The Rev. John Willard, jun. has lately commenced a miffionary tour to the new fettlements on Connecticut River in the ftates of Vermont and New-Hampshire; and the Rev. Samuel Leonard to the northern counties of Vermont. benevolence through your inftru- | turned from a miffion of 4 months mentality rendered capable of do-to the northern parts of Vermont. ing fervice to mankind of more The Rev. James W. Woodvalue than many thoufands! Hearward, foon after his ordination, him exprefs his gratitude to you entered on a miffion to the fouthhis noble benefactor, and render ern counties in the western part of thanks and praise to that gracious New-York, and the northern God who put it into your heart. counties in Pennfylvania. If his labors be flated, fee a church built up under his miniftry, or if itinerant, behold one congregation after another hanging upon his lips, numbers awakened to a fenfe of their perifhing condition, made acquainted with the glorious gospel and led to put their truft in Jefus ! Imagine thyself where indeed thou wilt fhortly be, in the presence of thy glorious Redeemer above, furrounded with thefe happy fouls, accompanied by the honored and happy inftrument of their converfion, foftered and raised up by thy benevolent hand; muft it not afford thy pious heart the most exquifite fatisfaction? Canft thou conceive of any way in which an appropriation of a portion of thy property with the divine bleffing, may turn to better account? Or if the expense be thought too heavy for thee as an individual, induce one or more of thy Christian brethren in fimilar circumstances, to unite with thee and fo jointly carry into effect the grand defign. As you fupremely love the Lord Jefus Chrift and would wish to approve yourselves to him as faithful ftewards, be intreated, dear brethren, to take the fubject into your ferious confideration, and let a word to the wife be fufficient. PHILO. MISSIONARIES. The other miffionaries now in the fervice of the Miffionary Society of Connecticut, are Rev. Meffrs. Badger and Chapman in New-Connecticut; Rev. S. Wil lifton in the western counties of New-York; Rev. J. Bushnell either in New-York ftate or Vermont, and Rev. W. F. Miller in the northern part of New York weft of Lake Champlain. I. POETRY. COMMUNICATED AS ORIGINAL. The Lord's-day Morning. 2. Triumphant thought, blest Jesus rofe, The finner looks to him and lives. Donation to the Miffionary Society of Connecticut. Obadiah Gore of Shefhequin, Pennsylvania, 3 Dolls 38 Cts. THE penalties, or the directions would be without effect, and especially after the apoftacy, would be held in contempt. Without a law with proper penalties men would be left entirely to their own inclinations, and in a ftate of perfect anarchy and confufion. All would pursue the gratification of their own propenfities and paffions, without attention to obligation, or regard to the general good. There was no creature who had authority to give law to the world, none able to carry one into exe On the divine government. HE government which God exercises over this world may be confidered as administered in three great departments,-his moral law the gofpel of his grace and his univerfal providence. It is true that the term univerfal providence, taken in its moft comprehenfive fignification, is expreffive of his whole government; but his law and gospel are fuch important parts of his government, that they demand a particular and separate confideration. They are often diftinctly confid-cution, and none who could proered in this way in the holy fcriptures, and they will be fo viewed in this paper. Let us firft confider his moral government, administered according to his holy law. When God had created rational, moral agents in this world, it became neceffary for their happiness, that they fhould have fome standard of rectitude, and instructions by which they might govern themselves, fo as to live in union, and promote the general happiness. It was alfo neceffary that this fhould be given in a law of infinite obligation, and fupported by proper VOL. III. No. 5. vide any measures to unite and harmonize the interests and affections of mankind, fo as to fecure their happiness. God's benevolence, his rights as creator, and the perfections of his nature forbad him to leave them in a condi|tion fo deplorable. He therefore ordained a government over his creatures in which he confulted their good as well as his own glory. As it is written, "And now, Ifrael, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, and to love him, and to ferve the Lord thy God with C c all thy heart, and with all thy foul, to keep the commandments of the Lord, and his ftatutes which I command thee this day for thy good?" The laws which God has given are founded on the fimple