ficulties solved. And the EDITOR respectfully avows, that he does not understand how it could be reconciled either to wisdom, or to strict integrity, and a hearty love of the Truth as it is in JESUS, to invite and circulate the communications of persons who attack that Truth, and to give to all sorts of cavils and objections those facilities of diffusion, which are afforded by a work put indiscriminately into the hands of readers of all classes, young as well as old, ignorant as well as enlightened,-merely for the sake of what is called "free discussion," and in order that succeeding writers may have the trouble of proving that the statements of the former were false or foolish. Many might thus receive the poison of error, whom the antidote would never reach, or who "love darkness rather than light." It betrays great practical inattention to the doctrine of our natural depravity, when men boldly assert that truth has nothing to fear from any kind of discussion, and that therefore we may freely, and ad libitum, give audience to the subtleties of error, and innocently lend ourselves to its diffusion, under the notion of its eventual impotence. Truth itself has nothing to fear, because always sure of ultimate triumph; but there is, under such circumstances, much ground to be alarmed for the young and uninstructed, and for those who are ever on the watch to find an excuse for rejecting doctrines which condemn their vices.-In fact, the truths, so vitally connected with salvation, are not thus to be trifled with. We are not at liberty, when once convinced of their scriptural authority, to encourage light and gossipping discussions which call them into question, in such a way as to make it appear that we have not fully made up our minds as to their being "the true sayings of God." On great and essential points, men who assume to be, either from the pulpit or the press, the guides of others, are not to vacillate, like those who are "ever learning, but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth."→→ The doctrinal sentiments, countenanced in the Wesleyan-Methodist Magazine, will therefore be none other than those which were so clearly stated, so learnedly defended, and so successfully promulgated by that great man, whose revered name, partly for the sake of more perfect distinction, and partly in respectful commemoration of him as the original publisher of this Miscellany, will henceforth, by order of the METHODIST CONFERENCE, be recognized in the Title of the Third Series. On no other condition could it reasonably expect the continued sanction of that large Body of Christians, who have been accustomed, from the days of MR. WESLEY, to consider it as the official organ of their views, the authentic recorder of their proceedings, and the standing advocate of their principles and practices...

It is not, however, designed that this work should be, to any great extent, controversial in its spirit or in its contents... Its efforts will be

B

chiefly employed in the plain and practical illustration of common principles, dear to all who love our LORD JESUS CHRIST in sincerity. If occasions should arise, when any formal defence of those peculiar forms and modifications of christian doctrine and discipline, which we deem most conformable to Scripture, shall become necessary, we shall not shrink from the duty which such circumstances will impose. But, happily, the time seems to be in a considerable degree arrived, when the charity which "is not easily provoked," and delights to "follow peace with all men," may be indulged in the exercise of its kindly and healing influences, without any compromise of truth, or criminal abandonment of principle. It is therefore earnestly hoped that it will be found possible so to conduct this Magazine, as to render it useful by the character of its general contents, and acceptable by its pious and catholic spirit, to all candid and moderate persons who "hold the head."

Within the limits prescribed by the considerations above stated, there is, it is obvious, an immense variety of subjects which will admit of useful and spirited discussion. And to papers of that class, under such restrictions as a due regard to variety, and to brevity, render indispensable, its pages will be gladly opened, even though it may happen that the EDITOR shall not personally concur in all the views and expressions of his Correspondents.

The General Plan of this Third Series will comprehend the following departments: viz.

I. RELIGIOUS BIOGRAPHY; including the Lives of Ministers, and Memoirs of eminently pious persons, deceased.

II. DIVINITY; including Papers on Theology in general, and Sermons chiefly original.

III. MISCELLANEOUS ESSAYS, CORRESPONDENCE, AND EXTRACTS. This department may include subjects of Biblical Criticism; Practical Illustrations of Scripture; Letters on Christian Experience, &c.; Selections or original Communications in Natural History and Philosophy; Recent Voyages and Travels; Remarkable Events, displaying the operations of Divine Providence towards nations or individuals; Anecdotes; Papers on subjects connected with the history and economy of Methodism; Suggestions as to plans of doing good; &c, &c.

IV. REVIEW of Select Theological Publications, with interesting EXTRACTS ;-SELECT LIST of New Books, (chiefly religious,) accompanied, occasionally, by short characteristic notices of some of the articles enumerated;-and NOTICES of Theological Publications in preparation, or in the press.

V. RELIGIOUS, Philanthropic, and MISCELLANEOUS Intelligence, Domestic and Foreign ;-VARIETIES and GLEANINGS ;-and, occasionally, a CHRISTIAN RETROSPECT of General Occurrences interesting

to persons who fear God, on account of their influence on Religion, or on Public Morals and Happiness.

VI. MISSIONARY INTELLIGENCE; including the Missionary Notices, prepared monthly by the General Secretaries of the Wesleyan-Methodist Missionary Society, and affording a detailed and authentic view of the Foreign Missions of the Methodists in all parts of the world, with Extracts from the Letters and Journals of their Missionaries, and, occasionally, some account of the Proceedings of other Missionary Societies.

VII. OBITUARY; or Short Notices of persons recently deceased. VIII. POETRY, original, or selected from Works of superior poetical talent.

These topics, though too diversified to admit of any pledge that they shall all be introduced in every single Number of the Magazine, or that they shall always be arranged exactly in the order now specified, will severally receive a due share of attention in the course of each successive year. They afford an ample range for the talents of those respected Correspondents, whose contributions have enriched former volumes, and of many others who, it is hoped, will find, in the nearly unequalled circulation of this work, an opportunity of communicating the result of their reading, studies, and observation, which they will not be reluctant to embrace. Correspondence, on any of the subjects above mentioned, is respectfully invited from Ministers, and other pious and literary friends, both at home and abroad; and will meet with attention as promptly as our limits and our general plan will allow. Original Essays and Papers will be greatly preferred; though Extracts from recent or scarce works of standard excellence, and on subjects generally interesting, will also be gratefully acknowledged.

