custody, while our troops advanced upon Poona, took possession of that capital, and compelled the Peshwa to accede to our terms, including the cession of three of the chief fortresses to the British general. The whole force of the Peshwa was some years ago estimated at 40,000 cavalry and 20,000 in fantry; and this large deduction must now, of course, be made from the forces of the confederacy. In the skirmishes which have hitherto taken place, the British troops are stated to have been victorious; and no serious apprehensions are entertained of the result: in fact, the war may be considered as already concluded.

GREAT

A special commission was opened at Derby, on the 16th of October, for the trial of the leaders in the late riots in the neighbourhood of Nottingham. True bills were found against more than 40; but 35 only were in custody. Four of these having been found guilty, the remainder, who had pleaded not guilty, were allowed to withdraw their plea, the crown officer pledging himself in that case not to proceed against them.

ALGIERS.

A formidable insurrection has broken out in Algiers. A body of Turkish soldiers marched tumultuously towards the palace of the Regency, where the Dey was surrounded by his ministers, and, overcoming the guards, rushed upon him and strangled him. The mutineers immediately proclaimed Ali Hodja Dey, and carried him in triumph to the palace, a few minutes after the death of his predecessor. The immediate causes of this insurrection have not been correctly ascertained, but it is conjectured that they are connected with the dissatisfaction cansed by the late Dev's having signed the instrument for the abolition of Christian slavery.

The result of these trials, however painful in itself, bas certainly been satisfactory to all who value the peace and prosperity of their country; and we indulge the hope, that the tranquillity of the popnlace, and the absence of those indecent acclamations which accompanied the prisoners at the late trials in London, are symptoms of the returning good sense and loyalty of the lower classes in that neighbourhood.

No. 191.]

JOHN NEWTON.

(Continued from p. 644.)

"WE

E are ready to agree with you, that we could almost wish your visit had not been yet paid, that we might have the pleasure of expecting you again very soon. But such is the nature of this world. We are passing down the tide, or rather the stream of time; a long river which commences (as to us) with the hour of our birth, and will, at last, disembogue us into the ocean of eternity. We are carried rapidly along the banks; and the incidents of every day, when once past, are past for ever. Opportunities, whether lost or improved, are presently gone beyond recal. And nothing re

mains either of the troubles or the pleasures we have formerly known, but the remembrance or recollection. Many of our days, like the human face, have a strong general resemblance; but each has its own distinguishing feature, so that no two are exactly alike. But the stream of imagination is sweeping me away from my subject.

"Your visit was very pleasant to us; but it is over. There is, however, a pleasure in knowing and thinking that you have been here once and again-in ruminating over occurrences and converse which took place while you were here-in assuring ourselves that you will not be unmindful of us wherever you are-and especially in the prospect of meeting to unspeakable advantage in a better world.

"The pleasures of friendship, are the chief of a temporal nature which we can expect. First, we CHRIST. OBSERV, No. 191.

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and family connexions, doubly heightened and strengthened by the ties of grace. Then an intercourse with those with whom we are united by spiritual affinity only. Here the circle of benevolence and affection expands, and there is still room for more. The principle of love to Jesus Christ is always ready to brace and unite us with every branch of his family, which his providence brings in our way. And friendships thus founded are not like those of the world, capricious, precarious, and unstable; but they will subsist and flourish hereafter and for ever. - In the mean time, I am thankful for the privilege of pen, ink, and paper, posts and messengers: thus we can converse while at a distance: especially I would be thankful for a Throne of Grace. There we can meet daily, in defiance of intervening seas and mountains.

"The sum total of my ramble might have been expressed in a line or two: That we love you, count ourselves happy in your friendship, often have you upon our thoughts, and shall always be very glad to see you or to hear from you."

"Mrs. Newton has been very iH, and is still far from well. We have had advice, and are using every means for her recovery: so far I am satisfied; these are our part, the blessing is in the Lord's band. It behoves us to wait his time and will with patience; and we have good reason, from past experience, as well as from the tenor of his promises, to trust him without reserve. We 4X

have likewise reason to praise him; for if he causes grief, he affords likewise a thousand alleviations and comforts, which loudly proclaim his compassion. I desire to leave all in his hands, and to say, Thy will be done. There is that in me (of his own implanting) which acquiesces in the propriety of all his appointments; but there is that in me likewise (which is properly my own) that contradicts my better judgment, and would tempt me to prefer my own choice to his. The working of such a proud rebellious principle, in a heart that has known him and devoted itself to him, is, in my view, a more striking proof of depravity, than all the outward wickedness of those who know him not. I have cause, indeed, to say, Behold, I am vile, and to lie low in the dust under a sense of my ingratitude, presumption, and unbelief. So much about my insignificant self. "I cannot be sorry for your dis. appointment when here, since the Lord has taught you to profit by it. The fault, I believe, was no otherwise yours, than as you were guilty of overrating me. I well knew the motives of your favouring us with a second visit, and I wished to answer your expectations and desires. But my harp was untuned, and my spirit dry and awkward most of the time you were here. I thought more than once, What has Miss Fcome over to see? 66 A reed shaken with the wind,” “ eloud without water." She pected to find me a well with constant spring, but I prove to her an empty cistern. This was, upon the whole, quite right on your account. Henceforth I hope you will learn to think more justly of me, as a poor creature who have no stock or fund of my own, and am incapable of speaking one sentence worth your notice, except as God is pleased to work in me and by me as his instrument. You may warrantably pass the same judgment upon every person you know. One half of our experience is de