principle of impartial goodnefs. "Thou fhalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and thy neighbor as thyfelf." It is the plain defign of this law to direct us to fuch an holy love, as would cement us together in union and harmony, as one heart and one foul, united under one great head, the creator and benefactor of the whole. It is often faid that God governs the world for his own glory. No doubt he does. He knows his fuperior excellency, and he demands a fupreme refpect. And the government which he exercifes reflects the highest glory on himself, and manifefts his goodness and excellency to his creatures. He is glorious in ruling for the happiness of his fubjects. The difplays of his goodnefs are the principal fource of their happiness, and he thus enriches them with the knowledge of his perfections. But we are not to conceive that it is the pride of dominion that regulates his government. Far otherwise he delights to gratify his benevolence by enriching his creatures with the benefit of the beft laws, and of knowing and confiding in his own goodness and perfection. The love which this law requires, as our principle of action, is expected to fill the whole heart, and flow forth in every direction. It is to govern all our conduct, in every relation towards God and man. God, because he is infinitely great and good, is to be refpected with all our hearts, and our fellow creatures, who ftand on a level with ourselves, are to be loved as ourfelves. Where this love has full poffeffion of the heart, there is no place left for any felfiff or partial affections. It is a fpirit of pure good will. It is neceffary further to remark, that this divine law is fanctioned with penalties, equal to the evil of disobedience. Such as refit the authority of God, and reject his law, are to be cut off from his favor, and excluded from all the bleffings which arife from the fociety and fellowship of thofe who adopt the harmonizing fpirit, which the law requires.— This difobedience, and the pernicious fpirit of selfishness, which is the oppofite of holy love, tends to infinite mifchief. The disobedient are therefore fentenced to everlasting punishment. This fentence, duly executed, fupports the law, and fo benefits the obedient; manifefts God's regard to his people, and glorifies his justice.Such is the moral government of God. The law is holy, and the commandment is holy, and just, and good.' Let us now attend to God's kingdom of grace, revealed in the gofpel, which may be called the fecond great department of divine. government.The apoftacy from God, and our disobedience to his law, gave occafion for this difpenfation.-God beheld the world' dead in trefpaffes and fins. The law of God, his justice, and our guilt, demanded the execution of the penalty. God faw our cafe, that there was none to fave, none who could render an atonement, no creature who could render it just that he should be the juftifier of finners. And yet he faw, that this might be done; and his benevolence difpofed him to folve it fhould be accomplied. Chrift under 10 enhanced by his rejection of the Son of God. "He that believ. eth not is condemned already, becaufe he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." Such contempt of the mercy of God, and of his glorious Son, is infufferable, and cannot be guilty the moft awful examples of distinguished wrath. took to render the atonement, and be a mediator. The Holy Spirit undertook to renew and fanctify the elect, and the Father gave unto the Son fo many as were neceffary, that he might fee of the travail of his foul and be fatisfied. Here is a foundation laid for God to exercife his mer-paffed over without making the cy in the view of all his creatures, .and for finners to become reconciled to God, and be reinftated in his favor. The terms, on which this falvation is offered, are a penitent, dutiful fubmiffion to God, and faith in Chrift. The period for acceptance is limited to this life, and the whole is published to man as matter of pure grace, and in the iffue, judgment will pafs according to our acceptance or rejection of the Redeemer. In this difpenfation, the law is magnified and made honorable by the obedience and fufferings of Chrift, and is, if poffible, better eftablished, than if it had never been difobeyed, or than if its curfe had been directly inflicted on every tranfgreffor. God has alfo more fully manifefted to his creatures his wifdom, goodnefs, juftice, and mercy, than could otherwife have been done in our world. All his dutiful fubjects will have the everlasting benefit of thefe rich difcoveries of his glory.In providing this falvation, an aftonishing facrifice was made, which will forever remain the wonder of heaven;-God manifeft in the flesh-living-fuffering -defpifed-dying, interceding for finners, and receiving them into favor! ! ! It should be noticed that the gofpel, as well as the law, has its threatnings and penalties. The unbeliever will not only be excluded from the benefit of grace, but his punishment will be unfpeakably It is a melancholy confideration, that this difpenfation of grace is rejected by our world.