many years before the epistle to the Corinthians, we have abundant reafon to conclude that it was already in their hands. include, in it, communion at the | And, as this gospel was written, Lord's table :-For he well knew that fuch companying and communion with the openly wicked, might, well enough, be avoided, by Chriftians, without their leaving the world. 3. It hence appears that there is a certain degree of companying with the fornicators, &c. of the world, which is not forbidden to Chriftians; which is nevertheless, unadmiffible with a brother, who becomes openly vicious. If this But But he has still farther directions to give, refpecting feparating from a brother, who is a fornicator, covetous, &c. than were included in what he had already written to them against companying with oth-be not the cafe, it is manifeft that er wicked men. The manner of the Apoltle gives no direction, reexpreffion would naturally imply fpecting the treatment to be given this. "I wrote unto you in the fuch an one, but what was containepiftle, not to company. But ed in the direction already given not C now I have written to you not to to company with fornicators. keep company, if any man that that companying with the fornica* is called a brother be fornicator, tors of the world, which is allow&c. with fuch an one, no not to able, is not eating with them at 'cat." If Chriftians were not to the Lord's table: For this may be company with fornicators, they avoided, by Christians, without would know, well enough, that their going out of the world. If, they were not to admit them, with then, a les degree of companying them, at the Lord's table :-A pro- with a brother, who becomes openhibition of the left, neceffarily in-ly vicious, is permitted to Chriftians; cluding that of the greater. And if the Corinthian Chriftians confidered, even a lower degree of companying with the wicked of the world, than communing with them at the Lord's table, to be unlawful; they, certainly, needed no new precept, or direction, to convince them that, fhould one of their own members abjure his Chriftian profefhon and character, it would be unfuitable for them to admit him to that highest act of Chriftian communion, fitting down with them at the table of the Lord. So much as this might naturally beer. concluded, without any new and fpecial direction. So much at least might naturally be inferred, from our Saviour's own words, in the xviith of Matthew, where he gave particular directions, how an offending brother was to be treated, if he refused to hear the church. and this difference, with refpect to companying, confift in not eating with the brother; it is plain that the eating with a brother, which is prohibited, must be at common meals. For this reafon, we may naturally fuppofe, it was, that the Apoftle, when he forbade eating with a brother, &c. made ufe of a very different term, from that in which he had, just before, spoken of Chriftians partaking together of the facramental fupper; and this, fuch an one as imports nothing more than simply eating togeth The word in the original, by which the prohibition under confideration is expreffed, is funefthiein, which fignifies nothing more than eating with fome one. But all will acknowledge that Chriftians may, (funefthiein,) eat with one, who has made no profeflion of chriftianity: And yet (funeftbiein), to eat with a brother, who is a fornica tor, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner, is fridly forbidden. And it is worthy of obfervation, this conftruction of eating with, and this only, comports with the Apoftle's general argument, the object of which is, to show that the company of an excommunicated perfon is to be more avoided, than that of thofe wicked people, who never made a profeffion of chriftianity. To all this, however, it is objected, that "a perfon, after excommunication, does not fuftain the character, or relation of a 'brother And, therefore, that, in the paffage before us, it is not to be fuppofed that the Apostle gives any direction whatever, refpecting the manner, in which 'Chriftians are to treat one, who 'is caft out of the church :-And, 'confequently, that the brethren ' of a church are only forbidden to keep the feaft with a brother, 'who is charged with a fault, un'til they have examined the charge, and acted upon it as the cafe fhall ' require." To this objection it may be replied, 1. That had it, in fact, been the defign of the Apostle, to give directions to the church, how to treat one, who is now a brother, in cafe he fhould violate the laws of his holy profeffion, and be caft out; it would be no more than natural to fuppofe, that he would have expreffed himself in the very words, which he makes use of in the paffage before us. When he fpeaks of one that is called a brother, it is obfervable that, to exprefs the idea, he makes ufe of a participle of the paffive. The phrafe, literally rendered, is if any one being named a brother, be a fornicator, &c. One, being named a brother, may yet become a perfon of an immoral character: And the direction is plain, how the brethren of a church are, in that cafe, to treat him-with fuch an one they are not to eat. But to fuppofe the Apof| tle's object was, only to prohibit a Chrftian church, the liberty of keeping the gospel feafl together, after one of its members is charged with a fault, left they fhould com mune with a guilty perfon, is, to fay no more, a fuppofition without the leaft folid foundation. 