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unto him. The mercy of God is abundant. The grounds of appre henfion are not, that he will reje&; but that the finner will not apply. Here is danger indeed, not by reafon of any limits in the mercy of God; but by reafon of the fin

that call upon him." He will a- | pheming the Holy Ghoft, by open. bundantly pardon. God is won-ly, knowingly and exprefsly impu. derful in mercy. Mercy is as freeting the evident works of the for you as for any. No higher Spirit to Satan; like the Pharifees, terms are propounded to you, than who enviously faid, he cafteth out to the leaft tranfgreffor. "He devils by Beelzebub. This is a that believeth shall be faved." Is defperate cafe, not thro' the inad not the blood of Chrift fufficient equacy of Chrift's atonement ; to wash away the deepeft ftain? but because it is certain that fuch, Is not the benefit of it promifed as are guilty of it, will never ap to all who apply? Did he not ply for mercy. It is a groundless come to fave finners? And are not fear that God will not readily reyou a finner? You owe ten thou-ceive any as foon as they return fand talents, and have nothing to pay: But will he not frankly forgive you all? Take heed, that in addition to all your former fins, you do not limit the holy one of Ifrael. Another may say, "I have done all this, and befides, have grown old in fin. I have feen fev-ner's difpofition to reject it. Let all eral revivals of religion-have been under deep concern myself, and have refifted the strivings of the Spirit, until he has left me an old hardened finner, guilty of the blood of fouls. Surely God has fworn in his wrath, that I fhould never enter into his reft. It is in vain for me to think of repentance or faith. God will not accept me if I fhould now apply."-Your ideas of your guilt are by no means too great. You furely deferve no favor. If God's thoughts and ways were like ours, your cafe would be defperate. If they were not as far above ours, as the heavens are higher than the earth, there could be no hopes for you. The falvation of fuch finners, at the eleventh hour, is among the wonderful works of divine grace. But provement of his fall, published in come like the prodigal fon, perifh-zine, fhould not communicate to you the 12th Number of your Magaing, and caft yourself on the mere David's improvement of his, you are mercy of your abused father, and he will anfwer the character of the at liberty to publish the following father in the parable.

There is indeed one fin, and bat one, which God has pronoun

who are in fin, apply to God, and hearken to him, who calls upon all the ends of the earth to look unto him and be faved.-Let not Chriftians be too hastily difcoura ged, concerning the falvation of finners, who are uncommonly vile and hardened, or neglect earnestly praying for them. Finally, If any reader will abuse this declaration of the greatness of God's mercy by prefumption, he must do it, and his blood must be upon his own head.

MIKROS.

FOR THE CONNECTICUT EVAN
GELICAL MAGAZINE.

if

MESS'RS. EDITORS,

you

IF the writer of Peter's im

think it will be useful.

HE fall of Peter and the fall of David are often men

THE

ced unpardonable. This is blaf- tioned together by those who de

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abroad. When he was told by Nathan, that he had given great occafion to the enemies of the Lord to blafpheme, he perceived that it was known. This was prob ably the first information he received of its being made public. Then he openly acknowledged it. Then he made public that repentance which before he had kept to himfelf. The probability that he had repented in private arifes from the following confiderations. It is not reasonable to fuppofe that a man of his attainments in grace fhould remain without repentance for fuch a length of time as is tended, or the hundredth part of it. He was a careful obferver of his own heart and of providential events. Interesting events both in his kingdom and in his family, took

pre

ride religion and its profeffors. to his expectations it was spread
Their repentance and their fubfe-
quent conduct may be properly
viewed together. Peter's have
been published and afforded inftruc-
tion to many. David's in many
refpects, are fimilar. The fins in
both cafes were highly offenfive to
God, and were greatly aggravated
because they were committed by
his own children. The fins of
David, especially his two diftin-
guished ones, adultery and mur-
der, were exceedingly great and
attended with circumftances of pe-
culiar aggravation. But like Pe-
ter he speedily became a penitent,
and perhaps for one of his fins be-
fore he was guilty of the other.
Sinning and repenting are often in
fucceffion, and fometims in quick
fucceffion. Peter forfook Chrift
but repented of his fin and return-
ed-then he denied him-then re-place in that period. Can it be
pented of this fin, and all in the fuppofed that he was inattentive to
Ipace of a few hours. Matt. xxvi. them, or that he attended to them
31, 33, 56. Some have fuppo- without reflections upon his own
fed that David lived for feveral heart and conduct? But this is
months without repentance, be- not all. In his confeffion in the
cause his child was born before Na-51ft Pfalm he faid; "My fin is
than appeared to him and led him ever before me." This confeffion
to a confeffion of his fins. It is was made when Nathan came to
more rational to fuppofe that he re- him, as appears by the title of the
pented before; but confidered his pfalm. It must be fuppofed that
fins private ones and confequently in faying, that his fin was ever
let his humiliations for them be before him, he looked back beyond
private. Great care was taken his fhort interview with the proph-
that none fhould be acquainted et even to almost the whole of the
with the murder which he commit- time that had paft away after his
ted but Joab, and he was David's | fin was committed. Befides, Na-
confident. The like care was than faid to him; "The Lord
probably taken in the other cafe.
Meffengers paffed and repaffed be-
tween David and Bath-fheba, but
they were probably ignorant of
the fin that had been committed,
or were charged to conceal it.
The whole was fo conducted that
God faid to David, "Thou didst
it fecretly." 2 Sam. xii. 12. Da-
vid did it fecretly; but contrary

