Anfwer, "Yes, I know I am a fhould ⚫ as I now do." Question, "Do you feel willing to be eternally ⚫ feparated from God, and banished his prefence forever?" Anfwer, "No, I do not; but if I fhould be, God would ftill be, a jult and good being, for I de'ferve his wrath forever." ' deceived, and what reafon have 6 of your good eftate, as that you are not afraid to die?" Answer, "Sometimes I am, and fometimes I am not, and fometimes I feel as if I wifhed I was dead." Question, "Do you ever feel a ' willingness to leave your relations ' and companions and friends, and now in the days of your youth lie down in the cold and filent "grave?" Answer, "Yes fome'times I do." Question, "But why do you not feel fo at all times?" Anfwer, "Sometimes I am afraid I do not love Chrift in fincerity, and then I am afraid to die; but at other times, I have 'fuch views of Chrift, and he appears fo glorious and lovely, that I have a defire to be gone, that I might be with him, and 'love him more and serve him better, 'than I do, or can while I live in 'this world." To another, who expreffed a defire to profefs Chrift and commune at his table, it was faid, "Do you think yourself worthy to come to the table of the Lord?" The anfwer was, "No, I know To anotherit was faid, "When I asked you a few months ago, what you thought would become of you, if you was then to die, 'you told me you hoped it would 'be well with you; but you did not, at that time, give the reafon of your hope; what do you think of yourself now?" Anfwer," II am not; but the dogs eat of the think, fir, if I had died when you spoke to me before, I should have been in mifery now; for I then deceived myfelf; but I hope I am not deceived now, and think, if I should leave the world at this ⚫ time, I should go to reft." Queftion, "But you lay you have been ་ crumbs which fall from their mafters table, and this, fir, is what I wish to be permitted to do. I think it my duty to confefs Chrift before men; and as unworthy as I am, I have a defire to commune with him at his table"" Question, "Do you feel a love for holiness, 6 a hungering and thirsting after 'righteoufnefs, a relifh for and delight in the duties of religion?" Anfwer, "Yes, above any thing in the world. I ufed to think I took pleasure in being in young company, in attending balls and ⚫ other amufements; but I now ⚫ find more fatisfaction in reading 'the bible, converfing upon religion, and attending religious duties, ⚫ than in any thing elfe; and have ⚫ more, pleasure in attending one religious meeting, than I ever ⚫ took in all the balls I ever attend⚫ed. And altho' I have read the bible through feveral times, I 'never open it now, but I find fomething new in it, fomething "I never faw before." ous and good fermòn, and appeared to feel the importance of what he faid; but many of the hearers, efpecially of the young people, 'were very inattentive, and fome of 'them very rude. O, how did I wife fome word spoken by the preacher, might reach their confciences, and fome arrow prick their hearts, check their levity, and make them 'ferious! To fee a minifter, fpending his ftrength for nought, and 'young people trifling and playing in the houfe of God, gave me very 'difagreeable feelings; and if my heart does not deceive me, I wish all may be faved." Another faid, "In early life I was thoughtful about religion, and 'for many years paft, had a great 'defire to profefs Chrift, and commune at his table. But doubts and fears, refpecting my prepar'ednefs for tranfactions fo folemn and important, always kept me To another it was faid, "Do 'you find by experience that Chrift's yoke is eafy, and his burden light; 'his ways pleafant, and his paths peace?" Answer, "Yes, and I ⚫ now believe there is no real happi-back, until of late, when my nefs in any other way, than in ⚫ walking with God, and keeping ⚫his commandments. I have lived ⚫ a number of years in the world, 'mind hath been foftrongly impreffed with a sense of its being my duty, I could refrain no longer. I therefore publicly gave up my • without God, and without attend-felf to God, and the fame day ing to the duties of religion, or "practifing godliness, and then tho't myfelf happy; but I never knew what happiness was, until of late; * and have enjoyed more real happinefs, within a few months, or • even weeks, than I ever enjoyed, in all my life before." Another faid, "I never, until of late, knew what friendship 'communed at the Lord's table; but not without fear and trembling, ⚫ left I should eat and drink unworthily. The night following, as I lay in bed, meditating upon what I had done,examining myself, and praying to God, that he would lead me in the way everlasting, I fuddenly bad fuch manifestations of 'God and Christ and fuch a time of 'meant; I never loved and enjoy-refreshing as I never had before. 