wise and steady mind. Infidels in Europe used to fancy that something noble would be brought to light, when the ancient works of the Hindoos should be known: lo! this is one of the greatest of those works, and how transcendently glorious does the Bible appear when contrasted with such a system. The second of these books is the Desatir, or writings of the ancient prophets. It ascribes some perfections to God worthy of his character, but it teaches to worship the heavenly constellations, to conside them as intelligent beings, and to use thein as intercessors with God. It is probably through the influence of this system that the Magi, or wise men of the east, were led to observe and follow the star which conducted them to Bethlehem. Much, however, as it has been admired by sages, it contains no information how a guilty sinner is to obtain pardon and eternal life. The third book is the Koran, the Bible of the Mussulmans. It is viewed as a divine revelation by as many persons as the Scriptures: and by the ornaments upon it, you may judge how greatly it is admired. Its doctrines have made innumerable proud Pharisees, but have never made one humble Publican. The best parts of it have been taken from the Old Testament; some of those which have not, are in direct opposition to the spirit of the Gospel. Christ has said, love your encmies; but the false Prophet says, kill them (i. e.) the infidels) wherever you may find them: the objects most to be pitied are thus devoted to destruction. What comparison will such a system bear with the Gospel of Christ? After a careful examination, therefore, of all the books I have met with in the East, claiming to be revelations from God, I would, in reference to them all, adopt the language of Dr. Watts: Should all the forms that men devise, Assault my faith with treacherous art; I'd call them vanity and lies, And bind the Gospel to my heart. EXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM MR. FISK. Claims of the Greeks, and Facilities among them for Missionary Operations. In connexion with the statements of Mr. Gridley, the reader will be pleased to see some remarks on the Greeks, made by Mr. Fisk, just before his death, in answer to certain inquiries addressed to him by the Society of Inquiry respecting Missions, in the Theological Seminary at Princeton, N. J. Mr. Fisk's letter was first made public in the Philadelphian.—Miss. Herald. The Greeks need missionaries; for though nominal Christians, they pay an idolatrous regard to pictures, holy places and saints. Their clergy are ignorant in extreme. Out of hundreds, you will scarcely find one who is capable of preaching a sermon. Of course there is little preaching; and that little is oftener an eulogium on some saint, than an exhibition of Christ's Gospel. The people are consequently ignorant and vicious. Before the Bible Society began its work, the Scriptures were rare, and in most of the schools that exist, the children merely learn to read ancient Greek, without understanding it. Greece offers to view an extensive missionary field;-the different divisions of Greece, properly so called-the numerous Islands of the Archipelago -a multitude of Greeks scattered over all Turkey-convents innumerable-thousands of schools, now almost useless, but needing only a proper organization and suitable books, to render them nurseries of sound learning. Nor should it be forgotten that the Greek church is intimately connected with the predominant church in the immense and rising empire of Russia—and has more or less direct or indirect influence upon all the oriental churches-Armenian, Syrian, Nestorian, Coptic, and Abyssinian. The Greeks offer to missionaries many excellent materials to be wrought into the great spiritual building-powerful intellect, lively imagination, zeal, energy, enterprise, enthusiasm, love of learning and liberty, which four hundred years of barbarous slavery have not been able to destroy, an earnest desire for civilization, a remembrance of what their fathers were, and the hope of being what England and America now are, and all these traits of character brought into action by the idea, that the present is the period of their national regenera tion. The Greek church itself opens the door to missionaries. It has always allowed the distribution of the scriptures, and has had disputes with Papists on this point. The Greek patriarchs, archbishops and bishops, have generally favoured the cause of the Bible Society, and have more than once written pastoral letters to recommend its object. We have printed many thousand Tracts in Greek; they have been received with pleasure, and ecclesiastics and dignitaries of the church assist in distributing them. Among these Tracts are the Dairyman's Daughter, Young Cottager, William Kelly, Leslie's