cord. When ftated worship has been urged upon a family, it is no uncommon objection that their frequent disagreements preclude the poffibility of uniting in focial prayer: and this is nothing new; for upon this very ground the apoftle Peter exhorts husband's and wives to mutual condefcenfion:" that," fays he," your prayers, be not hindered:" for in truth, it is an aukward thing for a family to fing and pray together at night, who have been quarrelling all the day. Nor are these things confined to husbands and wives; perhaps ftill more injury occurs from the failings and inditcretions of the heads of families, both as it refpects their children and their fervants. Every eye is on the mafter of the family; and if he be inconfiftent in his conduct, what weight will his prayers or exhortations carry with them? Will they not disgust rather than edify? I am certain they will. know a man who is now eighty-four years of age, who retains to this day an averfion to religion, on account of the wicked misconduct of a praying tradesinan, to whom he was apprenticed, I wish this were a folitary inftance; but, alas, we could point out many characters of this description. ނ See to it, I beseech you, my fellow Chriftians, that your conduct do not give the lie to your profeffion; and confider how injurious your remiffness or inconfiftency of conduct may be to your fellow-creatures.-For the cure of this great evil, let me intreat you to cry mightily to God in fecret, for wifdom to direct your steps, for a kind and affectionate spirit, and an humble defire to glorify God with all your ranfomed powers, When this is the cafe, you will bear many things for peace fake-you will act very cautiously you will be anxie ous to obtain the refpect of all about you, that prayer may not lofe its value; and the exercife of prayer will stamp a dignity on your character, and fet a fence about yoù more dusable than either wealth or honour can fupply. -- Another hinderance to prayer is the multitude of bufinefs. Men think we ought to be facisfied, if they tell us they have no time to pray. But have fuch no time to eat? no time to fleep? no time for luxurious gratifications?→→ Oxyes, firs; but then mens' hearts are in these things: and if communion with God be our firft object, and his glory our chief defire, we shall find feafons both for private and family-worship. To thofe who make business their excufe, fhould be enjoined regularity as a cure; and it admits of no doubt, that a few minutes might be redeemed for fo valuable valuable a purpose. Indeed, I am aftonished that any one fhould be fo ignorant as to expect a bleffing on that buftle which fhuts God out of the family, A third excufe (and it is no uncommon one) is the want of ability for prayer. "I have no gift, and am afhamed to call my family together." This is an hinderance easily removed. I am no friend to forms of prayer; but I would earneftly advise you to pray by a form rather than not at all; and be affured of this, that he who gives you the defire to pray, will in due feafon beftow the gift of prayer upon you. I intended to have had mentioned fome other hinderances; but left extend this paper too far, I would rather fuggeft a few encouragements to this duty. I. You have God's promife that he will hear your prayers. 2. Confider that God has fulfilled this promife in the experience of the Saints in all ages. 3. Remember that you have no ground to expect any bleffing without prayer. 4. It is matter of encouragement for you, that, in drawing near to God, he will draw near to you; and paft experience tells you, that at times when you have felt a fhameful reluctancy to this duty, yet even then God has warmed your frozen heart, and made you as the chariots of Aminadib. 5. God has promifed to give his holy Spirit to them that afk him, to help their infirmities. What think you, brethren? ought thefe confiderations to encourage you? or ought they not? But if all this be too little, yet look, I befeech you, into Heaven itfelf. There behold your Jefus ftretching forth his hands in your behalf! and "having tach an High Prieft, fuch an Interceffor, come with boldness to the throne of grace, that you may find mercy, and obtain grace to help in every time of need." Finally, Confider the fpecial advantages derived front continuance in prayer. It is the chief way of enjoying God while we are in the world" a foul in converfe with her God, is Heaven." It is the way to obtain the best of blessings: "For thefe things will I be enquired of" and "put me in rememberance, faith the Lord." It is a mean of refifting your most formidable foes, for they cannot hurt you while all prayer is your weapon; and it is heart's cafe to the afflicted foul. David, when they ipake of ftoning him, "encouraged himself in the Lord his God;" and Han nah, in fore diftrefs, prayed to the Lord, and “ her counte nance was no more fad." Go then, in every time of trouble, to him who hath faid "Call upon me, and I wil deliver thee; and thou fhalt glorify me." CONCIONATOR. ADOPTION. EPHES. i. 5. Having predeftinated us to the adoption of children by Jefus Chrift to himfelf, according to the good pleasure of his will. THE HE privilege of adoption may be confidered in two diftin&t points of view: as it relates to God, and as it relates to inen. ift, As it relates to Gop. Confidered in this point of view, it exhibits to us his grace and mercy, his compaffion and love. "Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed on us, that we should be called the fons of God !” It exhibits his condefcenfion, in stooping to notice worms fo contemptible, and creatures fo polluted. Viewed in this light, it exhibits to us the special nature of the privilege. All men are his creatures; but all menare not his fons. Having predeftinated us," it is clearly manifeft that all men are not adopted. Facts demonftrate this to every attentive