grand divifions have been or will be compofed; and all the events with which they have been, or fhall be filled. They are all times which he hath put in his power, and the events of which he has governed and will govern according to his purpofe; for his own glory, and the perfection and bleffedness of his moral kingdom.

THE times of men are all in his hands. Man's time is that period which God hath appointed him, in the prefent world. All but this, to him, is eternity, be it ever fo fhort. Is there not an appointed time unto man upon earth? His days are determined, the number of his months are with thee thou haft fet his bounds that he cannot pass. There is a particular hour or moment which is termed man's time. This is the hour, or moment of his diffolution. For man also knoweth not his time. This is emphatically his time, as it is to him the end of all time and

the fhame, and punishment of the
finner through interminable ages.
Of time no man can boaft. No,
not of tomorrow, not of an hour,
not of a moment : For it is writ-
ten, In a moment he fhall die.
Of time no man knows the worth.
This is a defcriptive sketch of
time. Well hath the poet said,
"On all important time, through every
age,

Though much, and warm, the wife
have urg'd; the man
Is yet unborn, who duly weighs an
hour."t

BUT what is it to redeem time? To redeem is to recover, or ranfom by paying a price, or by extraordinary exertions and diligence. The term is metaphorical, alluding to merchants, who watch all opportunities for commerce; deny themselves fleep, cafe and pleafure, and spare no pains to get gain. Sometimes it means, the making up of loft time, by uncommon activity and diligence opportunities, the afterwards. commencement of eternity, and determines his endless condition.

ALL the great and all the fmall divifions of time, teem with events worthy of God. He fuffers not a moment to pafs without effecting fomething for his glory and the good of his kingdom.

TIME accomplishes all thofe events by which God is glorified, his church erected, fanctified, protected, finally saved and glorified. Time will prepare all the veffels of mercy for glory, and fit all the veffels of wrath for deftruction. There is not a moment of time well improved but what will honor the Creator, add luftre to the crowns and increase the joys of the faints for ever. Every day and hour mifimproved will increafe

* Job vii. 1. † Chap. xiv. 5.

At other times it implies extraordinary exertion and double diligence, by which as much is accomplished in one day or year, as otherwise would have been done in two days or years; by which one half of the time is redeemed for fome other employment. In either of thefe views, it implies a careful avoiding of all mifpenfe of time, and employing the whole of it, with activity and diligence, for the beft purposes.

PARTICULARLY it implies a ftudious recovering it from all unneceffary fleep and drowsiness ; from floth, idlenefs, eafe, pastimes, and fenfual pleafures; from gaming and all unlawful diverfions, exercises and employments. It implies the moft cautious guarding against all mifpenfe of time. It implies fome proper fenfe of + Night Thoughts, p. 18.

the ineftimable worth of time, of | nefs, fervent in fpirit ferving the our obligations to redeem it, and of the immenfe importance of it to ourselves and others. This enters fo deeply into the idea of redeeming time, that without it no perfon will be engaged in this momentous employment.

den changes and revolutions in the world and in the church. These wonderful works of God, teach us his power, wisdom, truth and faithfulness; his great good nefs and mercy. His glorious character is brought to view in them. The Lord is known by the judgments which he executeth. By his marvellous works of mercy and judgment, he fills the earth with his glory.* The contemplation of them affords great inftruction, confolation, and ground of confidence in God. They afford profitable admonition, beget reverence and adoring ideas of the divine majefty. They exhibit fuch a wonderful accomplishment of prophecies and divine promifes, as is moft happily adapted to the confirmation of our faith in the word and promises of God. They have been written therefore for our learning, admonition and comfort, on whom the ends of the world are come. The Pfalmift therefore refolved, I will remember the works of the Lord: furely I will remember thy wonders of old. I will meditate alfo of all thy works. The events of our times are full of inftruction. The figns of them are important, and point us to the dangers and duties of our particular day. We can therefore, by no means, redeem time to the beft advantage, without a pious obfervation of prefent events and afpects. This is neceffary that we may praise God for mercies, and humble ourselves under his frowns.

moment, dying in that very night, when they are faying peace and fafety; foul take thine ease, thou haft much goods laid up for many years; dying in full ftrength, being wholly at eafe and quiet, when their breafts are full of milk and their bones moistened with marrow, are exceedingly calculated to imprefs the mind with a sense of the worth of time, of the uncertainty of it, of the importance of improving each moment, and to ftimulate us to redeem time with all our might. Who is wife, and he fhall understand these things, prudent and he ball know them ?§ We may therefore manifeft our wifdom and redeem time, by con-templating the events of the last year.

WHILE we caft our eyes upon Europe and the old world, how do we witness a change in the whole ftate and appearance of the nations, fince the commencement of the last year! Then peace, with her olive branch, feemed to have compofed Europe and the world. But now the appearance is that of diforder, tumult, rapine and horrid wars. The ftate of Europe, and of other parts of the old world, is fuch as portends the moft momentous events. The Turkish empire, enervated in its government, and torn with inteftine animofities and wars, seems to be verging towards a diffolution. Arabia appears to be in a convulfed ftate. China has been fuffering all the horrors of civil war. The infurgents have carried war even THE exceedingly fudden and to the gates of the imperial city. awful changes which time is mak-The emperor has been obliged to ing in individuals, in families, and wield his fword in defence of his in the world; men's dying in a perfon and family. In Egypt the Mamelukes have been reprefented as in a ftate of rebellion.