method with Deists, Watts on the end of time, Dr. Green's Questions and Counsel, and many others translated from the English. To the schools and convents we have free access for the distribution of Scriptures and Tracts, and do not often meet with Greeks who oppose our work. Several important errors of the Papists have never been admitted by the Greeks, such as papal supremacy, purgatory, selling indulgencies, the inquisition, forbidding the scriptures, and giving the Lord's Supper in only one kind. The Greeks, however, pray to saints, and enjoin auricular confesson, and pray for the dead, and know of no other regeneration than baptism. The present is the time for a mission to Greece. The nation is roused the elements of national and individual character are all in motion. An impression, a turn of public opinion, the commencement of institutions which at another time would require years, might now be effected at once. It is desirable that the time of political revolution should also be a period of religious reform. Anericans should undertake this mission. The prejudices of Greece are all in their favor, and strongly so in preference to every other nation on earth except the English. There is no time to be lost. It is even now too late. The missionaries should ere this have been near the field learning the language and preparing to act. Brethren, let no more time be lost. We who have been sent to other parts around the Mediterranean, call to you to come literally into Maerdonia and help us. Who would not love to preach in Greek on Mars hill? Whose soul would not be filled with holy joy and trembling at the thought of writing letters to evangelical churches planted by his own preaching in Corinth and Thessalonica? And methinks the dullest imagination would be fired with a poet's flame on sitting down in sight of Mount Parnassus, or on its summit, to give David's songs a Greek dress. And how ought a Christian from America to feel at the thought of introducing Christianity into such a nation as Greece, at the very commencement of its political existence. ORDINATIONS AND INSTALLATIONS. 1827. Dec. 5th, Ordained Rev. DANIEL CAMPBELL, as Pasto the Union Congregational Church in Kennebunk, Me. 1827. Dec. 14th, Ordained Rev. JOSEPH R. WARE, as Pasto the Congregational Church, in Palmer, Mass. Sermon by Rev Humphrey, from 1 Thess. ii. 4. 1827. Dec. 20th, Installed Rev. ISAAC R. BARBOUR, as Past the Congregational Church, in Byfield, Mass. Sermon by Rev. Page, of Bradford, N. H. 1827. Dec. 20th, Installed Rev. JAMES R. WHEELOCK, as Pa of the 1st Church, in Canterbury, Con. Sermon by Rev. Mr. Dov Thompson, from 2 Tim. iv. 2. 1827. Dec. 27th, Ordained Rev. GEORGE WASHINGTON BLAGE as Pastor of the "Evangelical Church," in Brighton, Mass. Ser by Rev. Mr. Wisner, of Boston, from Col. i. 28. 29. 1827. Dec. 27th, Ordained Rev. EDWARD R. TYLER, as Pasto the South Congregational Church, in Middletown, Conn. Sermon Rev. C. Chapin, D. D. 1828. Jan. 1st, Installed Rev. JUSTIN EDWARDS, D. D. as Pas of the Salem-St. Church, Boston. Sermon by Rev. Professor Stew from 1 Cor. xiv. 19. 1828. Jan. 3d, Ordained Rev. MILTON BADGER, as Pastor of South Church, in Andover, Mass. Sermon by Rev. Prof. Stewart 1828. Jan. 3d, Ordained Rev. JONATHAN ALDRICH, as Pastor of Baptist Church, in Dedham, Mass. Sermon by Rev. Abiel Fisher. Bellingham, from Malachi ii. 7. 1828. Jan. 8th, Ordained Rev. SAMUEL H. WITHERELL, as Evangelist, at Norridgewalk, Me. Sermon by Rev. Josiah Peet. 1828. Jan. 9th, Installed Rev. HOWARD MALCOM, as Pastor Federal-St. Baptist Church, in Boston. Sermon by Rev. Mr Knowl from John xvii. 17, 21. 1828. Jan. 16th, Ordained Rev. DUDLEY PHILPS, as Pastor of t 1st Cong. Church, in Haverhill, Mass. Sermon by Prof. Stewart. 66 POFTEY. FROM THE R. I. AMERICAN A NEW YEAR'S GIFT. May we sit openly down to the feast of life, under the smile of approvi Heaven." Again we hail the new-born year, Though oft our fervor may grow dim, Yet now we feel to raise a hymn Of grateful duty. But competence and true content Then as we mark the track of life, Let each who craves those joys to last, As years roll round, we'll number them Of which he's now partaker, Offer his vows for favors past, To thec, our Maker. Thy mercies we will humbly own, For blessings in the year that's flown- We ask not riches-fortune's store For mortals-who should covet more. To thee, Father of all, Regardful not to cumber them, With earth's vain toil. No more to roam. And grant that when our course is run, May tranquil sing, "Thy will be done, 1. It follows from what has been advanced, that God is an infinitely amiable being. Disinterested love is moral beauty: selfishness is moral deformity. All that is amiable and excellent in the character of any moral agent, is comprehended in