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considerate mind what repentance and conversion really are, both in will and understanding, heart and life; and also so as to demonstrate how essentially necessary each of them are to man's regeneration and final happi

ness.

We therefore conceive that not only the impenitent, and those who have mistaken the true spiritual nature of these duties will receive very useful instruction from this publication; but also that the more intelligent and advanced Christian may, by a careful perusal thereof, be led into a more interior and particular examination of his own state, and consequently into still deeper degrees of genuine repentance and spiritual conversion to the Lord.

Such being our sentiments of the work before us, we sincerely hope that those who read it will reap benefit by the perusal that the author's labor will not be in vain -and that his good wishes to be of use herein may be abundantly answered.

BLOSSOMS

TO HEIGHTEN VIRTUE'S CHARMS, RELIGION'S POW'R, THESE ARE THE GIFTS OF HEAV'NLY HARMONY! WITHOUT THEM ALL THE POET'S PAINTED FORMS WERE TRANSIENT SHADES THAT FLY THE MORNING DAWN.

Modern Poetry.

DUETTO,

By the late Rev. JACOB DUCHE, when Chaplain of the Assylum for Female Orphans.

COME, Faith Divine, thy powers impart,

Call Wisdom from above:
Come, Charity, possess the heart,
And prompt to deeds of love:

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Thus the laws of heaven ordain:

Happy union! joy compleat!

Smile upon our Orphan train!

Amen, Amen, Amen.

THE

AURORA.

LEAD ME IN THY TRUTH, AND TEACH ME.

PSA. XXV. 5.

No. XXIV. MARCH 1, 1801.

FOR THE AURORA.

CONCERNING THE PROPAGATION OF THE NEW DOCTRINES.

IT is a remarkable circumstance, that the writings of

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E. S. should have been more than thirty, some of them forty years published among Christians, and yet so few comparatively embrace the truths therein contained. The causes appear to be, prejudice founded in confirma tion of false doctrines; ignorance in religious concerns, owing to the want of enquiry and application to subjects of this kind; and the love of evils, which rejects or per verts truths, being opposite in their nature and tenden◄ cy: many no doubt, are influenced by each of these causes, and greater numbers perhaps by all of them conjointly, whereby they are rendered averse to the re ception of these heavenly doctrines. Hh

VOL. II.

Now

Now if after a view of these causes of disregarding these valuable truths, we apply ourselves with earnestness and candour to attain to the knowledge of them, prejudice and ignorance must immediately give way; but the love of evils can only be removed by reformation of conduct and renewal of spirit, agreeable to what they direct and enforce by the most powerful arguments, drawn from God's Word and the reasonableness of the things treated of therein.

The Lord in infinite love and condescension to the weakness of mankind, accommodates his mode of instructing them to their particular prejudices, in different ages and among different nations: When the Israelites were called out of Egypt, the eastern world were in general much attached to sacrificial worship; wherefore Moses was ordered to institute a religion chiefly consisting of sacrifices. At the time when the Lord came into the world in person, oral teaching much prevailed in Greece, Italy, and also in Judea ; each eloquent leader having many adherents or disciples; hence it was that the Lord adopted this mode of instructing men at that time, and sent his first apostles to teach in the same manner in all nations. But when the time was come for the Lord's second advent, the true meaning of his Word more clearly discovered, and his prophecies accomplished, the art of printing had come into general use in Europe, and therefore this plan was deemed most proper for the propagation of the

New

New Jerusalem doctrines. And certainly it behoves us to accede to the plan now adopted by the Lord, for the information of mankind in the important truths of the new dispensation of love and wisdom, by procuring them, and with diligence and attention reading them, for our own information and salvation; and by using our best endeavours to communicate them to all others, both learned and unlearned.

Every person who can read, if he be disposed to be informed in the doctrines, should be provided with the smaller works of E. S. however poor he may be, at the expence of the Society in the place of his residence. And it might be well if every one would read them for the information of his family, if he has one, and also give it in charge to his children and relatives who may probably survive him, to keep the writings of E. S. in the family to future generations, for their use successively.

In regard to public teaching by ministers, so much. esteemed by the multitude at this day; it is shewn in the writings of E. S, to be less impressive, and hence. less useful than free discussion: for to hear an individual only, without enquiry or reply, leaves little or no impression on the mind, but passes away; whereas if a question be proposed, and candidly explained and illustrated, it makes a strong impression; and indeed this was the mode used in the schools of the old philosophers, it also was in the school of Jesus Christ, see Conj. Love . 183. Not that preaching should be laid aside, no such

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