single soul in all their families lic mind has, at length, been parwould go uninstructed in relig- tially aroused to the subject.

sus.

Much good may justly be expected from the exertions of the Ame rican Society for the promotion of Temperance.

ion, or fail of being "trained up in the way he should go;" and an important step would be taken towards that happy consummation, when "the sacra- A great amount of talent, char mental host" shall come to the acter and piety is enlisted, and help of the Lord with a zeal and their scheme is the only adequate a boldness, and a union, that and successful one, viz. to encour would constrain even infidels and age the entire disuse of intoxicatblasphemers to take knowledge of ing liquors, (except as a medithem, that they had been with Je- cine,) on the part of the commuThe strength of such a un- mity reputed sober and temperate. ion, would withstand the most Christian communities should take formidable enemies, tread down the lead in the work of reformathe deadliest errors, and march tion. It is incumbent on the forward like omnipotence, "till Church, to set her face against the the world" was "disenthralled" evil; her Ministers should lift up from error and delusion, and a warning and desecrating voice; sin, and filled with the glory of her Deacons should purchase to God. The union of all real themselves a good degree, by vigChristians in the truth, and the whole truth of revelation, would give an inconceivable impulse to that grand moral machinery, which has been put in motion to evangelize the world. It would roll such a flood of light and knowledge and happiness, upon those sitting in the region and shadow of death, that the set time to favour Zion would be greatly hastened. And O how it would nerve the arm, and quicken the soul of all who contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints.

WORCESTER BAPTIST ASSOCIATION.
Report of the Committee on Intem-

perance.

orous exertions for its destruction; and her members should combine their efforts in this cause, while all united should give the cause of temperance the influence of their unwavering example.

The Committee believe that the resolution adopted at our last session, has been productive of much advantage; they would, therefore, recommend the adop tion of the following one:

Resolved, That it be earnestly recommended to the Churches, to continue and increase their exertions for the suppression of intemperance, by endeavouring to persuade professors of religion and others, totally to abstain from the use of intoxicating liquors, except The Committee are deeply im- as a medicine; to cease to present pressed with the awful prevalence it to their friends, or to furnish it of intemperance, as most destruc- to those in their employ; to entive of personal and domestic quire of those who sell or distill happiness of political and reli- spirits, whether their employment gious prosperity; but they are is not criminal; and to encourage happy in believing that, after a those by our special patronage, long and criminal apathy, the pub-' who are abstinent themselves, and

do not use or vend it in their business; and to close the door of the Church against all persons who have been previously intemperate, except on condition of total abstinence from intoxicating spirits.

BENEVOLENT SOCIETIES.

1827. October 17th. Ordained, at Shel burn, Vt. Rev. J. J. SHIPHERD, as an kins, of New-Haven, from II. Tim. iv. 2. Evangelist. Sermon by Rev. Mr. Hop

1827. October 24th. Ordained, Rev, SYLVESTER Cochrane, as pastor of the Con. Church in Poultney, Vt. Sermon by Rev. Mr. Walker, of Rutland.

1827. October 31st. Ordained, at Dartmouth, by the Old Colony Association, Rev. NATHANIEL COBB, as an Evangelist. Sermon by Rev. Oliver Cobb.

JAMES BATES, as colleague pastor with
Rev. Dr. Hosner, of Newtown, Mass.
Sermon by Rev. Mr. Wisner, of Boston.

1827. November 14th. Ordained, Rev.

1827. November 6th. Ordained, at sociation, Rev. A. C. WASHBURN, as an Dartmouth College, by the Windsor AsEvangelist. Sermon by Rev. J. Wheeler.

POETRY.

The American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions baye forty-three stations among the heathen, and about the same number of ordained ministers.. These would supply one county, of 50,000 inhabitants with Christjan instructions at home. The annual receipts of the Board are greater than those of any benevolent Society in the United States; CHRIST STILLING THE TEMPEST. and yet there are individuals in the country, whose yearly private income exceeds those receipts, and who could, therefore, if disposed, do more for Foreign Missions, than the Christian community now do.

The Montreal Herald of the 15th, says, a long delayed act of justice is at length to be performed to the church of Scotland in Canada. She is to have a share of the Clergy Reserves. This act of the new ministry, while it will render them unprecedentedly popular in Scotland, and indeed with Scotsmen "generally, must also meet with the approbation of every liberal minded man, of whatever religious persuasion.

BY MRS. HEMANS.

"But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with the waves, for the wind was contrary.”—St. Matt. xiv. 24. Fear was within the tossing bark,

When stormy winds grew loud;
And waves came rolling high and dark,
And the tall mast was bow'd.
And men stood breathless in their dread,
And baffled in their skill;
But One was there, who rose and said
To the wild sea, "Be still."

And the wind ceas'd-it ceas'd—that

word

Pass'd through the gloomy sky;
The troubled billows knew their Lord
And sunk beneath his eye.
And slumber settled on the deep,

And silence on the blast,

As when the righteous falls asleep,

When death's fierce throes are past.

Thou that didst rule the angry hour,
And tame the tempest's mood-
Oh! send thy spirit forth in power.

O'er our dark souls to brood!

Thou that didst bow the billow's pride,
Thy mandates to fulfil-
Speak, speak to passion's raging tide,
Speak and say." Peace, be still."

