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is with me my Saviour is with me."|| low, and depressed at the tho❜t of leav As the boats assembled, the hum of ing you so soon. I had hoped, I had voices and the noise of oars were dis-anticipated boundless joys and happitinctly heard in his cabin. They pro- ness. But this sudden, this unexpectduced no agitation. He looked at ed, this dreadful calamity, has frustrathe clergyman, and said, 'I would now || ted them all. The thoughts of them say with my Saviour in the garden of afforded me many hours of comfort Gethsemane, If it be possible, let this in my night-watch at sea; and now, in cup pass from me: nevertheless, not these precious moments, the thoughts my will, but thine be done.' At a of the never-ending joys and happiness quarter after nine he was joined in fer- we shall meet with in heaven render vent prayer by the officers of the ship me unspeakable consolation. There; who assembled for that purpose in the Eliza the blossom never fades, or gun room. He then partook of some transports cease; for it is the habitawarm wine, and again returned to his tion of our Creator, and the portion of cabin. At a quarter before ten, he all those who sincerely repent of their heard the dreadful annunciation of' re-transgressions, through the mediadiness' without the alteration of a sin- tion of our blessed Redeemer. To gle feature. He replied, 'I am prepar-him I now look up with all the reed.' My Savior is with me.' He then verence and love that I am master of, ascended the companion ladder, and for his intercession with my heavenly proceeded along the deck with a slow Father, to forgive one whose repentbut steady step to the foot of the plat-ance and whose godly sorrow are true form. He then leaned for a short and faithful, who is resigned to meet time on the shoulder of a friend, look-the will of his Maker. O Almighty ed earnestly at the ships company, and and most merciful Father, may I hope, said, 'See how a Christian can die!' through the blood of thy beloved Son, He then mounted the forecastle, sur-to find rest in Heaven! Yes, my God, veyed with a scrutinizing eye the fatal thou knowest I pray with all the ferapparatus, expressed a hope that all vency thou hast gifted me with, and was right, and gave some directions to that I acknowledge thee as the only the provost-marshal. He requested true God, and my Saviour as thy Son, permission to look around him, and who sits at thy right hand on the judgtake his last farewell of the sun, which ment seat of heaven; and when I bow now shone with much splendor. His myself down to thy footstool in the face was then covered. He gave me other world, may my Saviour say to his last adieu, blessed, and kissed me. me, Come my beloved, to the king My heart could sustain the burden of dom prepared for you: your sins are its feelings no longer. I rushed from forgiven. O merciful and most just the forecastle; the appointed signal God, thou hast said that thou wilt re-was given, and my lamented friend ceive the prayer of the most ignorant hurried into eternity." as well as the most learned, as long as it is from the heart; and now I say, O God, be merciful to me a sinner."

The source of Lieut. Gamage's hope and consolation in the prospect of death, will be testified in the most forcible manner by his own expressions, contained in his parting letter to a beloved sister.

"Saturday morning, Nov. 21. I have slept pretty well, thank my God. My dear girl, the time draws near, that my God has called upon me to pay the debt of nature. It is a debt,Eliza, which sooner or later we must all pay. I am F VOL. II.

"Yes, Eliza, day and night I have prayed for a remission of my sins; and also for you—for all—for every one: and I look forward with a blessed hope that my prayers are heard.”

"Sunday morning-0, Eliza, the hour draws near: the warrant is on board. Cease to beat, my throbbing heart! Keep up, my panting bosom! The Almighty bears me up: he hears

me.

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To add any thing to the pat and impressive lesson which thes tracts convey to every heart, wou Yes, my belov-to weaken their effect. Let us a the hope expressed by the pious gyman, that when it is our turn to we may possess "such thoughts, hopes, such resignation as he did. J. E.

