It is very indifferent by what means we are brought to em brace the gospel way of falvation, if fo be we do but einbrace it. It may be by filent reflection, by reading or hearing the word, or by fome fuitable part of feripture occurring to the mind, by means of which the foul is led to fee its loft co dition, and the only door of hope opened by the gofpel. There is fuch an harmony in divine truth, that a proper view of any ene branch of it will lead on to a difcovery of others; and fuch a connection, that we cannot cordially approve of a part, but the whole will follow. And no fooner is the gospel in poffeffion of the heart, but joy and peace will ordinarily accompany it; for if we behold the glory of God's way of faving finners, and approve of it, we must in a greater or lefs degree be confcious of it; and knowing that the whole tenor of the New Teftament promifes eternal life to believers, we cannot but conclude ourselves interested in it. Believing on the Son of God we are juftified; and being thus juftified, we have peace with God through our Lord Jefus Chrift, Rom. v. 1.

GAIUS.

THOUGHTS UPON CHRISTIAN EXPERIENCE.

A

CONSIDERABLE part of Chriftian experience may be comprehended under thofe effects produced in the mind, by believing the doctrine of Chriftianity; and this opinion varies according to the circumstances of the perfon believing, or the truths he believes.

The experiences of believers are fo boundless in their variety, that only a small specimen can be given in a paper fuited to the plan of a magazine. Language is almost inadequate to exprefs the happiness of an awakened finner when first brought to the foot of the crofs; it furpaffeth all enlightened understanding. In confequence of his former rejection of Jefus, he was compleatly miferable, a fearful looking for judgment confumed his fpirit; he died, as it were, a thoufand deaths. But now his mind is opened to perceive the mystery of God: the proclamation of divine mercy and forgiveness is attended with fuch evidence, that inattention and difbelief are rendered impoffible; he hears and believes the joyful found; he rejoices becaufe of the tidings he believes; the fuitablenefs and welcomenefs of the tidings raife his ideas of their Author.-He loves him; he praifes

him; he recommends him to every one, for he knows none like him! Thus he begins to experience love and joy in God.

He finds it recorded in fcripture, that the blood of his Saviour cleanseth from all fin. He believeth it. This belief not only calms, but purifies his confcience; because of this purification, through the blood of Jefus, he experienceth a peace unutterably precious, which ten thousand worlds could not purchase. Now, his conception of the atonement of Jefus are conformed to the revealed mind of God. He is freed from the labour of felf-righteoufnefs, and all the pungent disappointments which daily arofe from dependance on this mutable, mifgiving foundation.

The fcriptures reveal the power and malice of the enemies to which he is expofed; at the fame time they promise him the fupport, defence, and direction of the Holy Ghost. He believes thefe teftimonies; he meets enemies; he depends upon the promises; the Lord deals with him in a manner anfwerable to his confidence: according to his faith, fo is his triumph. Thus he has experience of the faithfulness of God.

While a Christian continues believing the truths of God, he is abfolutely invulnerable; but the moment his faith fails, he is defenceless. While he triumphs in Chrift as his strong rock, high tower, &c, he is fully fortified against every weapon that can be used against him. Indeed he is confcious of it.

When the Holy Spirit takes the revealed doctrines of Christ, and fhews them to his mind with the full force of their evidence, the belief of them is fo fimple and easy, so naturally and neceffarily animating and tranfporting, that he is difpofed to think his belief fhall continue uninterruptedly the fame to the end. The abfolute neceffity of strict watchfulness over his fpirit and walk, may not ftrongly appear in its indifpenfable importance. This overfight may lay him open to yield to fome marked temptation; and such a compliance will mar his confidence with God. But lo! he reads what is the teftimony of Chrift to all his fervants"Without me ye can do nothing." He believes it, and by it he is cautioned against relaxing his dependance on the promifed power of the Saviour. He is not forry because of his weakness; he rather rejoices in the promised strength of his Lord. Instead of defponding, he learns, like Paul, to glory

VOL. VI.

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in

in his 'infirmities, that the grace of God may be glorified in him.

He reads many promises of the Lord, to be present with him in his allotted afflictions, in order to fweeten and fanctify his trials; to fupport under, and at the proper time to deliver from them. He believes the teftimony. His faith frees him from unneceffary anxiety before they arrive, it renders him happy while bearing them; and when they are over, blessed effects are found to be produced. Thus he experiences more of the loving kindness and faithfulness of God; thus his peace is more permanently established, and the perfections of God more gloriously demonftrated.

He finds from fcripture that the Lord attends to his temporal concerns, that he appoints his lot in the wilderness, that in his perplexities and straits he is a prefent help; that he is the hearer of prayer in every cafe. He believes all this: But to prove him, the Lord brings him into difficulties, then he calls upon his God, perfuaded he will hear, and to his fweet fatisfaction he perceives his prayers are answered: this forms an addition to his experience, and extends his views of God. By means of it he learns to talk more largely and feelingly of his character and glory. By these various experiences he is rapidly ripened for glory and immortality. He is rendered more converfant with the plans and procedure of the Most High. The truth appears more valuable, and more neceffary to be believed, loved, and practifed.

He reads that Jefus is the bread of life-that his doctrine is to the foul, what bread is to the body. He believes it. When he feels faint and feeble in his mind, he has recourfo to the teftimony of Jefus; by the faith of it he is revived, and rejoices in hope of the glory of God. Hence he experiences the truth of that declaration, that Chrift is the true bread: he understands it better, and afterwards feeds upon it with more filial freedom. Such experience tends to turn him from self, and to make Jefus more the foundation of his faith and hope.

