and his glorious plan of govern- | Chrift's kingdom or not, and toment; they are all fanctified by tally neglect to vifit the humble the fame fpirit, all drink at the cell of the meek and lowly folfame fountain, are all engaged in lowers of Jefus ; and thereby give the fame intereft, are journeying no evidence of that love by which to the fame place, and are all fub- all men may know that they are jects of the fame kingdom; hav- Chrift's difciples: Do they not ing Jefus Chrift, for their king often appear to prefer dealing with and head; who is king of kings, the men of this world? when they and Lord of Lords. might on as good terms, and as conveniently deal with their brethren, and by this means fall into the practice of the wicked of not punctually fulfilling their engage proach on the bleffed caufe they profefs: Does not all this in a great meafure flow from the neg lect of Christian communion and conference, and in choofing the pious for their conftant compan ions? Perhaps at this prefent day no duty is more univerfally neg lected than Chriftian fellowship; in vifiting each other in meekness and fear, converfing, reading, finging pfalms and hymns, and uniting in addreffing the throne of grace. Reafon would fuppofe that thofe, who are thus really united in heart, would come out from among thofe of this world, and appear united in love in a confpic-ments, which brings an awful reyous manner, and would be feen like a city that is on a hill that cannot be hid. But is it not a folemn truth, that profeffors are often heartily engaged in the vain purfuit of riches, honors, and pleafures; and mingling with the friendship of this world? which is enmity with God, are they not many times found uniting with the world, in their innocent amufements, (as they call them,) joining the feftive circle, in the exceffes of eating, drinking, telling and hearing, trifling anecdotes? how often are they found absorbed in the political difputes of the day? appearing champions in difputation and ridicule; apparently forgetting that Chrift's kingdom is not of this world; and that he poffeffes all power in Heaven and on earth; and rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomfoever he will; and that there is none that can ftay his hand; and though clouds and darknefs are round about his works, yet he will make all things work together for good to them that love him. If profeffors' were conftantly in the habit of joining together in love, it would be a striking evidence to the world, that they belong to the fame family, and are engaged in the fame intereft in heart and practice: In this way they would be continually watching over each other, they would reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long fuffering and doctrine; they would bear each others burdens, they would fupport the weak, fuccour the afflicted, comfort the mourner, bind up the broken hearted, and univerfally ftrengthen the caufe. Do not many, who are favored Difcipline which is fo much rewith wealth and honor, chufe the laxed, would be invigorated, and affluent for their conftant compan-churches would foon look forth ions and vifitants? without re- like the morning; charity that garding whether they belong to fuffereth long and is kind, would 1 ma T must be fo,-oh, my foul, thou reafoneft well! Elfe, whence this pleafing hope, this fond defire, this ardent longing after celeftial glory? Or why this wonderful apparatus of a world, made for man, replenished with an almoft infinite variety, in the fowls of the air, in the beafts of the field, in the fishes of the fea; and ftores with ten thousand bleffings, all-all for the use, convenience and comfort of man: for man, a being of yesterday, and who to-morrow will be laid in the duft? If there be not a celestial Paradife, a kingdom of eternal glory, prepared for the righteous, beyond this vale of tears, why all this attention to worthlefs man, to man, who, if his foul be not immortal, and a candidate for eter be reanimated, the rich and the poor would meet together, the fubjects of pity would be found, the widow and the fatherlefs would be vifited, the hungry fed, the naked cloathed, and the oil of confolation would be poured into every wound. God has ufually been pleased in his fovereign will to bless the united prayers of his people: His promife is very gracious to those who unite as touching any one thing. The union and communion of God's children generally precede the outpouring of his fpirit; many at the prefent day, can witnefs this truth; every rational argument combines in the propriety of ftrict attention to this duty, and the word of God folemnly enjoins it; where it is neglected, all others are attended in a cold and form-nal bleffedness, is in no wife an al manner. It is requested that profeffors would seriously and candidly inquire of themselves, if they are not guilty of this neglect. May all arife and trim their lamps, and fee if the oil of divine grace is burning; may they reflect that by uniting with the world to the neglect of this duty, they violate God's holy command, wrong their own fouls, and bring a reproach on the cause of the bleffed Jefus.iftence, wars, revolutions and defEVANDER. The Chriftian's foliloquy.