2. But if we reflect that excommunication is a mean, divinely inftituted, for the recovery of an offending brother, as much and as really as any of the fteps, which are previously to be taken with him; this will give additional ftrength to the argument, which fuppofes that the Apostle is here giving direc tions, to Chriftians, how they are to conduct themselves towards one, who is rejected from the church. He had, juft before, informed the Corinthian Chriftians, that a great object, which they were to have in view, in cafting out an offender, was his recovery from his fall :He directs to deliver fuch an one to Satan for the deftruction of the flefb, that the fpirit may be faved in the day of the Lord Jefus. Nothing, therefore, can be more natural than to fuppofe, that particular directions should be given to the church,. how to treat a rejected member, in order that this laft fep, which they could take with him, for his recovery, might, through the bleffing of God, become effectual. And if this be the end, for which an offending brother is to be excommunicated from a Christian church; it evidently appears to be a matter of very great importance, that Chriftians fhould know in what manner they are to con duct themselves towards him: In- | parchments might containfome docafmuch as his recovery is to de-uments, or be a deed or diploma pend, under God, upon the treat- of fome confequence to the matment which he receives from the ter in quetion. But as to the church, from which he is rejected. cloke, there is fomething more parAnd as fuch an one is in another, ticular. Inthe-original the word is and a very different predicament, Phelones or Phailones, which is unfrom one who never made a profef-doubtedly a corruption from Phaifion of chriftianity; and, his of fences are much more heinous, than thofe of the fornicators of this world; reafon, and the circumftances of the cafe, all concur to evince the propriety, of his being treated in a different manner from thofe, who always appeared to be of the world. With the latter, Chriftians are not to company in keeping the feaft: but with the former, they are forbidden to eat. If there be the means, which the head of the church has inftituted for the recovery of an offend- | er; it must be an inftance of manifelt unfaithfulnefs to Chrift, and alfo of great unkindness to one who is rejected from the church, for Chriftians to company with him even fo much as to eat. FOR THE CONNECTICUT EVAN- 2 Timothy iv. 13. "The cloke that I left at Troas, bring with thee, and the books, but especially the parchments." The following remarks on the above paffage are extracted from a note in The Purfuits of Literature. "THIS epittle was written from Rome when Paul was brought before Nero the fecond time. In the 221 chapter of the Acts, Paul was tenacious of the privilege of Roman citizenship, and it proved of much advantage to him before the Centurion. It may be matter of probable conjecture, that he might be required to prove himfelf a citizen of Rome, when he was to make his defence. The noles, and it is fo read in fome ancient manufcripts. This word was probably grecifed from the Roman word Panula. This is no more than was done frequently in other languages and in other countries. When the Roman state degenerat ed into an abfolute monarchy, many citizens laid afide the Toga and wore the Panula, or the Lacerna in its ftead. Auguftus highly dif approved of this change in their drefs. As the Panula was fo fpecifically a Roman garment, St. Paul might wifh, as a flight confirmation of his point, to fhow what was his cuftomary drefs. It may be further remarked that the Panula was a veftment which the Romans generally wore upon a journey; therefore the apoftle fays that be left it behind him at Troas. This is only written as a merely literary remark to hint, that in the minuteft paffages of fcripture there may be fome meaning; and that nothing can be fo contemptible as a foolish and profane ridicule, on any paffage in the facred writings, founded on ignorance. There is no paffage in the Hebrew or Greek fcriptures which will not admit of fuch an illuftration or explanation, either philologically or critic ally, as may put to filence the ignorance of foolish men.” An Account of a work of Divine grace in a Revival of Religion, in a number of Congregations in New England, in the years 1798 and 1799, in a ferits of Letters to the Editors. hood, and of equal abilities and opportunity; and it had feemed like that the hope was almoft relin"plowing on a rock;" infomuch quished of ever being able to intro. duce difcriminating ideas into minds fo young. It would be ungrateful not to acknowledge that in a remarkable manner it hath pleafed the Moft High "out of the mouths of babes and fucklings to perfect praise It is hoped that about fifty heads of families have been the fubjects of this work; a confiderable part of whom rank among the most ref The late attention of our State Legislature to schools has led the way to important benefits to children, as well in this, as in many other towns. In confequence of the new arrangements, school-maf-pectable and influential characters ters of serious minds have been employed, who have entered in earneft upon inftructing the children in the principles of religion, and praying with them. The ef. fect has been, that