tempted above that ye are able ; but will with the temptation alfo make a way to efcape, that ye may be able to bear it." God, willing more abundantly to fhew unto the heirs of promise the immutabil foul delight itself in fatnefs. In- The apostle Paul states the purport of the apoftolic addrefs to mankind, in the following manner, viz. "God was in Chrift reconciling the world unto himfelf, not imputing their trefpaffes unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambaffadors for Chrift, as though God did befeech you by us: we pray you in Chrift's ftead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be fin for us, who knew no fin; that we might be made the righteoufnefs of God in him." To the faithful and obedient, the infpired writings abound with the moft gracious and animating declarations and promises: "He that endureth to the end, the same shall be faved. "We knew that all things work together for good to them that love God. God is faith ful, who will not fuffer you to be of his counfel, confirmed it by an oath, that by two immutable things, in which it was impoffible for God to lie, we might have a strong confolation, who have fled for refuge, to lay hold on the hope fet before us. "For he hath faid, I will never leave thee, nor forfake thee." So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man fhall do unto me." Godliness is profitable unto all things, having promife of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. "He that overcometh fhall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my fon." On the other hand, the fcriptures are equally explicit, in addreffing the moft folemn warnings and threatenings to the wicked, and in terrible denunciations of divine wrath upon the impenitent and finally difobedient." The axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit, is hewn down and caft into the fire. Except ye repent, ye fhall all likewife perifh. He that believeth not fhall be damned. Unto them who are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, God will render indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, upon every foul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew firft, and alfo of the Gentile. No whoremonger, nor unclean perfon, nor covetous man who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Chrift and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of thefe things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of difobe-, nefs-of true religion, in all its dience. Be not ye, therefore, branches- in all its extent ? partakers with them.-How fhall (To be continued.) we escape if we neglect fo great falvation?-For if we fin wilfully, after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more facrifice for fins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which fhall devour the adverfaries. -Itisa fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.-But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and forcerers, and idolaters, and the liars, fhall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone; which is the fecond death.” Can we read-can we hear, and attentively confider thefe and fuchlike gracious calls and offers, and friendly and folemn warnings, and great and precious promifes, and awfully tremendous threatenings, and view them altogether, without perceiving it is our indifpenfible duty, our trueft wisdom and higheft intereft to repent and turn to God-to be reconciled to him-to comply with and obey his will revealed in the gofpel-to live foberly, and righteoufly, and godlily in this prefent world?-Without perceiving, that to this we are under obligations infinitely great that to this we have all reafonable and defirable encouragements-and that we fhall be left utterly inexcufable, and muft expect an aggravate punishment, if we refufe or neglect it? and of confequence, that the gofpel, on account of its calls, offers, warnings, threatenings and promifes, is admirably adapted to bring us to God-to perfuade and conftrain us to return to him, to love and ferve him, and to enforce, and excite to the exercife and practice of univerfal holi On the leading of the Spirit: Or, The way in which the Spirit of God leads men is by imparting to them, and preferving in them a holy temper. UR Lord once faid to his difciples, "When he the Spirit of truth is come he will guide you into all truth." And St. Paul faid to the Romans, "As many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the fons of God." And he tells the Galatians, "If ye be led by the fpirit, ye are not under the law." From thefe and many other expreffions of the infpired volume, we are led to fuppofe, that the influence or guidance of the holy fpirit is neceffary to the knowledge of divine truth,and for our direction in the way of ho linefs. It is evident, even from obfervation, that the judgment which a man forms concerning religious objects is not determined by mere intellectual light or evidence, but the fpirit or difpofition of