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and reign gloriously. We look around and fee ourselves compaffed about with a great cloud of witneffes which are earnestly contending for the faith once delivered to the faints. Infpired with holy fortitude, our zeal kindles to engage in the arduous conflict and fupport the bleffed caufe. Senfible that we are inefficient, yet purfuaded that we fhall be more than conquerors, through him who hath loved us, we gird up the loins of our minds, and as we wreftle not with flesh and blood, but against the rulers of the darknefs of this world, against fpiritual wickednefs in high places, we put on the whole armour of God, the fhield of faith, the helmet of hope, and the breaft plate of righteousnefs, and the fword of the fpirit, having our feet fhod with the preparation of the gofpel of peace, and praying always with all prayer and fupplication, come Lord Jefus, come quickly. PEREGRINUS.

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and to feel rightly, they are most ftudious to err; and with refpect to their relations and obligations to God, to refort to fhifts and excufes which they will not for a moment admit in their intercourse with each other. Thus the exiftence of fin in our world is fometimes confidered as an excufe or juftification for the committing of fin; and the implantation of a principle of grace in the heart, as an abridgement of the liberty of It is admitted that we are

man.

wholly paffive in what is termed regeneration, but not that we are thereby deprived of moral liberty, or that any constraint is laid upon our wishes or our wills. We are paffive as to many or most of our concerns. We are paffive in our creation-in the place of our birth-in the formation of our bodies-in the capacity of our underflandings-and as to the families of which we are members. To fome is given the pow er to obtain wealth and honors, while to others this power is deni ed. Some are healthy and robust, while others are fickly and deformed. Some are bleffed with all the good things of this life, while others are deprived of them. IF the following reinarks are We have no influence or agency worthy of a place in your Maga- in natural caufes and effects. We zine, you are at liberty to infert have no power to change the feathem. If you judge them not to fons, or to arreft the course of be fo, you will not difoblige the nature. Winds and ftorms which author. often produce diftreffing calamiT has often been a matter of ties neither come or go at our com

TO THE EDITORS OF THE CON-
NECTICUT EVANGELICAL MA-

GAZINE.

GENTLEMEN,

as as terreftres

to the writer, that men fhould reafon fo differently on the fubject of religion, from what they do on all other fubjects: that they fhould there deny principles and fentiments, which they avow, and adopt in common life.-On queftions where it is of the laft importance to reafon correctly,

the cold of winter, or the fcorching heat of fummer. The blaft, the mildew and the hail, lay wafte our fields against our defires and our tears. We are condemned to perpetual toil-to ficknefs, and to death in confequence of the commiffion of a fin, in which we were not the actors. In all these

things we patiently acquiefce. | immortal glory and happiness! We do not in general prefume to. I attribute all the falfe reafon.

aid the affiftance of the divine fpirit, he will treat it rather as the promifed reward of his imperfect obedience, than as the free gift of God to the unworthy; and while he is forced to admit that the gift of a Saviour was an act of grace, he will claim to himself the merit of having made the application of the atonement, to his own heart.

fault the ways of providence to using on this fubject to improper on these accounts. But we canviews of the human character. not fubmit to have our hearts He who believes himself to be by changed by the power of divine nature in fome good degree as he grace, without exclaiming, our li- fhould be, will of course deny any berty is invaded. It should not be particular divine agency in renewforgotten that as foon as grace is ing the heart and in fanctifying implanted in the heart it becomes the affections-he will condemn an active principle. It is perfect it as depriving him of moral li ly congenial with the talte and berty. He will confider himself, wifhes of the fubject. So far if he has not attained, as capable from his endeavoring to extirpate of attaining to the ftate of a good it, he defires that it may have a man, and by confequence his pri greater and more predominant in-vileges. Or if he brings to his Auence. He loves that which he once hated, and he difcerns a glory in divine things to which before he was a stranger.-Were a man on a fudden to have his tafte changed, in refpect to fome article of food, which he had always loathed, fo as to have it become delicious and agreeable to him, would he complain that his liberty had been abridged that his tafte had been improperly affected- But he who believes himfelf that a power had been exerted by nature to be wholly deftitute over him to his prejudice; or of holinefs-as an enemy to his would he blefs the power which creator-as entirely bent on evil had been exerted to enlarge the as devoid of any thing like a prinfphere of his enjoyment, and his ciple of obedience-who fees that capacity to receive good? Would he is fet on his own destruction, the blind man to whom our Sa- without any inclination to change viour reftored fight, have com- his habits, or his feelings, will plained, had it been done without never condemn the doctrine of rehis importunity, or even know- generation by the agency of the ledge that Jefus was near him?pirit of truth: he will rejoice And least of all fhould we com- that a being fuperior to himself, plain that deity can give to us a of unwilling can make him will power to become his fons; that ing, and that divine mercy can. he can, and that he fometimes accomplish that for him, which he does adorn us with moral beauty; has no defire to accomplish himself.. that he can reinftamp his image on our fouls; that he can give to us tender and benevolent feelings; that he can affimilate us to himfelf in the temper of our minds; and in confequence thereof render it confiftent to beftow on us Voi. IV. No. 1.

