those whose views of religious truth are not so intelligible, and whose worship is not so simple as yours, conduct public services in the absence of their ministers, let it not be said that you either cannot or will not do it in such cases: and those who belong to the congregation should make a point of attending when the service is conducted by one of their brethren, and make it evident that it is to the worship they attend, and not merely to a minister who is appointed to officiate regularly.

2. Some of your churches experience pecuniary difficulties, and cannot make the provision for your ministers which their labours deserve, and which you would wish to make for them. If these difficulties cannot be removed, they may probably be diminished by proper exertions, and the adoption of judicious plans. Let it be impressed on your minds, not only that "the labourer is worthy of his hire," and that they who preach the gospel should live by the gospel," but that it is for your benefit that your ministers should be kept as free as possible from worldly cares and embarrassments, and the fatigues and perplexities of worldly business, that they may be at leisure to give themselves to study and the work of the ministry, and feel themselves at liberty to attend more entirely to what concerns your spiritual edification. It must be a pleasure to you to see them and their families comfortable and respectable. Besides, they ought, if practicable, to be enabled to exercise hospitality, and to set an example of liberality to the poor, the sick, the infirm and the aged. I am far from censuring 1 your conduct, my brethren, in reference to pecuniary exertions, for I know of no district where a better disposition has been shewn by churches to promote the interest of their ministers, according to their ability and means, than among you still, perhaps in some places your plans may be сараble of improvement, and your exertions of being rendered more effective. All the members of a congregation should do what they can to support the cause, and those who are in quite humble circumstances may best contribute their mite by monthly or even weekly subscriptions, which suitable persons may be appointed to receive, as is done among the Methodists, who it is well known raise considerable funds by small weekly contributions. It is likely more would be done, and some difficulties obviated in some churches, if every one did his part according to his ability: and allow me to ask, whether, while some persons in better

moral character is correct, that they have a tolerable know ledge of the Scriptures, will act judiciously, and that their abilities are such as will not discredit the cause in which they engage. Wherever you can find such persons, encourage and bring them forward. They will be useful in supplying for your regular ministers when sick or from home, in officiating among those who have no regular minister, and in breaking up new ground.

5. Conference meetings were formerly carried on in some parts of your district with very good effect. In a congre gation the members of which lived in several neighbouring villages, they were held alternately at the houses of different friends in those villages. I apprehend the revival of conference meetings among you would be useful, and help to promote the cause. They would cherish brotherhood and Christian fellowship, promote scriptural knowledge, stimulate zeal, and help to cultivate the talents of those who might become occasional preachers. If you wish to see a revival, and to bring your churches into a more prosperous state, you must use all possible means to effect this and I am well persuaded village preaching, conference meetings, and what are called lay-preachers, as auxiliaries to the regular ministers, will be found means well adapted to the important purpose.

6. There are in some parts of your district detached individuals who are friends of the cause, and single families of Unitarians, who have no opportunity of uniting with any Unitarian congregation, or of regularly attending at any Unitarian place of worship. I beseech you, my brethren, so far as you can make it practicable, to attend to these sheep scattered in the wilderness, and do what you can to promote their edification. When I resided among you, I used to visit them occasionally, and preach in their houses, and sometimes had many hearers. And I beseech these detached individuals and familes to stand fast in the faith of the one and only God, the Father, and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord; to bear their testimony to his truth in the circle in which they move, to keep up his worship in their families, and to do all they can to edify themselves and enlighten their neighbours. Wherever there are two or three persons who can unite, they should form themselves into a little society, meet together at fixed times, and let their light shine by openly worshiping God according to the dictates of their understanding and consciences, and by

P. S. A letter on church discipline will conclude this series.

Rachael's Lament on the Birth of Benjamin. boa

[From Knox's “Harp of Zion."]·

"and Rachael travailed, and she had hard labour. And it came to pass when she was in hard labour, that the midwife said unto her, Fear not; thou shalt have this son also. And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing, (for she died,) that she called his name BEN ONI (that is, the Son of my Sorrow) but his father called him BENJAMIN" (that is, the Son of my Right Hand).-Gen. xxxv. 16-18.

BEN-ONI! thou son of my sorrow,

I die by the pangs of thy birth!
And the sun shall arise on the morrow,
And find me no longer on earth;

And thou shalt be nursed by another,

And thou shalt be beauteous and brave,'
When the head and the heart of thy mother
Repose in the gloom of the grave.

Yet sweet were the hopes that I cherish'd
As I thought though unborn-upon thee,
When thou by my breast should'st be nourish'd,
When thou should'st be rock'd on my knee,
When thou with thy prattle should'st cheer me
As lisping a mother's sweet name,

When thou in thy strength should'st be near me,
When sadness and suffering came.

O thou, my young son! thou canst know not
The anguish that throbs in my heart
t;
And thy tear-drops of sorrow shall flow not
To see thy fond mother depart :

Yet when thine own brethren shall tell thee
Of her thou canst meet with no more,
Thou shalt weep o'er the loss that befell thee-
The affectionate mother that bore.

I leave thee, BEN-ONI! I leave thee
For the silence and sleep of the dead;
But though God of a mother bereave thee,
A father shall be in her stead.

I leave thee, but there is a promise
To dying mortality given,

That friends shall rejoin where a home is
Prepar'd for the righteous in heaven,

Richard Brothers, the False Prophet.

In the last number (p. 380) we gave an extract from the Times newspaper on the end of this madman. A further account of him has been since published in the same paper, as the result of some pains-taking to investigate the matter, and this we think will not be uninteresting to our readers.

"Mr. BROTHERS, it seems, was liberated from confinement by an order of Lord Erskine, as stated by a correspondent in The Times of October 6, in the year 1806. He then became an inmate of Mr. Finlayson, of Upper Baker