they love God above all. God can exalt no greater being than himself; he is a faithful God, therefore you must trust him; he is a merciful God, therefore you must love him. Now how glorious in holiness shall the saints be in the world to come, when they shall act fully and completely according to the perfections of the Divine Being! Their constant and eternal end shall be to glorify God their Father. You that love God now, shall then love God quite at another rate; then his will shall be the perfect rule of all your actions; you shall then exalt God with the most enlarged faculties.