gion. These sermons might be delivered occasionally, as circumstances should render most convenient. And to complete the system, it might be well to follow the example of the Apostle, whose labors were so remarkably blessed on the day of Pentecost, by a pungent exhortation to their hearers to repent and believe. While the primary object of these discourses would be to convince those, who, through criminal negligence, are deplorably ignorant on this all-important subject, they would at the same time have a tendency to comfort and animate such as have already been taught, and invigorate the faith of others, whose belief of the Gospel is founded rather on a witness in themselves' than on any outward evidences. These sermons would excite attention by their novelty; for, as has just been remarked, we seldom hear any thing on the subject; and there is much reason to believe, that with the blessing of God they would produce a happy effect on many wavering persons. But something still further is necessary to be done; for though it may be possible to heal a dangerous malady, it is much safer to guard against its attacks -Let children, then, be early instructed in the evidences of the Christian faith Though such have a natural perverseness of temper, yet their heads have not been filied with delusive speculations, nor their minds darkened by words without knowledge, and perverted with the sophistical reasoning of infidel objectors. Their minds are open to conviction, and should be stored with argu ments, that in future life they may be able to withstand gainsayers; and, should the Spirit of grace afterwards operate on their minds, be ready to give an answer to every man that dsketh them a reason of the hope that is in them. The principal evidences of our religion are plain and simple, and may be comprehended in very early life; and among all our catechisms I should be glad to see one comprising these evidences, adapted to the capacities of children. Let this be introduced into our schools; let children be taught it, as they are, or ought to be, the Assembly's catechism. They could learn it with as much ease, and probably understand it much better. Would it not likewise be an excellent practice to introduce something of this kind, as an occasional study, into higher schools, academics, and colleges? I am persuaded, that this is a subject of importance; and should ministers of the Gospel, and those who have the care of children and youth, be of the same opinion, and act according-. ly, there is reason to believe that some of the present generation, and multitudes who are now just coming forth into active life, would hereafter rise up and call them blessed. LAOS. ORIGINAL LETTER FROM GOVERNOR BELCHER TO PRESI DENT EDWARDS. My good Friend, SIR-I am still to humble myself and ask forgiveness, while I mention the receipt of yours of the 22nd of November last. In ful God, that while clouds and deed, the difficult situation of discouragements have been hovthe affairs of this province has ering over this little seminary, latterly pretty much drawn my the day-spring from on high attention, and broken in upon seems to visit it, by finding out the regularity of my more pri- ways and means for its support. yate correspondence, which I A gentleman that died lately, in now renew with you to my great the colony of Pennsylvania, has pleasure and satisfaction. left to our College his whole estate after his wife's decease, (who is between 60 and 70,) and this donation is judged to be at least five hundred pounds sterling; and by a lottery, it has lately gained about nine hundred pounds sterling more. The President has at present, I think, 29 pupils, and several of them very promising. The commencement is to be the last Wednesday of the next month, when I understand a number intend to offer themselves for admittance. Thus far, through the tender mercy of our God, we are creeping along. Alas, Sir, when I consider how miserable and worthless a creature I am, and how unwor. thy of that respect you would fain wish I might lay some claim to; I say when I consider these things, I prostrate myself before that God, who searcheth the heart and trieth the reins of the children of men, and cry out, God be merciful to me a sinner! And yet, if I know my own heart, if God will please to honor me, in the station wherein he has placed me, with being instrumental in bringing some revenue of glory to his great name, I am sure it will give me the greatest joy in life, and comfort in death. As I have heard nothing for a long time from two of the best friends and favorers of the Indian congregation of Housatonnot, (Mr. Isaac Hollis and Capt. Coram,) I am afraid they are dead; and if so, this with the death of the late worthy Mr. Sergeant, draws a gloomy prospect over that excellent design of carrying the Gospel into those regions, where there is no vision, but the people are daily perishing Our infant College meets with unkindness and opposition from such as have no taste for learn ing, and too great a contempt for the religion of the blessed Jesus: and yet we have reason to praise a gracious and bounti I am truly grieved and sorry to repeat to you, that I observe more and more among the people, in these parts, an indifference and coldness in all reli. gious matters; and to talk with them of regeneration, or of the new creature, they wonder with Nicodemus and say, Can a man enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? I fear multitudes in these parts are destroyed for lack of knowl edge: but I hope the rising College in New Jersey will not only be a nursery for the best human learning; but that, by the favor of heaven, it may, in times to come, be a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of our God. While God is pleased to spare life and opportunity, nothing in my power shall be wanting to promote the pros. perity and establishment of this Society And if God shall vouchsafe to bless this undertaking, I hope all concerned will humbly sing forth his praise, saying, Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy and thy truth's sake. Amen and Amen. I thank you, Sir, very kindly, for the pleasing account you give me of some tokens for good. As to the revival of religion in Eng land, I have advices of the same nature from the learned and pi. ious Dr Doddridge, and from our dear Mr. Whitefield, to which I refer in postscript. For those things our souls should magnify the Lord, while we humbly rejoice in God our Savior. And nov, dear Sir, I come to the melancholy affair of the dif. ference between yourself and the church and people of Northampton. Mr. President Burr visited me last week, and told me that the matter was actually come to a separation between you and your people; for which I am exceedingly sorry, and heartily pray God to support you under so severe a trial, and to pour out upon you an uncommon meas come to pass that at evening time it shall be light-Yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. The salvation of the righteous is of the Lord, he is their strength in the time of trouble. But the Sacred Oracles, from Genesis to the Revelation, are so full of prom ises and comforts, and with which you are so well acquainted, that I ask pardon and modestly forbear mentioning any thing more than that I wish