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and the power and dignity of a monarch? Then, why not, with sufficient help, be made to understand sufficiently the power and dignity of Jehovah as a very great King-"King of kings and Lord of lords"? Now, in all these illustrations, no one is so foolish as to complain, if his child have not a correct view of these several subjects before instruction, however exalted his opinion concerning the capacity of that child. So, precisely, in the moral and religious aspect of the case, correct, intelligent views are, and necessarily must be, the fruit of instruction; the only or chief difference being that, in the one case, most acknowledge and act upon this necessity and importance, and, in the other, they are very prone to deny or neglect it.

Now, it is in relation to this whole large and important range of subjects, to which this denial and neglect refer, that the necessity of instruction, in the work of youthful training, has thus been dwelt upon and urged. Without, in this place, attempting to decide what kind of instruction a parent ought to give, the point is, that in temporal and worldly subjects, in order to the views you would desire him to possess, the child's capacity and need of instruction are fully admitted; so, whatever views, in matters eternal and spiritual, you may regard as right and desire him to hold, there is equal capacity and equal need of instruction-correct, earnest, and persevering instruction. Hopes, apart from it, are presumptuous. L. H. C.

A VOICE TO MOTHERS.

"TELL the mothers to trust in God." These were almost the dying words of one who had herself been a mother in Israel, and who had trained up a family of children for the service of her Redeemer. Some of them had preceded her to the heavenly world, giving clear and decisive evidence that death to them was everlasting gain; others still remain on earth, willing labourers in the vineyard of our Lord.

"Trust in God" had been the secret of her success in regard to her own children, and with her last breath she wished to encourage other mothers to bring their little ones to the Saviour. He who, when on earth, said, "Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not," is no less ready to receive them now than he was then. "Trust in God;" believe the exceeding great and precious promises he has given to parents, and plead them in prayer before him, till all your children are renewed in the spirit and temper of their minds, and become heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ Jesus. Mothers, "trust in God!"-Selected.

THOUGHTS ON A LITTLE GIRL'S DEATH.

WELL may the holy prophet say

Man is a flower, and fades as soon,—

Wakes into birth in early day,

And fades and withers ere 'tis noon.

All-powerful faith, 'tis thine to show,
Though here the mortal flowerets die,
They're but exotics here below;

Their native soil's above the sky.

Death but transplants; he can't destroy;
The immortal plant survives the tomb;
In heaven's parterres of peace and joy
She'll flourish in immortal bloom.

All-pitying God, how oft we blame
The stroke thy righteous law has given,
When death in mercy only came

To gather infant buds for heaven!

Bistorical and Biographical.

A LETTER OF REV. JOHN MILLER, 1790.

REV. C. VAN RENSSELAER, D.D.

PORTSMOUTH, VA., February 13, 1856.

Dear Brother:-It will, no doubt, interest you much to receive the following transcript of a letter from the pen of the Rev. John Miller, father of the late venerable Dr. Miller, of Princeton. The original, which I value very highly, is in my possession. I found it among a mass of old papers which were lying strangely neglected in the garret of a building, located upon a farm near Millsborough, in Sussex County, Del. The property was formerly owned by a descendant of Dr. Matthew Wilson, the friend and co-presbyter of Mr. Miller, and who was for thirty years pastor of the church at Lewes.

The house was, at the time of my search, in a state of partial dilapidation. Hoping to find some reminiscences of the older peninsular divines, I subjected myself to much inconvenience at this place, battling for a whole night with swarms of fleas, musquitos, &c., but was compensated in the morning, after a laborious search among dust and filth, by the discovery of this letter, with other items of value to the venerator of Presbyterian antiquities. Had I, sooner, known any thing of this garret, other valuables, perhaps, might have been secured, as I found that papers had long been blowing about the yard of this old farm-house, and that many letters had been destroyed during the occupancy of various tenants.

The letter of Mr. Miller is written with the lines very close, but in a round, neat hand. I have copied it accurately, and give you the capitals, abbreviations, and punctuation, as they appear in the original. It is addressed to “Mrs. Elizabeth Wilson, in Lewes," widow of the Rev. Matthew Wilson, D.D.

Truly your brother,

ISAAC W. K. HANDY.

LETTER FROM THE REV. JOHN MILLER.

NEAR DOVER, May 31, 1790.

My dear Madam. The late affecting bereavment, with which divine providence has visited me, enables me in some measure to sympathize with you under a similar affliction. Indeed as Five & Thirty years intimate friendship had subsisted between the dear person you have lost & me, I consider myself as bereaved in your bereavment. To view the hand of GOD in such awful visitations; to be convinced of ye unerring wisdom & perfect rectitude of y divine administration in removing our dearest earthly connexions from us, is comparatively but a small attainment. The grand difficulty lies, in having our stubborn hearts bowed in a humble submission to y father of our spirits, & feeling ourselves resigned to ye teachings of his grace, & y disposal of his providence. This happy temper of mind, I hope, you will fervently seek at ye throne of grace, where alone it is to be found, as no power less than divine can produce it in us. Admit that our losses, with regard to earthly comforts, are irreparable; yet, if our dear deceased friends are, and we have abundant reason to hope, before y' Throne of GOD, serving him day and night in his temple above, we have on their account, no reason to be afflicted: and with respect to ourselves, faith in ye divine promises, will teach us that GOD is infinitely more than able, by his gracious presence, to compensate our heaviest losses here below, & cause them to concur in promoting our growth in grace, & meetness for that blessed world, with which our dear departed friends are associated, & where all tears are wiped from their eyes. May your dear children know y° GOD of their father, give him their hearts, attend to y one thing needful, & suitably improve ye grievous loss they have sustained! then, I think, they will be a comfort to you.

