5 bis Son to be the propitiation for our fins. We love him, because he first loved us. 1 John iv. 10, 19. "The atonement which Chrift hath made doth not change the hearts of finners. They will continue enemies to God, if he doth not fubdue them by the efficacious influences of his holyfpirit. When and wifdem, and firength, and hon or, and glory, and bleffing." The inftance above recited fhows how great fupport is derived in the hour of death, from a fubmiffive truft in the wife and holy fovereignty of God. The peace and cons folation of a dying Christian stri kingly evince that true religion is a thing real in the heart; also that it is given by a special communica tion from God himself. As there is a great diversity in the lives, fo there appears to be in the deaths of thofe for whom we have a char he doth this, he acteth from the "The prefent fubject furnishes a rule of trial for all who profefs to be Chriftians. Do you believe that God showed mercy to you, for reafons taken from your minds or from his own? Do you believe that you firft fitted yourselves for a place in Christ's family, and that by this fitnefs you moved God to come to your affiftance? Or are you convinced that he first came by the efficacious influences of his fpirit, and inclined you to fubmit to his holy will? When death is brought near to you, do you feel that you can plead with God for acceptance, on account of your faithfulness in improving the means of grace? Or do you feel that you muft plead for favor folely on the ground of his holy, wife, and good fovereignty, as difplayed in the gofpel? of Chrift. In this matter, God conducts as a fovereign. He may have wife reafons for denying fpecial fupports and communications of his love to fome whom he hath forgiven: and among these reafons one may be, the honor of religion. Chriftians often deviate publicly from the character of piety, meeknefs, humility and condefcenfion, which they ought to fupport. They may have fins which easily befet them, against which they do not watch and pray as they ought; and by which they give the enemy occafion to fcandalize a religious profeffion. In fuch cafes, I think we have little reafon to expe& thofe communications of light and peace, which are neceffary for a triumphant death. I will defcribe an instance which fell under my own obfervation. It was a man who appeared to be conftitutionally expofed to rafh anger. In his youth he became ferious and 'made a profeffion of religion; and, until his death, which happened about the age of fixty, except in the fault which hath been mention "The Lord traineth up his peo-ed, lived in a moft exemplary manple for heaven, in a way which prepares them to fay with a loud noce, Worthy is the Lamb that was flain to receive power, and riches, ner. His heart generally appeared warm with a love of God, the truth, and the fouls of men; he was a steady and affectionate at we tendant on the public and private | of a fovereign difpenfation, duties of religious worship; and may conjecture it was done to bear to his moft intimate, pious ac- witnefs against a fin by which he quaintance gave comfortable evi- had often difhonored a Christian dence of a gracious fincerity. But profeffion, and tempted finful men by the fin beforementioned, he to doubt the reality of a meek was often left to dishonor his Chrif- and lowly character as belonging tian profeffion, in the courfe of to the difciples of Christ. Chrif. his life. The decline which en- tians have no right to expect that ded in his death was long, and God will bear a witnefs for them through the whole of his ficknefs in death, unlefs they have witnefhe was covered with the deepest fed for him. by fuch a life as the darknefs concerning his own per- gofpel requireth. Men may, by fonal condition. His reafon was natural conftitution, or by a conclear, nor was there any evidence tracted habit; or by temptations of hypocondriac melancholy. His arifing from a particular situation former pious companions fpent and employment, be more expomuch time with him in converfa- fed to fome fins than to others; tion and prayer, without any effect ftill this is no juftification. Chrif to remove his darknefs. He ap- tians should never fay, this or a peared to have clear conceptions nother fin is unconquerable, for it of the nature of religion, but could is not truth. The most powerful, feel none of its power. He faid fins may be refifted by the grace of there was no rifing of his heart a- God, which we ought continually gainst God and the truth, at the to feek. Sins of every kind are fame time he appeared to be in deep to be refifted, and thofe especially diftrefs, without a ray of light or by which we are confcious of becomfort to cheer the dreary hour.ing moft eafily overcome The fin of rafh anger lay with great weight on his confcience, and he now faw that he had not watched against that befetting fin as he ought to have done. He did not appear to be terrified with a fenfe of divine anger and vengeance; but his pain of mind, which was fometimes extreme, arofe, from a fenfe that all divine communications were withdrawn from him. His laft intelligible words were, "God is altogether withdrawn: "how dreadful it is