his brother Efau, with four hun- | prince haft thou power with God dred men, was coming to meet and with man, and haft prevailed. him. This, it is natural to fup- The Lord, notwithstanding his forpofe, brought afrefh to his mind, mer wickednefs, would now be all his deceit and wickedness in his with him, and protect him; and former treatment of his brother. would difarm Efau of his anger, How muft thefe thoughts now have and turn his heart to pity and tencrouded upon his mind, and op- dernefs. What confidence could preffed it! He might rationally con- Jacob now feel, that his brother clude, that Efau felt, now was his fhould not injure him; or, ever aftime to take ample revenge. What ter, refume his refentments and fhould he do? Which way fhould meditate revenge! In this deep he turn, when his abufed, enraged humility, what lively confidence, brother was coming against him? what fweet compofure of foul did There was no way for him to flee: the good Patriarch feel! The intiNor was he able to refift the force, mate converfe, and near holy comwhich he must foon meet. There munion, which, on that ever-memwas now but one way left; and orable night, he had with the glothat was, to go to God. It was rious God, filled him with deep now fo ordered, that he should be humility, laid him in the dust, and driven from every refuge, except- made him moft fenfibly feel his ing the divine promife. Before, he own nothingnefs and infinite unhad not confided in the promife of worthinefs. Now, remembering God; but must interpofe wicked his former wickedness, he felt low, art, left its accomplishment fhould he felt humble enough to go and fail. Now, no art, no fkill, no bow himself feven times to the power of his would be of any avail. ground before an injured brother. The Lord alone could afford him Now, with fincerity, he could fay help He, therefore, betakes to Efau, "nay, I pray thee, if I himfelf to prayer; and, confething have found grace in thy fight, then his own utter unworthinefs, afks receive my prefent at my hand: for mercy, and pleads only the divine therefore have I feen thy face, as gracious promife. What other plea though I had feen the face of God, could he make? What other does and thou waft pleafed with me." the humble, broken heart ever with "Your anger, and that of the hoto make? After taking prudently God, both which I had fuch measures for avoiding the threat- reafon to fear, are appeafed." exing evil, the propicty of which, Whatever gives fuch a fenfe of enno proper truit in God ever ex-tire helpleffhefs in ourfelves, and cludes, he spent the night alone, infinite unworthinefs-what forms in fervent humble fupplication to fuch felf-abafement, fuch humcommitting himself, and all, to the blenefs of mind, as near, intimate God of promife and of all mercy communion and intercourfe with and grace. His wreitling that the great and holy God! And, night, denotes ftrong faith, and whoever trufted in this glorious Ervent prayer-yea, fuch was his God in vain! How kind to be fervor and the strength of his faith, beat off from all other refuges, but that he would not quit his hold, the Lord! Let appearances to the except the Lord would blefs him. views of men, be ever fo dark, evOn this, the Lord gave him the er fo threatning, faith finds relief a me Ifrael, for, faid he, as a and a fure refuge in the covenant and promife of God. Bleffed are all they that truft in him. An appeal to the Chriftian's heart. OR I have learned in what"foever ftate I am, therewith to be conter I know both how to be abafed, and I know how to abound; every where and in all things I am inftructed, both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to fuffer need. I can do all things thro' Chrift which ftrengtheneth me." "Here," faid an Angel of the Church," to the pious Angelina, as he fat, one day, converfing with her, upon religion, opening the bible and reading," here, Angelina, is a defeription of the bieffedness and glory of the Chriftian temper; and, if my own heart has not deceived me, I have, fometimes, thought, I could heartily fay amen to it, let the will of the Lord be done, whatever becomes of me, who am but a worm of the dufta being of yefterftay-a creature of his power-made for his glory, in one way or another. But, to drop the defeription of my own paft feelings here, Angelina, is defeription of godlinefs, which afalic heart can never feel-which a ftranger will never believe, and which an hypocrite can never imi tate. To feel as Paul felt, is to feel that God reigns-that, a wifean holy benevolent God reigns; it is to feel, that we are placed in his hands, and whoily, at his dif pofal-that,not fo much as an hair be glorified. Yes, Angelina, to feel, as Paul felt, when thefe laft words dropped from his pen"I can do all things thro' Christ which strengtheneth me," is, to feel an heaven upon earth--to have an angel's fpirit, tho' in rags-and without crowning, to be a king a conqueror yea, more than a conquerora young immortal, born for endless glory. To feel Chrift's image formed in one's foul; ftrength--to go forth to our daily to rife up in the morning in his employments under the protecting hadow of his wings, and, at night, to retire to reft, with a grateful heart, that God, in infinite goodness, has preferved us from evil-that he still will do us good; and that however mysterithis world may be to our bodies. ous and afflicting the changes of they will all, thro' his overruling good, and ferve to prepare us for care, work together for our final endless giory, is not the fum of the enjoyment of unspeakable and all the fe feelings, Angelina, peacerefignation-prefent contentment, in whatever ftate we are in ?How will fuch a temper of foul take away the bitter