It grieves me to think, that my Sussex friends are likely to be deprived, (perhaps very long) of the stated administration of Gospel ordinances. Should this be y case; I dread y consequences, with regard to ye interest of visible & vital religion. Vacant congregations, especially such as are not frequently & faithfully supplied, often suffer & become scattered, particularly ye rising generation among them. May ye great head of the church preserve them from erroneous principles & corrupt practices, & pour out his Spirit upon you & them! May your fervent prayers be addressed to y chief shepherd, to supply you with a pastor after his own heart; with one, who may not only promise well at first view, but who will also be likely to wear well-an humble, prudent, pious & faithful minister will suit your people much better, & probably be much more useful, than one of superior mental abilities, without those other more important qualifications.

I saw your Brother & Sister Miller, as also your Brother Craighead, a few days ago, who were all well.

I think you will have nothing farther to pay into ye widow's fund, &, should you live till next spring, you will be pleased to draw an order upon Dr. Ewing, y Treasurer, for your annuity. Be pleased to present my tender regards to your children: and may yo GOD of all grace, guide, support & comfort, both you & them!

Yours affectionately
JOHN MILLER.

LINES ON THE DEATH OF JOHN CHESTER, D.D.

The following lines on the death of the Rev. JOHN CHESTER, D.D., formerly pastor of the Second Presbyterian Church of Albany, who died in 1829, we find in a number of the "Albany Times and Literary Writer," of that year.

"They set as sets the morning star, which goes

Not down behind the darkened west, nor hides
Obscured among the tempests of the sky,
But melts away into the light of heaven."

ON Zion's holy walls

Is quench'd a beacon-light;
In vain the watchman calls-

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Sentry! What of the night?"
No answering voice is here;
Say-does the soldier sleep?
Oh yes! upon the bier,

His watch no more to keep.

Still is that heaven-touch'd tongue,
Pulseless the throbbing breast;
That voice with music strong
Forever put to rest.

To rest? A living thought,
Undimm'd, unquench'd he soars;
An essence, spirit-wrought,
Of yon immortal shores.

Peace to thee, man of God!
Thine earthly toils are o'er
The thorny path is trod

Thy Shepherd trod before.
Full well he kept his word-
"I'm with thee to the end,
Fear not! I am the Lord,
Thy never-failing friend!"

We weave no dirge for thee;
It should not call a tear
To know that thou art free;
Thy home-it was not here!
Joy to thee, man of God!

Thy wearying race is run;
Unshrinking thou hast trod

Death's vale-The prize is won!

ARE THE ASSOCIATED CHURCHES OF CONNECTICUT CONGREGATIONAL?

THE following opinion, copied from the Records of the Old Hartford North Association for the year 1799, will probably surprise some Connecticut Congregationalists, as it surprised the writer when it first came under his eye. It was adopted at a full meeting of the body, in answer to questions proposed by "the Society in Kingsbury," (N. Y., as I suppose,)

through their "Trustees," and also by certain members of that Society. Among the members present are the names of Drs. Strong, Perkins, and Flint, by one of whom the opinion was probably drawn up.

"This Association give information to all whom it may concern, that the constitution of the churches in the State of Connecticut, founded on the common usages, and the Confession of Faith, Heads of Agreement, and Articles of Church Discipline, adopted at the earliest period of the settlement of the state, is not Congregational, but contains the essentials of the government of the Church of Scotland, or [the] Presbyterian Church in America, particularly as it gives a decisive power to ecclesiastical councils; and a consociation, consisting of ministers and messengers, or a lay representation from the churches, is possessed of substantially the same authority as a Presbytery. The judgments, decisions, and censures in our churches and in the Presbyterian are mutually deemed valid. The churches therefore in Connecticut at large, and in our district in particular, are not now, and never were, from the earliest period of our settlement, Congregational churches, according to the ideas and forms of church order contained in the Book of Discipline, called the Cambridge Platform. There are, however, scattered over the state, perhaps ten or twelve churches (unconsociated) which are properly called Congregational agreeably to the rules of Church Discipline in the book above mentioned. Sometimes indeed the associated churches of Connecticut are loosely and vaguely, though improperly, termed Congregational. While our churches in the state at large are, in the most essential and important respects, the same as the Presbyterian, still, in minute and unimportant points of church order and discipline, both we and the Presbyterian Church in America acknowledge a difference."

This opinion seems to throw some light on the peculiar architectural development of the "Plan of Union" whereby New England Congregational materials have been so extensively wrought into Presbyterian churches during the last fifty years. If it represents the views of the pastors of Connecticut churches generally at that time, then it is no wonder that the Connecticut General Association should have entered into the Plan of Union, and that ministers trained by Connecticut pastors should have exerted such an extensive Presbyterianizing influence upon the new churches of New York and Ohio. Are we to conclude that this same influence had been at work on the churches of Connecticut during the preceding hundred years? Truly it may be that we have been nearer to passing under the yoke of ecclesiastical power than we had supposed.

The language of the Saybrook Platform gives some countenance to the above-quoted declarations. But it does not justify such a complete repudiation of Congregationalism as is there expressed. The consociational scheme does not seem to have gone into active operation to any considerable extent until near the close of the last century, some sixty or seventy years after its adoption in theory.

This document seems to point out also the origin of that popular designation of Congregational churches as Presbyterian.-Independent.

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