art are great. Your numbers are vaft. Many amongst you are fam

cause of virtue and piety is the caufe of God; who then can oppofe it and profper? The heathened for their brilliancy of talents,

rage, the people imagine a vain thing; the kings of the earth fet themselves and the rulers take counfel together against the Lord and against his anointed. But give not way to defpondency. Christianity will be upheld and finally triumph: For God hath fet his king upon his holy hill of Zion, and he will give him the heathen for his inheritance and the uttermoft parts of the earth for his poffeffion. Perhaps you may fee a mountain of difficulties to prevent the profperity of Zion and impede the progrefs of the gofpel. But who art thou great mountain ? before the divine Zerubbabel thou fhalt become a plain. · ·

their worldly wisdom, their wealth and power. Your meafures of oppofition to Christianity have ripened to a fyftem. Your labors have not failed of the defired fuccefs. The things of your policy âfe in a promifing train. You foon expect to "crufh the wretch," banish religion from the world and render your victory complete. You al ready begin to exult and triumph. But let not him that girdeth on his harnefs boat himself, as he that putteth it off." The day is not yours. Your victory is partial, your triumph momentary. Your fortitude, zeal, art and ftrength will not render you victorious, for God is against you. You are fighting against the Lord of Hofts whofe kingdom will stand and whofe dominion will have no end. Your fchemes will be defeated, your expectations will perish, your caufe will be ruined and in its deftruction you will be destroyed. Zion's God liveth and he is on the throne. Therefore the gates of hell will not prevail against her. He will break her enemies with a rod of iron, and dash them to pieces like a potter's veffel. "Be

4thly. We may infer that to be wicked men is dangerous. All finners are engaged in a caufe which will certainly come to ruin. Satan with all his forces cannot win the victory nor fupport his kingdom. The conquefts he has made will in the end be his overthrow and his empire will tremble and fall. The fad confequences of this catastrophe must be felt by all his fubjects. We live in a day when the friends of chriftianity feel the importance of greater un-wife, now, therefore, O ye kings; ion and more vigorous exertions in defence of the truth and fpread of the gofpel-a day alfo in which the enemies of Chrift are uniting in the propagation of dangerous error and in the fupport of the kingdom of darkness when the devil has come down, having great wrath, because his time is fhort. He brings his millions to the field and is drawing up his forces in battle array for the complete deftruction of the followers of Chrift. Ye fons of infidelity and wickedness! Your boldness, your zeal and your

be inftructed ye judges of the earth," refrain from your oppofi tion to Christianity, "left ye be found even to fight against God," "and ye perifh from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little." SHAPHAN.

FOR THE CONNECTICUT EVAN-
GELICAL MAGAZINE.

MESS'RS EDITORS,

You have published, from different writers, obfervations on Heb. v. 7. If you think it not

this paffage fhould be admitted into your Magazine, and do not difapprove of the following, they are at your difpofal.

improper, that further remarks on | mentioned-O my Father, if this cup may not pass from me, except I drink it, thy will be done-And be was heard, that is accepted and approved, both in his prayer and fubmiffion, for the perfection of his filial fear and piety."

IT is

T is prefumed that the key to a right expofition of this text, will be found to be a juft idea of that fear, which the apostle here afcribes to our Lord Jefus Chrift. And was heard in that he feared. In our tranflation a verb is made ufe of, he feared. In the Greek a fubftantive. He was heard for because of on account of his fear. The original word is not phobos, the term commonly made ufe of by the Greeks, to fignify a dread of evil, mifery or diftrefs; but eulabeia which fignifies reverence or reverential fear, that fear of God which the Pfalmift tells us, is clean, enduring forever. And which comprifes in it all true holiness. Accordingly the marginal reading is, he was heard for his piety

To this paraphrase I will add a few obfervations. The impreffive fense which our Saviour had in the garden, of his future fufferings, was beyond measure agonizing, as the hiftory of the Evangelifts fully evidences. Sufferings, and efpecially extreme fufferings are dreadful to nature; no lefs fo, to innocent and holy beings, than to the unholy. The defire of avoiding mifery, is natural and irresistible in all. None can be willing to fuffer, but for valuable confiderations. The prayer of our Saviour was excited by a clear prefcience of anguish and diftrefs, far exceeding the powers of our conception. At the fame time he knew the infinite gain to the univerfe, which thofe fufferings would effect. If all this good could not be obtained by other means, he freely fubmit

himself. This entire fubmiffion to his heavenly Father, amidit a prayer for deliverance, excited by the agonies of his holy foul was the highest act of his obedience, and moft decidedly proved its abfolute perfection. It gave an additional value and luftre to all that he did as Mediator. For this as the final act, he was heard and accepted of his Father, and fecured in the endless enjoyment of all the infinitely great and glorious rewards of his fufferings.