'ed my friends and acquaintance, as ⚫ I now do. I wish to do them all the good I can, and want they 'fhould experience the power of 'godliness, and tafte and fee how good the Lord is. I lately atten⚫ded public worfhip upon the fabbath, in a neighboring town; the minifter preached a very feri It feemed as if I beheld heaven opened, and Chrift ftanding on the right hand of God. Not that I faw any thing with my bodily ' eyes, the whole was mental. God appeared glorious in holinefs, and asan abfolute fovereign, and Chrift anable and willing Saviour. My heart appeared at once reconciled compared with fuch a finful wretch as I am. They never dishonored the God that made them, as I have done. They never flighted the Saviour, nor grieved the HoIly Spirit of God, as I have done. I They never committed the fias I 'have. O how mean and vile I 6 to God, and I feemed to have no choice of my own, but wholly re'figned to God; and my will fwallowed up in his will. Christ appeared both able and willing to fave me, as unworthy as I was. 'now experienced fuch joy as ⚫ never did before. I attempted to 'defcribe it to a friend in bed with me, but it was joy unfpeakably great, joy unutterable. My whole foul feemed to be fwallowed up inful and aftonishing that God 'viewing God and Chrift, without reflecting I had, or ever thould have any intereft in either of them. I rejoiced in God and rejoiced in ⚫ Chrift, on account of the glorious ་ am! I am meaner and viler 'than the meanest and most contemptible worm. How wonder 'fhould fuffer fuch an unworthy, ill-deferving creature as I am to live in his world, to tread upon his earth, or breathe his air. I deferved to have been shut up in beauty and excellencies, which Ihell long ago, and yet I am fill a faw in them. From that moment, I have felt a fweet calmnefs and ferenity of mind. I feem to have no will of my own, but my will 'bowed to the will of God, in life ⚫ and death, for time and for eternity. I feel as if I could cheerfully leave myfelf, and all I have, ⚫ with God, for him to do with me and them, as he thinks beft; being fully affured he will do right. If I am finally faved, it will be of his fovereign mercy and grace, through the atonement of Chrift; and if I am finally loft, God will be juft and good, and the faulty caufe of my perdition lie at my own door. This Lord's day night, and the ravishing views I then had, I fhall never forget; and my daily prayer is that I may have times of refreshing from the 'prefence of the Lord; and that I may be more conformed to God, in the temper of my mind, and have more of the Spirit of Chrift." Another faid, "As I was walk⚫ing to the house of God upon the fabbath, I saw a number of little worms, fwimming about in afmallceptable facrifice." brook; I ftopped and viewed prifoner of hope: Oh! the goodnefs and long-fuffering of God, and the ingratitude and wickednefs of hardened finners!" them, and faid to myself, how in I fhall now fubjoin a few extracts from fome letters, fent to particular friends. They were not written with a view of being feen by any but the perfons to whom they were addreffed. One writes thus, "Dear Friend, Do let me 'know how you do, and what you are doing, I am more concerned for my friends now than ever; am more fond of their company and conversation; and yet at times, love retirement, and enjoy myself very well ⚫ alone. How thankful fhould < we be, that we are made rational 'creatures, capable of enjoying focial happiness? Do we confider from whom we receive our bleffings, and the obligations we are under to live devoted to the giver? When we give to God 'the dew of our youth, he will be pleafed with the offering. A flower offered in the bud is an ac Again, the fame writes, "Dear Friend, The fpring is now open nocent and happy are thefe wormsing, the fnow diffolving, the alas, there is no caufe of com plaint, but the highest reason for gratitude and praife. Nature is eloquent in praifing the creator. "But man alone intent to stray, "Ever turns from wifdom's way. Until you fee me, do think of me or think of fomething better. 'Adieu." 'ftreams murmuring over the peb-fhips, I often fay in my heart, 'bles, the lambs skipping in the 'meadows, and the birds on the 'branches ftraining their little 'throats in melodious fongs; all fpeak, in different ways, their 'maker's praife. Should not we, 'who are endowed with reafon, join in praising the creator; even the mute creation would find a voice, and upbraid our filence. Let us in our youth attend to 'the one thing needful. Now is the best time to lay in store a good foundation against the time to 'come. It is written, remember 'now thy creator in the days of thy youth. And now is the ac'cepted time. If you ask, what this world is, and what the pleaf'ares of it are? I anfwer, vanity of vanities, all is vanity. There is no real and fubftantial happiness in the enjoyment of any thing this world affords. If your ideas of this world are the ⚫ fame with mine, then * Whilst the busy croud, "Nor join the giddy dance.” The fame writes again, "I retire from company, to converfe