drawn afide into a confident prefumptuous fpirit, Pf. xxx. 6. And I believe therefore it is generally feen, from scripture and experience, that, respecting the lot of his people, as the Lord has put power, wealth and confequence into one scale, he hath put fome weighty trial into the other, to keep the balance even.

Secundus. You think then, I now fee that I am not what I was. But who can charge me with any irregularity? Am I not a conftant attendant at our place of worship when I am in town? And I hope I am not backward in advancing my mite to feveral charities.

Fidelio. My freedom hurts you: I do not mean to accufe, to reproach, but to warn you: But if I am not so happy as to make myself understood, I will take my leave.

Secundus. Pray proceed. I will not interrupt you again with my petulance. You have thought much more on this fubject, than I, who am more deeply interested, have done.

Fidelio. Remember your promife. I must then remind you, that covetousness is a frequent attendant on growing wealth. And therefore God fays, "If riches increase fet not your heart upon them." Pfal. Ixii. 10. I have known fome, who were once very compaffionate, kind and good to the poor out of a small store, who, fince they have grown rich, look upon the poor with a haughty spirit of difdain, and steel themfelves with hard-hearted arguments against their suffering cafes. Many, who were once temperate in all things, have yielded to excesses they would before have trembled at; "their tables have become there fnare;" and though they are not chargeable with drunkennefs, "yet have been overcharged with furfeiting," which blunts, confufes and diforders the faculties of the mind.

Noah planted a vineyard, and gathered the fruit thereof; it became a temptation to him, Gen. ix. 20, 21; and I fear this has been efpecially the fnare of those who have entered into clubs, political focieties, mufic meetings, corporations, &c. Have we not often feen new and gay connexions, the confequences of rifing fortunes, great fnares? How was Solomon's heart" turned away?" 1 Kings, ix. 3. How many, once plain, grave and decent perfons as they have got up in the world, have by degrees become thoughtless, light and trifling in their spirit and converfation; andthey and their families (though the forms of religion have not been given up) have gone into fashionable and diffipating amusements; and the card-table, the concert and the theatre, are not only vifited, but even vindicated by them. Once, they kept up conftant and lively family devotion in their houfes. But now, they

have not time and leifure, at most not oftener than once a day, or it may be once a week.-The buftle of business, and the late rifing of the family, prevent morning prayer; and at night, company at home, or engagements abroad, break the lovely order once feen in their houses. No wonder that the converfation and conduct of children in such families fhould become frivolous, frothy, and, in fhort, like the rest of the world; and that they fhould difcover enmity against, and throw contempt upon every thing feriously religious, while perhaps fome aged relative, or ferious fervant, who loved "the good old ways," feels and laments the fad alteration. Secundus. Sad indeed, where matters are come to such a pafs!

Fidelio. But where things are not fo bad, there may be secret departure in heart from God; a fad declenfion as to the life and power of religion; a backwardness to a clofe converfe with God; a fhynefs at the throne of grace; a mifgiv ing of heart that all is not right between him and us; a fervile fear of him, and an unwillingness to look into our spiritual state and frame; all which make it unpleasant to vifit the clofet of devotion, and induce a careless, hafty, fuperficial perfor mance of duty, juft to fatisfy the demands of confcience; and what is the confequence? a worldly, trifling spirit, eager to catch at any thing, not immediately unlawful, to amufe the thoughts, and to join in any conversation that is not searching and fpiritual, and endeavouring to avoid the most serious, plain and faithful friends.

Secundus. My dear Fidelio, you have touched my very case, you have faithfully drawn my picture. I am the man. I have endeavoured to evade your defign; but I thank you for fo kindly compelling me to come to the point I wished to avoid. It is not with me, as in months paft. As I have increased in worldly comforts, I have been infenfibly removed from peace; I have grown in pride and prefumption, and have forgotten fpiritual profperity. Tell me how I fhall recover the ftrength I have loft.-Leave me not without your friendly counfels.

Fidelio. I rejoice to fee your spirit fo melted. What can I advise better than in the language of our Lord, Remember from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do thy firft works. Rev, ii. 5.

The bleffed doctrine of God's unchngeable love which you hinted at in a wrong place, and, I was afraid, for a wrong purpose, may well encourage you in your return to him. Hofea, xiv.1. Jer. iii. 12, 13, 14.-It is good in profperity to "remember former days;" to look back to our Vol. I. Dd

father's houfe, acknowledging the good hand of our God upon us, crying out, "what am I?"-Cultivate, my friend, a liberal spirit, and lay by for the poor as God hath profpered you. This is a good way to preserve what you have gained, and to get good intereft upon it; I mean the blessing of the Lord, without the bitter addition of forrow. Prov. X. 24. Ever remember the words of the Lord Jefus, how he faid, "It is more bleffed to give than to receive, Acts, xx. 35. Whenever any of God's people have profpered one way, in his all wife and all gracious adminiftration, he generally embitters their earthly comforts in another way, lest “ their hearts would be divided," and drawn away. You have, my dear friend, you abatements and trials: A worm is in every gourd. Instead of giving way to peevishness and repining, admire, efteem, and blefs his faithful care, in not giving you up, in (may I ufe the language ?) beftowing fo much attention and pains on you. You should humbly afk, "Shew me wherefore thou contendeft with me? and earnestly pray that he would by his good Spirit, in your confcience, give a clear and determinate anfwer, correfpondent to his gracious defigns. Above all, Secundus, keep ever in view the uncertainty of all worldly poffeffions, many affecting proofs of which we have all around us. Remember the nearnefs of a dying moment; and the account to be given of your stewardship. But I must take my leave.