true benevolence. Great abilities and knowledge may command admiration; but disinterested goodness only can procure esteem and complacency. The more true love or universal benevolence any being possesses, the more amiable he is. God is love. All his moral perfections are comprehended in that pure, impartial, universal benevolence, which fills his heart. All his affections are disinterested: all his volitions aim at the production and diffusion of holiness and happiness. And as his love is perfect in kind, and without intermission, so it is great in degree, according to the greatness of his capacity. He has as much true benevolence, at all times, as it is possible he should have. And as his understanding is infinite, so is his benevolence. Every exercise of his holy love, extends to all beings in the universe, capable of happiness or misery. God is an infinitely amiable being. Hence it will follow, 2. That God ought to love himself more than he loves all his creatures. God is great: his presence fills all worlds: his knowledge embraces all truth: his power extends to all things possible. God is infinitely great. All his creatures, in comparison with him, are 'as a drop of the bucket, or the small dust of the balance.' True benevolence, therefore, must value the interest and happiness of God more than the interest and happiness of all creatures. But God is as good as he is great. All the goodness of all his holy creatures, collective, ly considered, is but the minutest fraction, compared with the goodness of God. He is love. He is infinitely excellent and amiable. He ought, therefore, to be loved supremely, both with the love of benevolence, and the love of complacency flowing from it. God is not selfish in loving himself supremely, and regarding his own interest and happiness more, than those of all his creatures. If he did not love himself infinitely more than all his creatures, he would be partia I to them, and injurious to himself-he would overrate their good, and undervalue his own-he would, indeed be, what many of his selfish creatures accuse him of being, 'a respecter of persons.' Hence it follows, 3. That it was right for God to aim at his own blessedness and glory, as the ultimate and chief end of all his designs and works. God's happiness consists in the exercise of his perfections; and his glory, in the display of them. To promote his own happiness and glory, in the exercise and display of his Divine perfections, was his ultimate and chief end, in planning and executing the works of creation, providence and redemption. This is plainly taught in sacred scripture. Solomon says, "The Lord hath made all things for himself."-By Isaiah, God says, "Every one that is called by my name— I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him."-Of Christ, who is "God manifest in the flesh," the apostle says, "All things were created by him, and for him." And in the Revelation, the heavenly hosts are represented as saying to God, in their ascriptions of praise, "Thou hast created all things; and for thy pleasure they are, and were created." God doubtless had a view to the happiness of his creatures, in the works of his hands; for he could not fully exercise and display his glorious perfections, without producing the greatest possible sum of holiness and happiness in the created universe. His moral perfections are comprehended in his goodness, which is a disposition to do good, to the greatest possible extent, and the highest possible degree. Both in his counsel, and in his providence, God regards and values the happiness of each one of his creatures, as much as it is worth: "He is good unto all, and his tender mercies are over all his works." But the happiness of his creatures, was neither his last nor his chief end, in bringing them into existence; but his own felicity and glory. This was fit and right. God ought to love himself infinitely more than his creatures. He ought to 'set his glory above the heavens,' and value his own happiness more than that of all his creatures. 4. In the light of this subject, we may see how to account for the admission of evil into God's kingdom. God is love. He is actuated, in all his designs, works and ways, by purely disinterested motives. To accomplish the great object of Divine benevolence, it is necessary that God should exhibit all his infinitely amiable perfections; or, in other words, that he should display his disinterested love, in all possible ways, and towards all kinds of objects. In order to this, it was indispensable, that there should be evil in the universe. How could God display his divine pity and compassion, if there were not miserable and wretched creatures to display them upon? How could God exercise forgiveness, if there were no transgressors in the universe |