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wherein God manifested his care over his elect, (as affuredly they do if they do not far exceed them) then, is a feparation from the world, and worldly church neceffary, particularly, as infidelity feems to tread on the heel of tradition, which had obfcured the truth, and which the former now aims to extinguifh. In fuch a fituation, why fhould it appear ftrange that God fhould put it into the hearts of fome, to trim their lamps, and attend the fummons given, to go out to meet the bridegroom. No! fays your Correfpondent, "we must remain in the world, it would be wicked to retire."

If, as the Prophet faith, He is a refiner's fire, or like fuller's foap, He must separate his people; otherwife, who can difcern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that ferveth God, and him that ferves him not, Malachi third and fourth Chapter.

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Was it neceffary to adduce any further argument, in fayour of a more entire separation from the world, than is commonly practifed, the example of Noah is full to the purpose, particularly, as refpecting the coming judgments. Heb. xi. 7. By faith Noah being warned of God of things not feen as yet, being moved with fear prepared an ark, to the saving "of his houfe, by which he condemned the world." Thus, then I conclude, a feparation is abfolutely neceffary; all that remains, is to find a company of men jealous for the honour of God, and defirous of living up to their profeffion, who shall not only devote themselves to his fervice, but their property alfo, thereby to fecond the intention of fuch a feclufion, by becoming one family, actuated by one spirit, by their united teftimony, manifefting their zeal for his glory, as well as imitating his goodness to all around. If fuch a fociety can be formed, without breaking any of the ties of nature, or diffolving themfelves from any moral obligation, then may we hope to fee a people prepared to meet our coming Lord; who fhall be as a bride adorned for her husband, whofe preparation will be matter of joy to the friends of the bridegroom, when called to the marriage of the Lamb. Rev. ix. 7. At fome future opportunity I mean to enter more particularly into the nature and design of the feparation hinted at, till when I remain,

Your brother and fervant,

In the bonds of peace,

AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT.

THE

I

THE MORALIST.

No. I.

KNOW not whether the endeavours I have formed a re

folution to use, for the promotion of that which I confider to be the true intereft of fociety, will be acceptable to the Editor of the Univerfalift's Mifcellany; but if the little capacity with which it has pleased the beneficent Author of the universe to blefs me, has not much mistaken its object,. every attempt to cherish humanity in the breast of men, and. eradicate those impulfes of an evil tendency, which habit rather than nature has made familiar, will meet with a kind reception.

It is unfortunate that calls of a temporal nature have precluded those searches which might have rendered me a more worthy correfpondent, but as I have accustomed myself to confider Man a creature of a two-fold effence, fo it must neceffarily follow he has a double duty to perform. To the Creator all muft yield obedience in the obfervance of those. duties which Chriftianity requires-To the creature, while the protecting power of Omnipotence fhall blefs us with our prefent exiftence, we have alfo duties to discharge, nor will it be denied me, that the God who affigned me this existence will look indifferently on the use of thofe faculties, to each. of which he has ordained a proper object for its exercife. Your excellent definitions of those paffages of the Old and New Teftament, which weak minds might have misconstrued, and enthusiastic phrenzy misrepresented, render you deservedly refpected by all good men; but compliment to the noble mind is an infult-you do your duty, nor need you any fuperior gratification than your own feelings, and the profperity of your honeft endeavours. I have. had the pleasure of perufing the numbers of your Mifcel lany, as they have progreffively appeared, but my defire of becoming a correfpondent, although it has been encreased, yet no prefent opportunity has offered for its gratification. God having bleffed me with permiffion to enter upon another year, I promise myself through his mercy to afford a humble contribution to your work, under the title which I have prefumed to affix to this paper; and fhall endeavour, as occafion prefents itself, to introduce and illuftrate subjects in which the interests of humanity may be beft engaged, and the feelings of benevolence and virtue find fome gratification.

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Inferior as my labours will be to the task you fo worthily perform, they will still hold their place, and make up a part of that wonderful combination which is the proper object of human obfervation, and which in its feafon will be confidered as a little link to connect the great chain by which fociety is united upon earth.

