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the house of God, he came hop

profeffion. They feemed to come trembling, left they might difho-ing that he fhould return with a better heart; but he grew worle and worfe, till he was led to ima

nor that holy religion, which they had been led to view, above every

him. It feems, fays he, when I have taken one step, as if the next

thing elfe, precious. Our num-gine that there was no mercy for ber of admiffions to the communion of the church has been thirty five, and from a judgment of cha-would plunge me into irretrievable rity, it is expected that there may deftruction. I was moved at the be ftill an addition. converfation, at the fame time told him I entertained a hope that his prefent diftrefs might be foon removed. He replied with a degree of furprife in his countenance, can you think that there is any mercy for such a wretch as I am? I told him, was he a ten' thoufand times greater wretch than he was, there was mercy enough in the gofpel. On this we parted.-A few days after, his views and exercises were wholly differ. ent, and his joy was as extreme as his forrow. Nor was it temporary, as is fometimes the cafe ; but his tongue has ever fince been loofed in praife of that merciful hand, that raifed him from the horrible pit; confidering his cafe a remarkable inftance of sovereign grace.

It has been viewed by the friends of Zion as matter of thankfulness, that nothing exceptionable has been found in the lives of our new converts. Their walk has difcovered that meek, humble spirit peculiar to the gofpel. However, we have had oppofition from the beginning; it has affumed different fhapes and arifen from different and unexpected quarters. The reflt of which has been, that the line is more visibly drawn, and Chrift's little flock, to the eye of common obfervation, more clearly diftinguifhed.

There were feveral inftances among the fubjects of the work, fomewhat peculiar; but as I have already exceeded my defigned limits, I fhall mention but one.

feelings, than to fee a fellow finner trembling under the deep con

There is nothing that will more This was in a man of about mid-readily take hold of the chriftian's dle life, with a small family. In the view of human reafon, he was perhaps as unpromifing a fub-victions of the law. With regard ject as any among us. But, in the early period of the work, his attention was arrefted-his convictions were deep, and they continued long, till his friends began to be anxious what might be the event. I had feveral times, after worship, as we traveled a fmall diftance the fame way, defignedly fell in his company. This I did the Sabbath before he met with comfort. As foon as we came together, I asked him what were the exercises of his mind? He replied, that every time he came to

to the event, the uncertainty is fo great, and the importance fo vaft, that the paffions of hope and fear are wrought up to the higheft key. And when the iffue is happy, and the finner hopefully bro't into God's fpiritual family, there is nothing that will excite in the chriftian more unfeigned praife. He will feel difpofed in this cafe, if ever, to ftrike that high note of the Pfalmift, and call even upon inanimate nature to join the fong," Praife ye the Lord. Praife ye the Lord from the hea

vens; praife him in the heights. Praise ye him all his angels; praife ye him all his hofts. Praife ye him fun and moon; praife him, all ye ftars of light. Praife him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that are above the heavens. Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord."

I am, gentlemen, your brother in the common caufe,

THOMAS BROCKWAY.

Lebanon (fecond fociety),
January 6, 1803.

MESS'RS EDITORS,

ance and friend-a Lady, who had been often in the school of affliction, and was, at the time of writing them, laboring under great bodily infirmities. The defign of them appears to have been to animate and comfort her own mind, under the preffure of afflictions, by turning her tho'ts on God and the things of his kingdom: Particularly his holy, wife, and eternal counfels-his univerfal and particular Providence-and the infinite glory which will redound to God, and the inconceivable happinefs which will be enjoyed in his kingdom in the iffue of the glorious work of redemption. A confideration of these things, as they are exhibited in the word of God, may well afford confolation to the minds of his children, whether burdened with perfonal trou-. bles and forrows, or pained with a view of the fufferings of others, and the iniquities and various evils which fill the world. It tends to imprefs the mind with a sense of the vanity of fublunary thingsthe nothingnefs of creatures in comparison with God and the interefts of his kingdom, and the propriety of adding, when pray

