POETRY. COMMUNICATED AS ORIGINAL. January 6th, 1801. MESSRS. EDITORS, AS you have requested that fome Hymns might be forwarded for the benefit of the Magazine, I fend you the following, which was compofed in hafte, on New-Year's day and fung in public, and which you may publish, if you think proper. 1. Hymn for New-Year. D. REAT God! whofe mercy hath no bound; 2. By thee our lives are still preferv'd, Let us begin the new-born year ; 4. And while the rapid wings of time Hymn for a Birth-Day. 3. Flesh demands a longer date, 6. Guilty as my foul remains, 7. Tho' I've nothing there to plead, 12. Roll ye planets burâ my chain 1." VITAL fpark of heavenly From my fins it fets me free flame" Gives me all my Lord to fee. 13. Yet I would not chide delay, MESS'RS. EDITORS, OBSERVING my firft letter of address to the good people of Connecticut was published, on the fubject of contributing for the fupport of Miffions, I now fend you a fecond, requesting the fame. favor. MINORIS. IN Friends and Fellow-Chriftians, N my laft, I gave you a general view of the wide field, that is opened for Miffionary labors in this country; and of the peculiar obligations on the American Church to contribute for fo benevolent a purpose. I shall now particularly ftate fome further reafons and motives to excite your liberality. of its glory as great and irreparable an evil to them, as to yourfelves. Who can conceive of the quantity of happiness or misery, that must be experienced by an immortal foul through eternity! It is a quantity that exceeds all the defcriptive power of words, and outstretches the ftrength of created imagination. This will be obtained or loft by each one of those immortal fouls, for whom your charity is folicited, and the greater part of them know it not. The way, which is appointed by the gracious Redeemer of men, for them to obtain this knowledge, is through your inftrumental liberality; and can you deny it? Can 1. I beg you to confider the you fay, I will forbear to give, worth of the fouls of men. En- and thus place at rifque their fouls, deavor to conceive the worth of this immenfe quantity of blifs and your own fouls; the worth of a heav-woe? The fecurity and ignorance en that is eternal, and the awful- and unconcern of thefe people for nefs of finking into utter and eter-themselves, in many inftances, is nal woe; and then confider that all the Heathen, and all our friends in the now fettlements, who are placed beyond the reach of means which God is commonly pleafed to blefs unto falvation, have fouls as valuable as your own. Heav en will be as precious, and the lofs VOL. I. No. 10. X the very reafon why your Chriftian compaffion ought to yearn over them. The falvation of one foul would far outweigh all the pains than can be taken, for it is a value of infinite amount, in the cafe of a fingle perfon; and how much greater in the multitude of cafes, that address your benevolence ? verfal in its extension as the laws of morality. Perhaps, one rea fon, that the Lord hath fo long and so often shown himself displeaf 2. It is thro' the means of knowledge, that the fovereign grace of God brings finners to eternaled with the Christian Church, hath life. All the energies of infinite been their neglect of duty in this power, both in the kingdoms of refpect. Perhaps, the reafon he nature and grace, work with means. hath denied a bleffing on means For any to deny this is the height where they are enjoyed, is the of madness, and fhows them to be general neglect to fpread fuch means ignorant of the grand principles to thofe who are deftitute of them. of divine wisdom and acting. By The writer believes, that in the means men receive their daily divine fight, this hath been a very bread and cloathing; by means provoking fin of those who enjoy they receive knowledge in things means and have neglected to comnatural and divine, and without municate them; and it is certainly knowledge in divine and facred an excellent method of stirring up fubjects there is no reason to think ourselves to our own foul's concerns, they will be faved. The appoint to be folicitous and diligent in giv ed means for communicating knowl- ing to others the knowledge of edge, is thro the inftrumentality of eternal life. If all chriftianized those who have themfelves receiv- people were awake to this daty, we ed it. The command, "go teach have reafon to hope there would all nations" was through the Apof- be great refreshings from on high, tles made to the church, and to on those who give as well as os those who are chriftianized, and those who receive. have a fulness of the means of information. You have no right to think, that if God intends falvation to others, he will find the instruments and defray the expenfe without you. You are the inftruments, either by your perfonal labor or by your contribution, to do this work. Shrink not back from the expenfe, for to an individual or family it is fmall; it is the price of your own duty; and God hath already repaid it to you. You are his ftewards, and the fund which is to do this work is already in your hands, and will you refufe to pay it over again to the calls of his word, his providence and your own duty? 3. Confider the guilt of tranf-fouls of men. It is the honor of greffing the divine command "go being workers together with him, teach all nations." Think no lon- in the glorious fcheme of falvager, that this precept was given to tion.-Itis the fatisfaction of thinka few individuals only; for it is to ing, I have made some little enall chriftianized people, and as uni- deavor towards my duty, and the 4. Such are the duties of men, that all the trouble and expense attending, are richly repaid in the peace of confcience, and in the pleafure that is found in performing them. With what pain, must the illiberal think of their own parfimony, in not giving to fo divine a purpofe! The pleasure of looking on the property, which they have denied to the Lord and the fervice of his kingdom, muft be changed for pain of confcience, whenever they confider the fubject. On the other hand, how great the pleafure of contemplating on paft liberality thus applied! It is the pleafure of communing with the bleffed Saviour in his love of the of gain by an unfeen hand, which worketh without contradiction. confined at home by my neceffary employments and unqualified for a public inftructor and meffenger Chriftians, if you are fuch inof peace; yet I am by my charity deed, with you I need not have retravelling the wildernefs; comfort-courfe to this argument. With ing the lonely children of God with the promises of his grace; and perfuading finners to confider, repent and believe. Such reflections as thefe are full of peace, and who that hath tafled would not with to purchase them in fuller degree! 