ing to be faved, if it was not in the glory of God, appeared to he feelings to be worfe than hell. I appeared that God was fe glorios in his vindictive justice, that there was no excufe for hating God a the flames of eternal ruin-H: felt that the devils ought to lon God fupremely, and he felt, it God fhould fend him to hell, that he would condemn the devils fa not loving God for his infier glory.

When the young man apprehen ded that it might be inconfittent with the glory of God to save him; he fincerely desired of the Lord a difpofition to say, righteous art thou, O Lord, tho' vindictive juftice fhould plunge me to endles woe. All thefe feelings he confidered as not implying any moral goodnefs in himself; but only as a fpeculative difcovery of the f preme worth of the divine being, and the divine perfections. He viewed himself as poffeffing nothing but vilenefs, pollution and fin.

in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, viewed as abominable and odious, and as juftly deferving eternal mifery at the hand of an infinitely glorious and good being. Here he felt a pleafing calm-the univerfe, instantaneously, appeared to beam forth the creator's glory, in every thing which was beheld. The youth felt that there was nothing wrong in the ways of God, but all the fault was in himfelf. In the vindictive juftice of Deity, in fending him to endless mifery, there appeared a beauty. Reflecting upon the direct oppofition of his heart to God which exifted but a little before, it appeared to his view as the unpardonable fin; and his prefent calm appeared as a token of his being given up of God to a state of final reprobation. The youth argued thus; " I have been under great convictions; but have oppofed them all, and now, this calmnefs of mind-my convictions and diftrefs fo fuddenly ceafing, is a token that I am given up of God."-Nothing appeared to be left in view, but a fudden and remedilefs woe.-But fin appeared fo great an evil, that he felt that it was more tolerable to perish forever in hell, than to indulge one hard thought of the divine government. He took a view of God's fovereign electing love of a certain particular number of our fallen race, and fometimes, was fo fwallowed up in the contemplation of fo glorious an object, as even to lose a prefent fenfe of the importance of contemplating what would become of himfelf-but then the reflection would return, if you have committed the unpardon-own will, in the natural and moral able fin, you have no fhare in the world. The abfolute dependence electing love of God, neither will of the finner upon God, appeared, it be for the divine glory to fave exceedingly, to aggravate the crim you from a juftly deferved endlefs inality of every act of rebellion. mifery. The idea of even defir- The finner's finding fault with God

Thus this youth, who was about twenty years old, continued for a number of weeks, having no fenfible difcovery of any thing in Deity ftanding in relation to himfelf but vindictive juftice and divine fovereignty. The Apoftle's words, fpeaking of God, faying, "therefore he will have mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth," appeared ineffably delightful. It appeared to him that it was infinitely fuitsble, that God alone, a being of infinite knowledge, goodness and power, fhould difpofe of all things according to the counfel of his

for any of the divine conduct ap- to him who felt fin to be an infinite peared to be as inconfiftent as the evil, and who felt that God was ax rifing up against him that hand-infinitely holy in eternally punishleth it. ing the finner.

Reflecting upon thefe fublime fubjects, the youth often realized with exquifite delight thefe words of the Apostle Paul, "Oh the depth of the riches both of the wildom and knowledge of God; how unfearchable are his judg. ments, and his ways paft finding out!" Rom. xi. 33.

The way of falvation through fuch a Saviour, appeared to be infinitely glorious, even if he fhould never have an intereft in it; yea, the glory of this falvation appeared to be entirely independent of his own perfonal fafety. He felt, if it were poffible to obtain falvation upon any other plan than through the Lord Jefus Chrift, it would be undefirable. If he had ten thousand fouls, he felt

tionally in the hands of the Lord Jefus Chrift. He felt it to be a fweet truth that God would have mercy on whom he would have mercy, and that he had an ultimate regard to his own glory in every one he faved.

Notwithstanding all the above views and feelings, he could fee no ground to expect that he should finally enjoy the divine favor.willing to trust them all uncondiThe first gleam of hope, of which he was confcious, was in the following train of reflections. He was contemplating the glories of vindictive justice and divine fovereignty, and how juftly the whole human race might have been doomed to endless misery, as the fallen Angels without remedy or hopefwallowed up in the grandeur and fublimity of this fubject, these words of facred fcripture came to his mind, "The old man is cru cified with Chrift Jefus, that the body of fin might be deftroyed that henceforth we fhould not ferve fin." In this paffage the first thing which ftruck the mind was the glory of Chrift's divinity. There could not have been greater evidence in the view of the mind that Chrift was truly the eternal God, if he had seen Christ in the flesh work the moft ftupendous miracles. The moral evidence of Chrift's divinity was fo great that his mind had not the leaft poffible doubt. It appeared that it was impoffible for infinite goodnefs to pardon one fin if Christ had not been truly God as well as truly man. The neceffity of an infinite atonement, in order to the pardon of finners, appeared beyond all doubt

It appeared that the only rational ground to hope that God would have mercy upon him, was, because the ultimate object of the divine conduct was the illuftration of his own glorious perfections. He felt himfelf inexpreffibly vile, and that if God had a regard to him perfonally, nothing could be feen by infinite wifdom and goodnefs, but a juft reafon for his endlefs mifery. This was the teftimony of the holy, just and good law of God-this was the feelings of his mind, and this was clearly manifefted in the infinite atonement of Chrift.-Herein was felt the very glory of Christ's atonement that it clearly manifefted God's holy, and righteous difpleasure against fin, and the juft defert of the finner. In these reflections it appeared that the whole plan of falvation by the glorious Redeemer was all of infinitely rich, free and fovereign grace. It was grace to provide fuch an atonement and it

make a public profeffion of religion, and to follow Chrift in the ufe of his appointed means, and the participation of the ordinances of his houfe accordingly, he joined a Prefbyterian church in the vicinity where he was born; and he still continues to profefs to be attached to falvation by the glorious Redeemer, and derives all his hopes of final victory over fin from the unchanging promife of that God, who, in unfearchable fovereignty, first began the good work of grace in his heart.

