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P.-I am uch edified, sir, by your instructions, and must request you to resume the abject at my next visit, which I propose to make in a few weeks. C.-You shall be always a welcome visitor, and especially so, when you come in the character of a meek inquirer after truth;-into which, may God [To be continued.] direct every well-disposed person.

TO THE EDITORS OF THE CHURCHMAN'S MAGAZINE. Gentlemen,

The winter is over and gone, and the warblers of the groves begin to announce the rising Spring; and as a great proportion of your subscribers are Hus bandmen, and much engaged in contriving how to obtain a plentiful harvest, the following will, I hope, find a place in your useful publication.

"Paul may plant, Apollos may water, but God giveth the increase.” THE FARMER'S PRAYER.

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THOU, by whom the universe was made,
Mankind's support, and never-failing aid,
Who bidd'st the teeming earth her produce bear,
Unto a peasant's earnest suit give ear.

I'm going now my land with care to dress,

And to its fertile bosom to commit my grain,
Which, if, O God! thou deignest not to bless,
I never must expect to see again.

In vain it is to plant, in vain to sow,

In vain to harrow well the levell'd plain,
If thou dost not command the seed to grow,
And give increase unto my bury'd grain.
O give us in due time, and measure fit,
Give us the former and the latter rain;
Give temp'rate seasons, and sufficient heat;
Give peace and plenty to each honest swain.
Prosper our handy-work, most gracious God!
And further all our labours with success;
So, on our knees, shall we confess thee good,
And night and morn our benefactor bless.

LINES WRITTEN ON A BLANK LEAF OF THE HOLY BIBLE

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E sacred tomes, be my unerring guide,
Dove-hearted saints, and prophets eagle-ey'd!

I scorn the moral fop and ethic sage,
But learn the truth from your illumin'd page.
Like Moses' bush each leaf divinely bright,
Where God invests himself in milder light!
Taught by your doctrines we devoutly rise,
Faith points the way, and Hope unbars the skies.

A SHORT VOCABULARY,

Giving the signification of some Old English words, used in the old translation of the Psalms, and several offices of the Church; but not commonly spoken or written now in the same sense in which our translators used them.

NY living creature man. Cicero, in his Tusculum quesBEAST. AND in the appellation of beasts to fishes, birds, and ser

Our last translation takes the word in this sense, which shews that it was so understood for above sixty years after the old translation was made.

pents. In Gen. iii. ch. ver. 1.-Psalm civ. ver. 25.

Essays and thoughts on various subjects.

BLASPHEME. To speak reproachfully either of God or man from the Greek word which is used in St. Jude's, Ep. vér. 7-Rom. iii. ch. ver. 8. and Titus iii. ch.. ver. 2. In these and other places men are said to be blåsphemed. Indeed, if we respect the etymology only, it is more properly applicable to men than to God; for it strictly signifies to hurt the fame or credit of another. Psalm iv. ver. 2.

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BLASPHEMY. Reproach or slander, either against God or man. Ps. lxxiii.

ver. 8.

COMMUNE. To discourse familiarly, to compare notes one with another. COUNSEL. Design, device, decree, or resolution, from the sil

iom, Psalm xxxiii ver. 10. In scripture it means more than simply advice, or direction, the sense in which it is now generally understood. ESCHEW. Aroid, shun, keep at a distance from.

FAIN. Glad, merry, joyful. We now use it as an adverb, viz. I would fain, that is, I would gladly; but our ancestors used it as an adjective: Psalm Ixxi. yer. 21.

FLITTING. A hasty removal or flight. Psalm Iviver. 8.
FLOOD. A river or stream. Psalm ixxii. ver. 8,

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HEALTH. Safely, protection, power of saving, salvation, both spiritual and temporal. It comes from the Saxon word Hal, which has the same signification. Thus in the Nicene Creed in the Saxon language, Hal stands for sal vation. And in that language Christ is called Hælenor, that is, the Saviour. And the last translation renders the Hebrew original by this word Health.Psalm xlii. ver. 11. [To be continued.]