ORIGINAL CRITICISM On Romans, chap. viii. verses 19

my prayers: he has not forsaken me.|| And, O Almighty God, still be with Give me christian fortitude until the last moment." ed, I am still composed, though low and melancholy indeed. Ere this time to-morrow I shall be numbered with the dead--Cold, lifeless lump of clay -returned to that Power who gave, and who has alone taken away. Almighty and ever good God, look down upon me now, and bless me. My beloved Jesus, be thou my advocate in heaven, as thou art my support on "For the earnest expectation o earth. Soon, soon shall death wipe creature waiteth for the manifest away all tears from these fading eyes. of the sons of God. For the crea O God, be merciful to me, a sinner!" was made subject to vanity, not "O my Eliza, the sensations that || lingly, but by reason of him who now rise in my boscm are beyond ex-subjected the same in hope: Bec pression. The evening closing in, the the creature itself also shall be del silent crew, the dejected looks of my ed from the bondage of corruptio messmates, all add to the solemnity of to the glorious liberty of the chil the trial; but few can feel what I feel. || of God, For we know that the w Yet I thank my God that I have had|| creation groaneth, and travailet time to repent, whilst thousands are every day dying by the sword, without one moment to ask pardon for their offences. I trust that my sincere repentance and deep contrition allow me to be cool and collected. O Almighty Father! once more let me beg forgiveness, for now all my hopes are in hea-accounted as difficult as any par ven."

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"This last month has indeed been a month of sorrows, of hopes, of fears; and lastly of misery, ignominy, and death. But now I can say with holy Job, The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the name of the Lord.' In hopes of a blessed resurrection, and a pardon for my sins, through the merits of the only Son of God, in whom I steadfastly believe, I lay me down to rest awhile."

pain together until now: And not they, but ourselves also, which I the first fruits of the Spirit, even ourselves groan within ourselves, ing for the adoption, to wit, the demption of our body."

These verses have been gener

the Epistle, and the difficulty has b increased by rendering the orig word creation in one clause, and c ture in another; therefore in each v read creation.

I consider the phrase, or phrases be a bold figure, wherein the crea is personified, as is frequent in scriptures: as the land mourning rejoicing, and calling for rain; &c if the apostle had said; When I loo round and survey the wretched stat this world, all nature doth, as it w in pathetic language, call aloud for t blessed change which the gospel tended to introduce; for the whole ation appears to look out with eager

"Sunday night.-O Eliza, I have had a trying task all the ship's company sending for some hair to keep for my sake. Sad, sad task for them! and their looks bespeak their feelings. Yes, indeed the Griffon is now sad and si-pectation, for the manifestation of lent. Always pray for the safety of the men who loved me as they do. And may the Almighty guide her safely in the boisterous deep!"

sons of God; that is, for the time w the children of God shall be manifest and God shall openly avow them, a the reproach that is cast upon the

and the distress laid upon them, shall be rolled away, and they appear in their true character and beauty, as God's dear children.

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have a diffusive spread through the world: then creation shall have liberty and joy.