alone with one I love; for fo I Another writes thus. "Dear friend, I now fit down to tell you what hath taken place with me 'this prefent week. On Wednefday evening, I was thoughtful and very ferious, and after attentively liftening to fome religious 'converfation between two friends, Iretired to reft, with my mind deep ly impreffed, and lay fometime in bed, wetting my pillow with This was not the first time, my mind hath been fixed on, and my thoughts swallow'ed up with things of another tears. world; and I have fometimes • entertained a hope, I experienchildhood. But now on a fud'ced the power of godlinefs in my 'den, my fins were fet in order before me and feemed to ftare me in the face; and my heart was 'fo pricked I could not lie ftill. I used to think, I had a defire to embrace Chrift, and partake of gofpel bleffings. But I now ex fuch as I never did before; and was afraid to clofe my eyes in fleep; for I thought nothing kept me from the pit of endless perdition, but the flender and 'brittle thread of life. What fhall I do? was now the language of my heart. If the righteous are fcarcely faved, where shall the ungodly and the finner appear! If I attempted to pray, thefe 'words were in my mind, the prayer of the wicked is abomina call writing to a friend. What'perienced views and feelings, 'privileges have we which thoufands are denied? We have kind 'parents to inftruct us, are taught to write, and thus to converfe * with abfent friends. Let us im*prove our advantages and culti*vate our minds in early life. Do ing this will render us dutiful children and faithful friends; *render the path through life pleafing, and a death-bed eafy. When I hear people complaining of their misfortunes and hardVOL. II. No. 2. I tion to the Lord. I then faid to myfelf, what can I, or what fhall I do? I am wretched, and ⚫ wretched I must be. I deferve nothing but the frowns and wrath of the Almighty. Better would it have been for me, if I had not 'been born. At this time, my 'views, exercifes and feelings 'were fuch as I cannot exprefs; they were fuch as I never had before. But at this moment, my heart breathed out the prayer of the publican, who thought himfelf unworthy to lift up fo much as his eyes to heaven; God be facramental lecture; and heard a fermon from thefe words, Je 'fus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielzed up the Ghoft. The words of the text, affected my heart, and the fermon feemed to do my foul goed. He died 'for finners! Happy are thofe that truft in m! In the evening I attended a cligious meet ing; and what I heard, was to me, as cold water to a thirsty 'foul. During most of the day, I had by turns doubts and fears relpecting my future ftate. at night, felt as if I could trust But ⚫ merciful to me a finner. Imme-myself in the hands of God, and 'diately upon this, I appeared to myfelf, to be loft, for a fhort fpace; I believe it was not more than a minute or two, but I do 'not know how long it was, nor what paffed, during a time, for whether I was in the body or out having committed myself to his keeping, gave myself to fleep, faying, I will both lay me down in peace and fleep; for thou Lord makeft me to dwell in fafety. I spent most of the forepart of Friday in reading and wri I cannot tell. But as foon as Iting, and in the afternoon, be'came to myself, I did from my heart, give up my myself, both foul and body, to him who gave me being. After I had thus given myself up to God, being much fatigued, and having had but very little ficep, fince Mon day night, I fell afleep; and ⚫ when I awoke, found my mind more at eafe, then it was before. But I feemed to myself, to be a new creature. I could not tell how I was altered, but I tho't, furely I am not the fame perfon I ufed to be. In the forenoon of Thursday, while I was about my • common domeftic concerns, many tears fell from my eyes; not becaufe I was concerned about ⚫ the falvation of my own foul; but, O! the goodness of God! In the afternoon, I attended a •« Torrents of grief can ne'er repay, "The debt of love I owe; "Here, Lord, I give myself to thee, Tis all that I can do." gan to entertain a hope I had feen and been with Jefus, who hath faid, thofe that fcck me early ' fhall find me. To-day, viz. Saturday, my hope is ftrong; and I believe, if God ever did pour his Spirit into my heart, he did it laft Wednesday evening. But at that time I thought of no fuch thing. My prayer now is, that God, for Jefus' fake would pour out his Spirit upon all flesh.” In narrating the preceding converfations and extracts, the narrator, hath not confined himself wholly to the modes of expreffion, and forms of fpeech made ufe of by the fpeakers and writers; but hath endeavored to retain the true fenfe and meaning of every particular fentence, and as far as he could confiftently with rules of the original words and phrases. propriety, hath confined himself to During the time the awakening continued, fports and pastimes, |