ning he had frequent turns of fainting, and in one of thefe, when a perfon mentioned that he was dying, he expreffed his belief that he fhould revive and continue till midnight. At 12 o'clock exactly he breathed his laft, and as we charitably hope, exchanged earth for heaven. He had full poffeffion of reason and fpeech to the laft, and has left behind a fweet favor of the name of Chrift. "Clafp'd in my heavenly Father's arms, DEAR SIR, reafon to fuppofe that you con- cordingly as your works in the body manifeft that you have or have not experienced those influ ences. Permit me then with plainness and folicitude to ask you, is it not of infinite importance that you think of your cafe without delay? Others experience thefe operations and you do not. Others are by them led to a holy life-to work out their falvation with fear and trembling-and you are yet under the dominion of fins your -perhaps never felt much concern about your fpiritual ftate. You read what others have felt, and find nothing of the fame kind in yourself that these things are vaftly important, but have had no weight with you. The gofpel with all its excellencies lies before you; but with it-you tafte not its falvayou never was pleafed tion; and dying fo, you never will. Is there not then fufficient reafon to exhort you, with earnestnefs, to think of your ways-to forfake the foolish, and live and go in the way of understanding. A mat.. in your everlafting well being is fo intimately concerned, deferves more than a few moments of confideration. It deferves-it requires hours of retirement and attention. How is it poffible that you can reft, till you have experienced those influences which are neceffary to your falvation? know that all other things of importance must not be trifled with You that delays are dangerous-and that you are told by the only Saviour of men, to "ftrive to enter in at the strait gate, for many fhall feek to enter in and fhall not be able." How awful is the tho't! Perhaps you conceive that you poffefs a degree of religion, tho' your confcience will witnefs that you fcarcely have fought to enter I write to wake up your attention. Unless you roufe to diligence, how can you efcape the wrath to come? May you review that piece and others in the Magazine; and if they contain God's truths it is no matter who wrote them. May you feel them. You are infinitely interested in them. And you have no reason to expect thofe neceffary and facred influences, unless you are in good earneft engaged about them. That you may experience them to a faving degree, and thus become one of the heirs of glory, is the fincere prayer of in at the ftrait gate. And you, fays come unto me and I will give in a degree hope that you fhall you reft. Never, Oh! never let arrive to heaven. What prefump- it be faid of you, that at the last tion is this! You are, in fact, you would not come unto Chrift that hoping that God's word will not you might have life. Soon the prove true. How criminal is this! writer of this and yourself will The prefumptuous hope of the have paft the day of hope. We' unregenerate is in itfelf highly muft ftand before the judgment criminal and pregnant with de- bar of that Jefus whom finners reAtruction. They are hoping for a ject. And how fhall we appear? way to enter in which God has declared fhall not take place ;— thus hoping that he will falfify his word. This is the guilt of every one who does not ftrive to enter in at the ftrait gate. And is it not heinous? What would you think of the man that was continually wishing and endeavoring that you might prove yourself unfaithful to your folemn declarations? Dear fir-may you, and all in like circumftances, think and tremble. Let me then intreat you to be earnest about your falvation. Give way to thofe ferious impreffions which I have known to begin to rife in you, upon reading the narratives in the Magazine. Do not feek to be rid of them on any ac count. Apply to your Bible, and to the throne of grace, nor fear to have it known that you are ferious about a cafe for which Jefus did not difdain to come from heaven and die upon the cross- "THE awakening here we a cafe which employs the concern hope is not at an end yet; but of angels, and to accomplish which there is not that vifible engagedthe Holy Spirit condefcends to nefs which there has been. take up his abode in the hearts of have conftant additions to the believers. In the view of God church. More than 100 have and angels it is of infinite impor- joined this year. In Dorfet there tance, and they, doubtlefs, give it has been great attention the fumno more than its juft eftimation. mer past. In Benson there is a To trifle with it, is to charge God great work now going on. A with folly as well as falfehood neighbor of mine, who was there with placing an unjuft, an infinite the laft week, fays there appears eftimation upon a thing fo trifling not to be a careless perfon in the as not to merit your ferious notice. town. I am informed that about -How full of wickednefs is the 4 months ago they had a town human heart! meeting,and appointed a committee But stand and wonder! Jefus to defire their minifter to leave Your friend, &c. Religious Intelligence. Extract of a letter from a perfon in Weft-Rutland, Vermont, to a friend in Connecticut, dated Sept. 25th, 1803. We the town. Very foon after this, I have been hopefully inatched from the Lord's hand was visible among the power of Satan and united to them." Chrift. Forty-three have been added to our communion—twen "At Caftlaton, there is a promifing beginning. Numbers are un-ty-fix are propounded; and there der deep impreffions, and fome have obtained hopes." are not lefs than fixty who have manifefted hopes, but have not come forward. There is a marExtra of a letter from a perfon in vellous work in Benfon, 40 miles Dorfet, dated October 20, 1803, north of this, and in several towns to a Clergyman in Connecticut, in that vicinity. Alfo in Sangate-and some hopeful begin. "It is now about a yearnings in Rupert, Manchester, Winhall, &c. These things will no doubt gladden your heart. We much need your prayers that God would not take from us his holy fpirit." Extract of a letter from Rev. Samvel Leonard, one of the Connecticut Millionaries, dated Poultney, Vermont, 08. 