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plaintive expressions of dejec-ness. To this agree the words

of the Prophet: "Before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear."

But, through the common course of divine Providence, we are liable to so many trying occurrences, that though Our

trial, condemn us; yet we may be greatly afflicted. It is, therefore, very important, that we have respect to all the divine commands. This is the best defence against despair. Says David, "Unless thy law had been my delight, I should then have perished in my affliction. I will never forget thy precepts: For, with them hast thou quickened me."

tion and distrust, yet his confidence, in the goodness and truth of God, was so far recovered, that he could, at the close of the Psalm, say, "Blessed be the Lord forevermore." And so firm was his reliance, that he even added to the expression of praise and adoration, his repeat-hearts may not, at the time of ed Amen: Or, verily, so let it be. If God but looked through the cloud, which, at any time, intervened between his smiling face and the disconsolate soul of David; that condescending look could turn his darkness into day, his mourning into gladness; to the end or purpose, that his glory (i. e. his tongue) might sing praise to God, and not be silent. (Psalm xxx.) And the genuineness of his grateful affections often appears in that, upon his recovery from his despondency he requests others to join with him in his acknowledgements of thankfulness and adoration. "I will bless the Lord at all times--my soul shall make her boast in the Lordthe humble shall hear thereof and be glad. Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together: I sought the Lord, and he heard me and delivered me from all my fears."

"Great peace have they who love God's law." They are cheerful and confident in his universal government and protecting goodness. And while they rejoice, that the whole creation is at his sovereign disposal, they, through faith, delightfully view the unchangeable Redeemer accomplishing his gracious design of redemption, and causing all things to work together for good to them who love God, and who are the called, according to his purpose.he most effectual way to And though they may be desprevent a melancholy temper titute of outward wealth, yet and dejected spirit is to walk they, in the true meaning of the closely with God, and thereby expression, possess all things.— keep our consciences pure.- In times of adversity, their song "Our iniquities separate be- is, "The Lord liveth; blessed tween us and our God, and our be my rock; and let the God of sins hide his face from us, that my salvation be exalted." In he will not hear." But when them is fulfilled the saying of an we, through his free grace, love ancient: "Whether a man be and obey him, he favoreth us rich or poor, if he have a good with his special presence and heart toward the Lord, he shall, mercy: He even preventeth us at all times, rejoice with with the blessings of his good-cheerful countenance."

a

I conclude, by inserting the following lines of an approved writer.

Support in God's Covenant under troubles. 2 Sam. xxiii. 5.

I.

"My God, the Covenant of thy love
Abides forever sure;
And, in its matchlefs grace, I feel
My happiness fecure,

2.

recollect that your observation particularly respected the revivals of religion in Connecticut, in which there appeared nothing strange, disorderly, or visionary. But judging from the narratives, every thing was conducted with decency and regularity; so that the enemies of the work could say nothing against it, but what was equally against the religion

What, though my house be not with of the gospel.

thee,

As nature could defire?
To nobler joys than nature gives,
Thy fervants all aspire.

3.
Since thou, the everlasting God,
My Father art become ;
Jefus my guardian and my friend,
And heaven my final home;

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LETTER III.
From Shaphan to his Sister.

Belfast, August 26, 1804.

DEAR SISTER,

UNDE

Pray now, sister, inquire what is implied in your observation, and what it is that you so much dread! Permit me to assist you in this inquiry, and lay open the subject before your mind. Doubtless, you will remember, that the narratives above mentioned assured us, that the effects of these revivals were of such a happy nature, as to furnish indubitable evidence that they were the work of the divine spirit. The vain became serious, the vicious were reformed, the negligent were disposed to social and religious duties, and those who were the subjects of the work, became more orderly and useful members of society, and entertained a humble hope of future happiness and glory. These are the natural fruits of true religion. In things of this kind does the grace of God appear when implanted in the heart. Then what you so much dread, and are determined so strenuously to oppose, is the work of God's spirit in alarming, convincing, reforming, and renewing sinners to the knowledge and obedience of the truth.

