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the name of freethinking, yea, every thing which can prove a hurt to fouls, or a lofs of the glory in Chrift, are tranfgreffions which fall under church difcipline." If perfons who have given offence, can by ferious

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every thing neceffary for their outward fupport is not only provided, but they are nurtured with the greatest care by brethren and fifters particularly appointed to that fervice. The fame pious and generous care is alfo taken of orphans. There is also a pædagogi-remonftrance and exhortation, be um, as they term it, in which boys brought to a proper fense of their and young men are inftructed in faults, and repentance: the eldthe languages and other useful ers endeavor to iffue the matter as parts of science. privately, and with as little public notice as may be. They are however kept from the communion until there appears a real amendment. If more private measures have not the defired effect, the offenders are then called before the board of overfeers to receive admonition, and if this fails to humble and bring them to repentance, they are excluded the congregation and fhut out from all the privileges they had enjoyed in that community. Those who trespass against the civil laws, by wantonnefs, fraud of individuals or the public, intemperance, theft, breach of peace and other vicious practices, are left, as to civil matters, to be punished according to law, but they are no more treated as members of the congregation. At the fame time great patience is exercifed towards poor and weak minds, who err and offend rather from weakness and ignorance, than wickedness.

The young people are not only thus inftructed and watched over from their childhod until manhood, but their marriages are all regulated by the minifter and congregation, their confent as well as that of parents is always neceffary. None may marry until the breth ren have fully examined the difpo fitions of the perfons, their circumftances and relations, and have determined that it may be for their comfort and benefit, and the welfare of the congregation. All marriages are publicly celebrated, and the young pair are recommended to the divine care and benediction by the united prayers of the whole congregation.

Further, fo much stress is laid upon the difcipline and regular walk of all the numbers of the congregation, and upon knowing the real state and conduct of every individual, that befide the watch and care of the minifter, particular perfons are chosen from among both fexes, to visit and watch over the people, to obferve their morals, attend the sick and infirm, to prevent and heal divifions, to promote harmony, piety and good to you the following fummary of I TAKE the liberty to fend

morals. Thefe, at ftated times, meet the minister or miffionaries, generally as often as once a month, and report to them the state of the congregation. "An offenfive walk, feducing to the works of the filefh, or to what is called by

[To be continued.]

MESSRS. EDITORS OF THE CON.
EVANGELICAL MAGAZINE,

a converfation, between a certain Clergyman, and one of his Parishioners. I am your's, &c.

Parifioner. STR

G.

IR, I really fear, that you difo

bliged fome of your parishoners, in your fermons yesterday.

Clergyman. That would be painful to my feelings, if it could have been avoided, confiftent with my obligations, both to him who fent me, and to thofe to whom I am fent. P. I fuppofed fo, and for that reafon called to difcourfe with you on the fubject.

C. Sir, I thank you. You refer, I conclude, to the doctrines of God's decrees, and his agency in their accomplishment. I am fenfible, that fome very much oppofe thefe fentiments, and may poff bly be offended at hearing them preached.

the denial of a God, they deny his real Divinity, and leave him little more than the empty title. I think alfo, that the fcriptures you quoted, and the obfervations you made on those who faid, The Lord will not do good, neither will he do evil.-How doth God know? Can he judge through the dark cloud? &c. are a full evidence of the truth of all you faid on this fubject: But you are fenfi ble, that there are fome men of influence among your hearers, who avow thofe principles; and they will be very uneafy, at having their opinions publicly reprefented, not only as erroneous, but fo very criminal and odious. They doubtlefs will reprefent you as highly uncatholic, and illiberal, in your reflections on their fentiments: They are not likely to be convinced; for they are at perfect enmity against your doctrines, and all their feelings are interested in their prefent opinions. It is a question in my mind, whether it be not im

P. No fir, I have no doubt on these subjects: I view them as being the only ground of fecurity and confolation to the people of God, and abundantly fupported by the numerous paffages of fcripture, which you adduced, and by many others. They are fentiments expreffed by the Prophets, and preached by Chrift and his Apof. tles, and may not be fuppreffed.-prudent, to infift on the evil nature, But after you had proved and elu- and pernicious effects, of such sen cidated thefe great and precious timents, at least for the prefent, truths, you adverted to the finful while they are fo fixed and enganature, and pernicious tendency of .ged in them: They cannot bear it the oppofite opinions, and was now, and you fhould be wife as a lengthy, and I think fevere in ferpent, and provide milk, where your remarks. Indeed you fet ftrong meat cannot be borne. those principles in a criminal and odious point of light.