4th, 1803, "REV. SIR, "WITH pleasure I affume my pen to give you fome account of the ftate of religion in this quarter. The awakening at Ben fince there first appeared an unufual attention to the things of religion in this place. But nothing very extraordinary took place 'till laft fpring, when a folemnity, awful as judgment, feized the minds of almoft all claffes of people in the fociety. Since that time we have witneffed a fcene truly aftonifhing and glorious! The mighty Redeemer has rode forth conquering and to conquer. Almighty power and grace have been glorioufly triumphant. Such a day I never before witneffed. The friends of Jefus have been all lifefon, a town about eighteen miles and engagednefs. Thro' the most north of this, is very powerful inbufy feafon of the year, they deed. There is fcarcely a family have pretty uniformly attended a in the town that escapes the flower. religious meeting every day in the week. Their hearts and their mouths have been full. To them indeed it has been a remarkably refreshing time. The work has been diftinguishingly fill and reg. ular. Nothing that an enemy could call enthufiaftic, has ap-himfelf to be fuperior to the craftpeared. Perfons of almost every age have been fubjects of the work; but the principal harveft has been from among the youth. In one family, fix young perfons In the north part of the State the wilderness appears to bloffom. God is pouring out his fpirit in fome towns and awakening finners to attend to the great concerns of eternity. Poultney is not wholly left. God is here manifefting inefs of Satan, and the pride and ftubbornefs of the human heart. Lait fabbath we received fourteen into the church, and fome more are to be examined next week.” Donations to the Miffionary Society of Connecticut. 08. 25th. A female friend of Miffions, being a part of a fortunate ticket, 27th. A friend of Miffions, appropriated to the purchase of books. Nine doz. Teftaments from feveral friends of Miffions, D C. 2 121 II 16 3150 A REVIEW of times paft, and con- | templations on future prospects, humbly attempted for general in ftruction, and to excite pious meditations, q. or the Editors' NEW-YEAR'S GIFT, to their generous readers. A respect to themselves. No one can determine that he shall not be the first who fhall be called to mourn for the lofs of his deareft enjoyments, or whofe days fhall be numbered and finished. For man alfo knoweth not his time. of every man beyond the grave, The eternal happiness or mifery depends wholly on the manner in which he employs the fleeting, precarious moments appointed to him upon the earth. Every day and hour will either increase his treasure in heaven and eternally enhance the glory and blessedness of his future reward, or add to the magnitude of his guilt, and forever increase the feverity of his punifhment. In this view how should every mind be impreffed with the propriety and force of that apoftolic injunction; See then that ye walk circumfpely, not as (Contin. from Vol. III. p. 249.) NOTHER year is gone. Yes, irrecoverably gone. Millions are gone with it to the grave, and to judgment. All the living, folemn thought! have been wafted on one year nearer to eternity and their final doom. With millions this will be the last year. Great numbers will live but a fmall part of it. Every portion of time, each month, and day, and hour, is pregnant with great events. There is not a minute in which there are not more perfons exchanging worlds, and going to judgment, than there are fec-fools, but as wife, redeeming the time, ` onds in it.* All begin their new because the days are evilt? The year, with an entire uncertainty words import, that the wisdom of what will be the events of it with man confifteth in the redemption and right ufe of time, and that to embezzle, or mifimprove it is the moft egregious folly. But what According to the common eftimate of mortality, about thirty five, or thirty fix millions die annually; and about feventy or eighty every minute, VOL. IV. No. 7. Ephef. v. 15, 16. of his enemies, and to the judgment of the world. This, according to the common courfe of providence, may be accomplished in a few centuries. As the divine Spirit hath termed it, a little feafon, and as no events are affigned to it, but the fudden and great apoftacy, and the gathering together of the wicked to compafs the camp of the faints about, and the holy city, it is reasonable to believe, that the time will be short. is time? What is it to redeem time? May not an answer to thefe inquiries lead us to fuch a view of times paft and times to come as fhall furnish us with meditations fuitable for the New Year's day? Meditations calculated to make us wife and useful while we live, and honorable and bleffed when time with us fhall be no more? TIME in a general fenfe is the measure of the earthly creation in its prefent manner of exiftence. When the Creator faid, Let there be light and there was light; and the evening and the morning were the first day, time began. When the trump of God shall found, the dead arife, and the earth and the works that are therein fhall be burnt up, time will be no more. The elect will be gathered in, and the mystery of God finished. The duration of time, probably, will be, between feven and eight thoufand years. About 2,514 elapfed before the giving of the law at mount Sinai. From that time to the birth of Chrift, was about 1,486 years, making in the whole 4,000 years. The term from the advent of our Saviour, to the millennium, or thousand years of light, purity and peace to the church, is generally computed from the prophetic reprefentations at 2,000 years more. This glorious Sabbath of a thou-fin; in which he would support fand years will make the complete term of 7000 years. It is written, After that fatan muft be loofed for a little feafon, and fhall go out to deceive the nations, which are in the four quarters of the earth and to gather them together, to compass the camp of the faints about. Chrift is then reprefented as coming to the complete deliverance of the church, the total overthrow * Revelation xx. 7, 8. : THE whole duration of time, be it longer or fhorter, is laid out to a moment, in the divine pur pofe, with all its different periods and events. He hath appointed the time of the rife, duration, and fall of kingdoms and empires, the countries in which they were to flourish, and the time, place and circumftances of every man's exiftence. And hath made of one blood, all nations of men, før to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation.* He hath laid out all the great periods of time: That from the the creation to the deluge; from that to the giving of the law; and thence to the coming of the Meffiah. He determined the period from the incarnation of the Saviour unto the rife of Mahomet, and the man of the church under the heathen beaft; and the 1260 years of the reign of the man of fin, that monfter of iniquity, who exalteth himself above all that is called God. He devifed and laid out the thousand years, which is to be a glorious Sabbath of rest and joy to the church, the judgment of the great day, and all the fmaller periods of which those Acts xvii. 26. |