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his parting with it prove. O then for that pure religion, which, among other things, is, for a man to keep himself unfpotted from the world! Let me not envy those who have no other or better portion; but to ftrive to keep the world out of my heart, as much as the mariner does to keep the water out of his fhip. All things here fade away, and, like flowers, they do it the fafter the more they are handled. Let us then let our hearts where there is no danger of loving to excefs. God and his Christ we cannot love too well. Let us love his word, his faints, and the habitation of his houfe; and, by and by, we fhall get clear of all the dangers of this world, and our love and every grace will be perfected in glory. S. B.

A CURIOUS EXTRACT FROM THE ASIATIC

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RESEARCHES.

Now being published in the East-Indies.

an account of the nation called Afghans, the Prefident adds the following note:

"This account of the Afghans may lead to a very interesting difcovery. We learn from Efdras, that the ten tribes, after a wandering journey, came to a country called Arsareth; where, we may fuppofe, they fettled; Now the Afghans are faid by the beft Persian hiftorians to be defcended from the Jews; they have traditions among themselves of fuch a defcent; and it is even afferted, that their families are diftinguished by the names of Jewish tribes, although, fince their converfion to the Islam, they ftudiously conceal their origin. The Pushto language, of which I have seen a dictionary, has a manifeft refemblance to the Chaldaic; and a confiderable diftrict under their dominion is called Hazéreh, or Hazáret, which might eafily have been changed into the word used by ESDRAS. I ftrongly recommend an inquiry into the literature and hiftory of the Afghans."

Note. The Afghans (according to the Perfian historians) call themselves the pofterity of Melic Tálút, or King Saul. One of their anceflors, from whom they are named, they fay, diftinguifhed himfelf in the reign of David, and was employed by Solomon.

* 2 Esdras, xiii. 45, 46.

ON THE RESURRECTION.

PAUL

AUL, fpeaking of the refurrection of the dead, fays, the laft enemy that fhall be deftroyed is Death, 1 Cor. xv. 26. His argument feems to be this: Chrift muft reign until he has put all enemies under his feet, Pfalm. cx. 1. Among thefe one of the moft formidable is Death, which fhall be deftroyed laft, in all its effects and confequences, by the refurrection from the dead. This being done, Chrift fhall deliver up the people, who conftitute his fpiritual kingdom, to God; or shall give up the prefent difpenfation of the affairs of his kingdom, by preaching and ordinances, and God fhall be all in all; fhall reign eternally without any œconomical diftinctions.

Death is an enemy who first made his appearance în our world by the introduction of Sin. Man was not originally mortal. Though he was formed of earth, his access to the tree of life, was both a pledge, and a mean, of the continuance of his exiftence. But fin, being once committed, gave being to Mortality, who as an enemy has carried off his prey by thousands ever fince. Death is not an enemy to only one here and there, but to the whole human nature; and therefore it keeps continual fears and alarms in the minds of men. Death, with all his forms of malice and rage, met our Lord as an enemy. He, in the perfons of the Jewish rabble, fiercely encountered the Saviour by the fpear of the foldiers, and the thorny crown. The innocent Jefus entered the lifts with him in the exercife of patience, cheerfulnefs, and submiffion. To a finner, Death is an enemy indeed; Attacks him as a thief, hurries him from all he values, and conveys him to the regions of darkness. In fome views he is an enemy even to a faint. Death deprives the best of men of the union which connects the body and foul, which, as it is dear in the enjoyment, cannot be diffolved without pain. Mortality is a difgrace to the human nature, it turns the body to putrefaction, and for a feafon hinders it from the fruition of immortal blifs. This enemy is, perhaps, the most formidable of any the chriftian has to encounter. The whole camp of Ifrael is often kept in terror by this Goliah. Death is the king of terrors: His looks, both at a distance and on a nearer view, are fometimes dreadful. Armed in all his

dread array with the pointed fword of juftice, the poisoned arrow, and guilty fting; who is able to bear his frown? His attacks are various, but he always conquers.