ESSAYS AND THOUGHTS ON VARIOUS SUBJECTS. THE science called metaphysics seems never to have been of service to true der that cover, have often been stolen away by its enemies. May it not be compared to the mist, or fog, described by Homer, as spread on the top of hills? "Swift gliding mists the dusky hills invade,

"To thieves more grateful than the midnight shade."

"SUCH a respect," says Plutarch," had the Romans for religion, that they "made all their affairs depend solely on the pleasure of the gods, never suffer"ing, no, not in the greatest prosperity, the least neglect or contempt of their "ancient rites, or oracles; being fully persuaded, that it was of much greater "importance to the public welfare, that their magistrates and generals should "reverence and obey the gods, than if they conquered and subdued their "enemies."

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DR. GREEN, of St. John's College, trying to skate, got a terrible, fall backwards. 66 Why, Doctor," said a friend who was with him, I had thought you understood the business better."" O," replied the Doctor, "I have the theory perfectly, I want nothing but the practice.' How many of us in matters of a much higher and more important nature, come under the Doctor's predicamefit!

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MANY persons spend so much time in criticising and disputing about the gospel, that they have none left for practising it.-As if two such men should quarrel about the phraseology of their physician's prescription, and forget to take the medicine.

MANY of those great politicians as they are called, so celebrated in story, may be compared, as Mr. Boyle observes, to worthless gnats, considerable ouly for their noise and stings with which they disturb men's rest,

OBITUARY.

DIED, at Stratford, in February, Mr. JOSIAH CURTIS, aged 69 years.— Mr. HEZEKIAH LEWIS, aged 21 years. Mr. CURTIS JUDSON.-Miss NANCY CURTIS, aged 21 years.-Mr. ELISHA DEFOREST, aged 65 years. Miss ANNA BROOKS, aged 89 years.-Miss RUTH WOSTER, aged 86 years.

ERRATA.]-No. 3, page 48, first line, for" dream" read dram. In the text of the several Lectures on the Church Catechism, for" Romans" read Genesis.

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EXPLAINING WHAT THEY ARE TO BELIEVE AND DO IN ORDER TO DE SAVED. ADDRESSED CHIEFLY TO THOSE WHO ARE OF THE [Continued.]

YOUNGER SORT.

Thirdly, N baptism ye have renounced all the sinful lusts of the flesh. Ry which part of your vow ye have engaged yourselves to regulate and govern all these appetites and inclinations, which belong to you as men, and are implanted in your nature for good and wise purposes. The lust, or desires of the flesh, were not given to men for no other purpose than that they might be so many snares and temptations to them. Far be it from us to think so unworthily of the goodness of God, No; it is necessary to the present state of things, that ye should be so framed; and these dispositions, under a proper restraint, are (no doubt) of singular use to you in your present situation. The affairs of the world could not be carried on without them; and the counsels of Providence, in creating it, would be frustrated otherwise, and made of none effect. But when these appetites and desires are suffered to exceed their proper bounds; when they govern, instead of being in subjection; then do they become sinful lusts of the flesh, and with such ye have declared yourselves to be at enmity. Hence proceed drunkeness, gluttony, fornication,' adultery, strife, envyings, murders, and the like. These, with many others, are called by St. Paul, the works of the flesh; and of all such works ye have declared an abhorrence. Ye have vowed, that by the help of God's grace, ye will not do them yourselves; nor in any wise contribute to the doing of them, by giving encouragement or countenance to others. That ye may be the better able to perform this promise, let me advise you carefully to observe to what sins of this sort ye are mostly inclined. And although, with the Apostle, ye are assured that in your flesh dwelleth no good thing; yet let it be your especial care to guard yourselves in the weakest part, where ye apprehend the greatest danger of being overcome. Avoid every opportunity, as far as in you lies, by which ye may be enticed to commit any of these sins. In a niore particular manner, shun idleness and sloth; and betake yourselves now, in the early time of age, to some honest and useful employment. They that do otherwise, make provision for the flesh to fulfil the lust thereof; that is, they give themselves up to intemperance and loose conversation, the constant companions of an idle life, whereby the lusts of the flesh are fed and nourished, and so prove unruly and past controul.

