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will prove of incalculable benefit to the numerous nations of India. His lordship has left to this institution the sum of 5001.

May God raise up a successor like-minded in these respects to his departed servant.

WILLIAM BLAIR, ESQ.

DIED, at his house in Great Russell Street, December 6, 1822, in the fifty-seventh year of his age, William Blair, Esq. This gentleman has long been known as a distinguished Surgeon; but still more as a warm and zealous friend and supporter of religious and benevolent institutions. Mr. B. received the rudiments of his education, both literary and professional, in the country, and arrived in town about the year 1787. Here he studied for some time under the direction of J. Pearson, Esq. and was appointed House Surgeon to the Lock Hospital. Shortly after he commenced practice, he received the degree of M. A. from one of our northern universities, as a token of their approbation of a medical treatise. In addition to his professional pursuits he engaged actively in literary undertakings, and contributed especially numerous articles on various subjects to Dr. Rees's Cyclopædia. At the commencement of our own publication in 1809, he became a frequent and valuable contributor, and many of the earlier articles on the Catholic Controversy, the London Female Penitentiary, &c. proceeded from his pen.

Mr. B. was actively engaged in the formation and conducting of many religious and benevolent institutions: he was a member of the first committees of the Bible and Church Missionary Societies; and continued his attendance at their deliberations until near the close of his life. Not content with assisting by his counsel, he, a very short time before his death, presented to the library of the British and Foreign Bible Society, about three hundred volumes of Bibles and biblical works, which he had been engaged in collecting for many years, at a considerable expense. Some of these productions are exceedingly scarce, and the value of this donation has been estimated at more than 5007.

Mr. B. was, from its first institution, Surgeon to the London Female Penitentiary, and to the New Rupture Society. He formed, in a great measure, the Bloomsbury Dispensary, and continued Surgeon to that institution till a few months before his death. He had a share also in the establishment of the Irish Schools in George Street; and afforded considerable light as to the real spirit and temper of the Roman Catholics, by the correspondence in which

he engaged, with reference to the reprinting of the Douay, or Roman Catholic Scriptures; an undertaking which some of the Roman Catholics professed a wish to patronize, but which was effectually impeded by the artifices of others.

In active employments of this nature Mr. B. continued incessantly occupied until the removal of Mrs. Blair in 1821, and his own exceeding ill health, reminded him of his approaching dissolution He immediately proceeded to set his house in order,―gradually relinquishing his professional engagements, disposing of part of his library by the liberal donation beforementioned, to the British and Foreign Bible Society,-and preparing to retire into the country. While making the necessary arrangements for this purpose, the progressive increase of his complaints convinced him that his end was near. At a time when many would have retired to their apartment, he entered his carriage, and calling upon his friends bade them farewell, saying he was "going home to die." The evening before his death, he took leave of his friend and medical attendant, and pressing his hand, said, "Farewell. I commend you to God, and recommeud you to seek him. I have sought him during life, and now-I am safe." Iu the course of the night the servant who attended him read to him, at his request, the 103d Psalm, and the 11th and 12th chapters of Hebrews; here he interrupted her, saying, "Give me that blessed book, let me grasp it once more before I die." His request was complied with, the Bible was given into his hands, and in full dependence on its promises he entered into rest.

Mr. Blair regularly attended the ministry of the late Rev. Richard Cecil, until that eminent minister was removed: and an honourable testimony is borne by Mrs. Cecil to the kind attentions paid her departed husband by the affection and sympathy of Mr. B. After Mr. Cecil's death, Mr. B. continued to worship at St. John's, Bedford Row, highly enjoying the opportunities with which he was favoured, in sitting under the preaching of the Rev. Daniel Wilson. At the same time he maintained the most affectionate intercourse with ministers of various denominations, and was ever ready to render them any assistance which it was in his power to bestow.

SCOTTISH MISSIONARY SOCIETY.

