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fecret to pray, that his eyes might | declared himself a full believer in still be opened. the fcriptures, and expreffed the frongest perfuafion, that falvation was obtainable only in the way there pointed out. He had a deep fenfe

A few days after this, I vifited him again, when I found him in a different state of mind. He was extremely melancholy and deject-of his fins, and moft bitterly laed. The inftructions he had re- mented that he fhould ever have ceived when a child, and certain denied the Lord who bought him, convictions which he experienced and derided his holy word. He when young, had recently recurred expreffed himfelf aftonifhed that to his mind with energy, and filled he had not been left to perfift in his him with doubts concerning his in- infidelity and afcribed it wholly to fidel principles, and he was har- the mercy of God through Christ, rowed with the idea that poffibly that he was brought to a sense of he might have deceived himself. his fins and as he hoped to true reThough far from being willing to pentance. He manifefted a finown he was wrong, he did not feel cere refignation to that Providence perfectly fatisfied that he was right. which he had formerly dared to He was in a ftate of fufpenfe cenfure, and gave his friends great which filled him with diftrefling reafon to hope, that he poffeffed anxiety. I propofed to him to that true love to God and man, and fend for the clergyman of the par- that real holiness without which ish. He consented, though with no one will fee the Lord. Tho' reluctance on account of the fcof- refigned to the will of Heaven, fing, jeering manner in which he yet he defired to live, if God faw had formerly spoken of him. The fit on account of his wife and chilclergyman came, and, at the re-dren, but more especially that he queft of Jatros, briefly explained to him the general fyftem of truth contained in the fcriptures. Jatros propofed many deistical objections which the clergyman endeavored to remove, and it was evident that the remarks which were made in the courfe of this converfation took a deep hold of his mind though he ftill manifefted a great averfion to the truth. The clergyman prayed with him and left him. From

this time, it pleafed the father of lights gradually to enlighten his mind. He was brought to fee that he had been trufting to refuges of lies. He gave up the principles of infidelity one after another; as truth opened upon his mind God difpofed him to receive it, and while his understanding became convinced and enlightened it is prefumed his heart was changed. Some time before his death, he

might have an opportunity to convince his acquaintance that he had become a real believer in the Chriftian religion, and that he might ferve God by an attendance on thofe facred inflitutions which he had fo often ridiculed.

The following conversation between him and a female friend will show what the state of his mind was at this time. Queftion. "Do you feel refigned and fubmiflive to God's will?" Anfwer. "I do." Q. "Do you think you have a heart to repent?". "I think I have." 2. "On what do you depend?" A. "On the atonement Chrift made by his fufferings and death." 2" Do you not think that you keep back fome darling fin, fomething you are not willing to give up?" A. "I think I do not; I hope I am willing to give up all." He then

After this he converfed with all his friends feparately and together. He cautioned them particularly a. gainst embracing thofe dangerous principles which had fo nigh tuined him; he urged them to be more anxious to lay up treafures in Heaven than to acquire the good things of life, and exhorted them above all things to feek an interest in Chrift-to make that the firft and great object of their purfuit. He Ipake feelingly of the happiness of a life of religion; expreffed a ftrong hope that, through the merits of a Saviour, his fins were pardoned, and that God would receive him to glory; took an affectionate leave of his friends, and by prayer commended them to the mercy and bleffing of God. He continued in this frame of mind until he loft his fenfes and his fpeech, which was a fhort time previous to death; and after the ftruggles of nature had ceased, his fpirit, it is humbly hoped, was received into thofe manfions of blifs which the divine Redeemer has prepared for all who believe in him.

broke out into a fervent prayer for ly years he had several seasons of himself and for all mankind. ferioufnefs, against which he continued to ftrive, until all fenfe of truth and of duty to God, feemed to be obliterated from his mind. After he became thus ftupid, it was one of his moft delightful themes, to ridicule his former fobriety and thoughtfulness, and he reprefented himself as having been ridiculous in the highest degree, to think fo much of another ftate and take pains to be happy by rejecting the feftivities of the world. By this manner of ridiculing himself, he was inftrumental of corrupting a number, fome of whom were reclaimed by his death, some remain in the ftupidity of fin, and others have followed him into eternity. This man was generous, hofpitable and feftive in his natural difpofition, which led to many opportunities for discovering the impiety of his heart, and he never failed in any company to exprefs his contempt of Chrift and his religion and of pious perfons. He ridiculed prayer-he spoke of death with levity-reprefented Christian inftitutions as a farce-and profeffed to think that God was fo highly exalted above all creatures that he took little or no notice of their tranfactions. That God made men that they might pursue their own pleasures; and that he was purfuing his own pleafures in a way expreffed himself. At no great fuited to his own appetites, as he diftance there lived a Clergyman, with whom Perditus took particular pains to become acquainted. He would often meet him affably in the streets, and infift on his vifiting his houfe; but all this was done that he might gratify himself with indirect infults and infinua

