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of comfort and honour to his connexions.

With

great feeling he appropriates the 126th psalm of the

Dutch version.

"When God reveal'd his gracious name,

And chang'd my mournful state;

My rapture seem'd a pleasing dream,
The grace appeared so great.

The world beheld the glorious change,
And did thy hand confess;

My tongue broke out in unknown strains,
And sang surprising grace.

"Great is the work," my neighbours cry'd,
And own'd the power divine;
"Great is the work," my heart reply'd,
"And be the glory thine."

We cannot dismiss this interesting narrative without offering to the reader a few reflections which it has forcibly brought to our minds.

1. This man's conversion strongly enforces upon pious parents an important lesson. Though they cannot regenerate their children, they may, and are bound to pray for them. In the exercise of this duty they cannot be too importunate or persevering, for by attending to it they not only benefit themselves, but also lay up in store for their offspring a greater treasure than any earthly patrimony. The promise of God to them is, "I will pour out my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring." This promise is sure, though the fulfilment of it may be delayed for many years, yea, until pious parents are dead. They ought to wait for it in faith, and by faith commit their children in prayer to Him who hath promised, and is a God of truth. The words of Dr. Watts are peculiarly appropriate.

It shan't be said that praying breath,
Was ever spent in vain.

This shall be known when we are dead,

And left on long record;

That ages yet unborn may read,

And trust, and praise the Lord.

2. In this person's case we see the complete inefficacy of good resolutions, formed in our own strength, to reform our lives. No one who knows himself, will for one moment depend upon his own powers to produce such a reformation. Unregenerate men, alarmed by the fear of punishment, and urged by the goadings of a guilty conscience, do often make the attempt, but they are surprised by every temptation, and yield to every attack of the enemy of souls. The reason is obvious-their hearts are not changed, whilst they endeavour to reform their lives. Indeed, their good resolutions, all their exertions, relate only to their lives, whilst their hearts are neglected. But how can their lives be essentially changed, if their hearts previously be not radically changed? If the fountain be impure, the streams must be so likewise. And that the fountain is impure, is true; for Scripture saith," The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked, who can know it ?" It saith," The carnal mind is enmity against God, not subject to his law, nor indeed can be." How can they, then, who are not convinced of this their awful state, their total apostacy from God, exert themselves to change their hearts, or even wish to have them changed? The very taste, the relish, the bias of their hearts is sinful; they love sin, they cherish it. Unless their love be destroyed by some power out of themselves, their efforts to amend are vain and fruitless, because never sincere. It is well remarked, that hell is paved with

good resolutions. No doubt but the miserable outcasts from heaven have again and again determined in life to reform their conduct; and yet, remaining destitute of a radical change of heart, have entered. into the place of torment where they are blaspheming God day and night. Let no one trust to himself, or think that he has still some power in himself to turn unto God when he will. Before he can cease to do evil, he must be made by the grace of God, to love to do good. He must be born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

3. Conversion, evidently from this man's case, is the Lord's work. He was powerfully and irresistibly constrained by divine love which had selected him from eternity as one of its subjects to attend to his awful state. The eyes of his understanding were opened, not by himself, for he was blind, but by the Holy Spirit, who testifies of Christ. This grand agent in the economy of redemption, implanted in him the seeds of grace, which sprung up into fruits of righteousness to the glory of God. He was guided by an almighty hand, who brought him to Christ in a way he had not known, and enabled him to find rest for his soul. Sick of his sins, he fled to Christ the great physician, who healed him by his grace. He knows not the precise time when he was converted, for such knowledge is not necessary. He knows he is converted; this is enough. God works variously in various persons; but the issue of all his saving operations is, to unite the subjects of them to Christ. If once united, they are safe; safe from the power of sin, as well as its punishment.

4. This appears from the language of this man after his conversion. "I have not mastered it, (viz. his drunkenness,) my Saviour keeps me from it." This is a precious consolation to the redeemed of the Lord, Vol. III.-No. IV.

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and an irrefutable reply to their libels who charge the doctrines of grace with licentious consequences. Believers are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation. Hence the language of each of them is "I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; and the life which I live, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." Grace in the heart produces humility and holiness in the conduct. All who experience it, give glory to God and put the crown upon the Redeemer's head. Whilst they thus walk humbly with their God, they also do justly and love mercy. Christ is all and in all to them. He is formed in their souls the hope of glory. By his strength, they overcome their enemies. As the captain of their salvation, he will guide them safe through life, support them in death, and receive them to himself in glory.

ANECDOTE.

Lord Chesterfield being at supper with Voltaire and Madame C, the conversation turned on the affairs of England. "I think, my Lord," said the lady, "that the parliament of England consists of five or six hundred of the best informed and most sensible men in the kingdom."-"True, Madam, they are generally supposed so to be."-" What then can be the reason they should tolerate so great an absurdity as the Christian religion?"" I suppose, Madam, it is because they have not been able to substitute any thing better in its stead; when they can, I don't doubt, but in their wisdom, they will readily accept it."

RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE.

DOMESTIC.

:

We intend to lay before our readers a view of the means which the churches in our country have provided for the education of their Ministry. We begin with an account of the

THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY OF NEW-YORK, established under the inspection of the General Synod of the Associate Reformed Church. The following view of its plan is taken from the Minutes of Synod for the year 1805.

AN ACT RELATIVE TO A THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY.

WHEREAS, The ministry of reconciliation is the great means in stituted by the Lord Jesus Christ, for perfecting his saints, and edifying his body; and, Whereas, he has required in his word that they who are called to this excellent and important work, be furnished with gifts and graces above those of other belieyers; especially, that they be faithful men, apt to teach, workmen who need not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth, wise stewards to give the household their portion of meet in due season, able to convince gainsayers, to stop the mouths of unruly and vain talkers, to reprove, to rebuke, to exhort, with all long-suffering and doctrine and authority; and to know how they ought to behave themselves in the house of God, ruling well, and being ensamples to the flock-And, Whereas, the aforesaid qualifications, since the miraculous effusions of the divine Spirit have ceased, cannot be obtained in any other way than by his blessing upon the cultivation of natural talent, sanctified by his grace; which cultivation consists in a good acquaintance with those various branches of literature, which are necessary for understanding, expounding, defending, and applying all the parts of revealed truth-And, Whereas, semiDaries erected for the especial purpose of instructing the ris

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