DISMISSION.

ON the 15th of October, the Rev. Jofeph Badger was difmif. fed from his paftoral relation to the church and people of Blandford, Maffachusetts. A council, mutually called, confifting of the following minifters, with delegates, viz. Rev. Doct. Weft of Stock bridge, Rev. Aaron Bafcom of Chefter, Rev. Noah Atwater of Weftfield, Rev. Jacob Catlin of New-Marlborough, and Rev. Alvan Hyde of Lee, convened on the occation; and, after attending to the votes of the church and fociety, advised to the difmiffion. Nothing appeared against the min

ifterial or Chriftian character of

Mr. Badger; and it is hoped his
removal to fome other
part of the
vineyard may be followed with an
increase of his usefulness.

A

ANECDOTES.

SOCIETY of gentlemen, moft of them poffeffed of a liberal education and polished manners, but who unhappily had been

feduced from a belief in the facred

fcriptures, used to affemble alternately at each other's houfes, for the purpose of ridiculing revelation, and hardening one another in their infidelity. At last, they unanimoufly formed a refolution folemnly to burn the bible; and fo to be

troubled no more with a book which was fo hoftile to their principles, and difquieting to their confcien

a

ces.

The day fixed upon came; large fire was prepared; a bible was laid upon the table, and a flowing bowl ready to drink its dirge. For the execution of their plan, they fixed upon a young gentleman of high birth, brilliant vivacity, and elegance of manners. He undertook the task; and after a few enlivening glaffes, amidst the applaufes of his jovial compeers, he approached the table, took up the bible, and was walking refolutely forward to put it in the fire; all at once he was feized with trembut, happening to give it a look, bling, palenefs overfpread his coun

tenance, and his whole frame feemed convulfed: He returned to the

table, and, laying down the bible, faid, with a strong affeveration, "We will not burn that book, till we get a better.”

and lively young gentleman died, Soon after this, this fame gay

and on his death-bed was led to fincere repentance, deriving unfhafuture bleffednefs from that book ken hopes of forgiveness, and of he was once going to burn.

BISHOP BURNET, the Arminian prelate, affected to wonder how a perfon of King William's piety and good fenfe could

as they pass? That we recount the mercies, the corrections, the great and various events of the feveral periods of our lives, and our conduct in each of them? May we not, with a pious pleasure, contemplate the promises and prophecies which have been accomplished, and thofe which are rapidly fulfil

IME is moft intimately conT nected with eternity. So-ling and the progrefs which is malemn thought! It is pregnant with king in the work of redemption? The changes which a fhort time all its joys, and with all its woe. makes in individuals,in families, in Time will finish the whole myftery of God, and all the works of kingdoms, in the church of God, men. Time will prepare all the veffels of mercy for glory, and all the veffels of wrath for deftruction, and feal up all the living to eternal life or death. 'The manner in which every portion of it has been spent, every action, word and thought, affection and defire of each particular period of time, and

of its whole duration, will come under a moft folemn and impartial review, at the end; and have an important influence in the final doom, eternal life or death of all the living. In this view, of what folemn moment is it, that all time fhould be well fpent; and that we wifely review our days and years

VOL. I. No. 7.

in the natural and moral ftate of the world? Will not contemplations like thefe, awake our gratitude, increase our faith, excite our diligence, watchfulness and activity? How naturally and cogently does the interefting period

to which we are arrived, at the

clofe of another year, and of the eighteenth century, and at the commencement of a new year, and new century, invite and prefs us to these contemplations?

Every year is productive of events folemn, vaft and wonderful. It terminates the lives of millions, and, like an irresistible current, bears on the dying children of men to the grave, to judgment and eterGg

earth changes the whole number of its inhabitants, at least three times and an half every century. During the past century four kings and one queen have reigned on the throne of Great Britain. William and Mary, queen Anne, George the first and fecond, with their courtiers, generals, admirals, captains and mighty men, are no more. The Lewis'es, who reigned with fuch power in France, are gone down to the fides of the pit. Royalty has been abolished in that nation; conftitutions and tyrants, in quick fucceffion, have followed each other, and vanished away. Kingdoms and republics have been fhaken and demolished by the French revolution; and the political and religious state of Europe have undergone a wonderful change. France, in her mighty ftruggle for liberty, has enslaved herself and many of her neighbours. The laft century has not only changed the face of Europe but of the whole world.