These facts naturally lead to the following paraphrafe. "Our bleffed Saviour, the great High Prieft of his Church, in the gar-ted to fuftain the tremendous load den of Gethsemane, when his mind was deeply impreffed with a perfect forefight of the dreadful fufferings that were before him, offered up prayers and fupplications, accompanied with trong crying and tears to his Almighty Father, who was infinitely able to deliver him; that, if it were poffible, if it were confiftent with the highest divine glory in the falvation of finners, he might be exempted from that bitter death. His human nature, though perfectly holy, 'fhrunk from the thought of fuch inconceivable fufferings. But yet, amidft this keen anguish which the profpect offered, he did not afk for deliverance unconditionally, but exprefsly on the condition already

The preceding view of the text may not be free from objection; but it is believed not to be liable to feveral, which lie against other conftructions, which have been adopted. L. T.

MESS'RS EDITORS,

YOU will please publish in your Magazine the following letter, fhould you judge it useful to thofe under affliction, or in any degree contributing to the glory of God.

Y

DEAR FRIENDS,

--

great an affection on your beloved child. If fo;-God has now removed her to teach you, that your truft, and dependence, and love must be fupremely fixed on that heavenly friend, who will never fail. Thus may the rod of God, be to you as the rod of Aaron, bloffoming with divine bleffings, ESTERDAY, we heard the and bringing forth holy and heavmelancholy tidings of the enly fruit. Truly our heavenly death of your daughter, Mrs. Father can make our bittereft afIf the compaffion of friends can flictions to become the richest merafford the fhadow of confolation, cies. He hath promised that "all you have my tendereft fympathy. things fhall work together for good, You have, alfo, my ardent pray- to them who love God." Hapers to heaven, for divine fupport.py would it be for us, if we could to be given to yourselves, and fam- learn to depend more on heaven ily; and very especially to the and lefs upon the earth. Happy furviving husband, the friend of would it be for us, if we would whofe youth, the foother of whofe learn to take up the crofs, and folforrows, and the companion of low Christ. The crofs is the way whofe happiest days, is now no to the crown. Our Saviour hath more. Our only confolation, in travelled in this path, and hath trials, like yours, when friends left behind him this leffon for all can only drop an unavailing tear, his children, "If ye will be my is the righteous fovereignty of difciples, ye muft take up the crofs God and his covenant mercy to and follow me.” the faithful. "The cup which our heavenly Father giveth us, fhall we not drink?" God is now faying to you, by the voice of his providence, Son, daughter, loveft thou me, more than this child? May your hearts, by faith, reply, Lord thou knoweft all things: thou knowest that I love thee; and that, at the command of thy righteous fovereignty, I can give up my child, my nearest friends, yea my own life also. May God's will be your will; May afflictions teach you to know no defire, but the Lord's pleasure. You will fay, perhaps," My fpirit is willing" and refigned but the flesh is weak." Be it fo: yet it is written "My grace is fufficient for thee." "I will never leave thee, nor forfake thee."

Perhaps you have placed too

To a Christian, the bitterness of the cup of forrow must be greatly fweetened by the confideration, that the friend of finners has taken it before us, and has given us a command to do as he hath done. The greater our trials are, the pleafanter will be the heavenly reft of the faithful at laft. Let us, then, do our duty, and truft in God. He has not fuffered all this to befal you by chance. It is the ordering of infinite wifdom. The exact time, and manner, and circumftances of her death were all decreed by a holy, benevolent and righteous Sovereign. Surely this must be a confolation to a child of God. Could you now fee, as you will hereafter know, if you are found among the faithful, you will rejoice that every thing has been ordered as it hath taken place. You

will not wish that a fingle circum- | deceased? They must be a comfort ftance had varied, in all the trials, which your heavenly Father hath appointed you.

Believing, now, his infinite wif dom, and goodness, fhew forth the fpirit of a dutiful, and childlike refignation. If need be, we are afflicted. God fees when it is needful, and what is needful. "What he does, we know not now; but we fhall know hereafter." Leave all things therefore to his holy guidance, look to him for fupport; and while every affliction ferves to break a link of that chain, which confines our affections to the creature, let us fo improve our trials, that they may advance us nearer to that world, where forrow and mourning fhall forever cease. The fcriptures give many intimations, that faithful fouls will fee and know each other in heaven.

to you, in the abfence of their mother. They must be doubly dear to their furviving parent, under his prefent weight of forrow. May God fpare the little lambs to grow up and be bleffings to you on earth. May they, one day height. en the joy of your interview in heaven, and be found among the Saviour's jewels.

