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paid unto the Lord, my vows? What have I done more than others? Have I grown in grace and in knowledge, in faith, in patience, in contentment hope and joy? Have I vifited the fatherlefs and the widows, in their affliction, and kept myself unfpotted from the world? Have I wrought righteoufnefs, difperfed abroad and given to the poor ? Have I loved the church of God, and exerted myself for the furtherance of the gofpel? Have I made fome advancement indeed, in the habits of piety and righteoufnefs? And are my defires and refolutions to be the Lord's more ardent, conftant and fixed? Can I review the year with a humble hope, and the pleafing fatisfaction that these have been the happy labors and fruits of it? Or am I, O unhappy foul, like the profeffors of Sardis dead while I have a name to live? Am I not among the foolish virgins who, when they that are ready fhall enter in, and the door fhall be fhut, fhall ftand without and find no admittance to the wedding?

Let the impenitent finner fay I have spent another year in fin. My long fuffering Creator has kept me another year from the darkgrave and the quenchlefs flame, while many other wicked perfons are Egone

into them. He hath loaded me with his benefits, but I have abufed all his goodnefs, and have apparently been living to fill up the measure of my fin. The fcore of my guilt is far greater than when I began the last year; my wicked habits are more strong and fixed, I am more like the Ethiopian who cannot change his fkin, and like the leopard whofe fpots can never be washed away, than I ever was at any period of my life before. I never before appeared fo like a veffel fitted to deftruction. This

year it may be said to me, thou shalt die. And art not thou alarmed, O my foul! Shall I continue in fin until I lie down in forrow? O let me escape for my life! Let me fly, without a moment's delay, as the man-flayer to the city of his refuge, and as the dove to her windows, to lay hold on the hope fet before me!

But what are the profpects before us? Look forward and you will fee, in the prefent year, many barren trees cut down, the hopes of many hypocrites perishing, and like the giving up of the ghoft. Many who fare fumptuously every day will die, be buried, and lift up their eyes in torments. Many of God's chofen ones will reft from their labors and be carried, like the pious beggar into Abraham's bofom. Yes, among one or other of thefe numbers, may, probably, be feen fome of the Editors, and many of their readers. Shall we then be idle? Does it not behove us to work while the day lasteth?

So far as we can understand the figns of the times, the days which are to come will be days of trouble. Iniquity remarkably abounds, and the love of many waxeth cold. New, ftrange and licentious doctrines almost every where are broached; and God will vifit for thefe things. The man of fin, though fupported by confuls and kings, muft totally fall; the Turkifh empire must be broken, and the long arrears of blood must be paid. Though there may be a fhort calm, the ftorm will be gathering, and the earth will yet be more terribly fhaken. While therefore we behold the tumult of the people, the violence and changes which are in the earth, and the mutability of all human things, let us the more rejoice that there is a throne and kingdom which cannot be fhaken; a city wherein dwel

leth righteoufnefs. With what folicitude and perfeverance fhould we feek an inheritance and fettlement in that bleffed country, that in our appointed time we may fly away and enjoy everlasting rest!

Reflections of the Editors on the commencement of a New-Year; and a ferious addrefs to their readers.

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OW momentary are the days of man? Are they not fwifter than a post? Rapid as the eagle's flight when she hasteth to the prey? How foon has ever-fleeting time terminated another important portion of our lives, and borne us on to the commencement of a NewYear? Yes, folemn momentous thought! We are advanced one year further towards that awful period when we fhall write and fpeak no more! When we shall make our bed in the duft; ftand before the judgment feat of Chrift, and render an account of ourfelves, and of our miniftry! How we have watched, labored and prayed for the fouls committed to our paftoral care With what views and defires we and our correfpondents have written and published for our readers! And how we have conducted ourfelves towards God and men, in every period, relation and condition of life! With what ferioufnefs, O our fouls, fhould we review the years which are paft ? With what fhame and penitence for paft fins and unprofitablenefs? With what gratitude and praife for the patience and goodnefs which our common Father hath exercifed towards us? And with what folemnattention and impartiality fhould we examine ourselves with refpect to our preparation for that most awful moment, on which we have been meditating, when time with

