exhorted him, and those near him, to inquire after the true God, and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent to be the Saviour of the world. So much impression had my remarks made on the old man, and a youth about nineteen, that they followed me whereever I went. I gave to each of them a tract in their own language. By this time the sun had advanced above the horizon, and shed his cheering rays across the plain; but as if ashamed to behold the wickedness of men, veiled himself behind a cloud.Meanwhile the sounds of harsh and inharmonious music increasing, proclaimed the advance of the idol to his car. He came, preceded by dancing girls,* drums, flags, and streamers of va rious kinds. A universal mark of adoration was paid by the people, by putting together of the hands, and raising them above the head; which seems to be the substance of exterior worship with the multitude. The idol being placed on his car, which was nearly thirty feet high, and a sheep slain at his foot, to appease the evil demon, who it is supposed would otherwise obstruct its progress, the Brahmins seated themselves around the object of adoration. All things being ready, and a long cable taken out among the people, they dragged forth the car with a kind of horrible triumph and exultation. Immediately a double line of devotees were stretched upon the ground, rolling after the car in a course marked out by the two wheels. The procession stopped, and another sheep was slaughtered, to remove the evil demon who was supposed to have prevented their advance. By the help of a lever, the car was again set in motion, while I placed myself at an angle, to ascertain the number rolling after it, which were about THREE HUNDRED! Perhaps the whole assembly might be about five thousand people, the blinded dupes of Brahmins, the chief of whom has not scrupled to tell me frequently in conversation, that all those things are folly; but they must keep up the customs of their fathers, and do something to please the people. Having made the circuit of the temple, various offerings were made before the god was taken in; afterwards he was deposited in his own place, there to remain for another twelve-month, when those who are not called to give up their account to God, will probably repeat the same scene. A youth, about eighteen years of age, formerly a scholar with brother Lynch, and who has since received great benefit from the American Missionaries, has been violently and cruelly persecuted. His father conceiving it a most singular misfortune, that his son should depart from the customs of his ancestors, has spared neither kindness nor cruelty, but all in vain. He made Prostitutes of the temple. him large promises, he flogged him, he dragged him to the temple, and there he kneeled down to pray for his persecutor, who beat him, and dragged him out again; not stopping here, his father furiously seized his testament and some tracts, committing them to the flames, as the authors of his misfortunes. The young man being incurable, and after being confined in his father's house, with his feet made fast in the stocks, he was the other day banished to Kandy, to be out of our way. He called upon me before he went off, and I gave him another testament. To a question put to him, he replied," Every one knows my heart is with the Christians." Obituary. For the Methodist Magazine. DEATH OF THE REV. JOSEPH HILL. ther C. took him by the hand, and Not a cloud doth arise 66 My Lord from my eyes.” Then brother C. said, "O the goodness of the Lord." Abundantly so. abundantly so," said he, and the best of all Jesus sweetly dwells in my heart. Glory! Glory to his name.' He then looked around and saw several of his very dear friends, and said, “O children, how glad I am to see you all here, hold fast and persevere to the end, and live forever." His speech failing him, he cast his eyes towards heaven, and a most interesting smile took place on his countenance, and in a few moments he sweetly fell asleep in Jesus." A bright and shining light in the time before he breathed his last, Brochurch of God is gone. Rev. JOSEPH HILL, a local preacher in the Methodist Episcopal Church, of Sussex circuit and county, died in all the triumphs of a Christian, on Friday 23d, July. Rev. WADDILL JOHNSON gives the following account concerning him. On Thursday 22d, at night, he was taken much worse than he had been, (having been severely afflicted ever since about the last of April with a paralytic affection, so that for sometime past he had been unable to help himself, or turn on his bed.). He complained of being in great pain, but retained his full powers of recollection. He would pray very fervently that he might not nurmur or complain.Then would say, No, Lord, I don't complain. I hope I shall not; It is all mercy, it is all right, I deserve to suffer. But Glory! Glory be to God, I'm a sinner saved from Hell. What goodness! What love!" Thus he prayed and praised all night; (for he had no sleep.) Friday he grew weaker very fast. Articulation was very much im- His life, ever since he professed repeded. It was visible he was dying, ligion, corresponded with justice, merand he was sensible of it. I prayed cy and every good word and work. with him for the last time, and went The church militant has lost a memto my appointment. The next day ber and a pillar; but the church triBrother C. came to my appointment umphant has received a blood-washed and informed us of his triumphant jewel. For many years he professed 'death, which was as follows: That to enjoy the blessing of sanctification, he was to all appearance constantly and in all respects lived according to speaking, and many times could be his profession. “Blessed are they who understood, and when understood, it die in the Lord." was all prayer and praise. Some little E. D. For the Methodist Magazine. Poetry. EVENING.