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signed to explain and enforce upon us that text, "Cease from mau, whose breath is in his nostrils, for wherein is he to be accounted of?” (Isa. ii. 22.) Creatures are just that to us which the Lord makes them; but they have no sufficiency in themselves, and usually afford us least help when we expect most from them. When we are trained up in a long course of disappointments of this kind, we learn at length to say with David, "My soul, wait thou only upon God, for my expectation is from Him." To acquire this lesson, will ordinarily cost us dear; but it is well worth all we can suffer for it. And, therefore, I hope your last visit to us will eventually prove more profitable to you than either of the former. I trust the Lord will give you increasing satisfaction that the connexion before you is of his own preparing, and that your call to P is from Him who led Rebekah a long journey from her father's house, to answer important designs of his Providence, and to obtain blessings for herself. If you go by his will and under his guidance to P, he will meet you and bless you there. He will teach you the difficulties and the opportunities of the station he has appointed you, and how to avoid or support the one, and to improve the other. But for this he will be inquired of by you. The Bible is in your hand; it is a map of the way in which you are to walk, and a treasury of all the motives, encouragements, and supports which you will need to uphold you in it. Receive it as if given you by our Saviour himself, with the same charge which he gave to his servant Joshua. (See Joshua i. 8.) Farther, you have the Throne of Grace always near you, by sea and land, by night and day. From public ordinances, such as you most approve, you may be sometimes separated. These are highly desirable, and carefully to be improved if afforded, but they are not absolutely necessary. The Word

and Throne of Grace can richly make up their want, when they are out of our reach, Secret communion with God is the life of the soul. At P―― as well as at Byou may have the like privilege with Moses, who could at any time carry his case to the Lord in the tabernacle, and obtain a ready audience and a sure direction. If you seek and prize His favour and the light of his countenance as better than life, the bustle, the glare and dissipation which will surround you at P will rather be your burden than your snare. So much of it as you will be unavoidably connected with, you will take up as your appointed cross, and patiently wait his method and hour of freeing you from it. While your eye is single, and your desire towards him; and while you are jealous of your own heart, and pray to him with the simplicity of a child to hold you up that you may be safe; you will be in no danger. The chief thing you have to guard against is, lest any thing should draw you insensibly away from a close and constant attendance upon him. Seek his blessing and guidance at the beginning of every day: this will ordinarily compose your spirit, and furnish you with an habitual presence of mind and a recollection of him as always near you, and then your heart will mount upwards to him when in the midst of company, but not so except you accustom yourself to be often with him alone. He will give you wisdom (if you ask him), to shew you in what cases singularity is needless and ostentatious; and in what cases it is our duty, privilege, and honour to let the world see that though we live among them we are not of them, that we serve a Master who well deserves that we should hazard the displeasure of all around us rather than displease him. If you sometimes make a mistake, for you will not be infallible, he will teach you to profit even by your mistakes. As to particular rules,

it would be needless and assuming to burden you with them: the rules of the Scriptures apply themselves to all cases: no one can properly advise you, except he was well acquainted with the circumstances of your situation. Nor is it at all needful. Love to God is the best casuist; and a desire to approve yourself in your Saviour's sight, guided by a careful attention to his word, will make you of a quick understanding, and form your mind to a spiritual taste. For as there is a taste in music, painting, and poetry, so there is a taste and delicacy respecting spiritual things, which enables a person who possesses it to discern, as with the twinkling of an eye, what is pleasing to our Redeemer, and to feel, upon the proposal of what is wrong, something as a refined and musical ear feels by a harsh and discordant note in composition.

"I shall not say a word to encourage the complaints and doubts about yourself which you occasionally admit into your letters. They do not weary me as you apprehend, or require any apology to me; but they are troublesome to yourself, and, as I am sure they do not tend to strengthen your hands, I wish you to oppose and discourage them as much as you can. The more we trust God, the better we shall serve him. Satan knows this, and is therefore always aiming to work upon our unbelief, and to fight against our peace. You may find as many faults as you please with the lamentable deficiencies which you will always feel in your faith, love, and obedience. The building, it is true, advances slowly, but that is no reason why we should be always questioning the foundation. He transforms himself into an angel of light, and obtrudes upon us a counterfeit humility, as if it were unbecoming such poor creatures as we are to believe that the Lord's promises are faithful, or the power and grace of our Saviour sufficient to save to

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