need a Saviour-just such a Saviour as IMMANUEL? O he is precious. Without his all-sufficient help I must perish. In him then let me trust. And can he, will he receive such a wretch? 'Lord I believe, help thou mine unbelief.' "Jan. 12. Have been to-day to the table of my Lord, and contemplated the memorials of his body and blood. This was a time for the exercise of faith. But I have had reason to complain of my dulness, especially my wandering thoughts; though at some precious moments my faith fixed on Jesus, as my Lord and my God. "In the examination of myself, to which, for some months, I have been attending, I have been too negligent. It is now my heart's desire that the Holy Spirit may assist me, in being more thorough, more discriminating, more impartial. If my religious affections can be accounted for from the influence of sympathy, education, religious society, selfrighteousness, or hypocrisy, may I know it. I desire to discover the worst of myself. Blessed Spirit, enable me to watch carefully every emotion of my soul, and to classify its exercises according to their moral character. "Jan. 15. What is my faith in the Holy Spirit? I have a firm belief in his personal existence and influence. Is this belief practical? This morning I have felt deeply the need of his influences. There is nothing I desire so much for myself and my friends, as the influences of the Holy Ghost. I am clearly convinced, that my sins will prevail, and my lusts increase their strength in spite of all my efforts, unless the Holy Spirit purify and elevate my affections. I am persuaded that he can give me humility, repentance, benevolence, faith, love, and every grace. Blessed Agent in the work of salvation, it is thine to sanctify; O let thy purifying influences come into my soul, and make me holy. "Jan. 19. Let me inquire to-day respecting my faith in the promises and threatenings of the Bible. I open the word of God and read the promises; promises to individuals and to the church, embracing temporal and spiritual blessings. How shall I determine, whether my views on this subject are those of a true believer? I know the views of a thoughtless sinner; and am conscious of the fact, that mine have been changed in respect to this subject. But are my new views right? When my prospects are the darkest, and when Zion is covered with a cloud, do I find relief in recurring to what God has promised? I can distinctly recollect seasons, when, after such a view of myself, and of the state of the world, as tended to depress my spirits, some promise of God has come to my mind; my fears were removed, my hope supported, my soul relieved. Whatever God has said shall be, I can often view as fact: I think I can live upon the promises which are exceeding great and precious. "The threatenings of Jehovah also demand implicit faith. He has threatened to punish his children, when they wander; to pour out his fury upon his enemies, and punish them with everlasting destruction. Do I habitually realize the truth and import of these threatenings? Though I sometimes have but a faint sense of Jehovah's wrath against sin; yet at other times I have a clear perception of the propriety of his executing his threatenings, as he has assured us he will do. I have occasionally experienced an emotion of complacency, mingled with dread, when contemplating the wrath of God, which is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness;' for he will thus honor his name, and fulfil his word., Let me then fear to sin, and turn speedily from all iniquity. "February. If love to God, repentance, and faith, differ essentially from the exercises and affections which have been described, as my own, I am as yet are sweet. unable to discover the difference. From day to day I enjoy some delightful contemplations of Godmy meditations on his character and government I have also humbling views of myself as a sinner; guilty every day and hour of some sinful thought, feeling, or action. I take great delight in resting on God, as the Governor of the world; on Christ, as my only Redeemer; on the Holy Spirit, as my Sanctifier. But though I find, upon a general examination of my religious experience, so much comfort and hope; yet, I discover so many defects, and so much danger of deception, that I would search still further, and inquire respecting the fruits of holiness. "O omniscient Spirit, as I proceed, discover to me the genuine traits of Christian character, and the real state of my own heart. Help me to sit, as an impartial judge, on myself, and let me not mistake the character and tendency of my words and actions. Give me patience to pursue the investigation, and faithfully to weigh evidence as it rises. I am deceived, may the discovery be made to me; and, if I am thine, may I be confirmed in my faith and hope. Amen. If "Dec. 1818. III. What external fruits of piety are exhibited in my life? Though true religion consists essentially in a right state of heart; yet, 'the tree is known by its fruits;' and, 'out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.' Professions and hopes are vain, if the life is not regulated by the word of God. Do I bring forth the fruits of righteousness? Though perhaps, the Christian never says a word, or performs an action, which the sinner may not say or do; yet there must, on the whole, be a very great difference between the life and conversation of a saint, and of a sinner. When I review my life, I find much reason for indulging fears and doubts. I serve myself. I am influenced by the example, the maxims, and the advice of the world. I am not industrious in my Master's business, am not devoted to it with singleness of heart. Still it is the desire of my soul to obey God, and serve no other master. When I lay my plans, and form my resolutions for life, nothing seems so important as to please God. To live, and not serve him; to live in rebellion against him, would be to me worse than death. Nothing is so dreadful to me, as the thought of dishonoring my profession, and bringing reproach on the cause of Christ. "From different sources I find some grounds to hope, that Christ will own me as one of his followers. Every examination of the question, however, leads me to the following results:-If I am a Christian, I have not that evidence which removes all doubt. It will take me all my life to prove my adoption, and make my 'calling and election sure.' All my graces are very weak, and need to be strengthened, that I may serve and honor my Saviour all my life. There are some great defects in my religious character; in my habits of thinking, feeling, and acting, which must receive serious attention. There is much that must be destroyed, much that must be entirely new-modelled. I am destitute, to an unhappy degree, of the supports and consolations which religion is calculated to afford. I am very unprofitable in the vineyard, and accomplish very little for the honor of Christ, or the welfare of souls." It will occur to every one, acquainted experimentally with Christian character, that the preceding journal is an analysis of religious experience, conducted in a manner that indicates no ordinary degree of self-knowledge. It shows that careful and constant attention to personal piety, which, many doubtless are obliged to confess, has often been greatly neglected; especially when the mind has been occupied, as his at the same time was, with the engrossing studies and engagements of a public Seminary. It evinces a practical sense of the im portance of the many exhortations urged in the Bible, to attend to the important business of selfexamination. "Keep thy heart with all diligence." "Commune with your own heart." "Let us search and try our ways." "Recollect yourselves, O nation not desired." "Examine yourselves." "Prove your own selves." "Let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself, and not in another." The neglect of this duty is one reason, why Christians enjoy so little of the consolations of a good hope, and suffer so much from a dread uncertainty of what will be their condition after death. It was owing much to self-knowledge that Mr. Fisk was enabled to face so calmly the perils of his Christian warfare, and finally to meet death without dismay. "Distrust and darkness of a future state, Is that which makes mankind to dread their fate; To be, we know not what we know not where." In addition to the systematic and laborious attention which Mr. Fisk devoted to the important business of self-examination, he was in the habit of observing frequently days of FASTING and PRAYER. He kept a journal of his exercises and reflections on such occasions, from which extracts will now be introduced. "Mirch, 1817. This day is devoted to fasting and prayer. It is our business, therefore, to confess our sins privately and publicly, and to be humble for them; to pray for what we need, especially for what we need as a Seminary, and to devote ourselves anew to God. To assist my contemplations, and enable me to view, both collectively and separately, my transgressions, I would record against myself the sins and imperfections which I can recollect. "I have been negligent in secret prayer. I have not been fervent and incessant, as I ought to have |