nity. It appears, from bills of mortality, that in this healthful climate, one half of the number of those who are born into the world die under twenty years of age; and it is computed that, taking the world at large, one half of the human race die under feventeen. It is estimated that in ten years more, including thofe who are born and die in that period, and out of the number of those who were more than feventeen, at the commencement of the ten years, another number dies equal to the other half of all the inhabitants upon the earth: fo that in about twenty-seven years a number dies equal to that of all the inhabitants upon the globe. Some have eftimated the inhabitants of the earth at a thousand millions; others at nine hundred and fifty or fixty millions. According to the first of these estimates, there die annually about thirty feven millions of people; about feven hundred and twelve thousand every week, one hundred and one thousand, seven hundred If we come nearer home, and and fifty daily; four thoufand, two review America, New England hundred and thirty nine each hour; and Connecticut, the retrospect and about feventy every minute. will be inftructive, folemn and afOn the lowest computation of nine fecting. Since the commencement hundred and fifty millions of in- of the last century, all the venehabitants, there die yearly thirty-rable fathers, then conducting the five millions, one hundred eighty- affairs of church and state, in New five thousand, one hundred and England and the American coloeighty-five every week, fix hun-nies, with their children, and most dred feventy-fix thousand, fix hun- of their children's children, are dred and thirty-eight; in each gone down to the grave. Their day, ninety-fix thoufand, fix hun- wisdom, piety, beauty, influence dred and fixty-two; every hour, and lives have all been loft in the four thousand and twenty-feven; ravages of time. In Connecticut, and fixty-feven every minute. A- which, at the beginning of the mazing mortality! What an afton- century was fmall, containing not ishing stream of fouls is rapidly more than about fourteen thousand borne on with the tide of time, inhabitants, thirty-eight churches, continually shooting into the ocean and about the fame number of elof eternity, and appearing before ders, there have died ten govern. God in judgment ! ors, with their council and officers; and nine prefidents, or chief in

In this view it appears that the

template the amazing ravages of death, fhall we not think of death and judgment ourselves? How foon the Editors and readers of this Magazine will be no more? Shall we not learn to live, and learn to die? Shall not this be the univerfal prayer, O Lord, fo teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom? Do we fee kings, counsellors and judges of the earth, the wife, the beau tiful and the strong covered with clods and worms, and reflect how foon we fhall be like them, and fhall it not mortify our pride, bring down every high imagination, and clothe us with humility?

ftructors of the college. The fellows and tutors who affifted them, generally flumber with them in the duft. About three hundred minifters, who shone as lights in this part of the church, have been extinguished, and new stars and conftellations have arifen to illuminate her firmament, and to guide her fons, in their fucceffive generations, to virtue and glory. The nume rous hearers, who once affembled with those preachers of righteoufnefs, in the houfe of God, and hung upon their lips, with them have closed their eyes in death, and fpread their graves around them in the place of burial. The priests and the people are gone to judgment, and are now reaping according to what they had fown. Shall we not, in this affecting view, while we contemplate the death of kings, the fall of empires, the mortality of rulers, teachers and all men, make a folemn pause and give ourfelves time for meditation? While we drop our tears over the graves of our ancestors and fathers, fhall we not learn wisdom? Are we not, in view of the ravages of time and death, forcibly impreffed with God's infinite abhorrence of fin, and with his inflexible justice and veracity in the execution of his threatenings? Especially, fince death came into the world by fin, and all its preceding fickneffes and pains, its final agonies and dread-year commence with univerfal ful sting, in the divine estimation, praife? Should not all murmuring are no more than a juft teftimony and difcontent ceafe, and the study against it? And fince its univerfal and business of it be thanksgiving, reign is only the continual exe- usefulness and obedience? cution of the fentence, UNTO DUST SHALT THOU RETURN Have we not a striking evidence, in the inflexible execution of this, from generation to generation, that God will execute all his threatenings, and that the wicked fhall not be unpunished! While we con

Have we lived another year, while fo many millions have died, what fovereign goodness, what admirable patience and long fuffering have been exercised towards us? What heart felt gratitude and animated thanksgivings do they challenge? If uncommon health, peace and plenty have pervaded this state; if when according to the common rate of mortality there die out of it annually not less than four or five minifters, and between fix and feven thousand of inhabitants, and we have not during the last year, loft a governor, a magiftrate, a judge of our courts, not one of our Senators or reprefentatives in Congrefs, nor a minifter of the gofpel, fhould not this

But what have been the memorable events of the past century. What obfervations do they furnifh? What prophecies have been fulfilled? What falvations have been granted? And what progress has been made in the work of redemption?