thus pre-ordain the fin or mifery of hi indigent creatures? No, a Deity, who willeth the happineis of his creatures, can never fport thus with their mifery.

In order, therefore, that God may be clear from fuch an irreligious imputation, and appear to be juft and true in all his ways refpecting the children of men, I prefume the method here propofed of con fidering ordination in marriage, will appear rational and fcriptural to every impartial mind.

As marriage was first ordained by God, and confequently is agreeable to his will; and as on chufing an agreeable partner in life, with whom to spend, perhaps, our last days, depends much of our earthly happinefs: we cannot but fuppofe that God (whofe delight is in the happiness of his creatures) will, and does direct them in an affair of fo much moment and confequence, by influencing the minds of thofe whom it is his will fhould marry, for fuch objects with whom they will live more happy, fulfil the intention of their union, and the will of God, and will be productive of more good, than a union with any other. That God did formerly direct his poor erring mortals in this manner, either inwardly or outwardly, is evident from Genefis xxiv. Numbers xxxvi. Deuteronomy vii. 3, 4. Joshua, xxiii. 12, 13. And were every one now to follow, as fome did of old, the fuggeftions only of the Spirit of God, or that impulfe of pure and genuine affection, which the greatest part of mankind if not all at times feel for particular objects, which God in his wif dom has allotted for them, and fees belt for them to marry; and were they to act always conformably to the dictates of fuch Spirit, I am perfuaded we fhould fee more harmony, peace, and happiness fubfift in families. But here is the

bane, for many like the fons of Seth, mentioned in Genefis vi. and the children of Ifrael mentioned in Ezra x. and Nehem. xiii.-take them wives of all whom they chufe, and run after ftrange wives; being prompted by fome of the reasons aforefaid, they rush into the facred noofe of matrimony, without con fidering, or confulting the will of God, or their future welfare, and thereby too often facrifice their future peace either to the unnatural request of an avaricious parent, an infatiable thirft after riches, honour or pleasure, a fear of poverty, or the frowns of the world, or to concupifcent defires, which often ter minate in forrow; and by thefe, with many other like propenfities, which history is replete with, they invert the will of God, and what he intended as a bleffing, they make unto them au occafion of finning, by refufing the perfons Providence had allotted for them, and willed them to marry, (and to whom he would have directed them had they attended only to the dictates of his Spirit) and marrying others contrary to the mind and will of God, and thereby bring upon themselves and family trouble and forrow, which but for the reasons before mentioned, had been, perhaps, entirely prevented.

Seeing then that we may act contrary to the will of God in this, as well as in many other circumftances of our life, which might be attended with difagreeable confequences, I would recommend it to all who wish to live happy in a married ftate, (with me) to make application to the beneficent author of all good for his directions to chufe, and affiftance to obtain the object whom he in his infinite wifdom fhall fee best for them to marry. And when they feel an affection for any particular perfon, that they may not be deceived by

the

4

the fuggeftions of an evil fpirit, let them try the fpirits whether they be of God or not; If it be, which they may know from the purity of it, they would do well to cherish it with all their might; and God will direct, guide, and auit them, if they continue ftedfat in weil doing, in chafing, and obtaining a proper partner with whom they may spend their laft and happy days; but if their affection proceeds from an evil fource, and they difcover it to be impure, or has any other end in view but the glory of God, and their mutual happinefs, let it be rejected with all that zeal with which they flee from mifery and woe.

DETACHED THOUGHTS.

Fine understanding may be

two, the former is the moft eligible; with thofe, happiness may refume her feat in the mind, or a firm reliance on Providence will fmooth the thorny pillow; but the latter are involved in a perpetual gloom.

Friendship is the most pleafing, most rational, but at the fame time dangerous connection in life: Should a friend prove falfe it fours our nature, quenches warm affections, and makes us uncharitable in our opinions. To avoid thefe evils, let us examine well the feeming motives of friendship. HENRIETTA.

THE

RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTOR.

No. III.

INCE it is univerfally acknow

however pleafing the features, finds few admirers of difcernment, unlefs accompanied by an expreffive countenance- -fo the former lofes

all its force, if not temper'd by virtue and good-nature.

An irreligious man can never be juft or grateful: He who can forget what he owes his maker, is not likely to remember the fmaller and more diminutive favours conferred on him by a fellow creature-By forgetting his God, he has broke through all ties, moral and religious-truly fays the poet.

He that's ungrateful has no crimes but one ; All other faults may pafs for virtues in him.

Great minds in adverfity, have fometimes proved little and mean in profperity, owing to a want of fenfibility; in mifery they are past the fenfe of feeling-and in gran

deur are not above the little arts of depreffion.

