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W. M. SMITH, M.G.

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MR. Smith first officiated as Clerk to one Dr. Tuffs, at York-street Chapel,' &c.-209.

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Nearly all that the present writer knows concerning the abovementioned Dr. Tuffs, is, besides the fact of his preaching, that there formerly appeared ten pages of Hymns of Praise and. Thanksgiving to God, for supporting Grace and delivering Mercy, in a Time of eminent Danger; composed by James Tuffs, LL. D. (then) Minister of Prospect-Place Chapel, St. George's Fields.' These Hymns, not exceeding six, are stated to have been 'composed' or compiled, in the author's late Illness,' and afterwards printed by desire of his friends,'

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Says an eloquent Minister of truth.'-Page 211. See a volume entitled, 'The Life of the Rev. John Bradford, A. B. late of Wadham College, Oxford; and Minister of the City-Chapel, Grub-Street, London.' This work is from the pen of the Rev. W. W. Horne, now Minister of Hepzibah Chapel, Wood-Street, Cheapside; and the passage here referred to, concerning preaching, occurs at page 17.

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'There seems a kind of religious legerdemain in all Mr. Smith does.'-Page 210.

Multiplied instances of this legerdemain could be veritably attested. About three years since, after he had done preaching, Mr. Smith addressed his Congregation nearly to the following effect." I am going to Greenwich, to-morrow (Monday), and I desire that none of you will follow me-no coming down there; as the place is not large enough, by any means, for the simple souls who desire to hear me. Pray together, while I am gone, but-mind you-I'll allow of no. holding forth in my pulpit: pray together, below, but let none of you get into my pulpit during my absence ; and so I will be here with you, God willing, on Tuesday. Mind what I say now!" Videlicet religious legerdemain. Was not this a sleight of hand?

Peradventure his prayer-meetings may resemble the description here subjoined.—

"He who stands up in public,' observes a preacher, is to consider himself as called to be mouth for his friends, who are waiting around. He should, therefore, not hang down his head, and speak so low, and so indistinctly, as not to be heard by his brethren; who are present, to unite in supplicating the Most High for his blessing! This has been complained of, and this you can amend, and I hope each one will bear it in his mind for that purpose: for if what is said cannot be heard, it cannot profit those who are standing by, &c. &c.

As to the manner of exercising your gift: guard against that hateful and inconsistent way of preaching in your utterances before God, which is too often prac

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tised. Some men's manner of proceeding can neither be called praying nor preaching, but rather a sort of compound of both. If a good man has some useful thoughts on certain portions of Holy Writ, let him impart them in friendly converse with his brethren, Adoration, confession, lamentation, petition, and thanksgiving are, certainly, the principal parts of prayer; but for a worm of the dust to stand up to preach to his Maker, is, assuredly, most absurd and wicked.

'Permit me to add, that the prayer of the christian should never be wickedly converted into a quiver and a bow-to shoot wounding arrows at the heart of a worshipping brother! If he hath aught against him, let him tell it to his brother in private, as the Lord directs.

Long prayers,' also, have very commonly been complained of, by the children of God, as unprofitable and wearisome; and it' is mostly found, that if a person stands very long in prayer, he either gets to preaching, or he uses a great deal of repetition, and travels his ground several times over. This leads to discontent and inattention in the hearers. To add to the trial of the mind so circumstanced, I have remarked, where I have been, some turning an hymnbook about; others, handing the snuff-box about; and another taking up the poker, and falling to knocking the fire about!!! Now, though persons so acting must be censurable; still, the tediousness of the person praying being the occasion of such unbecoming behaviour, he must be entitled to a share of the blame!'-Stevens's Farewell Sermon; preached at Boston, July 4, 1811,

Great part of the preceding strictures would apply, there is cause to think, to but too many of those dissenting assemblies called prayer-meetings; in which it is no uncommon thing to find the good folks praying at one another, or, as Mr. Stevens has it, wickedly converting social prayer into a quiver and a bow -to shoot wounding arrows. at the heart of a worshipping brother,' Like priest, however, like people. Where it is not unusual to hear the preacher resort to the hateful practice of preaching at some one of his hearers, it is natural that they, in turn, should fall into the evil of praying at individual members of the church, whenever they meet with a convenient occasion,

WILLIAM THORP.

EMPIRES of China and Hindostan.'-Page 230.

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'Would it not tend to give them (referring to Missionaries,) an evident superiority over the miserable objects of their compassion,' says Mr. Thorp, to be able to account to them for those practices which they have received from the adulterated tradition of their ancestors, and which are rendered venerable by their antiquity? Would it not also tend to confirm the authenticity of the Sacred Writings, and to confound atheism and infidelity, to be able to trace the mutilated vestiges of an Original Revelation in every part of the world; and to transmit their Discoveries to your Society, in Great Britain?-If I am sanguine upon any subject, it is upon this. But it is my firm opinion,' adds Mr. Thorp, upon the near approach of the Millenium, that the hand of Providence will diffuse such a blaze of light from this source,—especially from the traditions of India and China,-as will expose the folly of infidelity past recovery; and give unto the Desire of all Nations, and his gospel, that pre-eminent dignity to which they are entitled.'

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See The Universe, Jehovah's Temple: a Sermon, preached before the Missionary Society, at SurryChapel, Wednesday Morning, May 9, 1804. By W. Thorp.

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