quiring sinners. Many meetings for prayer and praise have been established. It appears that in several places, a number of persons have adopted the plan of assembling together on the sabbath morning, immediately before pub lic worship, and spending some time in religious exercises, particularly in prayer for the divine presence and blessing in the pub lic institutions of his worship. This, if properly managed, may prove a happy preparative for the worship of the sanctuary. We would, however, earnestly caution all who are under our care, against suffering public duties to interfere with the duties of the family and the closet. Among the visible fruits of an increased attention to the gospel, we recognise the establishment of benevolent institutions, as peculiarly characteristic of the religion of Jesus. We mean associations for the relief of destitute widows and orphans, for the instruction of the ignorant in divine knowledge, and for the benefit of the poor generally. It is a distinguished excellence of the gospel of Christ, that it is suited to the poor: not merely to their afflicted condition, but to their intellectual acquirements. Christians can give no better evidence of their sincere attachment to the Lord, who bought them, than by manifesting love, not only to their brethren in Christ, but to mankind in general. The fruits of benevolence ought ever to accompany the profession of piety; and it is exclusively the glory of christianity, that it has produced every where, as far its influence extends, effective plans to meliorate the condition of the poor. We hope sur brethren, in all our churches, will more fully testify, in this particular, the power of the grace of God. In the southern parts of our bounds, the extraordinary revivals of religion have considerably declined: bodily agitations are gradually disappearing in one instance, where extravagance and wild enthusiasm had been avowed and defended, in opposition to the pastoral advice of this body, we are happy to learn that the abetters have acknowledged their error, and returned to the good order of our church. Those who have been the subjects of the revival persevere in the ways of godliness, with but few exceptions. Apostacies are rare. Accessions to the communion are made on every occasion, though not in such numbers as formerly. Believers are still on the watch; disposed to pray, and actually praying for the spread of the gospel, and the triumphs of grace over all opposition. In those districts of country, as well as in some others, the want of gospel ministers is severely felt. People are suffering for lack of instruction,and calling for help; but help adequate to their necessities cannot be obtained. The assembly regret, that so few, comparatively, offer themselves as candidates for the holy ministry; and they hope that the attention of the churches under their care will be directed to this important subject, that by their united exertions, some effectual plan for statedly supplying the wants of Zion may be formed. With such abundant cause of gratitude, is connected cause of sorrow and humiliation. We have observed with pain, that in some presbyteries, the duties of family religion, and of catechetical instruction, are neglected. Truly it is shameful in men who call themselves by the name of Christ, not to honor him before their families, by worshipping him statedly. Every head of a family is responsible for all its members to God and his country. How can he expect to fulfil his duty, if he does not pray for and with them, and instruct them from the word of God? If he does not honor God, it cannot be expected his family will. And a Christian family living without family religion, is a contradiction. It argues on the part of such profes sors an awful declension and a criminal dereliction of duty. In many places, also, we have heard of lukewarmness and inattention to the great concerns of religion; of the profanation of the sabbath by thoughtless sinners, and of decline in the life of godliness. How lamentable, that with the light of the gospel shining around us, any should walk in darkness,and despise the goodness of God! From our sister churches in Connecticut and Vermont, we learn with pleasure that revivals prevail there also; that religion flourishes; that among other instances of mercy, Yale college is graciously visited; and that believers are walking in the comforts of the Holy Ghost. On a review of the state of religion in the churches referred to above, we rejoice in saying that it has progressed in the last year, and that it is still progressing. This revives us in our pilgrimage, and causes us to look forward with pleasing expectations. The Redeemer will ultimately reign throughout the earth. "His which she hath since appeared; the absurd doctrine of the real presence was not known till 400 years after this event. The circumstances were remarkable.Gre gory one day walking in the mar ket place,beheld several fine youths bound with cords, exposed to be sold as slaves; he asked whence they came, and was informed from the island of Britain. He then enquired, "Are the inhabit ants of that island, Christians or Pagans? He was told Pegans. Alas! said he, deeply sighing, does the Prince of Darkness possess such countenances. Are forms so fair destitute of divine grace! What is the name of the nation? It was answered, ANGLI. In truth, said he, they have angelic countenances, it is a pity they should not be coheirs with angels-What part of Angli do they come from? From DEIRA, (that is Northumberland). Let them be delivered De ira, i. e. from the wrath of God, and cal led to the mercy of Christ.What is the name of their king? ELLA. Let us, said he, still play ing on the name, teach them to sing Allelujah. He upon this never lost sight of the Mission to England. Augustine landed in the Isle of Thanet, in Kent. Ethelbert and his Queen were converted to christianity, and Augustine was shortly after made the first English Bishop of Canterbury, where the remains of his Church continue to this day. A SINGULAR AND KIND PROVI DENCE.