【NDERSTANDING that you received my last in good part, I am induced to write you again. You once observed, when speaking of the Connecticut Evangelical Magazine, that you was very much displeased with the narratives given in it of religious revivals. You added, "I expect there will be a revival amongst us before long, the peo-connection with your observaple have become so abominably wicked; but there is nothing that I more dread, or would so strenuously oppose." You will

From the above statement, in

tion, it seems that there is nothing you so much dread, as to have vicious men become virtuous. For instance; to have the

drunkard become a sober man, the liar a man of truth, the knave an honest man, the profane swearer a man of decent and sober language, and unkind, slanderous, and quarrelsome neighbors to amicably settle all their disputes, and live in friendship and mutual kindness.

There is nothing you more dread than to have people faithful in the discharge of all relative duties. For example; to have masters lenient and servants faithful, parents attentive to the spiritual and best good of their children, and children dutiful and kind to their parents:Nothing you more dread than to see husbands and wives live in peace, and be mutual helps and comforts in their way through life; or rulers to rule in righteousness and in the fear of the Lord, and people to lead quiet and peaceable lives.

There is nothing you more dread than to have irreligious men become attentive to the duties of religion. To particularize; you dread to have sinners become prayerful, to read the scriptures, and constantly attend public worship:-You dread to have the sabbath observed by those who have profaned it, and the worship of God to be set up in the houses of your prayerless neighbors.

There is nothing you more dread than to have persons who are destitute of all moral goodness, enriched with the graces of the gospel. To be particular; you dread to have sinners love God, to have them thankful for his mercies, patient under his frowns, submissive to his will, rejoicing in his government, trusting his faithfulness, and obeying his laws:-You dread to

have sinners repent of their transgressions and believe in Christ :-You dread to have a man love his neighbor as himself, to receive and suffer wrong with meekness, to forgive injuries, and wish well to all men.

You dread to have sinners freed from the condemnation of God's law and the dominion of sin: You dread to have them enjoy the blessedness of a pardoned state and the hopes of heaven: You dread to have them escape the perdition of the ungodly and obtain a crown of unfading glory in the world to come. You say there is nothing you so much dread as these things, when you declare that you dread a revival of religion more than any thing else; for these things are the happy effects of a genuine revival of religion; they are either implied in it, or directly flow from it. You not only dread, but are determined most strenuously to oppose these things; that is, to oppose virtue, the present welfare of mankind, their eternal salvation, and the glory of God. As you are resolved to oppose the cause of virtue and happiness, you must of course lend your assistance to build up the kingdom of sin and misery. Since you are determined to use your influence to prevent men from becoming holy, you rejoice in their sinfulness. Since there is no other way to future happiness and glory but by being renewed unto holiness, you can rejoice in the shame and endless ruin of your fellow-creatures. You are strenuously opposed to the advancement of Christ's kingdom, you are therefore pleased with seeing the kingdom of Satan prosper, and can cheer

fully lend your assistance for its promotion.

You say, there is nothing you so much dread as a revival of religion. Not the most distressing famine through the landNot the prevalence of the most loathsome and mortal pestilence -Not all the horrors of a wasting and bloody war-Not the most melancholy and shameful death of all your kindred and friends-Not the sorest judgments of God imaginable-No, not even the endless miseries of mankind. According to your According to your own voluntary declaration, you would choose that any one, or all of these evils should happen, in preference to a religious revival, or which is the same thing, in preference to an increase of sobriety, truth, righteousness, mercy, faithfulness, piety, and all the fruits of God's spirit.

Are these your feelings, sister? Is this a just picture of your heart?

