man, and it is supposed they are all in a thriving condition. When I visit them their tables are plentifully supplied and their families neatly clad without that gaudery, which is always disagreeable to people of taste and consideration. You cannot conceive the pleasure I feel in holding my grand-children and tea This daughter I kept with myself, and you see she is in no bad circumstances. For many reasons I wished to live with her in my old age. I often tell her she is too much concerned for the world, but I hope that God will teach her. Here she was much affected. Leave thy fatherless children, I will preserve them alive; and let thy widow's trust in me." fatherless and exhorted them to be good children. After this she said to me, Mary, I know you are in trouble, and pray God it may be for your eternal good. She argued from reason, experience and the holy scriptures, especially from the blessed words already recited "let thy widows trust in me" until I was amazed at myself. I was re-ching them some good hymns. proved for I had no trust in God; I was confounded through a sense of my sin; I was encouraged on finding I might have an all sufficient friend, and my fortitude returned on hearing the encouragements of God to the widow and the fatherless. It is needless for me to tell you all the circumstances, through "But if you ask me" said she, which the instruction of the aged" how all this has been done I woman and the grace of God can give you no answer but this, brought me to possess greater riches than the world can give. I had no sooner attempted to help myself, than it appeared as though the providence of God helped me in every thing. I found that the promises cannot help us without the use of means to give them efficacy: I found more happiness in depending on God, than in any prosperous state I had ever imagined to be in the world. From this time, my neighbors appeared to know, "That pure religion and undefiled before God and the father is this; to visit the widows and the fatherless in their affliction." For a season charity liberally aided me; after this industry and economy took its place, and after supplying a widow's table and vestry I had some little savings to put my three boys in apprenticeships to respectable trades. Two of them I hope are pious, the other is a moral -The world would not believe, if I were to give a more particular account, how we were clothed when naked, fed when hungry, healed when sick, and kept through innumerable troubles, which none but those who have felt can justly apprehend. Mark the sovereign goodness of God, and the benefits of fearing him: The goodness of God in bringing so vile a sinner as I was to fear him; lo! It was sovereign grace: And the benefits which followed the lowest degree of Christian obedience, for it was only the lowest which I ever rendered. Many children, of those who were prosperous when I was afflicted, are now sunk into the depths of distress; but mark ye, sir, it is through their own vices they are so forlorn. Blessed promises are made to the obedient: But how can of distrusting God, the sufficienwe obtain the promises, unless cy of the promises, the certainwe comply with the terms on ty they will all be fulfilled, and which they are made?" After especially of this promise.— joining in prayer with the good" Leave thy fatherless children, woman at her request, I reti- I will preserve them alive, and red with a deep sense of the let thy widows trust in me." mysteries of providence in this world; the folly of sin, the guilt Ps. POETRY. Pleading for Mercy. WHILE Jesus frowns there's nought can cheer my soul, While tow'rd his throne my bleeding heart aspires. Hide not thy beauties from my longing eyes; Ah wretched heart, inconstant, false and vain, Does not thy love my warmest thoughts engage Where I should agonize in endless woe,— In fiery waves, with ceaseless anguish, roll! But, oh! what pangs would rend my throbbing heart,- say, Depart I cannot live with those who hate thee now, CONTRITIO. Anna.-A Fragment. -SLOW mov'd the darken'd hearse Of once-lov'd Anna! Now, nor meets the eye, Soul-sear'd Lorenzo! but for thee, e'en now, All earthly joys now forfeited, for thee, Her crimes uncancell'd in a Saviour's blood, Ah no! her trembling tongue a Saviour's name Accus'd. Sweet" mercy," then, her only theme, Rejoice, where myriads chaunt," Him first-Him last"! Such heav'n wrought pleasures, (thus debas'd, thus low, Then, O beware! death will not long delay ; Shrinks not thy spirit from a doom like this? On this lov'd form, perhaps, some hidden eye 1 1809. Donation to the Missionary Society of Connecticut. April 17. Israel Brainard, contributed in new settlements $ 1:00 NOTICE. The Letter of Miss P.-J-, and the account of her death were not received in season for publication the present month. They shall be inserted in our next number. Ed. FOR THE CONNECTICUT MA-, liar satisfaction in reading the memoirs of such, in our own nation. it. IOGRAPHY is a species of history, peculiarly useful It is humbly conceived that it and interesting. We feel a is no more than a piece of res strong desire to become acquaint- pect due to the memory of the ed with the characters of per- Rev. Thomas Clap, president of sons, who have been distinguish-Yale College, in New-Haven, to ed, in their day and place, as in- lay before the public, some brief struments of good to mankind. sketches of his life and characThe eagerness of curiosity ter. To those, who have done prompts us to seek the know-worthily, in exalted stations, a ledge of such characters. This tribute of esteem and commencuriosity is common to man. dation should be given. The Every class and description of subject of these biographical readers are pleased to be intro- sketches, was born June 26, duced to an acquaintance with 1703. His parentage was resgreat and good men. A reli- pectable. The place of his nagious Magazine seems to be the tivity was the town of SCITUproper vehicle to convey infor- ATE, in the state of Massachumation concerning the lives of setts. His parents were Mr. Christians, who have shone, with Stephen and Mrs. Temperance great lustre, in the Church of Clap, who were reputable and God. We ought to feel a pecu- pious members both of civil and VOL. II. No. 6. X |