be wretched. My own feelings coincide with the affertion of fcripture, that "the way of tranfgreflors is hard." I am informed, that a virtuous course of conduct will alone make me happy. My own experience evinces, that a confcioufnefs of internal rectitude, is the greateft fource of enjoyment. Virtue has charms peculiar to herfelf. She attracts, but not to difguft. She beams a delight upon all who come within the reach of her rays. She calms the beifterous paffions; but gives energy to every noble fentiment. With maternal kindnefs fhe wipes the tear of distress, and cherishes the difconfolate under the burdens of life. In the cup of affliction fhe mingles the draught of confolation, and pours the balm of comfort into the wounded bofom. She fupports in adversity, and tempers in profperity. She difpels the gloom of anxiety from the mind of her votary, makes it the receptacle of every generous fentiment, and is a fource of rational enjoyment. Her votaries are diftinguished for a peace of mind, and ferenity of countenance, which never grace the perfon of the debauchee. They reflect upon the paft, without regret, and anticipate the future, without fear. Their whole lives are checkered with a variety of the most pleasing scenes. Their conduct is the effect of the pureft motives, and the nobleft intentions. They adminifter relief to the difconfolate, and afford protection to those who need it. Society is benefitted in confequence of their pious exertions. The virtuous part of mankind, are the ornament and fupport of the community. With the ftricteft propriety they are denominated "the falt of the earth." Vice blushes in their prefence, and acknowledges her inability to make men happy. Such are the effects of virtue, that loft to his own intereft must be that man, who does not embrace it. The life of the virtuous, and that of the vicious man, form a perfect contraft. While the former is happy in doing acts of munificence, the latter is miserable in endeavoring to happify himself. The one has a fountain of enjoyment in his own breaft; the other a fountain of mifery. Such being the different conditions of the virtuous and vicious man, fhall I any longer be the companion of the latter? Is it not time to renounce my present courfe of conduct, which leads directly to ruin, and pursue one which will tend to make me happy? The pleafures of fenfe no longer afford me fatisfaction. I am fick of a vicious life. Befides, I have ftill more urgent motives for living a virtuous life. There is a future state. After all my endeavors to disbelieve Christianity, and exertions to bring it into difrepute, it ftill is, and will remain a reality.-Has not my past disbelief of it arifen rather from a wifh to have it a falfehood, than from a conviction that it is? Is it not, at least, difingenuous to reject a system as falfe, which comes with so much evidence as that does; till I have more thoroughly examined it? But whenever I have examined it, I have been more fecretly convinced of its truth; fo much fo, that I can have no doubt of its being a reality. It comes with all the evidence I can rationally wish; and to reject it in the face of fo much teftimony, is arrogance, is unreasonable. If then the Chriftian fyftem is true; if the wicked will be punished, while | prepare for death, ought to be the the righteous will be rewarded; great bufinefs of living. I am what will be my condition in a now beginning the career of hu future world? Can I expect the man life. I am commencing a approbation of my Maker, when courfe of action, which will be I have lived contrary to his ex- followed by everlafting confequenprefs commands? I certainly ces. Upon my conduct in the cannot. I cannot escape the aw-prefent world, depends my felicity ful retributions of eternity. I muft die. I do not expect exemption from what is common to mankind. Death is an important change; it will introduce me into an unknown world-into an untried state of exiftence. The clofing fcene of life will be interefting. When I am ftretched upon the bed of death, when the phyfician has bidden me adieu, and my friends are watching for the parting gafp; what will be the fituation of my foul? Shall I then look forward with joy, or with forrow, into that unknown world? How fhall I then wifh that I had lived the life of the Chriftian? How fhall I wifh for his lamp to illume my path into the invifible state of being? But if, on entering the world of fpirits, I fhould find that I am loft forever, what rending thoughts will agonize my tortured mind? How fhould I wish that I had never been born? With what curfes fhould I load my exiftence?My prefent life is fhort; when compared with that which fucceeds, it is but a point. It is but the morning of my exiftence. fhall foon be houfed in the grave, and my foul appear before the tribunal of heaven, to receive a fentence for eternity. I These are realities. They are not the fictions of an idle fancy, or the whims of a difordered brain. They are scenes, which will be infinitely important; and to neglect preparation for them, indicates an awful degree of infenfibility. To in another. And how infinitely important, that it be fuch as to meet the appropation of my Judge? The Saviour of the world told one who came to him, that he could not be faved, unless he was born again. The practice of vice will inevitably land me in the world of defpair. I muft change my courfe of conduct, or perish forever. I have every inducement to live a virtuous life. My peace and comfort in the prefent world require it, and everlafting happiness or misery will be the confequence of my conduct here. If I relinquish the paths of vice, and betake myself to the practice of virtue, I fhall never have occafion to lament it. Not an inftance occurs in the long annals of hifto ry, of one who regretted that he had lived a virtuous life. But thoufands of the wicked have gone out of the world with the most painful reflections, wishing that they had lived the life of the Chriftian. I am convinced that true religion, if I can attain it, will carry me through life in peace. She will enable me to bear up againft its troubles, will approach the bed of my laft ficknefs, and inform me that my pangs are but for a moment, and will lighten my path into the world of glory. Such being the bleffed effects of a virtuous life, both in this, and a future world; I will no longer tread the deftructive paths of vice. I will renounce a wicked world, and devote myfelf to the fervice of my God. I fhall delight in the Faith in thy word thy glory fees, 2. Sometimes while prayer employs our Or while to thee we raise our songs, 3. Sometimes while fitting round thy We tafte the bounties of our Lord, ways of virtue, becaufe they are ways of pleasantnefs and peace." I fhall not envy the debauchee his unlawful pleasures, nor wish to be a partaker in his vices. Of the innocent amusements of life I may partake as largely as he, and fhall enjoy them with a better relish. But, knowing that vice leads directly to ruin, I fhall not have occafion to regret, that I cannot win at the gaming table, revel in debauchery, and be the first in midnight caroufals; but rejoice, that I have fomething, which will af ford me more permanent fatisfac-Till thou, our Morning Star, return. tion in this world, and secure me eternal felicity in another.With thefe profpects in view, I fhall pafs through life agreeably, I hall clofe it in peace; I fhall make my entry into the world of fpirits with joy, and my arrival will be hailed by the acclamations of the bleffed. 