my views of God, of Christ, and of heaven been obscured. Now I see clearly-the darkness is removed, the veil is taken away. O the glory of heaven. Yet I see through a glass darkly. Soon, very soon, I shall see the Redeemer face to face. In a few moments, I shall awake in his likeness. Then I shall be satisfied." I asked her why she loved God. She said, "not because he is about to save me and take me to himself. Were this the reason of my love, I should equally love, for the same favour, the most odious being. I love him for his glorious character. What a glorious company the redeemed shall be! I know I shall be satisfied when I awake in the likeness of Christ. Of all the views of the ment of the heavenly world, and examining myself in regard to my submission. Am I willing to relinquish my title to heaven, should the glory of God require it? has been the trying question. The character of God appears so holy and glorious, I can cheerfully say, I am willing to be excluded from heaven, rather than the glory of God should be tarnished. I can love him and delight in his glorious character, place me where he may. I trust I am not deceived: Tomorrow our church will commune with Christ at his table on earth. At the same time, I expect to commune with him in heaven. I hope you will enjoy his presence. Monday morning I was called before light to pray once more with her, and witness her decease. Af-glory of God, I never had any ter prayer she was raised up and soon exclaimed, "what music in heaven-what glorious praise to God-the song of the Lamb, and are there none to begin it on earth? O the glory of God-what a glorious being! When shall the time come when shall I be taken to the bosom of my Redeemer? How long ere I shall cease to breathe? In a few moments I shall awake in the likeness of God. Then I shall praise him perfectly, How glorious is God! How glorious is Christ! How glorious is heaven! O redeeming love! Long have I carried about a body of death. Long have --- thing like this. Preach, dear Sir, to sinners. Tell them to repent, and embrace a precious Saviour. Warn them to flee from the wrath to come. Tell them of the glories of heaven, of redeeming love, of the glorious character of God.-How amiable, how lovely-what beauty dwells in God. Ŏ for a place to cast my crown of rejoicing at my Redeemer's feet-the meanest place." She then reclined upon her pillow and said, let me not come back to earth," and soon closed her eyes, and fell asleep in death." ANSWER ΤΟ THE QUESTION OF ROGATOR, p. 405. "How does it appear, that our Saviour lay in the heart of the earth any more than a part of three days, and two nights?" Matthew xii. 40. However easy the solution of this question may be, to adepts in Biblical literature; it presents a serious difficulty to unlearned readers, and has furnished the Jews with a plausible cavil against the veracity, and of course, against the Divine mission of Jesus. The question, therefore, has its importance, and deserves a satisfactory answer. Such an answer will be attempted, in the following brief observations. 1. It must be admitted, that our Saviour was in the sepulchre, or heart of the earth, no more than "a part of three days, and two nights. A child born on the evening of Friday, might have been circumcised early on the morning of the following Friday. In I. Kings, xv. 2, it is said, that Abijam reigned three He was crucified on "the prepa- its circumcision. ration" or day before the Jewish Sabbath; and his body was probably laid in the sepulchre before sun-set. He was, then, in the heart of the earth a small part of the sixth day. He was confessed-years. But, it is evident, from ly there, during the whole of the seventh day. His resurrection took place some time on the morning of the first day, or Christian Sabbath. This period, during which he lay in the sepulchre, our Lord, in the passage before us, calls three days and th ee nights. It was proper for him to call it so: For, 2. This was agreeable to the common mode of speaking among the Jews. It was a received maxim among them, writes their learned Bishop Kidder, that any part of a precise time, is to be reckoned for the whole Among them, one day of the month passed for the whole month; and one month of the year, for the whole year. This, he observes, is admitted by the Jews themselves. It was, therefore, agreeable to the usual and so, the proper mode of speaking, for Christ to say, that he should be in the heart of the earth, three natural days (which includes the nights) or a period of three days and nights. And that, he actually was. This mode of expression occurs frequently in the Old Testament. The Hebrew child was to be circumcised, at the age of eight days. But, this period included both the day of its birth, and the day of other passages, that he reigned only a small part of the third year. Many such instances might be mentioned. The inspired Hebrew writers justify Jesus in speaking of the day of his death, as a whole nuchthemeron (as the Greeks term it) a whole natural day; and of the day of his resurrection in the same manner; and, hence they justify him in the mode of uttering his prediction, that he should be in the tomb three days and three nights. 