this class, let humility be cultivated; let each one consider, and have it deeply fixed in his mind, how worthless, how guilty, how inexcusable he is in the sight of God. Let him seek to become acquainted with his own heart, and to follow the apostolic injunction, to esteem others better than himself. 2. Meetings of the kind in question have sometimes been less profitable, than they otherwise might have been, in consequence of introducing subjects of curious inquiry. Conferences are no suitable places either for disputes, or nice disquisitions. The proper subjects, on which to seek instruction, are the great truths of religion; the obvious and heart-searching doctrines of the Bible; those, which consider men as lost sinners, and declare the method of recovery by Jesus Christ. While these are suitably kept in view, no Christian can go away unprofited. 3. It is possible, that religious meetings may be so much frequented, as not to leave sufficient time for other duties. Where they are greatly multiplied, and where every person attends as many as he can, this will too probably be the fact. By other duties I mean duties strictly religious; such as family instruction and family religion. It is much easier to attend religious social meetings, and there join in pray. er and conversation, than to keep up a long course of religious instruction in the family. There is danger that the easiest duty should be preferred, and receive an undue share of time and attention. While I would strongly recommend conferences as a mean of promoting knowledge, purity, and love; I would cau tion Christians against resting in them as the end. Our social religious enjoyments should prompt to the enjoyments of the closet, and to the retired worship of the family, and all should lead to God. Thus will each call to duty receive its proper attention; and the Christian will possess that consistent and harmonious character, which he ought greatly to desire. 4. There have been instances of these meetings becoming tiresome by their uniformity. The same subjects have been started, and the same series of observation have been made, too frequently. Where one monotonous course is pursued for a considerable time, it must of necessity become dull and uninteresting. 5. Where a great attention to religion prevails, and multitudes are deeply anxious in regard to their salvation, there is danger that these meetings will be protracted to an improper length. The fact is, however, that discreet and experienced Christians are usually quite enough on their guard against this evil; and that no class of meetings for social enjoyment, not even tea parties, have so uniformly been closed at a seasonable hour. 6. The health is sometimes exposed by attending conferences in close and crowded rooms. This may be at times a serious evil; but as it is sufficiently obvious, there is little occasion to dwell upon it. Clergymen have u sually been the greatest sufferers from this cause; as they have attended a greater number of these meetings than private Christians generally, and have taken a larger share in the exercises. I shall close this communication with a few remarks on the best manner of conducting religious conferences. 1. They should be sanctioned by the presence and countenance of zealous, discreet, and pious clergymen. I do not intend that a clergyman should always be present; for that would be impracticable in extensive parishes; nor would his other duties permit his attendance at all times. But the clergyman should be occasionally present, and should always advise and direct, as to the best manner of proceeding. I need not say, that the clergy should be treated with that marked deference and respect, which their station and character demand; for I have heard no complaint that this deference is ever withheld. 2. There should be a considerable variety as to the number of persons who attend the meetings. Some of the meetings should be of a more general nature, intended to embrace all who wish to attend from a whole parish; others should be designed to accommodate small neighborhoods. At those of the former description, it seems desirable that the clergyman should be present, and lead in the principal exercises, if possible. Of the latter, half a dozen may sometimes be profitably held within the limits of a single parish, on the same evening. These small meetings of neighbors, where so few attend that a small room will accommodate them, at all seasons of the year, are exceedingly useful, and are free from most of the objections which are usually alleged against conferences. They allow greater free dom of conversation and inquiry, and greater opportunity to disclose the views of each, than can be enjoyed at large meetings. 3. The exercises should be short. I do not refer here to the duration of the whole meeting, but to that of each part, as prayer, reading, singing, conversing, &c. It is better that the number of the exercises should be increased, than that any one exercise should be tedious. In order that the prayers should be short, those who lead in them would do well to aim at appropriateness in the subjects, rather than at fulness. Though an attempt to fix every part of the meeting by strict rule would introduce constraint, and therefore be irksome; yet the object here aimed to be described should be kept constantly in view. 4. The exercises should be various as well as short; that is, they should be different at different times. The word of God furnishes an inexhaustible variety of topics, and is capable of being rendered ever new and ever interesting. Short sermous and parts of sermons are sometimes useful to be read on these occasions, as are accounts of revivals of religion, intelligence from missionaries, well written pieces in religious magazines, remarkable conversions, and remarkable Providences. In these days of extraordinary exertion to diffuse a knowledge of Christianity through the world, perhaps nothing has a more powerful tendency to awaken concern for a man's own soul, than to engage his feelings in the attempt to promote the salvation of others. 