Among the numerous and various claffes of the readers of your ufeful Magazine, and who from month to month wait impatiently for its fucceffive numbers, are the fickly and infirm. The writer is acquainted with a number of perfons of this defcription, who are unable to read or attend to long difcourfes or essays, but in the courfe of the month read again and again, the fhort effays, expofitions, narratives, biographical sketches, and other interefting pieces contained in the numbers of the Magazine. By these they are not only inftructed and edified, but greatlying for deliverance from any par animated and cheered in their fpirits-and find a fubftitute, better than they can elsewhere find, except in the infpired writings, for the bleffings and advantages of the focial, public worship of God in his houfe, of which they are deprived. This is doubtless, a class of readers which claims the occa. Difpofer of events had a confional attention of thofe who fiftent plan of operation before write, or extract, for the Maga- creation began; fo that he knows zine. With a view to add to the no more of me or my circumftannumber and variety of fhort pieces, ces now, and will not, thousands adapted to the circumftauces of of years hence, than he knew befuch, and not unworthy the atten- fore the commencement of time. tion of others, I fend herewith a This great plan includes the crefew lines, written by an acquaint-ation of angels and men-the fall

ticular evil, or the bestowment of any fuppofed particular good, "Not my will, but thine be done." Yours, &c.

P. H. Contemplations in Sickness. BELIEVE that the all wife

loved us and washed us from our fins in his own blood, and know that we fhall be fafe from all danger of offending him, forever(O how inexpreffibly defirable!) When I defire, any or all thefe things, I may know and be affur

of a a part of the angelic hoft-the | apoftacy of man-the great work of redemption-and every volition and action confequent on thofe great events. It includes every event, great or small, that ever has or ever will take place in the fyftem. It is certain also, that in-ed that they will be bestowed by finite wisdom and infinite goodness infinite wisdom and goodness, if it have chofen the beft poffible plan. is confiftent with this be poffible As the human body is compofed plan. But if it is not, and there of veins, arteries, nerves and fibres, could be fuch a thing as my befo this great plan is compofed of ing admitted among the bleffed, an infinite variety of events, which or enjoying any defirable earthly I have no doubt will eventually all good, inconfiftent with the best harmonize (however blind mor- good of the whole, it would argue tals may judge of appearances to imperfection in God to grant itthe contrary), and become fuch a It would be a blot in the divine great whole as fhall redound to character-introduce difcord inte the higheft poffible glory to the the fyftem, and destroy that perthree perfons in the facred Trini- fect harmony which conftitutes ty, and the most confummate, in-happiness. It becomes me to reconceivable happiness to every in- joice that the Lord reigns and is dividual of the redeemed, and of infinitely wife, juft and good, and all holy beings. With respect to to fubmit cheerfully to all his dif myfelf, I am but a fmall fpeck of penfations, as being a part of that exiftence when compared to the great divine plan which will regreat whole; yet my exiftence, with dound to the divine glory and the every circumftance of it, is impor- greateft poffible good. I am a tant as a part of the great plan; fhort fighted creature, a finful and it was that God might be worm of the duft. I know not glorified in the falvation, or final, what is beft for myfelf, or for the juft condemnation of fuch little, glory of God. But I know all vile and otherwife intignificant things will work together for good creatures, that the great Redeem- to them that love God, and place er took on him our nature and their happiness in his glory. I made complete atonement for fin. defire therefore to learn this blefsNow when I defire any good for ed leffon from the Son of God, myfelf, as cafe from pain-refto- not to defire any thing from the ration to health and ufefulness- hand of God which is not conthe life, health and happiness of fiftent with his own glory and his those who are dear to me, or my wife, eternal plan. And when I own eternal falvation-when I de- pray that the cup of affliction may fire to become a member of the pafs from me, I defire to say, not glorious and holy family of God my will but thine be done. in heaven, and enjoy the light, January, 1803. the bright vifion of Deity in the face of the glorified Saviour, and go no more out of his prefence,

A Funeral Meditation.

E are often called to hou

but join and continue with all my W fes of affliction—to the

dear friends in praising him who

bedfide of the fick and dying, and to attend the funeral folemnities of the deceased. Decency, friendfhip and relation collect many on fuch occafions, who have little defire to attend on ferious things, and are very uncomfortable when they are urged upon them. They hate those fights of diftrefs, which excite reflection. The houses of fickness and mourning are no places for them, for they bring eternity and its great folemnities into view, which are but unwelcome and uncomfortable tho'ts. Scenes of business, mirth and feftivity, are more defirable; these fuit their hearts, ftifle reflections, and keep off thought. Their vifits to places which bring futurity into view, are as feldom and fhort as decency will permit. Such views produce a chilling horror; they fhrink back from the ideas. No cheering comforts, no fweet confolations refresh their fpirits, drawn from the ennobling contemplations of eternity, and the interefting scenes which enrapture the mind earneftly fixed on the invifible world.

