whole fo modeft and unaffuming, that we thought it our duty to prefent it to our Readers, hoping that they will daily remember that they are Chriftians, not Politicians, and that their business is to keep the faith and patience of Chrift, and daily to look for his appearance and kingdom. EDITOR.

AFFECTING ANECDOTE

OF A POOR OLD WOMAN.

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CALLED a few months ago upon Mrs. Mac Corish, a poor widow of eighty-feven years of age; fhe gave me a little history of her life. Among other things the faid, "I have been a widow feven and thirty years, and have worked hard for my living; I have had fome trials; but I thank my God I never wanted bread but once. Once indeed, for three days, I had neither work to do, nor bread to eat. That was a trying time indeed, but my heavenly Father fupported me. I never was one who made known my diftreffes to my fellow-creatures. I always thought that the Lord lived, and he knew my cafe, and in his own time would relieve me. And I always thought too, that if I had ever fo little, ftill it was more than I deferved. I, unworthy finner that I am, I can claim nothing at the hand of God, 1 deserve nothing, yet he has been always good to me. So, as I was telling, for three days I had nothing to eat; but I had a teacupful of milk every morning, which I mixed with water, and it ferved me all day long. So I was fitting in my room on the third day evening, and thinking how good God was to me, for as I had nothing to eat, fo I did not feel much want of any thing, and that was a mercy you know, for I might have felt great pain from hunger, but I did not, fo I praised my God. Well, as I fat in my room who fhould come in but Mr. and Mrs. Jofs. Ah! the dear good man, he was very kind to me for many years; he was both a father and a brother to me; but he is gone, and all my old friends are gone; I have outlived them all; but the Lord liveth, and he is my hope. So, as I was faying, Mr. and Mrs. Jofs came in. They had been to Croydon. They fat down, and Mrs. Jofs faid to her husband," My dear, we will drink a little porter; Mrs. Mac Corifh will drink fome with us, but let us eat a bit of bread firft." So fhe got up and went to my cupboard to look for bread, and when

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fhe

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the found none, fhe turned round and faid, "O Mr. Jofs, there is distress in this house; I have often looked into this cupboard, but never did I fee it without bread before." She immediately ran out of the house, without faying any thing more. Mr. Jofs faid to me, "My good fifter, are you, indeed, without bread, and did not let me know it? It grieves me much, I could not have enjoyed a meal till I had relieved your diftrefs, if I had known it."-All this time I faid nothing, I only cried, I could not help crying; my heart was full.-Presently Mrs. Jofs came in again, with a loaf in one hand and a pot of beer in the other. She brought it in herself; she did, indeed, Sir. So fhe broke the bread, and gave me fome, and made me drink, and we gave God thanks. And they asked me how long I had been without food, and I told them three days; and as I cried, they cried too, fo we all cried together. They blamed me much, because I did not let them know my cafe, for Mr. Jofs had often charged me to let him know my wants; but I never could. He was good to me for thirty years, and I could not bear to trouble him. We fat and talked of the good providence of God; and when they went away, they gave me half a crown a-picce, and they made me promife to come to the Tabernacle Houfe to fupper with them, for they said they would not fup unless I came.. So I never wanted bread but this once, and then he who feeds the ravens when they cry fed me, as I have told you. Ah! I fhall foon go; God will not forfake me in my old age-I fhall be with my Christ, and I fhall fee my good old friend who relieved my wantsO Lord, I wait, I wait-"

Thus did this poor good old woman relate her fimple, affecting tale. My heart was reproved and edified. I wept and rejoiced. And my foul was ftrengthened in God. She is fince dead. She went to her home as a fhock of corn fully ripe. How excellent is the Bible!-How great are the confolations of Divine truth to fuch as believe!-What a rock of fupport is the faithfulness of God?-This poor woman did that, which all the philofophers, with their boasted wisdom could never do. She not only had calmness of mind in circumstances the most diftreffing to human nature; but fhe had joy and peace in believing, through the Holy Spirit. She knew how to fuffer need, how to be full, and how to be abafed in all things and every cafe fhe was inftructed. think it a duty which I owe to God and his Church to record the cafe. She was relieved in her laft illness by the

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nevolence of the fociety of Parliament Court Chapel, and often bleffed God and them, for their attention to her. I frequently vifited her, and have reafon to be thankful for her example of faith and patience. She died the beginning of March, 1798.

W. VIDLER.

REVIEW OF A NEW TRANSLATION OF THE NEW TESTAMENT,

THIS

FROM THE ORIGINAL GREEK.

