the ineftimable worth of time, of 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. nefs, fervent in fpirit ferving the Lord.§ FURTHER, redeeming time comprifes in it, a diligent attendance on all inftituted means of religion; fecret, private and ejaculatory prayer, the public worship and ordinances; fearching the fcriptures, and felf examination. God, in his infinite wisdom and goodnefs, has appointed these, to affift us in redeeming time, and in applying it to the nobleft purpofes; and it cannot be done without a ferious, diligent and perfevering attention to them. ANOTHER thing of great con fideration in the redeeming and right improvement of time, is REDEEMING time, implies recovering it from impenitence, unbelief, ungodlinefs and a state of fin. Let men be ever fo bufily employed even to the eleventh hour in the affairs of the world, and yet neglect God and their fouls, they have been idle, and have done nothing for which time was given them. Our Saviour addreffes all perfons of this character, in this reprehenfive lan-watching and improving favorable guage: Why ftand ye here all the day idle? Time is not redeemed until we employ it for good purpofes, to right ends and with right views. The great and principal thing, nay, the very firit thing is, To feek first the kingdom of God and his righteoufnefs.* REDEEMING time, implies not only the employing it for right ends, but that we be active, diligent and perfevering in all branches of duty that we double our diligence, and do all that we can, in the short, uncertain day, which is appointed to us. Our great Maf ter commands, Strive, or as it might be rendered, be in an agony to enter in at the ftrait gate.+ Further it is written, Whatfoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with all thy might, for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom in the grave whither thou geeft. The gofpel forbids all floth, and demands conftant activity and diligence. Not flothful in bufi *Matth. vi. 33. Luke xiii. 24. Ecclef. ix, 10. feafons and opportunities, fuch as the days of youth, times of fpecial awakening, when the spirit of God is ftriving with us and others: Times of peculiar light, and more than ordinary means of instruction: Times of great mercy, or affliction. By obferving and improving thefe men redeem time to infinite advantage. More is done for them, and the glory of God, in a fhort time, than is done in many years, at other times. By not obferving, and neglecting them all is loft. The Ifraelites in the wilderness, by not improv ing their opportunity, came fhort of the reft promised in Canaan, and fell in the defert. The Jews had their day, but by not discerniug the figns of the times, and not knowing the things which be longed to their peace, loft their city, temple, nation, and even their fouls. They brought wrath upon themselves to the uttermoft. In a word, time may be ftill further redeemed by a ferious and pious attention to the events, fud $ Rom, xii. 11. den changes and revolutions in the world and in the church. Thefe 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 promifes 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 praife-God for mercies, and humble ourselves under his frowns. THE exceedingly fudden and awful changes which time is making in individuals, in families, and in the world; men's dying in a Numbers xiv. 21. Rom. xv. 4. and 1. Cor. x. II. † Planı lxxvij. 11. 12. moment, dying in that very night, when they are faying peace and fafety; foul take thine eafe, 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 moiftened 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 fall understand these things, prudent and he shall know them ?§ We may therefore manifeft our wisdom and redeem time, by contemplating the events of the last year. WHILE we caft our eyes upon Europe and the old world, how do we witnefs a change in the whole ftate and appearance of the nations, fince the commencement of the laft 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 state 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 intef tine animofities and wars, feems 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 to the gates of the imperial city. The emperor has been obliged to wield his fword in defence of his perfon and family. In Egypt the Mamelukes have been repre fented as in a ftate of rebellion. § Hofea xiv. 9. IN Europe war has again hung out the bloody flag. The almoft incredible preparations of the First Conful of France for the invasion and conqueft 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 worft tempers, and moft horrid crimes. It is alfo injurious to literature, commerce, and all the arts of peace; and obftructs the propagation of the gofpel. 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 ceafe 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 utmoft horrors, has raged, in confequence of which there have been many great and important alterations with regard to thofe Islands. AMIDST this conflict of na tions, thefe United States have tions, these United States have enjoyed peace, plenty, and the ampleft privileges, civil and religious, of which any people could ever boaft. Our navigation, commerce, fifheries, hufbandry, fettle. ments, numbers and refources 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 increafing. To fome churches, in the Uni a year of refreshing. The happy effects of the late revivals in others are abundantly manifeft, in the increafe of their numbers, zeal, fpir WHILE we contemplate the tumult of the nations, and the aw-ted States, the last year has been ful crifis with refpect to Europe, let this be our confolation, That the Lord reigneth: That the wrath of man fhall praise him; and