to have no "fenfible communications of his grace?" The ftate of this perfon we know not, and if he was pious, as thofe most acquainted with his whole life continued to hope, why did God leave him in fuch fearful darkness? Perhaps without enquirjag too curiously into the reafons It is common to pray that we may have the divine prefence in death; and when this request is granted, after a life of eminent watchfulnefs, piety, and an exemplary holy converfation, it proves very impreffive on the minds of furvivors. Chriftians are confirmed in the covenant faithfulness of their Redeemer, and ungodly men are convinced of divine power and grace. But let not those who live unworthy their profeffion, and are conftantly crucifying Chrift afresh, by their unchriftian paffions and practices expect extraordinary fupport in death. It is true that divine fovereignty may grant it, yet it is more probable that infinite wifdom will bear teftimony against their great imperfections by leaving them to afflicting darkness. PRESBUTEROS. MESS'RS EDITORS, IF you have nothing at hand A letter to a young perfon who had A God." You must acknowledge this to be the best time. Will you ever be fo free from care and worldly concerns, as at prefent? Will you not rather, as you grow older, grow likewife older in iniquity, and increafe the danger of final perdition? Surely you never will be better able to bear the pains of a wounded confcience than at prefent. Do not, because you have been a long time under conviction, and have received no comfort, defpair of receiving mercy from God. Permit me to tell willing to come; fo that if you finally perish, it will be while Jefus cries, "Whofeever will may partake of the water of life freely." But the declaration of God to youth is ftill more encouraging. "I love them that love me and those that seek me early shall find me." Nothing can be more directly adapted to you. And will you doubt the words of God himfelf? He fays he will not turn away thofe empty who fincerely feek S the things of which I now write are of infinite importance to you, no less than about the concerns of your immortal foul, permit me to write freely thofe truths which you must feel, before you can ex-you plainly, it is you who are unpect to receive the fanctifying influences of God's holy fpirit. You inform me, in your letter, that you are ready fometinies to defpair of God's ever changing your heart, or of bringing you home to himfelf; but rather are led to think you were made for the purpofe of being miferable forever. Such thoughts are truly diftreffing, and are fuch as you ought not to indulge. You have indeed been a long time in distress and anguifh; you have feen many others receiv-hi ing comfort, and obtaining a hope that they are brought from death unto life. But thefe things ought not to difcourage you. Be not difcouraged in a thing of fo great importance as the welfare of your immortal foul. Perfevere unto the end. Confider God has a right to do his pleasure with his own, and it is juft for him fo to do. He is now trying you, to let you fee that you are not truly defirous of having an intereft in Chrift; but are excited only by fear of punishment. Confider, further, that probably this is the best time you will ever have for doing this great work, which is to be done, or you muft perish forever.-Chrift fays Except a man be born again he cannot fee the kingdom of Recollect you are not the only perfon whofe unregenerate fecking has been long unfuccefsful; that God has fuffered others to remain a long time in anguifh, almoft to defpair; but has at length appeared for them, and given them another heart and that joy and peace in believing which the world can neither give nor take away. You fhould not defpair of receiving mercy from God, for many who have labored under the pains of a wounded confcience have, through the divine fovereignty, embraced the promifes. Such inftances are by no means rare; they are to be feen in every revival of religion in our towns. And they are not only to be feen among us at the prefent day, but are recorded in the fcriptures for our encouragement. Another reafon why you should not defpair,, amiable perfon, and we paffed the years of childhood and youth together, he was a brother peculiarly dear to me. As the natural con and bearing his name, have a special fhare in my affectionate regard. I truft you will, therefore, not think it ftrange, nor confider me as acting an over-officious part, if I addrefs you with freedom, and make an effort to ferve you, in the only way in which I am at present able to attempt it. is that you will incur the difpleafure of God; and becaufe you will be in great danger of being a final impenitent. That God is diffequence of this, you, his only for pleased with thofe who turn back is abundantly taught from the fcriptures, but more particularly from Hebrews x. 38. " If any man draw back, my foul fhall have no pleafure in him." And from Luke ix. 62. "No man having put his hand to the plough, and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God." The danger you will be in of being a final impenitent is very great. This probably is not the first time you have been concerned for the welfare