My refolution had fcarcely been fixed to folicit permiffion to become your correfpondent, ere I became at a lofs for a first fubject, wherein I might be properly introduced. into the Univerfalift's Mifcellany; but alas! I had but taken a fecond turn across my chamber, when that mifery prefented itself to my view which, though it is too familiar to the fight in this great town, engages fomething lefs of the boafted philanthropy of its inhabitants than is confiftent with the opulence of fome, and the feelings which are the proper inmates of the human heart. By the Poet who was more admired for the juftness of his remarks, than for the urbanity of his manners, we are taught that, "The proper "study of mankind is man."-Now though the fentiment may be fomewhat too confined, in a religious light it has its beauties, and well applied, is capable of wafting the mind to contemplations of a much more elevated nature: the object I am about to defcribe, was of this kind :-The plentiful board which the goodness of Providence had enabled me to spread before my family, had been newly removed, and the parings of fome potatoes thrown out at the door, when a venerable looking man, who bore those marks of a long exiftence, which are not to be counterfeited, approached the spot where that which even œconomy would have confidered useless had been thrown; he caft his eyes around him as if dreading an obferver of the degraded state to which he feemed to fancy himself reduced. He did not perceive himfelf feen, knelt down, picked up the wretched fragments I have named, and having placed in the middle of his hand the tattered remnants of an handkerchief, which at least had cleanliness to recommend it, he made it the receptacle of his intended meal, with which, affifted by the other hand, he, eagerly fed himself, and might in truth be faid rather to devour than eat. As if dreading the effects of unsatisfied hunger, he reserved out of his poor allotment fomething for future neceffities, and then betook himself to a pump hard by to fatisfy his thirst. There was not the appearance of a common beggar; but of that real mifery which seeks rather to disguise than to difplay itfelf. To have felt for this ob

ject

ject, it would have been necessary to have seen him; to have feen and not have felt, would have been impoffible, even for a mind intimate with calamity; and the mind of him must have been debafed indeed, who could withhold his immediate thanksgiving to the Creator of all things, that he himself was still above the miseries he had seen ; a confolation which would men but accustom themselves to view those more lowly ftationed than themselves, instead of panting for the cafe they fancy the opulent to poffefs, would render all men comfortable, and the minds of many contented. Is it not grievous to confider that altho' "the high, the low, the rich,

the poor, were created by the fame Almighty Power, and "fent into the world for the aid, protection, and support of "each other," thefe diftreffes fhould remain unremedied? Why, they are fo, and what might afford a remedy, may, with your permiffion become the fubject of fome future paper; at prefent, I can only contemplate the voluminous and inexplicable state of the Poor Laws, in a country on all hands allowed to poffefs much talent and fome virtue. But it is a mifery to the wretched, and a vice in the empire, that on fome occafions more fhould have been spent in ascertaining the proper fettlement of one pauper, then would provide a maintenance during the fhort period his misery had left him to exist.

Your approbation of the various fubjects I intend to embrace, will be fhewn either by your inferting or rejecting my papers, and I truft I may hereafter become worthy to fhare your efteem.

REFLECTIONS UPON PROPHECY.

WHE

HEN the nature and design of prophecy is attentively confidered, it certainly must have a tendency to confirm the Chriftian's hope, because fo many irrefragable inftances of the accomplishment of various predictions are upon record, that it is impoffible to be mistaken respecting them.

Such parts of prophecy as remain unfulfilled, generally have respect to the mutations that remain to take place in the earth, whereby the grand enemy to Chrift's Glory will be destroyed, the veil of obscurity removed from the eyes of profeffors, and the way laid open for the establishment of

the

the kingdom of Jefus above all the kingdoms of the world.

The predictions which relate to thefe events, notwithftanding they are couched in ftrong figurative language, are not difficult to underfland, but the events themselves are certainly the only true expofitors for which we ought to wait, rather than to place any reliance upon the pretentions of vifionary men, who frequently aflign periods for the accomplishment of certain events which no concurrent circumftance confirms; and, indeed it is no wonder their fchemes thould fail, feeing God has wifely concealed from the view of men the particular circumftances of the things foretold as, to time and place, until the period of their fulfillment, when every difficulty will vanith and the things intended be fo clearly manifeft as to establish on the firmeft ground the Chriftian's faith; whether it refpects his promifes, or threatenings, for heaven and earth fhall pafs away, but not one jot or title of his word fhall fail.

To fhew this in the ftrongest point of view, we need only take a retrofpect of the attempts of the declared enemies of truth to falfify the very predictions they have feen fulfilled; witnefs the fruitlefs and wicked attempts of Julian (the Apoftate) who was miraculously prevented from rebuilding the Temple at Jerufalem.

Notwithstanding the fceptics of the prefent age fhut their eyes to the events that are daily fulfilling, that circumftance, instead of invalidating confirms Prophecy; for Daniel was told, "the wicked thall not understand," but the wife (righteous) do, and the way by which they acquire an understanding of these things is by comparing God's providence with Prophecy, particularly in the exercife of his retributive juftice.

Although objections may be brought against the stile in which prophecy is expreffed, they will not long remain ; when it is confidered a general clue is given for the proper understanding of the figures, by the predictions already fulfiled, the language in moft cafes being the fame; whether couched under the idea of earthquakes, or the darkening of the heavenly bodies, both which intend the deftruction of the policy and government of states, or fuch mutations as are tantamount thereto. A very ftriking inftance of this prefents itfelf in the late Revolution in France, more particu VOL. II.

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