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now and then groaning and gnashing his teeth: but soon after, opening his eyes, he grew sensible again, and felt his own pulse, saying, "How lazily my minutes go on! When will be the last breath, the last pulse, that shall beat my spirit out of this decayed mansion, into the desired regions of death and hell? Oh! I find it is just now at hand! and what shall I say now? Am not I afraid again to die? Ah, the forlorn hopes of him that has not God to go to! Nothing to fly to for peace and comfort !" Here his speech failed him we all believing him to be dying, went to prayer; which threw him into an agony ; in which, though he could not speak, he turned away his face, and made what noise he could to hinder himself from hearing. Perceiving this, we gave over.

As soon as he could speak, (which was not till after some time) he said, "Tigers and monsters, are ye also become devils to torment me, and give me a prospect of heaven, to make my hell more intolerable?"

"Alas, Sir," said I, "it is our desire of your happiness that casts us down at the throne of grace; if God denies assistance, who else can give it? If he will not have mercy, whither must we go for it?"

He replied, "Oh, that is the dart that wounds me! God is become my enemy, and there is none so strong as to deliver me out of his hands. He consigns me over to eternal vengeance, and there is none able to redeem me! Was there such another God as he, who would patronize my cause; or was I above God, or independent on him; could I

act or dispose of myself as I pleased; then would my horrors cease, and the expectations and designs of my formidable enemies be frustrated. But, oh! this cannot be, for I——.”

His voice failed again, and he began to struggle and gasp.for breath; which having recovered, with a groan so dreadful and horrid, as if it had been more than human, he cried out, “OH, THE

UNSUFFERABLE PANGS OF HELL and then V. D.

AND DAMNATION!" expired.

The confessions and petitions contained in the following PRAYER are perfectly adapted to the present state of our nation, and we recommend it to the religious attention of all our pious readers.

A PRAYER,

EXTRACTED FROM BISHOP HALL'S "HOLY ORDER OF MOURNERS IN SION."

O OUR God, thou hast removed our souls far from peace, thou hast most justly filled us with thine indignation; for we have deserved that thou shouldest pour our iniquities upon us, and shouldest bring upon us the fruits of our own thoughts, and measure our works into our bosoms, and cause us to drink at thy hand the cup of thy fury; yea, even to have the dregs of the cup of trembling to be wrung out to us, for we have walked every one after the imagination of his own evil heart. Our transgressions are with us and are multiplied before thee; and though we have professed to be humbled under thy mighty hand, we have not cried to thee in our hearts, neither have we loathed ourselves in our own sight for the evils that we have committed; so that we do now justly lie down in our

shame, and our confusion covereth us; willingly acknowledging that our iniquities have most deservedly turned away thy blessings from us, and drawn thy judgments upon our heads.

But, O Lord, hast thou so smitten us that there is no healing for us? have we put ourselves utterly out of the reach of thy boundless mercies? art thou not the God that retainest not thine anger forever, because thou delightest in mercy? O thou, the hope of Israel, and the Saviour thereof in the time of trouble, return, return to thy people in the tender bowels of thine infinite pity and compassion, humble our souls thoroughly under the sense of our many backslidings and grievous provocations of the eyes of thy glory. Oh, strike thou our heart with an unfeigned repentance of all our evil ways, and once again speak peace unto thy servants. Was there ever a more stiff-necked and rebellious people, O Lord, than thine Israel? more eminent in abused mercies? more notorious in all kinds of abominable wickedness? more exercised with variety of judgments? yet when they cried to thee in their distress, thou wert still ready to hear and deliver them, and to renew thy so often forfeited blessings upon them, and wouldst not let loose thy vengeance upon them till there was no remedy.