the heart has a great fhare in the determination of the judg ment. Hence it is faid, "The natural man receiveth not the things of the spirit of God, for they are foolishnefs unto him; neither can he know them, because they are fpiritually difcerned. But he that is fpiritual, judgeth all things." "No man can fay that Jefus is the Chrift but by the Holy Ghoft." "Ye have an unction from the holy one, and ye know all things.' It is not a matter of idle fpeculation, but of great ufe and benefit, thoroughly to inveftigate, the various fprings and caufes which operate in the determina 1 tion of men's opinions and conduct in life,particularly with refpect to matters of religion. If this fubject be thoroughly examined, I am perfuaded it will be found, that there are certain biaffes in the hearts of men which govern their judgments and practice in life-fome fpirit which directs their fentiments and conduct. This is true with refpect to such as purfue good or evil courfes. They have a fancy, a liking or prepoffeffion in favor of certain objects, which actuate them in their purfuits. It is not mere information communicated to the unfeeling intellect which will be any fpur to action. In order for this fome fpirit or difpofition muft poffefs the foul; which has a fovereign influence in the difpofal of men's opinions and pursuits. We read of the fpirit of the world and the fpirit which is of God. A fpirit is as well neceffary to account for evil actions as for good. The fpirit which is of the world, admits of a great variety of modifications; although as to its effential traits it may be the fame. The tastes of men are dif- | ferent which are their guides in the walks of life. Men give a preference to the courfes which beft correfpond with their taftes; hence they are prompted to beleive fuch courfes are right, and to at accordingly. In a wrong course of conduct men are governed by a wrong fpirit. In a virtuous courfe of conduct they are governed by a good fpirit. In each cafe they are led by the fpirit which dwells in them. The good man has for his guide the good fpirit of God. He delights in the law of God after the inward man; hence he is induced to obey The paths of virtue are agreeable to his talle; therefore is he it. led to purfue them. As duty of curs, his love to it will influence him to a ready compliance. Is reverence to the Deity a duty, the fenfe which he has of the divine dignity and excellency will excite him to pay him worship and veneration. Is beneficence to his fellow-creatures in diftrefs, a duty which offers itfelf to a good man, the benevolent feelings of his heart will prompt him to afford relief. The guidance of the fpirit, or an inward principle of goodness is a much more effectual teacher and ftimulator to what is fit, than mere abftract fpeculation. On the other hand, a corrupt fpirit or a depraved tafte, will lead a man under the influence of it, to form erroneous opinions concerning moral matters, and will have an efficacious influence upon him to purfue a vicious courfe of conduct. If we attend to human nature we may thence find, as well as from the fcriptures of truth, that men are led by fome powerful fpirit in that great variety of courfes which they take. the great fpring of action amongst mankind, and without which the rational world would be wholly idle-a univerfal torpor would take place a total stagnation of all the active powers in human nature. There is a fpirit in man which operates to produce perpetual motion in the intellectual world, and which is as efficacious as the law of attraction in the natural world. This is As all men are governed by fome powerful fpirit, fo the children of God in particular are under the conduct of the good spirit of God. By virtue of that holy principle implanted in them, and which conftantly dwells in them, they are fpontaneoufly led to а virtuous courfe of conduct. Although ded the minds of them which believe not. They are left to strong delufions, that they should believe a lie who had pleasure in unrighteousness. They love darkness rather than light. They have no relish for the fublime truths of reThey are therefore foolishness to them. Their tafte gives a determination to their underftanding and judgment. The depraved bias on their hearts is the fource of their errors. their intellectual powers may be | The God of this world hath blinfmall and their acquirements in knowledge indifferent, yet by virtue of that gracious difpofition of which they are poffeffed, they will be led to walk in the unerring paths of virtue much better than others, greatly fuperior to them as to intellectual endow-ligion. When perfons in the exercife of fuch a good difpofition are led into the knowledge of religious truths, and to a compliance with their duty, they then have the leading of the fpirit. ments. Hence we infer a reason why in the fcriptures men are condem ned for their infidelity and herefy; it is because they are influen ced by a falfe fpirit or a vicious bias of heart-they