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prepare for death, ought to be the great bufinefs of living. I am now beginning the career of hu man life. I am commencing a courfe of action, which will be followed by everlasting confequences. Upon my conduct in the prefent world, depends my felicity 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

the wicked will be punished, while the righteous will be rewarded; what will be my condition in a future world? Can I expect the approbation of my Maker, when I have lived contrary to his exprefs commands? I certainly cannot. I cannot escape the awful 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 ftate of existence. The clo. fing scene of life will be intereft-will inevitably land me in the ing. 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 Christian? How fhall I wish for his lamp to illume my path into the invisible 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 existence?My present life is fhort; when compared with that which fucceeds, it is but a point. It is but the morning of my existence. 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

world of defpair. I muft change my courfe of conduct, or perifa forever. I have every inducement to live a virtuous life. My peace and comfort in the prefent world require it, and everlasting happiness or mifery will be the confequence of my conduct here. If I relinquifh 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 history, of one who regretted that he had lived a virtuous life. But thousands of the wicked have gone out of the world with the most painful reflections, wifhing 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 against its troubles, will approach the bed of my last fickness, 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 service of my God. I fhall delight in the

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Faith in thy word thy glory fees,
And lives upon thy promises.

2. Sometimes while prayer employs our
tongues,

Or while to thee we raife our fongs,
Thy fmiling face unveil'd appears,
And pleasure banishes our fears.

3. Sometimes while fitting round thy
board,

We tafte the bounties of our Lord,
On wings of love our spirits rife,
And heav'n begins below the fkies.

ways of virtue, because 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 afford me more permanent fatisfac-Till thou, our Morning Star, return. tion in this world, and fecure 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.

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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

view,

Fain would we bid this earth adieu :
We would from flesh and fin be free,
And dwell forever, Lord, with thee.

6. When hall that day, blest Jesus,

come?

When wilt thou take thine exiles
home?

Oh, when hall angels bear away
Our weary fouls to endless day?

7. Roll on in hafte, ye mournful years,
Till God fhall wipe away our tears;
Then on our dear Redeemer's breaft
We fhall enjoy eternal reft.

ASPASIO.

Donations to the Miffionary Society of Connecticut.

1804. March 7. Jemima Hubbard, Glaftenbury,
9. A Stranger from State of New-York,
28. Rev. George Colton, Bolton,

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[The following piece was written by BENEVOLUS.]

A Differtation on Family Prayer. RUE religion is the duty,

T RUE religion is the duty,

man.

and forms the defence, of While Chriftians are com

manded to take to themfelves the whole armor of God, they are directed" 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,

the

or with a humble reliance on influences of the Holy Spirit, who can help our infirmities, and teach us to pray aright.

It is common to all who ac knowledge the exiftence of a Deity, to fly to him as fupplicants in feafons when they feel themfelves to be in great danger, and defpair of help from an arm of flefh. 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. II.

"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 trouble, but that we ought also look to God for help in a time of

to ask 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 acceptable prayer confifts in pouring out the defires of our hearts to

God, for things which are agree

able 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 glorified in and by them, and by all creatures and events. Praying Ddd

fouls will not be fent away empty, | jects around them bring their dinor will one of them be fhut out of the New Jerufalem. Prayer may be considered under two general heads, fecret and Social.

Secret prayer is made by an individual when retired from all his fellow-creatures. God and himfelf only are privy to the perform. ance. If one in the performance of this duty, strives to give notice of it to others, he difcovers a proud, pharifaical temper. Matthew vi. 5, 6. "And when thou prayet, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are; for they love to pray tanding in the fynagogues, and in the corners of the streets, 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 coldnefs, of clofet duties?

Under the general head of fecret prayer is to be claffed ejaculatory prayer. This confifts in a fecret, informal pouring out of the heart to God; either when the fubject 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

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 perfous in the performance of the duty. The language ufed is supposed, in general, to be the language of the number engaged. This duty may be performed either in the family, or in the house 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 pursue the following method, in difcuffing the subject.

I. Show that family prayer is a reasonable and fcriptural duty of great importance. And,

II. I fhall confider fome of the objections which have been bro't against family prayer.

I. I am to attempt to fhow that family prayer is a reafonable and fcriptural duty of great importance.

By family prayer is meant, prayer offered up in the audience of all the members of the family, by the head of the family, or fome perfon under his direction. To this is fuppofed to be added the daily reading of the holy fcriptures, in the hearing of those who are called to join in the devotion. I have ftiled this duty a reafonable, as well as a fcriptural one; because it is capable of being clearly fhown to be a reasonable fervice, and is a fubject of rational demonftration. This duty is an important one. It is not to be claffed with paying tithe of mint, and anife, and cummin; but is to be reckoned among the weightier matters of the law. The duty of family prayer may be argued,

We

1. From family trials. have troubles in the prefent ftate which imply fociety; or that a number of perfons is involved in them at the fame time, and in connexion with each other.

before his household? Surely, all will join in faying, there is not the fear of God in that houfe. If his name were reverenced under that roof, we should hear the voice of fupplication in this day of diftrefs.

This familiar view of the duty of family prayer from family trials, furnishes an argument for the conftant fupport of focial worship in every family. It is unknown when trouble will come. We ought to be prepared for it at all times. We cannot be in a proper frame to meet it, without the fpirit of devotion. God is to be worshipped by us in a focial, as well as in a private manner, be our cir cumftances profperous or adverse. This leads me to argue the duty of family prayer, from,

2. The reception of family deliverances and mercies. Some of the greatest bleffings of life are of a domeftic nature. There is fome thing very beautiful and ftriking in the apparent union of families, after the reception of deliverances and mercies, in offering praise to their Creator, Preferver, Benefae tor and Redeemer..

The duty we are now confider. ing, has appeared fo plain and reafonable, that even the Pagans have had their household worship. However erroneous their notion of houfehold gods is, and however abfurd is their theology at large, yet from their conduct in carrying worship into their houfes, we may

Families do not remain long without family trials. It is highly proper that under thefe they coneur in heart and voice in addreffing the Infinite Majefty'; praying for the removal of the evils which they feel, deprecating thofe which threaten, and humbling themfelves under his mighty hand. Are not thofe who are called to weep to gether, called upon by divine prov-infer that family prayer is an ob idence to unite in carrying their burdens to the throne of grace? Is there not fomething which fhocks every reflecting mind, in beholding dangerous fickness in a family, and which, while it fpreads and threatens defolation, does not excite the head of the family to look to God for help, by praying

vious dictate of the light of na ture. The heathens who offered thanks to the images under their roofs, will rife up in judgment. against those who, under the light of divine revelation, refufe to pay homage, with their families, to the only living and true God whofe loving kindnefs they ought

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