and therefore, a new heart, and a, new fpirit. For God to require any thing lefs, would be requiring what he cannot accept at their hands; and what, therefore, cannot be reconciled with his infinite holinefs. It appears from the example of Cain, that the mere external performance of religious duties does nothing, towards mending the heart. Cain bro't his offering unto the Lord; but was ftill capable of being angry with God, and of bating his brother. His example is only one, among many millions. Multitudes prove, that they are rendered no better, by external acts of obedience, when they find fault with their teachers, and even with God himfelf, for affuring them, that he requireth truth in the inward part, and that he will regard all which is done with ever fo much outward fanctity, as mere hypocrify and wickednefs, when the heart is withholden. of the diflike, and oppofition, which are found in many wicked men, against the true difciples of Jefus." Not, faith the Apoftle, as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and flew his brother. And wherefore flew he him? Becaufe his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous." The fpirit of Cain was that, which has influenced the perfecutors of true religion and its votaries, from the death of Abel, down to the present time. Finally, we learn from all which has been faid, why finners of mankind must be born again, that they may fee the kingdom of heaven. The fpirit, which reigns in them, till they have a new heart, and are made holy, is a total difqualification for dwelling in the prefence of God, and for uniting in the holy fociety and employments of the heavenly world. Was Cain a meet inhabitant for that world? Was he prepared, to find a fulnefs of joy in the prefence of God and the Lamb, and from thofe difplays of divine glory, which constitute the heaven of angels, and the spirits of juft men made perfect? If in this world he was angry, even to murder, because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous, what would be his rage, if admitted, with such a temper, into the midft of paradife? It would doubtlefs prove a very hell to him. He would there roam about, like a roaring lion, feeking whom he might devour. But he exhibited the genuine temper of all unrenewed finners. They are as compleatly difqualified for heaven, as he was, in the very a& of flaying his innocent brother. Paufe, reader;-paufe, and examine thine own foul, in the light of this fubWe may fee alfo, in the exam-ject. If still unfanétified in heart, ple of Cain, the nature and grounds thou also art going in the way of Again; thofe who think God a hard master, because he will not accept of mere external obedience, in lieu of a believing and holy temper, may fee, that they are going in the way of Cain. They plead, that they ought to be accepted, when they do as well as they can; whereas they mean nothing more, than doing as well as they can, confiftently with a temper of heart, which is at total variance with God, with holiness, and with all the motives which ought to influence their attempts to ferve him. They accordingly exhibit the fame fpirit which Cain did; are of the fame character with him; and must expect to meet him, in the fame place of torment. 6 And in procefs of time;' Heb. at the end of days; that is, as our author endeavors at large to prove, at the end of the week, on the Sabbath day, poffibly the firft after they had become the heads of familica, and entitled to offer facrifices, as was the patriarchal manner, each as the priest of his own family- It came to pass that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground, an offering to the Lord.' It is of importance to be obferved, that the Hebrew word readered an offering, is mincha, which Dr. K. explains from divine authority to be an offering of fine flour mingled with oil and frankincenfe, [Lev. ii. 1, &c.] This our tranflators commonly call a meat, but might more properly be called a bread, offering. Here our author obferves a very fingular mode of expreffion, which he | apprehends eliptical, and fupplying the neceffary words, tranflates the paffage literally thus, Cain brought of the fruit of the ground a mincha to Jehovah ; and Abel brought [a mincha] he alfo [brought] of the firstlings of his flocks, and of their fat,' or rather, of the fatteft of them.'