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sipid pleasures, I have long since viewed with indifference; and have directed my eyes to the world above, where holiness and felicity forever, ever, reign. Infinitely rather would I reside in some obscure but, graced with the beauties of holiness and the fruits of the Spirit, and favored with the presence of the King of kings, than in the grandest earthly palace, swaying a sceptre over obedient nations,and possessed of all the joys and pleasures of this nether world;-but without a God. O, may we never seek our portion here. Rather let us ascertain our title to a mansion in that celestial world, where the storms of adversity, and the billows of temptation, never arise; "where time and pain and chance and death expire." Let us be solicitous to build upon a foundation, which the united assaults of earth and hell shall not shake-even the Rock of ages, the illustrious Corner-stone. Fixed upon this immoveable basis, we might meet with composure the greatest worldly calamities, smile at the approach of death, and look forward to the august scenes of the last great day, without dis

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or apprehension. How inconceivably important is it, that Christ should be formed in us, the hope of glory! And if the concerns of our souls are of infinite moment, do they not demand immediate attention? Defer them not, my dear N-, for now is the accepted time, and now is the day of salvation. Your time is on the wing; your days are taking their flight; and, when you have witnessed a few more rising and setting suns, you will be conversant with disVOL, X.

embodied spirits and with all the tremendous realities of eternity. Rest not, then, till you are sheltered in the ark of safety; till you are prepared to meet your God. When you repose on your pillow, apply this question to your inmost soul; Am I prepared to die? For your eyes, instead of saluting the splendor of the next rising sun, may open in the eternal world. Did we know what was passing this instant in eternity would it not rouse to energy all cur dormant faculties, and awaken to activity our drowsy souls. Should we not exert every nerve to secure the bliss, which some are enjoy. ing, and avoid the agonics and torments, under which others are despairing? O, how highly should we appreciate every passing moment; how indignantly should we scorn the trifles of a day; and how should we value our immortal souls, and the precious atonement of the Lamb of God, who saves from hell, and raises to heaven.

If these things are true, they are of momentous importance; and, however we may evade their force now, the time is not remote, when we shall feel them in all their tremendous emphasis, solemnity and power. O that we may now feel their salutary influence to the saving of our souls. O why, why, are we so supinely careless, when all that is interesting in heaven, or hell, hangs suspended on this inch of time, this flying now. O, my dear N-, let me intreat you to live under a deep and habitual Real sense of eternal things. ize the unutterable interests of a dying hour, the ineffable preciousness of your immortal

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soul, and the amazing solemnities of the dread tribunal. Ponder on the word eternity; a word, which our language is too poor to explain; which our minds are too contracted to comprehend; but of which we shall ere long experience the meaning, in all its arful import. I cannot but feel tenderly anxious for your future well being; I cannot but long that you should be a Christian. As a proof of my ardent affection, receive this from your af fectionate

June 10, 1813.

ON THE DUTY OF

world. The object of this zeal and importunity is not the promotion of any secular interest, but the extension of evangelical truth. These active principles are necessary both for the advancement of individual piety, and the progress of religion in general. As these exercises of the mind proceed from a cordial love to God, and a deep sense of the reality and importance of eternal things, they may justly be considered as an evidence of Christian piety. The Christian graces are active principles; and, when once implanted in the heart, are to be cherished and CHRISTIAN improved, only by a lively exer cise in a course of godliness. Though the mind should ever be impressed with the fact, that success in spiritual as well as temporal concerns, is only from God, it would yet be extreme folly and presumption, to expect success in the neglect of the established means.

F."

ZEAL AND IMPORTUNITY.