of your foul. Every time you fhake off the ideas of future and eternal things, you become more hardened, and less likely to beawakened again. Do not therefore quench the fpirit. Be often at the throne of grace. Think not that you can do any thing of yourfelf to merit falvation. While you are in an impenitent ftate every ac-placed within your reach; but extion is fin. You must feel willing to be in the hands of God, and that Chrift should be all in all, in your falvation, or you can never attain eternal life. That God would fubdue ftubborn will, and prepare you for the reception of his holy fpirit, is the earnest prayer of your affectionate friend, your PHILOPSEUCHOS. The only intelligence I have had of you in a number of years, was communicated by Mr.. He informed me, that you had enter ed a member of Yale College.Hence, I confider you in a fitua tion, which, to a young man of your age, and in your circumftances, prefents great good to be ob tained and accomplished, by a fteady, wife and virtuous conduct, and a judicious and faithful improve ment of the means and advantages pofed to numerous and great temptations, and encompaffed with fnares and dangers, which render it problematical, whether the refult will be ultimately beneficial to you. way It is extremely difficult for the inexperience of youth to attain clear ideas and a just sense of the vaft importance of a diligent and wife improvement of the early part of life of keeping clear of the follies and vices, into which the young are liable to fall, and as much as may be out of the of temptation-of governing their ap petites and paffions--of fixing good principles in their minds-of acquiring and cultivating good and beneficial habits, habits of industry, economy, temperance, chastity, juftice, honefty, integrity, benevolence, kindnefs and mercy-of fteadily parfuing a virtuous and เน manly line of conduct of reverencing the name, the word and the worship of God, and in fhort, of early piety and true religion. Therefore, as your father was long fince taken way, permit me in his ftead, with the affectionate tendernefs and concern of a father for his fon, to entreat and befeech you, to remember and habitually bear in mind, that the exiftence begun in this world is to continue forever, and that during the fhort period of your prefent life, your character I will be formed for eternity, and a foundation laid for endless glory or endlefs mifery that the eye of God is continually upon you and nothing can be hid from him-that in order to escape everlafting deftruction and be happy hereafter, you must be born of God, and faved by grace, through faith in Chrift that the holy fcriptures, however lightly esteemed and defpifed by many, are indeed the word of the living God, and contain the only true and perfect rule of faith and practice. Be perfuaded, therefore, to read them with attention to attend, with confcientious dilligence, the facred inftitutions therein contained and inculcated to refrain from every thing which appears to be contrary to the will of God revealed in his word, and to study to conform in all respects to his revealed will, and to let no day pafs without prayer and thanksgiving to God. Be perfuaded likewife, to be particularly careful, that you do not confent to the enticements of finners, or af fociate with the vicious and profane; but choose the virtuous, the well behaved and pious for your companions, remembering that 50 he who walketh with wife men fhall be wife; but a companion of fools fhall be destroyed." Let me entreat you alfo, to be P particularly cautious against the too frequent practice of difregarding and defpifing inftructors and governors, and treating their inftructions and counfels, reproofs and authority with neglect and contempt; and on the contrary, to refpect and esteem them, and to endeavor to poffefs their good will and efteem by a uniformly fteady, orderly and dutiful, unaffuming and modeft carriage and behaviourto exercife diligence and difcretion in the profecution of your studies, taking advice and direction from your teachers, and fuch as, thro' age and experience, are likely to be in that way serviceable to you. And whilft you labor to make proficiency in the knowledge of arts and sciences, and the various branches of polite or ufeful literature, remember, that the wisdom which is from above, involving the fear of the Lord, is highly neceffary to fit you for acting in a manner most honorable and ufeful to yourself and to others, in any public bufinefs or station, calling or profeffion, and abfolutely effential to your future everlafting felicity. I know not with what fentiments and feelings you may be likely to receive this letter, which an earnest defire for your best good has induced me to write; tho' on account of extreme low health, it has been not a little labor and wearinefs to me. But if you should take it in good part, and it fhould, thro the bleffing of God, prove the occafion or means of any real benefit to you, I fhall think myself moft amply recompenfed. An Addrefs from the Trustees of the Mifionary Society of Connecticut, to the Inhabitants of the New-Settlements, in the northern and Western parts of the United States |