Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

cles, which the world of nature presents. In ages of ignorance and superstition, they have been regarded with surprise and horror. They have been converted into presages of wars and desolations, of public calamities and individual disasters. Nor does it appear strange, either that a gloomy imagination, or that conscious guilt, should have made this use of them. It is not a thing unknown, or unusual, even in our own enlightened age and country, that they have been productive of terror and consternation. Nor indeed, because they are perfectly agreeable to the regular course of nature, and can be demonstrated to result from established laws, does it follow that they claim no special and serious notice. All the works of the Lord, as they are great, so they are sought out of those, who have pleasure therein. Nor would it be difficult to shew that these, more particularly, are calculated to lead us into a field of profitable and pious contemplation. As this is my present design, it will not be expected that the subject be handled in a way of philosophical disquisition. Such speculations would, in every view, be unsuitable to the place and occasion.

May it not, however, be properly remarked, in the first place, that the late phenomenon calls our admiring attention to the perfect regularity and harmony, which reign in the natural world? It is true, that many of the less informed consider appearances as preternatural and miraculous. But the fact is, that they take place according to stated and invariable rules; as is evident from this circumstance,

that they can be previously calculated with the greatest certainty and precision. Instead of violating the arrangement established by Heaven, they strongly confirm and display it. They are constant monitors of an ever present, overruling Power, sustaining the world, and preserving unimpaired that perfect order and harmony, which it originally established. Nor have we any reason to confine this sustaining and governing Providence to the system of which our globe makes a part. It can. not rationally be believed that those numberless stars, which occupy the vast expanse of hea ven, were made only to dart a few feeble rays of light on our earth. It is much more natural to consider them as suns, sur、 rounded by inhabited planets, and communicating to them the blessings of light and heat. "What an august, what an amazing conception," says one, "does this give us of the works of the Creator Thousands of thousands of suns, at immense distances from each oth. er, attended by ten thousand times ten thousand worlds, all in rapid motion, yet calm, regular, and harmonious, invariably keep'ing the paths prescribed them; and these worlds peopled with myriads of intelligent beings, formed for endless progression in perfection and felicity." Rapt into such contemplations, we may well add, in the words of the same writer; "If so much power, wisdom, goodness, and magnificence is displayed in the material creation, which is the least considerable part of the universe, how great, how wise, how good must He be, who

made and governs the whole !"This leads us,

2. To a very mortifying and humbling thought. How deplorable is the inattention and insensibility of man! We are surrounded, on every side, and in every moment of our existence, with numberless demonstrations of the being, the perfections and beneficence of Deity; and yet overlook and neglect them. Such an extraordinary phenomenon as we saw the last week, rouses our attention for a moment, and, as it were, forces a God upon our thoughts. But must the sun be veiled in darkness, to make us feel there is a God? Does not the same sun, rising in cloudless majesty, triumphing in meridian splendor, and setting with a softened effulgence, emphatically proclaim his Maker and ours, and call us to the liveliest sentiments of veneration and love? Is not the whole fabric of nature a stupendous and beautiful temple, in which every rational creature should be found a prostrate worshipper, glowing with every ten der, grateful sensibility? Whither can we turn our eyes, and not behold the brightest evidences of the Creator's goodness, and our own numberless obligations? His is the air we breathe, the ground we tread, the food we eat, and the stream that slakes our thirst. In thee, O God, we live; and such is thine overflowing bounty, that

-not content

[blocks in formation]

Where the love, the devotion, the obedience, which creatures should render to their Creator, and beneficiaries to their infinite Benefactor? Alas! the very profusion of our blessings conceals from our inattentive, stupid minds, the Giver's hand. In the unvaried, uninterrupted tenor of our mercies, we basely find a pretext for thoughtlessness and ingratitude. A great portion of mankind, we have reason to apprehend, would sink into absolute atheism, were they not reminded, in methods awfully intelligible and impressive, that there is a God, who rules above, and who holds the universe in his hands.

3. Should not the late solemn

appearance of the heavens call back our minds to contemplate the most solemn and interesting scene ever exhibited on this earth; I mean, the crucifixion of the SAVIOUR, with the darkness, which attended it? That darkness, it is true, was altogether supernatural. As it took place at the time of the Jewish passover, which was celebrated at full moon, it could not proceed from a proper eclipse of the sun. Beside, it is well ascertained, that in no solar eclipse, does the total obscurity continue beyond four minutes; whereas, at the crucifixion, the darkness lasted three hours. Whether this darkness were greater, or less, than that which we recently witnessed, cannot be easily determined. But doubtless, some of us were led by what we saw, to revert back to the amazing scene, and assisted to attain a livelier idea of it, than we ever had before. It is proper that we should all thus improve it. O my breth

ren! let us this day, in solemn contemplation, pay a visit to visit to Calvary. Let us endeavour by faith to behold a scene, which yonder sun refused to witness. Ah,

Well might the sun in darkness hide,

And shut his glories in, When God, the mighty Maker, dy'd For man, the creature's sin. Doubtless, the darkness, which overspread the sun, was emblematical of that horror, which filled the human soul of the immaculate Jesus. His heavenly Father stood aloof. Not only did earth refuse its pity, but heaven withheld its consolations. This was the bitterest ingredient in his bitter cup. What tongue can describe, or imagination conceive, the sensations of the divine Sufferer, when, during three hours of silent horror, he retired within himself, received in his spotless soul the awful impressions of that wrath, which was due to sin, and at the same time, maintained a conflict with all the principalities and powers of darkness? Oh, what a crisis was that, in human destiny! How pregnant with salvation and felicity to millions of humble believers, and with aggravated, intolerable perdition to every

FRAGMENTS.

stout hearted, impenitent sinner! O Christians! meditate often with wonder, love and gratitude, on the suffering Saviour. He drank the cup of trembling, that he might put into your hands the cup of consolation. He vanquished the powers of darkness, that you too might everlastingly triumph over them. Amid the agonies of crucifixion, he endured the hidings of his Father's face, that you might enjoy the beatific smile of his countenance in death, and to all eternity. O ye, who reject the Saviour! can you hear these things unmoved? Are they nothing to you? Shall the Son of God expire in agony; shall the very heavens put on the attire of mourning; shall yonder luminary avert his face from the awful scene; shall the earth tremble with amazement, and the solid rocks rend asunder; and can you still remain unmoved?-0, at length relent! Flee from that dire, unheard of wrath, which you cannot sustain; and rejoice, by your repentance, the heart of that compassionate Saviour, whom you have so long pierced by your sins.