3. It appears that the Jews, at the time, understood our Lord to mean no more by his prediction, than that he would rise some time on the third day, reckoning the day of his crucifixion as the first.Hence they requested Pilate to make the sepulchre secure, until the third day. Jesus had said, that, after three days, he would rise again. This, according to the Hebrew manner of speaking, and the understanding of the Jews, meaut only, that he should rise on the third day. And so, when he foretold, that he should be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth, the meaning simply was, that he should remain there, some part of three successive days. EDITOR. THE DUTY OF WEAK CHURCHES. There are some weak Churches in towns where there are funds for the support of the ministry. These funds are under civil control. They are subject to the las of the state; and under the state they are at the disposal of every town, or the individual citizens of each town. Such funds cannot be commanded by the Churches. Out of 200, or 300, or 400 voters in the town, the Church will not contain a dozen. In this state of things is much dependance to be placed on such funds? And shall the Church rest year after year, in the hope rich will be excited to munificence that a majority of the town will by the generosity of the poor, ani agree to settle a faithful Minister? the ministry will at length be hon For many Churches have practi- ourably supported. By the neglec cally answered this question in the of efforts, a parsimonious spirit wil affirmative. But what ought to be prevail, even in the Church; and done? In the first place the men it will be finally difficult to obtain and women in the Church must only a few weeks stated board for a come forward resolutely and liber- missionary. Parsimony in the ally, to procure religious ordinan- Church will produce a double parces. They must act as if they simony in the world; and you may thought this was most properly their as soon expect to get the heart's business. It is not exclusively the blood of the rich, as to get their monbusiness of a town or a parish to ey for this purpose. Any thing will set up the ministry of the gospel; do for the worship of God. The it is the business of the Church missionary must preach in the ruinThere can be no doubt that if the ous cold meeting-house, or in the Church do their duty, their neigh-inconvenient school-house. A nigbours out of the Church will help them; the influence of religious institutions will diffuse itself, and assistance will be given with increasing liberality. This is the process that is most reasonable on scriptural grounds. But what can be hoped for, when believers wait for the world to move first? What can be hoped for, when they place all their dependance on funds, which are under the control of persons un-iment of prayer. friendly to evangelical truth? Many Churches, however, are exceedingly weak, and they may think they must be excepted from these remarks; but such exceptions are erroneous; every Church must merit Christ's commendation, "She hath done what she could." If preaching is obtained for only two or three Sabbaths each year, God will accept and bless the service. The habit and the ability of supporting the gospel will grow; the gardly spirit will characterise every thing that relates to divine worship. But let not too unworthy thoughts be entertained of the destitute Churches. They are desirous of enjoying gospel ordinances, and they are willing to do their part, to support them. But they have not proper views of doing what they can. as an example of duty and liberality, and as a suitable accompan Let them then arise, and put forth their strength; and if they can support but two weeks' preaching a year, let them do this, and God will bless them in it. The "earth will help the woman;" the silver and the gold belong to God, and wealthy men destitute of religion will assist in the support of publick worship, from regard to good order; though they have not precisely the minister they would choose. C. C. Religious Antelligence. We learn from the September | It was commenced July 28, 1824, number of the Missionary Herald, that Messrs. Goodell and Bird, American Missionaries to Palestine, have established a school at Beyrout, for the instruction of children. with only seven pupils; but by the middle of September, the regular number was between fifty and sixty. One of the Missionaries