against God"; and which renders them extremely unwilling to know that they are holden with all their concerns in his holy and sovereign hand. All conduct in peculiar favors and Since God, for the reasons that have been given, means to make men know he governs, we see why they live so easy and secure in sin. It is because they do not realize that he reigns.The prophet gives this reason for the conduct of such men, as were settled on their lees :— 66 In view of this subject we may see the wisdom and goodness of God, in some of the most dark and extraordinary dispensations of his providence. God has done a great many things in the midst of the earth, which, in the opinion of men, have spread a cloud over his wisdom and goodness, and which have led many to call these in question. But the end proposed will explain them, and discover the wisdom and goodness of all his conduct. God's placing Adam at the head of his posterity has been thought to bear hard upon his wisdom and-goodness. But if he meant to make men know that he governs the world, he could not have taken a wiser and better method to produce this effect than to suspend the moral character, and consequently all the concerns of mankind, upon the probationary conduct of the first human being. God's drowning the old world, dispersing mankind at Babel, burning Sodom, his conduct towards the Egyptians, the Israelites and the seven nations of Canaan, were suited to make it known throughout the earth that he governs the world. The same effect is evident from his bumbling the monarch of Babylon, his delaying to bring Christ into the world for so many ages, and the dispersion of the Jews. His conduct in raising, prosper-trines and in such a manner, as ing, abasing and destroying na- will answer this purpose. And tions is suited to make men if they are taught and guided "know that he is the Lord in the by the word, and the spirit, and midst of the earth. And his 'the providence of the only liv They say, the Lord will not do good, neither will he do evil." And the apostle assigns the same cause of the same effeet: "There shall come scoffers in the last day, walking after their own lusts, and saying where is the promise of his coming, for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation." And all sinners are dispesed to feel no fear nor concern respecting God so long as they can hold fast the deceit, that he has not the entire control of themselves and all their interests. It should be the great object of religious instructors to make men know that God reigns. They ought to preach such doc ing and true God, it will be their chief and constant object, in all their religious instructions, to make men know, that the counsel of the Lord shall stand and that he will do all his pleasure. For of him, and through him, and to him are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Some reflections on the Moral T dence of his universal efficiency, by the mouth of his prophets he hath informed us how he will deal with nations to the end of the world. He hath foretold the moral character they should sustain, and how his providence would reward them. The preseut age is predicted as a period in which blasphemous impiety would come to its height, and draw down the heaviest ver geance of God on mankind. There is no period recorded in history, that ought so much to astonish us as the present, or wherein events so great and destructive to the lives, liberties and properties of men, have succeeded in such rapid succession, as within the compass of a few years past. The French empire with its despotic head, as an overflowing scourge, hath subjected many nations, stripping them of their wealth, their liberties, and their crown. All the countries of continental Europe have been stained with the blood of their sons. At the moment when we were ready to say the oppression must become universal, an awful and a bloody stroke hath been given to the power of the oppressor. This destruction of the greatest and best appointed force that man HE design of this paper is to call the attention of the reader to a subject intimately connected with our national prosperity. If the subject had been merely political, unconnected with the existence and best interests of the Christian church, it would not have been inserted in this Magazine. If there be a supreme God, it is proper men should acknowledge him; if the destinies of nations be in his hand, it is fit they should confess his providence. It is a primary object of infinite wisdom to convince men there is a moral Governor in the universe. To this end every event is directed, because the happiness of creatures depends on their knowing and being reconciled to divine Sovereignty.-could bring together, hath not There is a most important sense its parallel in the history of in which communities are the mankind. More men may have subjects of moral command, been collected, in the shape of which it is their duty suitably an undisciplined, ungoverned to acknowledge. Therefore God, multitude; but never before, did in his word, addresses nations, so many great captains, so machurches, and families. He gives ny veterans in warfare, conflict a law of duty, promises to their together as in the present Euobedience, and threatnings to ropean contest. I do not mentheir disobedience. As an ad- tion this to give the reader a ditional motive to reverence history of the wars that are gohim, and give the strongest evi-ing forward, but to excite him to fear and repent before the, with the bitterest animosity; Sovereign of the earth. blood hath flowed in torrents; it still flows, and will probably continue the same for years to come. Can we refrain from determining that this is a part of the battle of the great day of God Almighty; part of the vintage and the harvest, when the blood should flow to the horses' bridles, and all the fowls of heaven be called on to come and feed on the slain bodies of kings, and captains, and mighty hosts? What a literal fulfilment is this, of what is now seen in Europe? Enough hath been seen to inform us of the period in which we live; but it has not come to its close. That reverse In the present commotions of the nations, there are singular marks of an avenging providence. God is ordering events in a very surprising manner to chastise men. We know that wars have been, in some part of the habitable earth, in every age, for they are natural effects of the lusts of men; but there hath not been like what is now exhibited by the providence of God. All this was foretold. It is the fulfilment of prophecies • very expressly written. Infidelity and apostacy, long before they took place, were predicted for this very period of time. The judgments, the battle of Al-in victory, which hath lately mighty God to punish sin, was at the same time foretold. We who now live see the accomplishment; which is a new and wonderful evidence for the truth of the scriptures, that our fathers did not have. The sins which God threatened to punish, were to be committed with in the professing Christian world; for infidelity, as we commonly understand the word, and apostacy could not happen among heathen; and the destructive wars, that were appointed to punish, are nearly confined to the same Christian world. It is a strange sight we behold !