The deftruction of this enemy is a pleafing fubject. We fee it not yet; but as all enemies fhall be put under the feet of our triumphant Lord, fo fhall this. Though his deftruction is to be the laft, it is nevertheless certain. We are not to suppose that his commiffion to feize men in the naine of God will ever expire fo long as the world ftands. Some indeed will be alive at the coming of Chrift, but they shall be changed at the laft trump. The power of death is fo much contracted, that it cannot strike a fecond time. Man having died once, he dieth no more; Death has no more power over him. The empire of mortality received a confiderable fhock by the death of our Lord. By this means he destroyed him who had the power of it. He did not deftroy the existence of this enemy, but he deftroyed his power to hurt. The feed of the woman bruised the head of the ferpent, and by this mean rendered him incapable of doing any real injury to a believer. Indeed by the death of Chrift the very nature of mortality is changed to a faint. He now no longer views it as the effect of fin, the difgrace of his nature, or the enemy of his peace; but as a friend fent by his Lord to close his eyes and convey him to Abraham's bofom. Divine grace, when it is in lively exercife, very much weakens the power of Death. A lively fenfe of pardon removes every degree of guilt from the confcience, and extracts its fting. The bright evidences of true religion invigorate the mind, give confiderable light to our steps in this gloomy valley, and free us from many fears we should otherwife have. The presence of our Lord makes us meet the enemy, not only with compofure but with great joy. "Now Lord letteft-" But all thefe ideas do not come up to the full fenfe of the abolition of death. Though it be weakened, it ftill exifts: But it fhall be destroyed, wholly routed, and overthrown. This shall be completely done at the refurrection. Death has long triumphed. The trophies of his victory have been many. Thoufands have vifited his gloomy regions. Here he has kept them captives. He loofed not the houfe of his prifoners, nor allowed them any liberty; they were only free among the dead. But the prey fhall be delivered from the mighty. One ftronger than he comes upon him, to whom it belongs to refcue. Hear him faying, O Death, I will be thy plague; O grave I will be thy deftruction. See him fulfilling this threatening against Mortality, when he rofe Vo. II.

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from the dead, and became the firft-fruits of them that flept. Of this triumph a Christian partakes even here. O Death, where is thy fting? O Grave, where is thy victory? When the believer rifes, Death with all its fad effects will be finally ruined. The body will be collected, re-animated, and formed for all the enjoyments and employments of heaven. EUMENES.

A WORD OF COUNSEL TO PROFESSORS, ON THE SUBJECT OF MORAL HONESTY.

Owe no man any thing. Rom. xiii. 8.

O afford affistance to the memory, we fhall place our hints of advice on this much-neglected fubject, under three leading articles.

1. Be cautious how you get into debt. The general state of worldly bufinefs is fuch as neceffarily leads men to trust each other. Without this mutual confidence, trade and commerce could not exift: Nay, the very bands of civil fociety themfelves muft foon be diffolved. Yet this needful and generous confidence ought to be strictly guarded by the rules. of prudence, otherwife the confequences must prove highly detrimental both to debtor and creditor. Owe no man any thing, fhould be, as far as poffible, the maxim of every Chrif tian tradefman. Therefore,

Never get into debt without fome reasonable prospect of paying. To procure the property of others, without a design to pay at all, is downright robbery. The man who plunders his neighbour's dwelling, or applies a piftol to his breast, may expofe himself to greater danger among men, but they both are chargeable with the very same offence in the fight of God. Nor can he stand clear of the imputation of rashnefs and folly, deferving of the highefl cenfure, who, previous to his contracting debts, confiders not in what way he is likely to difcharge them. Such may talk of truft in Providence; but fuch a plea, under thefe circumstances, only aggravates the criminality of their conduct, by an attempt to make a righteous Providence anfwerable for the confequences of their unjuft proceedings. O what extenfive and foul difgrace have fome fplendid profeffors lately cait upon

the good ways of the Lord, by their rafh fpeculations and ex. periments with the property of others!

Make ufe of no false pretences to get into debt. The name or friendship of a known and deferving character is often made the preface to a scene of fraud.-Disappointments are pleaded which never occurred-Money, expected at a certain time, is mentioned as fecurity to deceive the unwaryNay, (horrible to relate!) converfation on religious fubjects; the doctrines of the holy Gofpel; the dear and injured name of Jefus; are not unfrequently ufed, as the fuccefsful inftruments of deception, by abandoned profeffors of religion.

The satisfaction felt by the upright mind in being out of debt, fhould operate as a reafon for your endeavouring to keep unembarraffed in the world. It muft greatly pain an honeft man to recollect thofe claims which he cannot answer. Ever, then, bear in mind, that to get into debt for the relief of prefent diftrefs, is almoft fure in the event to plunge you into other, and perhaps greater difficulties, than thofe you now labour under.

Remember too how disreputable it is to be in debt. Unless in very special cafes, it leads to a fufpicion of the industry, prudence, or principle of a man; and that profeffor feems to give poor evidence of his regard to the credit of religion, who is careless of his own good name.

2. Take heed how you behave if you are in debt.

Much of a man's principle appears, by his fpirit and conduct, when in debt. No one will truft the avowed deceiver. Therefore the knave approaches the perfon he has marked out as his prey, under the garb of honesty; but no fooner are his fraudulent defigns accomplished, than he becomes another man. The vizard drops, and his real cha

racter appears.

Are you in debt? behave then with civility to your creditors. May not the man, who has befriended you in the hour of difficulty, at leaft expect to meet with that behaviour which common decency demands? Many ungrateful perfons can scarcely afford a creditor a civil anfwer, when he ventures to inquire after his lawful property; perhaps refent the application as an affront, and forfake him, to play the fame nefarious part upon another.

If you are in debt, be always frank and candid. Never attempt to difguife your fituation by falfe gloffes and wilful mifreprefentations. Investigate, with impartial diligence, your own circumftances, and state to your creditors the na ked truth. Supprefs no part of information, which juftice calls for at your hands. In transactions which relate to God

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