importance of attending to your fpiritual concerns, be careful to obey the important call. Attend to the words of the apoftle, 1Thef. v. 19. "Quench not the fpirit." This, probably, is not the firft time you have felt concerned about your foul; but, perhaps, it may be the laft, if you quench, or difregard it. If you do not receive Chrift now, and turn to God by unfeigned repentance, you have reafon to believe, that you will never be awakened again; but that you will be left to perish in your fins. But you will, perhaps, fay; "I cannot turn myself. I cannot change my own heart and love God fupremely " But let me tell you, that your cannot is owing only to a totally wicked heart. Your inability is wholly of the moral kind, for which you are criminal. You have the fame natural comes more guilty in the fight of God, until his heart is regenerated. i. e. The more a finner is awakened, and the more he fees of the true character of God, the more will his heart rife against it, till it is fubdued by fovereign grace; till he is brought to renounce all dependence on himself, or his own doings, to give himself wholly to Chrift, and truft entirely to him. Those who are never bro't to this, and made willing to be in the hands of God, to be difpofed of as he shall fee to be most for his glory, can never. obtain falva tion. They must be confidered and treated as the enemies of God. In Chrift there is a fufficiency for all. He has made a complete atonement for fin, by bearing the curfe of the law, and thereby rendering it confiftent, for God to fhow mercy; and the finner has nothing to do to purchase falvation; but must receive it as a free un-ability to love God, that you have merited gift, without money, and to love the world. And to fay without price. I would not here you cannot will not excufe you. be understood, that we are not to Cry to God, like Ephraim of old, pray, read the bible, or attend to faying, "Turn thou me, and I external duties. These are by no fhall be turned." Jer. xxxi. 18. means to be omitted. But they Seek Chrift by faith. He fays; are not to be performed with a view "Afk and ye fhall receive, feek to merit any thing. For when we and ye fhall find." If you would have done all, we are unprofitable obtain mercy of the Lord, throw fervants. Every religious duty, to away all oppofition of heart to be acceptable to God, muft be him and go to Chrift by repentance performed with humble obedience and faith. And Oh, my friend, to him, trusting wholly to the right- let nothing prevent you from reeoufnefs of Chrift as meritorious.ceiving Chrift, and fecuring the Chrift fays, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." John xiv. 6. Therefore, let me recommend you to Chrift, through whofe merits only, you can obtain the forgiveness of fin, and acceptance in the fight of God. If the fpirit of God have now called up your attention to eternal things, and caufed you to fee the falvation of your immortal foul. Go to the bibie for inftruction. You will there find fufficient. That is the only infallible book to direct you in the path to heaven. God there pofitively declares, that finners must be converted, have their hearts changed and renewed by the Holy Spirit, or be finally miferable. Indeed, the bible affords matter of conviction, inftruction, and comfort, more than any other | book. The Apostle Paul fays to Timothy, "All feripture is given by infpiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for inftruction in righteousness; that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." I would therefore, commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and give you an inheritance among all those who are fanctified. That God may fanctify your heart, give you comfort in believing in Chrift, and prepare you for his heavenly kingdom, is the fincere prayer of your affectionate friend, &c. Religious Intelligence. MISSIONARIES. R. DAVID BACON, Indians, returned to Hartford about the middle of December. Altho' this was feveral months fooner than he was expected, yet it has not arifen from any circumftance unfavorable to the great object of his miffion, but quite the reverfe. The Indians whom he faw treated him in a friendly manner, and appeared difpofed to receive Miffionaries among them; but after the date of Mr. Bacon's laft letter, they determined to spend the winter months in hunting, and therefore nothing could be done towards inftructing them in religion till next spring. He therefore chofe this as the most proper time for returning. He has acquired much ufeful information on the fubject, which will greatly aid the Trustees in fyftematizing the future plan of proceeding; and it is a kind of information which could not be obtained in any other way. In confequence of his return, the Trustees were called to meet the 30th of December, to attend to the fubject; at which meeting it is expected Mr. Bacon will be direc ted to return with enlarged powers of acting. ON Saturday, the 20th of De cember, Mr. Jofiah B. Andrews returned from a miffion to the new fettlements in the western counties of the state of New-York. POETRY. The Bible. HOU bleffed Book, be near my THO heart! What joy divine doft thou impart, And bring the great falvation nigh! Both food and med'cine here I find, Hence fuitable fupplies I gain, What thou forbiddeft to be done. **Sundry articles of Religious Intelligence are omitted for want of room. The Gospel a Doctrine according to Godliness. [Continued from page 254. H NUMBER II. AVING fhown that the gofpel is adapted to promote real piety, by the view, with which it presents us, of the one living and true God, I proceed to obferve, II. That the gospel is a doctrine according to godlinefs, may further appear, from the account given of the divine law, and the light in which it is placed in the gofpel. According to the doctrine of Chrift and his apoftles, the law of God requires perfect holiness, on pain of the divine wrath. It requires us to love the Lord our God, with all our heart and foul and mind, and our neighbor as ourfelves; and pronounces a curfe on every one, who don't obey it perfectly. Christ came not to deftroy, but to fulfil the law; and it is fo far from being made void, as a rule of duty binding on all, that it is established by the gofpel. For altho' believers, or true Chriftians, are not under the law in the VOL. I. No. 8. form of a covenant-not bound to fulfil its demands as the only condition of life, or fuffer the curfe ; but are under (being really in) the covenant of grace, which promifes and grants pardon and a title to life, to penitent believers, thro' the atonement and righteousness of Chrift, in a way of grace; yet they are bound to keep the law : they are under it as a rule of life, to which they are bound to conform, in heart and practice. It is clearly held forth in the gospel, that God is fully determined, coft what it may, to support the authority and honor of his law. What more decifive proof of