been experienced by them to be "the power of God to salvation." Christian churches have been established, where Christ had not been named, based " on the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner-stone." Sabbath-schools have been instituted for the scriptural education of the children of the labouring classes of the community, where a corrupt and demoralizing ignorance had prevailed; and when the "upper room," which had been occupied for a season for the preaching of the word, or "the third loft," or the good man's " own hired house," could no longer accommodate the multitude disposed to hear "all the words of this life," places of Christian worship have been built to meet the spiritual wants of the people. These often have been erected at no inconsiderable cost to the friends of Methodism; who, from motives of Christian benevolence, when they could "give no sleep to their eyes, or slumber to their eye-lids, until they had found out a place for the Lord, an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob," have freely given "of their own proper good," to assist in these erections. And though these edifices, in many instances, have been built at a cost far exceeding the amount of contributions obtained at the time; yet they have been undertaken, in confidence that an income would be raised from the seat-rents of devout worshippers, in consistency with the fundamental principle of our economy, that would enable the Trustees to meet their annual expenditure. In many places these expectations have been realized, which is cause of devout thanksgiving; and the disinterested men who had undertaken the responsibilities connected with their office as Trustees, have been relieved from all embarrassment. But, in some places, the case has been otherwise; and Trustees, who have rendered themselves liable for claims on places of worship, which were undertaken for the general good, have been left to contend with difficulties, from year to year, of the most discouraging tendency, both to themselves and their families, and these sanctuaries, but for the timely help of the General Chapel Fund of the Connexion, must have been involved in circumstances the most disastrous to the interests of religion in those places.

Surely these things ought not so to be; nor would it be the case, we are persuaded, except in rare instances, were those who make part of our congregation, who are in circumstances to aid the general cause, seriously to reflect on the claims of the house of God to their conscientious and cheerful support. We have long been convinced, that it is obligatory on every man who regards public worship as an ordinance of Almighty God, instituted for the saving benefit of mankind, to do what he can to uphold the interests of the sanctuary, in the place where Providence has "fixed the bounds of his habitation :" so important is this duty, when viewed in connexion with the best interests of those who are in no condition to put anything into the treasury of the house of the Lord, that we are ready to call in question the sincerity of that man's profession of religion, who can treat such claims with indifference.

The necessity, practicability, and advantages of a prompt, cheerful, and conscientious payment of seat-rents, on which Trustees are chiefly dependent for funds to enable them to meet the interest of money borrowed on the premises, (for which they are responsible,) and also for cleaning, lighting, and other incidental expenses, is so obvious, that no argument can be necessary to urge this duty on the attention of a considerate people who are in a condition to pay for sittings.

The adoption of pew-rents in places of worship must be regarded as a

financial measure; not less necessary, in the present state of society, than practicable in general, when the scale of pew-accommodation is so regulated as to place it within the reach of such members of the congregation as are not sunk in absolute poverty.

Though we do not regard "free sittings" as a doubtful benefit, yet we are nevertheless convinced, that some in our congregations, to say the least, (perhaps, unthinkingly,) take an unjust advantage of the provision made for the indigent poor, by no means honourable to themselves. "A principle," as it has been said, "is best tested by its extension." If so, such persons ought to reflect for a moment on what would be the consequences to the interests of the house of God, if their example were to be universally imitated. If it be right and just in them, who have the means of meeting their own moral obligations, to act thus, it would be so in all; but how then would the institutions of religion among us be supported?

No section of the Christian church in our day, as we believe, has made more ample accommodation for the poor in their places of worship than the Wesleyan Methodists. In doing this their object has been to remove, as far as possible, every practical hinderance out of the way of their attendance on the ordinances of God's house. And in this they have reason to rejoice, that so many for whom this provision was intended have availed themselves of it; and that not a few of them have found, to their everlasting joy, while mingling their devotions with the assemblies of God's people within those sacred edifices which have been consecrated "by the word of God and by prayer,” “a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters." But the inability of the poor to support the temporal interests of our places of worship, can by no means justify the conduct of those whose circumstances would enable them, were their minds properly influenced by a sense of their obligations to the church of God, to provide “ within His house, and within His walls," a place for themselves and their families, in which they could meet without being considered as intruding on the privileges of others.

