said they might attend worship in their own parish? Might not I do the same?

I have no difficulty in admitting, that it may often be the duty of missionaries to ride on the Sabbath. I believe, if a brother were unexpectedly to call, on Saturday evening, I might leave him the next morning to supply my pulpit, and go myself to preach in a vas cant parish. Nor does it admit of a doubt, I think, that there are cases in which a minister, who has agreed upon an exchange, ought to spend the night at home, and go in the morning, His family may be sick, or there may be some other substantial reason. But why a man should be permitted to travel, merely because he is a preacher, and it suits his convenience to exchange, I never have been able to discover. Why should not a minister, as well as men of other professions and employments, do every thing that can be done, before the Sabbath arrives? Why not ride to the adjoining parish, or the distant town, the preceding evening, that he may have all the time to himself in the morning? This hastening away from home, having scarcely had time to pray with his family; pushing on as fast as possible, for fear of being late; and stepping from his horse, or chaise, into the church; can scarcely be deemed the right kind of preparation for the momentous duties of the day. But he staid at home, perhaps, for the sake of giving religious instruction, on Saturday evening, to his children and domestics. Is this, however, a sufficient excuse? Might not the same instruction have been given by the brother, with whom he exchanges? Will any one say, my family cannot be left alone? Let your brother come on Saturday, and this excuse vanishes.

Upon the whole, it is believed, that take what view we will of the subject, travelling on the Sabbath to make exchanges, is, in ordinary circumstances, inconsistent with the spirit of the divine law. The Scriptures no where recognize the practice, as an exception to the general precepts, nor can it be classed, with necessary works of mercy.

Let us, in the next place, turn our attention for a moment, to the law of the land respecting the Sabbath. I say the law of the land, because, if I am rightly informed, the law is substantially the same, in most of the states, I am no civilian, and shall not attempt to comment upon the letter of the law in question. There is a short, er, and, in my apprehension, a more satisfactory way of coming at the point. What is the construction put by our magistrates, where the law is executed, upon that part of it, which relates to travelling on the Lord's day? All are agreed, I believe, that if a stranger proceed but one mile on his journey, without some urgent necessity, he is a Sabbath-breaker. All are agreed, that the man who travels from one parish to another, on secular business, or for pleasure, is liable to a penalty. The man, too, who leaves his own church and goes five, or ten miles, on the Sabbath, to public worship in another place, is deemed a transgressor, by many of our best civilians; perhaps by all. If then the stranger may not travel; if the merchant may not go to the next parish upon business;

and if people may not even go abroad to attend public worships when they have preaching at home, why is not the minister liable to a penalty if he travel on the Sabbatli, in making his occasional exchanges? This, I think, brings the question to a point in a few words. If I can make it appear, that my going, or returning, upon the Sabbath, is a case of real necessity, or charity, then the law, according to the construction above specified, permits me to travel, and so it does the stranger, or any body else. But in every case, where I cannot plead necessity, or mercy, the law condenins me; and this is a plea, which ministers cannot ordinarily make, when they exchange labors. "Let us be subject, therefore, not only for wrath, but for conscience sake."

The last thing to be considered is the question of expediency. Not that any thing can be expedient in this case, which is unlawful. But supposing the laws of God and man had left the matter perfectly discretionary, would it be expedient, would it promote the interests of morality and religion, for settled ministers of the Gospel, to ride from one parish to another, on the Lord's day? I am sure it would not. Almost every thing depends upon their being "ensamples to their flocks." They, if any body, should "avoid even the appearance of evil." All their steps are narrowly watched by the enemies of religion, and it should be their constant aim, to walk so circumspectly, as to give no occasion" to them that seek occasion.