Secundus. Thank you my dear Fidelio, for opening to me my cafe. I feel myfelf eafier already. May I have wisdom and grace to attend to your kind counfel! Farewell.

KAPPA.

Remarks on the prophecies and promises relating to the

GLORY OF THE LATTER DAY.

WHEN Charge, a melancholy gloom spreads over

HEN the Christian seriously reflects on the ftate of

the mind. How large a part of the inhabitants of the earth "fit in darkness, and in the region and fhadow of death !”— The perfon, therefore, who is concerned for the honour of God, and the best interest of his fellow-creatures, cannot but ardently pray, that the way of the Lord may "be known upon earth, and his faving health among all nations." And a more pleafing idea can fcarcely be indulged than the approach of that period, when, "from the rifing of the fun, even to the going down of the fame, the name of the Lord fhall be great among the Gentiles, and in every place incenfe fhall

be offered unto his name, and a pure offering: For my name fhall be great among the heathen, faith the Lord of Hofts*."

CHRISTIANITY is a fyftem of benevolence. Its principles expand the heart, and ennoble the mind!-The fupplications of the Chriftian are not confined to the narrow circle of a particular fociety; nor to the welfare of a particular nation, but are extended to men of every clime. The language of the religion of Jefus is, "God is no refpecter of perfons, but in every nation, he that feareth him and worketh righteoufnefs, is accepted of him †." Having his heart warmed with the love of God; having been enabled to fee the danger of his own situation by fin; having beheld the infinite value of Chrift, and his falvation, with the full confent of his foul, and with the most fervent defires; the pious Christian can join in that admirable petition, "Thy kingdom come! thy will be done on earth as it is done in heaven!"-Like his Divine Mafter he earnestly prays that the glorious Gospel may be known and enjoyed by " every nation, kindred, people, and tongue !"

That there is a time of peace, profperity, and purity, awaiting all the nations of the earth, appears evident from the prophecies and promifes in the facred Scriptures which relate to the enlargement of the kingdom of Chrift in the world, and an abundant out-pouring of the Spirit upon all flesh. And this day, we hope, is not far diftant.

It may not therefore be uninteresting to enumerate a few of thofe paffages, which speak of the glory of the church of Christ in the latter day, and which yet remain to be accomplished.

In the 2d Pfalm ‡, God the Father fays unto the Son, "Afk of me and I fhall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermoft parts of the earth for thy poffeffion. The Lord faid unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thy enemies thine footstool ||." David fpeaks of the noble administration of Chrift's regal authority: "The Lord fhall fend the rod of thy ftrength out of Zion;" that is, the fceptre of his Gofpel: And he defcribes the wonderful fuccefs, which fhould attend the preaching of the everlasting Gofpel: "Thy people fhall be willing in the day of thy power: In the beauties of holiness, from the womb of the morning, thou haft the dew of thy youth *:" Probably meaning, that converts to the religion of Jefus, in the latter day, fhould be as innumerable as the drops of morning dew, as wonderfully and as rapidly produced; for || Psa, cx. 1.

* Mal. i.11. † Acts, 34.

Ver. 2.

Ver. 8. * Ver. 3.

a nation shall be born in a day. And the whole of the eleventh chapter of Ifaiah's prophecies appears to be a defcription of the happy effects of the Gospel of Chrift. In the preceding chapter the prophet had been denouncing the judgments of God against the enemies of his people; but in this he makes a pleafing tranfition from that awful fubject to a theme far more delightful: And, under the idea of the temporal deliverance of the church, the prophet leads on our thoughts to that great falvation, which, in the fulness of time, fhould be wrought out by the Lord Jefus Chrift, whom he styles a rod out of fesse, and of which all the temporal mercies were types and figures. As foon therefore as the prophet had spoken of the deliverance of Jerufalem from Senacherib's army, he immediately introduces a prophecy of the promifed MESSIAH, whom he particularly defcribes*; and then proceeds to speak of the acceffion of the Gentile nations, and with them the remnant of the Jews. From thence to the end of the chapter he reprefents, in elevated and charming ftrains, the pleafing effects of the reign of Jefus the Prince of Peace: "The wolf alfo fhall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard fhall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion, and the fatling, and a little child shall lead them: And the cow and the bear fhall feed, their young ones fhall lie down together; and the lion shall eat ftraw like the ox; and the fucking child fhall play on the hole of the afp, and the weaned child fhall put his hand on the cockatrice den t." Thefe expreffions may, in fome meafure, have received an accomplishment, when the Christian difpenfation was inftituted, and in the wonderful influence of Gospel truths on the hearts and lives of multitudes, who were once the most determined enemies to the religion of Jefus. But I apprehend these expreffions look forward to a far more illuftrious day, when the striking words of the prophet fhall be fulfilled: "They fhall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: For the earth fhall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the fea." "And I queftion," fays the learned Jonathan Edwards, "whether it be poffible to find out a more ftrong expreffion, to fignify an abfolute univerfality of the knowledge of the true religion through the habitable world; q. d. as there is no place in the vast ocean where there is not water, fo there fhall be no part of the world of mankind, where there is not the knowledge of the Lord: As there is no part of the wide bed, or cavity poffeffed by the fea, but what is covered with water, fo there fhall be no part of the habitable world, that fhall not be vifited by the light of the Gofpel, and poffeffed