Behold we are thy people, though a sinful one, a second Israel both for sins and mercies: now, Lord, since it is thy marvellous mercy that we are not yet consumed, be still pleased to

magnify thine infinite goodness in thy gracious forbearances and our powerful conversion to thee. And though we cannot but confess we are a sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evil doers, yet, Lord, thou knowest thou hast thy secret ones among us, a people that prayeth and trembleth at thy judgments, and waiteth humbly at the door-posts of thy sanctuary; a people that desireth to walk close with thee. their God, and to be approved of thee in all their ways; a people that sigheth and mourneth for the abominable sins of the land of their nativity: O, for their sakes be thou entreated to hold off thy revenging hand from this sinful nation, and even yet still provoke us by thy goodness to repentance. O thou, the righteous and merciful Judge of the world, who even for ten righteous persons would have spared a Sodom and Gomorrah from their fiery execution, be pleased tenderly to regard the cries of thy many hundred faithful and devout souls that sue to thee for the stay and removal of thy deserved judgments. Oh, do thou look down from heaven and behold from the habitation of thy holiness and thy glory, the unfeigned humiliation of thy servants, who are prostrate before thee with fastings, and weeping, and mourning: turn away thy heavy displeasure from us, and pity thy sanctuary which is desolate; so shall our mouths be full of the praises of thy name, and thy saints shall rejoice and sing new songs unto the God of our salvation. AMEN.

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AREOPAGUS, Aguasaayos, the celebrated tribunal of Athens, held on a hill of that name. Here Mars is said to have been acquitted by twelve of the gods, for having killed the ravisher of his daughter. This circumstance seems to have been invented, in order to add solemnity to the tribunal. It is not known, whether it was instituted by Cecrops, or Cranaus, or Solon. The number of the members is variously stated to have been 9, 31, and 51. They were chosen from among the most virtuous citizens, and such prefects, as had distin, guished themselves by their patriotism. The office was held for life; but if a judge behaved improperly, intoxicated himself, or uttered any indecent words, he was immediately deposed. Here sentence was pronounced, not only on capital crimes, but also on immorality and idleness, which last was looked upon as the parent of all vices. Disrespect for religion was treated with the greatest se verity, and forensic oratory was totally prohibited, lest it should influence the judges. This tri

Dr. Odmann is minister of Up. sal, in Sweden, a learned and respec.

table divine, author of several works in high repute in his own country. The work, from which these extracts are made, and which was designed for a companion to the younger clergy, is highly approved by the Eng fish Reviewers, and a translation of

it recommended.

bunal was respected as the very seat of justice. Even the Ro mans themselves appealed to it in weighty matters. Pericles, on being refused admittance as a member, diminished its power, and from that day the Areopagus, and the morality of the Athenians suffered a common fall. It was before this tribunal, which was held in the open air, that St. Paul delivered the address recorded by St. Luke, Acts xvii. 22, &c.

CHIOS, Xios, an island in the Archipelago, a few miles south of Lesbos; called by the Greeks Chio, but by the Turks Saki Adassi, (Mastic island.) It occurs only in Acts xx. 15, at the last departure of St. Paul from Greece. It is about 50 miles in length, and 25 in breadth, mountainous and of a poor soil, but famous for the mastic, with which it supplies the royal seraglio. This gum, which is chewed by the Turkish ladies, in order to preserve their teeth clean, and their breath sweet, is collected by the Christian inhabitants of the island; who, as a remuneration for it, are exempted from half the poll tax. The manner of collecting it is described by Tournefort, Bellonius, Thevenot, Monconys, Carreri, Pocock, Chandler, and others. Although the climate of the island is reckoned healthy, it is often visited by the plague. The number of inhabitants is 100,000, and all live comfortably by industry. An old building is stiil to be seen, which goes by the name of Homer's School; but according to Mr. Chandler, it was a temple of Cybele. The island is circumstantially describ ed by Myller,