Christ's ministers are "as a city set on a hill." Their example has a surprising influence upon those, over whom they are placed in the Lord, People, in general, are not accustomed to nice distinctions. They never have seen, and it may be presumed never will see, why their minister should be permitted to travel ten miles, for the sake of making an exchange, when they may not travel five, or even one mile, in the prosecution of a journey. They are sure, that if it is right for him to consult his convenience in this way, it cannot be wrong for them to consult theirs. Let it be generally known, that a minister is in the habit of riding upon the Sabbath, when he exchanges;-let him go into the next town in the morning and preach against Sabbath breaking;-let him return after the public service, and what will be the effect of his sermon? What will one and another say, as he passes along?-Physician, heal thyself." How little is gained in this case, and how much is lost! Surely it were better not to exchange at all, or to submit to any inconvenience which might accrue from leaving home on Saturday, than to weaken the effect of a single important discourse.

It has been admitted, that under some peculiar circumstances, the requisite travel, in making exchanges, may be performed on the Lord's day; and there may be cases in which it will be difficult to decide, what is duty. But let ministers, in all such cases, ask wisdom of God; let them sit down and inquire, what will be most pleasing to our Lord and master-what will be most likely to promote the interests of his kingdom, and the salvation of souls? Let hem lay their hand on their heart and ask themselves, what shall

we wish we had done, when we come to give up our final account? Let them come to a decision in this way, and there can be little doubt that the path of duty will be made plain before them.

Z. X. Y.

A NARRATIVE OF THE REVIVAL OF RELIGION, IN THE REFORMED DUTCH CHURCH AT POUGHKEEPSIE, UNDER THE PASTORAL CARE OF THE REV. CORNELIUS C. CUYLER. PUBLISHED BY ORDER OF THE CLASSIS OF POUGHKEEPSIE,

No communications, which are usually inserted in religious magazines, are more eagerly perused, than accounts of revivals of religion. The following article has appeared in most of the religious magazines in our country, and was set apart for insertion toward the close of last year; but necessarily deferred till the present time. We trust, that those of our subscribers who have received it in other magazines, will not be reluctant to have it presented to the great body of our readers, who have no means of seeing it, unless in our pages. ED. PAN. Extract from the Minutes of the Classis of Poughkeepsie, April 18, 1815.

Resolved, That the Rev. Cornelius C. Cuyler be requested to furnists, for publication, a narrative of the revival, which has recently taken place in the Church and Congregation of Poughkeepsie, and that three hundred copies be printed at the expense of this body.

Reverend Brethren,

I COMMUNICATE with pleasure, according to your request, an account of the glorious work which the Lord has wrought in the Church and Congregation committed to my care. It has indeed been a work which has been strongly marked as his own. No one else could have done it. His power and grace are abundantly manifest in it, and he shall have the glory of it ascribed to him. In making the detail I shall be as precise and particular as circumstances will permit.

During the year 1813, this Church and Congregation were in a cold and distracted state; the hands of our praying people hung down, and their hearts were heavy and sad; labor was a burden to me, and I had it in serious contemplation to give up my charge, and see whether the Lord had not work for me in some other part of his vineyard.

The year 1814 opened with a more favorable prospect. The word and ordinances of God were better attended than usual, and we had from time to time some faint hope, some distant expectation, that a good work had commenced. One reason of our hope was, that our Wednesday evening prayer meeting, (which has been kept up nearly all the time of my ministry) became so crowded that we were obliged to remove from private houses to the church. In the month of April last, another prayer meeting was opened in the church on Sabbath evenings, which has uniformly been well attended. (It was laid aside of course for the winter sea

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son, when I preach in the evening; but has again been resumed.) Both these meetings I have uniformly attended, when not absent from the place. From this time our praying people were considerably engaged. They were drawn out to pray specially to the Lord for a revival of his work. Through the last summer, fears and hopes predominated alternately.

The last Sabbath in July, and the first and second Sabbaths in August I was absent. But the prayer meetings were continued, although they were not so well attended as usual; on the evening of one of those days, I am informed that those who usually officiated in prayer were much depressed and discouraged; so much so, as to say to one another, "What will become of us?" One of them intimated a hope, that the Lord would speedily visit us with a blessing. From this time we date the commencement of the revival, although there was no public appearance of it till some time in November. From this time there was great ardency in prayer, and strong desires for a blessing from the Lord. Since November there have been prayer meetings every evening in the week, except when there was preaching; I have uniformly attended them, and lectured from some passage of Scripture. Except Wednesday evenings, they have been held at private houses in different parts of the congregation. The private houses have been crowded. At church there were generally from one to three hundred present. I have no doubt that the Lord has answered prayer in this work. He has been carnestly sought by his people, and has evidently blessed them.