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us shall be no more? How great and momentous are the events of a fingle year? What changes are made in individuals, in families, in our churches, and congregations? How many countenances hath God changed and how many people of every fex and age hath he fent away, in the course of the last year? How have we followed the young, the gay, and the thoughtless, the man of mature age, the grey headed and the babe to the grave? Nay, how many pious brethren with whom we went to the house of God in company, met at the table of our common Lord, and with whom we took fweet counsel together, have exchanged worlds, and winged their flight from this ftrange land to the Father's houfe? Yes, how many of our refpective hearers are gone before us to judg ment, and are witnefling for, or against us, in the eternal world? What numbers of our readers, in the past year, have been unalterably fixed with them, in the fame everlasting state? View them, O our fouls, rejoicing in the paradife of God, or finking in the abyss of woe. Hear how they fing, or mourn! How are they gone, forever gone, from the inftructive, warning and comforting voice of the gofpel? How are our hearers and readers conftantly going into the grave? How is their harveft paffing away and fummer ending, from week to week, from month to month, and year to year? Should not thefe contemplations and views awake all the folicitude and ener gies of our fouls, and impel us to do whatever our hand frdeth to do, with all our might, for them as well as for ourselves? How folemn and momentous is the work of the evangelical miniftry? How dreadful muft floth and unfaithfulnefs be in this divine fervice! What

mong themfelves; and that mutual efteem and friendship subsist bethem and us, challenge our grateful notice." All the fuccefs we

fupplies of grace, what abundant | enjoy general health and peace awatchfulness and prayer are neceffary, that we may finish our courfe with joy, and the miniftry which we have received of the Lord Jefus, to teftify the gofpel of the grace of God? What occafion have we to addrefs all good people in the language of the Apoftle, Brethren, pray for us.

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have had in our miniftry, in the quickening, edification, comfort and joy of our hearers; all the enlargement and fpiritual pleasure we have experienced in the duties of While we contemplate, that our office, and in the duties of reGod hath counted us faithful, put- ligion, in the clofet, in the family, ting us into the ministry; and that and in the houfe of God, are furnotwithstanding our great unprofi- ther arguments of wonder and tablenefs and ill-defert, we, through praife. The fuccefs of this magftrength obtained from him, con- azine, the pleasure we have in continue unto the prefent time, and templating the great things which may once more congratulate our God has done for his churches, in readers on their entrance upon a- publishing them, and in communinother year, we confefs, that we cating a variety of inftruction to have reason to be filled with holy fo many thousands of readers; admiration and aftonishment, at the that they might participate in our diftinguishing forbearance and good-pleafures, be with us mutually quicknefs of God toward us. Efpecially, when we confider the advanced period of life to which fome of us have arrived, and how many much younger than ourselves, and fome who were eminent for genius, literature, piety and usefulness have been difmiffed, the last year, from their labors, it ferves further to enhance the riches of the divine patience, and to exalt our ideas of the divine beneficence. That we have been thus diftinguished, is to be refolved wholly into the mere fovereign goodness of God. Even fo, Father, for fo it feemed good in thy fight. Not unto us, not unto us, O Lord, but to thy name, be all the glory. That the people of our refpective charges behold their teachers, that they are not in fackcloth and widowhood: That they

*Dr. Jonathan Edwards, Prefident
of Union-College, who died on the 1ft
of Auguft laft, was distinguished in all
the particulars above mentioned.
+ Matth. xi. 26.

Pfalm cxv. I.
VOL. II. No. 7.

ened and animated, and unite their joys and thanksgivings with ours, demand our praife. Indeed, whatever bleffings we enjoy ourfelves, whatever inftruction, quickening, comfort and joy, we have been inftrumental of communicating to others, or what ever, good we have been enabled to do to individuals, or to any part of God's great and holy kingdom, increaseth the countlefs obligations we are under to be the Lord's, and conftantly to glorify him in our bodies, and in our fpirits which are his. Thefe are all bleffings which flow forth from his fovereign goodness and triumph over all the ill-defert and bafenefs of men. They proclaim the immenfe excellency and glory of his nature, and his worthinefs of univerfal praise. Do not our hearts burn within us while we thus contemplate his beneficence and glory? Can we thus behold him and not love him? And not defire to praise and enjoy him? We will therefore blefs the Lord at all times z Hh

Year, we also invite and stimulate them to this noble and angelic employment. It is good to fing praifes unto our God, it is pleafant, and praife is comely for the upright.

Further to warm our own and your hearts, and to raise them to the higheft elevations of gratitude Oand praife, let it be confidered that every moment we live, every breath we draw, the health of our countenance, the length of our days, our friends and all our comforts of every kind are his fovereign gifts, and flow from this uncreated infinite fountain of good. In him we live, and move, and have our being. Of him, and through him, and to him are all things. To whom then, but to him fhall all creatures in heaven, and on earth afcribe glory and dominion forever? All the intelligence, holinefs and happiness of faints and angels in heaven, all the life, reafon, beauty, natural and moral good on earth and in the feas are an emanation from him? He hath filled them both with his riches. Jefus Chrift that unfpeakable gift, all the pardons, peace, comfort and joys of the faved, in time and in eternity are the effects of his love. What exalted ideas must these views give us of the divine fulness, beneficence and glory? But fhould we proceed in our contemplations, and view all this com municated good, but as a spark to the fun, or a drop to the ocean, when compared with the effential infinite goodness of his nature, it muft ftill, beyond all calculation exalt our conceptions of his glory, and worthinefs to be praifed.

