our fathers of Connecticut. Through trials and labors innumerable, they planted their habitations in a land not sown ; their souls now rest with God.

By the twenty-fifth of November, Connecticut River was frozen over, heavy falls of snow succeeded, and the season was severely tempestuous and cold. The people had not had time to prepare even tolerable shelters for themselves or their cattle. Several small vessels, which had been laden with their furniture and provisions, sailed from Boston and were wrecked on the coast. If any arrived in the sound they could not ascend the river. The most of their cattle died, which was a very severe loss. A part of those which were brought by the Dorchester people, and were not got over the river before it was closed, remained in the open meadows, and the most of them lived. One vessel returning from Connecticut was cast away, but the people after extreme sufferings got into Plymouth. Under the date of Nov. 26th, Governor Winthrop records in his Journal, "There came twelve men from Connecticut, they had been ten days upon their journey, and had lost one of their company, drowned under the ice by the way, and had been all starved, but that by God's providence they lighted upon an Indian wigwam. Connecticut River was frozen up the 15th of this month."* Early in December, provisions, in each of the settlements began to fail. Disappointed of their expected supplies, the people looked upon one another with amazement. A long winter was before them, and it had commenced with unusual severity. The disposition of their savage neighbors was more than doubtful. They were perplexed, but not in despair. As the only means of preserving their lives, about seventy persons, men, women, and children, left their settlements and travelled down the river, in hopes of meeting with their provisions. As their expected vessels failed, they went on board a ship lying near the mouth of the river, which, by a sudden rain at that time, was released from its confinement in the ice, and were carried back to their former habitations. Governor Winthrop observes, "They came to Massachusetts in five days, which was a great mercy of God, for otherwise they had all perished with famine, as some did." My readers will reflect, and not without emotion, Had not this ship been lying there at that time, while it had no connection with the settlements, had not a sudden thaw broken the ice at that cold season, and had not the slip made a quick passage to Boston, that consecrated band had perished. So * By the alteration of the Style, these dates fall about ten days later in the present time.

we say, Had not God preserved Jacob in Egypt, had he not often unnerved the arms of Canaan, his people had been destroyed. But he did do these things, and blessed be his name. The few who remained in the respective plantations, to take care of the cattle and maintain their stations, subsisted with great difficulty. Notwithstanding all they could procure from the Indians and by hunting, they were com pelled to feed upon acrons, malt and grains.

4361

ON THE RUINOUS EFFECTS OF ARDENT SPIRITS.

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No. III. Page 303

3. THE effects of intemperate drinking upon the disposition, as well as the estates of its victims, are often terrible. It converts the gentleness of the lamb, into the ferocity of the tiger. Under its malignant influence, persons who used to be distinguished for kindness and habitual equanimity of temper, become excessively morose, and irritable. It dethrones reason and lets loose all the bad passions, to range and rage without control. It more than brutalizes the whole man, and often causes the unhappy subject of its influence to vent the most outrageous abuse, upon the nearest relations and the best friends.

How frequently, for example, does strong drink drown, or rather consume, conjugal, parental, filial, and fraternal love. How many husbands who once cherished the most tender affection for their wives, have gradually, but not slowly, exchanged it for the love of intoxicating liquors? How many wives, once lovely and well beloved, have, in the course of a few months or years, been so sadly changed by intemperate drinking, as to take a kind of infernal pleasure in planting their husbands pillows with thorns? How many fathers and mothers, who, before they began to follow strong drink, were patterns of parental care and affection, have, by yielding to its enticements, ceased to love their own offspring? How many once dutiful and affectionate sons and brothers, have undergone a transformation so complete, in those laboratories of Satan and his under-workers, called dram-shops, that every spark of filial reverence and fraternal kindness is finally extinguished? How many, whose friendship and society were formerly coveted, on account of the sweetness and frankness of their dispositions, are now shunned, and with good reason, as the offse ouring of all things? To sum up the whole in one short sentence, under the inebriating influence of strong drink, the husband becomes a brute, the

wife a serpent in the bosom, the parent a monster, the friend an enemy of all that is good, and the child a son of perdition.

4. Intemperate drinking greatly impairs, and often wholly destroys, the understanding. Dr. Waters of the Pennsylvania hospital, some years ago, observed to Dr. Rush, that one third of the patients confined there on account of madness, had brought that terrible disease upon themselves by the use of ardent spirits. What a solemn lesson to all who indulge themselves in hard drinking! Nor let it be supposed, that this lesson is taught only in the ravings of the miserable tenants of the Pennsylvania hospital. The fair inference from the above fact, is, that one third, or nearly that proportion of all the maniacs in our country are self made in the same way. But not to insist, at present, on any exact proportion, because no investigation, sufficiently minute and extensive has been made, it may safely be presumed, that multitudes might be pointed out in every state, and not a few in some towns, who have literally made themselves mad by intemperance. Indeed, till people cease from drinking to excess, the same melancholy effects must be expected. Frequent intoxication cannot fail to impair the understanding. It must and will gradually enfeeble and ultimately prostrate, the noblest powers of the mind.