4. Yet oft a gloomy, tedious night Hides our Beloved from our fight; Bereft of all our joys we mourn, 5. With longing eyes thy throne we Fain would we bid this earth adieu : 6. When fhall that day, bleft Jefus, When wilt thou take thine exiles home? Oh, when shall angels bear away 7. Roll on in hafte, ye mournful years, ASPASIÓ. Donations to the Mifionary Society of Connecticut. 1804. March 7. Jemima Hubbard, Glaftenbury, Q. 28. Dolls. 23 [The following piece was written by BENEVOLUS.] A Differtation on Family Prayer. RUE religion is the duty, and forms the defence, of T man. di While Chriftians are commanded to take to themfelves the whole armor of God, they are rected" to pray always with all prayer and fupplication in the Spirit." The fcriptures inculcate the duty of maintaining at all times a frame of mind which is friendly to devotion, and which will utter itself in the various kinds of prayer, as duty requires. Supplication is to be made in the Spirit, or with a humble reliance on the influences of the Holy Spirit, who can help our infirmities, and teach us to pray aright. It is common to all who acknowledge the existence of a Deity, to fly to him as fupplicants in seasons when they feel themselves to be in great danger, and defpair of help from an arm of flesh. When the Lord fent out a great wind into the fea, fo that the fhip in which the prophet Jonah was failing, was like to be broken, VOL. IV. No. 11. "the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his God." It is a plain dictate of natural religion, not only that we ought to look to God for help in a time of trouble, but that we ought alfo to afk him for favors which we need, and return thanks unto him for those which we have received. To learn the nature of that prayer which is acceptable to the only living and true God, we muft have recourfe to the revelation which he hath made of his char acter and will in his holy word. By this we are taught, that acout the defires of our hearts to ceptable prayer confifts in pouring God, for things which are agreeable to his will, in the name of Chrift, with a confeffion of our fins, and a thankful acknowledgement of divine mercies. This is the only kind of prayer with which any gracious promife is certainly connected. All who pray in this manner will be heard of their Father who is in heaven, and will receive according to the ultimate defire of their hearts; which is, that God may be glori fied in and by them, and by all creatures and events. Praying Ddd fouls will not be fent away empty, nor will one of them be fhut out of the New Jerufalem. Prayer may be confidered under two general heads, fecret and focial. Secret prayer is made by an individual when retired from all his fellow-creatures. God and himfelf only are privy to the perform. If one in the performance of this duty, Itrives to give notice of it to others, he difcovers a proud, pharifaical temper. Matthew vi. 5, 6. "And when thou prayeft, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are; for they love to pray ftanding in the fynagogues, and in the corners of the ftreets, that they may be seen of men. Verily, I fay unto you, they have their reward. But thou, when thou prayeft, enter into thy clofet; and, when thou haft fhut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in fecret, and thy Father which feeth in fecret, fhall reward thee openly." Secret prayer is of high importance. When it is maintained according to its nature and defign, the foul is in a healthful and profperous ftate. How often have Chriftians confeffed, that their declenfions could be traced back to the neglect, or coldness, of clofet duties? Under the general head of fecret prayer is to be claffed-ejaculatory prayer. This confifte in a fecret, informal pouring cut of the heart to God; either when the subject is at labor or at reft, alone or in company. Devout perfons often lift up their hearts to their Almighty Friend, in a way of adoration, or confeffion, or petition, or praife, as occafions occur. Their meditations naturally run into fome part or other of prayer, without any formal attempt to collect their thoughts. The ob jects around them bring their di vine Author to mind. A fenfe of their fin and danger, and of mercies received, engages them without the formality of words, to adore, confefs, fupplicate, and to offer thanksgiving. They pour out their hearts to God in groanings which cannot be uttered. This kind of prayer is very well understood, and is practifed much, by perfons of eminent piety; hence they are faid to pray alway. Social prayer implies the union of two or more perfons in the performance of the duty. The lan guage ufed is fuppofed, in general, to be the language of the number engaged. This duty may be performed either in the family, or in the houfe of God, as well as on many other occafions. Should each member of a family, or of a congregation, utter no word, or give no well known fign to each other, of their thoughts, in their devotion, their prayer would be of the fecret or ejaculatory kind, though they were all gathered in one place, and each one poured out his heart to God. In focial prayer, fome one perfon leads with an audible voice, or all prefent pronounce with their lips a form of prayer in which they are agreed. Social prayer cannot be performed in the way in which the other kinds are, which have been mentioned. The defign of this differtation is to confider particularly, Family Prayer; and to urge its impor tance. I fhall purfue the following method, in difcuffing the fubject. I. Show that family prayer is a reafonable and feriptural duty of great importance. And, II. I fhall confider fome of the objections which have been bro't againft family prayer. |