Mr. Editor, THOUGHTS ON ADULTERY. The following Observations of Bishop Porteus, in his Lecture on Herod and Herodias, struck me as deserving, at the present time, a place in your Magazine. Perhaps they may be useful in preserving some of our Youth, from sins which entail misery upon individuals, families, and nations in this life, and cudless woe on the immortal souls of men. Yours, CLION. In the conduct of life, there is nothing more to be dreaded and avoided, nothing more dangerous to our peace, to our comfort, to our character, to our welfare here and hereafter, than a criminal attachment to an abandoned and unprincipled woman, but particularly in the early period of life. It has been the source of more misery, and, besides all the guilt which naturally belongs to it, has led to the commission of more and greater crimes than perhaps any other single cause that can be named. We have seen into what a gulph of sin and suffering it plunged the wretched Herod. He began with adultery; and he ended with murder, and with the total ruin of himself, his kingdom, and all the vile partners of his guilt! The same has happened in a thousand other instances; and there are, I am persuaded, few persons here present, of any age or experience in the world, who cannot recollect numbers, both of individuals and of families, whose peace, tranquillity, comfort, characters, and fortunes, have been completely destroyed by illicit and licentious connections of this sort. Nor is this the worst. The present effects of these vices, dreadful as they sometimes are, cannot be compared with the misery which they are preparing for us hereafter. The Scriptures everywhere rank these vices in the number of those presumptuous sins which, in a future life, will experience the severest marks of divine displeasure. The world, indeed, treats them with more indulgence. They are excused and palliated, and even defended, on the ground of human frailty, of natural constitution, of strong passions, and invincible templations! and they are generally considered and represented in various popular performances (especially in those imported from foreign countries) as associated with many amiable virtues, with goodness of heart, with high principles of honour, with benevolence, compassion, humanity, and generosity! but whatever gentle names may be given to Sensuality and Licentiousness, whatever specious apologies may be made for them, whatever wit or talents may be employed in rendering them popular and fashionable, whatever numbers, whatever examples may sanction or authorize them, it is impossible that any thing can do away their natural turpitude and deformity, or avert those punishments which the gespel has denounced against them. They are represented there as things that ought not even to be named among Cbristians; as defiling the man, as warring against the soul, as grieving the Spirit of God, as rendering men incapable soul, as grieving the - " the dom of Heaven, as exposing them to the indignation of Him who is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity; and, as if men had cadeavoured in those days as well as our own, to soften, extenuate, and explain away the guilt of licentiousness, the apostle adds, with great solemnity and earnestness, Let no man deceive you with yain words; for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience *." Let every man then, who pretends to be a Christian, and lives in the habitual practice of the vices here condemned, weigh well these tremendous words. If there be any truth in the gospel, they shall not be vain words; nor will offences of this nature ever pass unnoticed or unpunished by the righteous Governor of the world. These remarks are not introduced here without reason. It is the peculiar prevalence of these very vices at this moment which demands such animadversions as these, a prevalence which I infer, not merely from an imaginary estimate of the low state of morals amongst us, founded on rumour, on conjecture, or misconstruction,-but from facts too well ascertained, and which obtrude themselves on the notice of every observing mind. 1 mean those daring viclations of the nuptial contract, and the frequent divorces resulting from them, which seem daily gaining ground in this kingdom. This is a most melancholy and incontrovertible proof of increasing depravity amongst us; and I am sorry to add, of depravity of the very deepest dye; for instances have not long since occurred, in which the guilt of the parties too nearly resembled that of Herod, combining the two atrocious crimes of adultery and incest! Surely, such enormities as these are enough to make us tremble, and loudly call for the interposition of the Legislature, lest they bring down upon us the just vengeance of an offended God. Shall I not visit for these things, saith the Lord? Shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?' Another reflection arising from this short history