ftings of human forrow, and brighten with hope the afflicted mortal! When the world, how will it foften his one is abafed, poor and afflicted in forrows, and fweetly wipe, from his cheerlefs eyes, thofe tears, which, otherwife, might continue to flow, without relief! Oh, when one's to riches, honors and earthly goods, poverty is changed to abundance— how will it melt the, otherwife, proud and fcornful heart, into pity and compaflion towards the fuffering poor, remembering how the dear will ever fall from our heads, withcut his notice; and that, whatever becomes of us, in this changing world, our mouths will be ftopped, John xi. 26. And whoever v paht will be done, and God willeth, and believeth in me, fhall never die. Saviour, in his poverty, was def- the glorious Redeemer is fo expifed by the rich and the worldly ceedingly precious to the believer's great! How will it warm the, oth-foul; for he is his life—his de wife, frozen heart, to open the hand of liberality, and fcatter its refreshing bleffings on all around! How will it open wide and stretch out the cheerful, fupporting hand to God's minifters bid them go on, in the ftrength of the Lord, and feek the falvation of those, who are madly running into ruin, and perifhing in darknefs! It was this ftrengthening of the Lord Jefus, Angelina, which fupported and comforted the pious Lazarus, more than any earthly aid could have done, when full of fores, with bath his wounds all open to the air and the duft, and nothing to cover them, he was laid, at the proud finner's gate, helpless and friendlefs; "And defiring to be pendence-his ftrength, and, in QUESTIONS. A your ufeful Magazine, offers CONSTANT reader of chattening which is experienced by Quest. What is that peculiar God's children? fed with the crumbs which fell from Religious Intelligence. ORDINATION. 1801, at Milford, Maflachufetts, the Rev. David Long. The Rev. Edmund Mills of Sutton made the introductory prayer; the Rev. Walter Harris of Dunbarton (N. H.) preached the fermon; the Rev. David Sanford of Medway made the confecrating prayer; the Rev. Nathaniel Emmons, D. D. of Franklin gave the charge; the Rev. Caleb Alexander of Mendon gave the right hand of fellowship; and the Rev. John Cleaveland of Wrentham made the concluding prayer. The agreement of the people in the choice of their Paftor, and the uncommon religious attention now prevailing among them, are grounds of joy to all good people. 1. POETRY. COMMUNICATED AS ORIGINAL. Thoughts on a thunder Storm. H ARK, from the heav'ns th' Almighty roars; In awful ftreams his lightnings fly; Spread univerfal trembling round, 5. Thefe but a faint refemblance are, To what the final day fhall wear, Or dive to hell in eager flocks, 10. Dear Saviour, in that folemn day, I. H The holy Sabbath. AIL, facred morn! This day The bands of death, the Saviour burft; In the dark grave he lay, But rofe triumphant from the duft. 2. This dawning light doth bring, The clerious tidings to our ears; With rapt'rous joy we fing, That Chrift hath burft the bars. 3. Come, mortals, learn his will ; His facred day with love revere : Up to the holy hill We'll go, to pay our homage there. 4. The watchmen of the Son, His glories in his houfe proclaim; When blazing lightnings fheet the fky; 5. On Zion's heights they stand, 6. When thunders wake the wafted dead, And flames intenfe fhall fire the pole, 7. Yet these profufe difplays of God 9. Buried beneath the molten rocks, And liquid mountains they would lie, The myftcry of grace unfold; 6. To faints thefe courts afford Pleafures more pure than thofe of Sweet converfe with their Lord, 7. Oh How I love the place, to come, To tuite his lovereign grace; 8. Each fabbath's fun I'll call, Donation to the Miffionary Society of Conn-icut. A. Nathaniel Hubbard of Bolton, 50 Dollars. TO THE EDITORS OF THE CON-ligious people, and is therefore NECTICUT EVANGELICAL MAG- On the Special operations of the GENTLEMEN, THE your Mag worthy of notice. Being affured, that the attention of fome, heretofore in confiderate minds, has been lately excited to this fubject by the narratives you have published; and feeling its importance, while I recollect the folemn obfervations of a late author in these words : azine exceeds the expecta-Fallen creatures have no better tions of its friends. The narratives of the revival of Religion in fandry places, awake the attention of many to the much neglected, tho' all-important truths of the Bible. In these narratives, the doctrine of a special operation of God's fpirit on the human heart, is fully fupported. This is a doctrine greatly difrelished by the carmal mind, and through ignorance« of the nature and extent of moral depravity, perfeveringly oppofed It is faid, that all men have the Spirit of God alike-that there is no need of his special influence for a holy life, and that all that is faid in the narratives concerning hisextraordinary operations, is mere Fretence and delufion. This is faid, not by open Infidels alone, but by fome that are confidered re VOL. II. No. 2. "principle than depraved felf-love, "and it must be the work of the "Holy Spirit to create them to new and holy affections. Torefift or «ting the door of the kingdom of "deny the Spirit of God is fhut Heaven, and deftroying to our felves the efficacy of the gospel. All those who deny the work inefficacious for their own fal"of the Spirit make the gofpel as Chrift himself:" I fay feeling ❝vation as if they were to deny the importance of this fubject, I am earnestly folicitious, that in addition to what appears in the exprefsly upon it. I do not feel narratives, fomething may be faid as though I fhould do ample justice to the fubject, but I fubmit the following obfervations unreferved. F |