-an astonishing event we contemplate!-Look on the whole heathen world, it is hushed in peace, perhaps more universally than was ever known before. Oh that it might be a presage of their speedily receiving the doctrines of peace, that were preached by our divine Redeemer! Look on the whole Christian world, it is all embroiled in war, filled happened, will doubtless have great consequences, which I do not predict; but it will not stop the effusion of blood; it may rather increase it. Through a vast portion of the world the old foundations of government are so broken down; the perversion of men's natural rights has been so great; the violent usurpations of property and honor have been so many, and the enmity of contending nations become so fixed, that a state of peace cannot speedily succeed. There is nothing in human nature, or the state of the nations, to warrant such a conclusion. It is too probable this bloody state of things, with many intervening changes, will continue, until men have exhausted the means of destruction. God hath prepared the way; he hath stored up the means, and formed the instruments of avenging his justice on a luxurious and disbelieving world. So full of sin and misery is that state of things we are contemplating, that a humane soul would wish to turn from the scene, and for ever forget it, if we were not called to the prospect for moral instruction. Here we see the bitter nature of those sinful principles which deprave the heart, and too often govern the counsels of nations. Here we see tyranny stripped of all disguise, and may learn how much we ought to loathe our own degenerate natures; for every unprincipled sinner is a tyrant, according to the opportunities and abilities God gives him. Here we see the genuine fruits of infidelity, and of an apostacy from the simple, holy spirit of the Gospel. Here we see the truth of God's word, first, in its description of the sins those would commit, on whom the clearest light shines; and then in the judgments that he has threatened as their punishment. We behold the awfulness of divine justice when it cometh forth to punish guilty nations. Finally, from such a fulfilment of the prophetic word, we get a new evidence, that the punishments threatened for eternity will actually fall upon the finally impenitent. What hath been written is designed to introduce some reflections on the present prospects of the American people and church. We have been contemplating an awful scene at a distance, and may now see its beginning among ourselves. The inquiry which for a number of years hath been made, whether we should have a part, in these judgments which were plainly foretold, is now determined be yond a doubt. The fulfilment of the prophecy is a sure exposition, how far judgment shall extend. We now see it to be on the whole Christian world, and on those people that denominate themselves Christians in every quarter of the globe. We indulged a hope of being exempted, in a situation so distant, from the original causes of war. When God intends to punish, he can prepare the way and provide the means. We, also, indulged a hope, because we supposed the anti-christian apostacy never had a prevalent sway on our shores. We relied much on our privileges, and could not think ourselves wicked enough to expect such judgments as are threatened. It is no new thing for men to overrate their own goodness, and to think that their religious privileges, although greatly misimproved, will be a defence. It is not uncommon for them to be ignorant how they appear in the sight of an infinitely holy God. When most deserving of his rebuke, they think themselves the safest, and see not the cloud of divine anger that is ready to break upon them. Sin always excuses itself, ingratitude pleads many alleviations of its baseness, security hopes the best, when the worst is at the door; and this is that folly of sinners which proves their ruin both for time and eternity. It would be a lengthy business to give a catalogue of all our transgressions against God; still there are several particulars, it would be very wrong not to men. tión, especially our national neglect of not acknowledging Him. We have sinned against privi leges, both civil and religious, for this world than for another. greater than are enjoyed by any We are become a luxurious peoother people under heaven. ple. Multitudes have forsaken Enter into a comparison with regular industry, endeavoring to every other part of the world, make gain by deceptive arts, this will appear. We are the and speculations in little things. children of a people, who at a Intemperance with its dreadful late period came into a wilder-train of evils, is destroying millness, purposely to enjoy civil ions. Where are brotherly love, and religious liberty; to ercct a meekness, humility, Christian civil state on the purest princi- watchfulness and vital piety? ples of freedom and justice, Where are family prayer, family where all might have equal rights government and instruction? and protection; to form church- Where is the evidence that the es on the simple, pure and holy great body of the people are principles of the gospel, in which training up for heaven, under the brethren might dwell together advantages God hath given in peace, without any oppression them? of the conscience. They were Among the sins of a people, men of property, piety and sci- who have Christian means of ence; matured by experience, information, a profanation of the and far different from those ig- Sabbath is one of the most dis norant adventurers, who general-pleasing to God, and it is one ly settle new countries solely which greatly increases among for the sake of gain. The in-us. There are multitudes whe stitutions they formed have the do not attend public worship internal marks of great wisdom, and their usefulness hath been proved by experience. This hath been our inheritance. We have been the freest people on earth. Our religious institutions have been the most uncorrupted. All the people have been equally favored, and God hath crowned us with every blessing. Of these great blessings we have been very insensible, seeming to think they were so much our natural right they could hardly be forfeited. We have not the piety of our fath-who were most vigilant in supers. In vast numbers, there is to appearance of the power of godlines, and the form of religion is more for the sake of a worldly decency than for the honor of God. Religious discourse is banished from our social circles; and we live more with any Christian denomination. In innumerable instances the day is openly profaned by amusement or labor. The prac tice of laboring on the Sabbath is a sin of modern date in this part of the nation. There used to be means of bearing down the transgression, if any presumptuously attempted it. There used to be a fortitude, which did not retreat before public profanation, and among the fathers of the people, those esteemed themselves the most honourable, porting a visible holiness on the Lord's day; but the gold is becoming dim. It is difficult to determine which is the most guilty in the sight of God, an ignorant man, who amuses himself and labors on the Sabbath or his dignified neighbor, whe |