MESSRS. EDITORS,

IF you think a knowledge of the following fact will be ufeful, you are at liberty to infert it in your Magazine. Perhaps fome may think the method taken to open the eyes of a difbeliever was improper; but the event showed that it had a deep effect, and was doubtless more impreffive on a blinded mind than any other means which could have been used.

Z.

HIS disbeliever of all reli

Tgion shall be called Perditus, for the fake of fecreting his family It is faid, that in his earVOL. I. No. 3.

name.

P

tions against religion and fobriety. In fundry interviews, the Clergyman bore the fneers of Perditus,

judgment and the eternal world. The converfation was long-it was interefting. Perditus found that he had completely laid himself open to a man, on whom he had thought himfelf to be ludicroufly playing. He was fometimes confounded and ashamed; fometimes for a moment angry; fometimes alarmed; and did at fome times attempt to change the ferious difcourfe into merriment. He was told, that unless there was a reformation from reflecting on religion and its inftitutions, there must be a total dif continuance of thofe focial interviews to which they had been accuftomed. The refult was that Perditus engaged to call the next day at the Clergyman's house and fix his refolutions. He called as he had engaged. He acknowledged that he had not treated the Clergyman with the respect of politenefs, promifed to refrain in his prefence from any future infinuations against religion, and defired him to vifit his houfe as a friend and a gentleman; but at the fame time avowed his utter difbelief of

affecting not to perceive them, until he had obtained a thorough acquaintance with his heart. This being thoroughly obtained, the Clergyman requested Perditus to fpend with him a day in the folitary fields, with which he complied. When removed from all other eyes and in the folitude of a grove, the Clergyman acquainted Perditus with the object he had in view, which was to converfe freely with him on the things of God, of religion and eternity. Perditus, little fufpecting any thing of this kind, was for a few moments angry, but foon became calm and agreed to hear. The Clergyman then ftated the manner of their acquaintance, and acknowledged perfect civility of treatment, in every refpect, except the fneers which he had often thrown out against the truths, duties, inftitutions, minifters and profeffors of religion. That he had always feen and felt thefe things, though Perditus had fuppofed him ignorant and unfeel ing under the most bitter reflections. That he had often affected this want of difcernment out of tender-religion, of the word of God, and nefs to the feelings of the wife of Perditus, who was often prefent at their converfations. She be lieved in the reality of religion, although fhe was not pious. Perditus had ridiculed the Clergyman, in his own profane circle, as being a man who could not refent; but was now confounded to find that his motives were tendernefs to the feelings of his own family.

The Clergyman now proceeded to ftate before him, in the most folemn and affectionate manner, the great truths of religion; its natural and revealed evidence; his own character, neglects, impiety, and ingratitude to the Lord of all his bounties; and enforced thefe ruths by the folemnities of death,

the fincerity of Chriftian profeffors in general. On this being fo freely owned, the minifter again begged him to review, for that poffibly he might yet obtain a conviction of the truth. To which he refolutely replied "I wish your company

as a man, but I charge you never to fpeak to me again on the fubject of religion-yea more never to pray for me, unless I fpecially ask you," and thus they parted.

It was not long after this before Perditus was fmitten with a deep decline, and all spectators faw marks of approaching death on his vifage. He ftruggled, but in vain, for a fpeedy confinement enfued. The Clergyman deliberating on the cafe,

*concluded to conduct as will be related.

