extensive acquirements avail you, if God conceal from you the mysteries of his kingdom? If he leave you to wander without a guide in a world of doubt and uncertainty? Look well to your steps; the path is slippery, and infinitely more dangerous at the height of glory, which you ima. gine yourselves to have attain. ed, than in an abject condition.

Remember these words of Jesus Christ: "I thank Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes even so, Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight."

But as for you, little children, you who are meek and lowly, who feel your ignorance, and weakness; walk steadily in the light of the Sun of righteousness, which shines upon you; let the word of God be your only rule, receive it with faith, entreat him continually to render it "a lamp to your feet and a light to your paths." Meditate on it evening and morning, rising and lying down, night and day. Let the wise men of the age walk by the glimmering light of the flame which they have kindled, and the sparks which they have struck out. Be not affected by their contempt; the manifestation of the kingdom of God, and the assurance of your redemption by Jesus Christ, are infinitely preferable to all their knowledge. That calm and settled peace, which you experience in Jesus, will support you under your trials, will strengthen your weak. ness, will enable you to triumph at the approach of death, and

will render you "more than con. querors." Gibert.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PERSON OF

THE APOSTLE PAUL. ST. CHRYSOSTOM describes him as, "a little man, about three cubits (four and a half feet) in height. Lucian says he was "rather bald headed, with an aqua. line nose, who travelled through the air into the third heavens" Nicephorus Callistus (Lib. 2. cap. 36.) says "St. Paul was small of stature, stooping, and rather inclined to crookedness; pale-faced, of an elderly look, bald on the head, his eyes lively, keen, and cheerful; shaded in part by his eye-brows, which hung a little over. His nose, rather long, and not ungracefully bent. His beard pretty thick of hair, and of a sufficient length; and, like his locks, interspersed with grey." Toplady's Works-quoted by Evan. Intel. quotedb

ANECDOTE.

On the top of a hill, near to Hoddam castle, (England,) there is a square tower, over the door of which are carved the figures of a dove and a serpent, and between them the wordrepentance; whence the building is called the Tower of Repentance. said, that the celebrated Sir Richard Steele, while riding near this place, saw a shepherd boy reading his bible, and asked him "What he learned from it ?" "The way to heaven," answered the boy. "And can you show it to me?" said Sir Richard, in banter. "You must go by that tower," said the boy pointing to the tower of repentance.

A Sermon preached at the opening of the Theological Institution in Andover; and at the Ordination of Rev. ELIPHALET PEARSON, LL.D. Sept. 28th, 1808. By TIMOTHY DWIGHT, D. D. President of Yale College. To which are added the Charge, by the Rev. JONATHAN FRENCH; and the Right Hand of Fellowship, by the Rev. JEDIDIAH MORSE, D. D.-8vo. pp. 39. Boston: Farrand, Mallory, and Co.

1808.

SELDOM has it fallen to the lot of a preacher to address an audience on an occasion of more solemn importance, or deep interest, than that on which the respectable author of this Sermon was called to speak. Occasions, indeed, have often occurred in which public curiosity was more excited, the fervor of natural feeling more strongly roused, and general expectation more on tiptoe for a splendid result. But if the grandeur of an occasion is to be estimated by its real importance, and by its fitness to engage the attention, and fill the hearts of the most sober, enlightened, and pious, the opening of the ANDOVER SEMINARY will yield to few that do or can occur. The value of the gospel ministry; its incalculable effects on the temporal and eternal interests of men; the probable influence of a Theological School, established on a broad foundation, conducted by able hands, supported by munificence altogether new and extraordinary, destined, as it is hoped, to continue and flour. VOL. I. New Series.

ish as long as the gospel shall be preached on earth, and to send forth many thousands of able and pious ministers into the church; together with all the vast and eternal consequences likely to flow from the system then organized and set in motion; these were the mighty objects presented to the minds of the preacher and his hearers, at the time and place in which this Discourse was delivered.

The reverend President did not forget either the grandeur or the solemnity of these considerations; and, in discharging the duty assigned him, he has acquitted himself in a manner honorable to his own character, and gratifying to the friends of the new Institution. We find in this Sermon the same dignity, force, and eloquence, which its author has so often displayed on other occa sions, and which have long ago placed him in the first rank of American Divines. And we recognize, with still greater pleasure, a seriousness, an attachment to evangelical truth, and a deep sense of the importance of piety, orthodoxy, and faithfulness in ministers of the gospel, which cannot fail to arrest the attention of every reader.