Life abounds with evils; and thofe who have not real, will create imaginary troubles. Of the

or

with unfeigned fincerity, to feek and infure a portion of endlefs and uninterrupted felicity in the fruition of God hereafter, is a point of the highest wifdom; is it not matter of aftonishment, to obferve many of thofe, who certainly poffefs excellent abilities, fhamefully mifpending the time allotted them for this important bufinefs, in heart-corroding worldlinefs, brutal fenfuality, without ever, perhaps, beftowing one ferious thought on that which ought to be their chief, their fole concern? If divine wisdom had not condefcended to reveal the cause of this infatuation, I am inclined to believe, it would have remained an inexplicable myftery, till the hour, when "heaven and earth being on fire, fhall be diffolved." "The God of this world, faith the apoftle, hath blinded the minds of them that believe not." Dreadful conuideration! And yet if we do not admit it to be true, how can

We

we account for that ftrange mifconduct in thofe, who conftantly fpend the fabbath days in idleness and diffipation, if not in intemperance and rioting, while the bufinefs, the important bufinefs of eternity, is profanely difregarded, and the houfes of prayer by them totally unfrequented?

But, if we leave thefe to that fpirit of flumber" which hath taken poffeffion of them, and turn our eyes to another clafs of our fellow-creatures, and behold numbers. of ufeful members of fociety, labouring, as in a prifon-house, like Sampfon, without their eyes, wonder and amazement muft (if we are not divefted of humanity) give way to the tender fenfations of commiferation and pity. Can a benevolent mind obferve an honeft, a faithful, and laborious fervant, chearfully toiling fix fucceffivé days, to fupply his mafter with the meat that perifheth, while himself, merely through, caprice, pride, or luxury, is cruelly and tyrannically with-held, on the feventh, from attending the fervice of his God, that he may obtain that bread for his own foul, which will endure to everlafting life; I fay, can a benevolent mind obferve this, and not be forrowfully concerned on the account? O, what will these men do, how deplorable will their cafe be, when this murderous cruelty to the fouls of their fervants fhall, with unabating rigour, be retaliated upon themselves, "when the fame measure they meet to others, fhall be measured to them again "

I know it is ufually objected, Servants may do their duty at home, and therefore their attendance on the public fervice is not neceflary," This objection betrays the moft pitiable ignorance in thofe that use it. Divine revelation informs us that God our Saviour willeth all men to be faved, and to come to the knowledge of the

truth; plainly enough intimating, that falvation in its true nature, neceffarily implies, the coming to the knowledge of the truth; which also the light of reason clearly discovers. But how a plain, unlettered man or woman shall ever know the truth, fo long as they are not permitted to attend upon thofe, whom God hath commiffioned to declare it to the world, is, I think, a difficulty that ought to be confidered. The preaching of the gospel, from the beginning, was "the wifdom and the power of God to every one that believed:" and although it is not denied, but that the Sovereign of the univerfe may, whenever he pleafes, make other means efficacious for the converfion and falvation of a finner; yet, I prefume, the most general one is, that of the foolishness of preaching." Faith, or a divine evidence and conviction of the truth, faith the apostle, comes by hearing." But how can they hear, who do not attend upon the preacher? Or what advantage do they receive from his being fent? Certainly none.

Hence then appears the enormous wickednefs of this practice: it is fuch injurious cruelty as nothing can equal; nothing less than depriving fouls of all the bleffing, benefit, and advantage, which their Creator defigns to confer upon them through the preaching of his gofpel! O how long will fuch perfons treafure up unto themselves wrath against the day of wrath? Why will they bring innocent blood upon their own heads, by causing the deftruction of their poor brother, for whom Chrift died?

If we view it in a civil as well as religious light, we fhall find, that this evil is no lefs dangerous and deftructive to the peace and wellbeing of the community, than it is to the eternal happiness of individuals. Let us fuppofe fome of thefe untaught and unthinking

people

people throwing off the yoke of fervitude, and commencing heads of families them felves; what will follow from the change? Why, (common experience makes it too notorious to be denied) they that before were awed into decency by the authority of their masters; will now, being delivered from this bondage of fear, let loose the reins of corruption, and abandon themfelves to the most unrestrained licentioufnefs: their children, their tender, helpless, inoffenfive children (if in their infancy they fall not a prey to hunger, filth, and nakedness) are, by degreesse hal bituated to iniquity, fo inftructed in impiety and vice, that they!TAH hardly fail of being the difgrace of human nature, and the pets of fociety. Their juvenile days wafted in ignorance, idleness, mischief, growing mature in years, and being mature in vice, they come forth, as one fays, "the devil's thorough-paced fervants," refolutely prepared to perpetrate, as they are completely qualified for, any and every fpecies of villainy; till, perhaps, their country, out of regard to the public peace and fafety, is obliged to have recourfe to a ftroke of juice, to put a period to their exceffes and their lives together.