— All with one confent would be excufed from complying with its invitations. God therefore fends his Spirit, and renews whom he pleases, and thus brings them to repentance and faith in Christ. He fulfils his engagements to Chrift, and has mercy on whom he will have mercy.This is the kingdom of grace; in this God reigns. He has taken it upon him to fhow mercy, and work wonders of love, and fo raife to himfelf a glorious kingdom from the ruins of an apoftate world. By doing this, he greatly increafes the everlafting happiness of his dutiful fubjects in heaven, as well as on earth. They will forever rejoice the more exceedingly in him, on account of the difpenfations of his grace. The third great department of divine government remains to be confidered. This is a univerfal providence--a direction of all worlds, things and events, fo that they may all anfwer their end, in difplaying God, and promoting the greatest bleffednefs of the univerfe. Creatures need fuch a providence. The natural world needs to be managed for the production of food, raiment, health and comfort, which depend on innumerable things. The moral world He his needs as much attention, in all its | thofe apprehenfions and contenrelations. The wrath of man tions, which fo often arise between muft praise God, and the remain- the rulers of this world and their der of it be reftrained. There fubjects. How can any creature was no creature who had wifdom complain of God for fetting up for this, none who had power, government and taking the charge all were equally feeble and needy. of needy millions and millions upBut in God there is no want of on himself? How can we compower, or wisdom, or goodness; he plain of the adminiftrations of inis infinitely furnished for the fole finite rectitude and benevolence? management of the whole. On the other hand, is it not furwill caufe all things to work to- prifing, that every rational creagether for the good of them that ture is not filled with admiration love him, and fuffer nothing to and praife, and united in fentitake place, but in fubfervience to ments with the ancient faints, fay.. the greatest happiness of all who ing, "The Lord reigneth, let unite in the cause of holinefs. the earth rejoice, let the multitude This government of God extends of the isles be glad thereof ?" to the moft minute events; nothing takes place in vain; the hairs of our heads are all numbered; he clothes the grafs, and not a fparrow falls to the ground without his notice and defign. Here is an infinite field of divine agency. He doeth his will in heaven above, and in earth beneath. He hears the cries of young ravens, and his care is no lefs neceffary to the prefervation and bleffedness of men and angels. This agency will produce an incalculable fum of bleffednefs. This is the providence of God. We have now noticed the law, gofpel and providence of God. In all thefe administrations the Lord reigns, from pure benevolence, put in exercise by the actual neceffities of his creatures. It alfo appears, that the benefits which arife to his creatures from his government, are immenfe and will be continually increasing forever, and that he reigns only to promote and advance the public good. It follows therefore, that his creatures have no reasons ever to diftruft and be jealous of him: There is no foundation for any of With what exceeding joy should we contemplate his abfolute fupremacy, if we were not under the influence of an heart oppofed to benevolence, and regardlefs of the general good? With what pleasure should we submit to his dominion, obey his glorious law, admire his wondrous grace and confide in his benevolent providence ? It is certainly far from all reafon, that there fhould be a single objection against God or his dominion. If it fhould be laid afide, the immediate and total ruin of creation would enfue. It is this government, which puts happiness within the reach of any intelligent beings, and it is peculiarly the kingdom of grace, which opens a way for this finful world to efcape deferved wrath, and be reinstated in the favor of God. Of all creatures, mankind are the fartheft, if poffible, from having any caufe to be diffatisfied with the government of God. It is certainly matter of praife, that notwithstanding all the abuse which God has received from this world, he will not withdraw his government from us, nor abandon the defigns of his grace. But let |