And how affecting is it to see brilliant talents clouded, and strong powers enervated, or in other words, to behold, the noblest part of the noblest work of God on earth, shattered and lying in ruins, by the terrible agency of ardent spirits! How melancholy to witness the opening buds of genius blasted by the fumes of intoxicating liquors! But alas! how frequent are such instances in this Christian land. I have known men who had been numbered with the wise and respectable in society, gradually reduced to mere idiocy by intemperance. I have seen the masculine and discriminating mind sinking by the same deadly influence into premature old age and second childhood. I have seen more than one promising youth, of high hopes, and flattering prospects, snared and taken by that insidious enemy, whose ravages I am attempting to describe. I beheld, and the eye which lately beamed with intelligence, grew dim. The mind, naturally vigorous and ardent, lost its tone. The memory became weak and treacherous. The healthy shoots of genius, instead of putting forth leaves and bearing fruit, became sickly and dwindled almost to nothing. Every faculty was benumbed, or enervated by excess, and the young man sunk away into insignificance and contempt.

When I indulge the train of reflections which are suggested by such instances as these; when I think how many thousands of superior minds have been destroyed by intemperance, I cannot but compare these ruins with those of some large and noble city. I walk over the ground where it stood, examine with painful retrospection the fallen columns and broken arches, survey the broad foundations of magnificent edifices now no more, and sigh to think, that the glory is departed forever.

5. Intemperate drinking prompts men to the perpetration of all the most shameful and abominable crimes. It instigates them to trample on every law, divine and human. Heated with strong drink they care not whom they insult and abuse. It is then, that they mock at the remonstrances of their best friends, and bid defiance to the civil arm. It is then, that they fight in a manner which would digrace dogs and bears. It is then, that breaking over all restraints they make the air ring with the most shocking profanation of God's holy name. It is in fits of intoxication that men often commit crimes at which they shudder when they come to themselves; such as blasphemy, robbery, rape, manslaughter, and murder. Judge Rush, in one of his excellent charges to the grand jury of Pennsylvania, solemnly declares, that he does not remember a single indictment, before him, for manslaughter, and very few for murder, which were not occasioned by intoxication.

6. The course pursued by hard drinkers is the high road to hell. The stream on which they embark empties into the bottomless pit. They are in iminent danger of eternal damnation. Though here and there a drunkard has been reclaimed; though now and then a brand has been plucked from the burning; it is agreed on all hands, that the case of. the intemperate, is all but hopeless. Their consciences are seared, their hearts are hardened to a degree which sets all intreaties and remonstrances at defiance. They have yielded to the power of an enemy, that knows no pity, and is daily making their bands strong; an enemy that will not be satisfied with any thing short of their endless perdition.

It surely is not too much to say, that in the case of those who murder body and soul by intemperance, strong drink will add fuel to that fire which shall never be quenched; will increase the torments of the burning lake; will impart a terrible activity to the deathless worm, and deepen the horrors of the blackness of darkness forever. Drunkards shall not inherit the kingdom of God. How dreadful, how overwhelming the thought, that a single immortal being, should

reel into the grave and into hell, under an immense load of guilt, contracted by intemperance. How amazing that rational creatures can thus trifle with their eternal interests, and with tremendous perseverance work out their own destruction. Z. X. Y.

Panoplist.

The Religious Ronference of CLERUS and his young Friends. Continued from No. 3, p. 105.

Clerus. IT shall be the business of this conference, if you please, my young friends, to make some practical reflections on divine providence.

Theophilus. The subject is pleasing, I presume, to every devout mind; for the doctrine of providence is one of the most interesting doctrines contained in the volume of nature or inspiration.

Clerus. Surely it is: and if we have handled the subject justly, in the preceding conference, it is evident that those who oppose the doctrine of the divine decrees mistake their object. It is in fact the providence of God which they oppose, rather thar his deerees; for if pleased with the divine opera tions we should not be displeased with the divine determinations. For instance, those who are now willing to be at the divine disposal both in prosperity and adversity, time and eternity, cannot contend with the decrees of God, which fixed from eternity, all events. If I am now favored with health, friends and the presence of God, it cannot be a disagreeable consideration that God previously decreed these blessings. Surely the acts of friendship, now enjoyed, are not less desirable because my friends have long determined to perform them at this time. Instead of being dissatisfied that my friends previously determined to meet at this time of exigence and confer these favors, it is rather an additional evidence of real friendship. I prize my friends and their favors more highly, because they now execute the friendly designs which were formed years ago. If their friendship were accidental or contingent it would be less worthy of notice. In a word, as the contents of a generous will are not less valuable, because the sealed instrument had long remained in the hands of the testator; so the blessings of providence are not less valuable because the effects and expressions of God's eternal decree. Theop. It cannot be denied, that the divine favours are as valuable on supposition they were decreed, as on supposition they are not the effects of a decree. The objection,