On the origin of evil, it be comes us to speak with diffidence, and not to be wife beyond what is written. This we know, that however it may be overruled to the greater good of the universe, it is in its nature offenfive to God.

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| who sheds his bleffings around us in rich profufion, and who has promifed us the glories of his heavenly kingdom, on repentance and obedience to his commands. He would be thought a bold and daring offender indeed, who should unblushingly and in the face of day, blazon his crimes and triumph in that wickednefs of heart which was the occasion of them; but we frequently hear fentiments

and without emotion, respecting fins against God. And there are not a few, who while they dare not charge all their fins to his account, will fpeak of them as being agreeable to his will, and as afford

The fpirit of curiofity is ever awake to devife imperfections in the divine government, and thereby to furnish pretexts to abandon and to forfake it. No subject has been drawn into more frequent difcuffions than the origin of fin;

I chufe neither to fay that he is the direct, efficient caufe of it, that he permitted, nor that he could not prevent it. Each of thefe modes of expreffion is to me unfatisfactory; and leads to confequences, which involve me in difficulties. I limit my view, to ideas more fimple. It is enough that he has in all ages punifhed fin. That he gave his Son to expiate it; and that he has declared in his word, that he will in-like the foregoing, uttered calmly "flict hereafter, on all the obftinate perpetrators of it, a deftruction adequate to its demerit. The hiftory of man from the beginning proves to us that our hearts, and not our underflandings, reafon, when we would attempt to jufti-ing them much palliation. fy fin by the existence of fin. Laws have ever been made to punifu crimes, and the more malignant the crime, the more fe vere has been the punishment. Among favages, where there are few prejudices of education to bias the understanding, punifh-on none have arguments a priori ments are common and cruel. In civilized life, the object of laws has always been, to reftrain the commiffion of evil, to guard and protect from its effects, to relax and weaken the motives to it, and finally to punifh the incorrigible. On this fubject there has ever been one common fentiment. No criminal at the bar of juftice ever pleaded his crinte, or the malice which produced it, by way of juftification, Snch an appeat would conduce to a more awful and fevere fentence. Our children who reafon lefs dextroufly than we, never attempt to excufe offences in this way they know, they feel too well the confequences. But this is the unreasonable treatment we give to an infinitely wife God; to him who made, who fupports, and who continues us in being;

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been more unfatisfactory; from none have conclufions been fo wicked. A little modesty would have filenced much impertinence; and an appeal to the common fentiments of mankind given us complete fatisfaction. The whole world is a mystery. Wherever we look around us we behold wonders which we cannot comprehend. Moft that we know is what we fee and feel. When we fin we are confcious of guilt, and we look forward to the iffue with concern. When we do our duty, we have a witnefs within us of the rectitude of our intentions, and we rejoice at the approbation which heaven gives. When we travel farther than this into the defigns of him who fuffers us to do evil, we go afide from the path of duty; and unless our attention

be diverted from prying into the deep things of God, to endeavour to feek his mercy by repentance, we fhall receive the reward of thofe who wonder and defpife and perif. A LAYMAN.

EXTRACT from a Sermon delivered at HARTFORD, on the Eve

I

sing of May 12th 1803, by the
Rev. ELIJAH WATERMAN, of
WINDHAM, at the request of the
TRUSTEES of the MISSIONARY
SOCIETY of CONNECTICUT.

SHALL have an excufe in my own confcience, and I truft in the view of him who has lifted up his ftandard to the 'Gentiles, if in the remaining part of this difcourfe I exclufively plead the caufe of the heathen tribes, and refpectfully attempt to re.. move the objections thrown in the way of propagating the gofpel among them.