5. It is a divine promise "caft thy bread upon the waters, for after many days thou fhalt find it."”Thefe words are ufed as a motive to be liberal, in every kind of charity, to the bodies and fouls of men. Divine goodness hath connected a reward with doing our duty. The good we do to others, fhall be re you the value of a few fhillings annually, or even pounds, if you have affluence, will appear like a defpicable confideration, in comparifon with the pleafures of a benevolent heart in evangelizing men; and infinitely fmall compared with the worth of a fingle foul.Let all confider, whether, if they do not feel this fubject, they are not very finful in the fight of God, and unprepared for his glorious king dom. By application to the Gentlemen, who direct the concerns of the Mif fionary Society of Connecticut, I have obtained the following information. That fince the inftitution of the Society in June 1798, to the prefent time, March 31, 1801, there have been 405 weeks of Miffion paid into our own. bofoms, either here or hereafter; perhaps doubly repaid in both worlds. He that giveth even a cup of cold water, in the name or with the fpirit of aary fervices performed, at the exdifciple, fhall not lofe his reward. He fhall be remembered, in the kingdom of heaven, for all the good he hath done to Chrift's king dom here on earth. Is there not on which conferences and more private meetings many hundred times; catechifing children; adminiftering the Chriftian ordinances; and performing other minifterial fervices, churches, funerals, &c. In adin vifiting the fick, organizing pen fe of the fociety.-By the journals of the Miffionaries, it appears that they have preached almoft evtimes in a day; fo that on a modery day, and often twice and three alfo a promise of being rewarded erate computation they have preachhere on earth?" The liberal deed 2835 times; befides attending viseth liberal things; and by lib. eral things fhall he ftand." As the Redeemer's providence directs the innumerable events, men's profperity depends, there is every reafon to believe he repays the debt of charities imparted to his kingdom. Reader, art thou afraid to give, left thou shouldest be poorer here? If this hath been thy fear, review the fubject, confider the divine command, reflect in whofe hands, and under whofe providence all thy properties and following gentlemen, who are now Jabors are, and be afraid to deny, out, Rev. Mefs'rs Seth Williston, Jedleft thou be blafted in thy counfelsidiah Bufhnell, Amafa Jerome, and The fervices mentioned above tlemen. Rev. Mefs'rs. Aaron Kinne, were performed by the following genDavid Huntington, Alexander Gillets William Storrs, Walter King, Publius V. Bogue, Amos Baffet, Marshfield Steele, Salmon King, Sylvefter Dana, Jofiah B. Andrews; together with the Robert Porter. A dition to thefe fervices, the Rev. Jofeph Badger hath been four months in Connecticut Referve, fo called. And Mr. Bacon hath been, fince June laft, in the fervice of the Society, attempting to open an intercourfe in the things of Religion, with the Indians Northwest of Lake Erie. great bleffing hath, in many parts, attended the labor of the Miffionaries; and there are importunate applications from the New-Settlements, in almost every direction, for inftructors in religion. I am also informed, that there is, at the prefent moment, a field opened to employ double the number of Miffionaries that have ever been out before; and that if the funds can be provided, it is probable, that men of refpectable character and piety can be obtained to do the fervice. The rapid fettlement of the Connecticut Reserve, merits the attention of the ferious. It is a great plantation filling up with your own Children, and can you deny your liberality to them?-May all be warmed with a love of Chrift and of fouls, and unite in prayer that the hearts of the people may be opened to impart; and that faithful laborers may be prepared and fent forth to the harvest. MINORIS. dors for Chrift," the apostle had faid, "as though God did befeech you by us, we pray you in Chrift's ftead, be ye reconciled to God." To enforce which urgent exhortation, the verfe to be confidered is immediately fubjoined: For be hath made him to be fin for us, Sc. In attempting to investigate this difficult fubject, guided by thefe words, I fhall enquire, and endeavour to explain, how God hath made Chrift to be fin-How this was juft-How we, when united to Chrift, are made the righteousness of God in him : And, what neceffity there was for this wonderful commutation, that finners might be pardoned and have eternal life. The first question is; How hath God made his holy fon Je fes to be fin for us? I take the apostle's meaning to be, that he hath made him a fac rifice for our fins. It has been obferved by expofitors, that in the Septuagint, (a Greek tranflation of the Old-Teftament, ufed by the writers of the new, in their quotations and allufions,) the word here rendered fin, commonly fig nifies a fin-offering. That is, an animal offered in facrifice, to obtain forgivenefs of fome tranfgreffion of the Jewish ceremonial law. On one fuch occafion, it was ordained, Levit. iv. 32, that the offender should bring a lamb with offering; having laid his hand upon its head. An enquiry concerning the imputa-out blemish, and lay it for a fin tion of iniquity and holiness, contrary to personal character: grounded on 2 Cor. v. 21. For he hath made him to be fin for us who knew no fin; that we might be made the righteouf nefs of God in him. Te HE perfons spoken of, it is evident, are God the Father, Jefus the Mediator, and finners of the human race. "We are ambaffa Now, in this cafe, it is certain the crime of the perfon, was not fo transferred to the harmless victim, as to render that an actual criminal. The lamb, after all, was really as innocent as ever; and in the nature of things could not be otherwife. But by the man's laying his hand upon the |