WE understand that two very respectable Ministers of the Kirk of Scotland, the Rev. James Thomson, of Dundee, and the Rev. Angus Mackellar, of Pensaitland, are expected in town shortly, to preach and collect in aid of the funds of this valuable

institution. They will commence their labours on the first Sunday in February, and will, we trust, be received in this great metropolis with that kindness and liberality which their character and undertaking so justly deserve.

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REGISTER OF EVENTS.

HOME.

PARLIAMENT is prorogued until the 5th of February, then to meet for the despatch of business.

The distress of the farming and landed interest has increased of late, with the decrease of prices. Wheat has now been for many weeks at 38s. per quarter; and if in 1818-19, 70s. was found insufficient, how is a profit to be realized by the present ratio? Meetings have been summoned in several counties, for the purpose of representing the state of the agriculturists to Parliament.

In IRELAND, the Lord Lieutenant has undertaken a revision of the magistracy. Many absentees, and other improper persons, have been removed from the list, but no new appointments have yet taken place.

His Excellency has lately paid a visit to the Dublin Theatre. Some part of the audience, we can hardly understand from what motives, testified much displeasure; and some wretches even proceeded to direct various missiles against the person of the Marquis. The cause of their anger is said to be, vexation at the prevention of the usual celebration of King William's birthday. Since this attack, various addresses have been presented to the Lord Lieutenant, expressive of detestation of the designs of the parties concerned in it.

FOREIGN.

The views of FRANCE appear to be at present in favour of the preservation of peace. The Prime Minister, M. Villele, is evidently averse to war; and the Duke of Wellington, in some late audiences with the King of France, is said to have given his Majesty's mind a similar bias. Still, however, there are many powerful individuals who wish for war with revolutionary Spain; and the removal of either the King or his Minister would probably hasten the accomplishment of their views.

The present SPANISH GOVERNMENT is involved in many difficulties. Taxes can hardly be collected; loans must be made at great disadvantage. The army of the Regency, however, appears to be dispersed, and the Regency itself to have fled into France.

In AMERICA, we remark the progress of manufactures, and of luxuries and vices also. On a horse-race near Baltimore, it is said, that near a million and a half of dollars was depending. One bet was-Eight Hundred Negroes!!

LITERARY INTELLIGENCE.

In the Press.

A new, corrected, and greatly improved Edition of the Rev. R. Adams's Religious World displayed; being a View of the four grand Systems of Religion-Paganism, Mahommedanism, Judaism, and Christianity; with a particular Account of the various Sects and Denominations of the Christian World. In two Volumes, octavo.

A tenth Edition of the Rev. E. Bickersteth's Scripture Help. In twelves. Pulpit Orations, Lectures, and Sermons, delivered in the Caledonian Church, Hatton Garden. By the Rev. Edw. Irving, A. M.

No. XIV. of Dr. Chalmers's Christian and Civic Economy of large Towns, "On the likeliest Means for the Abolition of Pauperism in England," will be published in February.

A Volume of Sermons addressed to Children. By the Rev. A. Fletcher.
John Bohn's Catalogue of Theological Works, chiefly foreign.

Just published.

A fourth Edition of the Life of the Rev. Thomas Scott.

A second Edition of the Christian Watchman: a Sermon on the Death of the Rev. Thomas Best. By John Cawood, M. A. perpetual Curate of Bewdley.

A second Edition of the Rev. W. Dealtry's Sermon on the Death of Mr. Owen: also, A second Edition of that by the Rev. J. Hughes.

A third Edition of the Rev. E. Bickersteth's Treatise on the Lord's Supper. In twelves. A second Edition of the Rev. C. Davy's Cottage Sermons. Vol. II.

Religion not speculative but practical: a Sermon preached before the University of Oxford, by the Rev. J. Knight, M. A. of Lincoln College, and Curate of Halifax.

The Doctrine of Scripture relative to evil Spirits examined; with Remarks on the Terms Sheol, Hades, and Gehenna. By the Rev. R. H. Draper, Southampton.