of Herod and John the Baptist is this, That although, in the ordinary course of divine administrations, the punishment of the wicked does *We cannot here avoid noticing the polite cant of the day, by which the adulterous intercourse of a married strumpet with a married gentleman, is styled Living under his protection! a shameful perversion of language! Of the same description is another phrase, lately applied to the same crime, Indiscretion! This mode of softening down the scriptural terms, by which our forefathers properly denominated this atrocious vice, has a most pernicious tendency; for it serves to lessen in the mind, and especially in the female mind, that abhorrence which ought to be entertained against Fornication and Adultery. Should this new phraseology prevail, the old-fashioned terms of Scripture will be thought obsolete, and, in a new version of the Decalogue, the Seventh Commandment ought to be rendered, Thou shalt not cominit Indiscretion !' not always overtake them here, but is reserved for the last awful day of account, yet it sometimes happens (as I observed in my last Lecture) that their crimes draw after them their just recompence, even in the present life. This was eminently the case of the flagitious Herod; for, besides those terrors of conscience which, as we have seen, perpetually haunted him, which raised up before him terrific forms and agonizing apprehensions, and represented John the Baptist as risen from the dead to avenge his crimes, we are informed, by the historian Josephus, that his marriage with Herodias drew upon him the resentment of Aretas, king of Arabia,-and Petrea, the father of his first wife, who de clared war against him; and, in an engagement with Herod's army, defeated it with great slaughter. This,' says the historian, the Jews considered as a just judgment of God upon Herod, for his murder of John the Baptist; and, not long after this, both he and Herodias were deprived of their kingdom by the Roman Emperor, and sent into perpetual banishment; and, it is added, by another historian, that their daughter Salome met with a violent and untimely death. Instances like this are intended to shew, that the Governor of the Universe, though he has appointed a distant period for the general distribution of bis rewards and punishments, yet, in extraordinary cases, he will sometimes interpose to chastise the bold offender, to assert his superintending providence and supreme dominion over all his creatures, and to give them the most awful proofs that, from his all-searching eye, no wickedness can be concealed. Lecture xxy. vol. 2, p. 22-28. FURTHER THOUGHTS ON RELIGIOUS MELANCHOLY. Mr. Editor, On reading Thoughts on Religions Melancholy, in your last Magazine, I was both instructed and confirmed in the opinions of the author. Notwithstanding this, I must confess that I rose from its perusal under the painful apprehension that some persons would conceive, that melancholy scarcely ever preceded true conversion. To remove such an im• pression, permit me to state the following matters of fact : DURING the autumn of 1808, a woman, in the neighbourhood in which I reside, made an incision in her throat, purposely to kill herself. Immediate surgical assistance rescued her from destruction. Two months after this event, her husband came to me in great agitation of mind, intreating me to visit her. On entering the room, imagine a woman, with her eyes fixed on the floor, occasionally taking a glance of you, with a most suspicious countenance, and now and then uttering a few words, "scarcely intelligible! Having assumed an air of the utmost cheerfulness, talking first on indifferent things, until, perceiving some change of countenance, I ventured to ask her the cause of her sorrows. I am a sinner: none were ever like me; and, since (alluding to the rash act, which she could not mention in plain terms) my case is desperate.' Her circumstances, Sir, were these: From a child she had had serious thoughts, was sober, industrious, attentive to her duties, statedly at her church, and esteemed by her neighbours. After her marriage, her knowledge of the guilt and curse of sin increased considerably. She became melancholy, told her tale to many; but, to use her own words, no one understool her case.' The common expedients were used which are had recourse to in cases of melancholy; but in vain. The vicar of the parish recommended her attendance at the Lord's table. She commenced her week's preparation; and, in the most scrupulous manner, performed, as she supposed, most minutely all that was required of her. Thus fitted, with much fear and trembling, she obeyed her spiritual guide; but, alas! she remembered, on her return, that one circumstance had been omitted, and that was sufficient to make her miserable. Now she conceived that she had eaten and drank her own damnation.' This consideration, added to all her other convictions of sin, overpowered her mind, and brought on a temporary frenzy. To rid the world of such a sinner, she laid violent hands on herself. She recovered, but only, if possible, to endure greater distresses of mind. But, to return to my conversation with her. She listened with much surprize when [ assured her that her case was not so singular as she imagined; and gladly embraced mercy through Jesus Christ. All fears began to subside, except her doubts respecting the possibility of pardon on account of intentional self-murder; but here the case of the jailor met her objection, and gave her comfort. She lived four months after this conversation, and appeared daily to grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; and, at last, died in peace.