Others equally hate the diffipation of thought, produced by feftivity and mirth. Serious fcenes are more welcome, infpire richer entertainment, and fix the mind upon fubjects which never cloy. "The heart of the wife is in the houfe of mourning: but the heart of the fool is in the houfe of mirth." In fuch an houfe, things beyond this life rufh upon almoft every mind, whether they give comfort, or painful reflections. The reafon why the godly take real fatisfaction, in being prefent on mournful occafions, is not, as the fons of vanity would fuggeft, because their hearts are hard and unfeeling, and can on that account more eafily endure fights of anVOL. III. No. 10.

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guish and distress. It is common for the gay to pay themselves a compliment, they by no means deserve, that their nerves were never fufficiently hardened to endure fuch moving fcenes, that they excite an exquifité fenfibility in them, too painful to be borne.' But though they would by this caft an oblique reflection on fuch as take pleasure in bearing a part with the afflicted, it is but pretence. Far other reasons than tenderness and humanity drive them from fights of wretchedness, to houses of mirth and laughter; nor is it becaufe the pious are unfeeling, that they love to weep with fuch as weep, and attend them in their deepeft forrows, and contemplate with them, the things which fuch mournful occafions fuggeft to the mind.

The heart of the wife is in the houfe of mourning, because the objects which prefent themselves, on fuch occafions, are calculated to infpire the most useful reflections. Death is the end of every thing on earth. The dead have departed to another world. The fight of their remains impreffes on the mind the vanity of the objects of general purfuit. We follow them in our imaginations into the invifible ftate: The importance of that world rifes upon our minds : We are interested in it, as it reSpets our deceafed friend. We contemplate his fituation: We enquire with ourfelves, where is he? What is his prefent ftate? Is he happy or miferable? Will his happiness or misery be eternal? Is he beyond hope, or above fear? What fociety is he now in? What are his prefent employments? How does he view his paft life, and the things of this bufy world? Our minds are carried to the word of God-the only book which fur

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ing as they ought, and as the occafion almoft irresistibly compels them to think. But if we will allow ourselves to follow the train of thought, which is natural on fuch an occafion, we fhall proceed further. The refurrection of the dead small and great, with its confequences will turn upon our minds. We fhall contemplate ourselves, ftanding in this immenfe congregation-fhall anticipate the universal folemnity which will be impressed on every foul-fhall contemplate all, ftanding before God, the books open

nishes us with inftructions on this fubject. We have new ideas of its importance, and attend to it with greater earneftnefs. We are imperceptibly led to become interested in things invifible for our felves. The world finks; we view ourselves no more than pilgrims and ftrangers here; we are impreffed with the idea of our own departure; it is brought near. We again turn with anxious defires for information to the only inftructor to be had. We enquire, where fhall we ourselves foon be? What is there for us beyond this world? We take a ferious viewed, and the dead judged out of of the light caft upon this fubject, by the fcriptures. The magnitude of the rewards and punishments it reveals awes our spirits. We earneftly examine the grounds of juftification, and condemnation; we examine ourselves; we either are fatisfied or tremble. We feel the importance of a full preparation, and the folly of delay. We are constrained to the refolution, that we will attend to it immediately. Its importance ftill rifes upon us; the vanities of the world lofe their influence; the mind is fwallowed up in the idea of making preparation for the world, where we are to have our everlasting home.-The house of mourning is certainly favorable for thefe reflections. But alas, with many, while at the place of mourning, the heart is either pining for the houfe of mirth, or fupporting it-our whole fouls: We are intereftself against such natural reflections, ed. We enquire into the characby employing its thoughts on the ter of God our judge. We look countenance of the deceased, the about us for dependence: In ourconduct and appearance of the felves we find none. Chrift and mourners, the parade of the fune- his falvation are the only things ral, or other things equally trif- which afford any profpect of deliv ling; and their thoughts are con- erance and bleffednefs. We conAtrained to wander upon any thing template the terms of acceptance which may come next, to give with him-we realize that we must them relief from the pain of think- have him for our Saviour, or we

the things written in the books, according to their works. Our conduct in this world will then appear, O how interesting! How folemn it is to be now preparing the materials for our endless deftiny! The judgment which will then be paffed, will naturally em ploy our thoughts, as we fit meditating in the house of mourning. We are ftruck with the idea of the unchangeable and irreversible decifion, which will then be given. Again we look into ourselvesconfider our hearts and lives, and enquire, for what fentence have we been preparing ourselves? What portion are we to expect? Our hopes and fears prefs into view. We look forward into a profound eternity-no end, no fhore, no period is to be even contemplated. Solemnity poffeffes

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