Such is the state of this world under For the creation, or this lower world, this burden, that it appears to call, in soon lost its original beauty, and a most the most importunate manner, for the melancholy change passed on man, interposition of Divine power and merand the place of his abode; for all the || cy in its favor. Yea, we know,ever since visible frame of nature was made sub- the first apostacy from God, and enject to vanity and wretchedness, fleet-trance of sin into the system, the whole ing and unsatisfactory: not willingly, of this lower creation groaneth, and not by the personal misbehaviour of travaileth in pain together till now, and them who are mostly affected, but by laboreth, as it were, with strong pains, him, viz. Adam the first man, and the to bring on the birth of sons and daughfirst transgressor, who stood the head ters unto God; the creation is in traof the human race, and by his trans- vail pains for the glorious day of the gression and breach of the first cove-church, and the universal spread of the nant brought mankind into a deplora-|| gospel, even the latter day glory, when ble state, and was the ground of the nations shall be born at once, and peocurse upon creation; but in hope: that ple brought forth in a day. And the is, God hath not left the world to des- world become the beautiful seat of pipair, nor under an everlasting curse; ety, and converts exceed the drops of for there is a hope, that the salvation summer morning dew. This appears so happily begun, shall be widely ex- to refer to the millennium, when Zion tended; for the creation in future ages shall be the joy of the whole earth; shall be delivered from the bondage of and God's children be made manifest, corruption, by which men are abusing and all this lower creation be freed themselves, and the inferior creatures; from the bonds of corruption and vanbut creation shall be brought into theity to a degree it never was before, glorious liberty of the children of God, that in the same proportion as virtue | and christian piety prevail in the world, and converts are multiplied, the world and all things therein, will be Now see the beautiful gradation.freed from the bondage of corruption; For not only the creation appears to all be used for the ends for which they wait, groan, and call for the spread of were designed, and none abused to the the gospel through the world, and unipurposes of sin, pride, luxury, nor ava-versal birth of souls unto God, but we, rice. The sun will shine on God's fa- ||we Christians ourselves, who have remily, the moon and stars afford their |ceived the first fruits of the Spirit, as a light, but not for nightly revels; the prelude to a glorious harvest, and are earth, and all its furniture and produce,||introduced into a degree of liberty, bewill be freed from the abuse of the glutton, the drunkard, the unclean and the animals used to answer the end of creation, and not abused; but used for God's glory, and the good of his children, and no more groan, under sinful abuse, and burden of the curse; and this shall take place in that day when the earth shall be covered with the knowledge of the Lord, as the wa ters cover the sea ;-when the religion of Jesus, the redeemer of sinners, shall

and Christian and creature liberty, take happy place through the world, when peace shall be as a river, and righteousness as the waves of the sea.

ing born of God, we wait for a great event, even groan within ourselves, under the remains of imperfections, and burden of sins, we wait for our adoption, when our heavenly Father shall bring us out before the assembled universe, and publicly own us, and declare us to be his adopted children in Jesus Christ, viz. the redemption of our bodies by a glorious resurrection from the dead at the great and last day. which will introduce us into a state

peace, and happiness, that shall far exceed the most happy state the church has, or can be in in this world, for then we shall enter upon the uninterrupted joys and employments of heaven, and join without imperfection, in praising God and the Lamb, for ever and ever.

AN HISTORICAL VIEW OF THE FIRST
PLANTERS OF NEW-ENGLAND.

*ica.

No. VIII,

[Continued from p. 14.]

these parts of America, with one and the same end and aim, to advance the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ, and enjoy the liberties of the gospel in pu rity and peace." The stile of this confederation was The United Colonies of New-England. Each Colony appointed two Commissioners, who must be members of some of the churches, who met annually in one of the four colonies by rotation. By these Commissioners, all objects of common interest to the colonies were considered and determined. This confederation was of the greatest benefit to these col

rendered them formidable to the Indian tribes, to their neighbors the Dutch, and, in a considerable degree, to the French in Canada. The union continued more than forty years, till the abrogation of the charters by James II. This confederation was the germ of our present national constitution which is our pride and our safety.

After the Revolution in England in 1688, war commenced between that country and France, in which the colonies, as it maintained internal peace, onies of New-England and New-York were great sufferers. The nothern indians, supported by the French in Canada, carried on a furious war against the colonies for about ten years. The principal sufferings were endured by the settlements in the District of Maine. But all the northern settlements had their share. The war was concluded in Europe by the peace of Ryswick, The laws which were enacted by December 1697: and in the following the respective colonial legislatures, year it generally terminated in Amer- were, essentially, of a similar character. For laws of a civil nature, the The internal welfare of the colonies, laws of England were their principal their civil, moral, literary, and eccle-guide; for those which respected the siastical institutions, on which all the interests of religion and morals, the social enjoyments of themselves and scriptures were their general standard. their posterity primarily depended, In many instances they exhibited great ever engaged the chief care of the first judgment in adapting their statutes to Planters. After the establishment of the particular circumstances of the the colony of New Haven, the several people. All their laws have the same colonies finding, from their dispersed great object in view, the establishment situation, and their respective individ- and maintenance of a Christian comual weakness, that they were peculiar-monwealth. Great care was taken to ly exposed to the assaults of enemies, establish and maintain courts of justice and in danger of mutual animosities, in their utmost purity, and with all neand collisions, entertained thoughts of cessary authority. a general confederation for their common protection and mutual benefit, This important object having been some years in agitation; in May 1643, Commissioners from the respective Colonies of Massachusetts, Plymouth, Connecticut, and New-Haven, with great harmony and mutual condescension, completed and signed the articles fo confederation. In the introduction they declare that they came into

