Philanthropist

PARTIES OF PLEASURE.
AND AWFUL MORAL DEATH!
Dialogue between Christiana and
Paulina.
Christiana. I am glad to see you,
my dear Paulina. A visit from you
at this time is to me peculiarly acceptable.
For several weeks, my
mind
has been unusually burdened; and to
you I can open my heart with unreserved
freedom.
Paulina. I am happy in the
en-
joyment of your friendship and confidence.
I have passed many hours
most agreeably in conversation with
you on the glorious truths of the gospel,
and the great things which
God
has done for our souls.
The recollection of them affords pleasure; and
the renewal of those delightful seasons
would be most grateful to my
heart. With you I can sympathize
rejoicing with you when you rejoice,
and weeping with you when you weep.
-But have you been recently
tried
with any heavy affliction that has
weighed down your spirits?
Chris. God has manifested his
great goodness in giving me health,
strength, food, clothing, civil and
religious liberty, and the precious
privileges of the gospel, which I have
not deserved. I ought ever to feel
gratitude for these unmerited blessings,
and labour to improve them to his
glory. But, with anguish of heart, I
dep lore the absence of the life of religion,
and the prevalence of a world-
ly spirit, in the church of which I am
a member.
Paul. I have considered the people
that constitute your church
as
highly distinguished by
privileges.
They have long enjoyed the
gospel
of the grace of
God.
To them has
been preached the unsearchable rich-
es of Christ. And I have entertained
the pleasing hope, that the gospel
would come to them "not in word
only, but in power, and in the Holy
Ghost, and in much assurance."
Chris.
To
indeed. Much
has been given.
The place of our
present habitation was formerly the
abode of savages.
God in his holy
providence, has caused them to recede
to the western deserts. He has planted
this church, and sent to us the
word of salvation. For many years.
we have been favoured with the ministrations
of the gospel. The grand
and all-important truths of divine
revelation have been clearly presented
to our view. Sinners have been
solemnly warned of their danger, and
called to repentance.
Life and
death have been plainly set before
them in multiplied addresses from
the sacred desk. The evil
nature
and tremendous consequences of re-
bellion against God have been portrayed
in their true but dismal colours.
Jesus Christ,
once
crucified,
but
now exalted,
has been evidently
set forth as the only Redeemer
of a
guilty
and
perishing world.
Itinerant preachers
and missionaries of
the cross, have
liberally dispersed
the word of life.
We have had bi-
bles, and Sabbaths, and sacraments.
and prayer meetings, and catechetical
institutions, with calls, and warnings,
and exhortations, that cannot be numbered.
Surely, then of us "Much
will be required." But it is painful
to observe, that the vineyard which
the Lord has planted, and cultivated
with tender and unremitted care.
in-
stead of good and delicious fruit,
brings forth bitter clusters of wild
grapes. This ground is encumbered
with barren fig trees, which in righteous
judgement might have been long
since cut down. An awful moral
death reigns here. This valley of
vision is covered with dry bones. Lo!
they are exceedingly dry; and nothing
but the breath of the Almighty can
give them life. Our sensibility is ex-
tremely morbid. An awful lethargy
has seized us. A deep sleep has
fallen on us, from which we have not
been awaked by the judgements of
Jehovah's rod, or the thunders of
Mount Sinai.
Paul.
I do not wonder that you
have great heaviness and continual
sorrow in your heart, when you see
iniquity abounding and the love of
many waxing cold. When it is evident.
that many who hear the Christian
name are dead in sin, and obnoxious to
the wrath of God, while
they are
utterly insensible of their
danger, real Christians will bewail
their torpid and miserable condition.
and be disposed to adopt the pathetic
and melting strains of the weeping
prophet: "O that my head were waters,
and mine eyes a fountain of tears,
that I might weep day and night for
the slain of the daughters of my people!"
But, my dear Christiana, do
you think that the gospel of Christ is
preached in vain to this people?
Chris. There is reason to believe
that it has been profitable to some.
and will prove a savour of life unto
life to their souls. But the number,
I fear, is comparatively very small;
and these, alas! have imbibed too
much of a worldly spirit and manifest
too little solicitude for the honor of
God and the advancement of his kingdom
of grace. They are not sufficiently
valiant for the truth, which is falling
in the streets. They have not
confidence to speak for God, and exert
themselves to stem the torrent of
vice and folly, which is sweeping
multitudes down to the gulf of perdition.
But the persons who appear
to derive no spiritual advantage from
the word, are numerous. They attend
preaching on the Sabbath, when
the streets are good and the weather pleasant. They pay some external respect to religion; and when it is convenient, they bear the words of truth; but they will not do them.-- Let worship be appointed on any day, except the Sabbath, and the minister must speak to a few women, and to many empty seats, while his benevolent heart is almost overwhelmed with the distressing thought, that he is labouring in vain, and spending his strength for nought.

In our worshiping assemblies, some are seen bowing their heads as bulrushes, while they give no evidence of bowing their hearts to the government of the King of Zion. No deep and pungent conviction of sin and ungrateful rebellion against God is discovered amongst us. No sinners wounded with the arrows of the Almighty, are found inquiring with inexpressible anxiety, like Peter's hearers on the day of Pentecost, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" or like the Philippian jailor, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" None are seen coming "with weeping and supplication," bewailing the hardness of their hearts and the iniquity of their lives, ready to utter the vehement cry of the two blind men, who heard that Jesus was passing by "Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David." Notwithstanding the lamentable coldness and formality of our publick meetings, with grief I must add, that most of the religion that is visible among us is seen at church.

[To be Continued]