To each Number will usually be prefixed a Portrait of one of the Ministers of the Wesleyan-Methodist Connexion. The Publishers will pay particular attention to the execution of these Portraits.-A fine Engraving by HOLL, from a Portrait of MR. BENSON by J. JACKSON, Esq., R. A., ornaments the first Number.

The Third Series will be printed on good Paper, very much superior to that which has been used for former Volumes, or which is ordinarily given in Monthly Publications; and every attention will be paid to accuracy, and to neatness of appearance, which can be made to consist with the hurry inseparable from a Periodical Work, of which Twenty Thousand Copies at least have, for some time past, been issued monthly from the press, and the sale of which is likely, from various circumstances, to be considerably increased.

Such is the plan which the EDITOR and PUBLISHERS have formed; and which they have reason to hope that they shall be enabled, by the kind co-operation of their numerous friends, to carry into execu

tion. They trust that even the earliest Numbers of the Third Series will not be found unworthy of approbation; and that, in the progress of the work, as the arrangements already made or contemplated come into more perfect operation, all reasonable and candid expectations will be realized. They earnestly request the assistance of friends; and devoutly implore the blessing of GOD.-To obtain supplies for the support and spread of Religion in our own Country, through the instrumentality of that extensive system of Itinerant and Village Preaching, in aid of which all the pecuniary profits of this Magazine will be sacredly devoted, is but a secondary, though a very legitimate and important object with its Conductors. Nor is it their intention merely, or chiefly, to furnish such intelligence of passing events, or other temporary matter, as will be entertaining, for the time being, to the Religious World. It will indeed be their zealous endeavour to prepare a monthly Miscellany, which shall afford some materials of present gratification to all its readers; and to meet, as far as it can be done with innocence and dignity, their various tastes and requisitions. This seems to be demanded by the very nature of a Magazine. In such a work, no one class of Subscribers can reasonably claim an exclusive attention to their peculiar views and wishes; because it must, to answer its professed purpose, attempt to provide a portion agreeable and useful to all; and what is superfluous to some may nevertheless be valuable and necessary for others. But the highest aim of the Conductors will be, to connect with those articles of a periodical character, which possess only a fugitive and temporary interest, others of solid and durable value; so as to render it a repository of saving Truth and of edifying History; a record of the displays of Divine Providence and Grace; a dispenser of religious instruction, and consolation, and admonition, which shall teach its readers how to live and how to die; in a word, a work of sterling and permanent excellence, worthy to occupy an honourable place in the library of a christian family, and to be handed down, with the blessings of its original purchasers, to their children, and their children's children. With this object in view, they now commend it afresh to the prayers of good men. May it please God to employ it as one of the honoured means of maintaining his holy religion; of correcting among us what is evil, and of perfecting and perpetuating what is good; of promoting personal and family godliness; and of hastening the arrival of that glorious period, when "the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea."

N.B. For the accommodation of the pious Poor, who cannot conveniently spare the price of the complete Magazine, a smaller Number will be published monthly, as usual, on common Paper, price Sixpence, containing a Selection of such Articles, inserted in the larger work, as are deemed most suitable to that class of Readers.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF THE CHARACTER OF

THE LATE REV. JOSEPH BENSON:

BY JABEZ BUNTING.

[The following CHARACTER OF MR. BENSON was given at the close of the Sermon preached on the occasion of his death, at the City-Road Chapel in London, on Friday, March 2, 1821; and is now published by the direction of the METHODIST CONFERENCE.]

In the number of our venerable Dead, whom we are under the most solemn obligations to "follow," in "faith and patience," until, like them, we shall be called to "inherit the promises," we have now to include the justly revered name of JOSEPH BENSON; who entered into the joy of our LORD on Friday, the 16th of February, 1821, at the advanced age of seventy-three years, and after a Public Ministry of more than half a century.

In order to afford, as far as it is in my power, the information, expected on such an occasion as the present, respecting the Life and Death of the deceased, I shall first read the principal part of a Paper, which has been prepared for that purpose by an excellent friend,* to whom, in conjunction with two of his Sons, MR. BENSON committed by Will the inspection and charge of his Manuscripts. †

Further particulars concerning our departed Friend, with selections from his Diary, and other Papers, will doubtless be furnished, through the medium of the press, with all convenient speed. In the mean time, and until a more lengthened and regular Biographical Account of him can be prepared by some person more competent, I must now, in discharge of the duty imposed upon me by my Brethren in the Ministry, attempt to draw a brief Sketch of his Character. This, circumstanced as I am, I feel to be the most difficult part of my task. If even MR. WESLEY could modestly apply to himself, apologetically, in speaking of his Short Life of MR. FLETCHER, the remark, that "None but an APELLES can paint an ALEXANDER," how much more shall such an one as I am need excuse for the presumption which may be justly imputed to me, if I endeavour to delineate the christian and ministerial portraiture of MR. BENSON. I am told, however, that, on account of the office which I have the honour to hold, for the present year, in the Methodist Connexion, I owe it to those who kindly placed me in it, to pay, (as I can, if not as I would,) this public tribute of their gratitude and esteem to the memory and labours of

*The REV. GEORGE Marsden.

+ The Paper, here referred to, is not inserted now; because it has already appeared in the Methodist Magazine: See Vol. XLIV., for 1821, pages 223, 295.