The National Register. — London, England, 1811-11-10 00:00:00

7T4 extract of a letter from a Gentleman in Gib ri.ltar, dated 15th October, received in Edin- I ,burgh " The enemy, amounting to 9000 loot and 1000 Itorse,. are now full in our view, On Sunday morn ing last, by the rapid movements of the Spaniards, under General BALLASTEROS, we were apprehensive that more than .usual was in agitation; and yester day the whole of the Spanish forces, ,about 7 or 8000, retreated under .our guns (where they now are) ; we were consequently much disappointed, as an engagement of some sort was looked for. The French are very daring ; yesterday they advanced several times considerably within the range of our guns, in small picquets ; we were expecting an at tack upon the Spaniards in the night ; however, all is as usual. Several of our gun-boats are at anchor along the beach, to prevent any advance on that side ; they fired several times yesterday, but we .could not distinguish if any execution was done. The main body of their cavalry are in sitht on the heights about four miles from us; of their infantry we have seen only small parties and a few sharp shooters. The Spaniards ai ein a sad plight, as our gates are shut upon them, and they dare not ad vance ; we, however, supply them with provisions. The enemy cannot remain long in onr neighbour hood in such force, without provisions, ot which there is a very great scarcity, in consequence of the Spanish army having been so long here. It is ex pected the French will enter Algesiras in the course of this afternoon or to-morrow. I am afraid we shall shortly be straitened for supplies ; fresh stock is now very dear." The convoys detained so long at Portsmouth, by conirary winds, have suffered considerable incon venience by the late gales, driving some veseels übeut among the crowd. A letter from a passen ger in one ot them, dated the sth inst. from Cowes Roads, says : The wind still continues unfavourable, blow ing S.W. ; and since•our coming *on board, now a fortnight since, we have had much blowing weather, which caused us a great deal of heaving at anchor : one night we lost our anchor, and were driven about a good deal. On Wednesday night last, a coal brig, which had lost her rudder and anchor, ran fbul of us, took away our bowsprit, and injured our rigging. She also ran foul of the Gannet sloop of war, one of the intended convoy for Lisbon, and took away her bowsprit. The Gannet has, of course, been obliged to go up to Portsmouth to re pair the damage ; and the Sophia brig of war came do .vn yesterday evening to take her place in the convoy." The North Devon Regiment of Militia were to have embarked on Wednesday at Plymouth for Portsmouth, but have been countermanded for the present. The Cheshire Militia are in daily expec tation of a route to march from Plymouth ; and the First Somerset expect to go to Exeter. Recruiting parties of the 28th infantry (the ske- Won of which recently returned from Portugal, is now at Derryhead) have been very successful dur ing rhc. last six days, at Plymouth and that neigh bourhood The Roscommon and King's County Militia have volunteered into this and the sth regi ment, in great numbers. ebe Pulpit. __........_ No. L. O It!e-t r:nployttient theirs! 0 happy *tat,. Who pence 'twiat Goi! and twin tie . 4oti to.; Who, where that' come, his peaceful Liw.tlisperse; And spread Glad-Tidings round the Universe. NV E51.E1 . 3 Life of Chi is/. Rev. WAT7'S WILA7NSON, B. A. LECTURER OF ST. MARY ALDERNTARY, AND ST. THOMAS THE APOSTLE. Circumstances have unexpectedly delayed my long intended estimate of this venerable Embassador of Christianity. This apology is due to superior worth. Merit would have marked, long since, his niche in this place; but still it is found, they say, better late than never. High as the present preacher has stood iN the estimation of what is called the religious part of the world, it must seem problematical to assert that his pulpit talents are entnparatively but little known. -One remark may explain this. Confining himself strictly within the pale of the established church, and having preached chiefly in the city, his worth has not been so genera'ly appreciated by the inhabitants of our extended and ex tending metropolis. The city is less favourable than formerly to high cleric worth. There are great preachers now most hid, where once great preachers were first known. Such change have times since wrought! Our sun rose in the east, and will set iii the west. The reverend WATTS WittiNsox , B. A. is Chaplain to the Haberdasher's Company, and Afternoon Lecturer to the United Parishes of St. Mary Aldermary, and St. Thomas the Apostle, in 'Watling-street; and he has been, for many years, the Tues day Morning Lecturer at St. Bartholomew hehind the Royal Exchange, where his most valved sermons have been preached, and have been attentively a1:(1 beneficially heard. Relli4ton was predominant in the breasts of our pious arttestors; whose institutions have left us so many perpetual memorials, at least as far as human power could make them so, that they did not think one day in seven, however piously observed, quite sufficient for the treat purposes of religion. Episcopalians and dissenters, agreeing otherwise in religious principles, belorathed such i:iitit:rions. Hence the number of week-day Lectureships, founded by our fathers, the great benefit of which thousands have felt, and the establishment of which no person of serious mind can contemplate without true gratitude of heart. They are as beacons to warn men. They are as light to our feet, — through the dreary desert of titne,—ard serve as lamps to our path. Our " oandlestick" shines ! The light that is in us, is not dark : let us , take heed, and walk by this Vit. Mr. Wilkinson is (described conformably with prevailing phraseology) an evangelical man. Whilst there are at least one hut{dred and seventy Dissenting Ministers, besides twenty of their places of worship which are variou. , ly supplied, together with upwards of forty-six chapels belonging to the Wesleyan Methodists, within ten mile:, of London, employing altogether more than three hundred ministers; whilst things are in this state, can any one of her members seriously contend that it is not high time to encourage such clergymen as are fittest to call back its flocks into the bosom of the church ? Gospel preaching is simply wanted. Ethic readers no longer succeed. ' The poor' must have the Gospel preached to them,' and by Gospel predch ers whom they love to hear. The old glossei grow stale. Re. move this rock of splitting! Dianna is really in danger. Mr. Wilkinson ranks in the old school, the prophets' school, the deep but sound and scriptural school. He reminds us much of what Mr. Romaine was. He has much of the like eloquent colluquiality, impressive earnestness, and experimental edification. Now, what do you mean by religious experience TIM NATIONAL REGISTER.