It has been a peculiarly deep and solemn work. Our meetings have generally been, literally houses of mourning. Never, under any circumstances, have I seen such deep sorrow and humility. I have seen a whole assembly, consisting of at least an hundred, sitting in tears before the exercises commenced, and during the exercises, moved to sobbing, so that I have felt afraid to proceed. This was equally the case under the promises of the Gospel as under the terrors of the law. Indeed, mercy and grace appeared to have the most effect to move: I think that the consideration of God's mercy and goodness to sinners in sparing them, in restraining them, in providing such a Savior, in shewing them their need of him, and making them willing and desirous of being saved by him, has caused more sorrow than all things else. I have seen or heard very little of the terrors of the law. Their hearts have been too deeply humbled to be greatly terrified. They have generally been very soon brought to feel what it is to have a broken heart, and contrite spirit." They have remarkably humbling views of themselves. I consider great humility of soul as distinguishing the work.

The work has not been confined to any class of moral character. I believe that as moral a man as I have ever known has been a subject of its saving influence; and there are certainly some of the vilest of the vile, who have been brought to hate sin, and love and practise holiness. There are among the number several of the votaries of pleasure, who last year were gay and dissipated; whose

hearts vibrated to the notes of the viol, and rejoiced in the follies of the ball room. Very few of those who have been affected by the work have passed the middle age. The work has chiefly been among the young, and a considerable part of them have been my catechumens. There is among the converts a man of seventyfour. He is a Canadian by birth, can neither read nor write, speaks the English language very imperfectly, and was educated a Roman Catholic. I have seen a child of seven years of age, who has been considerably exercised, and another of nine, who I hope has become savingly acquainted with the Redeemer. Aged sinners have been comparatively but little affected. The most of the work has been among the middling class in life, but there are instances in both extremes. There are in one extreme, ten or twelve poor, illiterate Africans, who are rejoicing in the hope of the Gospel. Ethiopia is thus stretching out her hands unto God.

With respect to doctrines, I would remark, that the whole truth, as it is in Jesus, has been intended to be declared without any reference to the consequences which might result from it. The total depravity of man; the gist judgment of God against him as a fallen and rebellious creature; his entire inability to atone for sin, or raise himself to the enjoyment of the favor of God; the necessity of a radical change by the supernatural operation of the Holy Spirit; God's unspeakable love in the gift of the Savior; the character, natures, offices, and work of the blessed Redeemer; God's unchangeable and electing love; his faithfulness in carrying on and completing the work which he commences in the heart, fulfilling his own purposes; the peculiar consolations of the Gospel, and particularly its nice and accurate adaptedness to the several situations in which poor sinners find themselves; the experience of God's children under various circumstances; the misery and danger which attend a continuance in sin; the awful state of the wicked in eternity; and the blessedness of the redeemed, are all subjects which have been called up, elucidated, and enforced. The evidences of a gracious state, have also frequently been elucidated, and care has been taken to do away those false impressions which arise from a dependence upon impulses, frames and feelings. The people have been taught to prove themselves by the law and the testimony. The peculiar doctrines of grace have generally been well relished, and when difficulties have occurred, they have easily been removed by free conversation: I have generally found the converts teachable and willing to submit to the decision of the Scriptures. This has been th more happy, as attempts have been made to prejudice the minds of some, by cavilling against the doctrines of grace as inconsistent with moral agency and the use of means, or by misrepresenting them as leading to licentiousness. It has been a standing rule with us to have no collision with those who differ from us, and to declare the truth without reference to the sentiments of others. This has had a very favorable effect, for, although it has not stopped the mouths of gainsayers, it has led serious seekers to think more favorably of the doctrines of grace. The doctrines, which I have