forth in broad letters upon every forehead, and with a pen dipped in heaven were written upon every heart. I wish they were set upon the frontispiece of every book, and posted in sunbeams at the corner of every street, that they were graven with the point of a diamond in the rock forever,-God is right and the world is wrong. I would that these ponderous truths might pass from land to land-prostrate nations, unknown tongues, and rolling through every clime, might bring a humbled world to ask for mercy at a Sa

vior's feet.

Standing on my watch tower, I am commanded, if I see aught of evil coming, to give warning. I again solemnly declare that I do discern evil approaching; I see a storm collecting in the heavens: I discover the emotion of the troubled elements; I hear the roar of distant wind-Heaven and earth seem mingled in the conflict-and I cry to those for whom I watch, A storm! A storm! Get you into the ark, or you are swept away. Oh, what is it I see? I see a world convulsed and falling to ruins the sea burning like oil-nations rising from under ground-the sun falling-the damned in chains before the bar, and some of my poor hearers with them! I see them cast from the battlements of the judgement scene; My God! the eternal pit has closed upon them forever!

SCRIPTURE ELOQUENCE.

See Isa. lii. 7—10. "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! Thy watchman shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the Lord shall bring again Zion. Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of

Jerusalem: for the Lord hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem. The Lord hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God."

Luke iv. 16—22; "And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath-day, and stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias: and when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, The spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised; to preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the Minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened upon him. And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears. And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth."

The following Reflections are selected from the close of a book, entitled "Evans' Sketch of Denominations ;" and as we believe they would be beneficial to a christian public, (if properly read and considered) so we give them an insertion in the Repository.

REFLECTIONS.

Of all the subjects presented to the human mind, religion claims the first and the greatest attention. If there be a God, a Providence, a Savior, and a Future State of Retribution, these weighty truths ought to be pressing upon our minds, and presiding over our conduct. To familiarize ourselves with their evidences, to lay open our souls to their energy, and promote, by

can

every honorable method, their spread and establishment among mankind, should be our ambition. Zeal is an elevated and a useful passion. It is forcibly and repeatedly enjoined in the sacred writings. It forms the leading trait of excellence in the best and most enlightened characters. Indeed, an individual scarcely be pronounced truly good, except he possesses a portion of this celestial fire. But let us be careful that our warmth be temperate and regular. Zeal, confined within the limits prescribed by reason and scripture, is attended with blessed consequences. Loosened from these restraints, like the devouring conflagration, it involves in one undistinguishable ruin the victims of its fury, and triumphs in the desolation it has effected. How different is the Christian, influenced by a zeal purely evangelical, from the monster who is either swollen with the venom of uncharitableness, or is pregnant with persecution for conscience sake! "Mistake me not, (says good Richard Baxter) I do not slight orthodoxy, nor jeer at the name; but only disclose the pretences of devilish zeal in pious or seemingly pious men. The slanders of some of these, and the bitter opprobrious speeches of others, have more effectually done the Devil's service, under the name of orthodoxy and zeal for truth, than the malignant scorners of godliness." Thus, also, the pious Matthew Henry declares, that of all the Christian graces—ZEAL is most apt to turn sour. And Dr. Doddridge, in his Family Expositor, has this remark-"Wisely did Christ silence the suspicious praises of an unclean spirit; and vain is all the hope, which men build merely on those orthodox professions of the most important truths, in which Satan himself could vie with them." May these observations be remembered by zealots of every description!

Indeed, the light and darkness now blend together, instead of generating a spirit of scepticism, or precipi

tating us into acts of violence, should impel us to look for the new heavens and the new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. What ye know not now, ye shall know hereafter, was our Savior's declaration to his disciples, respecting an event which occurred whilst he continued to sojourn amongst them. It is, therefore, reasonable to believe that we shall not remain ignorant of matters of superior importance, when the proper period of communicating higher degrees of information arrives. We may, however, be assured, that the Spirit of God guides all good men into necessary truth. This is a sentiment in which the wisest of mankind concur ; and upon which learned divines, after their most penetrative researches, are obliged ultimately to rest. A venerable and distinguished Christian father pronounced the greatest heresy to be a wicked life. Devoutly is it wished that those who are clamorous about speculative tenets, would level their artillery more against the violation of the preceptive part of our religion.

The eloquent Saurin pointedly exclaims-"Why are not ecclesiastical bodies as rigid and severe against heresies of practice as they are against heresies of speculation? Certainly there are heresies in morality as well as in theology. Councils and synods reduce the doctrines of faith to certain propositional points, and thunder anathemas against all who refuse to subscribe them. They say, cursed be he who doth not believe the divinity of Christ; cursed be he who doth not believe hypostatical union, and the mystery of the cross; cursed be he who denies the inward operations of grace, and the irresistible efficacy of the Spirit. I wish they would make a few canons against moral heresies. How many are there of this kind among our people!" These observations made by the intelligent Saurin, respecting the refugee Protestants in Holland, are applicable to the Protestants in our times. Their anathemas are

directed more against error than against unrighteousness. Whereas vice is the more formidable enemy to the welfare of mankind. To the word of God, therefore, let us have constant recourse, and thence derive the doctrine which is according to godliness, pure as the light of heaven, and refreshing as the dew of the morning! The gospel of Jesus Christ, justly understood, and cordially believed, enlightens the mind-calms the troubled conscience-rectifies depraved propensitiesand introduces us into the habitation of the spirits of just men made perfect.

But, alas! mankind, instead of ascertaining what is truth, and how it can best exert its influence over the several departments of conduct, are occupied in schemes of interested ambition, or sunk into criminal indifference. Upon death they seldom bestow a serious thought. Tho awful in its nature, frequent in its recurrence, and alarming in its consequences, it leaves on their minds no impression. Without emotion they behold their fellow creatures snatched from off the busy theatre of action, and driven, one after another, either by disease or accident, into the house appointed for all living! Upon the decease, indeed, of relatives and friends, they heave a sigh, utter an exclamation, shed a tear, but clothing themselves in the garments of sorrow, the tragedy is quickly over. Re-assuming their former views, and laying their minds open afresh to the dominion of their passions, they return with avidity to the occupations and amusements of life. Thus proceeds the tenor of their existence on earth, till they also are swept away into the receptacles of the dead. But why are men thus forgetful of their destination? Why lose sight of the end for which their benevolent Creator breathed into their nostrils the breath of life? Why not be making diligent preparation for the hour of dissolution, which closes the scene of their activity, and terminates their state of trial?