butterfly, to flutter in useless gaiety, and wandering thoughtlessness. These remarks will apply in a measure to the preparation of young men for the employment of school masters. There is a great and general deficiency of masters well qualified for the important situation of teachers of youthful beings, who are forming and fixing characters for eternity. C.. For the Panoplist. II. LETTER TO A PROFESSING CHRISTIAN. "Pleasure is good, and man for pleasure made; My dear Brother, THE enemies of the cross of our blessed Lord, are never so highly elated as at the discovery of a wound inflicted on his sacred cause, in the house of his friends. Under an impression of this truth, with what circumspection ought we to walk, while in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation. We are professedly travelling toward the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. While our eyes are steadfastly fixed on our glorious leader and commander, resolving with full purpose of heart, and in divine strength, to follow him whithersoever he goeth; while we make it our leading petition, "Lord, teach me thy way, and shew me thy path," and while in the exercise and enjoyment of a firm faith in immutable promises of the Gospel, we habitually preserve an intercourse with heaven, through the appointed medium of humble prayer, while we have the witness within ourselves, that our chief desire is that we may be crucified to the world, and the world to us; and that the glory of the church may be the primary object of our pursuit in all our intercourse among men; we shall have no reason to apprehend an overthrow of our peace. Its foundation being "the rock of ages" it will remain unimpaired, "though the earth be removed and the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea." The shield of faith will never fail to quench, effectually, the fiery darts of the wicked; while all dependance on any other support will surely fail at the hour of trial. Multitudes, in every age, who before many witnesses had solemnly professed an ardent love for religion, and undeviating attachment to its interests, have fallen before temptations, let go their hold on Him, who had never forsaken them, but had been as their strong tower of defence in seasons of sore distress; have trampled his precious Gospel under foot, denied its authority and control. These cast an eye of covetousness toward the possessions of the world, and are willing to receive them in exchange for the riches of Christ's kingdom; they fall an easy prey to the devices of the great adversary, from whose powerful grasp none can escape, of whom it has been said, "let him that is filthy, be filthy still." The most successful bait, in the hands of Satan, has always been found in his plausible pretexts that he was able and ready to confer riches and honors, upon such as would fall down and worship him. No sooner does he discover a place in the heart, unoccupied with ardent zeal for the advancement of Immanuel's kingdom, than his dark schemes are formed for attack in one form or another; but never in that which his victim would suspect. Though a liar from the beginning, he deluded our first parents by his sophistical arguments against the positive declarations of Jehovah himself; and though on every side we may discover the awful consequences of listening to his voice, yet we daily see multitudes, becoming the willing dupes of his artifices. When we contemplate the miserable derelection of principle which has seized upon many professed Christians, leading them to associate with those, who are lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God," with what fervency should we bear their cases upon our hearts at the throne of grace. How earnestly should we pour out our desires before him, with whom is the residue of the spirit, that he would reclaim their wandering steps, and restore to them the joys of his salvation. If we justly estimate the true value of souls, bound either to heaven or hell, we shall not, "tor Zion's sake, hold our peace, nor for Jerusalem's sake shall we rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth." What strong consolation have we, if among the true friends of Jesus, in the assurance, that the walls and bulwarks of the church are supported by his omnipotent arm; that the most formidable assaults of Satan can never succeed in the destruction of a single soul, which shall have relied for its safety wholly on the blood and righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ: that all who hold fast the beginning of their confidence firm unto the end, shall receive a crown of glory, unfading and eternal. Have you, my friend, on a careful inspection of your own heart, an evidence that the divine Shepherd has recognized you as belonging to his happy fold? If so, then the most careful observer will never detect you in a love of the world,-choosing for your companions the gay and fashionable, those, who say to the gold thou art my hope," and to the fine gold "thou art my confidence." On the other hand, you will be as particular in the selection of your company abroad, as you have been in that of your minister and church, you will strive to keep the world in its proper place, and under no circumstances suffer its allurements to gain ascendency in your breast, above an attachment to the concerns of our Master's Kingdom. Your language will be, "If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning. If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy." Your affectionate Brother, J. T. C. LITERARY NOTICE. The following article, more properly belonging to the department of Reviews, was prevented by various causes from appearing under that head, when the sheet, in which it should have been placed, went to the press. A Gazetteer of the United States, abstracted from the Universal Gaz etteer of the author; with enlargements of the principal articles. BY J. E. WORCESTER, A. M. Andover, 1818. THERE is no class of authors, who less need apologize for presenting their works to the public, than writers on géography. The revolutions of states and empires, sometimes gradual and without tumult, at others sudden and violent, the changes in their territory, the alterations in their relative strength and importance, as well as their internal improvements and decays, render new geographical works constantly necessary to those who would preserve a tolerable knowledge of this science. An old geography is in some respects like an old almanac. It is thrown aside as useless, and a new one is eagerly sought for, suited to the exigencies of the present time. This conclusion concerning geographical works in general is also. true of the geography of the United States. Though her territory has not altered since the accession of Louisiana in 1808; yet within these limits the population is increasing with a rapidity unexampled in other countries; numerous villages are built, as the inhabitant of the forest retreats, and new states are almost yearly formed, the names of whose capitals are