meant by converfion?" When I had explained myself, they faid, "We did not live in the time of miracles." I was better fatisfied in paffing through a part of the vale which belongs to the King of France. I faw a prodigious concourfe of people, and supposed they kept a fair, but was agreeably surprized to find it was three Miffionaries, who went about as itinerant preachers to help the regular clergy. They had been there already fome days, and were three brothers who preached morning and evening. The evening fervice opened by what they called a conference. One of the Miffionaries took the pulpit, and the parish Prieft propofed questions to him, which he anfwered at full length and in a very edifying manner. The fubject was the unlawfulnefs and the mischief of thofe methods, by which perfons of different fexes lay fnares for each other, and corrupt each others morals. The fubject was treated with delicacy, propriety and truth. The method was admirably well calculated to draw and fix the attention of a mixed multitude. This conference being ended, another Miffionary took the pulpit. His text was our Lord's defcription of the day of Judgment. Before the fermon, all those who for the prefs could kneel, did, and fung a French hymn to beg a bleffing upon the word; and indeed it was bleffed. An awful attention was visible upon most, and for a good part of the discourse, the voice of the preacher was almoft loft in the cries. and bitter wailings of the audience. When the outcry began, the preacher was defcribing the departure of the wicked into eternal fire. They urged that God was merciful, and that Jesus Christ had fhed his blood for them. "But that mercy you have flighted (replies the Judge) and now is the time of juftice; that blood you have trodden under foot, and now it cries for vengeance. Know your day---flight the Father's mercy and the Son's blood no longer." I have seen but once or twice congregations as much affected in England. One of our Minifters being ill, I ventured a fecond time into the pulpit last Sunday; and the Sunday before, I preached fix miles off to 2000 people in a jail yard, where they were come to fee a poor murderer two days before his execution. I was a little abused by the Bailiff on the occafion, and refused the liberty of attending the poor man to the scaffold where he was to be broken on the wheel. I hope he died penitent. The day before he fuffered, he faid he had broken his irons, and that as he deferved to die, he defired new ones to be put on, left he should be tempted to make his escape a fecond time. I rejoice with you in Jefus, and in the glorious hope of that complete falvation his faithfulness has promifed, and his power can never be at a lofs to bestow. We must be faved by faith and hope till we are faved by perfect love, and made partakers of heavenly glory. I am truly a stranger here. Well then, as ftrangers let us go where we fhall meet the affembly of the righteous gathered in Jefus. Farewell in him, you and yours, Dear Sifter, WHA LETTER from Miss B, to Mifs M. J. F. , 1776. THAT you fpeak of your ftate, I fully understand what you want, is an indwelling God: He will bring all with him: Fear not therefore, but plead the accomplishment of that word, "I and my Father will come, and make our abode with him.' All is in Jefus, and he is yours by faith. O that from this hour you may claim him as your own. He that hath bid you fay, "My Father," chufes you fhould, in the fulness of the word, claim him as fuch. My dear friend, there is more implied in that word, "Claim him as your own," than at first you may imagine. Remember, in him all fulness dwells, and to him that believeth all things are poffible. Do you want to feel him your pardoning God? hear him every moment renewing the loving proclamation, "Him that cometh unto me, I will in no wife caft out; " and behold it fealed with blood divine. Do you want to feel his all-cleanfing blood, and to be enabled like Enoch to "walk with God?" Come to him then with holy boldness: afk that your joy may be full hear him faying, "If ye being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more fhall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that afk him." You may now therefore come with the utmost freedom, and cast your whole foul on that Saviour who is made unto you all you want. Thus ftrive every hour and moment to look unto him; and may you and I never forget, that believing views are transforming views. It is needful to bear on our mind, "The wisdom of God is foolishness with men." The fimple way of Salvation by Faith is too