be wretched. My own feelings coincide with the affertion of scripture, that "the way of transgressors is hard." I am informed, that a virtuous course of conduct will alone make me happy. My own experience evinces, that a confciousness of internal rectitude, is the greatest fource of enjoyment. Virtue has charms peculiar to herself. She attracts, but not to disgust. She beams a delight upon all who come within the reach of her rays. She calms the beifterous paffions; but gives energy to every noble sentiment. With maternal kindness she wipes the tear of distress, and cherishes the disconsolate under the burdens of life. In the cup of affliction she mingles the draught of confolation, and pours the balm of comfort into the wounded bolom. She supports in adversity, and tempers in profperity. She dispels the gloom of anxiety from the mind of her votary, makes it the receptacle of every generous sentiment, and is a source of rational enjoyment. Her votaries are distinguished for a peace of mind, and ferenity of countenance, which never grace the person of the debauchee. They reflect upon the past, without regret, and anticipate the future, without fear. Their whole lives are checkered with a variety of the most pleasing scenes. Their conduct is the effect of the purest motives, and the nobleft intentions. They administer relief to the disconfolate, and afford protection to those who need it. Society is benefitted in consequence of their pious exertions. The virtuous part of mankind, are the ornament and support of the community. With the strictest propriety they are denominated "the salt of the earth." Vice blushes in their prefence, and acknowledges her inability to make men happy. Such are the effects of virtue, that lost to his own interest must be that man, who does not embrace it. The life of the virtuous, and that of the vicious man, form a perfect contrast. While the former is happy in doing acts of munificence, the latter is miferable in endeavoring to happify himself. The one has a fountain of enjoyment in his own breast; the other a fountain of misery. Such being the different conditions of the virtuous and vicious man, shall I any longer be the companion of the latter? Is it not time to renounce my present course of conduct, which leads directly to ruin, and pursue one which will tend to make me happy? The pleasures of sense no longer afford me fatisfaction. I am fick of a vicious life. Befides, I have still more urgent motives for living a virtuous life. There is a future state. After all my endeavors to disbelieve Christianity, and exertions to bring it into disrepute, it still is, and will remain a reality.-Has not my past disbelief of it arifen rather from a wish to have it a falsehood, than from a conviction that it is? Is it not, at least, difingenuous to reject a system as false, which comes with so much evidence as that does; till I have more thoroughly examined it? But whenever I have examined it, I have been more secretly convinced of its truth; so much so, that I can have no doubt of its being a reality. It comes with all the evidence I can rationally wish; and to reject it in the face of fo much testimony, is arrogance, is unreasonable. If then the Christian system is true; if the righteous will be rewarded; what will be my condition in a future world? Can I expect the approbation of my Maker, when I have lived contrary to his express commands ? I certainly cannot. I cannot escape the awful retributions of eternity. I must die. I do not expect exemption from what is common to mankind. Death is an important change; it will introduce me into an unknown world into an untried state of existence. The closing scene of life will be interesting. When I am stretched upon the bed of death, when the physician has bidden me adieu, and my friends are watching for the parting gasp; what will be the fituation of my soul? Shall I then look forward with joy, or with forrow, into that unknown world? How shall I then wish that I had lived the life of the Christian? How shall I wish for his lamp to illume my path into the invisible state of being? But if, on entering the world of spirits, I should find that I am loft forever, what rending thoughts will agonize my tortured mind? How should I wish that I had never been born? With what curses should I load my exiftence?My present life is short; when compared with that which fucceeds, it is but a point. It is but the morning of my existence. I shall foon be housed in the grave, and my foul appear before the tribunal of heaven, to receive a sentence for eternity. the wicked will be punished, while | prepare for death, ought to be the These are realities. They are not the fictions of an idle fancy, or the whims of a difordered brain. They are scenes, which will be infinitely important; and to neglect preparation for them, indicates an awful degree of insensibility. To great business of living. I am now beginning the career of human life. I am commencing a course of action, which will be followed by everlasting confequences. Upon my conduct in the present world, depends my felicity in another. And how infinitely important, that it be such as to meet the appropation of my Judge? The Saviour of the world told one who came to him, that he could not be saved, unless he was born again. The practice of vice will inevitably land me in the world of despair. I must change my course of conduct, or perish forever. I have every inducement to live a virtuous life. My peace and comfort in the present world require it, and everlasting happiness or misery will be the confequence of my conduct here. If I relinquish the paths of vice, and betake myself to the practice of virtue, I shall never have occafion to lament it. Not an instance occurs in the long annals of hiftory, of one who regretted that he had lived a virtuous life. But thousands of the wicked have gone out of the world with the most painful reflections, wishing that they had lived the life of the Christian. I am convinced that true religion, if I can attain it, will carry me through life in peace. She will enable me to bear up against its troubles, will approach the bed of my last sickness, and inform me that my pangs are but for a moment, and will lighten my path into the world of glory. Such being the blessed effects of a virtuous life, both in this, and a future world; I will no longer tread the destructive paths of vice. I will renounce a wicked world, and devote myself to the service of my God. I shall delight in the : ways of virtue, because they are ways of pleasantness and peace." I shall not envy the debauchee his unlawful pleasures, nor wish to be a partaker in his vices. Of the innocent amusements of life I may partake as largely as he, and shall enjoy them with a better relish. But, knowing that vice leads directly to ruin, I shall not have occafion to regret, that I cannot win at the gaming table, revel in debauchery, and be the first in midnight carousals; but rejoice, that I have fomething, which will af- ford me more permanent fatisfaction in this world, and secure me eternal felicity in another. --- With these profpects in view, I shall pass through life agreeably, I shall close it in peace; I shall | make my entry into the world of spirits with joy, and my arrival | will be hailed by the acclamations of the blessed. Faith in thy word thy glory fees, 2. Sometimes while prayer employsour 3. Sometimes while fitting round thy board, We taste the bounties of our Lord, On wings of love our spirits rife, And heav'n begins below the skies. 