1774 Ann Callwell, Chesham Sufannah Callwell, ditto Thomas Llewelyn, Efq. L. L. D. London Stephen Williams, ditto Rev. Samuel Stennet, D. D. ditto 1775 Ebenezer Hollick, Efq. Witser Elizabeth Durban, Bristol 1777 Abraham Elton, Efq. John Crammont, Leicester, (a legacy) 1778 Rev. Ifaac Woodman, Sutton, (a legacy) 1779 John Holmes, Efq. Exon 1780 Rev. Andrew Gifford, D. D. London John and Wm. Parfons, Efq. Chichester 1781 George Wilkinson, London 1782 William Deane, Plymouth, (alegacy) 1783 Rev. Andrew Bennett, Barbadoes Tho's. Llewelyn, Efq. L. L. D. London, Rev. Andrew Gifford, D. D. London, 1785 John Thornton, Efq. Clapham John Anftie, Efq. Devizes 787 John Davis, Calne, a reverfionary legacy of 1789 John Cooke, Bristol, (a legacy) 10 10 50 0 1790 Rev. James Newton, M. A. ditto (a legacy) 1791 William Thomas, Hitchin, (a legacy) 50 50 John Edmunds, Fairford, a reverfionary legacy 1792 Ann Moore, Bristol Rev. John Poynting, Worcester, (a legacy) 200 1793 Rev. Abraham Booth, London 1794 Mrs. Simkin, Blaby, Leicestershire 5 5 200 20 1795 Rev. Peter Reece, Warwick, (a legacy) 1797 Jofeph Wyke, Leominster, (a legacy) John Jarrett, of Bristol, (a legacy) James Self, Efq. Trowbridge 1800 Thomas Fontleroy, London John Fofter, Biggleswade 1801 Anonymous (by Dr. Ryland) For the MASSACHUSETTS MISSIONARY MAGAZINE. THOUGHTS ON ESTHER iv. 16. And fo will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law; and if I perish, I perish." HE fituation of Esther, at this time, was truly diffi TH cult and diftrefling. Through the influence of Haman, letters were fent by pofts into all the provinces of king Ahasuerus, to destroy, to kill, and to caufe to perish, all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day. This having obtained the royal feal, became a law of the Medes and Perfians, which was unalterable. Efther, therefore, being a Jew, could not escape the general fate of her devoted people. Think not with thyself, faid Mordecai in his meffage to her, that thou fhalt escape in the king's house more than all the Jews. It only remained for Efther then to go in unto the king, to make fupplication unto him, and to make request before him for her people. But all the king's fervants and fubjects knew that whofoever, whether man or woman, fhould come unto the king into the inner court, without being exprefsly called, there was one law of his to put him to death, except fuch to whom the king fhould hold out the golden fceptre, that he might live. Now Efther had not been called to come in unto the king for thirty days. If he went in then uncalled, death must be her immediate doom, unless it should please the king to extend his fceptre. Trying ftate indeed! Gloomy alternative! Look which way fhe would, death, inevitable death ftared her in the face. If the continued where she was, quick and certain destruction awaited her if she came into the king's prefence the muft alfo at once perish, according to a fixed law, except the king's pleasure should be otherwife. In this awful dilemma what fhall Efther do? In. one view, her condition must be confidered as altogether hope left: lefs ; in another fome glimpse of hope might appear, for perhaps the king would fee fit to reach forth the feeptre, as a token of life and favour. Under a full conviction of all this, that if she ftood still she muft perish, and if she came and unrefervedly gave herself up to the king's difpofal, fhe could but perifh, Esther refolves "And fo I will go in unto the king, which is not according to the law; and if I perish, I perish." How ftriking a picture is here exhibited of the condition and duty of all as finners! By nature all are children of wrath. The foul that finneth, it shall die. He that believeth not is condemned already, and the wrath of God abideth on him. Destruction and misery are in their ways. Indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, upon every foul of man that doeth evil. He that believeth not fhall be damned. These are declarations of the word of truth. Sentence of eternal death is out against every impenitent unbeliever. This fentence, although not always fpeedily executed, is certain to be executed finally. To every fuch character God is faying in his word, as Mordecai faid to Esther, "Think not, O finner, that thou shalt efcape: can thine heart endure, or can thine hands be ftrong, in the days that I fhall deal with thee? I the Lord have spoken it, and will do it." All which can remain then is, that the finner go in unto the King, the Lord of Hofts, to make fupplication unto him. But how fhall he obtain audience and acceptance? The law which he has broken allows no appeal, it knows no mercy. Being a tranfgreffor, it is not according to this law that he should be permitted to come before his injured Sovereign, or indulged the privilege of calling on his holy name. If the finner fhall venture before the Lord therefore, to offer up his requeft, it can avail nothing; notwithstanding all his entreaties, he muft ftill perish in his fins, and juftly too, unless it please the Majesty of heaven, for his Son's fake, to extend the fceptre of mercy that he may live. In this dreadfully expofed condition, under these trying circumftances, what is to be done! The awakened, trembling finner fees certain and endless death before him, if he stay where he is, or remain in his present ftate; and fhould he pray, he knows, he feels that he may righteoufly be rejected, and given over to deferved destruction; and that he must be thus rejected after all his prayers and