not pray that God would forgive my fins." But you have always He called often as a neighbour, denied that you were a finner-I converfed of his complaints, and have prayed for you as a finner in endeavored by every means to af- my closet, but if you fpoke true, fuage the pains of his body and you could not fincerely join with me in praying for you as a finner ; confole the afflicted family; but never faid any thing of religion. I fhall however gladly now do it if Thefe vifits were daily made, but you feel yourself to be fuch. He without any thing of a very ferious affented that he did; but faid that nature. On a certain day, the he did not fee the need of a SaClergyman had barely returned viour, for if God was difpofed to home, before a meffenger followed forgive he might do it without. He was told that a Chriftian minto recal him. He returned, when "You kindly ifter could not pray God to forPerditus told him. give finners in other any way than vifit me, but fay nothing of reli. gion, why is this?" The anfwer through the Saviour, whom he had appointed. And was left in was, you have forbidden me ever to speak to you on fuch fubjects, a ftate of great agitation. In fubI wait but your permiffion and re- fequent vifits he strongly urged for ligion fhall in future be the subject prayer that God would forgive his To which he fins without a mediator, but as this of our difcourfe. replied, "converfe with me on could not be granted he seemed for a few days to determine that the religion of nature, but not on he would throw away all sense of Chriftianity." The direction was his finfulness. However, as the followed, and the religion of nature was for several days the fub- certainty of death was becoming ject of discourse, without a word more apparent, the struggle in his faid of Jefus Chrift or the peculiar mind grew more terrible, and an doctrines of the Gofpel. Perdi- accufing confcience denied him all tus ftill denied that he or any other peace. Two days before his death men were finners. After a fhort he urgently fent for the minifter, and feafon Perditus enquired, why do requested prayer that God would you not offer to pray with me, as forgive him for the fake of Jefus He faid that he faw you do with others who are fick. The Chrift. former anfwer was given, you have God's difpleasure against him to be forbid me, and I cannot do it un-fo great, that none but a Saviour til you make the request. I wish of infinite power could deliver him For what fhall from the ruin into which he was it, faid Perditus. I pray, for any thing more, than falling, and he now repeated the that you may recover? To which name of Chrift with as great urhe replied, that is the great thing gency as he had before blafphemed at present. Prayer was feveral him. At the time he was brought times made according to his direc- to this confeffion a number of his tion, and confined to the matter of infidel companions were liftening They conhis recovery. After several paf- to his dying words. feffed him to be in the full exercise fing days, Perditus faid "Why of reafon, and until now had trido you not pray with me as you do with other people?" The min-umphed in their looks, expecting ifter answered, in what refpects do that his death would be an evidence I differ? He answered "you do for infidelity. But when they

1

heard him fupplicating for mercy, in the name of Chrift, the confufion of feveral was beyond defcription, and they quickly difperfed from the scene of diftrefs. He confeffed to the minifter that the manner he had taken of leaving all to his own confcience, and neither converfing or praying further than his own particular request, had awfully alarmed him, and it feemed to be continually founded in his ears, my blood muft and will be required at my own hands. Until the time of becoming infenfible he heared eagerly, but had no allevitions of diftrefs. Thus he died and went to his long home, a monument of the folly of rejecting the gofpel of Chrift. What multitudes live in carelessness and difbelief and die in fear! They will not hear until it be too late. The pride of their hearts and their love of fin makes them reject even the gofpel of grace, and they fall under the awful denunciation "Becaufe I have called, and ye refufed; I have ftretched out my hand and no man regarded; but ye have fet at nought all my counfels and would none of my reproof. I alfo will laugh at your calamity and mock when your fear cometh; when your fear cometh as defolation and your deftruction as a whirlwind. Then fhall they call upon me but I will not answer; they fhall feek nie early but they fhall not findme."

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he was?" He replied, "So large as to fill immenfity, and fo fmall as to dwell in the humble and contrite heart."

CARDINAL HOSIUS, who, under Pope Pius IV. prefided at that infamous council of Trent, in which all the abominable errors and fuperftitions of the papal church were confirmed, when death approached, seems to have dreaded a dependence on his own righteousness, although he had before pleaded for it. In his last will are thefe words, "1 approach the throne of thy grace, O father of mercies and of all confolation, to the end that I may obtain mercy, and find grace in thy fight! I am not worthy that thou shouldest behold me with the eyes of thy majefty: but, as it is most worthy, that for the fake of his death and paffion thou shouldest not only look upon me but crown me alfo; it is therefore that I come unto thee, most dear Father, and that without any merits but thofe ineftimable ones of thy fon Jefus Christ, my Lord and my Redeemer. I bring thee the merit of that death, wherein alone I place all my hope and my confidence that is my righteoufnefs, my fatisfaction, my redemption and my propitiation. The death of the Lord is my merit."

THE laft hours of the unhappy Voltaire afford a lively comment on the wretched condition in which infidelity leaves its deluded advocates, as to the fate of their own fouls. Though he had for a long courfe of years, employed both genius and learning, in the impious effort of erecting a fortress on the foundation of Atheism, which fhould be tenable against the artillery of a guilty confcience, and

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