To the Editor of the Panoplist. Sir, THE enclosed essay is with diffidence submitted to you, either to publish or suppress, as you shall judge proper. I would wish here to observe to you, that the Christian Church in general, within the circle of the writer's acquaintance, and probably much further, suffers greatly for want of practical piety, and a diligent and spirited exertion of its members for the prosperity of Zion. The love and cares of this world appear to engross their principal attention. Although doctrinal knowledge is, in many instances, very imperfect, yet it far exceeds a personal obedience to the plain commands of Scripture. If this piece should not be thought worthy of insertion, it is highly probable, that another piece, on a subject of a similar nature, might be the mean of exciting many readers of the Panoplist to a more diligent and zealous attention to eternal things.

Dec. 10, 1813.

By Christian zeal and importunity are here meant an ardent affection for the Christian religion, and a constant solicitude, (expressed by words and actions.) for the advancement of the Redeemer's kingdom in the

Mankind are by nature formed for active employment; and it is ordained by infinite wisdom, that all the attainments of men, shall be made by means of their own exertions. When these cease to be made, in a proper degree, we are not warranted by experience to expect success in any pursuit. Christians are com manded to love God with all the heart, soul, strength and mind; and to manifest this love by liv ing in actual obedience to his commands. The Holy Scriptures clearly shew the nature and situation of man to be such, as to require his constant and most vigorous efforts, in order to make progress in the Christian life. The natural depravity of

the human heart, the vanities and allurements of the world, and the various temptations to which all are exposed, place them in a continual state of war. fare. They have to contend not only with flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spir itual wickedness in high places. Scripture examples, and precepts, so plainly enforce the duty and necessity of Christian zeal and importunity, that whoever expects to advance in religion, by a life of neglect and indifference must be ignorant of the bible, and a stranger to the nature of Christianity.

The human heart is naturally so opposed to the doctrines and practice of true religion, and so deaf to the calls and invitations of the Gospel; and the adversary of souls is so busily engaged in effecting their destruction, that the minds of the unregenerate are little excited to attend to religion, by the example of those, who manifest a careless and indifferent attention to divine things. Besides, the duties of the Christian religion imply such a course of self-denial, and are so contrary to our natural inclinations, that the performance of them requires, at all times, a cordial love to God, and earnest supplications at the throne of grace for divine assistance. The Holy Scriptures render it abundantly evident, that all such as would enjoy the divine favor, must seek it with zeal and importunity. All those, who have been the most remark able for their human attainments, have been equally distinguished for their perseverance and inces

sant exertions. The annals of the Christian religion shew, that persons, who have been the most eminently useful in the Church, have, at the same time, been the most zealous and importunate. Those who live in the exercise of this zeal, are incessantly engaged, after the example of our Savior, in doing good. They strive for growth in grace, not only for their own good, but that they may become the more useful in the cause of religion.

Believers are styled, God's husbandry, and workers together with Him. They are commanded to grow in grace; to give diligence to make their calling and election sure; and to let their light so shine before men, that others, beholding their good works, may glorify their Father who is in heaven. If the word of God requires believers to be zealous and importunate in the concerns of religion, success is not to be expected, without a practical obedience to his com mands. The following words of the prophet Isaiah, among other passages of Scripture, very strikingly enforce the duty of Christian zeal and importunity: I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day ner night. Ye, that make mention of the Lord, keep not silence, and give Him no rest, till he establish and till he make Jeruslem a praise in the earth.

Ministers of the Gospel, and all who name the name of Christ, are here commanded to exert themselves incessantly for the enlargement of Christ's kingdom. That this command is not more generally obeyed, in no

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degree diminishes its force. Although professors of religion, through slothfulness and the love of this world, yield a very imperfect obedience to many of the divine commands; yet their practical obedience ought to increase in proportion to the advancement of scriptural light and knowledge. If it is now ascertained to be a Gospel command, to af ford pecuniary aid for missionary purposes, it is then a duty equally incumbent on the people of God, to labor incessantly, and zealously, in every other way, for their own spiritual welfare and that of others. The attention of the bulk of mankind, at the present time, is remarkably diverted from the concerns of religion, by the love of this world, and by the extraordinary commotions existing among the nations of the earth. This neg lect of religion, at the same time that the Lord is punishing the inhabitants of the world for sin, loudly calls for the most strenuous efforts of the friends of Zion, in the cause of truth and right eousness. When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.

