the antecedent to the relative? supply and read the text in If an instructor should demand Esther-according to Ezra. Now of a pupil, Who was carried to there was in Shuthan the palace Babylon? and he should reply, a certain Jew named Mordecai, Mordecai; would he not correct the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, him, and say it was Kish? So the son of Kish, a Benjamite the following words, And he who was carried away, &c. This brought up Hadassah-accord-Mordecai, brought up Esther.ing to direct grammatical construction refer to Kish as the person. But, Does not this make it a perfect parallel with Ezra, move all obscurity from the passage and make it as evident, that it was Kish who was carried to Babylon, as it is, that Aaron was the progenitor of Ezra. If it be admitted,that it was Kish who was carried away to Babylon, as Mordecai was the fourth generation from him, was not Mordecai cotemporary with Artaxerxes? and of an age quali 2. As Mordecai is the person introduced, and the subsequent history decidedly makes him the person who educated Esther, has not the grammatical construction been disregarded? and has it been inadvertently received, that Mordecai was carried away captive, when the history designed only to give his genealogy up to the captivity, as Lukefying him for the eminent offices gave the genealogy of Christ and services ascribed to him in to David, Abraham, &c. and the book of Esther? and does then proceed to give a narrative not this, by obviating the objec of the facts to be recorded of tion from this supposed great him; but affirms that it was age of Mordecai, and corroboKish, who was carried to Baby-rated by his liberal disposition lon. In support of this hypothesis let us now consider, and the royal favors which he conferred on the Jews, address satisfactory evidence to the mind, that the Ahasuerus who made Esther his queen, was Artaxerxes Longimanus ? TUPIKOS. ORDINATION. 3. A parallel passage. Now in the reign of Artaxerxes, king of Persia, Ezra, the son of Seriah, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eleazer, the son of Aaron the chief priest. This Ezra went up from Babylon, Ezra vii. 1-6. Let us for this Ezra, substitute the relative Who went up according to the text in Esther, and would not the grammatical ORDAINED, on Wednesday construction make it Aaron who the 8th of January last, over the went up from Babylon, as the first religious, congregational grammatical construction of society in Marietta, (Ohio,) the Esther makes it Kish who was Rev. Samuel Prince Robbins. carried away captive to Babylon. The public exercises of the ocBut the insertions of the words, cason were performed in a solThis Ezra, transfers the gram-emn and impressive manner. matical construction from Aaron The Rev. Jacob Lindsly of Wato Ezra and removes all ambigui-terford made the introductory ty from the passage. Let us now prayer. The Rev. Thomas Rob bins of Connecticut preached the ON Wednesday March 5th, sermon from Matt. xxiv. 14. the Rev. Royal Phelps, and Rev. Several circumstances, natural- Nathaniel Dutton, at the request ly coming into view on the oc- of the committee of the trustees casion, rendered the usual ad- of the Hampshire Missionary dresses peculiarly solemn and Society, were ordained in the affecting. The Rev. Lyman meeting-house at Westfield, as Potter of Steubenville (formerly Evangelists, with particular refrom New-England) made the ference to their performing a consecrating prayer. The Rev. mission in the new settlements Joseph Badger, of the county of the ensuing season. Rev. JoTrumbull, gave the charge. The seph Lyman, D. D. of Hatfield Rev. Stephen Lindsly of Mariet- made the introductory prayer, ta gave the right hand of fellow- Rev. Timothy M. Cooley, of ship. Mr. Badger made the Granville, preached the sermon concluding prayer. A silent from Matt. xvi. 26. Rev. Soloand respectful attention was giv-mon Williams, of Northampton, en from a very numerous audience. Vocal and instrumental music, performed with great softness and accuracy, contributed much to the joy and solemnity of the occasion. The happy union and harmony existing, afford pleasing prospects to the minister and society. This is the oldest society in the state of Ohio and this the first ordination of a congregational minister, that has been performed west of the Alleghany mountains. made the consecrating prayer, Rev. Dr. Lyman gave the charge, Rev. Isaac Knapp, of Westfield, gave the right hand of fellowship, and Rev. Enoch Hale, of Westhampton, made the concluding prayer. N. B. Messrs. Phelps and Dutton are expected to enter on a tour of eighteen weeks in the state of New-York; to spend one half of the time in the Black river settlements, the other half in the counties of Onondago and Chenango. Attempts to Christianize the In dians in New-England, &c. (Continued from p. 333. CHAPTER II. NUMBER xiv. this, to consider him as a Minister, connected with a particular church and congregation. The grace of God which we have seen so illustriously endowing and adorning Mr. Eliot, not only qualified him for, but disposed him to the employment in which he spent about Rev. John Eliot's Life and Cha-sixty years of his life, which was racter as a Minister to a par- the service of the Lord Jesus ticular Church and Congrega- Christ in the ministry of the gostton, abridged from Dr. Cot-pel. ton Mather-His Death, and some Circumstances preceding, and attending it. WHEN Before he entered upon the pastoral office he was very care ful to examine, whether he possessed those important qualifications, which the gospel requires in those who propose to undertake this great and arduous calling. He also weighed well in his mind the difficulties and trials, with which it might rationally be thought it would be attended. HEN we entered upon this historical essay, it was proposed to include in the work an epitome of the life and character of the most distinguished missionaries, as far as documents could be obtained. Something of this kind has been attempted with regard to several It is believed he undertook the who were Mr. Eliot's cotempo-work of the ministry with as raries, some of whom finished their course, before he did his. We have, in former Numbers, considered Mr. Eliot as an Evangelist in the last Number as a Christian; and propose, in VOL. VI. No. 12. right views, and as good ends in it, as any man in our days was actuated with. He looked upon the superintendence of a church as a thing no less dangerous than