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my bounteous Benefactor, and
final Judge; yet have I sinned
my
against him. I feel justly con-
demned, because the brightest
displays of his infinite perfection
have not captivated my heart.
I now have a glimpse of that
beauty, of which I have before
been insensible. I now see some.
thing of that majesty, which I
have so long despised, something
of that wisdom and power, which
I have undervalued; something of
that justice, which I have dread-
ed and hated; and something
of that goodness of which, though
it shines in every object, I
have been wholly regardless. I
abhor myself, for my indifference
and opposition to all this glory.
I abhor myself,' because I have
treated the blessed Savior with
so much coldness and enmity.
So blind has my heart been, that
I could see no form or comeli-
ness in the eternal Son of God,
who is the brightness of the
Father's glory, and the express
image of his person. So cor-
rupt has been my taste, that I
could discern no beauty in him,
though, in him dwells all the
fulness of the Godhead bodily.'
But now I see that in him centres
every created and every uncreated
excellence. Formerly I attempted
to save myself by attention to
duties; and would not give my
soul to Christ; but now I per-
ceive, that all such attempts were
sinful, and that it is perfectly
safe and exceedingly desirable
to go to Jesus. In view of the
glorious character of the Savior, LETTER TO AN
and under a conviction of the
reasonableness of the duties I
owe him, I abhor myself,' for
my blindness and obstinacy.

fusion of blessings, which God
has bestowed on me. He has
given me life, and breath, and
all things;' during my whole
life he has been offering me, and
urging me to accept eternal joys,
"without money, and without
price." He gave his well-belov.
ed Son to die on the cross in or.
der to make propitiation for
the sins of the world. The choic
est of these favors I have despised;
all of them I have abused; and for
none of them have I been grate-
ful. Therefore I abhor my.
self.'

'I am ashamed, and blush to lift up my face, when I consider how often I have murmured against the dispensations of divine Providence. My wicked heart has suggested, that many events might have been more wisely ordered; and I have secretly wished, that I had the management of them. For these things I abhor myself.'

I abhor myself,' also for my ingratitude under the rich pro

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'I abhor myself' also, because I have been so much attached to my private interests; so little concerned for the glory of God, the prosperity of Zion, and the future welfare of my fellow creatures; and so full of sinful passions. In short when I consider what God is, and what he has done; and on the other hand, what I am, and how much I have sinned; surely I have great reason to abhor my. self.

INTEMPERATE

BROTHER.

My Dear Horatius,

I DARE not any longer conceal my feelings. I fear you are indulging, too freely, your thirst

deserved all this? O reflect once more on the cruelty, of tearing her from her father's house to make her wretched.

She has borne you a son, the pledge of your mutual affection. Must he witness your ruin, and see a broken hearted mother? Must he be ashamed of the father to whom nature had taught him to look for example and counsel? Must he become an orphan while his father lives? Must he see the finger of scorn pointed at the object of his dutiful regard? Does he then owe you any thing for what you have done for him, when in fact you have only prepared him to be capable of pain, which you are now about to inflict? O, spare the lad! Per. haps your example may ruin his soul, and he and you go together to the abodes of wo. But why should I ask a father, who I fear will not pity himself, to pity his son?

for spirituous liquor. The very thought is so abhorrent to every tender feeling of my heart, that I have declined warning you as long as I dare. I fear indeed that my advice will now come too late; but you are my broth. er, and I must warn you. But what arguments shall I use? You will ruin yourself, soul and body; you will ruin your family, disgrace your relatives, and bring upon your untimely grave, the curses of society. Look at the wretch, who has often gone intoxicated from your inn. Half naked, he plunges into the filth of the street, the companion of the swine, and the scorn of the traveller. But you do not mean to become so monstrous. No, nor did he. He had pious parents, was decent and respectable, but now he is lost for ever. Dear brother, must you come to this ? You have a tender and affectionate wife, but you intend to break her heart. She married you while respectable, and from what the world acknowledg a respectable family, and must she live with you so sadly changed? Are all her tender feelings to become the sport of beastly intoxication? She has "forsaken ber kindred and her father's house" to be your affectionate companion; and must she return and tell her widowed mother, that she is undone, that her husband is a drunkard? Must she soon bid farewell to all her pleasures; to all the sweets of domestic and social life; to all the tender recollections of her departed joys; to all the dear ideas comprehended in the name of a wife? Must she live only to be the prey of a ,monster, who promised her his heart? Did she expect, or has she

VOL. II. New Series.

Dear brother, you are yet, I hope, capable of some tender think of the

emotions.

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shame you are about to entail upon all your friends, especially your brothers! We shall still wish to have you with us when we meet to be happy together. But must we invite a drunkard into our circle? O, Sir, it would spoil all our social joys! We could not be happy, while one of our number carried about him visible marks of eternal reprobation. No brother, we prepare to bid you farewell for ever. We cannot endure curses from an intoxicated brother. Although we are orphans, in an unfeeling world, we must spare ourselves the company of one, who will constantly remind us, that our dear parents have help3Q

ed to people the regions of eternal death. Do think once more of your parents: Did they labor hard to provide for you, and watch every approach of danger, that you might live and disgrace them? Was it for this that they heaved the anxious sigh, when you stayed too long from their bosoms? Did our lovely mother, than whom none was ever more tender of her chil. dren-did she endure a thousand pains for you, to be repaid with disgrace now she has died in your service? Did she pray for you did she on her dying bed exclaim, "O God, regard the souls of my children," only to augment the pain of your dreadful eternity? O, my brother, she often prayed for you, and those prayers will not be lost. Perhaps her dear departed spirit still hovers over you, and is sent on errands of love to you and your family. If grief can be in heaven, must she not sigh, as she returns from these kind excursions, and relates the increas. ing symptoms of your ruin? O, spare her kind spirit its grief! Let her not any more bear such news to heaven. O, my much injured mother!

