hell to the finner, and heaven to the faint, in a more gradual or fudden manner; in more faint or lively colours, as feemeth him good. For his thoughts are not our thoughts; neither are his ways our ways. Great effects on the countenance and body would no doubt follow fuch fublime and fudden discoveries of divine things as God is able to make. calculable variety refpecting the measure of conviction, fuddenness of operation, clearness of difcovery, and the immediate effects produced on the countenance or body. This is confirmed by common obfervation; and to the truth of it, the facred fcriptures bear tellimony, in the various relations they afford us of Chriftian experience. In furveying them, we find many, who embraced the truth by fober confideration, until the day ftar of the gofpel arofe in their hearts. But fome, the hearers of Peter, by a fingle fermon, were cat to the heart, and fuddenly cried out, men and brethren what fhall we do! and believed immediately. The Lord opened the heart of Lydia to attend to the things fpokea by Paul, until he believed in Christ. But, when the woman of Samaria had found the Meffias, fhe immediately left her water pot, and 4. God has not, precifely, revealed all the circumftances attendant upon the manifeftation of his truth. The fpirit is promised to convince of fin, righteousness, and judgment; and to create a new heart and renew a right fpirit. But, as to the various circumftances, degrees of operation, and immediate vifible effects he has not informed us. Therefore, in furveying the holy fcriptures, we are totally unable to meafure the terrors of the law, which the finner may feel; or the glory of the gof-haftened to the city, and proclaimpel, which the faint may behold. The fcriptures do not determine, whether religious impreffions fhall be gradual or fudden; fmall or great; faint or clear. Neither do they defignate the immediate effects; whether they fhall be attended with fober folemnity or flowing tears, ftill contemplation or audible outcries, fadnefs of counte- Once more: Chrift endured the nance, trembling of body, or fall-penalty of the law in the finner's ing to the ground. ftead. He drank the cup of divine 5. The fovereignty of God is wrath, when he expired on the abundantly manifeft in the marvel-crofs. Of which awful scene, he ous work of grace. And, parti cularly, in the diverfity of their exercifes and operations, in whom the fame fpirit is produced. A careful attention to the various religious experiences of Chriftians will corroborate the remark. Although all the real friends of God are brought, in degree, to a fenfe and love of the fame gofpel truths; yet there is almost an in ed him. Felix trembled at the reafoning of Paul, upon righteouf nefs, temperance and judgment to come. But Paul, himself, in his perfecuting journey to Damafcus, was inftantly ftruck to the ground by divine light and truth, and cried out, Lord what wilt thou have me to do? had a previous view, while he was in the garden. And what was the effect on his body? We are told, he was in an agony and fweat, as it were, great drops of blood falling to the ground! In review of the above remarks taken in their connection, what fhall we fay of the fingularity apparent in the revival at Kentucky? Bearing in mind the mutual influ I I ary Society of Connecticut. GENTLEMEN, SINCERELY rejoice in the Connecticut Miffionary Society: establishment and reputation of fully believe it has been inftruwhich is not of this world. The mental of promoting that kingdom members receiving no compenfa ence of the body and mind, will it | Letter to the Trustees of the Miffion be deemed inconsistent with the nature of things, to fuppofe, that the paffions of the mind may be fo powerfully excited, as to occafion all thofe appearances which diftinguish and characterise the fuppofed work of religion in Kentucky? May not God, in perfect confiftency with his word and fovereign pleasure, overcome the bodies of men, by the clear and sudden manifeftation of truth to their minds? A hardened Felix trembled, and a perfecuting Paul fell and cried out, by the application of divine truth and a fudden view of eternal realities and may not fimilar caufes produce fimilar effects at the prefent day? Who hath been the counsellor of God? Who can fet bounds to the operations of his holy fpirit? And fay hitherto fhalt thou come and no farther! tion for their fervices manifefts a fpirit truly disinterested, and gives great confiftency to the charitable establishment. Being highly pleafed with the miffionary object, and with what I hear in relation to the fuccefs of those who have been, and are engaged in the benevolent bufinefs; and wishing to do fomething to enincrease of exertion for the fpiritucourage the continuance and the al good of my fellow men, I tranfmit to you, by the bearer of this, one hundred dollars, which I But, notwithstanding what has been obferved, it is, doubtless, unwife haftily to decide, either in faver or against the awakening, at Kentucky, merely from the pecu-ently attended to. I am pleased liarities of it. Other attendant circumstances, which indicate the beg you to receive as a facrifice to the Lord-Upon the ground that exifting emergency can be fuffici with the idea of funding property the intereft of which only to be appropriated for the