your brethren are thinking of you. Value popular applaufe lefs, and you will lefs fear the want of it.

5. When intervening exhortations are given in Meetings for prayer, the fucceeding prayer fhould correfpond to the obfervations made, and to the matter of the hymns fung. The hymns fhould be moderately fhort, judiciously chofen, distinctly read, and fung in tunes well known.

Laftly. Let the propofed times of beginning and ending the fervice be punctually obferved, that excufes for nonattendance drawn from encroachments on family obligations may be effectually obviated.

Thus, brethren, endeavour to proceed, as valuable helps to God's minifters, their Aarons and Hurs, to hold up their hands. * And, as ufeful members of the refpective churches of Chrift, to which you belong, co-operate with the glorious defign of the goipet for the converfion of finners and the establishment of faints; and, fhortly, as good and faithful fervants, you will be received to the joy of your Lord, where prayer fhall be exchanged for eternal praise.

T. B.

To the Editor.

REV. AND DEAR SIR,

HE following is a copy of a letter from Mr. J. D. of G formerly writing-mafter in my fchool, to Mr. P. my French teacher. When Mr. D. lived with me, he was very fober and induftrious; but ftrongly inclined to Deifm; and Mr. P. being of the fame way of thinking, they became very intimate, I now believe, however, that Mr. D. is a veffel of mercy, and as the circumftances attending his converfion are fomewhat fingular, if you think the whole, or any part of the letter deferving a place in your periodical work, you are at liberty to make what ufe of it you pleafe, only taking care to fupprefs the names of perfons, and places. I remain, dear Sir, your's

21ft June, 1798.

CONVERSION OF A DEIST.

DEAR SIR,

WH

T. L.

G, May 22, 1798.

THEN I returned from London to my native place, I openly profeffed myself an advocate for the religion of nature, in oppofition to Revelation, which I, like.

other

Exod. xvii. 10-12.

other Deifts, reckoned contradictory and abfurd. These opinions I believe I had adopted when you knew me, and my refidence in London rather confirmed than altered them. On the 7th of last November, as I was taking a ride to Edinburgh, I was accofted by a deiftical acquaintance, who told me he had been the Saturday before to our paftor, in order to get his child baptized; that the Doctor faid he understood that he was a great friend of mine, that I was a profeffed Deift, and that he meant once more to converse with me on that fubject. To this I replied, that fhould the Doctor enter on the fubject with me, I fhould, as I had always done, declare my fentiments and argue the point with him; not diffembling the matter like him, who received the ordinance of Baptifm merely to keep quietnefs with his wife, and avoid fingularity. I told him I hoped to fee the day when there would not be a prieft; I added, that I would not believe the Chriftian religion while I had my fenfes. An expreffion which I hope I thall ever remember with horror, as confcious I am, that it has coft me dear.

With this fentence I bade him farewel, proceeded on my way, and (what was very remarkable) although I was then in a good state of health, I had not parted from my friend above a mile or two, when I found my head ftrongly affected, my ideas confuled and incoherent, and in fhort, I was pofting faft to a ftate of infanity. Providentially I took care of myfelf till I got to my fifter's, who lives in Edinburgh. There I grew worfe and worfe; an eminent Doctor in the town advised my friends to have me taken to the country, left I thould commit extravagances in fo large a city; to keep me quiet and indulge me; but above all, to keep a ftrict eye upon me. In the last particular they happened one day, about a week after I was taken ill, to be negligent; I took the opportunity, and in an inftant mounted a ladder that was ftanding against my father's chimney, two ftories high, from whence threw myfelf to the ground, with an intention to put an end to my existence.

Though in general deranged, I was at particular times much concerned about my ftate. The vaunting expreffion I had made to my friend often recurred to my mind; and I thought frequently I heard the voice of fome invisible being, as it were, compaffionating my fituation; but at the fame time telling me, that there was no falvation for me: that by faying I would not believe till I had loft my fenfes, I had put it out of the power of the Almighty to fave me for if even thould believe, by my own affertion, I should

be

be out of my fenfes, and that God would never accept of fuch belief: likewife, that it was determined in the counfel of Heaven, that I fhould not be faved; but live for many years a fad fpectacle to the world, and to Deifts in particular.

This you will eafily perceive was a moft dreadful state of mind. In my horror I attempted feveral times to put an end to my life. A knife happened one day to be left in my way, with which I made a final incifion in my throat; but not having much strength at that time, happily it was not deep enough to be effectual. By the fall from the chimney my back was broken in three places, however, by the bleffing of God, it is now ftrait and ftrong as before. Soon after it mended, I watched an opportunity, and ran to the water to drown myfelf; but a townfman faw and prevented me. My wish at thefe times was to be in hell as foon as poffible, for the longer I was out, I thought it was heating the more for me. My friends were obliged, at laft, to confine me in a ftraight jacket, and being thus kept quiet, I came gradually to my recollection and fenfes. I was vifited occafionally by Chriftian friends, from whofe converfation I found much comfort. They told me that Jefus Chrift came into the world to fave the greatest of finners, and why not me? It pleafed God to give me faith to lay hold of this, and reft all my hopes of falvation upon him. This contributed, more than any thing elfe, to the reftoration of my health; from this time I mended daily, though all my phyficians (three of whom attended me) had a fhort time before been of opinion, that I fhould never regain my fenfes.

