which is spread out before them. Hence there is a concentration of each group upon the tray which is set before it. The separation so distinctly marked in Joseph's feast, may have been effected much in the same way, Joseph having a tray wholly to himself; while, in the distribution into groups, care was taken that no Egyptian should be obliged to eat out of the same tray with a Hebrew. We may imagine that Joseph sat in the upper end of the room, while the Egyptians sat along the sides, and the Hebrews towards the bottom; not that there were three quite independent tables; for Joseph was no doubt able to give a general attention to all his guests. The Persians are careful to seat themselves according to their rank; and at entertainments where there is any material difference in the rank of the guests, those of most consequence seat themselves towards the head of the floor, near the host, and their trays are more amply supplied with dishes than those of the persons seated lower down towards the door.-Knight's Illustrated Commentary.

WESLEYAN CHRONOLOGICAL NOTICES.

No. V.

1738. In the course of this year Mr. Wesley avails himself of lay-assistance in the work of preaching the Gospel: Joseph Humphrys, who subsequently received episcopal ordination, being the first Lay-Preacher who acted under his direction.

October 20th. Messrs. John and Charles Wesley wait upon the Bishop of London, and subsequently also on the Archbishop of Canterbury, soliciting their advice, and answering various reports and charges which had been made to their disadvantage.

December. Mr. Whitefield returns from America for the purpose of raising pecuniary supplies for the erection of an Orphan-House in Georgia, on a plan similar to that which Professor Francke had founded at Halle, in Germany. December 25th. The "Rules of the Band Societies" drawn up by Mr. Wesley; bearing the title, "Orders of a religious Society, met together in obedience to that command of God, by St. James, chap. v. 16, 'Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed."'"

1739. Monday, January 1st. The brothers, John and Charles Wesley, with Messrs. Whitefield, Ingham, Hall, and others, attend a love-feast held in Fetter-lane; at which the presence and power of God are so signally manifested, that whilst some cry aloud for exceeding joy, others, struck with awe, fall to the ground.

Mr. Charles Wesley, whose curacy at Islington was held only by virtue of a private arrangement with the Vicar, is exposed to a series of persecuting, semi-brutal annoyances from the Churchwardens of the parish; who, under the sanction of the Diocesan, forcibly prevent his entering into the pulpit, and at length obtain from the timid Vicar his dismissal.

March. Mr. Whitefield visiting Bristol, in the hope of being permitted to make congregational collections on behalf of the projected Orphan-House in Georgia, is excluded from every pulpit connected with the established Church in that city, even that of the common prison. Driven thus to the expedient of out-door preaching, he proclaims with extraordinary success, both in the fields, and in the more neglected districts of the city, as well as in the wilds of Kingswood, the glad tidings of salvation.

Thursday, March 29th. At Mr. Whitefield's urgent request, Mr. Wesley sets out for Bristol; and arriving there on the Saturday following, observes: "I could scarcely reconcile myself at first to this strange way of preaching in the fields; having been all my life (till very lately) so tenacious of every point relating to decency and order, that I should have thought the saving of souls almost a sin, if it had not been done in a church."

Monday, April 2d.

Mr. Wesley, for the first time in England, preaches in the open air. "At four in the afternoon," observes he, "I submitted to be more vile, and proclaimed in the highways the glad tidings of salvation; speaking from a little eminence, in a ground adjoining to the city, to about three thousand people." His text was Isaiah lxi. 1-3.

Wednesday, April 4th. The first Methodist society in Bristol formed; "three women agreeing to meet together weekly, with the same intention as those in London." The

same evening, four young men also agree

to meet in pursuance of the same design; their number being speedily increased "by the occasion of several little societies, which were till then accustomed to meet in divers parts of the city, now agreeing to unite together in one."

1739. Sunday, April 8th. Mr. Wesley commences his evangelical labours amongst the colliers in Kingswood; preaching in the morning on the top of Hannam-Mount, to about fifteen hundred persons; and in the afternoon to about five thousand at Rose-Green.

Wednesday, May 9th. Land purchased near St. James's church-yard in the Horse-fair, Bristol, for the erection of a chapel or "preaching-house," the first of the kind in Methodism. On Saturday, May 12th, the first stone was laid with the voice of praise and thanksgiving.

P.

OBSERVATIONS ON A QUOTATION FROM
DR. CHALMERS, IN "THE YOUTH'S
INSTRUCTER" FOR FEBRUARY.