J. C,

MEANS

PROMOTING RELIGION

OURSELVES OR OTHERS.

1

IN

1. BE always chearful, as well

as ferious, that you may win men to Chriftianity. And in every converfation introduce fome religious hints, if it can be done with propriety,

II, Avoid all controverfies; no

good can come from difputing:

but contend earnestly for the effentials of Christianity.

II. Heal all divifions among fects and parties to the utmost of

your power.

IV. Talk familiarly to children about religion, as a delightful employment. Put eafy questions to them encouraging them occafionally by fome little prefents-and thus teaching them an amiable, chearful, generous piety.

V. Make it a conftant rule to pray for all who affront or injure you, Chrift enjoins us to pray for all who defpitefully ufe us. Sec Matt. v. 44. Difregard all opprobrious names.-Chrift himself (as will every one who trives against the corrupt prejudices and vices of mankind) was abused as a winebibber, and even a blafphemer, &c.

VI. Be accuftomed to a regular, daily, but moderate courfe of devout retirement; and recommend interceffion for others, both in the family and in private-as likewife frequent attendance at the Sacra

ment.

VII. Frequent public worship every day in the week, if your bu finefs permit, and if you live in a place where it is performed-and never profane the Sabbath, as that is enjoined to be kept holy, by the laws both of God and man.

VIII. Secret ejaculations too may be used as you are walking, or riding, or in whatever company you may happen to be-and, on fome particular hour, remember (as for instance, at morning, noon, afternoon, or evening, when your town-clock ftrikes, which will be a loud and never-failing memorandum) to fet yourfelf as in the prefence of God for a few minutes.

IX. Ufe frequent meditation, than which nothing can be more profitable: nor can any thing fo much awaken and difpofe us for that, and for all that is good, as

Strong

ftrong faith in Providence, and a conftant chearfulness of fpirit. A FRIEND.

SCRIPTURE GEOGRAPHY.

AN HISTORICAL AND GEOGRAPHICAL ACCOUNT OF PLACES MENTIONED IN THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT, IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER.

[Continued from page 87.

APERNAUM, a city celebrated in the gofpels, being the place where Jefus ufually refided during the time of his miniftry. This city no where mentioned in the Old Teftament, under this or any other name like it, and therefore it is not improbable that it was one of those towns which the Jews built after their return from the Babylonish captivity. It food on the fea-coaft, i. e. on the coaft of the fea of Galilee, in the borders of Zebulun and Naphtalim, and confequently towards the upper part thereof. It took its name no doubt from an adjacent fpring of great repute for its clear and limpid waters, and which, according to Jofephus, was by the natives called. Capernam.

Our Lord moved from Nazareth, and made this the place of his conftant residence. Upon this account Capernaum was highly honoured, and faid by our Lord himfelf to be exalted into heaven; and because it made no right ufe of his fignal favour, it drew from him the fevere denunciation, that it hould be brought down to hell,

which has certainly been veriñed: for, fo far it is from being the metropolis of all Galilee, (as it once was) that it confiited long fince of no more than fix poor fishermen's cottages, and may, perhaps, be now totally defolate.

CAPHTOR, the island CAPHTOR, whence came the Caphtorims, otherwise called the Cheritims or Cherithites, and the Philistines. The generality of interpreters believe that by Caphtor was fignified Cappadocia; and by the Caphtorims the Cappadocians. But F Calmet is of opinion that by Gaphtor is meant the ifle of Crete and this opinion he fupports by many learned arguments in a particular differtation prefixed to the first book of Samuel, which well deferves the inquisitive reader's attentive perufal.

CARMEL, a city in the tribe of Judah, fituated on the mountain of the fame name, in the fouthern part of Palestine, where Nabal the Carmelite, Abigail's husband,dwelt, Josh. xv. 55.

CARMEL MOUNT, fituated to the fouth of Ptolemais, and the north of Dora, upon the Mediterranean. At the foot of this mountain, on the north fide ran the brook Kifhon, and a little farther the river Beleus. On the fide next the fea there is a cave fhewn, where fome fuppofe the prophet Elijah defired Abab to bring Baal's falfe prophets, when fire from heaven defcended upon the burnt facrifice he had prepared there, I Kings xviii.

[To be continued, ]

POETRY.