-Then it follows- And Jehovah had respect to Abel, and to his mincha; but to Cain and his mincha he had no refpect.' Now if this tranflatien be juft, or the word mincha follows that Abel offered a mincha, be rightly explained, it neceffarily or meat offering, as well as Cain, together with a facrifice, which Cain did not offer. The matter, in fhort, feems to be this, Cain came, like a self. righteous Pharifee, with a ' God, I thank thee,' to the Author of Nature, and the God of Providence. Abel was no less sensible of thefe obligations, and therefore brought his mincha as well as Cain; but being humbled under a conviction of his own frailty and unworthiness, he also brings an animal facrifice, fmites upon his breaft, and cries, God be merciful to me a finner.' Not only fo, but Abel looked by faith thro❜ the bleeding type to the great atonement it prefigured: Cain rejected this; and being ignorant of God's righteousness, went about to establish his own. This representation (which as we faid is Dr. KENNICOTT's) appears to us not only ingenious and juft, but has the advantage of being beautifully confiftent with the New Teftament. Here we fee how it was that by faith' in the promised feed, Abel offered to God,' not only a more excellent,' but as the Greek imports, a fuller, a more complete facrifice than Cain; and it was on this ac count that God had refpect, firft to Abel, and fecondly to his offering. We also learn from this review of the fubject, what was the error of Cain, which the apoftle Jude alludes to, namely, an enmity against God's method of falvation. dered it difreputable to neglect their inftruction. Public opinion is ftrongly on the fide of religion, and of religious inftitutions. Infidelity has fewer adherents than formerly. And it may be faid with truth, that in no part of our world is Chriftianity fo univerfally embraced in its purity as in this. Comparatively fpeaking, this is a land of piety and undiffembled virtue. This leads us to remark the different conduct of the two brothers fubfequent to their offering. Mofes informs us, that Cain was very wroth, and his counte- But there is even here, so much nance fell,' the ufual fign of a bafe coldnefs and indifference to reliand malicious heart. And thegion, as juftly to excite extreme Lord faid unto Cain,'-condef regret. While many affent in the cended to reason with him, prob-grofs to the doctrines of revealed ably by means of the divine Shekinah Why art thou wroth, and why is thy countenance fallen ? If thou doft well, fhalt thou not be accepted? Or rather, if thou hadft done well, fhouldeft thou not have been accepted in the fame manner (whatever that might be) as Abel thy brother? And if thou doft not well,' or haft not done well-fin lieth at the door,' the fault is thine. TO THE EDITORS OF THE CON- GAZINE. GENTLEMEN, YOUR indulgence to a former communication, and a wish to promote the cause in which you are engaged, which much exceeds my ability, has been my inducement to fubmit to you the following remarks. W E live in a country which profeffes the Chriftian religion. In most of our towns and villages, temples are erected and dedicated to the fervice of God. Our pulpits are generally fupplied with faithful and learned preachers, and cuftom has ren If religion, they prove themfelves utter ftrangers to its peculiar, its diftinguishing features; nay enemies to its true character. Chriftianity be true, it is true exclufively, and therefore demands our moft folemn confideration, our moft ferious regard. If the fcriptural representation of man be correct, and if his future destiny is to be measured by the life he lives, and by the character he here affumes, how great, how vaft the importance of living well; of forming true opinions of ourselves, and of the perfections of our judge, and of dying in his friendship and favor? And yet, on a fubject which above all others, might juf tify anxiety, many are unwilling that any uncommon attention fhould be bestowed. Their language is, "Do not give yourself any great uneafinefs about the ftate of your foul. You ferve an all-merciful God, who is indul. gent to human frailty. Be juft and honeft to mankind, and you will be in no danger. We believe nothing relative to these religious awakenings; they are the off fpring of an overheated imagination; the fubjects of them are greatly deluded, or greatly hyp ocritical. Religion is more rational and manly." To the young, impediments of another kind are thrown in the way of their becom ing ferious. They are told, they will be defpifed and neglected if they think on thefe things. Religion is reprefented as wearing a forbidding and gloomy afped, as unfuitable to the early period of life; as an auftere and unpleafant fervice, fit only for those who are deprived of other refources of enjoyment. And thus attempts are made, to render men negligent in their highest and most important interests. They who regard not their own falvation, treat with no indulgence thofe who do. Concern about our future well being is deemed evidential of weak intellects; and if fuch concern rifes to an high degree, they who are under its influence, are confidered as enthufiafts and madmen. But if there be a subject on which we might indulge an exceffive anxiety, (or even intemperate zeal) may it not be on this? For what is there in the wide region of human concerns, that in importance bears to be mentioned in comparifon with the well being of the foul? Shall he be thought an enthufiaft whofe attention is excited to things of another world, who is folicitous to fecure the favor and friendship of his Creator, and a portion beyond the reach of accident, where ftorms