The perpetual prefence of temptation, the rifings of corruption, his omiflions of duty, and unwilful commiflions of fin, fometimes feem to threaten his destruction. But he reads the answer to Paul's prayer for the removal of his thorn,

My grace is fi.fficient for thee." He believes the truth, which the anfwer contains. Immediately his fears are removed; he depends on omnipotent grace for his honourable perfeverance in holinefs and comfort. "Need I be discouraged?" fays he; "the work is not mine, but the Lord's

his

his honour and faithfulness are concerned in my cafe!-he cannot, because he will not deny himself. I know this,-I cannot but truft in him, and hope in his mercy! According to my confidence in his faithfulness, fo is my progrefs in holinefs. The consciousness of this, difpofes me triumphantly to run in the ways of wisdom, which are pleasantnefs; and in her paths, which are peace."

These I confider as the most prominent parts of Christian experience. They resemble the operations of my own mind upon truth. In this way I have learned Chrift. Yet I am far from holding them up as infallible touchftones to any. If, however, we fay, we believe the doctrines of the gofpel, and yet have none of the confolations they are defigned and calculated to give, how can we be faid to know the truth?

But we cannot experience all these things at once. No: it is a work of time: we experience them as we travel along the tract which infinite wisdom hath chalked out for us in the wilderness. They combinedly tend to the perfecting of the faints; each of them having an influence in promoting the eftablishment of our knowledge and faith in God-our affurance of the truth of his doctrine, and confequently of our eternal enjoyment of himself. They make us more and more ready to give, to thofe who afk, a reafon of the hope that is in us—not that we refer them to our experience, but to the grand truths, the reality of which we believe and feel.

HEMAN.

ANECDOTE.

SE

ENECA fpeaks (fabulously no doubt) of certain Witches, who used their eyes only occafionally. When at home, they laid them afide, and confequently were totally blind; but whenever they went abroad, they put their eyes in their heads, and faw every thing perfectly.

Juft fo it is with many perfons, who are always blind to their failings; but abroad are sharp-fighted, and can discover in every body elfe, abundance of faults.

Solomon tells us, (Eccl. ii. 14.) The wife man's eyes are in his head," where they fhould be; and there he keeps them, at home and abroad.

RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE.

Extract of a Letter from Springfield, New Jersey, dated Nov. 1797.

FRIEND A.

IF I were to apologize fufficient for my neglect, I might fill the fheet, therefore I omit it. In all places where I go there are thorns and briers; the bleffing is here, and alto the curfe. We enjoy many national bloffings under our conftitution, but it is much feared they will not long remain undisturbed. The poor here, if industrious, cannot fail of provi fions; the farmer reaps the whole of his labours, nor bows to an imperious landlord; but (oh, fad to tell,) high as he estimates his own freedom, he binds his fellow creature to the yoke, and makes him tremble at the defpotic lafh; and too often even he, who proclaims liberty to the fpiritual captive, has his flave at his feet, for whom he hath never proclaimed a jubilee, even a fiftieth year. We have the gofpel in many of our places of worship, but often very much adulterated; and the minifters thereof, though free from ftate fhackles, are very much straitened in themselves, There is a general profeffion of fome fort of religion, and molt think it their duty to attend a place of worship. The church indeed has reft, but not profperity, in these days; fome of the poor oppreffed Indians, whose forefathers were plundered and murdered by the whites, have received the gofpel, and folicited the New York Baptift Affociation for affiftance in the farther spread thereof. The occafion of their writing was this: A Baptift Minifter, nan ed Elkanah Holmes, an American, found it in his heart last year to vifit his poor benighted, oppreffed brethren, which he did, met with a kind reception, and found, to his furprise (at Brothertown, about 190 miles from New York, which was the first Indian town he came at), that fome of them had already received the word, and were baptifed, but had no minifter; he was obliged to have an interpreter to repeat his fermen, as very few understood the English tongue; they heard with great attention, and, he fays, fang in parts with a pleafing harmony. Their order in public worship is admirable; he fays, he fcarce ever faw an inftance of a perfon moving from his feat, or looking round at another, during the whole time of worship; and being appointed one evening to preach a fermon to children, he was furprised to fee them in fuch order.-This may fuffice to fhew, that Chrift does not want worldly Philofophers to aid his gofpe!; here it appears in its primitive fimplicity, not yet being fpoiled by the traditions of men. Elder Holmes is a poor, but good man: he is now gone to vifit them again, having no Miffionary fupport, but a little cash to start with, collected amongst his friends; yet he purposes, if Providence will help him, to go through the tribes. On his return, or receiving letters from him, you may perhaps hear further.

I long to hear from you,-fend me a line foon,-tell me how Mfriends go on, ever precious to me, go where I will; give my love to them all. I rejoice daily in the profpect of meeting you on the celestial hores. O Brother! what joys await us: Why are we fo anxious about thefe little things, who are heirs to crowns in worlds of light? Bieffed be God who makes me rejoice daily in hope of his glory, and gives me to mourn daily in the duft on account of my fins, and to fee them all cancelled by the precious Blood of the Lamb.

Mrs. O. joins me in love to you and yours, especially to my old friend and acquaintance Mrs. A. My fpirit is with you. Farewell.

W.O.

ORDI