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In 1661,Governor Winthrop of Connecticut, son of the first governor of Massachusetts, was sent to England às an agent for the colony, and returned the following year. having procured according to the petition of the peo ple, the Connecticut Charter. This charter included in its prescribed limits the colony of New-Haven, and in 1665, they were united in one colony. The charter of Massachusetts having

been resumed by James II.; a new || very high degree of enthusiasm. She charter was granted to that colony in inculcated, publicly, a variety of reli1692, which included the colony of gious sentiments of a high antinomian Plymouth.

character, making the evidence of the Christian hope to consist in some internal persuasion rather than in obedience to the divine precepts, and openly inveighed against the most of the min

The ecclesiastical history of the fa- || thers of New-England, forms a very interesting subject of attention, as the object engaged their first care in their internal concerns. In their ecclesias-isters and magistrates of the colony,

as maintaining and relying upon a covenant of works. She was strongly countenanced by that finished dema

tical regulations they walked in an unbeaten path, they found no pattern for imitation in the churches of modern times. Among all the reformed church-gogue Henry Vane, who was governes in Europe, there were none of such a structure as those erected by our venerable fathers. They had no guide but the precepts of the great Head of the church, and their own sound discretion; aided by the light of the holy Comforter, whose gracious promised assistance they continually implored. In the constitution of all the churches there was a characteristic likeness. The principles recognized by the church of Plymouth, in their leading features, were embraced by the whole. Their churches were purely congrega tional, holding all ecclesiastical authority in the members of an individual church; yet they were generally impressed with a sense of the nęces sity of a commune vinculum, some common bond of union possessing a delegated authority, for their mutual security and advantage. The expediency of the association of ministers, and the consociation of churches was early perceived. These measures were recommended by the first and most eminent divines, and the experience of a few years led to their gradual adoption.

or for that year, and who, had he continued in the country, would have endangered the existence of the colony. Mrs. Hutchinson supported her notions by appealing to special revelations and extraordinary internal illuminations, which superceded the use of argument and defied refutation. Such was the effect of these opinions, or of the manner in which they were maintained, that all the settlements were in a commotion. In 1643, a general council of the ministers and messengers of the churches convened at Cambridge, by order of the General Court, to take cognizance of the prevailing errors, and restore harmony to the churches. Mr. Hooker of Hartford, and Mr. Bulkley of Concord were the moderators. The opinions of Mrs. Hutchinson, with some other errors then prevailing, were condemned by the council, in which decision, the country generally acquiesced. Mr. Davenport arrived at Boston about the time of the meeting of the synod, and afforded important assistance in their deliberations. After the decisions of the council, Mrs. Hutchinson As it has ever been the case with became more obstinate, and her erthe church of Christ on earth, in its rors increased. She was excommuimperfect state, the churches of New-nicated from the church at Boston; England have been tried with errors Mr. Hutchinson removed from the coland divisions. In the year 1636, the ony, and his wife came to a miserable wife of Mr. Hutchinson, a respectable || end. man in Boston, who came to New In the course of a few years after England about three years before, the first settlement of the country, the made great disturbance in the church-churches found the want of a general es of the colony. She was a woman of strong mental powers, of a high spirit, of great pride, and possessed of a

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Confession of Faith and a system of church government, which should be generally adopted by the churche

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