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II&ligious Intelliuknc*. Extract of a letter to a gentleman in the city of JWic-York, dated Westminster, Mag 17, 1817. " Little (lid you aiul I think, when we attended the tirst meeting of the Missionary Society, that it would have been the fruitful parent of so rfianv Imviiig for their tingle, but glorious design, to illu minate the understanding of ofor fel low creatures. We have jfcst con cluded our yearly jubilee. Tj^e month of May has at present higher claims to bur praise than the charm ing scenes of nature which are now develop^dj and the nierry makings tif thoughtless youngsters It is now a month of religious enj6yibent, to which tiie mind looks (orward with i l'li ? ? ? a * ? >? . i feeling and a glory about the grand meetings of the Missionary ancl Bi ble Societies; which must be witnes sed to be understood. We have been tins year peculiarly favored : a luminary has appeared among us that has eclipsed all his forerunners* It seems a prognostic of remarkable events in the religious world, that the Lord has raised up a man, who is pre-eminently fitted 1 6 vindicate his cause, and to promote among all rariks.the knowledge of his gospel. 44 Dr. Cii\LMER6, one of the pro fessors in the University of Glasgow, was, in early life, an Infidel ; biit, no sooner did it please Ood to reveal his 3on in him titan, like the Apos tle Paul, he began " to preach that faith which once hd destroyed ;w and brfcgiug a great mass of human learning into the field, the armies of the aliad are touted befdre Hlxh ? he commences a bold attack on the for tresses of infidelity, and their walls ct arable into dust before Mnl< He has particularly bent his mitid to consider the evidence of Christianity, and has very lately, published a book eatitled ,( A Review of tile evidence Astron omy |w which has met with so ra pid a crtll*, that h went through four tfdftioti* befoifc it wiis heard of in London, and though ontv a small octavo volume, JW booksellers in London liavi jnat agreed to give him Jbwt thousand pound* for the copyrights 'V ? This truly great man boa beeh brought to Lnndoh to preach one of the Missionary Sermons, and has created a sensation beyond whatl ev er before witnessed. You know Sur ry chapel? on the Wednesday morni iug, thinking that my privilege as a minister would procure me a seat if I went early, I go t t^the chapel at 9 o'clock, an hour and a half before the pfevera began toberead; but, in stead# getting ,a comfortable plsce hi the first or second Ufow of seats, which outoMa o?vwasav%' awro priated fexelusively to ?ml?*r/l found the chapel quit* full, and thought myself extremely happy to squeeze lust within the door of the the gallery,' where 1 stood with a column of people prtxming me both bel'ore autf tekmd for five hour a. ?"Dr. Chalmers has nothing to re commend him as a preacher, out the Intrinsic^ worth of thU matter, lie y a small, pale man, with a feeble indifferent voice, and a Scotch & ac cent His text was t Co*. 14, 9S, tt> ?9 i tbe chief drift of his argu ment was to prove that the conver sion of a sinner did not depend on the weight of rationat evidence brought before him, but rested alto gether, upon the agency of the Holy Spirit brining tbe man to compare his conscience with the declaration of God's wotd, whereupon " thf secret* qf hi a heart are made manifest and Jolting down on hie face, hetcitl tror ahip Gvd and rejiort that God it in yon of a truth. " From' U?e confusion of so crowd ed an assembly, it- was difficult to hear him at first ; hut siu'.r a most lu minous introduction, he came to the. first grand period of his argument ; Tim congregation went electrified ; 1 never witnessed such emotions be fore. While he |>nu-<ed to take hi-. breath exclamations of surprise were ' heard around. ? * Astonishing ! I , never heard a Scrfncn Before "! Ad- . mirable beyond imagination ! " Such ; were the universal expressions Of de light aud surprise. It I was to tell you tlie expressions 1 made use of, when I came out, you wouM think them truly extravagant Remem her, that this universal admiration is n6t the applause of an ignorant ruul titude ; it is the general feeling of as large and well informed an assembly of diviaes, as perhaps, ever before met together. " Tills Sermon was an introduc tion to the popularity, justly deser ved, but of a degree beyond what I have ever before witnessed. All ranks and degrees of men are . crowd ing to hear him. ? Ministers of State; Members of Parliament; the Lord Mayor; Aldermen of the City and many Clergymen ; fearless of Queen JBcss's Laws against non-conformity, crowd to bear Oh Chalmers, lie pleached last Sunday morning at the Scots church, London all, and at three in the afternoon at the large new church in Swallow street, formerly Dr. Trotter's ; and, altho' it had ndt i been published, the throng was so great by two c? dock , that tffey dared not opeq the doors) but thfc place was filled chiefly through the }'e*try window ; and it was thought neces sary for Dr. Nicholl and other minis ters to harangue die people out At the windows intreatingiliem notto attempt - tti press in* c* there w*s not. room for one person mure even to stand the gallaries; ,-and thousand