* Col. John Bayard, an eminent merchant in the city of Philadelphia, sent a vessel to France, ear • Furnished to the editors of the ly in the year 1777, to purchase military stores, under the com mand of a Capt. Stocker, who had sailed some time in his employ; and Mr. William Hodge, his brother-in-law, went supercargo. His vessel arrived safe at her des tined port,and was loaded with powder, muskets, bayonets, gunflints, &c. The British spies in the sever al ports of France, gave notice of this vessel being there, her cargo, and of the time of her sailing, to their administration; and two vessels were sent out from England to cruise off about the mouth of the Delaware Bay to intercept and take her. For several days before she came on the coast, the weather was so thick and hazy, that Capt. Stocker could not get an observation, and therefore had no other way to know his situation, than by throwing his lead; this he did with great diligence and care, when he found himself in soundings, and the water was sometimes deeper and sometimes shallower. Thus the vigilance of the two British vessels was eluded. In this situation a dark night came on, and he went on throwing his lead, and in the morning to his great surprise, he found himself near the upper end of Ready Island,one hundred miles up the Bay, and within fifty miles of Philadelphia. Thus the United States were furnished with a seasonable supply of the most essential articles, for carrying on their war, at an early period of their struggle for Independence. Extract. I remember an instance of a person irresolute and wavering in the concerns of his soul, divided between hope and fear, who in his Panoplist, by Rev. Dr. Rodgers of prayers was earnestly intreating, to be assured of his own perse New-York. VOL. IV. New Series. E verence: and expressing how happy he should think himself, could he be satisfied in this point. Whereupon he was immediately answered from within. Well, and supposing you could be assured of this, how would you proceed then? Do but act now as you would think yourself obliged to do in that case, and never question your persever ing. This comfortable reply set tled his mind; and instead of indulging any enquiries into events, or anxious doubts concerning the success of his endeavours; he immediately applied himself to consider what God expected from him, and to set about the performance without more to do. Trust in the Lord and be doing good says the Psalmist, commit thy way to him and he shall bring it to pass. KEMPIS. ANCIENT THEOLOGICAL INSTI 1s some objections have been made to the Theological Institution lately established at Andover (Mass) you are requested to publish in your useful work the following extract*; from which it will appear, that such establishments are as old as christianity itself. The Christians (in the first century) took all possible care to accustom their children to the study of the scriptures, and to instruct them in the doctrines of their holy religion; and schools were every where erected for this purpose, even from the very commencement of the Christian church. We must not, however, confound the schools designed only for children, with the gymnasia, or academies of the ancient Christians, erected in • From Mosheim's Eccles. Hist. Vol. p. 115. Phila. edit. several large cities, in which per sons of riper years, especially such as aspired to be public teachers, were instructed in the different branches both of human learning and of sacred erudition. We may, undoubtedly, attribute to the apostles themselves, and their injunctions to their disciples, the excellent establishments, in which the youth destined to the holy ministry, received an education suitable to the solemn office they were to undertake, 2 Tim. ii. 2. St. John erected a school of this kind at Ephesus, and one of the same nature was founded by POLYCARP at Smyrna. * But none of these were in greater repute, than that which was established at Alexandria † which was commonly called the catechetical school, and is generally supposed to have been erected by St. Mark. Irenæus, adv. Hæres, lib. ii. cap. xxii. p. 148. ed. Massuet. EUSEBIUS, Hist. Eccles. lib. v. cap. xx. p. 188. †The Alexandrian school was renowned for a succession of learned doctors, as we find by the accounts of EUSEBIUS and ST. JEROM; for after ST. MARK, PANTENUS, CLEMENS ALEXANDRINUS, ORIGEN, and many others, taught in it the doctrines of the gospel, and rendered it a famous seminary for Christian philoso. phy and religious knowledge. There were also at Rome, Antioch, Cæsarea, Edessa, and in several other places, schools of the same nature, though not all of equal reputation. See the dissertation of SCHMIDIUS, de Schola Catechetica Alexandrina; as also AULISIUS, Delle Scuole Sacre, book ii. ch. i. ii, p. 5-17. and ch. xxi. p. 92. The curious reader will find a learned account of the more famous Christian schools in the eastern parts, at Edessa, Nisibus and Seleucia, and, indeed, of the ancient schools in general, in ASSEMAN US's Biblioth. Oriental. Clement, Vaticana, tom, iii, par. II. p. 914-919. REVIEW OF NEW PUBLICATIONS. A Dissertation on the Prophecies, that have been fulfilled, are now fulfilling, and will hereafter be fulfilled, relative to the great period of twelve hundred and sixty years; the Papal and Mahommedan apostacies, the tyrannical reign of Antichrist, or the Infidel Power, and the Restoration of the Jews. By GEORGE STANLEY FABER, B. D. Vicar of Stockton-upon-Tecs. In two volumes. Andrews and Cummings, Boston. THE author of this new, learn ed, and admirable work professes to be guided by these three simple principles. "1. To assign to each prophetic symbol its proper definite meaning, and never to vary from that meaning. 2. To allow no interpretation of a prophecy to be valid, except the prophecy agree, in every particular, with the event, to which it is supposed to relate. And 3. To deny, that any link of a chronological prophe, cy is capable of receiving its accomplishment in more than one event.' If the author has strictly adhered to these principles, as we think he has, his interpretations cannot but be in the main correct. In the first chapter he gives a general and summary statement of the subject. This greatly assists the reader to understand the scheme of prophecy before him. In the second chapter, he explains the symbolical language of prophecy, and shews, that though different symbols are often used to express the same thing, yet the same symbol is never used to ex press different things, unless such different things have a manifest analogical resemblance. Hence he observes, that "the language of symbols is more perfect than ordinary language, as it possesses the variegated elegance of synonyms, without the obscurity, which arises from the use of ambiguous terms." In the third chapter he critically examines the scriptural phrases of the latter days, the last days, and the time of the end; and finds, that the latter days denote the gospel dispensation, and, in prophecy, that portion of the gospel age, which falls within the period of twelve hundred and sixty years; that the last days, used declaratively, signify the gospel time, but used prophetically, signify the time near the end of the before menmentioned period; that the time of the end relates to the time just before, or immediately succeeding the close of that period. By fixing the meaning of the symbols, and determining the intention of the phrases frequently used in prophecy, he has rendered it much more easy to understand and ascertain the design of those predictions, in which such symbols and phrases are used. He Having thus judiciously prepared the way, he proceeds to explain the prophecies themselves. begins with those of Daniel. He observes, that, "From the days of this prophet to the time of the Millennium, there are to be no more than four empires, universal so far as the church is concerned; the Babylonian, the Medo, |