From this connection, nothing of | fentiments contained in what fhe

had read, fhe thought with herself "I will now fit down and spend a few minutes in meditating on religion, which has been fo often recommended to me, and of which I have heard fo many excellent things faid; particularly, I will examine whether I have fuch a SINFUL HEART, as it is affirmed that mankind actually have-especially in the following words, the heart is deceitful and defperately wicked. What has been my life? one continued feries of forgetfulness of God-and a Redeemer, who died to fave a perifhing world. What have been my thoughts? vain and foolish. Where have my at

tachments been? on the mereft trifles. Can I lift up my eye to a holy God? My confcience accufes, condemns and pains me. I will reflect no farther. I will difmifs thefe thoughts."

an unpleasant nature to the family, as is too often the cafe, refulted.Amelia was now in that time of her youth, when the thought of little elfe, except adorning her perfon, and scenes of gaiety and diverfion. The comeliness of her perfon and gracefulness of her figure made her vain. Her ambition was only to fhine in the polite circle, and to gain admirers. In a round of fashionable gaieties feveral years paffed. With tenderness. and affection, her father frequently preffed her to feek fomething more folid, as her felicity, than could be found in youthful amufements and purfuits, intreating her to repair to the infpired volume as the fountain of heavenly light, and to think of another and eternal world. Accustomed to obey, from the happy family government maintained by the father, fhe heard his counfel with deference. Al Difmiffing, as is to be feared though the treated religion, with multitudes do, this rational emoutward decorum and civility, yet ployment of her mind, the haftily the could not endure the thought reforted to her ufual mode of fpend. of a relinquishment of what the ing her time. Concluding that called the innocent amusements-fhe had many-many years yet to the harmless levities-and fwcet live, fhe had no doubt, but there pleasures of youth, for what he would still in future be abundance thus termed the aufterities of piety of time and opportunity for attendand religion. A facrifice of this ing to the concerns of her falvation. nature, the counted too great for All her circle of friends and acone in the bloom of youth. How-quaintance of both fexes were gay and unferious. They did not, it is true, either openly defpife and fcoff at religion, or fecretly difbelieve its reality. But they apprehended that it was much too early in life for them either to profefs or practise piety and religion. Add to this, it was a time of great deadnefs and languor in religion, in the place where the refided. They had it is true excellent fermons on the fabbath. The people likewife very generally repaired to the fanc tuary on Lord's day. They were LI

ever as fhe was fond of reading, in her leifure hours, fhe would occafionally take down from her books, the facred volume, or fome other ferious work, and read for a few minutes in them. But the did not relish them. Her delight was in novels, plays and other pieces of mere amusement. Nevertheless her memory retained fome folemn truths, which had paffed in her mind while reading the Oracles of God, and books of devotion. Recollecting, one day, fome pious VOL. I. No. 7.

delighted with their Minifter, not After about a year of fuch anxiefo much for his evangelical ftrainty and diftrefs, fometimes greater, and fometimes lefs, the experienced fuch a CHANGE in her affections, views, and feelings that the ventured to admit a hope that a merciful God, in his infinite fovereign goodness, had imparted unto her fpiritual life-that she had become a new creature in Chrift Je

What gave her a ray of hope was her different views, feelings, and exercises towards divine things. They all feemed new and glorious to her; and the felt fuch pleasure in religion as was unspeakable. In her ellimation, no joy could be compared to this, to ferve and please the Lord. She thought that he had once in gay and fa

of preaching as for his good fenfe, literature, exemplary conduct, pleafing manners, and eloquence. But no one was known to be under any peculiar concern about another ftate of exiftence, or to be in earnest about obtaining eternal life. In fuch times of general fecurity, doubtless, fome are impreffus-and might take hold of the fed, awakened, and brought to promifes of the gofpel. true religion, though unknown to others. Where God's holy word is faithfully difpenfed, we may conclude it will be more or lefs fuccessful. Having had many tranfient and occafional thoughts on religion, at different times, Amelia was at length brought to a ferious confideration of her ways. She could not, indeed, affign any fpecial cause of her ferious thought-vorite amufements enjoyed much fulness. But fo it was, her con- happiness, but now it appeared to fcience reproved her for a finful her, utterly unworthy the name, life. Great diftrefs and anguifh and when all of it was put togeththe endured on account of her re- er, not fo much as the now enjoybellion against God, enmity of ed, in one hour, in religion. God, heart to his character and law, and in all his adorable attributes, in omiffion of duty. Her convic- his fovereignty, holiness, and righttion of fin was long, deep, and coufnefs, as well as in his free grace, diftreffing. Religion feemed to rich mercy, and boundless goodher a folemn reality. Neglecting nefs, appeared unto her glorious. it, confcience would not permit The law appeared glorious, in its her to be at reft. For fome days, extent and requirements. The fhe would have great diftrefs of word, worship, and ordinances of mind, and bitter upbraidings of the gofpel-together with the duconfeience; then he would feel ties of religion in general appeared but little of this-would be, in a delightful. The blood of Chrift degree, at eafe. In this manner feemed to be all her dependence. the paffed a whole year. There With peculiar fweetecfs did her was no one to whom he could o- mind dwell on the name of her Sapen her mind in like diftrefs. In viour.-She lamented that religion filence, therefore, the bore all her was in fo declining a state; and anguish and awful fenfe of guilt was wont to fay, "Oh that my and deferved mifery. She knew eyes might be fo bluffed as to fee a not that others ever felt as fhe did. revival of it!" A few years have Suppofing her cafe fingular, the revolved, and fhe has found the was ready almoft to defpair. In- happiness. In confequence of her deed he was afraid to disclose to marriage, fhe removed from the any one her concern and conviction. place of her nativity, into a place

which, the last year, was fo highly favored as to partake largely in that revival of religion, which has bleffed various parts of our land. With tears of joy, fhe often exclaims, "Oh what fingular advantages have people, efpecially youth, to become ferious, where there is a revival of religion; when there is fo much encouragement; where each one's feriousness is an invitation to another's! Oh what ardent gratitude fhould go up to heaven for fuch a bleffing! What would I have given, in my diftrefs of mind-under my painful convictions, had there been fuch a revival."