propagation of five that the prefent call for miffi. the gofpel; but being apprehen genuineness of the work, are lefs fallible criterions of decifion. And the fubfequent fruits, which may in future appear in the life and converfation of the fubjects, we hum-onary fervice is very great, it is my bly hope, will give abundant occafion to rejoice in the victory of di vine grace. To conclude: Let the enemies of this remarkable work, wait and be cautious. And, inftead of venting their oppofition, by calling it the work of Satan, or the Kentucky enthusiasm, be exhorted to take the advice of Gamaliel : re frain; for if this work be of men, it will come to naught; but if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; left haply, you be found to fight even against God! choice that what I send you be The well authenticated informa ation of happy revivals of religion called to difpenfe the unfearchable riches of Chrift, a double portion of his fpirit; and may he from time to time raise up benefactors through whose liberality the intereft of Zion.in our infant fettle charge. The Rev. Walter Lyon gave the right hand of fellowship. And the Rev. John Sherman made the concluding prayer. firft book of Kings. ments, and among the heathen may A verfification of the 18th chapter of the be greatly promoted.-I am gentlemen refpectfully yours, CHENANIAH. May 9th, 1802. A QUESTIONS. MESS'RS. EDITORS, CONSTANT reader of your excellent Magazine, wishes that fome friend to miffions would give us his thoughts on Mark xvi. 15. "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gofpel to every creature." Does not this command now extend, in a fenfe, to all Chriftians? And what must they do, to comply with it? MESS'RS. EDITORS, OBSERVING in your Magazine explanations of feveral dif. ficult paffages of fcripture which are highly gratifying to me, I take the liberty to request through the fame medium, an explanation of Hebrews, vii. 1-3. H. S. ORDINATION. On the 5th day of May laft, the Rev. Afa King was ordained paftor of the firft Church of Chrift, in Pomfret in the room of the Rev. Aaron Putnam, dismissed. The public exercifes commenced at half after 11 o'clock A. M. and were performed as follows. The Rev. Eliphalet Lyman made the introductory prayer. The Rev. Mofes C. Welch preached from Acts, viii. 5 The Rev. Elifba Atkins rade the confecrating prayer. The Rev. Jofiah Whitney gave the EHOVAH'S awful voice the filence JEHOVAR broke, And thus his meffage to Elijah fpoke: The prophet went, nor fear'd the gate. The king had left the famish'd courtly halls, To feek for grass for beasts of royal ftalls. For three long years, the brazen keavens diftil, No dew nor rain, fuch was Jehovah's will! "If the Almighty is your chofen God, "Obey his word, and tremble at his rod; "But if this heathen Baal you adore, "Serve him alone, and ferve the Lord no more." Abafh'd with confcious guilt, the people ftood, And numerous thousands answered not a word. Again the prophet speaks, the people hear, With mute attention liftens every ear. "I fingly stand, a prophet of the Lord, "Alone efcap'd the queen's deftroying fword. "The idol prophets here before us stand, "By hundreds gather'd from all Ifrael's land: "Let two unblemish'd bulls for facrifice, Be here produc'd before the people's And there repaired the altar of the Lord. He took twelve ftones, the number of the tribes, As antient rites and Mofes' law prescribes ; The bullock for the offering then he flays, The wood prepares, the fleft in order lays, Then round the altar digs a trench profound, The offering wets, and fills the trench around. The Prophet then to Heaven addrefs'd his prayer, With faith not doubting, yet with contrite air; "God of our fathers, let it now be known "The other bullock for the offering" That thou the Lord our God art God The wood, the stones, and dry the | He feven times went, at laft be fees moiften'd ground, And lick the water from the trench around. The people how'd themselves with one accord, [Lord And folemnly engag'd to ferve the Again the Prophet fpoke, and at his word, The hoft obey the fervant of the Lord: "Take all thefe Prophets, this deceiving band, "Who bring down judgments on your guilty land. "Let none efcape." The hoft the Prophets took, Elijah led them down to Kishon's brook, And flew them there, while their pol luted blood Condenf'd the stream, and crimson'd all the flood. The prophet then the people left behind, On Carmel's top his Reverend head reclin'd, His fervant fent, to view the fkies and main, And watch the fymptoms of the approaching rain. arife A floating cloud, like a man's hand is fize; It blackens and expands throughout the night, The moon and all the stars are hid from fight; The vault of heaven is spread with fbie clouds, Unufual darkness all the concave shrouds, Then on the Earth defcends a mighty rain, The fpreading inundation flows the plain. The form fubfides, the fkies from clonds are clear'd, One univertal voice of joy is heard, All vegetation feels a newborn fpring, The beafts rejoice, the birds with trenport fing, The murmuring fireams again are heard to roar, And the big rivers dafh against the shore. Health and returning plenty cheer the land, Such were the wonders of Jehovah's hand. Donations to the Miffionary Society of Connecticut, in the Month of May. |