* Numbers xiv. 21.
Rom. xv. 4. and 1. Cor. x. II.
Pfalm lxxvii. 11. 12.

§ Hofen xiv. 9.

IN Europe war has again hung out the bloody flag. The almoft incredible preparations of the Firft Conful of France for the invafion and conquest of Great Britain, and her exertions to ward off the impending blow, and to annoy her enemy, attract the attention of Europe and of the whole world. THIS ftate of hoftility is deeply to be regretted, not only as it opens the fluices of human blood and fills countries with widows and orphans; but as it is deftructive to morals, and productive of the worst tempers, and moft horrid crimes. It is alfo injurious to literature, commerce, and all the arts of peace; and obstructs the propagation of the gospel. Pious people will deprecate it, as it has dafhed the pleafing profpect, which appeared to be opening, at the return of peace, for the extenfive fpread of the proteftant religion in France and Italy. They will lament on the account of the oppreffion and trials of their Chriftian brethren, in those countries, where the war prevails. They will fympathize with them, and cease not to pray for them, that they may be kept in the hour of temptation: That their faith may not fail, and that they may abide continually under the fhadow of the Almighty.

| tions, Lord revive thy work. Let what will be the fate of nations, plead thine own caufe, enlarge and establish thine own kingdom, the mount Zion which thou haft loved.

IN the Weft Indies, war, with its utmost horrors, has raged, in confequence of which there have been many great and important alterations with regard to those Islands.

AMIDST this conflict of na

tions, thefe United States have enjoyed peace, plenty, and the ampleft privileges, civil and religious, of which any people could ever boaft. Our navigation, commerce, fisheries, husbandry, fettlements, numbers and resources have been conftantly increasing.

WITH refpect to religion, from the accounts which have been received from Europe, it appears that the miffionary fpirit continues, and that great exertions are made in Great Britain, Germany, and fome other parts, to diffuse Chriftian knowledge among their own people, and to communicate the bleffings of civilization and the gofpel to the Heathen. In Great Britain, it appears, that on the whole Chriftian knowledge, orthodoxy, experimental preaching and religion are increasing.

To fome churches, in the Uni

WHILE we contemplate the tumult of the nations, and the aw-ted States, the last year has been ful crisis with respect to Europe, let this be our confolation, That the Lord reigneth: That the wrath of man fhall praise him; and that the remainder of wrath he will restrain: That he taketh the wife in their own craftiness; and that those who walk in pride, he is able to abafe. Let us importunately pray in the language of the prophet Habakkuk, when, in vifion, he faw the wreck of na-dition.

a year of refreshing. The happy effects of the late revivals in others are abundantly manifeft, in the increase of their numbers, zeal, spiritual life, peace, order and beauty. | From feveral reports which have been exhibited relative to the general ftate of the churches, in the United States, it appears, that they have not, for many years, been in a more flourishing con

fhould our hearts glow with grate itude and love! and with what joyful lips fhould we fhow forth the praises of our great Benefactor! How should we praise him in lives of all holy obedience; and be zealously and conftantly redeeming the time for the noble purpose of glorifying him, both in our bodies and in our fpirits which are his! Let us realize, that in proportion to the number and greatness of our priv ileges and of his mercies, are our obligations to ferve and glorify him.

IN Connecticut, the state of our College, of our schools and of literature in general, is very flattering; tho' the College has fustained a great lofs in the death of Mr. Ebenezer G. Marfh, Senior Tutor, and Profeffor elect of Languages and Ecclefiaftical Hiftory. Though fore and mortal fickness has ravaged fome of the principal towns and cities in our fifter States; and though it has been a year of more than common mortality in general, yet in this State, with the exception of a few towns, the inhabitants have enjoy ed health and a great degree of profperity. The lives, health and usefulness of our governor, lieutenant-governor, and council, of the judges of our courts, and of our fenators and reprefentatives in the national legislature, have been preferved. Three of the clergy only, and thefe venerable for length of days, as well as ufeful-ers on the commencement of a nefs, have finished their courfe fince the commencement of the laft year. While the years of others have been numbered and finished, yet we, through help obtained from God, continue unto the prefent time. Though unworthy of the least of all the mercy and all the truth which he hath fhewed unto his fervants, yet he hath loaded us with his benefits. In view of thefe national, domeftic and perfonal mercies, how

The Rev. Daniel Farrand, paftor of the first church in Canaan; who didied March 28th, in the 84th year of his age, and 51ft of his ministry. The Rev. Eleazer May, paftor of the church in Haddam; who died April 14th, in the 71ft year of his age, and 46th of his miniftry. The Rev. Eliphalet Williams, D. D. paftor of the firft church in Eaft Hartford; who died June 29th, in the 77th year of his age, and 56th of his miniftry.

GREAT is the occafion which we, the editors of this Magazine, have to rejoice, and afcribe all glory and thanksgiving to the Father of mercies, that we have all been fpared another year, to our families, and to the people of our refpective charges: That we may once more congratulate our read

new year: That we may prefent you with a review of the events of the laft, and call your attention to the precioufnefs and redemption of time.. We intreat you to unite your thanksgiving with ours, for the mercies we have mutually received, and to strive together in your prayers to God for us, that while we live, we may redeem the time, employing the precarious moments which remain, with activity, diligence and perfeverance, for the happieft purposes for ourselves, for you, and for the churches of our Lord Jefus Chrift.

WHILE We thank you for the candor with which you have received, and the generosity with which you have fo long fupported this Magazine, our prayer to God for you is, that his eye might be upon you, your families and connections for good, from the be