Dr. Chalmers' Christian and Civic Economy of large Towns, No. XIII.-On the Evils and Difficulties attending even the best State of Scottish Pauperism.

40

Notices and Acknowledgments.

J. D. S.—7—Adɛλpos—Anna—A funeral Sermon-Letter to a younger Brother —A. J. D. are received, and under consideration.

We have received a communication from Kappa, remarking on the memoir of Mr. Scott's eldest daughter inserted at the end of his Life, and intimating that the perusal of that memoir had exceedingly deepened a mother's distress under a similar bereavement. We have not room to insert the whole of Kappa's Letter, especially as it would be necessary to accompany it with some remarks; and we are not willing to postpone the subject to another month. It appears to us, that Kappa and the afflicted parent, in whose distress we deeply sympathize, have not duly considered,

1. That the child in question was one of uncommon intellect. Mr. S. always considered and spoke of her as such: and therefore, from what he observed of her in other things, he might reasonably expect her to discover more acquaintance with religion than many others of equal age, who were yet truly under its induence.

2. There is little doubt that Mr. S. at that time anticipated some more marked and explicit discoveries of her renovation of heart than he would have required at a later period. In proportion as he attained more knowledge of the human mind, especially of the minds of children, and more extended views of the operations of divine grace than those which he possessed in 1780, he would have more carefully gathered up any little and imperfect indications of piety; have welcomed them more thankfully, and depended more upon them; and we find him accordingly suggesting hints of this nature, concerning grown-up persons who had died leaving but indecisive evidence of a prepared state. See Scott's Life, 466.

3. It is most certain, that Mr. S. did not mean that we were in general to expect similar evidence of divine grace in children of four and a half years old. He always considered the case of his daughter as the most extraordinary that he had ever met with.

We may remark, in conclusion, that the indications of divine grace in the minds of quite young children, will probably not exactly resemble those which are exhibited by persons of riper years. This subject, however, is at once too difficult and too important to be discussed at present. We shall be happy to receive communications upon it from any of our valuable correspondents.

We entirely agree with our correspondent in the importance of Christian people systematically avoiding to purchase any articles of tradesmen who profane the Sabbath by selling goods, or employing workmen, on that sacred day. Some difficulty may accompany such a system in the first instance; but if once adopted by the generality of religious persons, that difficulty would soon cease.

We are inclined to think, that the positions of A Layman are, in most of the cases he has stated, incorrect; at all events, we differ entirely from his conclusions.

:

We are desired by the Rev. G. Burder to state, that he is NOT a supporter of the Congregational Magazine.

In reply to the inquiries of NEOS, we remark,

1. It is by no means certain, that both the thieves united in reviling the Saviour, though the language of the Evangelists St. Matthew and St. Mark obviously suggests such an idea. We believe the majority of modern commentators entertain a contrary opinion. It appears to us a point of very small importance, and which does not admit of a decisive determination.

2. The members of Peace Societies, &c. will of course not approve the queries suggested in the review of Barton's Poems; but on the most careful consideration of that article, in connexion with the observations of NEOS, we see nothing to alter. Our readers may derive instruction and satisfaction on this subject, by perusing a short paper "On the Lawfulness of defensive War," inserted in the recently published " Tracts and Essays of the late WILLIAM HEY, Esq."

INVESTIGATOR is informed, that the annual volume of the Church Missionary Society will shortly appear. The delay complained of is said to have been unavoidable, and was certainly in some degree occasioned by the Secretary's being disappointed of the assistance he had anticipated.-We believe there is no very recent intelligence from New Zealand. The Missionaries reported to be dismissed are those who most determinately opposed the introduction of fire-arms. One person, who is able to repair these instruments of destruction, is supposed to be detained by force, but he is not considered in any personal danger, Authentic information is of course anxiously expected.

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London, Pub by L. B.Sedly & Sen. 169 Fleet Street, Feb? 1 1822

H.Meyer Sculp

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