-This woman's distress arose from not knowing the gospel of Christ. Had I known the gospel, she said, I had been a happy woman, and had not so sinned against God.' Those, therefore, who keep such persons from Christians, are their bitterest foes; and, to form just conceptions on melancholy, whether it pertains to the Divine or the Physician, should especially be the study of those who visit the afflicted. J. H. C. Fareham. QUERY. - A YOUNG person is particularly desirous to be informed, Whether it is his duty to attend that preaching which is not Evangelical (where his family attend) there being no other near his residence?-and also, How to act, when commanded, at the displeasure of his parents, to attend where the preaching is cal culated to prevent all growing desires? Evangelicana: The Danger of delaying to forward the Work of the Lord. Mr. Editor, As this is the time of the year in which many pious individuals and Christian Congregations are accustomed to present their pecuniary Offerings to the Lord, to promote the Spread of his Gospel among the Heathen, I hope you will think, with me, that the following Paper, which lately appeared in the Religious Monitor, a Scottish publication, will be very seasonable. I observed, with concern, in your Number for December last, that the Ex+ penditure of the Missionary Society, in the past year, had exceeded their income, by £500; and that the Disbursements of the current year, on account of several New Missions, were expected to be much greater. You then intimated a hope, that the Friends of the Society would increase, rather than relax, their exertions in support of the Missionary Fund. In this wish I most cordially unite; and beg leave to remind your generous readers, that although several very commendable and popular Institutions have sprung out of the Missionary Society, which have deservedly obtained their liberal support, it may be hoped that, while the junior charities are kindly fostered by the public care, the Parent Institution, which gave them birth, will still enjoy their pre-eminent and distinguished regard. To promote this, Sir, I beg the favour of you to insert, in your Evangelicana, a well-written piece, which appears to me happily calculated to quicken the Zeal of British Chris tians. It is true, that the sum expended last year, amounting to £7258, was very considerable; but how great and noble is the object! and by how great a body of people is the sum raised! We think and speak highly of the zeal and liberality of modern Christians, and I am not disposed to question it; but when I see in what manner public amusements and carnal projects are patronized, I am silent, and rather blush than boast. When Covent Garden Theatre was to be rebuilt, the wealthy rushed forward, as if afraid to be too late to present their free-will offerings; and with what enthusiasm has the vast edifice been raised. I have stood by, and beheld with astonishment the manner in which even the bricklayers' labourers worked. I never saw such activity before. I have left the spot crying, O for equal zeal in building the house of the Lord -Come on, then, my brethren in Christ, and whatsoever our hands find to do, let it be diligently and promptly done for the work of the Lord. Surely, our labour shall not be in vain! The poor Heathen cannot recompence us, but we shall be recompenced at the resurrection of the just. NEHEMIAH. WE read, in the book of Exodus, that, when Moses was commanded to raise up the tabernacle, the people were invited to contribute materials. Now, the fulness of the earth belongeth to the Lord: without their aid, he could have finished the work; but, to gratify and to honour them, he al lowed Moses to take an offering of every one who gave it willingly with his beart. Exod. xxv. As soon as this was known through the camp, men and women came in erowds, bringing the Lord's offering. Gold, and silver, and brass, linen, and jewels, and bracelets, were consecrated to the God of the whole earth. Exod. xxxv. Yea, their hearts were so stirred up, and their spirits made so willing, that at last it was found necessary to cause it to be proclaimed, saying,Let neither man nor woman make any more work for the offer |