Although it is true, that Paul may plant, and Apollos water, but God alone gives the increase; it is nevertheless, usually found to be a fact, that the prosperity of religion in any place, is in some proportion to the spiritual dili. gence and zeal of its ministers and professors. The prince of darkness is not disturbed by a mere outward profession of religion; neither is he displeased with a speulative belief of the doctrines of the Gospel, and a cold formal round of religious

duties, provided professors of religion are not conformed, in their lives and conversation, to the temper and disposition which the Gospel requires. But when, from an ardent love to God, they are diligently and zealously engaged in the concerns of religion, the powers of darkness are dismayed; the wicked are constrained to acknowledge the reality and importance of reli gion; their consciences become alarmed; and many, in conscquence of beholding the good works of others, are induced to glorify their Father who is in heaven. When the careless and secure find Christians in earnest, and see that they make much of eternal things, they are in a degree restrained from gross sins; and, by perceiving Christians not ashamed of the cross of Christ, they become less reserv. ed in their inquiries on the subject of religion.

Although ministers of the Gospel, possessed of the best natural and acquired abilities, preach good orthodox sermons every Sabbath; and although professors of religion lead apparently moral lives, and attend regularly on the ordinances of the Gospel; yet if they remain silent and indifferent as to eternal things, at all other times, and do not evince the sincerity of their profession by a zealous and importunate pursuit of religion, the work of the Lord will seldom prosper with them. Those, who live in the lively exercise of the Christian graces, and are diligently and zealously engag ed in the cause of Christ, embrace every opportunity to advance the spiritual good of others. They not only urge

the wicked to attend to religion by the example of a holy life and conversation; but are incessant in endeavoring to excite them to attend to the various means of grace. This Christian zeal embraces the various missionary objects of the present day. Those, who have this spirit in exercise, not only feel it a duty incumbent on them, to extend the knowledge of the Gospel to heathen countries, but likewise find numerous occasions at all times of performing or supporting missionary labors themselves, within the sphere of their own acquaintance. Ministers, and Christians in general, who neglect on week-days to use all the means in their power, for the spiritual good of their fellow creatures, lose their greatest opportunities of doing good. There are numbers, in every Christian society, almost as ignorant of the Gospel, as the heathen in Africa.

The discountenancing and suppressing of vice; the instruction of the ignorant, in moral and religious knowledge; and the distribution of the various religious tracts and publications of the present time, furnish ample scope for the benevolent exertions of every well disposed person. Considering the feeble and limited efforts of most Christians, for the advancement of religion, there is no wonder that it is not more flourishing. If the Lord's watchmen, and people were more universally and earnestly zealous in the best of causes, there is encouragement to expect, that He would appear, and more generally revive and extend it. The Scriptures assert, that lukewarmness and indiffer

ence in spiritual concerns, are highly displeasing to God. Therefore, Christian professors, who remain idle and indifferent spectators in this enlightened and eventful period, not discerning the signs of the times, have reason to apply to themselves the denunciation to the church of the Laodiceans: I know thy works that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So, then, because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. γ. Θ.

For the Panoplist.

ON THE EVIL OF SIN.

SIN is defined, in the Westminster Catechism, to be the "want of conformity to, or trans-gression of, the law of God.” I think no important exceptions can be taken to this definition. It is clear and comprises much, in concise terms.

The existence of law, is implicd in the existence of sin. Where there is no law, there is no transgression. Were there * rational beings in the universe destitute of law, they must be free from guilt. Had not Pagans a law in their own consciences, transcribed there by the finger of God, they must be acquitted in the day of judgment. Such as have in their hands the Scriptures, will be judged by the Scriptures; and their demerits will be estimated, according to the standard there established.

Hence, in estimating the evil of sin. we are bound in duty to ourselves, and in gratitude to

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