-A cure for a fad heart, in a day of affliction. John xiv. 1, 2, 3. "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe alfo in me. In my fathers houfe are many manfions: if it were not fo I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myfelf; that where I am, there ye may be alfo." fwerable to such astonishing difplays of the wisdom, power and goodness of God? Or why, from the beginning, were angels from the throne of heaven, fent on errands to man, with meffages of grace? Why were prophets infpired to teach mankind the will of heaven, and in confirmation of their teftimony, to predict events to the end of the world, in the ex truction of kingdoms, to fucceed in exact historical order, in the long fucceffion of thousands of years? Or why the amazing con defcenfion of God the Son, to unite with his divine the human nature, to be made under the law, to endure fuch trials of cruel mockings and scourgings, and to expire in all the fhame and agonies of the torturing death of the crofs, inflicted by a feeble band of Roman Soldiers, inftigated by Jewish malice? Or why the bold, perfevering, undaunted teftimony of his difciples, in the lofs of all mand the obedience of his ration. al creatures? And where is the ufe of law, which knows no penalties, nor rewards? Or how can juftice be difplayed, without diftinguishing between the innocent and the guilty-the holy and the unholy? Is this, then, fully to be feen in the prefent world? Do rewards and punishments diftin guishingly enforce the divine law on earth? Wherefore, then, “do the wicked live, become old," yea, and are "mighty in power," in thoufands of inftances? Why do they often abound in profperity and affluence, while the righteous are many times afflicted, poor and low in the world? Or why have fo many prophets, apoftles and martyrs "wandered about in sheep earthly honors and poffeffions, fearlefs of prisons and dungeons, of the threatenings of earthly rulers and of ignominious ftripes, not even fhrinking from death itfelf, (when inflicted with all the torture, which human malice could invent,) that they might be found faithful in bleffing the world with the glorious gofpel of him whom they had" Seen alive after his paffron by many infallible proofs, being feen of them forty days, and Speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God?" It is only in the gofpel, the grand folution of these wonderful phenomena can be found. The pages of this facred book difclofe the whole. They point out the deftiny of man. They place God on his glorious throne, and bring the whole created uni-kins, and goat-fkins; being defliverfe to bow before him. Here, tule, afflicted, tormented, and tortur thou mayeft read, oh, my foul, ed, not accepting deliverance," in and find a fatisfying and comfort- the hour of death, by denying ing anfwer to all thy enquiries. their Lord, if this was not the Doft thou afk again, why all this way to "obtain a better refurrecattention to worthlefs man? Here tion?" If beyond the grave there the answer is given. It is because be not an eternal diftinction made the foul is immortal, and this a between the righteous and the preparatory state to another of wicked? Without a future ftate eternal duration, beyond the grave. of retribution all is dark and unIt is because the whole world lieth intelligible, all is a chaos of conin fin, expofed to wrath, and noth. fufion, and man no longer reftraining fhort of the blood-bought par-ed by the ties of confcience is predon of the glorious Son of Godpared for fcenes of riot, of fraud, could rescue a fingle foul from ever-injuftice and murder. But, oh, lafting woe. Nor think this a fable. my foul, thou art no longer left For it is an awakened confcience, in the dark about futurity. Thy Oh my foul, that fills thee with light is come, and the glory of the fuch a folemn awe of God. It is Lord has arifen upon thee. heaven itfelf, that points out to not your hearts be troubled : ye bethee, in the vanity of all things lieve in God, believe alfo in me," below the fun as well as in the fa- faid the dear Redeemer to his forcred page, the certainty of an rowful difciples, in the full view eternal existence beyond the grave. of his approaching fufferings, and And will not that be a flate of of all their trials. "In my fathrewards and punishments? Can it ers boufe are many manfions: if be otherwife? Where is the foun- it were not fo I would have told dation of law, if not in the good-you. I go to prepare a place for nefs and authority of God to com. "you." Oh! bleffed news! How "Let that if I am not afbamed of Jefus, in the prefence of this wicked and adulterous generation, when religion is fo much fcoffed at, by the unthinking many, he will never be afhamed of me, whatever, in other refpects, may be my station and condition, in the world. He will own me in the day of his triumphant glory! He will not be ashamed of me, when feated on his "great white throne," in glorious majesty, to judge the world. He will bid me welcome to the joys of heaven, and grant me a feat at his right hand. Oh! He will blefs me with his divine friendship to all eternity." And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself ; that where I am, there ye may be How privileged I am, oh, my foul, if truly interested in the Lord Jefus! He will come again. He full of confolation to the rightcous foul, in this ftate of trial! How does it obliterate from the mind the painful remembrance of paft forrows and fufferings, and fweetly wipe from their ftreaming eyes the bitter tears of affliction, by the bright