5. Though the conversation at these meetings should be strictly, and in a high degree, experimental, yet no encouragement should be held out to make it personal. Some good people are inclined to bring forward their own religious experiences. This should generally be discouraged in promiscuous meetings. Christians will find more profit by disclosing the dealings of God with their souls to an intimate friend, perhaps to their clergyman, than to a considerabie number of persons. And, excepting examinations for admission into the church, it appears to me advisable, that our personal experiences should be co.fined to a very narrow circle. Though not personal, the conversation should be of a very practical nature. Probably there has been more error in this particular, than in any other. The duties of beneficence, prayer, watcnfulness, brotherly admonition, meckness, patience, and many other Christian virtues, should be so abundantly insisted upon, that the covetous, proud, and fretful, may not deceive themselves, as to the grand traits of the Christian character. Christianity should be represent ed as requiring habitual self-denial, and as not to be satisfied with mere professions. Those who are numbered among the disciples of Christ should feel the necessity of exhibiting a high standard of practical vir tue. 6. In the small conferences, every man should be encouraged to propose his inquiries, and express his opinions. But in no meetings expressly for religious purposes, and embracing more than the members of one family, should females be invited to speak at all. The decision of St. Paul is definitive on that point; and as the matter is setled by inspiration, there is no need of seeking for reasons to support the decision, though they might easily be found. It is highly proper, however, that females should have meetings of their own for prayer and relig ious conversation. 7. In regard to the large con. ferences, large, airy, and commodious rooms should be procured, wherever it is practicable to procure them. When not otherwise to be obtained, they should be built. In many places, this want has been suitably provided for; and I hope the time is coming, when a good room for conferences will be considered as a necessary possession in every parish. The objections, which have been made to conferences by men of the world, have been usually extremely frivolous, and of such a nature as to be evidenty merely ostensible. We ought not to be very solicitous to obviate or repel objections of this kind, as, after all our attempts, it will be found impossible to silence them. Unless I am mistaken, too much attention has been given by religious persons to the clamors of the world against revivals of religion: paruicularly by being very careful to state, that no enthusiasm nor irregularities took place, in the revival under consideration. Whatever may have been the fact, in the great revival seventy years ago, the character of re, vivals of late has been such, as renders it unnecessary to assert in.every case, that there has It will be said, no doubt, that to look upward is highly proper, as the Supreme Being is represented as dwelling in the visible heavens; and this fact has probably given rise to the practice. But surely our people do not need to be taught, by the visible exhibition referred to, that God is highly elevated above his creatures, and that heaven is the place of his peculiar and glorious presence. more proper to shut the eyes, as seeing Him who is invisible, than to appear as if beholding, with the bodily eye, Him, who is seen with the eye of faith only? Is it not much That it is proper and natural to raise the eyes to heaven, on certain occasions, will not be doubted; but to hold the eyes fixed for half an hour, in a very constrained position, and to seem as if beholding a visible representation of the Deity, when no such representation is beheld, and when God dwells in the heart of the humble and the contrite, are actions which appear to have grown into a habit without reflection, or to have originated in a mistaken notion, that a sort of theatrical effect would be produced by an apparent beholding of the Divine Majesty. By the atrical effect I mean simply an cffect produced by a visible exhi bition. As a lover of propriety, I wish it might be attentively considered, whether any thing is gained by the habit in question, and whether it is not liable to the objections above stated. ANTIPAS. ¡ RELIGIOUS COMMUNICATIONS. LECTURES ON THE EVIDENCES OF DIVINE REVELATION. No. XVII. The next subject in the sacred history, which claims our attention, is the Confusion of languages, and the consequent dispersion of the builders of Babel. Concerning this subject we are informed, 1. That Nimrod, the son of Cush, was a mighty hunter before the Lord, and became a mighty one in the earth. 2. That the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Shinar. 3. That at this time the earth was of one language, and of one speech. 4. That the body of men, who were connected with Nimrod at the establishment of his kingdom at Babel, &c. came from the East to Shinar, and made that region a place of permanent residence. See Gen. xi, 8, 9, 10, and xi, 1, 2. The land of Shinar was that extensive alluvial region, spreading from the Tigris to the Euphrates, and some distance westward of the latter, and probably eastward of the former. On such grounds mankind have loved to plant themselves, from the beginning to the present time. Concerning the fact, that men came to this country from the East, see Shuckford and Bryant; particularly the latter. 5. After this body of people, known very extensively by the name of Cushites, and consisting principally of the children of Ham, had been settled for some time in this fertile region; they invaded the country higher up the Tigris, which had been settled by the children of Shem; particularly by Ashur and his confederates. These appear to have been a peaceable quiet people. The followers of Nimrod were bold, enterprising, and warlike. The invasion, as it was unprovoked, was unexpected. The invaders, therefore, made an easy conquest; and in a single eruption reduced their brethren, the descendants of Shem, under their dominion. Concerning this war, and that which next followed it,the Scriptures are silent: but the memory of both is sufficiently preserved by profane writers. 6. Not far from this time the Cushites undertook to build a city; and in it a tower, of great height, and distinction. In these erections they had two objects in view. One was to acquire renown; and the other, to prevent themselves from being dispersed; or to preserve their union as a body politic. And they said, "Go to, let us build us a city, and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven, and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad. upon the face of the whole earth.” Gen. xi, 4. It is not improbable, that they had a third object in view,in building the tower: and that was, to make it a temple for idolatrous worship. The whole idolatrous system has been in substance |