Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

shame, and our confusion covereth us; willingly acknowledging that our iniquities have most deservedly turned away thy blessings from us, and drawn thy judgments upon our heads.

But, O Lord, hast thou so smitten us that there is no healing for us? have we put ourselves utterly out of the reach of thy boundless mercies? art thou not the God that retainest not thine anger forever, because thou delight est in mercy? O thou, the hope of Israel, and the Saviour thereof in the time of trouble, return, return to thy people in the tender bowels of thine infinite pity and compassion, humble our souls thoroughly under the sense of our many backslidings and griev. ous provocations of the eyes of thy glory. Oh, strike thou our heart with an unfeigned repent ance of all our evil ways, and once again speak peace unto thy servants, Was there ever a more stiff-necked and rebellious people, O Lord, than thine Israel? more eminent in a bused mercies? more notori ous in all kinds of abominable wickedness? more exercised with variety of judgments? yet when they cried to thee in their distress, thou wert still ready to hear and deliver them, and to renew thy so often forfeited blessings upon them, and wouldst not let loose thy vengeance upon them till there was no remedy.

Behold we are thy people, though a sinful one, a second Is rael both for sins and mercies; now, Lord, since it is thy maryellous mercy that we are not yet consumed, be still pleased to

magnify thine infinite goodness in thy gracious forbearances and our powerful conversion to thee. And though we cannot but confess we are a sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evil doers, yet, Lord, thou knowest thou hast thy secret ones among us, a people that prayeth and trembleth at thy judgments, and waiteth humbly at the door-posts of thy sanctuary; a people that desireth to walk close with thee their God, and to be approved of thee in all their ways; a people that sigheth and mourneth for the abominable sins of the land of their nativity: O, for their sakes be thou entreated to hold off thy revenging hand from this sinful nation, and even yet still provoke us by thy goodness to repentance. O thou, the righteous and merciful Judge of the world, who even for ten righteous persons would have spared a Sodom and Gomorrah from their fiery execution, be pleased tenderly to regard the cries of thy many hundred faithful and devout souls that sue to thee for the stay and removal of thy deserved judgments. Oh, do thou look down from heaven and behold from the habitation of thy holiness and thy glory, the unfeigned humiliation of thy servants, who are prostrate before thee with fastings, and weeping, and mourning turn away thy heavy displeasure from us, and pity thy sanctuary which is desolate; so shall our mouths be full of the praises of thy name, and thy saints shall rejoice and sing new songs unto the God of our salvation. AMEN.

FRAGMENTS.

EXTRACTS FROM DR. ODMANN's

GEOGRAPHICAL POCKET DIC

TIONARY OF THE NEW TESTA
MENT.*

[ocr errors]

AREOPAGUS, Aguosayos, the celebrated tribunal of Athens, held on a hill of that name. Here Mars is said to have been acquitted by twelve of the gods, for having killed the ravisher of his daughter. This circumstance seems to have been invented, in order to add solemnity to the tribunal. It is not known, whether it was instituted by Cecrops, or Cranaus, or Solon. The number of the members is variously stated to have been 9, 31, and 51. They were chosen from among the most virtuous citizens, and such prefects, as had distinguished themselves by their patriotism. The office was held for life; but if a judge behayed improperly, intoxicated himself, or uttered any indecent words, he was immediately de-, posed. Here sentence was pronounced, not only on capital crimes, but also on immorality and idleness, which last was looked upon as the parent of all vices. Disrespect for religion was treated with the greatest severity, and forensic oratory was totally prohibited, lest it should influence the judges. This tri

* Dr. Odmann is minister of Up sal, in Sweden, a learned and respectable divine, author of several works in high repute in his own country. The work, from which these extracts are made, and which was designed for a companion to the younger clergy, is highly approved by the Engfish Reviewers, and a translation of

it recommended.

bunal was respected as the very seat of justice. Even the Romans themselves appealed to it in weighty matters. Pericles, on being refused admittance as a member, diminished its power, and from that day the Areopagus, and the morality of the Athenians suffered a common fall. It was before this tribunal, which was held in the open air, that St. Paul delivered the address recorded by St. Luke, Acts xvii. 22, &c.