that the remainder of wrathitual life, peace, order and beauty. he will reftrain: That he taketh From feveral reports which have the wife in their own craftiness; | been exhibited relative to the genand that those who walk in pride, eral fiate of the churches, in the he is able to abafe. Let us im- United States, it appears, that portunately pray in the language they have not, for many years, of the prophet Habakkuk, when, been in a more flourishing conin vifion, he faw the wreck of na- dition. IN Connecticut, the ftate of our College, of our schools and of literature in general, is very flattering; tho' the College has fuftained 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 enjoyed health and a great degree of profperity. The lives, health and ufefulness 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 ufefulnefs, have finished their courfe fince the commencement of the While the years of others have been numbered and finished, yet we, through help obtained from God, continue unto the present time. Though unworthy of the leaft 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 these national, domeftic and perfonal mercies, how laft year.* The Rev. Daniel Farrand, paftor fhould our hearts glow with gratitude and love! and with what joyful lips fhould we fhow forth the praifes of our great Benefactor! How fhould 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 greatnefs of our priv ileges and of his mercies, are our obligations to ferve and glorify him. 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 71st year of his age, and 46th of his miniftry. The Rev. Eliphalet Williams, D. D. paftor of the first church in EastHartford; who died June 29th, in the 77th year of his age, and 56th of his ministry. GREAT is the occafion which we, the editors of this Magazine, have to rejoice, and afcribe all glory and thankfgiving 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 readers on the commencement of a new year: That we may present you with a review of the events of the last, and call your attention to the preciousness and redemption of time. We intreat you to unite your thanksgiving with ours, for the mercies we have mutually received, and to ftrive 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 purpofes 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 generofity with this Magazine, our prayer to God which you have fo long fupported for you is, that his eye might be upon you, your families and connections for good, from the be walk with God in them, praifing him for his mercies, humbling ourfelves under his judgments, learning the worth, fhortness and uncertainty of time; ftimulating us to greater and greater activity and diligence in redeeming it? Have we employed it for God, ginning of the year unto its end. That the light of his candle may fhine upon your tabernacles, and that the light of his countenance, and of the knowledge of his glory may shine in upon your fouls: That you may grow in knowledge, in grace, in comfort, in ufefulnefs, and in every amiable attain-with right views and right ends? ment, until you fhall be perfected Or have we ftood idle all the day? in holiness, and receive the end of Where is the man who has not your faith, the eternal falvation of been greatly deficient in these reyour fouls. fpects? Who will not find himfelf guilty and reproved by this view of time and its redemption? And how fhould a confideration of all lofs and mifimprovement of time awaken us to the utmost activity and diligence in redeeming the fleeting moments which re THAT we may fucceed in our prayers for you, and that you may be eternally diftinguished for the luftre of your crown, and the greatnefs of your reward, allow us, with the greatest earnestness, and the most folemn confiderations, to prefs the apoftolic ex-main? hortation, That ye walk circumSpecily, not as fools, but as wife redeeming the time.. To quicken ourselves and you to this momentous duty, let us moft feriously examine ourselves, how we have employed our time, in years paft, and the last year in particular. Have we redeemed it from drowfinefs, floth, indolence, paftimes, idleness, evil company, wicked courfes and every kind of mifimprovement? How have we redeemed it on the Sabbath, from worldly puríuits and converfation, from every kind of profanation of its facred hours, and for all the purposes of fecret, private and public worship, and all the purposes of fpiritual improvement? Have we redeemed time to attend all the ordinances of Chrift, and inftituted means of grace and spiritual improvement? Have we done all for our fouls, our families, the church of God and mankind, which our hand hath found to do, with all our might? Have we fo obferved the events and figns of the times as to A CONSIDERATION of the goodness of God, and especially of his goodness to us in partic ular, that when he divided to the fons of Adam the bounds of their habitation, and the various periods of time, in which they fhould exift, he appointed this great and good land, a land of health and plenty, a land of fuch glori ous light, liberty and privileges unto our forefathers and unto us, should engage us to redeem all our time for his fervice and glory. That it is fo far removed from the broils, works, evil cuftoms and vices of the old world; fo happily fituated for navigation, com merce, independence, and all the arts of peace; that God by the moft merciful and wonderful exertions of his providence preserved it for us, and made us an independent nation, poffeffed of fuch diftinguishing privileges, increases our obligations. That we were born and educated in fuch a period of time, not in the ages of the old world, not in tne dark ages, which intervened between the |