Went away without obtaing admission.? The carriages thronged the street, as if they had been goiug to the Tbe i atre* " When 1 consider iheearnastness of his delivery, & the mefrsfibtelcut of his afgtiraents, he reminds trie of Apollo*, " who mightily convinced the Jews, And that publickly, prov ing from the Scripture# that Jesus was the Christ*^ The minds of men cure irresistibly directed to religion the most prejudiced & wofdly mind ed fe?l constrained td inquire into the doctrines of the gospgl, and, if a pe culiar measure of divide power do not speedily follow, it Will to me be more extraordinary than these cir cumstances themselves. , The Lord will ha^en it in his time. " I hope Dr. Chalmers book, as well as bia Missionary Sermon, soon be re-printed and widely circu lated in Amcrica.'* y ORATORY OF UJt. CHALMERS In the Dum trie* courier of theUthof December last, we find the following extract from the last number of Black woodV Magazine. How exalted mnat Or. Chalmers be in the estima tion of all who believe that the Ini mitable character liere given of turn is correct " ** A* Y. Ga%> -i In every step of his progress he seems to dissolve by the touch of his magic wand that stony sleep of le* tliafgy in which some noble feelings of natuft had for a season been en tranced. He gives tf? no new argu ments, no iHew images, but he scat ters the vivid rays of poetic dperulor, over those which by the very fre quency of repetition, have ceased to have any power either upott* our *ea-' son or our fancy. We a Aoi kfet in a vague maze of wonder, bow & , should happen thai all these things seemed so trivial to us be^r o? how arguments so convincing should have appeared weak, or images so appalK ing sheotd* have passed tamely add f dimly before our eyes. It arises not from the weakness, but the will of Cl?almers, that he very seldom keeps us long at the summit of this elevation, lie seems to be insensible that the splendors - which be has revealed to us arc either new or dfezzling. His genius re > gar da the universe as its birthright^ and lie hat no undue partiality for tlie richer and moire magnificent re- j gions of his domain. W itli the same j overpowering sweep of , skill, be i brings us at once from the heaven to the earth, and from the earth to j the heaven, and, however majestio may have been his elevation, he has not the air of feeling any degradation from Iris descent. He compels u*, indeed to follow his foots teps into the basest texts of mortality, and lav# open the infirmities, tlie frailties, a nd the vileneia of <>nr Jiaiurc% uilli the keen indignation of a Juvenal; no less willingly than he has io tiftiued and {unified our spirits with the an gclic enthusiasm of a Milton. But there is diffused over ilie humblest of his representations a redeeming breath of christian sublimity, a thousand times more ennobRnc; tlian all tl>e stern and unbending dignities of the Porch. He does not like the philo sophers of old, Cmfine all grandeur to amtemplatioo? be clothes with, majesty die most common offices of life> and teaches that tiie meanest of his hearers may exert, in the bosom, of his family, and in the manly j per severance of painful labor, virtues more lofty and divine than were ever called up by the pure spirit of the Stagy rite, or ever floated upOu the mystical and foreboding dreams oi > Plato. These are things which fill the walls of his church w itn crowds 1 tlte most mingled, yet the most har monious, that were" ever collected together for social enjoyment or for social 'good. It is this makes the wise and the great come to have their sou la led like infants* i>v the liberal band of his genius, and make the l>our man and th4 ignorant steal from the precious mouieuts of his week day toil, that lua spirit may be sus tained aud kindled by tne inspiring voice of C uanncrs. He is not tne preach cr of aay ooc class : be fa lac t ummo.) ora- , tor of man. : W ere our hearts, indeed, as dead and asv cpid as monumental marble* tney couid < hot tail to vyttipattiise with such a preach* er. He has giveri up hissoul to the luil sway of Jus emotion*^ 4and he summons from the depths of a convulsed spirit things more awful, as well as moreHovety, uian couid ever be dreiuicU by the ordinary mind ot man. \> e need only to look on i.im to see ttfat his heart is bursting with thfcdCiuge of his zeal. His counten ance glares with the feelinga o([ umittewfc ble things : his Voice quivers, and his limV ?'* . . . i ? ? a^ony of inspiration. , It ha*, we know, been said by tome, that Charmer* has in his noble agronomi cal discourses^ all along com batted a phantom, and that tl?o*e ocjecti??ns o the ti'Utn ol Christianity nave never been^ rais ed, which it \i their- object to overthrow. On thiinrfcry at count are lib discourse* in valuable. The objectibns which he com bats are not to much the ciear, distinct, and decided averments of infidelity, a^tivcy are the confused* gUmcring, and clb?uibiiH? tears and apprehensions of noble souls Ite wildered among the boundless rafcgnift cer.ce of the universe. ^ Scotch pulpit. ? It fell to our lotto witness the brilliant, atiecting, aud admirably eloquent discourse of ? our greut preacher the ilev. lir, Chal* mors : several passages p? whk n were spoked