Evangelicana.

Remarkable Effects of Mr. Whitefield's Preaching in America.

The popularity of Mr. Whitefield's preaching in America, and the success which crowned it, are well known to most of our readers; but the fol lowing Account, taken from the Memoirs of Mrs. Hannah Hodge, published at Philadelphia about three years ago, exceeds any thing we re member to have seen:

WHEN Mr. Whitefield first visited America, Mrs. Hodge was deeply affected by his preaching, on which she assiduously attended. She has often told her friends, That after the first sermon which she heard him preach, she was ready to say, with the woman of Samaria, Come, see a maa who told me all things that ever I did.' The preacher, she said, had 80 exactly described all the secret workings of her heart, her views, her wishes, her thoughts, her imaginations, and her exercises, that she really believed he was either more than mortal, or else that he was supernaturally assisted to know her heart. So ignoraut was she then of what she well understood afterwards, that all corrupted human hearts are much alike; and that he who can pairt one justly, and in lively colours, may present a picture which many will recognize as their own.

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The effects produced in Philadelphia at this time (about 1740 or 1741) by the preaching of Mr. Whitefield, were truly astonishing. Numbers of almost all religious denominations, and many who had no connection with any denomination, were brought to esquire, with the utmost earnestness, what they should do to be saved. Such was the engagedness of multitudes to listen to spiritual instruction, that there was public worship, regularly, twice a day, for a year; and on the Lord's Day it was celebrated generally thrice, and frequently four times. An aged man, deeply interested in the scenes which then were witnessed, and who is still living, has informed the writer, that the city (not then probably a third so large as it now is) contained 26 societies for social prayer and religious conference and, probably, there were others not known to him. So great was the zeal and enthusiasm to hear Mr. Whitefield preach, that many from the city followed him on foot to Chester, to Abingdon, to Neshaminy, and some even to New Brunswick, in New Jersey, the distance of 60 miles. the narrative of whose early life has led to the notice of these circumstances, gave the writer a particular account of an excursion of 20 miles, which she made to Neshaminy on foot, to attend a religious meeting there; but so far was she from applauding herself for it, that she condemned both herself and others, as chargeable with imprudence and extravagance. She said, that in these excursions, the youth of both sexes were often exposed to danger and temptation; and that the best apology which could be made for them was, That they were both young and ignorant; and that they had wanted either the opportunity or the inclination to hear faithful preaching, till their attention had been engaged by Mr. Whitefield. She used, indeed, often to remark, that the general ignorance of real piety and experimental religion was, at that time, truly surprizing. After the first impressions made by Mr. Whitefield, four or five godly women in the city were the principal counsellors to whom awakened and enquiring sinners used to resort, or could resort, for advice and direction. Even the public preaching of ministers of the gospel, some who were, no doubt, practically acquainted with religion, was not, it would seem, always the most seasonable and judicious. Mr. Rowland, a truly pious and eloqueut man, being invited to preach in the Baptist church, proclaimed the terrors of the divine law with such energy to those whos: souls were already sinking under them, that not a few fainted away. On this occasion, however, his error

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was publicly corrected by the Rev. Gilbert Tennert, who, standing at the foot of the pulpit, and seeing the effect produced on the assembly, interrupted and arrested the preacher by this address : Brother Rowland, is there no balm in Gilead? is there no physician there?' Mr. Rowland, on this, changed immediately the tenor of his address, and sought to direct to the Saviour those who were overwhelmed with a sense of their guilt: but, before this had taken place, the subject of the present Memoir had been carried out of the church in a swoon, which lasted for a considerable time.

It has not been ascertained how long her mind remained subject to legal terror, without any measure of the comfortable hope of the gospel. Her exercises, however, are well known to have been of a very violent and distressing kind. At one time she was brought near to the borders of despair, insomuch, that she even refused to listen to the counsel of Mr. Tennent, or even to suffer him to pray with her, under an apprehension that it would but aggravate her future condemnation. In this state of mind she was visited by the Rev. Dr. Finley, who prudently waved a direct discussion of her case ; but gradually and insensibly drew her attention to the all-sufficiency of the Saviour. And who knows,' said he, but there may be mercy and pardon there for you! He then left her: but the words who knows but there may be mercy for you!' melted her soul. They seemed to chime in her ears after he was gone. She fell upon her knees, and poured out her heart before God in secret; and she was enabled so to trust her soul into the Saviour's hands as to derive some hope of the divine acceptance, and a measure of consolation from that time.