-AN ODE. Blows o'er the mount, or through the vale. 'Tis silence all, 'tis ev'ning tide, Oh! might this tranquil ev'ning be I ask not for the warrior's bed, I would not have the poet's lays pompous But let the poor, th' oppress'd, the slave, Oh! thus serene I could desire, wain * * * * But will that glorious orb of light That bright, revolving globe of fire Oh! like that radiant, setting sun, RISE GLORIOUS IN ANOTHER WORLD. For the Methodist Magazine. A. Z. MOSES ON MOUNT PISGAH. Hath to these eyes the land of promise shewn, "Faithful unto thy hope-inspiring word The sons of Abram find thee in this hour, "At thy command the swelling floods divide, ones. "When wand'ring through an arid wilderness Shall ought be wanting that our comforts. claim? No, see, when in the height of our distress stream. "Nor famine can thy chosen flock o'ercome; Lo! from the skies the luscious manna falls; Retire the pagan troops to make us room, And seek for shelter in their tow'r-girt walls. "Conducted by thy all-protecting hand Through peril's numberless has Israel trod; Just on the verge of Canaan, here we stand, And join to praise our Father and our God. "Thy servant's sins, O Lord, that seal his doom, To guide him through the howling wilderness. "Lord, he confesses now thy sentence just, Throughout his lite ne joys toy ways to scan, Praises thee sinking to his native dust, The utmost reach of this terrestrial bali Shall be the circuit where your armies move, Hath pow'r from sin and thraldom to redeem. And high o'er ev'ry pagan temple wave The blood-stain'd banner of the Christian Cross. The time shall come when all shall lowly bow And owns thee, God, who rul'st th' affairs of When unto him by all who are below man. He sees the land where milk and honey flow, The land with plenty, with abundance crown'd, Where corn, and oil, and vines luxuriant grow, And rills meander through the fruitful ground. "This vision to his ravish'd eyes display'd, His raptur'd sight with heart-felt joy surveys, Now richly for his toils and woes repaid, He owns a God in all his works and ways. "I give this lund to thee and to thy sons, For length of ages shall ye it possess: Haste to complete my heav'n-directed race. Ye leaders of the armies of the Lord, Shall homage holy, humble, full, be paid. For the Methodist Magazine. "We have an Advocate with the Father." Here let me rest-be this my humble claim, My hope, my joy, my refuge and my rest; All other trust and confidence disclaim, And clasp this cheering promise to my breast. While Faith, extatic, wings her ardent flight, To that blest world where joys eternal flow, And heavenly transports in my bosom glow. Ye champions of the blood-stain'd cross he Then hence, ye restless vanities of life, bore, With dauntless faith rely upon his word, And trust his truth, his faithfulness, his pow'r. Lead on, embattled for the glorious war, The Christian soldiers, arm'd with heav'nly light; True to your cause the pow'rs of darkness dare, Your gay delusive pleasures I resign And Thou, my Saviour, claim me wholly thine. And clasp thy precious gospel to my heart. Let no dark-boding fears possess your souls, crown'd; The seas divide-from heav'n, lo! manna falls, The pillar bright with everlasting fire, Shall safe conduct the heav'n-born legions through; March on in faith, to glorious deeds aspire; In humble gratitude devoutly flow. Then let the fatt'ring world before me rise, (Her charms are fading, and her gold but Her glitt'ring pomps and pleasures I despise, Behold! the long-sought, promis'd land in view, New-York, August, 1819. THE METHODIST MAGAZINE. FOR OCTOBER, 1819. Divinity. * ON THE STUDY OF DIVINITY. (Continued from page 324.) CHAPTER VII. ON THE INSPIRATION OF THE SACRED SCRIptures. AFTER having proved the Authenticity and Divine Authority of the sacred Scriptures; we come now to speak of their Inspiration. Nothing can be more evident than that a firm belief of their Inspiration is of the highest moment, not only to the edification and peace of the church, but in a great measure to its very existence for if this be given up, the authority of the revelation is enervated, and its use destroyed. It shall be my business firs!, to state the nature of Inspiration in general, and of that kind of it. which (as I apprehend) we are to ascribe to the New Testament ;t which done, I will prove secondly, that it was undoubtedly written by such Inspiration. 1. Then, By Inspiration in general, I mean" any supernatural influence of God upon the mind of a rational creature, whereby it is formed to any degree of intellectual improvement, beyond what it would at that time, and in those circumstances have attained, in a natural way; that is, by the usual exercise of its faculties, unassisted by any special divine interposition." Of this supernatural influence on the minds of men, there are various sorts and degrees.-1. If a person be discoursing either in word or writing, and God do miraculously watch over his mind, and however secretly, direct it in such a manner, as to keep him more secure from error, than he could have been merely by the *The substance of this chapter is taken from an excellent dissertation of Dr. Doddridge's, at the end of the 3d volume of his Family Expositor. We will speak of the Old Testament afterwards. VOL. II. 46 |