We have received a letter from a correspondent, calling our attention to the quotation from Dr. Chalmers given by our esteemed friend Mr. Rogerson, to whom we, and the readers of "The Youth's Instructer," are so greatly indebted for his valuable monthly communications. The letter, we think, calls for notice in a more permanent form than a remark on the cover would possess. We are obliged to our correspondent for her observations, and, on general principles, we fully agree with her. We are glad, likewise, to receive any suggestive observations; for "The Youth's Instructer" is not a merely mercantile speculation, but part of that important branch of Wesleyanism by which it seeks to spread truth by means of the press. We deeply feel, therefore, our own personal responsibility, and are most anxiously desirous of making the work what it is intended to be. Friendly suggestions, such as are those of our correspondent, we

* For an interesting account of these and similar societies held in London, see Watson's "Life of Wesley,"-" Works," vol. v., pp. 68, 69.

always receive with thankfulness. With the utmost care, it is yet possible, even though many sleepless hours should be devoted to the thought needful for collection and arrangement, that some points should be overlooked; and we again say, that we are thankful to have even what may only be supposed to be such, indicated to us.

As to the quotation itself, we certainly did not think that any difficulty could occur to such readers as we believe usually honour the "Instructer" by their regular perusal of its pages. The phrases, "did we know," used by the great and good man from whose writings they are taken, certainly imply no doubt as to the fact, that the Scriptures have most distinctly revealed the doctrine of God's universal care, and the particular notice that this implies. Perhaps his views of the subject, were they fully expressed, would go beyond the limits where we and our correspondent would wish to stop. Some years ago, there was an extract in the Wesleyan Magazine, strongly demurring to the manner in which Dr. Chalmers speaks of the Divine Providence, in its references to every atom of dust. The Doctor evidently refers to the actual and remembered possession of that knowledge by ourselves. And we fear that there are many who possess the Bible, who do not thus know that the very hairs of our head are numbered. We now see, (since our attention was called to it,) that there is a slight ambiguity in the passage; but one that arises from the imperfections of human language, which require that the reader should not only regard the mere words, but their sense, in the particular connexion in which they occur. We have no doubt but that Dr. Chalmers, if he were aware of the ambiguity, would alter the word know to consider, reflect, or remember.

As to extracts from Mrs. Sigourney, &c., we at one time gave so many, that we feared lest we should be charged with sameness. We endeavour to mix original communications with selections from works of merit, sometimes modern, sometimes of an older school, so as to afford a variety both pleasing and instructive. Perhaps now that we have not quoted for some little time from the excellent writers mentioned by our correspondent, we may recur to them, without

exposing ourselves to objection. We are constantly on the look out for good poetry; that is, poetry that is not mere sentimentality. Against that we shall always set our faces. We know nothing in taste more pernicious than a fondness for it. And one of the excellencies of the writers referred to, such as Mrs. Sigourney, Mrs. Southey, Mrs. Hemans, (and it really deserves note that some of the best Christian poets of the day are females,) is, that their verses are good sense, as well as good poetry.

We perfectly agree with our correspondent that pages prepared for the young should be simple: not, perhaps, "as simple as possible," for even young readers must be accustomed to the exercise of thought while they read. And we often feel great pleasure in believing that it is not necessary to confine the readers of "The Youth's Instructer" to "milk," but that they are prepared even for stronger meat. We have occasionally received pleasing expressions of approval in reference to those articles of general and biblical criticism, philosophical and historical investigation, &c., with which we endeavour to diversify our pages, so that our Miscellany may be calculated at once to promote sound knowledge and scriptural godliness.

ED. Y. I.

ON THE DISTRIBUTION AND ARRANGEMENT OF SUBJECTS NECESSARY FOR THE SUCCESSFUL

PURSUIT OF PHILOSOPHICAL STUDIES.

No. III.

THE two preceding papers on this subject have brought us thus far, that, in order rightly to understand what is called nature, nature itself, as a system of facts, must be studied; but, that it may be studied advantageously, it must be studied in the light with which we are furnished by revelation. The constitution of our mind is such, that we, it may be said instinctively, apprehend the fact of causality, and we cannot contemplate the facts which are presented by nature without perceiving that, to make our view of the vast subject a complete one, we want the first cause of all that we behold.