In 1743 a church was formed by Mr. G. Tennent, out of those who were denominated the. Followers and Converts of Mr. Whitefield. No less than 140 individuals were received at first, after a strict examination, as Members of this newly constituted church. The admission of a large number more was delayed, only because their exercises and spiritual state had not yet attained such maturity as to afford satisfaction to themselves, or to the officers of the church: but among those received on the first examina tion was the eminent Christian whose story is here recorded; and who was to be, for more than 60 years, one of the brightest ornaments and most useful members of the church with which she now became connected.

On the Phrasen xawn diabnun, The New Testament.

THE Religious Institution of Jesus Christ is frequently denominated xaun dianen, which is almost always rendered The New Testament: yet the word diana by itself, is generally translated coverant. It is the Greek word, whereby the Seventy have uniformly translated the Hebrew word Berith, which our translators have invariably translated covenant. That the Hebrew term corresponds much better to the English word covenant than to testament, there can be no question; yet the word abnun, in classical use, is more frequently rendered testament. The proper Greek word for covenant is ourdnen; which is not found in the New Testament, and occurs only thrice in the Septuagint, where it is never employed for rendering the word Berith.

The term New is added to distinguish it from the Old Covenant, that is, the dispensation of Moses. The two covenants are always in Scripture the two dispensations: that under Moses is the old, that under the Messiah is the new. In the latitude wherein the term is used in holy writ, the command under the sanction of Death, which God gave to Adam, may, with sufficient propriety, be termed A Covenant; but it is never so called in Scripture; and when mention is made of the two covenants, the old and the new, or the first and the second, there appears to be no reference to any thing that related to Adam. In all such places, Moses and Jesus

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are contrasted, the Jewish economy and the Christian: Mount Sinai, in Arabia, where the law was promulgated; and Mount Sion, in Jerusalem, where the gospel was first published.

These terms, from signifying the two dispensations, came soon to denote the books wherein they were written, being called The Old Testament; and the tles and evangelists, the New Testament.

the sacred writings of the Jews writings superadded by the apos An example of the use of the

former application we have in 2 Cor. iii. 14, Until this day, remaineƒh the veil untaken away in the reading of the Old Testament.'

See Dr. Campbell's Preliminary Dissertations, Part 3.

JUVENILE DEPARTMENT.

A CHILD'S REFLECTION.

BEHOLD my affectionate parent, viewing, with anxious thought, his tender offspring. Concerned for our present happiness and future felicity, I hear him, with tender emotions of soul, begging the Divine Benediction to be bestowed on his family, fearing he should be called to leave us in the wilderness without the guide of our youth; committing us, with a most affectionate concern, to the care of God his Saviour, entreating his favourable protection! I sit and hear his valuable instructions, warning is of the evil of sin, and of the snares of the world!) that each of us paid proper attention to his pious counsel ! I read in his countenance the deep concern he feels lest his advice should be lost, and our precious souls undone ! I view his exemplary conduct to win our affections to the ways of God, and to endear the precious word of truth to us, which is the stimulus and rule of his practice.

What gratitude is due, what love should we show, and what obedience should we render to such a parent and friend ! and how does my heart pity those parents, whose affectionate care and auxious solicitude are neglected, or treated with disrespect! How do I pity those children who have no such concern exercised by their parents, no such admonitions, do such example shown, and whose everlasting welfare is neglected and forgotten! Their parents, living without God in the world, either totally neglect their charge, or, if they correct their children, it is not from any concern for their best interest, but to gratify their own revengeful temper, which is irritated by something done or said by the child, to which, perhaps, he was encouraged by their example; and which, probably, would have given them pleasure at another time, and have excited expressions of applause! Perhaps, all the family is in gross darkness! The house, the word, and ordinances of God are neglected, no prayer used, ledge of the state they are in, or of the way of salvation. O, what a wretched scene! O what obligations am I under to my pious parents, who care for my soul, and who discover their concern in so many endearing forms! How thankful am I that Managers and Teachers of Sunday. Schools are increasing in their concern and zeal for the welfare and happiness of numbers of those wretched objects, who are otherwise in a hopeless state! and are searching them out from their cells of mental darkness, their scenes of helpless misery, to teach them to read the word of life, and to feed them with knowledge and understanding! Go on and prosper, ye devoted servants of the Lord! Take the charge of the souls of those spiritual orphans, and bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord! They cannot recompense you; but you shall be recompensed at the resurrection of the just !

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Obituary.