C. I am fenfible, that fomething is left to the difcretion of C. I did. I think however, Minifters, how they time and in that the reprefentation was fcrip. troduce the inftructions of the goftural. My office is but minifterial. pel, and how they fhall prove and The fcriptures contain my inftruc-illustrate their fubjects; and I tions, and I must conform to them, or be unfaithful to my Employer.

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know, that to be wife and prudent in these things, the state and circumftances of a people must be taken into view, and that they should be introduced in the most advantageous and inoffenfive manner; and am glad to confult with you, and learn your opinion, and your reafons to fupport it,

P. It appears to me, that after, etly, and perhaps do more good you had proved and illuftrated the in the end, if you would confine doctrines of decrees, and divine yourself to the evidence of the agency, as you did in the fore-doctrines you teach, and fay little noon, it might have been more ac- or nothing, of the falsehood and ceptable, had you clofed the fub- the pernicious nature of the oppoject, with fome natural and proper fite errors, unlefs in matters, in inferences, without those remarks which we are all of one opinion. on the wickedness of the contrary fentiments, which made a large portion of your difcourfe in the af

ternoon.

C. But if the doctrines advanced in the morning were true, and for the glory of God, as you have granted, the fentiments oppofed in the afternoon muft neceffarily be falfe and difhonorable to him.

P. That is true. But if peo ple will not at prefent endure it, I think it would now be prudent, on

C. In this way, I fear, I should be unable to fay much, against the prevailing errors of our age, or in the best, and moft convincing manner to illuftrate any of the peculiar, and most effential truths of the gofpel. It greatly discovers the importance, and confirms the truth of any doctrine, to place its excellency in contraft, with the P. True and people of re- mifchievous nature, and tendency flection must have feen it.-But of the contrary opinion; and ceryour oppofers will admit, that you, tainly, religious truth is of fuch and every man, has a right to ad-infinite importance, that it ought vance his own opinion, and fup-to be prefented, in its most con port it in the best manner he is vincing and powerful light. able, and though it may difplease and vex them, to hear fuch truths delivered, and the evidence of them clearly stated, yet accordingly to ftate your direct evidence in to their own conceffons, they mult favour of truth, and leave your endure it. But I cannot think, hearers to draw the confequences they will bear to have their avow- for themfelves.You had better ed fentiments, directly attacked, do this, than lofe a confiderable and expofed as they were yefter-part of your congregation, and day. Indeed I perceive, they perhaps be difmiffed. You may have already made pointed re- at the fame time point out the immarks, on the uncatholic and illib-portance of the truth, and urge the eral fpirit of your afternoon difabfolute neceffity of believing it, in courfe-have faid it was perfonal, the effential things of the gofpel, and defigned to expofe and injure in oppofition to falfehood; and them; and I fear, they will gather that men cannot otherwise be faa party, by reprefenting themselves ved. as injured and playing in that way, upon the feelings of the people. Besides, there are many, who would be ready to fall in with their opinions, if they could fee any colour of evidence to fupport them, or if they fhould become prejudiced against you, who preach the oppofite truths. It is my opinion, that you would proceed more qui

C. This could be done but very indifferently, without illuftrating the importance of doctrinal truth, by comparing its excellency and effects, with the wickedness and effests of falfehood. Befides, if as you fay, the belief of the peculiar doctrines of the gofpel is neceffary to falvation, and falfe opinions concerning thefe things fatal, then this

condemned. He knew little or nothing of the way of juftification thro' Chrift. And had he known it, his proud heart would have rifen against it, until he was humbled by a fuperior power. He trembled. He was aftonished. He fell down. He cried out thro' his diftrefs, Lord what wilt thou have me to do.' His anguifh was fuch, that he could neither eat nor drink, for three days and three nights. Hell was open before him, and deftruction had no covering. He found trouble and forrow. Thus when finners learn the import of the divine law, and fee the ftate of the controverfy between God and themfelves, their delufions vanish, they find themfelves condemned, no lefs by their own confciences, than by the law of God; and they fee themfelves dependant on the fovereign good pleafure of God, to whom it belongs, either to fubdue and fan&tify their hearts, or execute upon them his wrath, as fhall feem good in his fight.

