MESS'RS EDITORS, God." You must acknowledge this to be the best time. Will you IF you have nothing at hand which you judge will be more ufe-ever be fo free from care and ful, pleafe to infert the following in your magazine. A letter to a young perfen who had long labored under the extreme pains of a wounded confcience. MY DEAR FRIEND, A S the things of which I now write are of infinite importance to you, no lefs than about the concerns of your immortal foul, permit me to write freely thofe truths which you must feel, before you can expect to receive the fanctifying influences of God's holy fpirit. You inform me, in your letter, that you are ready fometimes to defpair of God's ever changing your heart, or of bringing you home to himfelf; but rather are led to think you were made for the purpofe of being miferable forever. Such thoughts are truly diftreffing, and are fuch as you ought not to indulge. You have indeed been a long time in diftrefs and anguifh; you have feen many others receiving comfort, and obtaining a hope that they are brought from death anto life. But these things ought not to difcourage you. Be not difcouraged in a thing of fo great importance as the welfare of your immortal foul. Perfevere unto the end. Confider God has a right to do his pleasure with his own, and it is juft for him fo to do. He is now trying you, to let you fee that you are not truly defirous of having an intereft in Chrift; but are excited only by fear of punishment. Confider, further, that probably this is the best time you will ever have for doing this great work, which is to be done, or you mouft perish forever.-Christ fays "Except à man be born again he cannot fee the kingdom of worldly concerns, as at prefent? Will you not rather, as you grow older, grow likewife older in imiquity, and increase the danger of final perdition? Surely you never will be better able to bear the pains of a wounded confcience than at Do not, because you prefent. have been a long time under conviction, and have received no comfort, defpair of receiving mercy from God. Permit me to tell you plainly, it is you who are unwilling to come; fo that if you finally perifh, it will be while Jefus cries," Whofoever will may partake of the water of life freely." But the declaration of God to youth is ftill more encouraging. "I love them that love me and those that seek me early shall find me." Nothing can be more directly adapted to you. And will you doubt the words of God himfelf? He fays he will not turn away thofe empty who fincerely feek him. Recollect you are not the only perfon whofe unregenerate feeking has been long unsuccessful; that God has fuffered others to remain a long time in anguifh, almoft to defpair; but has at length appeared for them, and given them another heart and that joy and peace in believing which the world can neither give nor take away. You fhould not despair of receiving mer cy from God, for many who have labored under the pains of a wounded confcience have, through the divine fovereignty, embraced the promifes. Such inftances are by no means rare; they are to be feen in every revival of religion in our towns. And they are not only to be feen among us at the prefent day, but are recorded in the fcriptures for our encouragement. Another I trust you will, therefore, not think it ftrange, nor confider me as acting an over-officious part, if I addrefs you with freedom, and make an effort to ferve you, in the only way in which I am at prefent able to attempt it. The only intelligence I have had of you in a number of years, was communicated by Mr. He informed me, that you had entered a member of Yale Coilege.Hence, I confider you in a fituation, which, to a young man of your age, and in your circumftanccs, prefents great good to be obtained and accomplished, by a fteady, wife and virtuous conduct, and a judicious and faithful improvement of the means and advantages reason why you should not defpair,, amiable perfon, and we paffed the is that you will incur the difpleaf-years of childhood and youth toure of God; and because you gether, he was a brother peculiarly will be in great danger of being a dear to me As the natural confinal impenitent. That God is diffequence of this, you, his only fon pleafed with thofe who turn back is and bearing his name, have a fpeabundantly taught from the forpcial fhare in my affectionate regard. tares, but more particularly from Hebrews x. 38. If any man draw back, my fou! fhall have no pleafure in him." And from Luke ix. 62. No man having put his hand to the plough, and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God." The danger you will be in of being a final impenitent is very great. This probably is not the first time you have been concerned for the welfare of your foul. Every time you flake off the ideas of future and eternal things, you become more hardened, and lefs likely to be awakened again. Do not therefore quench the fpirit. Be often at the throne of grace. Think not that you can do any thing of yourfelf to merit falvation. While you are in an impenitent ftate every ac-placed within your reach; but extion is fin. You muft feel willing pofed to numerous and great tempto be in the hands of God, and tations, and encompaffed with that Chrift should be all in all, in fnares and dangers, which render your falvation, or you can never at-it problematical, whether the refult tain eternal life. That God would will be ultimately beneficial to you. fubduc ftubborn will, and preyour It is extremely