CHIOS, Xios, an island in the Archipelago, a few miles south of Lesbos; called by the Greeks Chio, but by the Turks Saki Adassi, (Mastic island.) It occurs only in Acts xx. 15, at the last departure of St. Paul from Greece. It is about 50 miles in length, and 25 in breadth, mountainous and of a poor soil, but famous for the mastic, with which it supplies the royal seraglio. This gum, which is chewed by the Turkish ladies, in order to preserve their teeth clean, and their breath sweet, is collected by the Christian inhabitants of the island; who, as a remuneration for it, are exempted from half the poll tax. The manner of collecting it is described by Tournefort, Bellonius, Theyenot, Monconys, Carreri, Pocock, Chandler, and others. Although the climate of the island is reckoned healthy, it is often visited by the plague. The number of inhabitants is 100,000, and all live comfortably by industry. An old building is still to be seen, which goes by the name of Homer's School; but according to Mr. Chandler, it was a temple of Cybele. The island is circumstantially describ ed by Myller,

MELITA, Mehirn, now Malta, an island in the Mediterranean sea, distinguished in the New Testament by the shipwreck of St. Paul, Acts xxviii. The inhabitants, who spoke in an African dialect, (Big Baga) received the crew with great humanity. They kindled a fire, on account of the constant rain (ißisara);' but when the apostle was laying on a bundle of sticks, which he had gathered, a very venomous viper (ix) roused by the flames came out, and twisted itself round his arm (x.) The islanders now thought themselves witnesses of Divine vengeance demanding that justice, which the waves had failed to execute; but the apostle shook off the animal into the fire, and felt no hurt. They then passed to another extreme, (μeтæßæλλoμevos) and took him to be a god. The reader will find the best description of Malta in Nieburh's travels through the Levant, and Brydone's Letters on Sicily and Malta. I have only this to add, that although no serpents are now found in Malta, there can be no reason to suspect St. Luke's relation; for the island consists of a chalky rock, of which, at present, no spot remains uncultivated. In the same manner of late in some of the West India islands, serpents have been totally extirpated by the extent of cultivation, having thereby lost all places of retreat. The saying of the inhabitants, that serpents, which are brought hither cannot live, is a fable. The petrified substances commonly called vipers' tongues, which are found in the softer hills, are nothing else than the teeth of fish.

AANECDOTES.

ONE of the most renowned philosophers and statesmen of this age, Dr. Benjamin Franklin, informs us, that all the good he ever did to his country or mankind, he owed to a small book which he accidentally met with, entitled, "Essays to do good," in several sermons from Gal. vi. 10. "As we have, therefore, opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith." These sermons were written by Dr. Cotton Mather, a very able and pious minister of the gospel in Boston "This little book," he says, “ he studied with care and attention; laid up the sentiments in his memory, and resolved from that time, which was in his early youth, that he would make doing good the great purpose and business of his life."

ARCHBISHOP Williams, in the close of life, said to a friend of his, "I have passed through many places of honour and trust, both in church and state; more than any of my order in England, these seventy years before ; yet, were I but assured, that, by my preaching, I had converted but one soul to God, I should take therein more true joy and comfort, than in all the honours and offices which have been bestowed upon me." Fuller's Church History. B.II. p. 228.

THE celebrated Dr. Manton was appointed on a public occasion to preach before the Lord Mayor and Aldermen of London. His sermon was learned,

ingenious, and elegant. As he was returning home, a plain old gentleman pulled him by the coat, and desired to speak to him. The doctor stopt, and the stranger thus addressed him. "I was one of your auditory to day. I went to be fed with the gospel, as usual; but have returned empty. Dr. Manton was not Dr. Manton this morning. There was, indeed, much of the Doctor, of the florid and learned man, in the discourse but little or Lothing of Jesus Christ: it was, in short, no sermon to me." "Sir," answered the Doctor, "if I have not preached to you, you have now preached a good sermon to me: such as, I trust, I shall never forget, but be the better for, as long as I live."

A GENTLEWOMAN went one day to hear Dr preach, and as usual, carried a pocket Bible with her, that she might turn to any of the passages the preacher might happen to refer to. But

she found, that she had no use for her Bible there: and, on coming away, said to a friend, "I should have left my Bible at home to day, and have brought my dictionary. The Doctor does not deal in Scripture, but in such learned words and phrases, as require the help of an interpreter, to render them intelligi ble."

