They lived, as it were, in darkness, and the shadow of death. The true light which came into the world to enlighten mankind, had not yet appeared. Even those who may be supposed to possess the most knowledge of God, and of his design to save men by Jesus Christ, saw as through a glass darkly. Various external symbols were no doubt designed to lead their minds forward to the time when the great sacrifice for sin was to be offered up; but their views of the nature of this sacrifice were faint and obscure.

Their knowledge of themselves as rational and moral beings, and of their relations to each other, was extremely limited. This was especially the case before the time of Moses. The law was not then given. How could they discover their duty? Abraham, and Lot, and others, were probably insensible of the impropriety of their conduct when they performed those deeds which we should be so ready justly to condemn. Polygamy, which was so prevalent in after ages, especially in the time of David and his successors, seems to have been no where prohibited. It was reserved to a more glorious dispensation fully to make known the will of God respecting the duties which men owed to him and to their fellow-men.

This cursory view which we have now taken, shows us that we ought to treat with tenderness those ancient saints whose names have come down to us consecrated by the veneration of ages, and who are highly esteemed for their work's sake. Let us beware lest we judge rashly; and instead of censuring those who lived at an early period of the world, let us remember that, "To whom much is given, of them much will be required." What if Abraham was now on the earth, and permitted to behold the light which the gospel sheds on the duties and hopes of man? Would he not "awake to righteousness, and sin not"? Would he not press forward far beyond many, who are now in the christian race? Would not his faith be more conspicuous, more influential, than it was four thousand years ago? Would not the promises of God brighten his prospects and enliven all his powers? Yes. In his eagerness to lay hold on the hope set before him, he would leave in the wilderness of sin many poor pilgrims who had lost their way.

What solicitude would he manifest that his natural descendants might be engrafted into their own olive tree. But his benevolence would not be confined to his own children merely: all who are aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, he would strive to bring nigher to the blood of Christ. His faith in the promise that Christ shall

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have the heathen for his inheritance would be unshaken. If against hope he believed in hope, what animation would fill his soul when he saw the Prince of Peace actually taking possession of some parts of the heathen world! What faith would he exercise! what love, yea, what zeal, yea, what solicitude! Let us then, seek to attain a more extensive view of God's promises, and a livelier faith. Let it be our object to dispel the prevailing darkness, by spreading the "true light." Fellow strangers in this distant land, let us awake to the welfare of souls-to the interests of Jehovah's kingdom.

REASONS FOR THERE BEING SO FEW OPEN INFIDELS.

THE last century greatly abounded with infidel writers; and many in Europe and America were corrupted and ruined, through the influence of their poisonous productions. So rapid was the progress of infidelity in France, in the time of their revolutionary infatuation, that their leading characters soon appeared with the names of Atheism and blasphemy in their FOREHEADS!

Though deistical sentiments had many advocates before in these States, yet the American revolutionary war produced that friendly alliance and intercourse with France, which prepared the way for the more abundant diffusion of their deleterious principles among our citizens; and, as might be expected, many unprincipled minds were greatly captivated by the fascinating charms of French philosophy. This, for a short season, threatened to inundate our country with a flood of error and immorality. But for several years the moral state of our nation has assumed a more favourable aspect;the age of open infidelity seems to be hastening to its close; and I think it a matter of no small consequence to inquire after the cause of this wonderful change in the moral complexion of things. It will be proper, in the first place, to speak negatively on this point.

I. We cannot assign as a reason for the paucity of open infidels that the people of the present age, in general, have cordially embraced the soul-humbling doctrines of Christ. If we may judge of the moral characters of our fellow men by their fruits, as the Saviour hath directed us, when we view the great predominancy of vice, error, contempt of the Redeemer, of his sabbaths and other divine institutions, together with the love of the world and sinful pleasures, we are constrained to draw up this melancholy conclusion, that a large majority of the present inhabitants of this land are walking enemies to the cross of Christ,-who mind earthly things.

II. Nor can the diminution of open infidels be accounted for upon the presumption that sinners, while in their unsanctified state, are more reconciled to the character and precepts of Christ than they were in the age of infidelity. It is uniformly true, in every period of time, that the carnal mind is enmity against God; and that no

thing short of the power of divine grace will effectually subdue this eninity, and extirpate those roots of infidelity which are the spontaneous production of every depraved heart.

But to speak affirmatively:

I. One reason why the number of open infidels has lately diminished, may have arisen from the frequent and powerful revivals of religion, in different parts of our country, within these twenty years past. And though but a small proportion of the inhabitants, compared with the whole, have been made the subjects of this work, yet from accounts which have been published, and from other sources of information, it appears that a goodly number, who had imbibed the principles of deism, have been convinced of their fatal error, humbled at the feet of a crucified Redeemer, and brought, with Thomas in view of his character, to exclaim, "My Lord and my God." These, through their deep contrition for their past aggravated sins, and by their labours and prayers, have been instrumental in the conversion of some of their former deistical companions, and of putting others to silence; and it has served to shut the mouths of stubborn unbelievers, in a great measure, when they have witnessed the conversion of many from the most respectable families in society.

