ginning of the series of causes and their effects, in a re-action of the public mind, against those prodigious efforts of infidelity which were put forth within the memory of the most of us, varnished by the most plausible promises of improvement in civil policy, to be built on the ruins of religious profession in all its forms; and even aiming at the impossible achievement of rooting out religious principle, as a delusion operating not to the benefit but to the injury of the human kind. That so corrupt a theory, however contrary to the constitution of our nature, to the history of our race, under all the circumstances in which they have been placed, and to the sentiments of the men who have been held in the highest esteem in different times and places, should be obtruded on the world in the shape of ingenious speculation; and that it should be advocated by splendid talents, and by the misapplication of literary at tainments, was not a novelty. But that the phantasm should be a ground of extensive action, that the daring design should be avowed, and committed to the agency of large associations, that it should obtain national adoption any where, that it should be carried into effect by public law, and that a persecuting zeal should be called forth, for the extermination of what had been hitherto considered as the cement of civil society, and as the only security for the rights and for the duties essential to its existence, was a hardihood of iniquity which no experience of former times had given cause to anticipate or to apprehend. It is matter of grief to us, to look back and to recollect, that not only many of the higher grades of life were captivated by the glare of a false philosophy, to their moral loss, but that masses of men in humble life, who had been hitherto out of the reach of the subductive arts of infidelity, together with the shock sustained on their principles, felt the effects of it in their domestic relations, and on the industry which their several vocations called for.

With this dark display before us, we had the consolation to remark, that besides the poignant sorrow which filled the minds of all who cherished

the veneration and the love of what was represented by the divine Author of our religion under the figure of " the pearl of great price," and under that of " a treasure hid in a field," deserving and exacting" the selling of all for the purchase of it ;" there were not a few who, contemplating the crisis as big with danger to whatever is estimable in the social system, and as threatening the destruction of all law and of all order, drew back from the gulph laid open before them, and contributed their respective energies to the sustaining of Christian Truth as their only sure support. We do not doubt, that from this cause much benefit has been derived to civil society, in the strengthening of the obligation of Christian morals. This was important in its consequences to the social system, while, in the cases of no small a proportion of persons operated on to the effect, and in the more beneficial result of the drawing of their attention to the only foundation of public happiness in the influence of the religious principle, they have confessed the aids derived from those sacred Oracles which have "brought life and immortality to light."

That there has been felt, on the public mind, the re-action thus described, we hold to be a fact, to be appealed to with confidence; and further, we think we cannot be mistaken in the persuasion, that as in all times and places there are evidences of what we read in Scripture--"he maketh the wrath of man to praise him," the truth of the saying is verified in what we notice, that there has been diffused as well in our combined commonwealth as generally in the kingdoms and the states of the old world, an extraordinary degree of attention to the importance of the Christian Revelation-prompting measures for the impressing of its truths, and for the extending of the knowledge of them over the whole h bitable world.

For the truth of the fact we refer for evidence of it, to what continually passes under our observation in the ordinary intercourses of society; and if this should be thought of not sufficient amount for the argument built on it, we refer, for further evidence, to the numerous associations instituted, not only

for the continuing and for the extend. ing of the knowledge of divine Truth, among the proportion of our popula. tion with whom it might otherwise be superseded by increasing ignorance and irreligion, but for the sending of the same precious treasure to all the countries in which it has been hitherto unknown, including many which modern discovery has laid open to missionary zeal. In judging from what we have witnessed, there can be no rashness in the anticipation, that an important effect is about to be produced, as well on countries in which the Word of God has been hitherto or until lately unpreached, as on other countries in which its truths have been incumbered, through ages, with traditionary superstition, fastened on the minds of the population by the withholding of the Bible from their perusal. It is to the duties which result from this state of the public mind, that we are desirous of leading your attention.

The shape in which it the most immediately addresses its instructions to every individual, is in the reminding of him or of her, of there being, in this circumstance, a call more frequent and more loud than in ordinary times, to every attainment and to every act, entering on the character, and constituting a part of the conduct of a Christian. We are at all times called to this by the events occurring in the ordinary course of divine Providence. But when the truths, the obligations, and the hopes of religion have become considerably the subjects of social conversation; and when an increasing interest is seen to be taken, by the illustration of them in very many instances of the conversion of sinners, and of conspicuous examples of holy conduct, and in incitements, not only to the open profession of Christian obligation, in opposition to irreligion and immorality of every sort, but to the bestowing of reasonable portions of our worldly substance for the support of the Gospel within our respective spheres of influence, and to carry into effect the charge of its blessed Author" Go into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature;" it is evident, that in each of the eircumstances stated, there must be

correspondent duty laid on those who are witnesses of it, and an increase of weight to the summons-"He that hath ears to hear, let him hear."