hardly known to the more distant parts of the union. These new stars in the constellation of liberty, are scarcely made known to us by the political observer, before their lustre is materially increased, and threatens to outshine those, which have been subject to our observation for a longer period. We are fully convinced that the present work is necessary, and makes a valuable addition to the statistics of our country; though we would by no means insinuate, that preceding works of the kind are destitute of merit, or ill-adapted to the period in which they were written. Mr. W. is already known to the public as the author of the Universal Gazetteer, and has acquired thereby a character of no common excellence as a Geographer. The more necessary qualifications of a Geographer, in our view, are industry in collecting his materials, judgment in the selection of them, and a perspicuous mode of exhibiting them to the reader. These properties are found in a very considerable degree in the work before us. The sources from which the author derived his information are enumerated in his preface. The industry, patience, and research necessary in such a work, will be evident to any one who considers the almost infinite number of facts comprised in this small volume. The judgment of the author appears in the proportionate length, which he has given to the several articles, the just importance, which he attaches to our literary institutions, and his care to exhibit a full view of that new and important section of our country, the Western States. The style of the author is perspicuous. Though conciseness was absolutely necessary in the work, yet few instances can be given where obscurity or ambiguity has arisen from that source. The language is also chaste and correct, free from any effort of imagination, adapted to a work of science. We may also add, that the work is written with candor, and possesses a consistent uniform character and style. No religious or political bias, no partiality for the place of his birth, residence, or education, appear to draw the author from his purpose of giving geographical statistics, and of utterly avoiding constructive narration. A work of this kind, whose materials are necessarily drawn from different sources, is too apt to savor of the different style, prejudices and feelings, of the original contributors. But here we think we find the whole adjusted to the plan, and moulded to the style of the author. We are left to make our own inferences from the facts which are exhibited. That there are no errors in a book of this kind, cannot be pretended. But we do not believe them numerous. In the Table of the branches of the Mississippi, there is a mistake in the figures, which the reader by attention will correct. We at first thought there was an error in the statement of the length and breadth, and number of square miles in the territory of Missouri. These are stated to be the same with respect to the Missouri Territory, as with respect to the whole country of Louisiana as purchased by France. On examination, however, we were satisfied that the length and breadth of that country, after taking off the present state of Louisiana, is the same as before; and that the number of square miles might with propriety in either case be stated, at about 1,500,000. Besides the ordinary use of a Gazetteer, this work will be especially useful to those who wish to know the condition of American colleges, literary and scientific institutions, and the public libraries in our country. It will also be a guide to the traveller and the domestic missionary. That the reader may judge concerning the work, we would refer him to such articles as Cambridge, New Haven, and Athens; New York, Baltimore and Savannah; Pennsylvania, Alibama and Missouri. But we have room here only for the following, “Brainerd, a missionary station among the Cherokees, in a district of country called Chickamaugah, on Chickamaugah Creek; 7 E. Lookout Mountain, about 50 SSW. Washington, Ten., 100 E. by N. Huntsville, 140 WSW. Knoxville, 155 NW. Athens. It is 15 miles by the course of the creek above its entrance into the Tennessee, and only 6 from the river at the nearest point; and is near the chartered limits of Tennessee and Georgia. The Chickamaugah is navigable for boats to Brainerd. The missionary establishment was commenced here early in 1817. The buildings are the mission house, school house, dining hall, and kitchen; all built of hewn logs, having the interstices filled with mortar. The school house is sufficiently large to accommodate 100 scholars on the Lancasterian plan. The school contained in May, 1818, 47 Cherokee children, who generally were possessed of minds and dispositions favorable to improvement. The labors of the missionaries have been commenced here with encourag ing prospects. The general aspect of the country around is pleasant.” But the most labored article, for which the author was eminently qualified, after going through a detailed account of every part, is the United States. This contains an extensive collection of tables; but our limits will not permit us to give a more special notice of them. NEW PUBLICATIONS. MEMOIRS of Simeon Wilhelm, a native of the Susoo Country, West Africa; who died at the house of the Church Missionary Society, London, Aug. 29, 1817; aged 17 years. Together with some accounts of the superstitions of the inhabitants of West Africa. Published by the Yale College Society of Enquiry respecting Missions. New-Haven: S. Converse. 1819. pp. 108. A Charity Sermon, delivered at the request of the Howard Benevolent Society, in the first Presbyterian church of Newburyport, October 4, 1818. By Samuel Spring, D. D. Newburyport: W. & J. Gilman. 1818. pp. 20. The Constitution of the Hampshire Education Society, and rules of the Directors, &c. A. D. 1818. Northampton: Thomas W. Shepard & Co. 1818. pp. 20. The Second Annual Report of the Directors to the New York Evangelical Missionary Society of Young Men, at their annual meeting, on Wednesday, the 2d of December, 1818. Published by order of the Society. New York: Thompson & Farrand. 1818. pp. 64. An Address from the Managers of the Education Society to the Churches under the care of the General Assembly. Philadelphia: John W. Scott. pp. 16, STATE OF EUROPE. POETRY: For the Panoplist. The thoughts excited at the Prayer-meeting held in Park-street Church, Feb. 1st inst. led to the following lines on the present State of Europe. AxD o'er the wave of ocean is no note Of war from Europe heard? Who 'woke in elder time the trumpet's clang When through the frighted nations echo rang, The sons of Europe. Whence that iron sway, Thy power, O Rome, felt Afric's fruitful coast, O'er Asia stalk'd thy proud, embattled host. And can it be? Dawns such a day on earth Propitious Lord! 'twas Thine to give it birth, Freely shall then once wasted treasures flow And swiftest heralds with His Gospel go Haste the glad period, Father, God and King, That earth's obedient millions soon may bring Boston, Feb. 3, 1819. |