tears, unlefs fovereign mercy and grace fhall appear in his favour. Thus he finds his cafe to be awfully hazardous and alarming in every view. On one fide he fees no hope; on the other, fome ray of hope is discovered in the midst of gloomy fears, for who can tell but God may turn away his fierce anger, that he perifh not? Under the most sensible and deep impreffion of all this, that if he does not bow before God in hearty unreserved submission and humble prayer, he muft inevitably perish, and that he can but perish if he does thus fubmit, he is brought to refolve with Efther-And fo will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law, that I have tranfgreffed, and if I perish, I perish. He fubmits, and prays, and God hears. INFERENCE. May it not be inferred from the foregoing thoughts that the doctrine of unconditional fubmiffion to the will of God is rational, experimental, and fcriptural? Is it not rational to fubmit to God, whofe power is accompanied with juftice, perfect and inflexible, with wisdom complete and unerring, and with goodness infinite? Can a Sovereign of fuch attributes permit his rightful dependent fubjects to ftate the conditions on which they will fubmit to his holy pleafure? Is this to be fuppofed reafonable? How would it have appeared in Efther, had the, the moment the came before the king, faid to him, I will fubmit to your decifion if you will fave me and my people from the impending evil? When it depended entirely upon the king's pleafure whether the fhould live or die? Efther was more confiftent in her conduct than all this. Her language before the approached the king was that of fubmiffion; and her manner of approaching him was the fame : She could come into his prefence only in a filent fubmiffive pofture, waiting his fovereign will to extend or withhold his fceptre, and to receive life or death accordingly. How mult it appear then in rebellious, felf-ruined, helpless creatures to approach their almighty Maker and Judge, faying in their hearts, we will fubmit, we will yield ourselves up to your hands, if you will pardon and fave us? When at the fame time they are in his hands as clay is in the hands of the potter, and he can at once make them veffels of mercy or wrath as he fees fit? Sober reason can readily determine in fuch a cafe. This duty of unreserved fubmiffion to the divine will is evident likewife from the experience of faints. The doctrine is experimental. Afk the faints if they found God a reconciled God and Father to them, till they became reconciled to his holy character and government; till they were willing that God thould be God, as well in the affair of faving or deftroying them, as in all things elfe. Do we not know their answer? Will they not readily fay, that they were conftrained to throw down the weapons of their rebellion, and submit themselves without the least referve to the will of their offended Sovereign, before they found in their fouls a fense of his pardoning mercy and love? To the law and to the teftimony. "Submit yourselves, therefore, to God. Be ye reconciled to God. Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven." Hold your peace, let me alone, and let come on me what will. Though he flay me, yet will I trust in him. I will bear the indignation of the Lord, fays the prophet, because I have finned against him, until he plead my caule. VOL. II. B Let Let all realize that perifh they muft, and that eternally, if they Atay away from God in their state of oppofition; and that it is their duty, and will be their wisdom at once to come and bow themselves before him in humble entire submission: it may be that God will reach forth to them his merciful fceptre, enable them to touch the top of it and live forever. JUSTUS. DIALOGUES ON THE NATURE AND TENDENCY OF THE HALFWAY COVENANT. Between FIDELIS, CANDIDUS, and HUMANUS. Fid. W DIALOGUE II. ELL, brethren, I am glad my apprehenfion was groundless. I feared our first converfation took fuch a turn, that a fecond would not be defired. Can. Indeed, Sir, the peculiar fpirit of that converfation was a special reason why I wilhed for another. If this interview be as friendly and instructive as that was, I hope to be more thor oughly releafed from the hackles of prejudice, and to fee in a ftill clearer light the path of my duty. Hum. As for you, Candidus, I am refolved that your foft and pliable temper fhall have no effect on me. You need not expect that I fhall easily renounce the fentiments and practices, in which I have been educated; efpecially when they may be fo well defended, as the halfway covenant. This has been the fubject of my reflections ever fince our converfation. I have thought of fcarcely any thing elfe. It has occafioned me fuch labour and perplexity of mind, that I have fometimes regretted the circumftance, which made it an object of attention. I believe, nevertheless, the final confequence will be defirable. For I find, the more closely I attend to the fubject, the more favourably I am led to think of the common practice. Can. What feems to me defirable is, that we find and embrace the truth, whether it confift with the common practice or not. Fid. Let us be acquainted, Humanus, with the fruit of your intense study. Your ingenuity may, for aught I know, have discovered many errors in our former converfation, and may now bring forward unanswerable arguments for the halfway prac tice. Hum. I believe, Sir, the practice refts on folid ground. It is capable, I think, of being fupported by the belt arguments. But |