Selections.

WHILE Israel marched thro' the wilderness, the blackest night had a pillar of fire, and the brightest day a pillar of cloud. So, in this world, things never go so well with God's Israel, but

(To be continued.)

they have still something to groan under: nor so ill, but they have still some comfort to be thankful for. In the church militant, as in the ark of old, there are both a rod and a pot of

manna.

Dr. Arrowsmith's Chain of Principles.

If we would well understand the Scriptures, we must bestow pains in comparing one part with another; for the Lord seems to have arranged them, as they are, purposely, to exercise our diligence, and to distinguish those, who value the knowledge of the truth from such as do not. (Prov. ii. 1-9.)

casions, neither to "fear God, nor
to regard man."

A few months after my last interview with him, I was informed that he was no more! Struck with the event, I was solicitous to know how such a man would die! The amount of my information was, that, as death approached the confidence he had before

Scott's Notes on the Bible, expressed in his deistical opinions
Num. chap. 22.

ANECDOTE.

THE following communication is from a gentleman, on whose authority the reader may place the most unreserved reliance.

It was my lot, some years ago, Occasionally to meet a disciple of the late Dr. Darwin, who had drunk so deeply into the system and spirit of his master, that he considered him the very first et and philosopher of the age. I have heard him expatiate with enthusiasm on the writings and character of that deist, and, in the same conversation revile the

po

Holy Scriptures, with all the rant of vulgar blasphemy.

Of all the examples of a mind emancipated from religious and

moral restraint I ever met with, this unhappy man was the most offensive. His conversation, though abundantly larded with the cant and slang of the new philosophy, was lewd, profane, and conceited; and when infuri

ated by zeal for his principles, (which happpened as often as they were opposed) every rule of decorum was trampled under foot; he appeared on such oc

forsook him, and in its place a deep horror seized his mind! A short time before his departure, supposing himself quite alone, he was overheard by an unobserved friend, giving vent to the agonies of a tortured conscience. With furious despair he expostulated with the man, (Dr. D.) whom he now reproached as his deceiver; and, after loading his name with execrations, which I dare not put upon paper, he closed the horrid remonstrance in such terms as the following: "Monster! wretch! Is this the end of your boasted philosophy! Have you brought me to this?"

Reader! though such examples are seldom brought forward, you are not hastily to infer that they rarely happen, or that the principles of modern infidelity do not lead to such

The ten

melancholy issues.
derness of survivors may often
conceal the dismal story; and
even when such men leave the
world with composure, we should
remember there are such judg-
ments denounced against obsti-
nate opposers of revelation, as a
« seared conscience," and a
"reprobate mind!" How differ-
ent the end of those, who
M.
"sleep in Jesus!"
Christian Mag.

Review of New Publications.

of the times. Still we are ready to wonder, that the writer contents himself before the great doctrine of the apostle, with only examining a few gross and dangerous errors. It would have contributed much to the merit of the sermon, already excellent, if the ingenious author had undertaken to prove, by some obvious arguments, the connexion between wrong theory and wrong practice. This connexion might have been invincibly argued from the proneness of mankind to do what their judgment approves, or to act according to their conviction. It might have been argued from the vigilance of inspiration to guard us against erroneous sentiments, as well as against wicked actions. It might have been argued too from the conduct of many individuals both in the church, and in the world.

The immoral and pernicious ten-, faithfulness, to oppose the errors dency of error. Illustrated in a sermon at the ordination of the Rev. James Beach, to the pastoral care of the church in Winsted. Jan. 1. 1806. By ASAHEL HOOKER, A. M. Pastor of the church in Goshen. Hartford, Lincoln & Gleason. Feb. 1806. Evil communications corrupt good manners, 1 Cor. xv. 33. AFTER a very proper introduction, the author gives this as the doctrine of the text. As gross errors are destructive of good morals, they are necessarily hostile to true religion. It is a rule laid down by the most approved writers on sermonizing, that the doctrine, or leading sentiment of the discourse be expressed in as few and simple terms as possible. It is, therefore, queried, whether the great sentiment of the text, and of the discourse might not, with more propriety, have been expressed in some such manner as this; wrong the ory is productive of wrong practice; or thus, erroneous sentiments lead to wicked actions.

The author's plan is to illustrate the doctrine, not by abstract reasoning, but by examining several gross and dangerous errors, which abound at the present day. This method is not without its advantages. The author governs himself by the favourite maxim of a divine, whose memory is highly respected in New England; that it is one important branch of ministerial

Though we suggest these additions, we do not forget the narrow limits of a single dis

course.

The plan adopted is executed with ability. The first error mentioned, as of a pernicious tendency, is Deism. The second is the error of the Universalists. It is satisfactorily proved, that mankind, as they are, will take occasion from this scheme, if believed, to sin with the greater greediness. This is, in brief, the spirit of his reasoning. If the hearts of men are fully set in them to do evil, because sentence

« AnteriorContinuar »