DECEMBER, 1827.

consists in free, voluntary, selfish exercises; so the heart of sinners must ever be hard, when they are destitute of true benevolence or holy love. And this is always the case. Impenitent sinners never have the love of God in them, never, love their fellow-creatures as themselves; they are always lovers of their own selves, and seek their own things exclusively. They are, therefore, always hard hearted. God constantly hardens the heart of every impenitent sinner and every impenitent sinner constantly hardens his own hearts pay

Is it true that whenever the hearts of sinners are hard, God hardens them? It follows, that he governs the moral, as well as the natural world. There are but few, in a land of light, who deny God's government of the natural world. All grant, that he causes the sun to rise and set, the show ers to descend, the winds to blow, and the earth to yield her increase of grass for cattle, and herb for man, All admit, that he gives and takes away, wounds and heals, kills and makes alive; that he cau ses all the natural good and evil in the world. But, while the govern ment of God, in the natural world, is thus generally acknowledged; his government, in the moral world, is called in question by many Some maintain, that he cannot in fluence, move, or turn the hearts of either saints or sinners, without destroying their free, moral agens cy. Hence they hold, that all men have a self-determining power of will, and move themselves in all their mental exercises. Others, who perceive that the notion of such a self-determining power, is both absurd and unscriptural, nevertheless maintain, that God gove erns the hearts of saints only that

he never exerts his agency in pro ducing exercises in the hearts o sinners; that he only lays restraint upon them, or takes off restraint from them; and that he canno turn or move their hearts, without being the blameable author of their sins.

But, if hardness of heart consists in voluntary, selfish exercises, and God always hardens the hearts of sinners, when they are hard; it is obvious that he governs the moral world, as effectually and entirely as he does the natural world. He is the potter; and all men are the clay in his hand. He forms the light and creates darkness; He makes peace and creates evil. He puts it into the hearts of all men to fulfil his will. He works in saints to will and to do of his good pleasure; and causes the wrath of sinners to praise him, and restrains the remainder.

3. Does God harden the hearts of sinners, as well as soften the hearts of saints? Then there is not the least difficulty in supposing, that he decreed all events from eternity. Those who discard God's government of the moral world, are consistent with themselves in denying, that he de creed the free actions of men, ei ther good or bad; for it is impos sible to conceive how God could decree, or even foreknow those events, if there were any such which take place independently of his agency. If any events are properly speaking contingent it is impossible, that they should have been either foreseen, or foredeter mined. If those, therefore, who deny that God causes sinful exercises in the hearts of sinners, would be consistent with themselves, they must deny that God either fore know or decreed the sins of men."

But since, as has been shown, God hardens the hearts of all impenitent sinners; it follows, of course, that he decreed all their sinful conduct; for his decrees must extend as far as his agency: 'He worketh all things after the counsel of his own will; and known unto him were all his works from the beginning.' Hence,

4. It follows, that the doctrine of reprobation is true. God har dens the hearts of all impenitent sinners. And he continues to harden the hearts of some of them, even of whom he will, till their day of grace is gone, and they die in their sins. But, all he does in time, he determined to do, in eternity. He, then, determined, for wise reasons, in eternity, to har den the hearts of some impenitent sinners, endure them with much long-suffering, and fit them for des struction. He made them for the day of evil-made them with a design to glorify his justice in their everlasting punishment. And this is precisely what is to be under stood by the doctrine of reproba tion. & sad

hardened his spirit and made his heart obstinate; he would not let the Israelites pass by him. Thus did the Canaanites generally when God turned their hearts to hate his people, to deal subtilly with his servant. And thus do all sinners, whose hearts the Lord hardens. They sin of choice; and not of compulsion. They sin, because they will sin; and not because they are under a natural necessity of sinning. They could feel and act right, if they would. They act as freely as saints do in keeping the commandments of God; or, as angels in keeping their first estate. ɔ

6. It follows from what has been said, that sinners are wholly to blame for all their hardness of heart. It is true, God hardens their hearts. He determined,' when he made them, what their characters and actions should be, during the whole course of their lives; and he carries his wise and holy determinations into effect, by his own hand. He puts it into the hearts of sinners to fulfil his will. He produces all their sinful, selfish exercises by his own agency. But, nevertheless, they have no reason to say, "Why doth he yet find fault, for who hath resisted his will?" It is impious for them, like the hardened Israelites, in Jer emiah's time (Jerh. vii. 10.) to he steal, rob and murder; and then come into the house of God and say, "We are delivered to do all these abominations,” omeli

5. Do sinners always harden their own hearts, whenever God hardens them? It follows, that they are never under any natural necessity of sinning. The agency of God upon their hearts, does not constrain or compel them to sin against their wills; but causes them to sin voluntarily, or of free choice. While God hardens their hearts, they always harden their own hearts; or, in other words, For, in perfect consistency with when He works in them to will all God does in hardening their and do, they will and do. Thus hearts, they all harden their own did Pharaoh When God hardened hearts. They freely and volunta” his heart, he refused to let the chil rily sin. They freely and volunta dren of Israel go; he would not let rily exercise selfish affections, des them go. Thus did Sihon, king sires, designs and passions. Al of Heshbon: When the Lord God the blame and guilt, therefore, are®