difficult for the pare you for the reception of his inexperience of youth to attain holy fpirit, is the earneft prayer of clear ideas and a juft fenfe of the your affectionate friend, vaft importance of a diligent and wife improvement of the early part of life of keeping clear of the follies and vices, into which the young are liable to fall, and as much as may be out of the way of temptation-of governing their apportes and paffions--of fixing good principles in their minds—of acquiring and cultivating good and Beneficial hables, Labits of indaftry, economy, temperance, chastity, juftice, honey, integrity, benevolence, kindaefs and mercy-of fleadily parfing fleadily parfuing a virtuous and PHILOPSEUCHOS. MESS'RS. EDITORS, IF the following extract from a letter, written fometime ago to a young gentleman in College, fhould be thought proper for a place in the Evangelical Magazine, you have the writer's confit for its infertion. ASTHENES. A DEAR SIR, S your father was but a liule younger than myfelf and an manly line of conduct-of reverencing the name, the word and the worship of God, and in fhort, of early piety and true religion. Therefore, as your father was long fince taken way, permit me in his. ftead, with the affectionate tendernefs and concern of a father for his fon, to entreat and befeech you, to remember and habitually bear in mind, that the exiftence begun in this world is to continue forever, and that during the short period of your prefent life, your character will be formed for eternity, and a foundation laid for endless glory or endless mifery—that the eye of God is continually upon you and nothing can be hid from him-that in order to escape everlasting deftruction and be happy hereafter, you must be born of God, and faved by grace, through faith in Chrift-that the holy fcriptures, however lightly esteemed and defpifed by many, are indeed the word, of the living God, and contain the only true and perfect rule of faith and practice. Be perfuaded, therefore, to read them with attention to attend, with confcientious dilligence, the facred inftitutions therein contained and inculcated to refrain from every thing which appears to be contrary to the will of God revealed in his word, and to study to conform in all refpects to his revealed will, and to let no day pafs without prayer and thanksgiving to God. Be perfuaded likewise, to be particularly careful, that you do not confent to the enticements of finners, or af fociate with the vicious and profane; but choofe the virtuous, the well behaved and pious for your companions, remembering that "he who walketh with wife men hall be wife; but a companion of fools fhall be deftroyed." Let me entreat you also, to be P particularly cautious against the too frequent practice of difregarding and defpifing instructors and governors, and treating their in-. ftructions and counfels, reproofs and authority with neglect and contempt; and on the contrary, to, refpect and efteem them, and to endeavor to poffefs their good will, and esteem by a uniformly steady, orderly and dutiful, unaffuming and.. modeft carriage and behaviourto exercife diligence and discretion in the profecution of your ftudies, taking advice and direction from your teachers, and fuch as, thro' age and experience, are likely to be in that way ferviceable to you., And whilst you labor to make pro-.. ficiency in the knowledge of arts and fciences, and the various branches of polite or useful literature, remember, that the wisdom · which is from above, involving the fear of the Lord, is highly neceffary to fit you for acting in a manner moft honorable and ufeful to yourself and to others, in any public bufinefs or ftation, calling or profeflion, and abfolutely effential to your future everlafting felicity. I know not with what fentiments and feelings you may be likely to receive this letter, which an earnest defire for your beft good has induced me to write; tho' on account of extreme low health, it has been not a little labor and wearinefs to me. But if you. fhould take it in good part, and it should, thro' the bleffing of God, prove the occafion or means of any real benefit to you, I fhall think myfelf moft amply recompenfed. An Addrefs from the Trustees of the Miffionary Society of Connecticut, to the Inhabitants of the New-Settlements, in the northern and Weflern parts of the United State: THE the great and general judgment. Under thefe fureft pledges of our benevolent concern and regards for you, we perfuade ourselves that you will, in a candid and most serious manner receive, the address which we now make to you, and that you will earnestly and immediately attend to the duties which we recommend. Chriftian Friends and Brethren. HE deep impreffions which the entirely deftitute condition of various of the New-Settlements, in the States of New-York and Vermont, with refpect to the preaching of the gofpel, the adminiftration of the ordinances, and the enjoyment of the means of grace in general made upon the minds of the minifters and good people of this state, with a confideration of their inability, in their infancy, to fupport thofe means, induced them, fome years fince, to devife and effect measures for the affiftance of thofe fettlements. With a view that you and your dear children might, with us and ours, enjoy the bleffings of the gofpel, fix general contributions have been made through the state, and a confiderable number of miflionaries have been annually employed in preaching the gofpel, inftructing