The

hath put away thy fin."
Lord had pardoned his fin. But
had he pardoned it without repen-
tance? It was certainly more nat-
ural for Nathan to declare the for-
giveness of his fin as a confequence
of feveral months' repentance than
as the confequence of that mo-
ment's repentance, in which he
'was fpeaking to him. If this truth

be eftablished, that he repented, fin... Purge me with hyffop and without delay, no one may take I fhall be clean: wash me and I encouragement that his ftate is fhall be whiter than fnow. Cregood if he remain impenitent af-ate in me a clean heart; and reter his tranfgreffions. new a right spirit within me." He prayed for the continuance of God's fpirit. "Take not thy Holy Spirit from me." He prayed for the return of comfort. "Make me to hear joy and gladness-Reftore unto me the joy of thy falvation." He prayed that he might be kept from fin for the future; for he trembled at the thought of falling again. "Deliver me from bloodguiltinefs, O God, thou God of my falvation-uphold me by thy free Spirit." He had a fenfe of his entire dependence upon God' for pardon, for comfort, for ftrength and for perfeverance in holiness.

David's fall occafioned in him a great degree of repentance. He humbled himfelf greatly under a fenfe of his great wickednefs. He was pained at his very heart. His pains he compared with thofe which are occafioned by broken bones. He faid "Make me to hear joy and gladness that the bones which thou haft broken may rejoice." It may be faid of him that he wept bitterly.

David's fall led him to a free and open confeffion of his fins. He confeffed them to God, and be confeffed them to man. It led him to a feeling fenfe of the wick- David's fall excited in him ednefs of his nature and of his concern for others. Grieved that practice. "I was fhapen in iniqui- he had given occafion to the ene ty and in fin did my mother con-mies of the Lord to blafpheme, he ceive me. I acknowledge my earnestly defired to remove that oc tranfgreffions." In all his humili-cafion if he poffibly could. He ations and confeffions his great bur- therefore refolved and promifed den was fin against God. All the that if he might be pardoned and wrongs he had done to his fellow-reftored to the divine favor, he creatures, and particularly to a would put forth his exertions for family which he had exceedingly the falvation of fouls. "Then injured, appeared as nothing com-will I teach tranfgreffors thy ways, pared with his fin against a holy and finners fhall be converted unto God. "Against thee, thee only thee." By tranfgreffors he might have I finned," faid he, "and mean thofe who had never been par done this evil in thy fight." Eve-takers of grace--by finners thofe ry true penitent feels that it is an who had been partakers of it but evil and bitter thing to fin against had backflidden. His refolution Gods was to do all in his power for the David's fall brought him to ear-converfion of finners and for the nest prayer to God. Greatly bur-recovery of faints who had fallen dened with his fins he prayed for into fin. When he was converted a pardon. "Have mercy upon he would ftrengthen his brethren: me, O God, according to thy lov-| ing kindness; according to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my tranfgreflions." He prayed not only for pardon but for purity. "Wafhme thoroughly from mine iniquity, cleanse me from my

And he prayed for others as well as for himself. "Do good in thy good pleafureunto Zion; build then the walls of Jerufalem."-For full understanding of the things here related let the 51ft Pfaim be attentively read together with the

1

11th and 12th Chapters of the 2d Book of Samuel.

regulate all our conduct.---Is it to be fuppofed, that after our heavenly Father has done fo much for us has pointed out our duty in fuch

the book of Revelation, he will, either immediately, or mediately, undertake to direct us, by the

Another obfervation ought to be made in commendation of David after his fall. He received re-explicit terms, and has filled up proof with a proper temper. When it was administered with the greateft plainnefs, and from a fubject to a king, he did not refent it; nei-blind and confounding inftruction, ther did he discover the leaft de- which is, by fome fuppofed to be gree of anger at his reprover. The conveyed in dreams?—I think not. reply he made was "I have finned." Inftead of being difpleafed with Nathan for the reproof, he highly efteemed him and loved him, and in teftimony of his esteem and affection and often to remind himself of the reproof, he called one of his fons Nathan, and one too whom he had by Bath-sheba. 1 Chron. "Rebuke a wife man and