N. B. To-morrow begins a New-Year. It opens with mourning, but may it clofe with joy a bundantly proportioned to your prefent forrows.

TO THE EDITORS OF THE CON.
NECTICUT EVANGELICAL MAG

AZINE.

GENTLEMEN,

In your Magazine fome obferv. ations have been made refpecting the usefulness of what is termed conference meetings. The inclof ed are anfwers to feveral queftions which were put at fuch meetings. The question was given at one meeting to be answered the next, in writing or viva voce. Thofe 1 fend you were written by a young woman of eighteen who had become a hopeful fubject of efficacious grace. Poffibly they may be thought to be only a fummary extracted from fome writer on the fubjects. Should this appear to be the cafe, I think a confiderable degree of ingenuity is discovered in condenfing the fubject into so small a compafs. But as there are an fwers to feveral other questions written by the fame hand, fome of which I know are original, and as I do not recollect any fuch phrafe

What a joyous confideration is this? How ought it to animate you, and the family, and the furviving hufband of the dear deceased, to wait, with faith, and patience, for that day, when you hope to fee your friend, in a better world, and renew your affection, with heavenly purity, and without the moft diftant fear of a fecond feparation. Oh my friends! what comfort is there in religion. Religious confolations are never more precious, than in time of earthly forrows. They are never more ready for our fupport, than when we moft need them. Afflictions are precious feafons for the faithful. They ripen our graces, they increafe our joys, they advance us heaven-ward, they prepare us to tafte the fweets of pi ety, and mature us for the fervice of that God," in whofe prefence is fulness of joy." I hear that your daughter left two little chilology in any of my reading, 1 dren behind her, when she died. fully believe that they are not exPrecious remembrances of the dear tracts but original, compofitions on

the fubjects. They are fubmitted | world, in praifing and glorifying to your judgment. Yours,

ALANSON.

Queftion. What is it to fee fin

as fin?

To fee fin as fin, we must fee that it is an infinite evil-contrary to a holy God, and an enemy to ail his glorious attributes. Sin is contrary to the law of God and the good of our own fouls. It strikes at the nature and being of God-it fets us dreadfully diftant from a conformity to, and delight in the glorious perfections of God. It is vile and odious as against the infinite grace and mercy of God in Jefus Chrift-To fee the horrid nature of fin let us view the fufferings of our Saviour, when fin was imputed to him-He hung-bled and expired on the cross.

God, in loving, admiring, and adoring him to eternity. Alfo that our fouls may be perfectly freed from all fin, and perfectly conformed to God, and a full enjoyment of him that we may there join the angelic hoft in admiring and adoring, the infinite beauty, love and condefcenfion of our glorious Redeemer, viewing of him with everlasting furprise and admiration, as an object ever new, and infinitely entertaining, throughout a boundless eternity.

Religious Intelligence.

ORDINATION.

On Wednesday April 21ft, the Rev. Jofiah B. Andrews was or dained to the pastoral care of the

Queftion. What is the condition fecond Church and Society in Kil

of thofe that are out of Chrift?

Those that are out of Chrift are

in a very deplorable ftate. Every moment in danger of death-are unprepared for eternity, and at an awful uncertainty of what will become of them forever-They have no refpect to the glory of God in any of their performances, but are continually going off from Godat enmity with him-loving fin and hating holiness. They are expofed to the dreadful penalties of the divine law-and to have the wrath of almighty God burft forth in fury upon them, and fink them into the regions of everlasting despair, there to spend an awful eternity with the damned in hell.

Queflion. What fhould we defire to go to heaven for ?

That we may be perfectly holy, and perfectly exercifed in the holy employments of the heavenly

lingworth. The Rev Jofeph Wafbburn of Farmington made the introductory prayer; the Rev. Abel Flint, of Hartford preached the Sermon, from Acts xxviii. 31.The Rev. Thomas W. Bray of North-Guilford made the confecrating prayer; the Rev. Cyprian Strong, of Chatham gave the charge; the Rev. David Selden of Middle-Haddam gave the Righthand of Fellowship; and the Rev. Nathan Perkins, D. D. of WestHartford, made the concluding prayer.

MISSIONARIES.

The Rev. Solomon Morgan lately returned from a miffion of a few weeks to the northern part of Ver

mont.

The Rev. Alexander Gillet is about to enter on a miffion to the fame fettlements.