A people know not the magnitude of the mercy, when religion is in repute among them, and their minds generally called up to things fpiritual and divine.

the most inconfiderate; and which prove the value of an interest in the Redeemer, in a dying hour, I have embraced this opportunity to relate to your readers, a fhort sketch of the life and death of the unhappy Leonora, under this concealed name. Could I defcribe the heart-diffolving fcenes of dif trefs, as they paffed, and as they now remain fresh in my memory, I fhould hope, thro' a divine blef fing, that fome person of her age and defcription in life, into whofe hands these lines may fall, would for once paufe, then read-read again and again-then afk her. felf, why these trembling fears in death? Why these fecret forebodings of mifery Is it not beft, O my foul, to "Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while (thefe) evil days

come not?"

Leonora was the youngest of three children, whofe father died while they were young, and whofe mother had married a fecond huf band, with whom they all, a few

This account of Amelia's converfion is real and not fictitious. To prevent the real name being known a fictitious one has been affumed. Facts in religion are of unfpeakable moment. For while curiofity is gratified, Christians are inftructed, quickened, and con-years fince, lived, in a town many firmed. A day of God's power and grace among a people isa GOLDEN SEASON-a PRECIOUS OPPOR TUNITY, which perhaps none can eftimate high enough.

A

Death of Leonora.
GENTLEMEN,

miles diftant from the metropolis of Connecticut. Their father-inlaw and their mother ranked in the clafs of gay, airy people. They rarely, if ever, read the fcriptures in their family, and wholly neglected the duty of prayer. To ufe the language of the world, they meant to be, deS the plan of your Magazine cent people, to fupport order and is calculated, under ficti- nominal religion, and therefore tious names, without wounding were often feen at church, on the the feelings of any one, to intro- fabbath. fabbath. But they never seriously duce all claffes of readers into the laid the weighty concerns of reliapartments of the fick and the gion at heart,-never converfed in dying, to draw afide the curtain, their family of God's appointed and bring up to their view thofe end in requiring religious worship, tender fcenes, which pain the heart of the neceffity of the fpiritual of a friend; which areufe the at-new-birth,-of a future judgment, tention, and for a few moments, nor of the great duty of Chriftian at lealt, folemnize the hearts of piety. The eldest of the two

1801.]

She

bled for fear that all was loft.
was now more than ever diftreffed
for her foul; and fo far as I could
judge from what paffed, the ap-
peared to be deeply impreffed with
a conviction of her own deplorable
condition as a finner, of her need
of help from God, and that noth-
ing but regeneration could fit her
for death. Her tears, her cries,
her prayes, at times, were enough
to convince any one that reflected
at all, that it is a fearful thing to
fall a finner into the hands of the
And I began to
living God.

I fee my folly, and it is too late., -I never went there to learn religion! I fpcak it to my fhame and forrow, I went for the purpofes of pride and fhow. My thoughts were not employed in the worthip of God; nor were they fixed on heavenly things. I was infenfible of the price put into my hands to get wifdom!--I inconfiderately abufed it, and now muft fuffer for it. What can I do what fhall I do to be faved?" "From this account of yourself," replied the clergyman, "you have truly reafon to tremble at the tho'ts of death, and dread the awful confequences of fuch an inconfiderate life; and it is to be feared, were you now to die, in this ftate of mind, that you would be miferable forever. I will ftate to you the only poffible way to find pardon and acceptance with God." The clergyman did this in a very plain and feeling manner, and, after praying with Leonora, left her to apply his difcourfe. After he was gone, fhe pondered upon his words-applied them to herfelf faw, if they were true, fhe was in danger of eternal mifery, and became more alarmed than before, for a fhort time. The clergyman, at her request, two or three days And after, repeated his vifit. though her fears were not wholly removed; yet she had begun to quarrel with the juftice of God, and to comfort herself that she was not fo great a finner as the gospel deShe tried to fcribed her to be. hope that the painful fenfations of guilt which he had experienced were fufficient to atone for her paft offences, and to fecure her future happiness. But, when the again heard a description of the nature of gospel holiness, and was fhown the infufficiency of her prefent views of God, again the trem

hope, from this earneft feeking,
that divine grace might, at this
late hour, pluck her as a brand
But, O!
from the burnings.
painful to relate, her parents, fond
of a beloved daughter, and igno-
rant of the neceffity of regenera
tion could not endure fuch a troub-
led mind in their daughter, in the
As they
laft days of her life.
loved her, they thought fhe mult
be eternally happy, without fuf-
fering fuch heart-rending pains for
fin. They therefore fet themselves
at work to prevent, if poffible,
any farther diftrefs of this nature.
They told her fhe was not fo great
a finner as the believed herself to
be; that she had never been guilty
of any open and fcandalous fins;
that he had forrowed enough for
fin, and ought now to comfort
herfelf that the doctrines of the
gofpel were not so strict as had
been pretended; and that he had
no farther need of religious in-
ftruction.

They perfuaded her not to fend any more for the clergyman, left an explanation of the fcriptures fhould increase her fears; and thus, from an over-fondness to the perishing body of a dying daughter, they were, in all probability, inftrumental of fealing up her immortal foul to everlafling mifery. For, in a few days after,