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Our Lord has compared his professing followers to "a city set on a hill, where it cannot be hid" and to 66 a candle put not under a bushel, but on 10 a candlestick, where it may give light to all that are in the house." Doubtless, there is pertinency in these figures to the responsibilities under which professors lie at all times; but the application of them is more than ordinarily conspicuous, whẹn, in consequence of such an increase of attention to the city and to the candle, there is the more readiness of discovery and of remark, in the former case of any dilapidation of the building, and in the latter, of any dusky matter which may communicate its vitiating properties to the blaze To drop the metaphors: the senses of them apply especially to a point of time, in which, on the one hand, delinquency gives the most occasion of the pouring of contempt on the profession, and on the other hand, the discharge of duties the most illustrative of the precept of our Saviour explanatory of his comparisons-"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven."

It will be to the purpose, that while we present to the members of our Church our views as to what is consistent in their characters as individuals, we exhort them further, that the holy unction of their private devotions may shed its sanctifying influence on the occasions of their assembling for the public worship of the sanctuary. Perhaps there are few more powerful causes of the excitement of religious affections, than the witnessing of their possessing of the minds of a congrégation, in connection with all the decorum, and with whatever else should be connected with the purpose of their being assembled. It has sometimes happened, that on being present at such an exhibition, men, who came to mock, remained to pray. This was the sentiment in the mind of St. Paul, when he thought it probable of an unbeliever, that with such a company before

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"him, he should "fall down and worship, and report that God is among them of a truth" If with such persons such may be the result, much more powerful must be the operation of the same cause, on those who, on the like occasions, bring with them conviction of the obligation of the attendant duties, but associated with sensibility of the infirmities which may intervene between their devout oblations and the adorable object to whom they are to thebe addressed.

ord With a view to the duties referred qto, let there be a conscientious hallowKing of that sacred day, which, although divested of the peculiarities of the Sabbath, now succeeded by the Lord's Day, ascends, for the source of its obAigation, to the command given to the first created pair, when, on the finishing the work of the creation, "the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy." Let it rest on the minds of all, as a matter not to be dispensed with, except for some work either of necessity or of mercy. Let them assemble habitually, and in a manner remote alike from levity and from ostentation; and let them engage in the prescribed services, with affections suited to the spirit diffused throughout them; in the act of confession, in that of praise and thanks giving, in that of intercession, and in that of prayer, in all its various breathing of devout desire; with dependence on the holy spirit of grace, so as to render them, as nearly as is consistent with human frailty, fit for the replenisning of "the golden vials, full of odours," defined to be "the prayers of the saints," and said to be "offered by four-and-twenty elders, to the Lamb and before the throne."

On these occasions, let there also be a listening, with a desire of profit, and with prayer for the same, to the instructions of the divine Word read from the desk; which, according to the language of Scripture, is preached in the strict sense; although not without re

* The term “ preaching" is never used in the New Testament, except as referring to the annunciation of divine Truth simply, and not extending to any discourse on it merely human. In Acts xx. 9, the trans. VOL. XIII,

gard to further instructions from the pulpit; which, when drawn from the Word of God, or constructed in agreement with it, is a mean of salvation ordained by divine wisdom, and has, in all ages, been efficacious to the conversion of sinners, to the edification of the godly, and to the advancing of the church to what it ought to be as " built on the foundation of the holy apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone."

Conceiving of ourselves as addressing persons whose minds wear the impress of the truths of God's holy Word, we should be wanting to our subject were we to neglect to intimate to them, that besides personal religion, and besides the profession of it in the services of the church, there are due from the professor, his endeavours to recommend the holy cause in the ordinary intercourses of society. Without a Christian's exhibiting of himself in the character of a dictator, or in that of a censor, there will occur occasions of compliance with the apostolic injunction" be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear." Without the obtrusion of sacred lessons on reluctant minds, there may be given such a cast to what is said, as to make it conformable to that other direction of the same apostle-" Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt"-with the salt of religious sentiment, in proportion as there may be an opening for the expressing of it. To this, there is a great encouragement in that saying of the Old Testament-" a word spoken in due season, how good is it!"-good in itself, and often a mean, under the agency of the Holy Spirit, of illustrating the saying of St. James-"He that converteth a sinner from the error of his ways hath saved a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins."

We would not press the obtrusion of religious opinion, under circumstances lation should have been-as Pau was long discoursing; this being the sense of the Greek dianyousvor. The Greek for preaching is unquoow. In Acts xv. 2, the reading of the Jewish Scriptures in the synagogues is called preaching. 39

not favourable to the object in view; much less, the doing of this with either matter or manner that will be repulsive, and may perhaps carry with it the appearance of self-importance. But when infidelity and religion are so little under the restraint, even of the decorum which should govern in all social intercourse, and so prone to bring forward their deceptive reasonings and their unhallowed wit, whatever offence may be given to those with whom the Christian cause is the dearest object of their affections; it cannot but be covered with dishonour by an indifference on their part, which would wear the appearance of an abandonment of it. We are aware that silence may sometimes be imposed by modesty, under the consciousness of the want of preparation for argument, perhaps exacting the meeting of irreligious men, on the ground of the misapplied stores of literature of various kinds. Even in such a case, if the Gospel have been to the hearer "the power of God unto salvation," there are various ways of manifesting his adherence to the integrity of his profession, as also his sense of the attacks made on his morals, and of the endeavours put into operation for the blasting of his most precious hopes.