important; and attended with Hhh qualified for such a ministry. God may indeed prosper the services of such a man for the advantage of his church: But the unsanctified minister, how gifted, how able soever he may be, must have it still said to him, so many difficulties, temptations [ and humbling circumstances, as that nothing but a call from the Son of God could have encouraged him to have entered upon the charge. He saw, that flesh and blood would find it no very pleasant thing to be obliged to" One thing thou lackest"-a the oversight of a number, that by a solemn covenant should be enlisted among the volunteers of the Lord Jesus Christ-That it was no easy thing to feed the souls of such a people, and of the children and neighbors, which were to be brought into the same sheepfold with them; to bear their manners with all patience; not being, by any of their infirmities, discouraged from teaching them, and from watching and praying over them; to value them highly as the flock which God has purchased with his own blood, notwithstand-most eminent skill in theology ing all their miscarriages; and He was one mighty in the in all, to examine the rule of word, which enabled him to conscripture for the warrant of what- vince gainsayers; and on many ever shall be done; and to re-occasions, to show himself a member the day of judgment in renewed heart, a supreme love to God and Jesus, and an ardent affection to the souls purchased by his blood. With these highly important qualifications, no doubt Mr. Eliot was richly endowed. However, every pious man is not fit to be a public teacher. God furnished him with a good measure of learning, which made him capable to divide the word aright. He was well acquainted with the learned languages, and had a good insight into the liberal arts in general: But above all, he had a "workman, that needed not to which an account must be given be ashamed." of all that has been done; hav- To close this article in the ing, in the mean time, no ex-precise words with which Dr. pectation of the riches and gran- Mather closed it: Though we deurs which accompany a world- have had greater scholars than ly domination. It was also his he; yet he has often made me opinion, That, (as the great think of Mr. Samuel Ward's ob Owen expresses it) "notwith-servation, viz. "I have observed standing all the countenance that" and found, that divers great is given to any church, by the clerks have had but little fruit public magistracy; yet, while" of their ministry; but hardly we are in this world, those who" any truly zealous men of God, will faithfully discharge their" (though of lesser gifts) but duty, as ministers of the gospel," have had much comfort of their shall have need to be prepa"labors in their own, and borred for suffering ;" and it was "dering parishes; being in this in a sense of these things that he gave himself up to the sacred ministry. A stranger to regeneration can be but poorly * See Mr. David Fordyce's Art of Preaching, page 100, in which this point is discussed in a serious and ju dicious manner. "likened by Gregory to the ironing done, it was his manner to on the Smith's anvil, sparkling "round about." Mr. Eliot was exemplary in governing as well as instructing his children. The apostle Paul, reciting and requiring qualifications of a gospel minister, gives order, that he be one "that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity." Mr. Eliot was very strict in the education of his children; and very careful to prevent, or remedy any error in their hearts and lives. No exorbitances, or extravagances could ever find a room under his roof; nor was his house any other than a school of piety. In the government of his family he avoided the extremes of great rigor, and over much lenity. He was ever careful to maintain family religion in its various branches, which tended to render family government more easy. His family was a little Bethel, for the worship of God constantly and exactly kept up in it: And to the daily prayers of the family, his manner was to prefix the reading of the scriptures;* which be *Reading the Scriptures is a part of religious worship to be performed in families. This is a piece of practical religion, which every head of a family should conscientiously maintain ; and would be found a useful mean to instil and promote the fear of God in our children and all under our care. The strict charge God gave the Jews, with respect to the law remains upon record for our instruction; (Deut. vi. 6, 7, 8, 9.) "These words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart; and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children; and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when make his young people to choose a certain passage in the chapter, and give him some observation of their own upon it. By this method he did mightily sharpen and improve, as well as try their understandings, and endeavor to make them wise unto salvation. Whatever decay there might be of family religion in the land, those who knew Mr. Eliot would be confident of this, that after the example of the thou liest down, and when thou risest up," &c. "Now no man can imagine, that we Christians should be under less obligation to keep up the honor of God in our families, than the Jews were: This supposition would militate against the express injunction of the apostle, "To bring up our children in the fear of God and nurture and admonition of the Lord;" and would be contrary to the New Testathe best Christians in all ages." ment examples; and the practice of "Wherefore it cannot be sufficiently bewailed, that reading the scriptures and praying in families, which are parts of religious worship so useful and necessary to the preof God among us, should be so much serving of the knowledge and fear neglected." London ministers on reading the scriptures, Sermon I. p. 14, &c. However, Low as our religious character is fallen in these degenerate days, I have reason to hope, that acts of domestic worship are yet performed by multitudes of Christians of various denominations: yet I cannot but fear, that the scriptures are not so constantly read at such seasons, as they formerly were; an omission which must be to the great detriment both of children and servants. One would think, that those, who believe the divine authority of scripture, and its infinite importance, should be easily prevailed upon to restore this useful exercise, at least for one part of the day." Dr. Doddridge's Fam. Expos. vol. ii. Pref. p. 5. |