with sucn fervour, ch ' ergy aud p*tho6as have probably ne ver been suri>a?sed if they have $v-l er been eoualed in mocjjirn time*, in particular when he Jointed the death of theli>v?ty suiterer, and sculptured ?ut w ith such fidelity to nature, the bklt* and (Isolate con ditioa of her surviviug husband, eve Cjreye pished with tears. |\ in the course of a long sermon he was led to discuss some political questions with a firmer tone of in dependence than lie baa used sinqfc> he tame to GIju^ow. He severely reprimanded those who Complied with the solemnities of the court While they neglected the ordinance* of Christianity. He signified the strongest disapprobation towards those creatures,?! ministers whose servility was ready 00 revery doca sion ; and who, provided peace and obedience were maintained hy the poor, were altogether reeklessof their ! temporal or eternal happiness. He gave it as his opinion tlmt if ever a revolution should occur in the Coun try* could only be ascribed to these " Whippers in to Administration." f III the last division of his discourse he enforced the arguments of the .JSdlnborgh Review, concerning the - nixessety of new churches ; and 'sfefltifiiied' SO as the uumber requi ?hhI for Glasgow. ' Ulafifow CTuoniotc.* ? i fim: arts. American 'Gtr]!ery tf 1'ortruii*.--; Among the j>etitioiii5 presented in tLo I House of Representatives on Tues oae**f Jv3-ph Ji ia pt&hie, I ofVhfthdelphin, asking the aid of I C'oScrv%| to enable him to establish I in this cuy a Gallery of Portraits t?f - I distinguished Americans. I lis (ia.1 I lerY, commenced at Philadelphia, al I ready consists of nearly two hun I dred portraits, and is daily increas I ing. Such a coUectiou could never I have beer, made, if liot now, because I some of the i>orti-aits are of those who I have already departed from among f ?V and of others who are too re I mote, or loo near the grave^to sit for I their Portraits again. We consider I such a collection an object of nation J al importance^ and should be glad to | nee it, under the 4 ausptcies of the I government, tainsplanted tb Wash- . I ingtort, and receiving sucli pattonage I as it is io the power of Congress to I bestow. Whatever tends to cher I isli the principles of the He volution, I and of'flbse who have, during that I period, and since, t distinguished J .themselves by pre-feinuient ability ] ilbd conduct; V ought to be en I con raged and supported, as the ail*. 1 meat of a pure national feeling?7~?f I the#hnpression of lliis convictiotf on I the mind of the National'' ' Legisla 1 hire, we have had, a decisive proof I in the act directing the Executive to I employ Colonel TtgnbUfl to v I four pictuies of striking events of the I Revolution, ft* the decoration of tifh^ 1 Capital, Mil |ii iifeably thap qrcoiff Lftarice, together with the recommeii faation of tiiose public uien who have I been his collection, that has induced I M\\ Delaplaine to make the present I application to Cengp-esiij with tSan | guine hopes of success. .From thr A. Y. Daily MvrrtUct. Literary Notice* ? (i Mob lloip-^ s AVe have had opportunity hastily to look over this long expected and sin gular work; and We truly say it Is a very entertairiui;* |tnvauction. That it is uniformly a? ihrich $6 as the story of* ? Old Mortality " in <? '/W^s "f njLj/ Landlord, " may per haps, be ilbubted. . But, take K to .getiier, U dttka not discredit the ge nius qnd talents of the unknown au thor. Many things arc admirable ? son|p uot irife??dr ,to higher ?? wrought passages in the moat eleva ted Epic* towns. For Jfeciwfcf -m> * curacy, mul flfc,of dcfetrpUott we oousider this extraordinary novelist to lie unrivalled in this department of Ittttature. Theiefla, aW in Rob Hoy, a good portion of that singu uu tmmor iuI characteristic descrip .ion, which u no tvhere so wett at Uined as in the Scottish dialect.? Vv e give the following account of. the execution, by the order ufRob Rov'k wife, of a man who. had betn left Hi * hostage for Ins safety, after in telligence h:ul reached lie? that lie nad I teen taken i>riaouer by the toy ul troop* utider the dofce ?f Argyle. " It m impossible, to describe the acorn, the loathing and contempt w ith r winch he Wife of M'6rrtf>r [Bdk K03 ) regarded thfc wretched petition- . er tor the poor botn of existence. ^ " k cotiifi Ud you live," she said, M had H k been to you the stfme yiti ry and wartting- tmrthen that it hi <0 u)?v- hHt lb every noM^ and genotou* irinrtP'JW ! you eouhl crei^p tbrovrgb thfc world uuafiWted by ill vatfott disgrace*, Its meiRibie miseries ft* constantly acuminating massed bf crime and' sorrow? -you rouH live and enioy . yourself, white the noble minded are I#t?ay6<?*'*wbile nameless and birthless tflhurt* tread pn the neck of the brave ami the long descended?1 you could enjoy yourself, UM ?? ; butcher tr^og in the shambles, batten ing on gArbage, w hile the slaughter or the brave went on aronnd ynto I ' This enjoymerit you *hatt iwt live' to partake of ; you Khali die, btae dog, and that l>efore yon cloud Han passed over the sini." i u Khe gave a brief rotnmnnd in Gaelic to her attendants, t\4o ??f whom seizftci upon the prostrate sup pliant, a ml hurried him to the brink ' of a ehd' vv hi* 1j overhung the flood.