In the time of the American revolution, while the British troops had possession of Philadelphia, Benezet was there; and although he abhorred war, he had a heart to feel for those who suffered by engaging in it. He exerted himself particularly in favor of our soldiers, who were taken captive by the British troops, and brought into the city. "He knew no fear, in the presence of his fellow-men, however dignified they were by titles or station; and such were the propriety and gentleness of his manners, in his intercourse with the gentlemen who commanded the British and German troops, that when he could not obtain his requests, he never failed to secure their civilities, and frequently their esteem.' tion. To this he sacrificed the superior emoluments of his other school, as well as his bodily ease. By his last will, he directed that, after the decease of his wife, all his little estate, excepting a few small legacies, should be devot ed to support a school for negro children. It was a saying of Benezet, that "the highest act of charity in the world, is to bear with the unreasonableness of mankind.” This narrative may be closed in the language of Dr. Rush: "Few men since the days of the apostle ever lived a more disinterested life; and yet on his deathbed he said, he wished to live a little longer, that he might bring down self. "He died May 1784, in the 71st year of his age. His funeral was attended by persons of all religious denominations, and by many hundreds of black people. Col. J-n, who had served in the American army, in returning from his funeral, pronounced an eulogium upon him. It consisted only of the following words:-I WOULD RATHER BE BENEZET IN THAT COFFIN, THAN GEORGE The mild and faithful intrepidity of Benezet appears in his letter to the British queen. It was written after the revolution, and he reminded her of the terrible events by which the British empire had been shaken, and led her to consider whether the slave trade was not one of the sins which tended to bring down the anger of God upon the nation. WASHINGTON The whole letter breathes an amiable and faithful spirit; and it was calculated to make deep and solemn impressions on the mind of the queen. In addition to his other numerous efforts in favor of the suffer ing blacks, this good man exerted himself to establish an African school, for the benefit of those in the state to which he belonged. Much of the two last years of his life was devoted to a personal attendance on this institu FAME." WITH ALL HIS The character of this amiable Christian affords ground for some useful reflections. First. In the character and conduct of Anthony Benezet, we may see what it is to be a Christian indeed, and how amiable the Christian religion appears when reduced to practice! Like his. Lord and Master, he had a heart to weep with those who wept, to feel for the wrongs and miseries of others; and like him, he went about doing good. That Benezet was free from error we do not assert; but whatever his errors might be, it is evident that they were not of a nature to harden his heart against his fellowmen; nor to lead him to depend on Christ for salvation in such a sense as to neglect to follow the Lord in works of justice, kindness and mercy. To whatever sect such a man may belong, and whatever may be his errors, he is worthy of the esteem of all mankind. In him as well as in Abraham we may see, "how faith wrought with his works," and how "by works faith was made perfect." Second. In the example of Benezet we may see what it is for Christians to "contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints." The faith "once delivered to the saints," is a "faith which worketh by love." For this faith Benezet contended earnestly: Not however by employing weapons of death against those for whom the Savior lived and died; nor by employing the no less carnal weapons of a slanderous tongue, or a cruel and de⚫ famatory pen against his brethren, who happened to dissent from his opinions: but by the display of that temper which the gospel requires, by walking as Christ walked, in meekness, humility and love, by denying himself for the benefit of others, and by doing all he could to relieve the distresses of mankind, to advance their happiness, and to save their souls. Third. How striking is the contrast between the character of Benezet and that of Alexan der the Great, or that indeed of any other military and desolating conqueror. A more undaunted hero has perhaps seldom been seen among inen, than Anthony Benezet. But his heroism and courage were displayed in facing dangers and encountering difficulties to befriend his fellow-men to open their eyes, to afford relief to sufferers, and to prevent misery. How loathsome in the eyes of every humble Christian must be the character of a bloody cutthroat with the title of a military conqueror, when compared with the benevolent Benezet! How fatal has been that delusion which has eulogized the deeds of men, who have been successful in shedding human blood, and in multiplying the miseries of the human family! Let Christians learn, and let children be taught, to withhold the expected tribute of praise from bloody minded men, and to bestow their esteem and gratitude on the real benefactors of mankind. This is one of the most effectual methods for quenching the thirst for military glory, and for drying up the streams of blood and woe. Fourth. How happy would be the state of a society or a nation composed of such amiable characters as Benezet. Such a society would bear a glorious resemblance to the family of heaven, and to the spirits of just men made perfect. If the rulers of nations should become of the temper and character of Benezet, how obvious it is that the savage custom of deciding controversies by the sword would be banished from the world, and that oppression and war would cease! But Benezet was not more humane, kind and paeific, than every Christian ought to be-than every ruler ought to be. Have we not then reason to mourn, that such blindness exists among Christians, that they can suppose the custom of war to be. necessary to the safety of Christian nations; when in fact war is among the greatest of calamities, and nothing more is want ing to prevent its recurrence, than that rulers should display the temper of Christians indeed! Let rulers, who bear the Christian name, conform to Christian precepts, and it will soon be found that war is no more necessary to the safety of nations, than duelling is to the safety of individuals. Fifth. Let Christian ministers, and Christians in general, engage with the zeal of a Benezet, in an effort to abolish the custom of war, and the rivers of human blood will cease to flow, and the peace of nations will be ence. come as durable as their existLet every Christian minister, and every influential character, be the instrument of making as many proselytes in favor of the abolition of war, as Benezet did in favor of the abolition of the slave trade, and the nations will soon be employed in beating their swords into