preaches in English every Sabbath, at " house of the English Consul. By the latest intelligence from Mr. King, it appears that he was about leaving Syria, with the intention of visiting Constantinople and Greece. In this latter country the opportunities of doing good are great. Mr. Wilson has just returned to Malta, from a tour in the Morea, where he sold and distributed more than 400 Greek Testaments, about 100 copies of Pilgrim's Progress, and several thousand Tracts; and might have disposed of twice that number had they been in his possession. Mr. Bingham, Missionary at the Sandwich Islands, commenced a translation of the Gospel of St. Matthew into the language of the natives, about the beginning of last autumn, and expected to finish it in the course of a year. He is obliged to introduce a number of foreign words, to supply the deficiencies of that into which he translates. Rec. and Tel. that from June 23d, 1824, to June 30th, 1825, its receipts, including a balance of perhaps 400 dollars in the treasury at the former date, amounted to 2506 86several hundred dollars more than in the preceding year. At the time of the annual meeting, there remained in the treasury upwards of 1200; a large portion of which, however, had been previously appropriated, but the orders not yet presented for payment. During the year twenty-two individuals have been constituted Life Members of the Society, by a donation of twenty dollars each, either by themselves or others, making the whole number of life members 83. Rec. and Tel. On my arrival last week, I found that all the assistance I could render was very much needed; and I am anxious to do all I can to re lieve Brother Ferry, who is almost worn down with excessive labour and care. The mission is in a very prosperous state. Little did I think of finding children here from a distance of 2700 miles; but there are four who have come that distance, even from Red River, in the vicinity of Hudson's Bay. Several others have been brought more than a thousand miles. There are now in our family, supported by their friends or the Christian publick, 61 natives. These, with our hired help, &c. make our family to consist of 80 persons; the children of the village who attend our school, make the number 115. These last yield us in cash, more than 400 dollars per annum, besides, perhaps, nearly 100 dollars in such articles ar Two Indian women (neighbours) give comforting evidence of a deep and gracious work, and one of our dear children, a girl of 14, we trust, has lately drank deep we need, that are not exactly cash. We are building largely of necessity, as you will readily perceive, when I tell you we can increase the school to almost any number, as soon as we can provide accom-into the same spirit. We are, as modations for them. Never did I see a more promising field for missionary labours. We have one half-breed, whose wife is a white woman, with five children, all members of our family, and the parents very eminently pious and very valuable helpers. A devout soldier also who waits upon the Lord and us continually-these three are self-devoted and for life. a family, in perils, and labours, and watchings, and persecutions, and various nameless perplexities; but they are all all thrown into the back ground, when we look at the tokens of divine approbation which we see multiplied around us; not in the converts merely, but in the very happy unanimity that exists in the mem| bers of the family. ORDINATIONS AND INSTALLATION. 1825. August 31. Ordained, Rev. WILLIAM EDY as Pastor of the Church, in North Mansfield, Conn. 1825. September 14. Ordained, Rev. SAMUEL H. PECKHAM, as Pastor of the Gongregational Church in Grey, Me. Sermon by Rev. Professor Smith, from Philip. i. 27. Installed. Rev. JONATHAN CURTIs, as Pastor of the Calvinistick Church in Sharon, Mass. Sermon by Rev. Mr. Bridgham, of Randolph. 1825. September 21. Ordained. Rev. erend DANIEL LANCASTER as Pastor of the First Congregational Church in SELECTED From the Christian Mirror. ON SLAVERY. WHY should the sons of Afric wear Why doomed in servitude to bear Are not the inoffensive race Born free as we? Who on their heads heap shame, dis. Yet proudly boast we've found a place Like Cowper, I would rather be Than chain a fellow-being free, And make him tug and sweat for me Why should the little happiness For man designed, Gilmanton, N. H. Sermon by Rev. Phineas Cooke, of Heckworth, from I. Kings, xix. 9. 1825. September 28. Ordained. Rev. CHARLES NICHOLS, as Pastor of a Church in Hebron, Con. 825 September 29. Ordained. Rev. EDWARD BULL, as Pastor of the Church in the South Parish at Lebanon, Con 1825. October 12. Ordained at Williamstown. Vermont, Reverend Messrs. FREDERICK E. CANNON and DAN BLODGETT,as Evangelists. Sermon by Reverend Mr. Chandler, of Waitsfields from Jeremiah iii. 15. |