many fchools have been awakened, and as we have good reason to conclude, have received lafting benefits. Three of the schools in this town were laft winter under the care of men profeffedly pious, and very faithful in imparting these inftructions. Out of thefe, nearly twenty children, in the course of the winter, it is hoped, were introduced into "marvellous light." The knowledge poffeffed by fuch as we hope have been favingly enlightened by the divine fpirit, is worthy of particular obfervation. Important ideas and diftinétions which it has been attempted in vain to give to others of their age, appear familiar to them. One lad in particular, in a certain interview which was had with him, difcriminated between true and false affections, and stated the grounds of his hopes and fears in a manner very furprising and affecting. It was the more fo, because the evening before an attempt had been made with children of the fame age and neighborVOL. I. No. 7. in the town. This however gives the young no juft encouragement to hazard their falvation on the chance of being called in " at the eleventh hour." Had they feen the anguish of fome of these for neglecting fo long the great bufinefs of life, it might difcourage fuch neglect in them. Penetrated with remorfe for the wafte of life, and for the lax examples by which they fuppofed they had corrupted others, they feemed to conclude it was probably too late for them to find mercy; yet were anxious to difburden their confcience of one torment, by folemnly warning the youth not to follow their steps. "We are foon going, faid they, to receive the reward of wasted life; and we warn you to proceed no further in fearch of a more convenient time to prepare for death. We have been over the ground between you and us, and this 'more convenient feafon' does not lie be fore you. O that we could be placed back to your age, for then we might have hope. If you did but know and feel as we do the va lue of youth, you would furely better improve it." In language of this import have they been frequently heard to vent themfelves, Kk was alfo very ignorant of the effential nature of true religion, infenfible of the deceitfulness of her while defpair and anguish feemed fettled on every feature; all which, united, produced fenfations in the affected hearers not easily defcrib-heart, and in full confidence of ed. The power of the almighty fpirit has proftrated the ftoutnefs of a confiderable number, who were the last that human expectation would have fixed on to be the fubjects of fuch a change. One man who lives at a distance from the fanctuary, and who perhaps feldom, if ever, vifited it in his life; and who, as might be expected, was extremely ignorant and ftupid; has been visited in his own houfe, and in the view of charity, bro't into the kingdom. His heart feems now for the firft time to be towards the fanctuary, though ill health prevents him from enjoying the bleffings and privileges of it. Another old man, in the fame neighborhood, who had not been into our houfe of worship, and probably not into any other, for more than twenty years, has been arrested, in his retirement, by the divine fpirit, and fill remains "like the troubled fea when it cannot reft." her good effate. Another, accuftomed to contemplate moral truth, in the light of a clear and penetrating intellect, had mistaken the affent of the understanding for affections of the heart. Another had been the subject of fome ex ercifes in early life, which had induced the hope that he was within the embraces of the gracious cov enant. But he had become a worldling; and lived in the omiffion of family prayer. Still, while under his late conflicts, he would reach back, and fallen anew on his former hope, (which he had made little account of in the days of his carelessnefs) until the power of the divine fpirit broke his hold. Another had formerly rested her hope on fome fuggeftion to her mind (fomewhat like a voice) affuring her in time of fickne fs and anxiety, that her fins were forgiven. Another had been introduced into a hoping ftate in a season of awakening feveral years ago; fince which, nothing fpecial had occurred as a ground of felf-diftruft, except that fhe had fometimes, for a confiderable feafon, neglected prayer and spiritual contemplations for worldly objects. Another was firft put upon fufpecting and fearch It has been a remarkable feafon for the deftruction of falfe hopes. Nearly twenty of those who have lately appeared to build "on the rock" have been plucked off from the fandy foundation. As a caution to others, it may perhaps noting himfelf by finding in his heart be improper briefly to ftate the pre- an undue appetite for the gaicties vious fituation of fome of thefe. and vanities of youth. He had One had fuppofed that he loved juft returned from a party of pleafthe God of providence becaufe ure when his conflict began. fhe had fome fenfe of his daily Another was the man mentioned kindness to her and her family. in my former letter as having been She was the one mentioned in my fo oppofed to the fovereignty of former letter, who was brought to God, in the difpenfations of his fee and acknowledge that the ha- grace. The reft, for ought that ted the real character of God appeared, were as hopeful cand with all her heart. Another, hav- dates for heaven as many profef ing been brought up in gay life, fors. From obferving the effects |