profpect of eternal glory, with which it gladdens the heart! How glorious the character of God in this wonderful fcheme of redemption and falvation! The manfions of eternal bleffednefs are opened for penitent believers in the Lord Jefus. "I go to prepare a place for you," faid the dying Redeemer. Remember this, oh, my foul, when thou art called to fuffer reproach or perfecution for the religion of Jefus : remember, he has first drank the wormwood and the gall, the bit-alfo." What a glorious charter ! ter cup of tears and blood! Oh, remember this is the way to glory! Jefus has gone to prepare a place for thee, if thou art in real-will receive me unto himself. ity an humble believer in him. And, why? That we may meet "Let not your heart be troubled ;" to part no more; that where he for Chrift, and all the glories of is, there I may be alfo, with his heaven are yours. He has gone innumerable company of angels to prepare a place for you, a and faints, enjoying his beatific place in the manfions of bleffed- prefence, where is fulness of joy.s nefs, where God fhall wipe away and, at his right hand, where are all tears from your afflicted eyes, pleasures forevermore. Is not this and crown you with all the hon- enough? Am I affured, if I am ors and bleflings of the celeftial faithful unto the death there will Paradife. What, then, if I am be a crown of righteousness laid poor in this world, I am rich in up for me, in the heavens? Why, Chrift Jefus, my Lord. If I am then, fhould I ever repine, at the despised on earth, I am honored profperity of the wicked? Why in heaven. If in the world I ex- envy the haughty worldling waxperience tribulation, it is on the ing great by violence and lies? Or road to glory. If I am friendless why, when compaffed about with among men, my guardian Angels unforeseen worldly trials and afftand before my father's face, in flictions fhould I rafhly call my heaven; and Jefus owns me for felf one of the most unfortunate one of his chofen, beloved ones. and unhappy of mortals? For my Yes, oh, Yes! This is my fweet portion is great: it is glorious, it is confolation, my joy, my fupport, eternal; and being divinely affured under all my trials and afflictions, it will never perifh, I am fortunate in this life, whatever they may be, and happy. What, if like Lazarus, VOL. IV. No. 4. S I die a beggar? What, if like him, I find no earthly friends to nour ith my body with food, to cover my nakedness with raiment, or to bind up my wounds and bruifes, in my laft fickness, with the healing balms of the phyfician? What, if no figh arifes from the heart of a friend at my death, nor a fingle tear be shed over my grave? Shall fuch confiderations as thefe make mè miferable? Shall they deprive me of all enjoyment in my God? Earthly friends I efteem: I undervalue them not. Worldly bleffings, I am fenfible, flow from the bounty of heaven, and may enlarge my prefent comfort and enjoyment. But, my treasure is in heaven. Knowing that Jefus has gone to prepare a place for me, and that he will come again, and receive me unto himself; that where he is, there I may be alfo, I am happy. Of this felictiy the world can' never deprive me. This is a happiness, which even death itself, dreaded as it is, by animal nature, will but bring to perfection. For, entering into the feelings of an apoftle, I am ready to fay, "I reckon that the fufferings of this prefent time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which fhall be revealed in us.' ZEPHO. The Rev. Mr. ATWATER, late of Weffield, not long before his death, wrote the following advice and gave it to his Son. Two or three friends were indulged to fee it, and take copies of it. Hence a knowledge of it was communicated to a number; and a request was made by the town, in a general meeting, for leave to print it to gether with their Paftor's laft Sermon. A request made, in fuch a manner, by a people fo af fectionately attached to the Father, the Son felt himself unable to refufe. By the defire of fun dry refpectable judges it is now inferted in the Magazine. Mr. Atwaler's Advice to his only I Son. MY DEAR WILLIAM, EXPECT foon to be carried to the grave-If you should be fuffered to live after my death, you will need much advice. I now, before my death, give you my moft affectionate advice, concerning a number of things, which I conceive to be of real importance. As a mourner for the death of your father behave with serious. nefs and folemnity, fixing your thoughts upon your own death and the neceffity of an immediate preparation for it. Be dutiful to your mother. Let all that you fay to her, and con. cerning her, be refpectful. Be kind to her at all times. Remem ber the kind things fhe hath done for you, and the tender care fle hath taken of you, ever fince the hath fuftained her prefent relation to you. If fhe fhould be ill-if fhe fhould be helplefs-if fhe fhould live to be old, I hope you will always be ready to take the neceffary care of her, and to fhow the utmost kindness to her, to her death, as far as you have opportunity. The duty of ref pect and kindness towards her is abundantly taught in the word of God; and enforced by innumerable confiderations, which, I think, have had a great influence in your cafe. The manner in which you have spoken to her, and the cheerfulness with which you have attended to her calls and defires, are evidences of this. I have, even |