This discourse is founded on Matthew xiii. 52. Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe who is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven, is like unto a man who is an householder, who bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old. The first ten pages are taken up in shewing the importance and ne3 K

cessity, of a learned ministry. It is truly humiliating that for mal argument should be required, at the present day, to satisfy any reflecting mind on this point. But it is required. There are many persons wrong-headed enough to suppose and maintain, that even a moderate portion of learning is, not only not necessary, but scarcely even desirable in a gospel minister. Nay, if a man be "book taught," it is, with some, sufficient ground for denouncing him, as a graceless intruder" into the sacred office. To those who are tempted to embrace opinions of this kind, we recommend the perusal of the follow. ing forcible paragraphs.

"There are, however, many persons in this and other Christian countries, who declare, both in their language and conduct, that the desk ought to be yielded up to the occupancy of Ignorance. While they demand a seven-years-apprenticeship, for the purpose of learning to make a shoe, or an axe; they suppose the system of Providence, together with the numerous, and frequently abstruse, doctrines and precepts, contained in the Scriptures, may be all comprehended without learning, labor, or time. While they insist, equally with others, that their property shall be managed by skilful agents, their judicial causes directed by learned advocates, and their children, when sick, attended by able physicians; they are satisfied to place their Religion, their souls, and their salvation, under the guidance of quackery. Among these people, men become preachers in a moment; and put on the qualifications for the Ministry, as they put on a coat. Multitudes of them can neither speak, nor write, nor even read, English with propriety. They can neither explain, nor understand, the great body of Scriptural passages. They profess themselves to be set for the defence of the truth; and yet know not what the truth is, nor what are the means of defending it. Should the Gospel be attacked by an Infidel; they are unable either to answer his objections, or to tell what are the proofs, on which its authority rests as a Revelation from GOD. Should the translation of a text be called in question; they could neither explain, nor defend it. Should a geographical, or historical fact be mentioned; or a local

custom alluded to; it might, so far as they are concerned, as well have been written in Arabic, as in English.

"At the same time, men of this charac ter are incapable of the decorum, and dignity, which are indispensable in the desk. By mankind, at large, Religion is prima rily seen in its Ministers; and, in the common apprehension, almost necessarily takes the degree of reputation and importance, which it actually sustains, from the manner, in which it is exhibited by them. If Ministers are respectable; Repected. If they are grave; it will be religion will by mankind in general be resgarded with seriousness. If they are inpend of wisdom. If they are refined; it telligent; it will be believed to be a comwill be supposed actually to refine and purify man. If they are dignified; it will be believed to be noble. If they are pious; it will be acknowledged to be real.

"But if, on the contrary, Ministers are contemptible; Religion will be despised. If they exhibit levity in their manners; it will be considered as a mere collection of trifles. If they are ignorant; it will be supposed to be a mass of folly. If they are vulgar; it will be regarded, not by superior minds only, but ultimately by the people at large, as a system of grovelling doctrines, and debasing precepts, lowering the character of man to a degree, beneath even his natural degradation. If their deportment exhibits, on the whole, meanness and littleness of character; Religion itself will sink down to their level; and become the subject of disgrace, and the object of scorn and ridi

cule.

"I will not occupy the time of this assembly in refuting, any farther, the miserable shifts, and impious pretensions, by which these men endeavor to support themselves in this wretched cause. Without a shadow of argument in its favor, it can be embraced only by imposture, ignorance, or enthusiasm; and must always shrink from the touch of sober investigation. That it will continue to engross the attachment, and the labors, of many persons in this and other Christian countries, is certainly to be expected; for it must needs be, that offences come; but woe to that man, by whom the offence cometh. All that can be done by the friends of Christianity, towards an effectual resistance against this evil, is to lessen, as far as may be, the influence of those causes, from which it springs; and thus to prevent the existence of their effects. The Institution, whose birth we are this day assembled to celebrate, is designed, peculiarly, to accomplish this invaluable end. Its efficacy may in some measure be understood from the following considerations."