this can be exhibited, than God hath in fact exhibited, by setting forth his own Son a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness; that he might be just, and the juftifier of him who believeth in Jefus? Further, The gofpel teaches, that Chrift obeyed and died, not only to redeem men from the curfe of the law, and to furnish believers with a complete righteousness for their juftification; but also, to recover his people to a conformity to the law. "What the law could not M m III. That the gofpel is a doctrine according to godlinefs, may ftill more fully appear, from fome further view of its doctrines, refpecting the perfon, character, offices and mediation of Jefus Chrift his obedience, fufferings, refurrection and exaltation, with the defign and import thereof. Jefus Chrift is a teaching prophet, an atoning and interceding priest, and a reigning king; and perfectly qualified for the execution of these high and infinitely important offices, and faithful in the execution of them. He is infinitely benevolent, merciful and compaffionate, gracious and condefcending. From his birth to his death, he was holy, do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God fending his own fon in the likeness of finful flesh, and for fin, condemned fin in the flesh; that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the fpirit." And Chrift" gave himfelf for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people zeal-harmless, undefiled, and separate ous of good works." In this re- from finners; and is made higher fpect, then, the gospel is most evi- than the heavens. He exhibited, dently a doctrine, not only confif while on earth, in his private life, tent with, but well adapted, and and public conduct, a perfect exapparently defigned, to promote ample-an example of perfect horeal godlinefs-true religion-real linefs, in the performance of every holinefs, in heart and life. duty. This example is presented to view, in the gofpel, for us to eye, and to imitate. In his preaching, obedience and fufferings, confidering the end for which he obeyed and suffered, he manifested and expreffed, infinite regard to the glory of God, and to the good of creatures, and particularly, of mankind-infinite regard to the honor and authority of the divine law, and as real a defire, that the divine di pleasure against sin should fully appear, as that finners might be faved-that these two ends might be confiftently accomplished. He hath actually done, to the Father's acceptance, all that was neceffary in the way of obedience and fuffering by a mediator, to lay a foundation for the confiftent and honorable falvation of finners. this, the most inconteftible proof is exhibited. For the Father hath exalted him with his own right hand, to be a prince and a Saviour, committed all judgment to him, and given him to be head over all things to the Church. Repentance and remiffion of fins, are ordered to be preached in his name, among all nations. In him, it is declared, there is falvation, and in no other; by him, and by him only, According to the gofpel, Jefus Chrift is a divine perfon, the Son of the living God, and one with the Father. He is alfo Emmanuel, God with us, God in our nature, God and man united in one perfon. By agreement between the Fa. ther and the Son--by the Father's appointment and his own confent, he was invefted with the office, and undertook to perform the work of a mediator between God and men, to lay a foundation for, and to accomplish a reconciliation between them. In profecution of this great defign, he affumed human nature, took on him the form of a fervant, and was made in the likeness of men; that in the room and ftead of finful men, he might fulfil the law, and make a complete atonement for fin, by his own perfect obedience, unto the death of the cross. Of can men have access to and accept-| ance with God. He is the end of the law for righteousness, to every one who believeth, and the author of eternal falvation, to all them that obey him. goodness of the Great Author of nature ftrikingly appear in fo conftituting the economy of man, as not only to render individuals neceffary to each other, but alfo to caft the inclination upon the fide of interest-to make what is neceffary to our being a fource of comfort and delight, and even to sweeten the delights of focial life, with many natural and endearing relations. From this ground, that man is a focial being, and all his duties and comforts, his hopes and fears, his affections and paffions either immediately or ultimately connected with fociety, arifes alfo the duty of focial worship. The propriety and fitnefs of this, is at once difcerned by the confiderate obferver, and its inftitution ftrikes the benevolent mind with a still brighter difplay of the divine wisdom and goodness. Such is the doctrine of the gofpel concerning the perfon, character, offices, obedience, fufferings, refurrection and exaltation of Jefus Chrift, with the design and import thereof. In what a majestic, glorious, awful and amiable light, doth this doctrine place the Deity before us? What a view doth it give us, of the facredness and unchanging obligation of his law? What an awful view doth it prefent of the infinite evil and criminality of fin? How ineffably amiable and glorious, and worthy of our love and praise, esteem, truft and confidence, and unreserved obedience, doth it fhow the Lord Jefus Chrift? And how infinitely important and interesting to us, doth it prove it to be, to deny ourselves, and take up our crofs, and follow him? And, of confequence, how admirably well adapted is it, to promote and excite to the exercife and practice of real piety and true religion? If, with this doctrine placed in full view, we are negligent and careless with refpect to religion, and indulge to ungodli-tion. nefs and worldly lufts, to vice and wickedness, we shall be inexcufable iudeed! (To be continued) On the duty and importance of NUMBER I. AN is a creature formed M or for fociety for focial der, and focial enjoyment. His rational powers and faculties are fitted both to receive and commu nicate good. The wisdom and That mankind fhould unite in a focial and public manner to worfhip the Great God, the infinite fountain of all being and blessednefs, the light of nature teachesthe voice of reafon directs, and the authority of Revelation commands. In performing the duty, the true worshipper experiences the most fublime pleasure and fatisfac The principle of obedience is the fource of true enjoyment; and what he performs as a duty, he realizes as the highest privilege. Whenever, in the spirit of true devotion, we unite our focial homage to our Maker, and fay, as we are divinely directed, Our Father who art in heaven ;-what other impreffions do we feel, but love to God, and love to one another? What other views do we exprefs, but that all mankind are our brethren; that as children of God's numerous family we unite to addrefs our great common Pa |