Firft. It is objected, by an infidel fpirit, that the gofpel contains myfteries which impede its propagation among the heathen. Some who make this objection plaufibly pretend that they with to chriftianize the heathen, but then their plan is to preach only moral principles without the fanctions of the gospel. They would keep out of view the turpitude of fin,'the corruptions of the human heart, and the dignified character of the Saviour. Naked morality fhould be propagated without a foundation to fupport, or a motive to influence. Laying their deadly axe at the root of the tree of life, cutting off the divinity of Chrift, the healing leaves wither, and the fruit perishes. And while they pretend to chriftianize the heathen, they rather become heathen themfelves. But experience has fufficiently fhown this objection to be

futile. The Chriftian religion has been propagated with all its effential doctrines and mysterious facts, among the ignorant, barbarous, and thofe who were deeply rooted in the fuperftition of idolatry. Indeed wherever the Chrif tian religion has been preached with fuccefs, it has been done by those who held that God was manifeft in the fiefh to take away fin; and even where Miffionaries have propagated their own tradiditions, they have grounded thefe on, and recommended them by the fundamental truths of the gospel. Indeed the cold apathy of the Socinians and the unbelief of fuch as make this objection, leave no room for any motive for exertion; the foul and its falvation art of no importance in their eftimation; they do not treat man as in a ftate of probation, preparatory for a better world, they merely aim to pro duce in men a decent exterior, and fuch perfons do not become Miffionaries to spread Chriftianity ip any form among the Pagans. It it is true, judgment fhould guide and prudence direct as to the bef mode of opening the Gospel and its effential truths to the minds of the ignorant and prejudiced; but God forbid, that we should pare away the gospel to the nar row views of human wisdom, that we fhould hefitate to declare in a decifive manner the whole counfel of God. Christ crucified as God in the flesh has been preached unto the Gentiles, and fo has he been believed on in the world.

Again. It is objected that the expenfe of Miffionaries to the na tives is more than we can bear.

This objection generally comes from thofe whofe covetoufnefs is dolatry; but no people, in proportion to their numbers, are more able to contribute to the support

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of Miffionaries than the inhabitants of Connecticut. Bleffed with the good effects of that gofpel which was the hope and glory of our fathers, God has given abundantly into our hands the means of holding out the cup of Salvation to the heathen tribes. Had we a sense of our duty, and of the grace of God, how fmall would be the burden of fupporting á number of Miffionaries among the natives; and of educating in our fchools all the children which could be procured from them for that purpofe? If we looked on this caufe as the caufe of Chrift, who became poor that we through his poverty might become rich, we should not then magnify difficulties and catch at plaufible pretexts for excufing our floth, and through very covetoufnefs leave the heathen on our borders to perifh in their fins, without carrying them the bread and the water of life.

But another and more formidable objection ftill is brought forward, in which a confidence is placed that it is immoveable. It that the experiment has been tried, the gofpel has been preach ed to them and they will not receive it, therefore all exertions in miffions to them is expenfe and labor in vain.

That the gofpel has not been received by the natives with that readinefs which the propagators of it defired is true, but this is not a truth peculiar to the prefent time. It was the fame in the days of the Apostles, and has been in every fucceffive attempt to fpread the gospel. And could we number the multitude that have been brought to the knowedge of the Savior by the preach. ing of the Mayhews, Eliot, Brainard, and others in this country,

we fhould find a most encouraging motive from their fuccefs, to proceed with vigor in declaring to the Indian tribes the word of life. Where the gospel has been perfeveringly and ftatedly preached among them, the number of converts has been beyond expectation, and if the advance of truth has been flow it has never been inef fectual, Were our exertions in any meafure in proportion to the importance of the object, and the means God has given us, we might realize more extensive effects, not, withstanding all the strength of habits and the peculiarities of difpofition, which to the eye of hu man reafon throw themfelves in the way of the gofpel's fpreading among the heathen of this land, If we lift up our banner in the name of the Lord our God, shall we doubt of fuccefs? To go against human probabilities where God has commanded, is to go depending on HIM who fays Lo I AM with you. In preaching to the Gentiles we must expect difficulties, and in winning fouls to Chrift, refiftance. But in this minifterial bufinefs of our Lord we are not to act after the wif dom of men, nor to calculate on means in themselves. Here to confer with flesh and blood about the perils and hardfhips of the wildernefs, the roving and favage tem per of the natives and the obftinacy of their habits, is only to raife lions in the way; it is to abandon our confidence, to caft away our promife, to leave the grace of God, the power and prefence of Jefus out of the account; and without thefe we fhall be wanting indeed. But let us remember that we ourfelves are defcended from ancestors, who were without God, and ftrangers to the covenant of promife; they worshipped evil fpir

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