"Their pains, and groans, and deep distress But ah! must truth and righteousness So spake the friends of God and man, The Son of God attentive, heard, "Behold, my vital blood I pour, A sacrifice to God; Let angry vengeance now no more He spake, and heavn's high arches rang, The morning stars together sang, The heavenly hosts fell on their face, O'ercome with boundless, sovereign grace, O'er heaven's high walls the angels crowd, "Glory to God," they shout aloud, Let all the nations hear the sound, And raise their triumphs high, For Jesus has a ransom found For sinners doomed to die. When the Almighty forms the souls above, If God thus pained them, we must all suppose, Happy the youth who finds a partner kind, One frowns—the other pouts and both complain; Each feels sad woes and sees the faults of th' other: And bear each other's burdens night and day. Hymn composed and sung on the occasion of the dedication of the meeting-house, in Cheshire, on Christmas day, 1794. Thus saith the eternal God; I sit upon my throne, The heavens I spread abroad, The heavens are my exalted seat, What house did e'er contain To bind my holy word, All worlds, surrounded by my hand, Move round at my supreme command. The temple did contain The ark, that sacred chest ; It was my settled rest. No more I give the Jews commands, Nor dwell in temples made with hands. Yet will I look upon Shall in my presence stand; In him the God-head dwells, Let grace and truth abound. Another house I have, The church is where I dwell, The humble poor to save, The contrite free from hell, The glory of these latter days Shall far exceed the temple's praise. Lord, we have met to-day, To worship thee above; Descend from heaven, we pray,— We dedicate this house to thee; Preserve this house from fire, We leave our praise with thee, Thou great, sublime, eternal Three. SHORT AND UNCONNECTED SENTENCES. Luke has given a short biography of Paul, and Paul in his epistles to the churches has stated his manner of life, both before and after his conversion, together with his afflictions from without and within, also of the doctrine he preached, and what success he had; but is it likely that he carried those epistles about for sale? Did he ever close the meeting by saying, "My hearers, I have here with me a number of books of my own composition for sale?" and yet, in these days, it is practised. For a man to write his own history, and publish it while he is living, is rather delicate. In respect to his knowledge of the facts he relates, he is the best judge; yet his diffidence may incline him to keep back the best, and expose the worst, or his vanity may prompt him to cover his defects and extol his virtues. He who publishes his own history or creed for sale, and then puts on the robe of a travelling preacher, (to diminish the expenses. of travelling,) in order to peddle his books, is attempting to use God's stream to turn his own mill. The man who is seeking after wisdom, to know what the mind of the Lord is towards him, and what God requires him to do, according to rule and plumb-line, is not so much delighted with flowery language, and pomp of diction, as with rich and interesting ideas. A discourse, either from the lips, or pen, that is full of fine words, and void of ideas and solemn facts, will afford him, at most, but secondary pleasure. May we not conclude, that in the triumphant state, to which humble Christianity tends, the most important ideas and wondrous events that ever existed, will be elucidated in language all sublime by all the heavenly hosts. No dispute about grammar, in that state of existence, when "the Lord shall turn unto the people a pure language," that they may all serve him with one consent. "The preacher sought to find acceptable words, and that which was written was upright, even words of truth." The mechanical Christian may be zealous in his forms, and lavish in censuring wrong and applauding right; but is never found lamenting the pollution of his heart, or honestly confessing the mis-steps he has taken. AN elegant carriage—a plated harness—a poor horse with his hip-bones sticking up a fine coat—a small stock of borrowed divinity—a lofty address—a careless spirit—a love of popularity—and a thirst of filthy lucre, are not the best qualities for preachers. It is said of Dr. Gill, that in theological controversy," he was never attacked and overcome—he never assailed a strong hold, but he demolished it." In the civil and military departments, the same may be said of Andrew Jackson. In God we live, move, and have our "being. Is it possible then for men to possess a power, independent of God, by which they can generate thoughts and change desires? If not, on what principle can men be accountable for their works? One side. Questions generally have two sides to them: and something can be said on both sides; indeed, some, like a cube, have six sides; yet there are many disputers who will never allow that the arguments of others have any weight in them: of course, they are always right, in their own view, and always triumph. Like a gander, if you chase them ever so far, with the club of solid reason, they will turn and crow as if victorious. Query. Are the Protestants in France as much abused by the Papists as the Papists arc in Ireland by the Protestants? The lawyer studies to find out what is, and if he be a real statesman, he studies what ought to be. And if he is invested with power, and is a business man, he will be daring and persevering to bring things where they ought to be. The human mind is so flexible, and surrounding objects and passing events so varying and illusive, that the man who never changes his opinion, is either very weak or very stubborn. Let a man write his creed of faith, or a treatise on any subject, and lay it by in his secretary. Let him look it over once a year, and every time he examines it, he will wish that some sentiments or expressions had been differently stated—perhaps some parts expunged. Words are so indefinite in their meaning, and so variously used by speakers and others, that candor teaches us to let every one put his own meaning upon his words. The Upas is a tree in the island of Java, so poisonous that neither man, beast, nor vegetable can live within three leagues of it. The Samiel is a noxious wind, that sometimes blows in the deserts of Arabia and Africa, that kills man or beast with the quickness of lightning. But Jesus the Saviour is a "tree of life" in the midst of the paradise of |