you, and Mrs. Edwards, and your offspring, the blessings of that covenant, which is ordered in all things and sure. When you bow yourself at the throne of grace, you will remember, Rev. and worthy Sir your hearty friend and servant, J. BELCHER. Burlington, N. J. Mr. Edwards. RELIGIOUS COMMUNICATIONS. THOUGHTS ON ECCL. v, 1. To the Editor of the Panoplist. Sir, Ir the following thoughts shall appear worthy of a place in your useful publication, you are at liberty to insert them. KEEP thy foot when thou goest to the house of God; and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools. THE public worship of God is a divine institution. The employVOL. X. ment is solemn; and the temple or house dedicated to this sublime service must of course be a solemn place. The anointing, or dedication, of the tabernacle in the wilderness, (see Ex, xl,) and the dedication of the temple at Jerusalem, (see 1 Kings viii,) afford abundant evidence, that the house of God, or the place dedicated to the worship of God, must be filled with solemnity. In view of this truth the wise man uttered the exhortation, 52 which stands at the head of this paper. It is not my design to attend particularly to the phrascology of the wise man, when he says, Keep thy foot. The leading sentiment conveyed by these words, is evidently, Keep thyself; that is, be serious and solemn, remembering that thou art about to enter into the more immediate presence of a holy God. He then says; Be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools. These words naturally lead to some thoughts, respecting the feelings and conduct of those, who, as hearers, attend the public worship of God. 1. It becomes every one to feel, that he is personally and deeply interested. Every one has an immortal soul to be saved or lost Every one is accountable to God for the use of all his time and talents. And of course every one is personally and deeply interested in the great duties of public worship. Let it be remembered, that the house of God is not a theatre; and that those, who assemble there, are not mere spectators. Far from it. They are all interested. And as cach one must hereafter give account of himself to God, it lollows that all are alike interested. Every one ought then to feel, that he is interested. And feel ing this, he ought to conduct with that solemnity and rever ence, which become the house of God, and the followers of Jesus Christ. 2. It becomes every one, on entering the house of God, to dismiss all woridiy cares, and to indulge no worldly thoughts. The pure sublime worship of that holy Being has no connex ion with the cares and objects of this world. To indulge worldly thoughts, or to converse, when near the house of God, on the business, or the pleasures, or the politics of this world, unfits any person for religious worship. It diverts his attention from relig. jous subjects: it destroys the fervor and almost the existence of devotion in his heart. It thus renders the religious exercises of the day unprofitable and unin teresting to him; and, what is infinitely more dreadful, it is alto gether offensive to that Being, whom he professes to worship. If men converse on the business or the politics of this world, be fore they enter the house of God, will not their thoughts be em ployed in meditating on these subjects, while in this house? If so, Christ, were he present, would say, as he once did to the money-changers, Make not my Father's house an house of mer chandize. 3. It becomes every one to feel that God is there. The house of which the wise man spake, and in which they are assembled, is His house, dedicated and con secrated to His worship. In it He has graciously condescend ed to record His name: in it He has manifested Himself to His own children: and He is there: there as the object and the only proper object of religious worship; there as a Comforter to His own children; there to hear their prayers, and accept their praises; and there as a Witness to take cognizance of every thought and every action. This truly is a solemn consideration. Were it felt, were it realized, that God is there, the thought would be sufficient of itself to is a truth, that such persons pay more deference to the speaker,as a speaker, in sermon time, than they do to Jehovah, as the object of worship, in the hour of devotion. But these things ought not so to be. make every one solemn and attentive. But, alas, how little is this truth realized, by a large proportion of those who go to the house of God. If we may judge by the actions of no small proportion of them, we must say, that they dy not feel that God is there. They do not feel, that He is a Spirit, and that those, who worship Him, must wor ship Him in spirit and in truth. They therefore do not realize the truth. He is there, whether his dependent and sinful crea-propriated to the worship of tures are aware of it or not. 4. It becomes each one to attend with solemnity to every part of public worship. To sing praises to God is as solemn as it is delightful. And to sing His praises on a thoughtless tongue, is but solemn mockery in His sight. To remain heed less and uninterested, during this pleasing part of divine service, betrays a criminal want of love to Him. How sinful must it be, also, to remain thoughtless and indifferent in the time of prayer. And yet how shamefully stupid and indifferent are many persons, during that solemn part of public worship. Some are looking around to see who is coming in; some are surveying the dress of others; and some are impatiently waiting to hear the closing sentence. All this is utterly inconsistent with true devotion. Such persons are not worshippers: they are mere spectators. They act as though the speaker were the the only person interested in the performance of this duty. And were he to imitate them by looking around on others, in the hour of devotion, they would be astonished at the indecency and impropriety of his conduct. It 5. Every one should be more ready to hear, than to see or to be seen. To go to the house of God merely to see others, or to be seen by them, is to give the sacrifice of fools. It is no less than to prostitute the time ap God to mere sport and pastime, and to convert the house of God into a place of amusement. It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching, says an Apostle, to suve them that believe. The same Apostle says, Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. The design of preaching is not only to edify and establish saints, and to comfort mourners in Zion; but to warn and reprove sinners, to convince gainsayers, and to detect hypocrites. If, then, those who go to the house of God do not hear; if they are not more ready to hear His word, than to see or to be seen, they lose all the benefit of preaching; they cast contempt on this divine institution. To them, if they continue thus stu pid and indifferent, the preach. er is a savor, not of life unto life, but of death unto death. Reader, is not this a just statement of the subject? And if so, is it not an affecting, alarming thought? Ought you not, whoever you are, or whatever may be your situation or profession in life, to take heed to yourself, to keep your foot when you go to the house of God? Be persuaded to remember, that you are personally and deeply intere |