MELITA, MEλity, now Malta, an island in the Mediterranean sea, distinguished in the New Testament by the shipwreck of St. Paul, Acts xxviii. The inhabitants, who spoke in an African dialect, (Bag Bago) received the crew with great humanity. They kindled a fire, on account of the constant rain (iQiswra); but when the apostle was laying on a bundle of sticks, which he had gathered, a very venomous viper (x) roused by the flames came out, and twisted itself round his arm (xan.) The islanders now thought themselves witnesses of Divine vengeance demanding that justice, which the waves had failed to execute; but the apostle shook off the animal into the fire, and felt no hurt. They then passed to another extreme, (piraßadλopivo,) and took him to be a god. The reader will find the best description of Malta in Nieburh's travels through the Levant, and Brydone's Letters on Sicily and Malta. I have only this to add, that although no serpents are now found in Malta, there can be no reason to suspect St. Luke's relation; for the island consists of a chalky rock, of which, at present, no spot remains uncultivated. In the same manner of late in some of the West India islands, serpents have been totally extirpated by the extent of cultivation, having thereby lost all places of retreat. The saying of the inhabitants, that serpents, which are brought hither cannot live, is a fable. The petrified substances com. monly called vipers' tongues, which are found in the softer hills, are nothing else than the teeth of fish.

ANECDOTES.

ONE of the most renowned philosophers and statesmen of this age, Dr. Benjamin Franklin, informs us, that all the good he ever did to his country or mankind, he owed to a small book which he accidentally met with, entitled, "Essays to do good," in several sermons from Gal. vi. 10. "As we have, therefore, opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith." These sermons were written by Dr. Cotton Mather, a very able and pious minister of the gospel in Boston. little book," he says, "he studied with care and attention; laid up the sentiments in his memory, and resolved from that time, which was in his early youth, that he would make doing good the great purpose and business of his life."

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ARCHBISHOP Williams, in the close of life, said to a friend of his, "I have passed through many places of honour and trust, both in church and state; more than any of my order in England, these seventy years before; yet, were I but assured, that, by my preaching, I had converted but one soul to God, I should take therein more true joy and comfort, than in all the honours and offices which have been bestowed upon me." Fuller's Church History. B. II. p. 228.

THE celebrated Dr. Manton was appointed on a public occa. sion to preach before the Lord Mayor and Aldermen of London. His sermon was learned,

ingenious, and elegant. As he was returning home, a plain old gentleman pulled him by the coat, and desired to speak to him. The doctor stopt, and the stranger thus addressed him. "I was one of your auditory to day. I went to be fed with the gospel, as usual; but have returned empty. Dr. Manton was not Dr. Manton this morning. There was, indeed, much of the Doctor, of the florid and learned man, in the discourse; but little or nothing of Jesus Christ: it was, in short, no sermon to me." "Sir," answered the Doctor, "if I have not preached to you, you have now preached a good sermon to me: such as, I trust, I shall never forget, but be the better for, as long as I live."

A GENTLEWOMAN went one day to hear Dr.preach, and as usual, carried a pocket Bible with her, that she might turn to any of the passages the preacher might happen to refer to. But

she found, that she had no use for her Bible there: and, on coming away, said to a friend, "I should have left my Bible at home to day, and have brought my dictionary. The Doctor does not deal in Scripture, but in such learned words and phrases, as require the help of an interpreter, to render them intelligible."

THE pious and learned Mr. Halyburton, Professor of Divinity in the University of St. Andrews, being asked, when a young man, by an aged minister, if ever he sought the blessing of God on his studies, ingenuously acknowledged that he did not. "Sir," said the minister, with an austere look, "unsanctified learning has done much mischief to the church of God." These words made a deep impression on his mind, and from that time he looked up to God for his assistance and blessing in the prosecution of his studies.

Review of New Publications.

Memoirs of eminently pious women, who were ornaments to their sex, blessings to their families, and edifying examples to the church and world. Abridged from the large work of Dr. Gibbons, London. By DANIEL DANA. pp. 396, 12mo, Newburyport. A. March. 1803.

THIS title page is unfortunately encumbered with a part of that,

which constitutes the matter of a preface. Authors forget that the design of a title page is to give a name to the book, and that

the name ought to be as concise as possible. Let the finished works of ancient or modern times be consulted. None of them justify the prolixity, with which a Gothic custom has lately disfigured title pages.

The judicious author of this abridgment points out the general design and utility of the work in his concise, well written preface, which, with a few omissions, is here quoted.

Of Biography he says,

"No species of writing seems so happily calculated at once to inform

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