your children, adminiftring the facraments, and in gathering churches unto the name of the Lord among you. They appear to us to have endured much felf-denial and hard.hip, and to have been laborious for your fouls, for Chrift's and the gofpel's fake. You have witneffed their zeal, labors and concern for you and your offspring. We hope that through the divine blefing both you and they have profited by their faithful and holy miniftrations. Thofe of us, who, during thofe years, have been appointed by the Miffionary Society of Connecticut, to carry their benevolent defigns into execution have employed much concern and many prayers in your behalf, have expended much time and labor, and been at confiderable expeufeing up the public worship among annually, to ferve the best intereits you, you wili habituate yourselves of yourselves and children, whom, and your children to it. It will in general, we never faw, nor ex- cnable you to maintain a fenfe of pect to fee until we shall meet in religion on your hearts, be 22 Know, we beseech you, That religion is the great concern and bufincfs, the dignity and happinefs of man. Wifdom is the principal thing; the one thing needful. Therefore get wisdom. Seck firft the kingdom of God and the righteousness thereof. That you and your families may be under the best advantages for this, labor, as foon as your circumstances will poffibly admit, to obtain the conftant, regular preaching of the word, and administration of the ordinances among you. Be af fured, that Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God: and that by the foolishness of preaching it pleafeth him to fave them that believe. Prize the gofpel more than thousands of gold and filver, and fpare no pains nor expenfe to enjoy it. Until you can obtain the flated preaching of the gofpel and adminiftration of the ordinances among you, conftantly affemble every Lord's day for the public worship, though you may not be able to obtain a preacher. your ableft and beft men lead in your prayers, and read to you fermons on the most interefting and important fubjects. Be careful to be doors as well as hearers of the word, that you may be bleffed in your deeds. By conftantly keep Let important mean of your fanctification of the fabbath, and of calling up your attention to all other Chriftian duties. We wish you to fearch the fcriptures daily, and that the word of God may dwell in you richly in all wifdom and fpiritual understanding, and that you may take it for your counfellor and heritage forever. While thefe words which the Lord your God hath commanded you are in your hearts, according to the divine command, Teach them diligently to your children, and talk of them when you fit in your houses, aud when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rife up. Diligently teach the catechifm, morals and good things contained in the books which we have fent, or may fend unto you. While you have before you an occular demonftration of our care and concern for them, we befeech, and plead with you for the fruit of your own bodies, that you would not neglect them, but ring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Pray with them abundantly, refrain them from evil practices, and from the company of evil men. Set them good examples; govern them well, teaching them fubordination to all good government. While we are fending out unto you miffionaries approved and ef teemed among us, as pious and faithful brethren who, we perfuade ourfelves will fpare no pains to promote your spiritual interefts, to make you rich in faith and good works, and heirs of the heavenly kingdom, we intreat you to receive them with the refpect and kindness due to the minifters of Christ, and afiift them in all their labors and attempts for your falvation. We Deut. vi. 6, 7. fend them fully authorized to itinerate and preach the gofpel among you, to catechize your children, inftruct your young people, affift in your religious conferences, and fuch as have been duly ordained, to adminifter the ordinances to the proper fubjects, as there may be opportunity, to gather and organize churches, and in general to affift you in all your fpiritual concerns. We intreat you not to neglect the precious opportunity and advantages which you will have through their miniftrations; but moft zealously and faithfully improve them. Boaft not of to-mor row, but realize that the present time and opportunities are the only ones you may ever enjoy. Befides, we wish to obferve, that the present time, with you, is a most important juncture, and that the manner in which you now conduct yourselves will have great and lafting influence on the state of the New-Settlements; on your own prefent and future state, and on that of your defcendants. If you will maintain religion in your families, fanctify the Chriftian fabbath, fupport the public worship, make the fcriptures the rule of your faith and practice, attend the fecret duties of religion, and habituate your children to thefe holy practices, they will have the happieft afpect on the honor, peace and comfort of your families, and on the order, peace and beauty of your fettlements in a civil and temporal view. They will prove the most powerful guard against all the vices which make individuals, families and communities in general diforderly, inglorious and miferable. The tendency of a zealous, faithful and parfevering attention to thefe great points will be to promote all thofe virtues which make a people honorable and happy. Righteoufnefs |