Moreover, I saw many calling on others to arouse, whom I found to be in a deep and dismal slumber themselves-Yet a few accepted the volume, on whom it produced the desired effect, while others read the whole of its contents without discovering the brilliancy of the gold, or being aware of its real lustre. What wonderful efficacy, thought I, can be contained in that book; so stepping towards it, I found written thereon, in legible characters, "THE WORD OF GOD." On turning my eyes to the ground, I beheld innumerable gulphs and bottomless pits, into which, if a man fall, he shall never arise, and with indescribable anguish of heart I saw many of the dreamers suddenly swallowed up, and with hideous cries disappearing for ever. Some would suddenly awake in their fall, and cry fearfully for help from those who had warned them of their danger. So I continued to watch the dreaming multitude, anxiously desiring that they might all awake, and eagerly catching at every favorable symptom of approaching reason. To my great joy I found several apparently reviving, when some mis-step had nearly plunged them into the unfathomable abyss; but was grieved to see them generally relapse into a state of total stupefaction. On looking around for the cause, Iespied in the air certain winged beings who were continually shedding on the heads of their passive victims a kind of nar cotic dew, which, aiding their natural inclination to drowsiness, plunged them into a kind of su pernatural siumber, and yet left unimpaired all the faculties of the body. Then I remembered, that Satan was the Prince of the power of the air. While mournfully ruminating on the deplorable stupidity of most I beheld, suddenly I heard the noise of a great shout, and the voice of a trumpet exceeding loud, which in the twinkling of an eye aroused all the sleepers, and, dispelling the vapors which bedimmed their sight, filled them with confusion and dismay.— Then I turned to see what had become of those who had walked in the narrow way, and lo a bright cloud had overshadowed them, while with heavenly melody they sung the praises of the Lamb: and as I was wishing myself one of the glorious company, a light so dazzling streamed from the countenance of their conductor that, as it fell immediately upon my eyes, I awoke, and behold it was a dream. ASYLUMS FOR THE DESTITUTE. THE people of this country, since its settlement hitherto, have been more free from the evils of poverty, than perhaps the people of any other portion of the world. The great mass of our population are in that happy state of mediocrity, which experience has proved to be the most favorable to virtue and happiness. So true is this, that when our countrymen return from abroad, whether they have visited Europe, Africa, or Asia, they declare with one' voice, that they never knew, nor even conceived, what poverty was, till they saw the poor in foreign countries. They had seen, to be sure, what is called poverty among us, but it is so different a thing from poverty in other countries, that the two states can hardly be compared together. As population and wealth increase, however, poverty increases also, especially in large towns. And it becomes the duty of wealthy and benevolent individuals to provide against the evils, which cannot be entirely prevented. Asylums for the destitute are thought by many judicious persons to be among the valuable improvements of modern times. The most useful plan of conducting them appears to be the following: Capacious buildings should be provided so as to accommodate a great variety of persons of all ages, and both sexes, and furnish them with food and lodging, together with an abundance of some kind of useful employment. All the applicants for relief should be kept strictly at work, unless ill health should forbid, and whenever their earnings should more than defray their expenses, the surplus should be paid them on their dismission from the institution. Suitable overseers should of course be provided, and suitable means be taken to convey moral and religious instruction to the tenants of the asylum, especially to the children and youth. The great advantages of such institutions are, furnishing a known refuge to those who are suddenly reduced to poverty by some unforeseen calamity, making industry,whenever practicable, the indispensable condition of relief, and affording a premium to labor beyond the provision of a mere support. They might be resorted to without that disgrace which attends application for support to the alms-houses. They would be great manufactories, in short, designed for the peculiar accommodation of the poor. It is certain that every person who is worthy to be ranked among rational beings, feels happiest when able to provide for himself by his own exertions. And it seems a pity, when there is so much labor to be done in the world, that any persons should suffer for want of employment. It may be, observed further, that every person in health is able, in this country particularly, to earn his support, if he can only find ready employment. But this is often difficult, especially in times of national embarrassment. In such times large institutions of the kind above specified might be peculiarly useful. Should it be said, that the same causes which prevent individual enterprise, and produce a stagnation of business, would also impede the salutary influence of charitable efforts to furnish reward for labor; I answer, that by wise management, and by an institution formed for this express purpose, some kinds of labor could always be provided for the suffering poor. The benevolent man, when he considers that all mankind are his brethren, that if distinguished from the mass of his fellow creatures by wealth, or knowledge, or rank, he owes his distinction to the free mercy of and unanimity, before he was twenty-two years of age. The Rev. Mr. Symmes, of Bradford, who, was intimately acquainted with him from his childhood, gives this testimony of him, in his address to him, at the close of the Ordination Sermon. “We all bless God with you and for you, and for all the smiles of his Providence upon you; for your early and exemplary piety, and CHARACTER OF THE REV. MR. desirable accomplishments for EMERSON. The following is an extract from a Sermon preached at Malden, A. D. 1767, by the Rev. Joseph Emerson of Pepperell, on occasion of the death of his father, minister of the former place. "IT pleased the sovereign Spirit of God, early, very early, to sow the seeds of grace in his heart. By a blessing upon the endeavors of his pious parents, he might be said to fear the Lord from his childhood, and to be acquainted with the Holy Scriptures from his youth. If I do not misremember, he was able to pray in the family, in the absence of my grandfather, before, he was eight years of age, to the edification and astonishment of those, who attended on the family devotions. As he grew in years and stature, he grew in favor with God and man. He was admitted into College when he had but little more than finished his thirteenth year. He early devoted himself to the Gospel ministry, and directed his studies this way; and began to preach, before he was eighteen, to general acceptance. It was not long before he was called to settle in the ministry, and