From the perufal of this, you will fee what reafon I have to blefs God for all his mercies to me. I afcribe it to his free grace, that I now believe in the Chriftian religion in the fullest extent, and expect falvation and eternal happinefs, on no other footing but through the merits of a crucified Saviour; and I now find more comfort in converfing with my God for one hour, than formerly I had in the ways of fin for years, I could delight in dwelling on this fubject to you, and recommending it to your ferious confideration, it is certainly of the utmost importance. Happy you are in being with my religious friend, Mr. L. Often do I regret having paid fo little attention to his religious dif courfes and and advice. Have the goodness to remember me to all friends.

I am, &c.

J. D.

HA

ON ETERNITY.

AVING in my laft* made fome remarks on the rápid fight of time, I would now lead my reader's atten tion, and my own, to a fubject which thofe remarks will naturally fuggefta fubject the moft folemn and important that can occupy the mind of man-I mean Eternity; but where thall I begin the unbounded theme? or how prefume to launch into that unfathomable fea, in which the moft enlightened underftandings have been loft in admiration? Limited as thy profpect is (O my foul) by the narrow bounds of time, thou canft form no adequate ideas of a period that after millions of ages thall have rolled away, will be no nearer to a conclufion; nor canft thou, enclosed in a body which ftands in need of almoft hourly supplies of food and reft to fuftain it, well conceive how thou art to exift when thou haft dropt into the grave this feeble covering of clay, and appeareft as a difembodied fpirit, freed from all thofe wants and cares upon which thou art now obliged to beftow to large a portion of thy precious time. But although thou art incapable of difcovering thefe fublime myfteries-incapable of gratifying that thirst for knowledge which would prompt thee to penetrate into futurity: It is neverthiclefs as certain, that there is a future ftate of being, and that thou must enter that unknown world, and fpend an eternity in undefcribable happiness, or infupportable mifery; as it is that thou now inhabiteft a body of finful clay. This folemn truth cannot indeed be certainly difcovered by the light of nature, and therefore the greateft philofophers of the heathen world could only reafon from the probability of that hope which they wished earneftly to afcertain: but now the day-ftar from on high hath vifited the carth, and the lip of truth itfelf hath declared, that when the corruptible bodies of the children of Adam fhall mingle with the duft of the earth, from whence they at firft were taken; then the fouls that once animated them fhall return to the God who created them, and receive from his unerring juftice their irrevocable fentence. Nay more, we learn from the volume of infpiration, that even thefe vile bodies which are fubject to corruption, and muft moulder in the grave, fhall, at the laft great day, be raifed in a spiritual and immortal flate; and, reunited to

See Mag. for July, p. 282.

their former partners, fhall fhare with them in their eternal punishments, or rewards. If then thefe things are fo, how is it poffible to account for the conduct of many, who profeffing to believe, can yet live and act in a way that proves they are wholly uninfluenced by them? It is recorded of the great Philip of Macedon, that he appointed one of his pages to awaken him every morning by exclaiming, "Remember, Philip, thou art mortal;" and furely it might be equally ufeful to many a child of folly, and diffipation, if, when they are engaging in fcenes of what they call (but how falfely!) pleature, fome kind friend was to whisper in their ear, "Remember Eternity!" Surely the awful fentence would roufe them from their lethargy, and force them to confider that the hour is coming, and they know not how foon it may arrive; when, willing, or unwilling, they muft meet their Judge, and hear from his lips the righteous fentence that fhall decide their eternal state.

And haft not thou, Chriftian reader, haft not thou, O my foul, abundant caufe to pray that this confideration. may hereafter imprefs thy mind more deeply than hitherto it has done? If we could always look npon eternity as near at hand; always remember that, for ought we know, the next step we take may plunge our bodies in the filent grave, and land our fouls in a world unknown, and fhould we not refrain from many trifling occupations which infenfibly rob us of our time? Should we not be more affiduous in running our Chriftian courfe more courageous in conflicting with our fpiritual enemies, and more con ftantly employed in meditating on the company, and enjoyments of that world into which we hope fo fhortly to enter; in adoring the goodnefs of that dear Redeemer who, by his own blood, has atoned for our tranfgreffions, and provided for us an houfe not made with hands, eternal in the heavens? It is only by a frequent contemplation on thefe important themes, that our fouls can be enabled to rife fuperior to all the feducing allurements that the world would perfuade us to place our happinefs in; and enjoy a fweet foretafte of Heaven, even while we are here below. Confiderations like thefe will affure us complete victory over our laft enemy, Death; and lead us to look forward with joyful expectation to the moment when we fhall throw off these rags of mortality, and take full poffeffion of thofe fublime delights which the mind of man can never fully conceive, but which we are affured our covenant God has prepared for all thofe who wait with humble confidence for his appearing. E. TATLOCK.

VOL. VI.

2 F