and forrows never come; a feat at God's right hand, where flow pleafures without end? dead and we' are there. We are even now the eye witneffes of the materials which will conftitute the laft conflagration. If we stay a little longer we shall fee the univerfe in ruins, and the Saviour of the world coming to judgment. And fhall we account it folly or enthufiafm, to be preparing to meet that event; as the idle pur. fuit of weak and ignorant minds? Shall we prepare to live a few years here on earth, fhall we guard and protect our lives and our health with fo much care, and forget that we are to live forever? Shall we spend our calculations on feventy years, and not remember that we muft exift while God en dures? Forbid it, O my foul! forbid it heaven ! Need it be urged as a motive to embrace religion, that it contains all which is excellent in the human character? He who is deftitute of it, is guided in all his conduct by a principle of fupreme felfifanefs. Could he indulge his pride and ambition, he would lay the usiverfe at his feet. Pride admits of no rivalfhip, of no competition. Every man who is deftitute of a principle of holiness, confiders himself as the firft, and as the last, whofe happiness fhould be confulted. Such feelings render it impracticable for those who pof fefs them, to live together in peace and harmony. They are the perpetual occafions of ftrife and contention in private life. They break out into open hoftility among powerful and rival nа. tions, overfpreading the world with defolation and ruin. They need conftant reftraint and punishment; but notwithstanding this, & notwithstanding the influence of opinion, and the dread of disgrace, Eternity is viewed by us as at and more than all, notwithstanda diftance. But it is only to being, the fear of the wrath to come, We are fent into being, not to walte away our lives in an unprof. itable purfuit after the things of time. This is a life of probation and of trial. In a few days we are off the stage. how malignant, how numerous are | At a meeting of the Pifcataqua the inftances of tranfgreffions against the rights of mankind? But where undiffembled love to God and our fellow men exists, none of thefe evils can happen. Were it univerfal, this whole world would be one harmonious and happy family. He who takes his own place in the scale of being, and who eftimates all objects according to their value, never contends for improper diftinction, but will do his duty faithfully in that ftation which providence has affigned him. That reftlefs and unruly ambition, which is the fcourge of its poffeffors, will with him be tempered by fober reafon, and moderated by the confideration, that in a little time, all diftinétions will be levelled in the duft, and the retributions of eternity be according to his goodness, and not according to the rank he has affumed in life. Were the things of futurity feen in all their importance, the face of the world would be greatly changed. Every thing would be in motion. The rage of mankind would not spend itself on projects of conqueft, or fchemes of perfonal aggrandifement, but the general inquiry would be, What must I do to be faved? It is becaufe they are hidden from the view, they are no more regarded. We live in awful ftupidity, in impious unbelief. And it is but too true, that unlefs the fpirit of truth do awake us from our lethargy, we fhall fleep on, till we awake, alas ! in everlasting burnings. Buffed Jefus, prevent us by tly almighty and infinite grace! Awake us from this fleep of death, and caufe that we find no reft, till we find it in thee! A LAYMAN. VOL. IV. No. 10. Affociation of Minifters, November 8, 1803, Voted, That the perfons following be a committee, to complete the Conftitution of the Pifdo all that is neceffary to its pubcataqua Miffionary Society, and lication and requifite to calling the first meeting of the fociety. Hon. DAVID SEWALL, Rev. JOSEPH BUCKMINSTER, Rev. HUNTINGTON PORTER, BENJAMIN ABBOT, Efq. Rev. JESSE APPLETON. Atteft, 7. Buckminster, Scribe. CONSTITUTION. OR the increafe of knowl FOR edge and evangelical piety; for the promotion of the present well being and eternal falvation of men; from a confideration of the great number of thofe, who are in danger of perifhing through lack of vifion, among whom the divine word and ordinances cannot be ftatedly enjoyed; from a defire that grace, mercy and peace may be multiplied to them through the knowl edge of God, and of Jefus Chrift our Lord, we, a committee cho. fen for this purpofe, by the Lower Pifcataqua Affociation of Minifters, on whom the preceding confiderations have made a deep impreffion, beg leave to lay before the public, the following Conflitution of a Mif fionary Society. Article I. The Society to be denominated, The Pifcataqua Miffionary Society: the Officers of which are to confift of a Prefident, Secretary, and Board of Trustees, not exceeding feven, to be chofen annually, by ballot. II. The Trustees, thus chofen, fhall appoint a Treasurer, Ccc |