and thinking mind; and in regard to the perfons adopted, that this privilege originated in the mercy of God, and not the merit of man, is fufficiently determined by my motto. In this gracious act, God is no respecter of perfons: He has no refpect to any man for the nobility of his birth,-the grandeur of his equipage, the fplendor of his talents, the offices which he may fuftain, or the religion to which he has been brought up. 2d, Adoption may be confidered as it relates to MEN; to all who are adopted. In this view of adoption, it takes in their change of ftate. From a ftate of distance they are "brought nigh." From a ftate of condemnation, they are brought into a state of juftification; being" juftified from all things from which they could not be juftified by the law of Mofes," or any law whatever. Their rife in dignity. From being contemptible outcafts, they become fons of God, and heirs of eternal life. Their fuperior privileges. All fuch may, in humble confidence, call God their Father; (Rom. viii. 15.) Jefus Chrift their Brother; angels their guardians. They may draw near to God, in confidence of his feafonable aid, and expect fupplies for both body and foul. Their feparation from other men, as the children in a family are feparate from the fervants. Their fuperior education. They are trained up for those manfions which were prepared for them from the foundation of the world. This led a prophet to fay of Jerufalem VOL. IX. 3 Y and the church, "All thy children fhall be taught of the Lord; and great fhall be the peace of thy children." From thefe premifes we may conclude, that the fons of God ought not to walk like the children of men, and debafe their heavenly dignity by a finful conformity to the world. Circumfpection of character is effential to diftinguish them from the men of the world: that the act of adoption muft neceffarily reft in the bofom of the adopter, and we may be fure that his choice is always wife and always gracious: that adoption gives a title to Heaven, and fubfequent fanctification a meetnefs for it:that adoption, as it is an act of God, is before regeneration; but, as it is apparent in men, it is after regeneration. Finally, If a man be adopted into the family of God's dear children, it is matter of fmall confequence who may reject and caft him out. Let us pray for the extenfion of this bleffed privilege, and ufe our utmoft exertions to promote the beft interefts of mankind. The gospel of Jefus Chrift is the grand mean of conversion and salvation. Warley. "Let Devils flee, let men adore "The tidings fpread from fhore to fhore; T. H. W ON ILL-DIRECTED SATIRE. HILE we rejoice in the downfall of bigotry, and have reafon to believe that a perfecuting fpirit lofes ground, we have to lament that there is yet a difpofition too prevalent among fome characters, which feems akin to thofe deleterious principles. This is a fpirit of unbounded, uncharitable, unwarranted fatire. There is a fet of beings in the world, who, elevating themfelves on the pedestal of their own knowledge, and fuperiority of intellect, are conftantly throwing about those light, miffile, yet penetrating weapons of ridicule and fatire, by which the innocent and weak are much wounded. I am convinced that thefe weapons may be of fome utility when in fkilful hands; and that even the humble Chriftian and faithful Preacher may fometimes do good with them; but then then they must be used rather as armour of defence than as an inftrument of torture; not barbed with envy, but dipped in candour; not aimed with malice, but directed by truth. The fpirit then we are deprecating, is not that which arifes from love, from a hatred of vice, from generous zeal; but merely from an affectation of wit, a conceit of abilities, a love to teaze, a narrowness of foul, or from a bad temper and natural conftitution. I have not indeed wondered at this fpirit, when I have feen it displayed by the children of this world; but when I have witneffed this unhallowed shaft brandithed about in the temple of Religion in a rafh indifcriminate manner, and fo many characters fuffering by it, it has given me pain, and led me to enquire how far it agreed with the genius of the gofpel. Now it feems quite oppofite to that benevolent fyftem; and every way abhorrent from the humane fpirit of its Founder. No fyftem indeed in the world ever frowns fo much upon vice; but then no fyftem ever breathed fuch love. It encourages no fin; but then it triumphs in no man's mifery: it favours no man's ignorance; but then it takes no advantage of any man's weaknefs. It fhews man the confequence of his folly; but then it is to fave him from it. Thefe fatirizing characters, however, feem to poffefs but little of this amiable fpirit: they endeavour to make themselves happy, by making others miferable. "From the frailties and abfurdities of others, they make a wreath to adorn their own brow: they gather together, with all their art, the imperfections of others, and offer them up a facrifice of felf-love." Thefe Ifhmaels have their hands against every one: - they live by plunder and war, triumphing glorioufly over every little captive, and adding to the mifery of mankind by perpetual hoftility. What a cruel difpofition! a difpofition neither countenanced by truth, nor fanctioned by humanity. There is fomething in it also as mean as it is unjuft, "Who for the poor renown of being finart, Would leave a fting within a brother's heart?" But it will be asked, What, then, are we to be like thofe poor undifcerning beings who let every thing pafs for current? who compliment others for their weakness? and who are afraid of giving the leaft offence? The reader will recollect we are not fo much fpeaking against the thing, as the inconfiderate use of it. A fatirift of truc genius and piety may be of ufe to fociety. But who is he Not the man who deals in falfe conftructions, who think |