II. The publication of Thomas Paine's Age of Reason, as he styled it, has, as I apprehend, eventually proved almost fatal to the cause he designed to establish. He had, doubtless, with much labour gleaned his sentiments from a host of deistical writers, who had preceded him; and though for a short season his book was very popular with those who were of the same school, yet his writings were so replete with raillery and sophistry, and so highly spiced with indecent sallies of wit, that, after a number of able defenders of the Christian faith had, by pouring an overwhelming flood of light upon the subject, exposed the false, the deformed, the obscene and blasphemous features of this illegitimate child of Reason, his warmest admirers were willing that it should soon sleep with its father.* And we may conclude that the old serpent himself was convinced that he had overacted, by entrusting an engine which had proved so helpful to his cause in the hands of this eccentric novice. He now thought it high time to change his mode of attack upon the Christian faith. Hence he next had recourse to his ancient Egyptian game, by exciting men of corrupt minds to resist the truth, in the like manner that he influenced Jannes and Jambres to withstand Moses, by mimicking his miracles with their enchantments. He therefore set about persuading such as were under the influence of deistical principles speedily to put on the mask of christianity, and to profess to be fellow-workers with the servants of Christ. He prompted his most skilful friends to revive all the ancient liberal sentiments that were not needed under the reign of infidelity, and to fabricate

*The late Dr. Livingston, of New-York, in his remarks upon Paine's Age of Reason, has the following severe sentence: "After the Christian religion has long withstood the attacks of the roaring Lion, it is a pity it should be assaulted by the brayings of an Ass.”

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as many new heresies as would be sufficient to suit the various tastes of all such as continued under the power of a depraved heart.

III. Hence, we have arrived at a more satisfactory reason, why the number of openly professed deists has so greatly diminished of late. Christianity is now so modelled and diversified by liberal men, that those who continue enemies to sound doctrine may embrace something under the name of religion, and secure their reputation among the more lax class of men, though their tenets be ever so erroneous. Matters have now come to this, that the most corrupt schism in religion is more creditable than professed infidelity. Several deductions will now be made from what has been offered on this subject.

1. If the writer's observations are correct, it will follow that religious sentiments which are fundamentally erroneous are no better than downright infidelity, and will be as unavailing to men's salvation. It is plain that all false schemes in religion are reconcilable with an unholy and selfish heart. Yea, such as shield themselves from the terrors of the law under the rubbish of error, are commonly at a greater remove from the conviction of their guilt and danger, than the most profligate sinners. This idea is confirmed by the following address of Christ to the self-righteous Jews; "Verily, I say unto you, the publicans and harlots go into the kingdom of God before you."

II. It follows, that there never was a greater delusion imposed upon sinners by the god of this world, than to persuade them that it is no matter what sentiments persons embrace, if they are but sincere in their belief. It may be asked, whether for one sincerely to believe a lie will convert it into truth? Or whether the sincerity of any sinners can be more virtuous than that of the blinded scribes and Pharisees, who honestly believed that God was their father, and that they were the heirs of eternal life; while Christ, who clearly discerned their hypocrisy, told them plainly "they could not escape the damnation of hell"?

III. From a view of this subject, we find there are many conditional believers, under the light of the gospel, who are ready to yield their assent to the truth of the Bible, provided they can, as they imagine, draw sentiments from it that are congenial to the selfish feelings of their depraved hearts; but when, by fair and irresistable arguments, they are driven from this hollow ground, they reject the whole as fabulous.

The following anecdote will confirm the above assertion.

A certain man, in the prime of life, some sixty years ago, remov ed to the town of He went to hear their minister, who preached more or less what is commonly called Calvinism. This man was so disturbed with the sentiments of the preacher that he concluded he would try a minister of a different denomination.Here he found himself much gratified with the smooth Arminian sentiments which he heard; but thought it would be inconsistent to unite himself with any religious persuasion until he became acquainted with their Articles of Faith. On examining their homilies he found they contained Calvinism. This put him upon a more

thorough search of the scriptures, and his conclusion was, "I find Calvinism in the Bible." This led him to renounce the sacred book as false. He lived many years and gained a number of proselytes to his fatal scheme, and died a professed deist!

Query. Should our modern liberal men be driven from the ground they now occupy, would not their last resort be deism?

ZION mourned because few came to her solemn feasts. Sinners triumphed, for they saw that hated Jerusalem was desolate. The followers of the Lamb could not but be alarmed. They saw many for whom the Lord of Glory died, thoughtless and fearless, rushing to destruction. They saw themselves, who once felt the influence of the Spirit of grace, now unmindful of their high calling, regardless of their glorious destiny.

C. was at a conference when they were inquiring what must be done, that those happy days might return when God was with them. They must do something. C. thought, I must not be idle; I must do something. She had only two years before professed the name of Christ; but that would have been a long time had she been zealously engaged in religion. But it had not been so; she had been neglectful of duty, and had done nothing, (could she be a christian?) had done nothing for her Saviour. Now she must do something. She knew indeed, that with herself the work must first commence; that it was her first duty to return to God. This was not all others required her aid. She was a feeble instrument, but she had many friends who would be lost forever, unless, perhaps, they might be saved by her exertions. She would not trust to general resolutions, for these she had often broken. She recollected that her minister had requested that his people would visit him to converse on subjects relating to their eternal welfare. Few had gone: they were afraid to be thought serious. Here, then, she would begin: she would send to Mr. M. and request the favour of meeting with her friends at his house, that he might converse and pray with them. She would then inform her companions that there was to be a meeting at Mr. M's. Knowing that it would be pleasant to him, they would the more readily attend. They would wish to be polite to their minister. It would not look so much like acknowledging the importance of religion to go to an appointed meeting as to go alone. C. had no doubt that nearly all to whom she should mention it would attend. Already she had begun to anticipate the delight with which the good man would receive them. She saw the fire of love kindle in his eye, while he told them of the way that leads to life. She saw the holy and affectionate concern which marked his countenance, while he warned them to flee from the wrath of God. From her younger companions she heard the sigh of anguish and the solemn inquiry, What must we do? Her own heart was humbled,