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Though the practice of "seat-letting may be liable to some objections, it is, nevertheless, attended with some advantages." Among such as may be enumerated, it tends to fix individuals to one place of instruction; to check a habit of wandering from place to place, injurious to the soul's interests; to give stability and coherence to a congregation; and thus essentially to augment the means of ministerial usefulness and popular benefit. Besides, such provision often endears the place, in which the head of a family has a pew he can "call his own," to the members of his household; and is frequently a powerful motive for attendance on public worship, when otherwise it would be neglected, after the example of those who "forsake the assembling of themselves together, as the manner of some is." Whatsoever, therefore, tends to bind a man, his wife, and children more closely to the ordinances of God's house, must be of incalculable advantage both to parents and children.

In some of our places of worship, it is to be feared that the standard of seat-rents has not been rendered sufficiently accessible to the pious and industrious poor of our congregations. Wherever this is the case, means ought forthwith to be adopted to remove the hinderance, where it can be done, so as to bring the price of pew-rents down to the labouring man's ability. Put it within the reach of his means, and when he can pay for it he will value it the more; and so will his family in general, and the greater will be the benefit he will seek to derive from it. To accomplish

this, in the present day, is a matter vastly important to the interests of religion. And we can scarcely imagine a sight more lovely and interesting in a place of worship, than that of the man who labours, working with his own hands "to provide things honest in the sight of all men," Sabbath after Sabbath, with his wife and children, worshipping together in the courts of the Lord's house, the claims of which are provided for by his own industry. In consequence of the want of such a provision on the part of some, who can by no means plead their inability, their families are dispersed abroad; seldom under their own eye and their own control, or together in one place, with one mind and one mouth to glorify God. Nor can we marvel when duty is neglected, if the younger branches of the family should be found "walking in the counsels of the ungodly, or standing in the way of sinners," whilst they ought to be mingling their devotions with the assemblies of God's people.

By a proper attention on the part of individuals to make provision for themselves and families in the sanctuary of the Lord, that distinction in places of Christian worship, which has been so emphatically denounced by the voice of inspiration, (James ii. 1-9,) is done away. There is no room for the exercise of an ungodly partiality: the poor man can claim his place as well as his more affluent brethren; and while he endeavours to maintain in a proper spirit his own Christian independence, no one can say to him, "Sit thou here in a good place, or, Stand thou there :" he is no man's debtor, and thus the comparatively poor man becomes as independent as the rich. It is to this principle, (the adoption of which we would urge on those who have the means, and which they are bound to employ for the sake of their own personal and family interests,) that, as has been observed in a recent publication, Scotland, under the blessing of God, in a great degree owes the high and independent character of her population." One of the hinderances often found to the prosperity of the work of God among a people, is financial embarrassment connected with places of worship; and nothing should be left undone that can be done to remove it. To support the claims of God's house, for the maintenance of public worship, is a duty so important, that, in the days of the Prophet Malachi, it was made a condition on which the fulfilment of one of God's most gracious promises to his church and people was suspended; at a time when the people, through their impiety, were visited with tokens of sore displeasure. "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." (Mal. iii. 10.) Thus abundance was realized in the days of Hezekiah, when the people obeyed the voice of the Lord their God. It is said, "As soon as the commandment came abroad, the children of Israel brought in abundance the first-fruits of corn, and of all the increase of the field; and the tithe of all things brought they in abundantly." Nor were God's people impoverished by their liberality in the service of religion. When the King saw the provision that had been made by a willing people, "Azariah the Chief Priest answered him, and said, Since the people began to bring the offerings into the house of the Lord, we have had enough to eat, and have left plenty; and that which is left is this great store." (2 Chron. xxxi. 5—10.)

Let the same spirit of holy benevolence in the cause of true religion be cherished among professors in the age in which we live, as the Lord may have prospered them, and the burden of such places of worship as may be

oppressed will soon be removed; a more efficient supply of the Christian ministry in our land will be provided for; our churches multiplied; the benefits of Christianity extended to the ends of the earth; and the time hastened when "the rebuke of his people shall be taken away from off all the earth."

BETA.

ETERNITY.