ploughshares. The character of Benezet has been commended, not because he belonged to the society of Friends, but because he was a FRIEND indeed. Those things in him which have been the subject of commendation, certainly should not be of the number of peculiarities, by which any sect may be distinguished; they should be common to all who name the name of Christ. It is an honor to the society of Friends, that they have had such men as Benezet of their number; and it will be an honor to Christians of any other denomination to imitate such examples of humanity and benevolence. No. 1. ON INTEMPERANCE. AMONG the unhappy causes, which contribute to private distress and guilt, and to public calamity, intemperance must be allowed to hold a distinguished rank. Unlike the inevitable judgments of heaven, it is to be traced to the folly of man; and, although it is a habit, for the most part, insensibly contracted; yet no excuse can be urged in its defence, which will not justify vice of every kind. Much has been done to counteract this baneful and odious practice Of late a society has been organized in our capital for "The suppression of intemperance," and auxiliary associations are multiplying in every direction. This consideration, so far from dispensing with the duty of individual exertions, is a solemn call on every one to use his influence in the cause of reformation. The writer of this essay indulges not the sanguine hope, that he shall rival the elegance or the energy, with which intemperance has often been depicted and reprobated. The utmost, to which he aspires, is to keep the attention of his readers fixed upon this tremendous evil, to warn the unwary of their danger, and to excite, as far as possible, the solicitude of all with respect to a vice, fraught with such incalculable miseries. To this purpose it is unnecessary to give an exaggerated deseription of its prevalence among us. This has so frequently been done, as to countenance the opinion of foreigners, that intemperance is more common with us, than in any other nation. Alas! we need no magnifier to discern or to expose its wretched features! Let any person of observation look around him; and he will behold too many frightful instances of those, who are injuring their health, squandering their time, wasting their substance, and endangering their salvation by intemperance in drinking. Let any clergyman inspect his records of mortality; and he will be surprised to find, what a proportion of deaths have been hastened, if not occasioned by this pestilential vice. Let the judicious physician be consulted, and he will astonish you with enumerating the diseases, which derive from the same source their fatal and untimely influence, if not their entire origin. We generally agree in considering war a distressing evil. Doubtless the inducements, which it furnishes to intemperance, are not among its smallest calami. ties. Let however the comparison be instituted between the loss of lives, occasioned by war and by intemperance. To this purpose, let us select any district of country within our knowledge, and let us make a fair estimate of the number of its inhabitants, who were slain in our seven years' revolutionary contest, and of the number, who, during the same portion of time, have fallen victims to intemperance, at any period since; and the result will probably be different from what would generally be expected. It is not the wish of the writer inconsiderately to join in the outery of the great degeneracy of the present compared with for. mer times. In every age, this has been the language of despondent moralists. In some respects, it cannot be doubted, that the present manners and customs are preferable to those of our ancestors. To prove this assertion, we need to instance only in the rights of conscience, and freedom from persecution in matters of religion. But as to the abuse of ardent spirits, it is undeniable, that the advantage is greatly on the side of our forefathers. This surely needs no labored demonstration. Let the appeal be made to aged persons of observation; and, were not their testimony uniform, the difference in the quantity of distilled li. quors, used in former and in later times, might well be considered incredible. To arrest this growing evil demands the exertions of every friend of religion, of morality, of decency. That he may contribute something toward this laudable end, the writer proposes to consider, in a few subsequent Numbers, the causes, the evils, the delusive nature, the preven tives, and the remedies of this dangerous and pernicious vice. On the present defects of sacred music, as practised in most of the New England churches, and the best means of removing them. Mr. EDITOR, ALTHOUGH Several of your pa. ges have already been given to strictures on this subject, its copiousness and importance will, it is hoped, be an adequate apology for this communica tion. The design of sacred music is undoubtedly to give a deeper impression of sentiment on the mind and the heart, than would be likely to be made by reading. But time, we conceive, has been, when this design, if not overlooked and forgotten, was generally defeated by the use of unsuitable music. Twelve years ago, the greater part of the musical compositions we heard, and that in almost every place, were insipid and unmeaning, if not perverse. For twenty or thirty years preceding, the taste of our country had been sinking in corruption from depth to depth, till it was absolutely greedy of the vilest stuff, impiety or folly was pleased to present. Every evil, it is said, has a tendency to cure itself. This was verified in the case before us. A few friends of religion and genuine music protested here and there against such an abandonment of one of the best means of devotion; such a profanation of God's house. Through the No. 3, Vol. IV. 10 blessing of heaven, their remonstrance had an immediate effect. It brought many to serious reflection, who needed nothing else, to make them ashamed of the taste they had indulged, and grieved for the countenance they had given to one of the greatest perversions. From that time to this, the number of zealous reformers has been gradually increasing, till at length, we hail the prospect of a universal restoration, of those substantial and pathetic kinds of music, which alone can aid our devotions. In this change of tunes, a great and indispensable point is gained. But, if we limit our views and our zeal to this object, we shall, it is probable, be disappointed in the effects of the re formation. We shall not discover in others, we shall not realize in ourselves, those lively impres sions from our musical perform. ances, we anticipate so much. The fact is, we can hardly find a common choir of singers in New England, that are not miserably deficient in their style of performance; while many of their defects are enhanced by the very excellences of the tunes they attempt to perform. 1. A great part of the voices we hear, are like marble, rough from the quarry. It is somewhat |