HIS arduous work is attempted by N. Scarlett, affifted by men of piety and literature. It is always commendable to apply our labours fo as to promote the study of the holy Scriptures, but in an age like this, the man who lays out his time, property, and labours, to elucidate the facred volume, deferves double thanks; because, he runs a double risk, through the frivolity and infidelity of the day. It becomes the friends of divine truth therefore to give due encouragement to fuch a work. Our national translation is, on the whole, a very good one; but when we say this, we ought to recollect that it was made near two hundred years ago. Some words in that translation are now become obfolete; fome fentiments which were then taken for truth, are found not to have fupport from revelation; and the fund of biblical knowledge has, of late years, been greatly encreased. Surely no good reafon can be given, why, Chriftians fhould not avail themselves of every help which can enable them to understand and practise the will of God in a more acceptable manner? The knowledge of truth may indeed be inimical to the fecular interefts of fome men; but it can never be injurious to the cause of virtue and holiness. It is not to be presumed, that any translation can give univerfal fatisfaction to the various and jarring parties of Chriftians, neither the editor of the prefent tranflation, nor his affiftants, flatter themselves with fuch an expectation: it is enough for them to say, that to the best of their knowledge, the fenfe of the original has been faithfully given; if in any thing they have erred, they would be thankful for further light. Truth alone is their object. It is prefumed that the language of this translation will be found to be good, as con

fiderable

fiderable attention has been paid to the punctuation, cadence, and other improvements which the English language has acquired, fince the national tranflation was made. The plan of this work is entirely new. The speakers are marked, which to common readers, and in the hiftorical parts especially, will be an advantage, as it often determines the sense without any further expolition. The whole is divided into fections, with a title expreflive of the fenfe of each, according to the best judgment of thofe concerned in the tranflation.

In fome i ftances there will be found a confiderable difference in fenfe from the national tranflation, a few inftances of which we will give. Acts i. 24, 25. National tranflation. And they prayed, and faid, Thou, Lord, which knoweft the hearts of all men, fhew whether of these two thru haft chofen, that he may take part of this miniftry and apostleship, from which Judas, by tranfgreffion fell, that he might go to his own place. Scarlett's tranflation. And they prayed, and faid, Thou, Lord, who knoweft the hearts of all, fhew which of these two thou hast chofen, to take a part of this miniftry, and to go into the proper place of the apostleship, from which Judas by tranfgreffion feli. Acts xiii. 48. National tranflation. And as many as were ordained to eternal life, believed. Scarlett's tranflation. And as many believed as were difpofed for aonian life. 2 Cor. v. 3, 4. National tranfla-. tion. But if our gofpel be hid, it is hid to them that are loft: in whom the God of this world hath blinded the m nds of them which believe not, left the light of the glorious gospel of Chrift, who is the image of God, fhould fhine unto them. Scarlett's tranflation. But if our gospel alfo is veiled, it is veiled among the things which are abolished; by which the God of this age bath blinded the understandings of the unbelievers, that the light of the bright gospel of Chrift, who is the image of God, might not illuminate them. Thefe fpecimens are left to the confideration of the competent reader.

The whole is interfperfed with fhort notes at the bottom of the page.

Wherever the word Aion occurred in the original, it is rendered age, and in the plural ages. When the fame word occurred as an adjective, aonian is retained: as conian life,

nian judgment, &c. Alfo the word Baptizo, with its various inflections, is rendered by immerfe, immersed, immerfing, &c. For both which, the reasons are given at the end of the book.

By the ufe of the words eternal, everlafting, and the

phraf

phrase for ever and ever, in the national tranflation, a great deal of the popular evidence in behalf of the notion of eternal mifery is derived; as Mr. Scarlett s tranflation has no fuch words in it, his work may be confidered as a manly appeal to the public mind upon that interefting fubject. If any man of learning will come forward and controvert the point, 1 pledge myself that proper attention fhall be paid to him.

This work is printed on common and fine paper in twelves, and on fuperfine in octavo. Price of the common, 6s. the fine, ios. 6d. fuperfine, 14s. The two latter are accompanied with plates, and a table of the genealogy of Chrift. Those to whom elegance and utility united are agreeable, may be supplied with an octavo edition, printed on extra fuperfine cream-coloured paper, (with a beautiful extra frontispiece) prime impreffions of the plates, &c. price one guinea in boards. Sold by the Editor, No. 349, Strand; F. and C. Rivington, St. Paul's Church-Yard, and by Teulon, No. 100, Houndsditch. April 22, 1798.

W. VIDLER.

MYSTERY.

Munpios. Mystery from the Hebrew miftar, from the verb fatar, to hide.

UPON

[PON a general view of all the paffages where this word occurs, it will appear that it is a relative expreffion, much resembling interpretation, or the common ufe of the word antitype, and always refers to fome obfcure hint that went before, either by word, thing, or action, of which it is the real intent and meaning. Every figurative or emblematical fpeech or action, contains fome fecret meaning befide what is first presented to the fenfes; and that secret meaning is the mystery of it. So that when once the meaning is made known to me, I find the figure, emblem, or parable, to be divested of every idea of fecrecy, intricacy, or doubtfulnefs. When one tells me a myfiery, then he tells me a plain, clear, and intelligible truth, throwing light upon fome obfcure faying or action that went before. And this method of inftruction is of all others the most fatisfying and delightful to the mind, as well as the fittest to awaken attention. A parable may be fitly compared to a fhell inclosing a pearl, or a box containing a jewel; when once the cover is opened,

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