4. Yet oft a gloomy, tedious night Hides our Beloved from our fight; Bereft of all our joys we mourn, Till thou, our Morning Star, return. 5. With longing eyes thy throne we view, Fain would we bid this earth adieu : We would from flesh and fin be free, And dwell forever, Lord, with thee. 6. When shall that day, blest Jesus, come? When wilt thou take thine exiles home? Oh, when shall angels bear away 7. Roll on in haste, ye mournful years, 1 ASPASIO. Donations to the Missionary Society of Connecticut. 1804. March 7. Jemima Hubbard, Glastenbury, 9. A Stranger from State of New-York, 28. Rev. George Colton, Bolton, 1, Dolls. 23 0 [The following piece was written by BENEVOLUS.] A Differtation on Family Prayer. RUE religion is the duty, and forms the defence, of While Chriftians are com TR man. manded to take to themselves the whole armor of God, they are directed " to pray always with all prayer and fupplication in the Spirit." The fcriptures incul cate the duty of maintaining at all times a frame of mind which is friendly to devotion, and which will utter itself in the various kinds of prayer, as duty requires. Sup plication is to be made in the Spirit, or with a humble reliance on the influences of the Holy Spirit, who can help our infirmities, and teach us to pray aright. It is common to all who acknowledge the existence of a Deity, to fly to him as fupplicants in seasons when they feel themselves to be in great danger, and despair of help from an arm of flesh. When the Lord fent out a great wind into the fea, so that the ship in which the prophet Jonah was failing, was like to be broken, VOL. IV. No. 11. "the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his God." It is a plain dictate of natural religion, not only that we ought to look to God for help in a time of trouble, but that we ought also to ask him for favors which we need, and return thanks unto him for those which we have received. To learn the nature of that prayer which is acceptable to the only living and true God, we muft recourse to the revelation which he hath made of his character and will in his holy word. By this we are taught, that ac ceptable prayer consists in pouring out the defires of our hearts to God, for things which are agree able to his will, in the name of Chrift, with a confeffion of our fins, and a thankful acknowledgement of divine mercies. This is the only kind of prayer with which any gracious promife is certainly connected. All who pray in this manner will be heard of their Father who is in heaven, and will receive according to the ultimate defire of their hearts; which is, that God may be glorified in and by them, and by all creatures and events. Praying Ddd fouls will not be fent away empty, | jects around them bring their dinor will one of them be shut out of the New Jerufalem. Prayer may be confidered under two general heads, fecret and focial. Secret prayer is made by an in. dividual when retired from all his fellow-creatures. God and himself only are privy to the performance. If one in the performance of this duty, Itrives to give notice of it to others, he discovers a proud, pharifaical temper. Matthew vi. 5, 6. "And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are; for they love to pray standing in the synagogues, and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily, I fay unto you, they have their reward. But thou, when thou prayeft, enter into thy clofet; and, when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in fecret, and thy Father which seeth in fecret, shall reward thee openly." Secret prayer is of high importance. When it is maintained according to its nature and design, the foul is in a healthful and profperous state. How often have Christians confeffed, that their declenfions could be traced back to the neglect, or coldness, of closet duties? vine Author to mind. A sense of their fin and danger, and of mercies received, engages them without the formality of words, to adore, confefs, fupplicate, and to offer thanksgiving. They pour out their hearts to God in groanings which cannot be uttered. This kind of prayer is very well understood, and is practised much, by perfons of eminent piety; hence they are faid to pray alway. Social prayer implies the union of two or more persons in the performance of the duty. The language ufed is supposed, in general, to be the language of the number engaged. This duty may be performed either in the family, or in the house of God, as well as on many other occafions. Should each member of a family, or of a congregation, utter no word, or give no well known fign to each other, of their thoughts, in their devotion, their prayer would be of the fecret or ejaculatory kind, though they were all gathered in one place, and each one poured out his heart to God. In focial prayer, fome one person leads with an audible voice, or all present pronounce with their lips a form of prayer in which they are agreed. Social prayer cannot be performed in the way in which the other kinds are, which have been mentioned. Under the general head of fecret prayer is to be classed jaculatory prayer. This confifts in a fecret, informal pouring out of the heart to God; either when the fubject is at labor or at rest, alone or in company. Devout persons often lift up their hearts to their Almighty Friend, in a way of adoration, or confeffion, or petition, or praife, as occafions occur. Their meditations naturally run into fome part or other of prayer, without any formal attempt to collect their thoughts. The ob- | against family prayer. The defign of this differtation is to confider particularly, Family Prayer; and to urge its importance, I shall purfue the following method, in difcuffing the subject. I. Show that family prayer is a reasonable and scriptural duty of great importance. And, II. I shall confider fome of the objections which have been bro't |