I wish you could realize how society will soon feel toward you. All will loathe you. Your neighbors will rejoice to bury you, that you may no more offend their sight.

But alas, what will be your destiny in the eternal world! O, the dread distance at which you will soon be removed from all bliss! Once more read your Bible, and see what stores of wrath are in reserve for you, if you die without grace; and I need not remind you, how im.

probable it is, should you be come a confirmed drunkard, that you will afterwards become a child of grace. But I fear you have laid by your Bible. Will you not take it up again and read it once more ? my lost brother! May I not even yet have some hope of you? God of mercy grant that my fears may not be realized! Dear brother receive these my desponding lines, and keep them by you, and remember they came from my heart, and are already recorded in Heaven to appear against you in the great day.

But how shall I give thee up? I will indulge hope in the bound. less grace of God. If there remains in your heart one anxious desire to be restored, and you will immediately quit the cup, you need not despair.

O my brother, take a view of that wondrous plan of love, which can restore the vilest apostate; take advantage of it, and live. Haste to your Father's house, ad infinite love will receive you, and adopt you among the children. Cast but one look of faith from the very borders of the pit, and you shall live. Yes, and you shall have a part in the song, which the saints have begun on earth, but which shall not be finished, while there is a God to praise. If you have one such wish, come, and your Savior will receive you. O, it will be blessed for you, to look back, and see your wonderful escape! Come, my brother, I am ready to help you sing your song of deliverance. I shall fly to your arms, as soon as I hear you have begun to pray. That will certainly be the sweetest moment of my life. How

glad will it make our little circle of friends! Yes, and it will give joy in heaven; for there is joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth." In the transactions of such a scene, Heaven witnesses a new display of sovereign mercy. I seem to see you returning; your family rejoice, your brothers are glad, your neighbors praise the Lord for the change; and lo! you have begun your everlasting song. Oh sing this song, dear brother, and the very angels will not be ashamed to join you.

Most affectionately yours,
PHILOFRATOR.

CRITICISM ON

1 Corinthians i. 26, 27, 28. For ye see your calling,brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of

the world to confound the things which are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that

are.

THE apostle had said, in the preceding verse, that the foolishness of God is wiser than men ; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. This is the subject to be illustrated in the next succeeding verses. By the foolishness of God, he evidently means the gospel of Christ; which he had just said was, to the Greeks, foolishness. Yet, he observes, that by the foolish. ness of preaching, it pleases God to save those who believe. Though man's wisdom would never have chosen the doctrine

of a crucified Christ to convert the world, God's wisdom has→→→ The doctrines of the cross being fitted, beyond all others, to form men to that humility, which is essential to their relishing and enjoying a salvation which is all of grace. And this gospel, when cordially embraced, has unspeakably happier influence on the hearts and lives of men, than all the rules of morality, which the united wisdom of men could ever have devised.

This sufficiently shows, that the foolishness of God, as the world view it, is wiser than men.

But what is to be understood by the weakness of God? And how does the apostle make it appear, that this is stronger than men? Would it at all illustrate the strength and power of this weakness to say that, not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble converted ? That this weakness of God had but few

were

trophies of its superior strength amongst the wise and the great men of the world?-That its triumphs were to be found principally amongst the weak, the low, and despised part of men? It will readily be seen, that such a con. struction, instead of illustrating the strength and glory of what is called the weakness of God, would rather tend to give de grading views of it. Yet this, perhaps may be the sense, in which our translators under. stood the passage: For, to the words, Ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, they have added are called these words not being found in the original. Is it not, then more

reasonable to suppose, that by the weakness of God, we are to understand those weak instruments God made use of to effect those mighty changes, which it is beyond the united power and wisdom of the world to produce? This, then, will be the sense of the words; "Ye see, brethren, the manner in which, and the instruments by whom ye were called-That instead of the wise and great men of the world, God chose the foolish and weak things of the world to confound the wise and the mighty-men, without either riches or power men, who were despised, and considered as the offscouring of the world--the illiterate followers of Christ, who went forth with no other weapon than that gospel, which men termed foolishness; and with this, triumphed and were instrumental of producing effects, which infinitely exceeded any thing that could

ever be brought about by the united wisdom and power of men." That such mighty changes should be made in the state of the world, and the foundation laid for the utter overthrow of the Roman heathen empire, by men, who were without wealth, or power, or influence; and this only by preaching the doctrines of the cross, is a striking evidence, that a divine and almighty power accompanied them. Here indeed it appears, that the weakness of God, (the weak instruments he makes use of) is stronger than men, and effects changes, which the wise, the mighty, and the noble of the earth could nev er have effected. However true then, it may be, that a smaller proportion of the wise and great men of the earth are converted, this is not, it is to be believed, what we are taught in this memorable passage of the apostle.

SELECTIONS.

THOUGHTS ON THE ATONEMENT AND EXAMPLE OF JESUS CHRIST.

SOME of the most interesting subjects in religion have suffered so much in the hands of the weak and ignorant, that in treating of them it requires no little caution to obviate their mistakes. The person, the work, and the example of our blessed Savior, are of this number. The deplorable prostitution of his sacred name, is sometimes ready to check the language of sober and honest affection. The Scriptures, how

ever must still be our standard. Truth must be guarded indeed,

but not relinquished nor obscur. ed. "The sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should fol low," are the grand subject of revelation. Jesus Christ is the sun of the spiritual world—the source of light, and life, and holiness. Every part of religious doctrine stands connected with him as its centre: and in proportion as he is exhibited as the glorious head of the church, will life and vigor, be diffused to its

members.

If a man feels himself to be a

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