And let this suffice for the first part of your baptismal vow, whereby ye promise to renounce the devil and all his works; the pomps and vanities of this wicked world; and all the sinful lusts of the flesh. Ye have declared, in the second place, that ye will believe all the articles of the Christian faith.

To believe a thing is to be well persuaded of the truth of it. And, although it be impossible for you to believe what ye please; yet in promising to believe all the articles of the Christian faith, ye do not undertake an impossibility.---

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The Clergyman's advice to his Parishioners.

For they admit of no doubt, because they are the sum and substance of the Christian faith; as it stands clearly and plainly described in the Holy Scriptures. They are what the members of the Christian Church therefore have generally believed, from the beginning of it to this day; although there are Some who have disputed concerning the meaning of several terms, in which these articles have been expressed. Now, it is your duty thoroughly to inform yourselves, what these articles of the Christian faith are, and in what sense they are to be understood; and whether ye yourselves do believe them, as they ought to be believed. In the first of these particulars, I will endeavour to inform you; in the latter, ye must inform yourselves, for no body else is capable of doing it. Whether ye do truly, and heartily, believe the articles of the Christian faith, is a matter in which your own consciences are chiefly concerned. But, I may add, that if ye lead your lives according to such a belief, ye have good reason to think that ye do not deceive yourselves or others in this respect. For Christian obedience is the best sign of Christian faith; and, if ye do behave in every thing according to the rules of the gospel, there is no reason to doubt of your belief of the gospel.

These then are the articles of the Christian faith; and this is the sense in which they are to be believed, as appears from the Holy Scriptures.

First, ye are to believe that there is a God, and but one God only; an eternal Being, infinite in perfection, and the author and giver of every thing which is good, and (in any degree) perfect in others: that he has all power in himself, by which he at first created, and does now support, and govern, all things in Heaven and Earth: that He is therefore the God, and Father, of all men. And, ye do believe that, from all eternity, He was the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

In like manner, ye are to believe, that Jesus Christ was always, from all eternity, the Son of God: that he took the name of Jesus Christ when made Man, as he was a person consecrated and anointed by God for the redemption and salvation of mankind: and that He thereby became our Lord, as he hath purchased us with his blood, and as all power and authority is exercised by Him over his Church.

With regard to the manner in which the Son of God took our flesh upon Him, and became visible to the world, that he might suffer for it; ye believe, that He was conceived of the Holy Ghost, and born of the Virgin Mary; that is, by the power and operation of God's Holy Spirit, a virgin was made to conceive and bring forth, without the ordinary means of generation; and that from hence our blessed Saviour Jesus Christ had both a human body and a hu man soul, but without any stain of sin upon either of them, because of the extraordinary and holy manner in which he was produced.

Ye believe, that the same holy person, after preaching repentance and forgiveness of sins to the world, for some space of time, and after working many. miracles in confirmation of the truth of what He said, did suffer under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried, and descended into hell; that is, at such a precise time, foretold by the Prophets, (when the Jews were under the power of the Romans, and Pontius Pilate, a Roman, was their Governor) our blessed Saviour did suffer from the Jews many grievous things, scourgings, mockings, buffetings, and the like; that His body, whilst He was yet alive, was fixed to a cross, after the manner of a criminal; that He did really die upon the cross; that His body, when dead, was taken down thence and laid in a grave; and that His soul went to the place appointed for it, during its state of separation.

Ye believe further, that the same Jesus Christ, who was crucified, dead, and buried, rose, again the third day from the dead; that is, after lying for. that space of time in the grave, His soul was restored to His body, and He did leave his sepulchre, and did appear alive to many persons, for many days, with the same soul and body which He had before He was put to death. And this, ye are to believe, was done by His own divine power, by which He was enabled to lay down His life, and take it again.

