is as hard for them to do, as to put their faith in the Redeemer ; while the one is sure to result in death, the other in life everlasting. But on the other hand, let the question be put, and let the impenitent understand, that all who do come out, do now make the resolve, do now give themselves to God; let them know that this is what you mean by your question, and this what you understand by their coming forward, and then, we believe that few could go back without charging themselves with base hypocrisy, or at least with pretending to do, what they have not done. Then if the people of God pray, let them address Jehovah with the understanding that these are on the Lord's side, and that they have joined themselves to the Lord in a perpetual covenant, that shall not be forgotten." These observations are truly pertinent, and seasonable; and appearing as they do in the Evangelist, I hope they may have the effect to check, as they certainly expose, an error of dangerous consequence, and becoming very prevalent at the present time. VIATOR. MEMOIR OF THE REV. ASA MEAD; Abridged from the Connecticut Observer. Mr Mead was born in Meredith, N. H. in 1792. His father was a member of the Baptist Church, and among that denomination of christians the son uniformly worshiped till entering College, He lost his father when he himself was about thirteen years old. This circumstance, besides destroying the hopes which he had begun to cherish of assistance from his father in procuring an education, operated to his discouragement and prejudice in another way. His whole time was now occupied in laborious cooperation with his widowed mother in manageing her farm, and providing for several younger children. It is interesting to notice the early developement of a trait of character which Mr Mead afterward exhibited in much maturity, and which contributed not a little to his usefulnesswe mean perseverance amidst discourageing obstacles. A few weeks schooling in the winter was all he expected, and for this he was obliged to labor hard. He has observed that he often rose on moon-light mornings, hours before day, to cut wood for the family that he might not be detained from school.-In the most busy season of the year all the time he could command for reading was while taking his meals, and he was wont to lay his book before him and read while eating. He continued in this discourageing situation with little hopeful alteration, except that he taught a district school one or two winters, till he was about 20. Then he commenced a course of preparation for College. Here he had to contend with difficulties which by a mind less determined would have been deemed invincible. He was the first from his native town who had thought any thing beyond a common education necessary, and endured in his enterprize much ridicule and opposition. In less than two years he was prepared to enter the Sophomore Class at Dartmouth College. He has often observed that when he started for Hanover he knew not an individual in the place; but took his little baggage in his hand, travelled the distance, 50 miles from his mothor's house, on foot, entered College unbefriended and unknown by any one, and much embarrassed, and returned the same way. It may well be supposed that thus early trained to meet difficulties without dismay, he was prepared for the self-denying duties and the various vicissitudes of the ministry. His standing we learn in College was highly creditable, and we know that he was distinguished in the persuit of his theological studies at Andover as a close applicant and a good scholar. He was licensed in the summer of 1820 and was first employed by a Soci ty of Ladies to visit Washington City and Georgetown, for the pur, ose of ascertaining if those places were supplied with th Biste. He performed this mission satisfactorily, and on his return to New Ergland, preached to Dr. Payson's Congregation in Portland, Maine, during the Dr's. absence for the recovery of his health. The respect and affection with which that people ever after regarded lam, shew that they highly valued his labors. Shortly after this he received a unanimous call to settle at Brunswick, Maine, and was ordained there in Dec. 1822. His situation in this place was one of the most responsible and laborious in the State. The College formed a part of his audience, and previously to his settlement, error had greatly prevailed and the heritage had been given to reproach. Here he labored with unwearied assiduity and with encouraging success for about seven years, when at his own request he was dismissed from his pastoral charge. After a useful agency for the Temperance Society in Maine, and some labors at the South, under the direction of the American Peace Society, he was installed in August 1830, at East-Hartford, where in October of the present year 1831, he finished his labors on earth, and entered we doubt not into his rest. He was eminently an industrious man. It was apparent to all who knew him that he acted under the abiding im pression, "The night cometh wherein no man can work." How he met the demands of a populous and scattered parish, visited so much, inspected the schools so frequently, attended to so many minor meetings, prepared for the stated services of the Sabbath, and still dispensed so much labor in other places, it would be difficult to tell, did we not know that he was a systematic man, as well as frugal of his time. He rose early and usually wrote his sermos before breakfast. He almost uniformly wrote one sermon a week, nor did he suspend this habit even when travelling. The five or six last sermons he wrote, and which he never had an opportunity to preach to his own congregation, were prepared during a journey to Maine just before his last illness. His preparation for the Sabbath was finished ordinarily on Friday morning, and Saturday was with him a day of relaxation or of the lighter kind of labor. He thought much of "redeeming the time." He never seemed to have nothing to do, and never willing to do nothing. God had given him a mind of more than common powers of penetration and research, and these he sacredly devoted to the great business of inquiring after and illuerfating divine truth Fearless and independent, duty was his object, irrespective of the consequene s, and the means by which the kingdom of Christ might be enlarged, the leading theme of his public and private enquiries. The question asked by the Apostle Paul on the day of his conversion, 'Lord what wilt thou have me to do?" was a question which our deceased brother asked with apparently increasing interest as long as he lived. From the Christian Mirror. SHOULD IT BE ACCORDING TO THY MIND? The trials with which God visits his children, often come in a shape, and accompanied by circumstances, the most unwelcome. The tenderest feeling are wounded, the purest affections are wronged, the most cherished interests are violated, the fondest hopes blasted; and the suffering child of Adam looks, and cannot, without great effort, avoid looking at the