(To be continued.)

neral Convention of 1826, containing the proposed alterations in the litur gy, &c.; in respect to which a reso lution was subsequently passed, concurring in the first and third resorytions, and dissenting from the remains ing three, and also from the proposed alteration in the second clause of the eighth article of the constitution.

The following persons were elected delegates to the General Convention: -The Rev. Albert A. Muller, the Rev. James A. Fox, John Joor, John Henderson, Justin W. Foote, and P. F. Merrick.

The following persons were appointed the Standing Committee:The Rev. James A. Fox, the Rev. A. A. Muller, Henry W. Huntington, and Martin W. Ewing.

Parochial reports were received from four parishes. The following aggregate is gathered from them :Baptism (adults 4, children 42) 46; marriages 18; communicants 43; funerals 10.

After prayers by the President, the convention adjourned; first resolving, that the next annual meeting be held in Trinity Church, Natchez.

Convention of Ohio, 1828.

In our vol. xii. p. 380, we noticed the want of information from this diocese, and remarked that the first Wednesday in June was the time appointed for the meeting of the Convention. It appears we were mistaken in this date, which we took from the register in the Calendar, and that the convention did not meet until the 10th of October, when it as sembled at Kenyon College, Gambier, and was continued to the 11th. The printed Journal of its proceedings reached us some weeks since; and the address of Bishop Chase, then delivered, was inserted in the July number of our present volume. We now proceed with our abstract.

There were present at this meeting the Right Rev. Bishop Chase, eight clerical members, and nine lay delegates representing seven parishes.Morning prayer was read by the Rev, Silas C. Freeman, minister of Trinity Church, Cleaveland, and the sermon

delivered by the Rev. John P. Bausman, minister of St. Paul's Church, Chillicothe. The Rev. Wm. Sparrow, professor of languages in Kenyon College, was elected Secretary.

On the second day of the meeting the following persons were elected the Standing Committee:-The Rev. J. P. Bausman, the Rev. S. C. Freeman, the Rev. Wm. Sparrow, Arius Nye, David Prince, and Clark Nettleton; and the following persons delegates to the General Convention: The Rev. B. P. Aydelotte, the Rev. J. P. Bausman, the Rev. Nathan Stem, the Rev. Wm Sparrow, Wm. Little, Bezaliel Wells, John Bailhache, and Butler.

The following were in like manner elected Trustees of the Seminary: The Rev. Intrepid Morse, the Rev. Samuel Johnston, the Rev. J. P. Bausman, the Rev. John Hall, the Rev. B. P. Aydelotte, Bezaliel Wells, Jesse B Thomas, Wm. Little, Josiah Barber, John Bailhache.

A resolution was passed amending the twelfth canon of the diocese, so as to read as follows: "No person can be elected to this Convention or to the General Convention, from this diocese, who is not a communicant."

The parochial and missionary reports present the following aggregate: Baptisms (adults 16, children 167) 183; marriages 39; communicants 553; funerals 53. We should infer from these reports that the church in this diocese is in a gradual state of improvement. Sunday Schools seem to be in operation in many of the parishes, but we have not noticed in any of the reports the mention of their being connected with the Protestant Episcopal Sunday School Union of the United States. This we should hope arises merely from their infancy and the remoteness of their situation, and not from any desire to avoid a connexion with that union, or to amalgamate with others.

The Journal reports as forming the clergy of the diocese the bishop and ten ministers of churches, and one professor and two tutors in Kenyon College; besides whom we also find in the Journal the name of the Rev. Mr. Sanford, acting as a missionary.

For the Christian Journal.

Brief Notices of new Publications. A Charge to the Clergy of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the State of New-Jersey, delivered in Christ Church, at New Brunswick, on Thursday, May 28th, 1829, during the sitting of the Annual Convention of the Church in that State; by John Croes, D. D. Bishop of the Church in the Diocese of New Jersey.

It must be a source of gratification to every churchman when the bishop of a diocese tells his people that the favourable state of the church within his jurisdiction, and the good conduct of its ministers, render unnecessary the delivery of a charge at any particular time. Such, we are told by the bishop of New-Jersey, is the present case with respect to his ministers and people; and we fervently pray it may be long, very long, before the peace and quiet of the diocese shall feel the least interruption.

The subject of this charge is the religious education of children and youth, particularly as respects catechetical and Sunday school instruction. To say that the bishop is well qualified to discourse on such a subject is no compli ment; his long experience and familiar intercourse with youth render him preeminently so. Of course his charge is rich in advice and direction; and in this view highly commends itself to the attention of parish ministers, particularly the younger of them.

The following extract, while it affords a fair specimen of the work, will no doubt interest our readers.

"In the preparation of children and youth for the solemn hour in which they are to assume, in the rite of confirmation, the vows and promises which their sponsors made for them in baptism, something more is necessary than merely a knowledge of the doctrines and duties which are the subjects of those promises. They mnst possess the desire, and seriously resolve to make the endeavour, through the aids of the Holy Spirit, to fulfil them. Great pains should therefore be taken, to impress upon their young and tender minds, the greatness, holiness, and mercy of God; his goodness in giving existence to man, and placing him in so enviable a