(To be continued.)

TO THE EDITORS OF THE CON.
EVANGELICAL MAGAZINE.
GENTLEMEN,

THE following is a reality; if you think it will do good, you are welcome to publish it.

I

are much pitied by their wifer neighbours. The obfervations are fuch as follow After hearing an ac

count of a revival of religion, one, who I think is a church member, asked what was meant by conviction and converfion, so often repeated. I explained it, after a manner which you call orthodox. Upon which he declared, with a loud laugh, that "he had never heard of fuch a thing before!" I read the addrefs of the Berkshire clergy, on the subject of catechifing children, in No. 8, to a circle of polite ladies, feveral of whom are profeffors; which I found to be exceedingly disgusting to the whole company. One faid it was the most horrid thing she ever heard in her life; another obferved, that the odious and ever to be dreaded word bell fhould never be named to children; and that the thought of endless punishment was too much for any one to reflect upon. Another, who had a number of fmall children, faid, that her determination was, to bring them up in the conftant love, not fear of God; that they might always look to him as a friend and parent; and finally die without dismal forebodings. It was the opinion of all, that children would naturally pursue the direct road to heaven, unlefs jolled out of it by external force. The letter addreffed to

FIND by the complexion of your Magazine, that Connecticut religion, though profeffedly Chriftian, is totally different from that of the generality of Chriftians in this part of the country. Light and darkness are not more oppofite, than you are from each other, in what you each call effential points. Of course, if yours be the only religion which leads the foul to heaven, ours certainly will not fave us from hell. If yours be the true religion, ours, it appears to me, is worse than infidel-two young ladies, respecting their ity itfelf; inafmuch as the one attendance on a ball, page 317, lulls to perfect fecurity, while the I fent to a young friend who join other feldom leaves the mind at ed the church on Sunday, and rest. went to a ball on Monday; who very foon returned the book, with her anfwer, that the "pitied the fool who wrote it." A clergyman lately preached on the fubject of the new birth; and after laboring awhile to prove that it meant nothing out of the common courfe, fummed up the whole in Bbb

The above remarks I will endeavor to verify by a few incidents taken from real life. As a curiofity to the hearers, I occafionally read pieces from your numbers, in mixed companies; otherwife the work would not be known, except to a few deluded fubfcribers, who VOL. I. No. 10.

to fuch as "believe unto falvation," the former, who is not fuppofed to feel perfectly fecure and eafy, or the latter, who is grounded in the principle, that regeneration means no more, than "trong rel olutions to keep the commands of God." BEREAN.

MESSRS. EDITORS,

THE perufal of Mr. Hallock's narrative of a work of God's grace, in Weft-Simsbury, in your laft number, was very edifying. His account of a perfon under ferious impreffions, who in his fleep faw his dead daughter come to him and warn him not be damined, excited the following reflections on dreams, which, if you think wor. thy of a place, you will pleafe to infert in your ufeful Magazine.

I am, &c.

PEREGRINUS.

HAT the fubje&t may be

thefe words, "All I know about regeneration is, for one to draw up strong refolutions to keep the commandments of God." And I am certain it is not uncharitable to fuppofe there are many others, who preach much against infidelity, and pray earnestly for the fpread of the gofpel, who dread nothing more, than they do the influence of what you call the divine spirit. The spread of this contagion would undoubtedly draw forth all their fkill and practice, in oppofition. Thus you fee, that what you call a "revival of religion," bears no better name here (and I think I may fafely fay, among a great majority of minifters and people) than "a delufion of the devil." I have myself heard it exprefsly fo called from the pulpit. No great, however, is faid particularly of the Magazine; for the work is but little known among the bulk of the people where the writer of this lives. But from these few hints, he thinks you must form a tolerably correct idea of the fentiments of many, to fay the leaft, who pride themselves in being called Chriftians; and who fay to unbelevers, especially to thofe of other countries," ftand off, we are holier than you." It is needlefs for me to repeat, for I think you must have understood, that I allow of many exceptions here. 7 here are doubtless many, who, wheth-revelation he designed for mankind, er right or wrong, agree with you by the miniftry of his fon and the as to religious fentiments. It is inftrumentality of his Apoflles ; my earnest wish, Gentlemen, that and the fure word of prophecy fome of your able writers would contains all the articles of our come forward, and show the differ- faith, and the perfect and only rule ence, there is between an open in- of life. fidel, and one who believes in Chrif tianity, but not "to the faving of the foul;" and which of them, according to the ufual operations of providence, is in the moft likely way to obtain the reward promifed

TH

treated with neceffary cau tion, it is to be obferved, that the kind of dreams now under confideration is fuppofed to be entirely different from that by which, anciently, God revealed his will to the patriarchs and prophets. It is not fuppofed to have any thing in it of the nature of a divine revelation-or in any degree, to prefcribe a rule of life. Nay, in thefe laft days, God has completed the

Dreams are judged to be the operations of the fancy or imagi nation, when the fubject of them is in a flambering ftate; in the interval between proper fleep, when the mind is in a state of entire ret