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ODE ON THE NEW YEAR.

THE PRESENT.

TIME flying on the wings of Fate, Swift round his annual course doth move,

And brings us, with another date,
Another season to improve.
'Tis well to nelitate the past,

And think how many years have fled; To learn how life is wasting fast,

And urging downward to the dead! Ah, what is life! - a vapour light, That twinkles with fallacious ray: meteor gleaming thro' the night, Then sudden vanishes away! 'Tis wise to catch the fleeting now,

Nor the uncertain fature trust; For man and all his works shall bow To mingled ruin in the dust!

Oh, happy he, who void of fear,

Perceives his mortal dare decrease! Who joys to find his Heav'n so near, And lays him down to die in peace!

THE PAST.

Author of being, great First Cause,
Whose fat bade all worlds arise,
Fast binding in almighty laws,

The restless earth, and seas, and
skies!

Thou dost this pond'roaš globe sustain, Suspended in the liquid air,

With all the planetary train

That run their mystic circles there! Thy watchful providence appears

O'erruling checquer'd ages past; We trace it thro" six thousand years,

And felt it bonuteous thro' the last! In blooming Spring, in Summer's heat, And Autnain's stores, thy care was Found:

With herbage green and golden wheat, Theo hast the year in goodness

crown'd!

Our future sons with joy shall tell

How thou hast guarded Britain's isle; Bid Peace within our bulwarks dwell, And round us cheerful Plenty smile! Great was our guilt, and great our dread;

But thou art better than our fears: The gloomy cloud that o'er us spread, Before thy mercy disappears!

The foe had threaten'd to devour,

And flatter'd greedy hope with gain; But thou hast filed lawless pow'r, And render'd boasted conquest vain. Oh save us from the fees within,

Our private guilt and public crimes, That the New Year may usher in

More holy days and happy times!

THE FUTURE.

Wrapt in impenetrable shades,
Futurity the search evades

Of busy prying man:
No anxious mind can comprehend
The movements that on Time depend,
Or grasp th' eternal plan!

One certain hope the soul sustains,
That He who high in glory reigns,

Supreme o'er earth presides:
That all the incidents of Time,
Thro' every age and every clime,

His hand unerring guides!
"Midst wintry frost and misty gloom,
As sprung from Nature's icy tomb,
The Year begins its way:
Yet soon its march shall bring again
Sweet Spring, with all its flow`ry train,
And all its blossoms gay!

The cry of blood, the trump of death,
As issuing from the pit beneath,
The dawning Year attend:
Yet he who rides upon the storm
Can its foreboding horrors form,
To calm a peaceful end!
The mirth of Madness, light and vain,
The wanton song, the oath profane,
Salute the opening Year:
Yet ere its close, Affliction's stroke
May bend the proud beneath the yoke
Of chastisement severe !
C'erwhelm'd with sorrow, bow'd with
pain,

The suff ring saint may dread again
Another Year below:
Yel Time is host'ning him apace
To better days, or better place,
Deyond the reach of woe.
Eternal God, in thee we trust!
That thou art holy, good, and just,

The rolling Years proclaim: Amidst convulsions, new and strange, Thou canst not err,&nd wilt not change; Tay love is at the same!

Frinted by G AULD, Greville Street, London.

ALIQUIS.

[graphic][subsumed][merged small]

THE

EVANGELICAL MAGAZINE.

FEBRUARY, 1806.

CONVERSION OF MR. LAPIDOTH, AND FAMILY. (Concluded from our last.).

AFTER living for some months, in a retired manner, at Vianen, Mrs. Lapidoth was delivered, in March 1802, of her twelfth child; by which not only the burden of a family, before very large, was increased, but the minds of the parents were also deeply affected by the necessity of permitting this child, contrary to the conviction of their own minds, to be circumcised. This grief continuing to afflict them in the most painful manner, they communicated the same (being asked the reason of their visible sadness) to a pious lady who lodged in the same house, and to whom they from time to time confided, in some measure, their religi ous sentiments. She encouraged them to speak privately with the ministers of that place, and to disclose to them sincerely and truly the state of their minds. This happened in August 1804, and Mr. Lapidoth was received by them with kindness, but at the same time with the necessary caution; and it was now conceived that the occurrence, together with the sentiments disclosed by these people, were of sufficient importance to occasion suitable enquiries to be made respecting their persons, circumstances, and behaviour.

The result proving in all respects agreeable to their own statement, the ministers judged the affair to be of such a nature, that they were not at liberty to withhold themselves from furthering the happiness of these people; but that it would be Christian charity, independent of the situation they held, which made it their bounden duty to assist them as much as possible in attaining, according to their desire, the true knowledge and real profession of Christianity. It was evident that their outward affairs were such as not to afford any encouragement thereto : this, however, did not hinder Mr. Wintgens, according to the friendly arrangement of the two ministers, and upon the request of these people, to undertake, in 'dependence on the Divine Providence, giving them such instructions as were suited to strengthen them in the knowledge they had already acquired, and to make them more fully acquainted with the true spirit of the gospel. This instruction was now continued weekly, with much plea

sure and encouragement on the part of the minister, whose heart, through the aptness, as well as the sentiments of the learners, became more attached to them; and who, in the mean time, took all possible pains to find out something or other for the maintenance of this numerous family, which, on their eventually professing Christianity, aud being then probably deserted by their relations, might preserve them from poverty, and afford them the means of an honest livelihood.

In the mean time, two whole years had passed away, without any favourable prospect appearing; the endeavours of Mr. Wintgens, and the exertions of others had miscarried; and several plans were suggested for the attainment of the same, or preparatively to relieve the family.

The eldest daughter and son had more than once offered immediately to recite before the elders of the church their confession of faith, and to be baptized, if only some way of maintenance could be procured for them, or if they could be employed in any business; hoping thereby not only to relieve their parents, but likewise to hasten their conversion. But all these attempts proved abortive. On the other hand, their necessities, by their sentiments becoming more and more known, and their relations growing more suspicious, became the more pressing. Frequently they were put to great straits, from which alone the ready help of the friends of humanity could relieve them; and, upon the whole, they suffered very great want, which was not known till afterwards; in which they found themselves strengthened by their hope in Him for whose sake they endured this affliction.

The perplexity in which every thing was now involved, naturally gave occasion to consult with several neighbouring professors and ministers; and, in order to judge the better of the affair, Mr. Lapidoth was sent to them, It was found, under such circumstances, very diflicult to give good advice, and it was judged that the important difficulties which existed were not to be diminished by a hasty opinion; it appeared particularly necessary to convince him, that if he would, in spite of all the difficulties attached to his situation, go over to the real profession of Christianity, the mere conviction of the truth was not sufficient; but, on the contrary, that a hearty confidence in the love of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, would alone be sufficient to afford any real advantage to his soul, and strengthen him, if it should come to that, to bear with resignation and fortitude all humiliation, sacritices, and wants.

He seemed to feel the importance of this in the liveliest manner, and frequently made such declarations as would at once have been deemed satisfactory, and have obliged any teacher of the gospel to judge the immediate confession of faith in Jesus Christ as necessary; and, with respect to the parents and elder children, fully to accept of the same. At the same time, it was easily con

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