THE pious and learned Mr. Halyburton, Professor of Divinity in the University of St. Andrews, being asked, when a young man, by an aged minister, if ever he sought the blessing of God on his studies, ingenuously acknowledged that he did not. "Sir," said the minister, with an austere look, "unsanctified learning has done much mischief to the church of God." These words made a deep impression on his mind, and from that time, he looked up to God for his assistance and blessing in the prosecution of his studies.

Review of New Publications.

Memoirs of eminently pious women, who were ornaments to their sex, blessings to their families, and edifying examples to the church and world. Abridged from the large work of Dr. Gibbons, London. By DANIEL DANA. pp. 396, 12mo, Newburyport. A. March. 1803.

THIS title page is unfortunately encumbered with a part of that,

which constitutes the matter of a preface. Authors forget that the design of a title page is to give a name to the book, and that

[merged small][ocr errors][merged small]

the mind, to improve the taste, and to meliorate the heart. By exhibiting goodness in an alluring, but practica ble form; by presenting excellence actually attained, with the various means and steps of its acquisition; it furnishes us with some of the best possible excitements to be what we ought to be.

"In one point of view, the delineation of eminent Christian characters appears peculiarly interesting. It af fords a striking evidence at once of the divinity of the Scriptures, and the transcendent excellence of the religion which they inculcate. The best vindication of this religion results from a display of its nature and genuine effects.

"With great propriety it has been remarked, that those lives which deserve most to be had in remembrance, are most easily recorded, and consist of fewest articles. The memorials of excellent and exemplary women

are

therefore peculiarly worthy of atten tion for the very reasons, for which they are sometimes undervalued. Though generally uniform in their tenor, barren of incident, and of course little calculated to gratify mere cu riosity, yet these are the lives which afford the most solid and valuable instruction; instruction which comes home to the bosoms of all, and which peculiarly addresses us amid our humbler occupations and more retired

scenes.

"The importance of women in every civilized society, their ascendence over the other sex, and influence in forming its character are generally confessed, but can scarce be adequate ly appreciated. If this influence extended only to the periods of infancy and childhood, it would be a most momentous affair; especially taken in connexion with the peculiar opportunities for its exertion. But it operates with even an increased force, in the succeeding stages, and ceases not, but with life....It is of incalculable importance that those, who thus give

the tone of sentiments and manners to their species, should be themselves correct. Nor can a greater service be done to society, than to present them with models by which their own characters may with safety and advantage be formed. Vol. II. No. 1

F

"The Memoirs of eminently pious women, by DR. GIBBONS, furnish much valuable instruction of this kind. Many of the characters exhibited are of the first order. Nor is it an unimportant circumstance to find eminent piety recommended, in so many instances, by the embellishments of genius, learning, and rank. Yet certain obvious infelicities attached to the work, seem much calculated to obstruct its circulation and usefulness. To remedy these infelicities, has been the aim of the editor of the present volume. He has connected the narrative, compressed the style, and, without omitting what seemed important, curtailed a variety of redundant and uninteresting matter. In a few instances, distinct and independent accounts of the same life have been incorporated; a change equally conducive to conciseness and perspicu ity.

In others, where the materials for profitable history were obviously scanty, it was deemed best to pre. sent, without ornament or circumlocution, the few traits which could be collected. Such are the principal means, by which he has endeavoured to transfuse into a moderate duodecimo volume, the essence of two copious octavos."

This volume, thus handsomely introduced by the editor, delineates the lives of the following persons, of distinguished rank and piety, viz.

Lady Jane Grey, Queen Catharine Parr, Jane Queen of Navarre, Mary Queen of G. Britain, Lady Mary Vere, Countess of Suffolk, Lady Mary Armyne, Lady Elizabeth Langham, CounBrooke, Miss Margaret Andrews, tess of Warwick, Lady Elizabeth Lady Alice Lucy, Lady Margaret Houghton, Miss Ann Baynard, Lady Frances Hobart, Lady Catharine Courtew, Lady Cutts, Mrs. Anne Askewe, Mrs. Jane Ratcliffe, Mrs. Catharine Bretterg, Lady Rachel Russell, Mrs. Elizabeth Burnet, Mrs. Elizabeth Bury, Mrs. Elizabeth Rowe.

« AnteriorContinuar »