was set apart to this work, Oct. 31, 1721, in great love, peace, the work of the ministry." In this candlestic the Lord placed him, and here the Lord continued him for above forty-five years, with very little interruption, from bodily infirmities: for during the whole of this term he was taken off from his public labors but two Sabbaths. He eminently fulfilled his ministry, and approved himself a workman that needed not to have been ashamed. He set before him the character of the Gospel bishop in Paul's Epistles to Timothy and Titus; very evidently copied after it; and few came nearer the original. He was sound in the faith, and held forth the form of sound words, handed down from our fathers. He was particularly attached to those doctrines, which are called Calvinistic: You know how earnestly he preached the real Divinity of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ; the special agency of the Holy Spirit in the conversion of sinners; the sovereignty of God; the guiltiness and depravity of human nature since the apostasy; the necessity ofthe imputation of the righteousness of Christ in order to the sinner's justification in the sight of God; and the perseverance of the saints. You know how zealously he preached holiness of heart and life. He was much in the study of the Sacred Oracles; was uncommonly diligent in his preparations for his public duties; and did not bring you that, which cost him nothing. He 'delivered the whole counsel of God, and kept back nothing, which he thought was profitable for you. He was a son of thunder to the workers of iniquity, a son of consolation to the mourners in Zion. Some of you are witnesses how welcome you were to his study, when laboring under spiritual difficulties, and with what faithfulness he dealt with you; endeavoring not to quench the smoking flax, nor break the bruised reed; nor speak peace when he thought his Divine Master would not. "As by the grace of God he was faithful, so it pleased the Lord to honor him in his service. We have reason to think he was the instrument of the conversion and edification of many. Many, we trust, who went before him to the world of glory, are now, and always will be, blessing God, that they saw his face and heard his voice; and some, who are living, own him for their spiritual father, and hope to spend an eternity in the high praises of God. "Some of you remember how rejoiced he was, when, many years ago, there was a remarkable revival of religion in the land, of which this place had a share. His heart was greatly engaged in it, and he endeavored by all means to promote it. Then was he more abundant in his public and private labors; and was never weary in preaching to, and conversing with his awakened hearers. "In his more private character, he was very exemplary. In the little, very little, concern he had with worldly affairs, integrity and uprightness preserved him. He had a remarkable tenderness of conscience with respect to truth and righteousness between man and man; and, in some instances, he seemed to border on scrupulocity. He was very affable, pleasant, and courteous in his whole behavior, to all with whom he conversed. Where he had received injuries he heartily forgave; nor would he indulge the least thought of revenge. As the head of a family, he walked in his house with a perfect heart, as that expression is used in Scripture. As a father, how grave,how compassionate, and loving, bringing us up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, constantly praying with and for us. As a master, he kept up his authority with the greatest condescension. As a neighbor, he was friendly and benevolent, remarkable for charity and almsgiving; devoting a full tenth of his income to pious and charitable uses. To sum up his character, he was a man of prayer; he prayed always, in the Scripture sense. His stated times for secret prayer, were not less than five or six, every day. He never would engage in any important affair, without first seeking the direction and blessing of God. Sometimes he would set apart whole days for prayer with fasting. "But was he without failings? No. He had them, he felt them, he lamented them, he got a marvellous victory over them; he was ready to confess his faults, and when unguarded words dropped from him, would ask forgiveness even of his children and servants. These are some imperfect sketches of the character of that servant of the Lord; who, if a long course of faithful services in the Church of Christ, and an exemplary life of holiness, are sufficient evidences of hope,we believe is gone from his labors to his reward; gone where the wicked cease from troubling, and the weary are at rest." CENT SOCIETIES. Ir must be gratifying to the feelings of all, who can rejoice in the rising glory of the Church and the diffusion of human happiness, to witness the various instances of Christian philanthropy which have occurred in New England, and in many other places, within a few years past. The increased attention which has of late been paid to the cause of missions is well calculated to awaken the gratitude of God's people, and to strengthen their hopes, that the Church will soon see prosperous days. One of the favorable indications of the times is a prevailing disposition among pious females to consecrate to the service of God such portion of their money as can be spared from their resources, This portion is given in many places through the medium of Cent Societies. When venerable matrons and their pious daughters come forward to express their faith in the Redeemer, their trust in his promises, and their concern for the salvation of souls, by ministering to the spriritual necessities of those who are perishing for lack of vi sion, they exhibit an example highly ornamental to their sex and honorable to religion. It may well excite gratitude to the wise Disposer of all events that he has inclined the hearts of so many persons of both sexes to form themselves into benevolent associations to promote this great labor of love. If the pious females in every congregation would imitate the worthy examples which have been set in many places, competent supplies would be afforded to defray all the expenses of our Foreign and Domestic Missionary Societies. The smallness of the donations in Cent Societies, so far from being an objection to them, is an argument in their favor. The greater the number of Christians who are personally interested in the cause of mis sions the greater will be the prospect of success. Those who give money to support a mission will pray for its prosperity, and will anxiously inquire as to its effects. Thus the mind will become enlarged, and accustomed to regard all mankind with animated wishes for their happiness. These wishes will prompt to beneficent exertions, and the individuals will find their happiness where it ought to be found, and where, indeed, it can alone be found, in doing good. The consequences which may result from the establishment of a single Society, the accession of a single member, or even from a single donation are incalculable. The thought that by contributing a small sum to the Missionary cause one more Bible, or one more religious tract might be given, or given, or one more sermon preached, to the destitute, ought |