Is it possible! Abiding by your declaration, you cannot deny it, unless you say, that by a revival of religion you do not mean an increase of sobriety, righteousness and godliness. But this you cannot say, since your observation particularly respected those revivals of

which we have a narrative in the magazine. The uniform representation there given us of these religious attentions is according to the statement I have made. Neither the accounts we have had attested by eye-witnesses of what passed where these revivals took place, nor the permanent effects they produced upon the minds and practice of people, can possibly lead us to suppose that they consisted in noise, enthusiasm, disorder, fear, wildfire, or, any thing, more or less, VOL. V. No. 6.

than an increase of genuine religion. When God builds up his kingdom amongst men, we are to expect that he will make sinners to see their danger and tremble, before they are brought to hope in his mercy. Instead of its being inconsistent with a work of God's spirit, for sinners to inquire with anxious solicitude, "what shall we do to be saved?" it is no more than what we have reason to expect in every place where God is building up Zion. This took place under the ministry of the apostles; men whom Christ sent forth to preach his gospel; and instead of considering serious inquiry and distressing solicitude in the minds of an assembly about their salvation, as an evidence that God was not there; they rejoiced in the thing as an evident display of divine power and grace and a prelude to a happy change. And though many are disposed to believe that all is enthusiasm and the work of an evil spirit; when wicked men are convinced of their sinfulness, alarmed at their danger, and through repentance and faith come to hope in God's favor; yet this is wide from the truth, if we are permitted to judge either from observation or scripture. When people think themselves righteous and safe without ever feeling their vileness, without self-loathing and selfcondemnation, without beholding their danger from a sight of God's holiness and justice, we have reason to fear that they are settled upon their lees, that they have never seen their hearts in the eye of the divine law, and that their hope is the hope of the hypocrite.

I intreat you seriously to cen
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preached in many vacant towns and plantations, and had considerable assemblies on week-days, as well as upon the sabbath.The scattered inhabitants generally evidenced a desirable en

sider the import of the expression which has been the subject of this epistle, and if it imply the sentiments now stated, it might be supposed, that your own heart would be an object of terror to yourself. Awful re-gagedness to attend their minisflection that the heart is oppo-trations. sed to every thing that is morally good; to all that is suited to render God's rational creatures

permanently happy. And this is the miserable and alarming state of every person who is opposed to a work of divine grace upon the hearts of sinners, in bringing them to repentance and the hope of glory. And I would beseech you, with all who entertain the same feelings toward religion, I say, I would beseech you, by the many solemn and interesting things of the gospel, to cease your opposition to righteousness and piety, lest you be found to fight even against God. SHAPHAN..

A Report of the Trustees of the
Hampshire Missionary Society.

A

They also visited

schools, catechised children, discoursed on religious subjects with people in their families, conversed and prayed with the sick, dispersed the Society's books, and as occasions presented, administered baptism and the Lord's supper. They formed three churches; one in the state of New-York at Verona, in Oneida county; two in Maine, one of them at Albany, in the county of York, and one at Rumford, in the county of Cumberland.

Rev. Timothy M. Cooley and Rev. Peter Fish labored in the state of New-York. Their missions were limited mostly to the counties of Oneida, Chenango and Onondago, and continued eighteen weeks. They united their counsels and either acted together, or took different routs, as they judged would render their services most beneficial.Mr. Cooley travelled thro' the settlements on Black river to lake Ontario, preached at convenient places as he passed, and made appointments, which he fulfilled on his return. He then

T the last annual meeting of the Society measures were adopted to obtain a legal incorporation. Those measures have been carried into effect; and an Act of incorporation obtained confirming without alteration the Constitution of the Society, and giving all the pow-visited the counties of Chenaners needful for its operations.

The last year four missionarics were employed by the Soeiety. They performed their missions, two of them, in the District of Maine; the other two, in the new settlements of New-York. They were kindly received and cordially welcomed by the friends of Jesus. They

go and Onondago, in which he spent about one half of the time of his mission. Mr. Fish labored one third of his time in these counties, and two thirds of it in Oneida.

Rev. Joseph Strong and Rev. Joshua Crosby performed their missions in the District of Maine, principally in the coun

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