ETERNITY is very near. But a step, and we pass into the unseen world, and are fixed in an everlasting state. It may seem otherwise to us. Amid the busy cares of life we are very apt to forget that we are mortal. Like the rich fool in the parable, we are prone to delude ourselves with the thought that we have goods laid up for many years, shall live to accomplish all our plans and realize all our pictures of earthly happiness. But the summons comes, and we are hurried away. The stream of time, on which we are embarked, is bearing us silently but swiftly to the end of life's voyage. As we pass down the current, we may sometimes imagine that we stand still, and are wont to amuse ourselves with looking at the objects on either side, and with plucking here and there a flower from the shore; but, ere we are aware, the roar of the ocean is heard, and we are off upon the unknown deep! O, that we were more regardful of the notes of warning which God is continually addressing to us, that there is but a step between us and eternity! Indeed, we are all standing at the very door of eternity! Those before us are fast pressing through; we as fast pressing after them. Soon we shall have passed within, and the gate closes upon us for ever! Every time the pulse beats, a soul passes into eternity; and more than eighty thousand every day. During the last twelve months, upwards of thirty millions of immortal beings have finished their earthly course, and become inhabitants of eternity! In twenty years, in ten years, where will the most of us be? In eternity, dwelling beneath the smiles of God, or lying under his righteous condemnation. Some will remain awhile longer; but the longest life is but a span, and it ends in eternity.-Rev. Dr. Hawes, of New-York.

PAROCHIAL DOINGS IN HAYES, MIDDLESEX.

A FRAGMENT.

FROM THE PARISH REGISTER.

From the Marriage Register.

MARRIED, 1749, Nov. 19th,-William Inwood, and Ann Bradley, by banns, just before divine service began. After I had begun, the bells were set ringing in the middle of the exhortation, and other disturbances committed, &c.

From the Burial Register, 1748.

March 5th,-Two Clergymen turned their backs and went out of church this afternoon. One (the Rector of Cowley) in prayer-time; the other (Curate of Harmondsworth) at the naming of the text, from Luke xiii. 3, "Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish."

Ditto, 1749.

Feb. 11th.-The company of singers, by the consent of the Ordinary, were forbidden to sing any more by the Minister, upon account of their

frequent ill-behaviour in the chancel, and their ordering the carpenter to pull down part of the belfry in order to erect a gallery, without leave from the Minister and Churchwardens.

March 18th.—The Clerk gave out the 100th Psalm. The singers immediately opposed him, and sung the 15th, and bred a disturbance; the Clerk then ceased.

C. MANNING, Vicar.*

1750, Feb. 19th.-Being Shrove Tuesday, we had prayers, and a sermon in the afternoon; which, by the blessing of God, entirely prevented the throwing at cocks in the church-yard, which had been a bad custom beyond the memory of the oldest man. After sermon, we distributed a hundred loaves to the poor inhabitants.

1751, April 10th.—This Wednesday in the evening, William Blackall came into the church while the psalm was singing, with a pipe in his mouth, and a pot of beer in his hand, and stayed till the sermon was ended, in his own pew; behaving the whole time too undecently to mention.

June 9th.-The singers again disturbed the Clerk in his singing. As soon as he had given out the 100th Psalm, they sung the 1st, and a great confusion there was in the church afterwards; but I hope it will be the last time, because one of the Churchwardens interposed in it.

Nov. 5th.—I read prayers in the morning to Mrs. Barnardiston, and a few more; omitting the sermon appointed for the day till evening, when I attended a pretty large congregation; but from the time I begun prayers, to almost the end of the sermon, the ringers, and other inhabitants, with John Millard, sen., and Nathaniel Brown, and John Weston, Constable, and William Blackall, ceased not to endeavour to disturb us by ringing the bells, and other noises, and spitting from the belfry upon the peoples' heads as they sat in their pews; one of the parish officers being present.

Henry Turner,
RICHARD TILLY,
WILLIAM KNIGHT,
CHRISTOPHER FLY,

Churchwardens.

Overseers.

And yet no notice taken of such scandalous behaviour, no more than if there was no Magistrate or officers in the parish.

Robert Russel at the Cock, goes on drawing and selling spirituous liquor without a licence, in defiance of the Magistrate.

1752, March 13th.-On Shrove Tuesday in the afternoon, we had prayers and a sermon ; but during divine service, they threw at cocks in the church-yard, no person hindering them ; in spite of the Justice, Minister, Parish Officers, and Constables.

1754, Feb. 27th.—Being Shrove Tuesday, divine service was performed in the afternoon, and no care was taken to prevent the throwing at cocks, rioting, and swearing, in the church-yard, at the same time; though I gave previous notice of the same to the Church wardens and the Magistrate; and desired that it might be prevented for the honour of God and a public good; but

* The Rev. Charles Manning commenced his itinerancy in 1740, and, after a few years, became Vicar of Hayes, Middlesex. He had studied at Cambridge, and lived and died the friend of Wesley.

Myles's List shows how many of the "first race" of Preachers left the work in eight or ten years. They had severe labours. They had to trust in Providence for food and raiment; therefore, some married and settled, some became Dissenting Ministers; and others, who had interest, like the above, sought preferment in the Church.