fall in with fuch fentiments as agree to their tafte, and reject others. It is on this account they are criminal. Therefore an heretic after the first and second admonition is to be rejected. Could wrong fenti But it may be enquired, are not men expofed to be led into error when they fuffer themselves to be conducted by fuch an inftinctive principle or fpiritual impulfe? To which it may be replied, there is no neceffary danger in this cafe with regard to those who are under the guidance of the fpirit of God for this fpirit is a spirit of truth, and begets a relifh for the truth, and fo far as we are gov-ments in religion be attributed to erned by it we shall be led into all truth, both with refpect to our judgments and practice. True it is, thofe who are under the influence of a falfe fpirit are expofed to error in being led by this fpirit; therefore are we called upon to try the fpirits; and there are laid down in the fcripures certain marks and rules whereby we may ascertain the truth or falfehood of the fpirit by which we are led; fo that there is no neceffity of deception. From the view which we have taken of the leading of the fpirit we are enabled to account for the corrupt and pernicious doctrines which have been embraced by man. kind. Thefe proceed not from a want of natural powers in men, nor from the want of fufficient external light and information but from the influence of a falfe fpirit. VOL. I. No. 19. any other fource, than the feduc tion of an evil fpirit, or a vicious propenfity of heart, they would not be cenfurable, but flowing from a depraved heart, they merit condemnation. Upon the whole, fince our coming to the knowledge of the truth and walking in the paths of holinefs, depend on the guidance of the fpirit; let us be importunate with God, with whom is the refidue of the fpirit, that he would replenish our hearts with his grace, that we might be delivered from darkness and error, and led into all truth, and be directed in the paths of righteoufnefs. This leading of the fpirit has more efficacy to keep us in the ftrait line of truth and duty, than all the external light and helps which we can enjoy, without the affiftance of this internal guide. And fince this Z z An account of a work of Divine grace in a Revival of Religion, in a number of Congregations in New-England,in the years 1798 and 1799, in a feries of Letters to the Editors. [Continued from page 347-] LETTER XVII. GENTLEMEN, objects to which you have devoted the pages of your ufeful Magazine, is the conveyance of religious intelligence; and efpecially the publication of particular narratives of the late revival of religion in many of our towns. and fo as to bring clearly into view the diftinguishing traits of the work, may anfwer many ufeful and important purposes, both to the church and world. They are a fuitable memorial of the goodness of God, to be handed down to pofterity.-They greatly confirm the diftinguishing doctrines of the gospel, and, by a divine bleffing, may awabelieving-comfort and rejoice the hearts of God's people-and, in various ways, caufe thanksgivings ken the carelefs convince the dif to abound unto God. From a conviction of these things, I am induced to give a narrative of the recent work of God in this place, to be published, if upon examination it be thought worthy. it may be useful, in the first place to give a brief view of a revival of religion in this Society, in the year 1795, and of the fubfequent state of religion here to the time more particularly respected in this narrative. In the fall of the year 1793, and through the winter following, while the Society was deftitute of a fettled minifter, and the pulpit was fupplied by candidates, there appeared, as I have been informed, an uncommon attention to the means of grace, and a hopeful profpect of a time of great refresh At a time like the prefent, when the powers of darkness, and a difbelieving world, are making uncommon exertions, and boafting of uncommon fuccefs, in oppofing the kingdom of Chrift, it is pecu. liarly incumbent on his friends, in every part of the world, to exerting from the prefence of the Lord. themselves for its fupport. They ought to be united in prayer; and, as far as poffible to make united exertions to propagate the gofpel; and to endeavor to ftrengthen the hands, and encourage the hearts of each other, by communicating intelligence of its fuccefs, and giving particular narratives of any remarkable revivals of religion, byly depart: and about the time of uncommon effufions of the holy my ordination to the work of the Spirit. The publication of fuch miniftry, which was in May 1795,. narratives, if written judiciously, an uncommon attention and feri But the hopes of the people of God were greatly damped, and the work apparently interrupted, by means of an unhappy contention which took place in the Society, and threw the minds of the people into an uncommon degree of irritation. But the good fpirit of God, tho' grieved, did not whol |