It seems to me, that a much more rational account may be giv en, of the origin and defign of dreams, than that they are fuggef tions of either good or bad invifi ble beings, and intended to direc our conduct. And alfo, it seems to me, that we ought to look for this, that we may not countenance that strong inclination there is, in many minds at least, to obtain en

iii. 5.
he will love thee.
These observations afford mo-joyment without exertion.
tives to faints to ftand faft in the
Lord, and warnings to finners to
forfake their fins and turn to him:
If the righteous are fcarcely faved,
where fhall the wicked and ungod-
ly appear"? Infidels themfelves
fhould be filent and receive convic
tion. Let the queftion be feriously
put to them.
Is not the evidence
of the reality of religion, from the
improvement which Peter and Da-
vid made of their fall, greater than
the evidence againft it can poffibly
be from their fall itself?

What but this induces multi tudes to forfake the habits of honeft industry, and depend upon growing rich, by the arts of fpeculation; or even by the purchase of a lottery ticket?

On the evil tendency of relying on
Dreams.

A

MONG the various kinds of fuperftition to which the human mind is liable, a reliance on dreams is one which is calculated to do injury, to weak and unfettled minds; to lead them away from that full, clear, and glorious light, which a merciful God hath afforded us in Revelation; and, by which, we may, with entire fafety, VOL. II. No. 3.

What, but the fame spirit, can be the reafon, that others, forfa king that perfect fyftem of divine inftruction contained in the bible, are feeking to grow wife, and to receive direction for their conduct, from the idle wanderings of their minds in fleep?

Thefe are feelings, which, every intelligent friend to mankind, would wish to counteract; as involving in them the wretchedness of all by whom they are indulged.

This view of things has indu ced me to offer you fome obfervations, principally extracted from the 73 and 74 numbers of the periodical paper, called the Mir ror; as exhibiting, in my view, important truth on this fubject ; I prefume that in the circle of ev ery one's acquaintance, perfons N

may be found; who, after almoft any event has taken place, will tell of fore dream, by which they fuppofe it was indicated to them.I believe however, that it is not generally thought to be a mark of found judgment and difcretion.Nor do I think, that it will be ad-panied with fome vifionary cir mitted as evidence at all, that invifible agents are concerned in our dreams. It seems to me not reafonable to fuppofe, that God would employ myriads of fuch agents, in fuch a bufinefs. Our dreams are certainly in general extremely unimportant; and unquestionably

when I fee a man diffipating his fortune by debauchery, I may, with reafon, apprehend, that 'difeafe and poverty will foon over'take him. If this conjecture troubles me in the day-time, it may alfo recur in fleep, accom

cumftances; and I fhall dream, 'perhaps, that I fee him in rags and mifery. Suppofe this really happen foon after, what opinion am I to entertain concerning my dream? Surely I have no more reafon to confider it as propheti'cal, than I have to look upon the

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they often receive their complex-conjecture which gave rife to it as ion, and even their existence; from the state of our health, and other circumstances attending us, by

the effect of inspiration.'
"Intemperance of every kind,
in eating or drinking, in fleep or

which we cannot reasonably fup-watching, in reft or exercife,

pofe fuch beings would be affected.

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tends to make dreams difagreea The wife man obferves on this 'ble; and therefore one end of fubject, that a dream cometh dreaming may be, to recommend through the multitude of bufi-fobriety and moderation. nefs."-Agreeably to this idea,

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it must be fuppofed, and by an "attentive obferver, who is free from fuperftition, it will be found, that dreams allude not to what 'is future, but to what is prefent or paft, unless where we have been anticipating fome future event; in which cafe our dreams

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For

the time we may employ in sleep bears a great proportion to the whole of human life; and if there be any expedient for rendering that portion of our time agreeable, it is furely worth while to put it in practice. Habits of virtue and fobernefs, the repref fion of turbulent defires, and the

may poffibly refemble our con-indulgence of pious, focial, and jectures. Now, if our conjec-cheerful difpofitions, are, for tures be right, and if our dreams refemble them, it may happen

that there fhall be a likeness be

the most part, effectual in giving that lightness to the animal spirits, ' and that calm temperature to the

tween a certain dream and a fu-blood, which promote thoughts

ture Occurrence But, in this, there is nothing more fupernatu'ral, than that I fhould dream to

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pleasurable through the day, and fweet flumber and cafy dreams by night."

Since our thoughts in fleep may receive form and colour from many circumftances; from the general ftate of our health, from the prefent ftate of the ftomach and fluids, from our employments, ⚫ and from the tenor of our thoughts through the day; fhall we be

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