second, or instrumental causes of his calamities. These are often of a character to rend the heart with anguish, and must leave it comfortless indeed, were there not a First Cause, on which faith might fix its hold, whose all controlling Providence is concerned in every event, and "from seeming evil still educes good." It is not uncommon for men under the pressure of affliction, to feel that any other calamity would be tolerable; but that which weighs upon them scems almost too much for them to bear. But, afflicted brother, should it be according to thy mind? Does not the father of all best know what is needful? And doth he ever afflict willingly, or wantonly grieve the children of men? Is it not the best of all reasons for quiet submission, that the Lord hath done it? If it were left to us to order the time and circumstances of our afflictions, they would cease to be trials; we should loose the inestimabie benefits of discipline, and our souls would suffer in consequence. We should not forget, that we are in the hands of a Benefactor; that our best Friend directs the process by which we are affected; and that he chasteneth us, not for his pleasure, but for our profit, that we might be made partakers of his holiness. He shall sit as a refiner."Christ sees it needful to put his children into the furnace, but he is seated by the side of it His eye is steadily intent on the work of purifying; and his wisdom and his love are both engaged to do all in the best manner for them. Their trials do not come at random; the very hairs of their heads are all numbered." And as the refiner of silver is said to 'know that the process of purifying is complete by seeing his own image in it; so when Christ sees his own image in his people,' the design of their afflictions is accomplished, beyond which the process will not be prolonged a moment.-Christian Mirror. PASTORAL WATCHFULNESS. We are to take heed unto all the flock. No individual in a parish is to be considered as beneath or as beyond our pastoral care. If our public ministrations are well attended, and successful in turning many to righteousness, there is proportionably the less need of private exertion. Many, however, of those who are present at our sermons, are slow in deriving any real and permanent benefit from them; and many neglect them altogether. What shall we then do? Shall we say of such men, that the church is open to them, and that if they obstinately refuse to attend the public instruction of the church, it is their own fault, their blood be upon their own heads? Oh, no! None of us, I am sure, can deem so lightly of those endless sufferings, the intermination of which forms so painful but sometimes so necessary a part of our pastoral addresses. We must not, we cannot so leave them to perish. Their absenting themselves from the public ordinances of religion is an additional proof how urgently they need to be admonished, and warned to flee from the wrath to come. We must at least, when the largeness of a parish does not preclude attention to individuals; we must follow them to their homes; and guided by ministerial zeal and Christian prudence, must seek and watch for opportunities of awakening them from their spiritual lethargy, and of exciting them to think seriously of the salvation of their souls. I acknowledge that it is with the deepest self abasement that I reflect on the pledge I gave, and think how imperfectly I have redeemed it. Whenever the solemn toll of the bell tells me that one of my parishioners has been summoned to his last account, the sound comes over me accompanied by a feeling of my responsibility; and when informed who the departed person is, and again when the body is finally laid in the grave, I am generally led to reflect; and often to reflect painfully-whether I have done all that I reasonably might have done for his spiritual welfare--to think what could have been done for that man's salvation that I have not done for it.-Rev. Edward Byrnes. POSTURE IN PRAYER. We find in looking a few moments in Cruden's Concordance, fourteen instances of acceptable prayer mentioned in scripture, in which the posture of the supplicant is mentioned. Of these, nine were instances of secret prayer, five of which were offered kneeling, two standing, one lying on a bed, and one prostrate on the earth. There were instances of prayer at public worship, in two of which the worshippers stood, and in one, he who offered the prayer kneeled, but the audience probably did not. Two were instances of social prayer, when a few believers were casually together, in both of which they kneeled. Paul once mentions his habit of bowing his knees, apparently with reference to secret prayer. In two passages, standing in public prayer is mentioned as a general practice; and standing in prayer, generally, in one instance. In precepts concerning prayer, so far as we know, no particular posture is enjoined in any case. The posture is alluded to but once, and then standing is mentioned. Our Saviour prayed standing, kneeling and prostrate. In no instance is any one posture mentioned as indicating more humility, or any higher degree of holiness than another. On the whole we conclude that any of these examples may lawfully be followed, as the feelings of each worshipper shall dictate; and that any attempt to denounce either of them as improper, or to require either of them as necessary, or as expressive of a right state of mind, is unscriptural, and ought to be discountenanced.--Vermont Chronicle. From the Genius of Temperance. NEW OBJECTION TO TEMPERANCE SOCIETIES. Messrs. Goodell & Crandall--Although you appear determined to support and encourage the temperance societies, I suppose you will not deny me the privilege of stating an objection to such societies, through the medium of your Genius. I have heard many objections stated to these societies, but I wish to state one, which I do not recollect of seeing or hearing before. In the southern states, they are allowed to buy negroes, and hold them as slaves to work on the plantations, to wait on their masters, and to do all necessary manual labor. Where this is the case my objection is obviated, but this practice is not allowed in all the states, and where it is not, there must be a substitute. I cannot imagine how a substitute can be had if the use of intoxicating drinks should cease. By a thorough trial this has been found to answer even a better purpose than the plan of buying negroes; for, in the first place, the negro costs something, and then the expense of feeding and clothing him, amounts to more than the whole expense of keeping in employ one of our rum-drinkers. Every man who does business, if it is only in a small way, needs somebody to do errands, chores, &c; but no one would be willing to do this drudgery, and especially for a trifling compensation, and be lounging about without employment, a great portion of the time, who was not a slave of some sort, and if you are not allowed to buy the man, and thus enslave him, your only way is to enslave him by intoxica |