his praife fhall continually be in our
mouth. Blefs the Lord, O our fouls,
and all that is within us, blefs his
holy name. Blefs the Lord, O our
fouls, and forget not all his benefits.
Thus we wish to praife the Lord,
for all his patience, long-fuffering
and goodnefs to us, to the church,
and the whole human race.
that men would praife the Lord, for
his goodness, and for his wonderful
works to the children of men! We
wifh our readers, our correfpon-
dents, and all who love the name
of our God would unite with us,
in offering all thankfgiving, and
bleffing and glory unto him for his
own glorious perfections, and for
his goodness to us, to them, to the
churches of Chrift in this State, in
all the United States, and to the
church univerfal. The more we
love and praise God for his excel-
lent greatness and mighty acts on
the commencement of this New-
Year, the more gratefully we re-
count the mercies of the laft, and
of all the past years of our lives,
and the more powerfully we are led
to repentance by them, the more
eminently fhall we begin the year
with God, the more acceptable
fhall we be in his fight, and the
more profitable fhall we be to our-
felves and others. In juft fuch
proportion as we begin our days
and years with gratitude and praife,
fhall we be employed in the bufi-
nefs, and enjoy the bleffedness of
Heaven. In the fame proportion
fhall we be prepared to bid adieu
to days and years, and to begin
the more fublime and perfect fervi-
ces of the celeftial city. We
therefore befeech our readers to ac-
cept it as the best pledge of our
brotherly affection, and as an ad-
ditional effort to all our former at
tempts to do them good, that while
we congratulate them on all the
happy circumstances of the New-

His goodness as it refpects men is rendered still more affecting and wonderful, from a confideration of their exceeding finfulness. The fins of every man exceed all comprehenfion, both as to number and magnitude. Who can underfland

bleffings have we enjoyed in the health, peace, plenty, civil and religious privileges experienced by the nation in general, and by this State in particular? In the contin

his errors? The fins of wicked men are numerous as their thoughts and actions. The fins of many of them are enormous and heavendaring. Thefts, perjuries, murders, blafphemies and all abomina-uation of the important lives and ble iniquities are found in their usefulness of our governor and fkirts; yet God hath patience with council! Of our fenators and repthem, and from year to year, loads refentatives in the national conthem with his benefits. If the fins grefs, and of the judges of our of individuals are numerous and courts? That they are all living to great beyond conception, how much participate with us in the joys of more fo are the fins of great bod- the New-Year? That among the nuies of men? Of cities, nations, merous clergy of this State there have and the whole world of mankind? been but two inftances of death?* Could the curtain be drawn, and That the liberality of the good the wickedness of one great city, people of this State, hath aboundonly for one day be brought into ed towards their brethren in the view, as God fees it, how would New-fettlements, and towards the it aftonish all the living? But the Pagans of America, beyond all fins of the whole world are all na- former precedent? That the divine ked and open to the divine view, fmiles have attended the Miffionary yet he hath patience and fills the Society and that the preaching of earth with his riches. The fins of the Miffionaries has been attended his own people are many and atten- with fuch happy effects? That the ded with great aggravations, yet legiflature continue to countenance he pardons them, will never leave our charitable designs? That the nor forfake them. By no means. Miffionary fpirit, in Europe and He will be their God, and caufe America, continues; that the numthem to inherit all things. O fove- ber of miffions is annually increafreign, triumphant, furprifing good-ing, and the door of faith and falnefs of God! Can we thus contemplate him, and not love and obey him with all the ftrength and defire of our fouls? And not adore and blefs his name forever? Can we view him ruling over all, doing good to all, and reigning forever, and not with united love, gratitude and joy, fing with the hofts of heav. en, Amen, Alleluia !

vation appears to be opening more extenfively to the Heathen both on the continents, and on the islands in the fea. Besides, several of our churches in this State, in the NewSettlements, and in the fifter States have experienced a time of refreshing from the presence of the Lord. Their numbers, zeal, beauty and order have been happily increased. Numbers of our hearers and read

Further, if poffible, to inflame our own and your love and grati-ers have, probably, been born and tude, and to awaken all our hearts adopted into the family of heaven, to praise and obedience, let us con- and begun to live to God. Some template the goodness of our com- have experienced the fresh anoinmon Benefactor, the laft year, not-tings of the fpirit, and been filled withstanding all our public and private offences, to the American States, to this State, and to us in particular. What distinguishing

*The Rev. Mr. Langdon of Danbury, and the Rev. Mr. Thompson of Montville.

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