low a stoop for any but those who are ftript of their own righteoufnefs: And yet they only are truly wife who learn this way. Let me recommend to my dear fifter, an earnest Jacob-like Spirit of Prayer. This power of Faith will fetch all from Jefus. You do not need Holinefs to get Faith, but Faith to fetch down Holiness into your Soul. I am a blunt writer, and ufually fay, in a few words, what is laid on my heart and this I feel for you, Only believe, and yours is Heaven. God explain it to your heart! Oh! may he take your will and affections, and fix them for ever on himself. Whatever great mountain ftands between, Faith will fay, "Be thou removed,' and it fhall be done. Nothing exalts Chrift but Faith, nothing elfe fets the Crown on his head. Fear not then: "See the Lord your keeper stands, omnipotently near:" his arm is ftretched out to fave. O may a fight of Chrift by Faith, prove to your soul, as the river of Jordan to the lofty Syrian, who at length humbly washing became perfectly whole, I am, &c. LETTER LETTER from Mrs. S. to Mifs M. Dear Sifter, 1793. I T is not the talking a deal about religion that helps the foul fo fpeedily forward, as a proper defeription of the ftraight way before us, in as concife a manner as poffible to put into language. God has fhewed you his willingness to fave, therefore the first mark you must aim at, is, a clear fenfe of pardon. But this you can only retain, after it is given, by being refolute in your mind to hang upon God continually, refifting every unbelieving thought: keep faying in your mind continually, "I will believe: I will not fear." This you must keep conftantly in fight, till God fhines upon your foul, and then refolutely hold faft, and prefs after a greater nearness to him. When he opens the way, we have then ftrength and power to take the kingdom of heaven by violence: but if we fhrink back and fay, "I am not worthy;" we grieve the Spirit of God, let the opportunity flip, and find unbelief fronger than ever: But even in this cafe, there is no other remedy but exerting the little faith we have left: To fall a reasoning about it, finks the foul into its own weakness, fo that we find neither will nor power to exert ourselves, but grow harder and more careless, till we oblige God to fend fome alarming circumftance to quicken our diligence. Would we act wifely, we fhould refolutely caft our fouls upon him without a moment's delay, faying, "I will not let thee go until thou bless me, and grant thy confirming Grace to establish the Truth fo deep in my heart, that I may never give place to foolish reasonings any more." The only way to get forward, is to use the little Faith we have; and the only way to keep forward, is to perfevere in the fame exercife of faith. Many I have known who attained faith by continually faying to the Lord, "I will believe;" and ftill keep on in the fame way till they get their faith so strengthened as to be able to lay hold on all the precious promises of God. While we keep constantly crying to the Lord, unbelief and evil reafonings cannot get in. The enemy, although he vex and hurry our minds at firft, yet he muft fly, if we perfift in calling upon the Lord, and all foolish reasonings are kept off. When we come to God, whether by fecret or ejaculatory prayer, we must come with all the faith we can, expecting that he will liften to our complaints, and is ready to fend an anfwer down into our hearts. You cannot expect too much from God, nor too little from man: But you must hope against hope. The Lord will try us, to fee whether we will continue to hang on him or not ; therefore never think of giving up, but fay with Job, "Though he flay me, yet will I truft in him." It is the hafle of unbelief VOL. XIX. March, 1796. X that that makes us fo ready to run away, (like an impatient beggar without alms,) before we receive the Bleffings, which, perhaps, we have folicited with much earneftnefs and importunity. I am, &c. An HYMN of PRAISE From a VIEW of NATURE, occafioned by a ATHER of Mercies! GOD of Love! Thy power fupreme, thefe fcenes difplay, Their yielding sweets odoriferous send, The fportive lambs on yonder green 66 The Hand that made us is divine." Shall I forbear to claim a part? "Shall 99 Shall creatures of a meaner frame For thy exalted Love to me? If thefe exult their GOD to own, Live to his Glory, speak his Praise, Then, LORD, amidst thy creatures lays Or thou fees good, from day to day. The wonders of redeeming Grace, Look to that bleeding Lamb! and love; To thee, dear Lord, my voice I'll raife, And while I live the theme prolong. W. M. On |