Ye believe also, that He ascended into Heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; that is, when He had continued some time upon earth, after His resurrection, and conversed frequently with his disciples, and others, in the presence of Peter, James and John, He ascended

The Clergyman's advice to his Parishioners.”

67

into Heaven, and took possession of "the glory which He had with the F'ather before the foundation of the world."

And ye do believe, that He shall continue in Heaven, governing and directing His Church upon earth, and interceding for it with God the Father, unto the end of the world, when He shall come again to judge both the quick and the dead; that is, all those who shall be found then alive upon the earth, as well as those who are departed out of this life, shall appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ, at his second coming; and shall be acquitted or condemnned, rewarded or punished, according to what they have done, whether it be good or evil.

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Further, as ye believe in God the Father, and God the Son, so do ye believe in God the Holy Ghost, (or the Holy Spirit) who is of the same Divine nature with the Father and the Son. He is called in Scripture the Holy Spirit, because it is by his means (more especially) that all the people of God, are sanctified, or made Holy. As ye believe the Father to have been your Creator, and the Son your Redeemer, so ye believe the Holy Ghost to be Helper and Comforter, in all things wherein ye stand in need more particularly of the divine assistance. He enlightens your understandings, disposes your wills, and enables you to perform every good and religious undertaking. He assists your prayers, strengthens you against temptations, and enables you to discern the malicious subtilties of the devil, and the cheats and delusions of the world and the flesh. He possesses you with the knowledge of your true interest, and is ever admonishing and encouraging you in the pursuit of it. Finally, by his sanctifying power, He unites you and all good Christians to Christ your head; sealing your souls with such an inward assurance of God's favour, that ye do firmly hope, and are persuaded in yourselves, that through the mercies of God, ye shall be everlastingly happy in a future state.

After ye have professed to believe thus in each of the Three Persons of the Blessed Trinity, ye declare also that there is one Church of Christ, called the holy Catholic, or holy and universal Church. The Church, here meant, is the general assembly of all such as, from the first publishing of the Gospel to this present time, have believed in Christ, and who hereafter shall do the same, to the end of the world. Ye do profess therefore to believe, that all holy persons, who have died in the faith of Christ, and in the fear of God's holy name, do continue members of Christ's Church, although they are removed out of our sight into a separate state; and that they, with all good and pious Chris tians now remaining in the world, do make but one Church, or Society, as they are united under one and the same head, Jesus Christ; that they are sanctified by the same Blessed Spirit, and shall one day partake of the same happiness in the glorious kingdom of God. Ye do further profess to believe, that that part of Christ's Church which is here on earth shall never cease; but that there shall always be a number of faithful persons continuing to believe and practise, as they are taught in the gospel of Jesus Christ, even to the end of the world. Ye do also believe, that, in this Church of Christ, there is, and always will be a Communion of Saints; that is, that all true Christians, as well as those who are departed out of this life as those who remain in it, have access to God the Father, being in covenant with him, through Jesus Christ; that they are in communion also with God the Son, who has purchased them with his blood, and redeemed them to himself; and, that they have the Fellowship of the Holy Ghost, who dwelleth in them, and is their counsellor and guide; that there is also so far an intercourse between good and holy men on earth, and the Angels of God in heaven, as that they have an affectionate regard for them, and delight in ministering to them, whenever they are commanded so to do. And, finally, ye believe, that the members of Christ have, and ought to have communion with one another, not only in prayer, and the ministry of God's holy word and sacraments, but in love and charity, and all good works, whereby they can be beneficial to each other.

Further, ye do believe, that as members of the Christian Church, ye have the inestimable benefit of that most gracious promise of the forgiveness of sins: that is, that, by the sending of His Son into the world, it has pleased Amighty God to issue a free pardon to all such as shall embrace the terms of His holy gospel: that, when all the wisdom of man could not contrive an expedient whereby he might hope to be reconciled to God, and when the whole world

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