6. After this, we find that Paul was made alive by Jefus Christ. This took place when he caft himself apon free grace. Chrift, by his fpirit, imparted to him fpiritual life, and by the application of his redemption, fecured his eternal life. The change was inftantaneous: he at once de

high calling, which is in Christ Jefus; rejoicing in the hope that at the end, God would deliver him from this body of fin and death.Thus it often pleases God to renew finners, when he has fufficiently discovered to them their fin and mifery. They immediately enter on the Chriftian life, and fix their hopes of pardon and fanctification, on the redemption of Chrift, and the work of his holy fpirit. They contend against their remaining corruptions, are gradually fanctified, and become fruitful in holiness, and in the end, become meet for the inheritance in glory.

By fuch wife meafures, God prepares his people to receive and rejoice in Chrift; and thus he trains them trains them up, for everlafting blef. fedaefs in his prefence. G.

An Account of a work of Divine grace in a Revival of Religion, in a number of Congregations in New England, in the years 1798 and 1799, in a feries of Letters to the Editors. [Continued from page 30.]

LETTER III. From the Rev. GILES H. CoWLES, of New-Cambridge in the town of Briftol.

GENTLEMEN,

lighted in the law of God, after "T

the inner man. He entered immediately on duty in the fervice of Christ, and bro't forth the fruits of holiness, to his dying day. Yet he was not perfect in holinefs; but found occafion to bewail the Jaw in his members, which warred against the law of his mind. To this however he did not yield; but forgetting the things which were behind, he preffed toward the mark, for the prize of the

HE works of the Lord are great, fought out of all that have pleasure therein." This is true of God's works in general; but more especially of thofe divine, operations, which immediately refpect the advancement of the Redeemer's kingdom, and the falvation of fouls. Thefe operations are peculiarly interefting and delightful, as they tend moft directly to difplay the divine perfections, and promote general happiness. As

ner that repenteth, fo the knowledge of the hopeful converfion of finners must afford peculiar pleaf ure to the godly and benevolent on earth. These therefore are important reafons, why fpecial revivals of religion fhould be made public; fince the knowledge of them has fuch a tendency to difplay the perfections of God, confirm and illuftrate the truths of his word, and give joy to the friends of Zion. From the history of divine providence in pall ages, it appears, that the most dark and gloomy feafons in the moral world often immediately precede times of great light & joy. God often fuffers his church and caufe to fink to the lowest ebb, before he appears for their fupport; that his grace and power may be the more evidently manifefted in their relief. When his caufe appears to be finking, his people almoft defpond, like the difciples at the crucifixion of the Saviour, and his enemies rejoice and triumph, flattering themselves that they fhall foon be wholly liberated from the irksome restraints, and offenfive doctrines of the bible;-at fuch times, the Lord Jefus frequently appears in a very unexpected manner for the support of his church and caufe, by awakening and renewing finners; thus difappointing the expectations of his enemies, and difpofing numbers to leave the fervice of fin and Satan, and cordially engage on his fide.

there is joy in heaven over one fin- | fome individuals, under serious impreffions; and from fix to eleven had been annually added to the church. But for a year or two before the revival began, the people appeared to be uncommonly inattentive to their eternal concerns. For more than a year, but one had made a public profession of religion, not more than one, appeared to be enquiring the way to Zion. The concerns of the prefent life appeared to engrofs the attention of moft. Many appeared to become more. and more oppofed to the truths of the gofpel, and numbers were inclining to Deifm, Universalism, and other loofe, irreligious fentiments. There was an increafing neglect of public worship. The youth in general appeared regardlefs of divine things, fond of vain company and amusements, and fome of them were greatly opposed to divine truth, and infected with infidelity, and other dangerous errors. It was even fuggefted by fome of the oppofers, that thofe, who were coming on the stage, and would foon take the lead in fociety, were too enlightened to believe fuch unreasonable doctrines, as were taught from the desk; and that when the elderly people should be removed, the rifing generation would not bear fuch fentiments. To render the profpect still more threatning, the fociety was involved in a violent contention about fchool districts; which produced much ill-will, perfonal animolity This was in fome degree the cafe and altercation, and a number of in this fociety, when the Lord, difagreeable law-luits. In rhort in his unfpeakable mercy was pleaf the profpect, with refpect to the ed to come down, by the fpecia! caufe of religion, was exceeding effufions, of his fpirit, to arreftly dark and threatning, and the the attention of careless finners, friends of peace and religion were and to revive his work. For the greatly difcouraged. moft part of the time fince my This was the fituation of the fofettlement in the work of the min-ciety, when the revival began in iftry in this place, there had been feveral neighboring places in the

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