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gers which seem to accompany it, and which need to be guarded against. We think there is danger, in such a case, of having men's persons in admiration, as if they only were the channels through which the influence of the Holy Spirit were to be conveyed; and thus of placing an undue dependance upon an arm of flesh. We think there is danger of despising those means of grace which we have at home, and which, how ever imperfect may be the instruments of them, are yet the means of divine appointment, and cannot be despised without the guilt of despising Him whose ordinances they are. We think the unconverted are in pecu liar danger, under such circumstances, of drawing the conclusion, that the means they have had at home are insufficient for their conversion, and of course that they have been hitherto excusable for their impenitence and unbelief, while God is to be blamed for not affording them better means. We think all are in danger, under such circumstances, of putting some favourite instrument in the place of God, greatly to the dishonour of the Majesty of heaven, and the hazard of their own souls.

10. Not guarding against false conversions. It is to be expected that the great deceiver will labour to produce as many false conversions as possible; and that, in a time of revival, his efforts will be especially directed to that end. Most of them doubtless, are produced by the excitement of the passions, where there is a deficiency of light in the understanding. Hence the great importance of instruction to those who are awakened; and the great danger of going on to stimulate the passions, while the understanding and conscience are neglected. To particularize all the dangers on this head, which we think exist at this day, would exceed our limits. We can only touch upon one or two. The practice of hurrying awakened sinners from meeting to meeting, and of talking to them at every opportunity, without giving them time for

retirement, and self examination, and study of the scriptures, we think is full of danger; and especially, if what they hear, in general addresses and in personal conversation, is little adapted, as we fear it often is, to lead them to a correct knowledge of their own hearts. Unless they enter into their closets, and take time for calm reflection, and deliberate self examination, in the light of divine truth, how can they be expected to attain that knowledge of themselves which is necessary to genuine and thorough conviction of sin? In the hurry of their spirits, and the agitation of their minds, and the excitement of their fears, which the method of their treatment is too often adapted to produce, how can it be otherwise than that they should be greatly exposed to the delusions of Satan? If they are plied incessantly with exhortations to submit, without being carefully informed what submission is, or without any means of distinguishing between true submission and false; and especially, if they are exhorted to promise that they will submit in a given time, and make it a matter of calculation-how much more likely is it that they will deceive themselves with a false and forced submission, than the contrary? The manner in which awakened sinners are often prayed for, we think exposes them to peculiar danger. They have heard much of the efficacy of prayer, and have been pointed to numerous instances of such as have been converted in answer to prayer. They have, perhaps, heard their companions prayed for, and have marked the degree of earnestness and confidence with which the prayers appeared to be offered, which were succeeded by the relief of their distress, and the attainment of comfort. They ask to be prayed for, themselves, with raised expectations that the same prayers will be successful in their own case. The prayers are made in their presence, and they are exhorted to submit before they rise from their knees. They kneel down with the determi nation to do it. And while the pray

ers are offering up, they mark, with a palpitating heart, every word that is uttered, every degree of earnest ness expressed, and every appearance of confidence that the prayer will be heard. As soon as they think the same amount of prayer has been made for them that proved successful for others, they feel relieved. The expectation that now they shall be converted, removes their distress. Their countenances indicate that their burden is gone. They are in quired of, perhaps, if they do not feel better, and they answer in the affirmative. Joyful congratulations succeed, and thanks are returned to God that another soul is brought into the kingdom. Now, such a course we think is the readiest way imaginable to produce a false conversion. And every practice of praying for sinners, in their presence, and by their request, that is not so managed as carefully to guard them against placing any dependance upon those prayers, must be dangerous to souls, in a high degree. Far be it from us to discourage Christians from praying for sinners, or exhorting them to immediate and unreserved submission; but let it not be done in such a way as tends directly to destroy, instead of saving their souls.

11. The hasty acknowledgment of persons as converted. We think much evil results from this; and we know of no good to balance that evil. If an individual is really converted, what harm can result to him, or to others, from a little delay in the acknowledgment of it? Is not the danger of mistake of sufficient magnitude to justify a little caution on the part of his friends? Are not the scripture evidences of a saving change of such a nature as require a little time to test their reality? Is not some time requisite for the examination of his own heart, and a comparison of his feelings with the scriptures, before he can have good grounds to indulge a hope? And what if this caution should, in some cases, be carried to an extreme? What if a real convert should live

for months without a hope, would that destroy his experience, and endanger his soul? But, on the other hand, if one has been the subject of a false conversion, the hasty acknowledgment of its genuineness might ruin him for ever. If his friends treat him as a Christian, their judgment will confirm and strengthen his own, and he will be likely to settle down upon his false hope, never to be shaken from it, till it is for ever too late. We fear that vast numbers are destroyed in this way. And the hasty reception of the supposed subjects of a revival into the church, we think is attended with the same danger, besides being productive of many other evils. That converts were speedily received into the church in the apostles' days, we think no proof that it ought to be done now. The external circumstances of the church then were dif ferent from what they are now; and they had the aid of miraculous gifts, to guard against dangers, and rectify disorders. The church is now in a more settled state; and no great inconvenience can result to converts themselves or to the church, from such a delay in their being received, as to give them an opportunity for self examination, and the church an opportunity to observe the fruits of their change. If a sufficient delay for these purposes should so diminish their fervour as to take away their inclination to profess religion, we think it most likely that the same lapse of time, after their being received, would take away their inclination to live so as to adorn the profession they have too hastily made. If it is feared they will stray away, unless speedily received into the church, we think that difficulty might be

guarded against by some other means, better than by a hasty reception as church members. The strength of a church does not consist in its numbers, but in its graces. The filling it up with false converts is the way to destroy it. We fear that the desire of counting numbers is too much indulged, even by good

people; and that if it does not receive a timely check, it will not only lead to the ruin of those who are too hastily received, but be productive of great and increasing mischiefs to future generations.

12. Injudicious treatment of young converts. We think the treatment which those who are really converted often receive, is such as is adapted greatly to injure them. Their feelings are usually warm; the change they have experienced is great; their sense of the things of religion is lively; and they are usually disposed to be rather forward, than otherwise, to speak and to pray in the presence of others. And it is usually matter of high gratification to old Christians to hear how the young converts talk, and how they pray. And perhaps, without thinking that there is any danger attending it, they are generally disposed to put them forward. But, we think a little reflection would convince old Christians that there is great danger attending it. Young converts have but just begun to know these things from experience. They have not learned to discriminate. They have not discovered their own ignorance and imperfections. They are liable to think that all the pleasant feelings they have, are right feelings. And, no doubt, at this time, they think vastly more highly of themselves, than they ought to think. Under such circumstances, to put them forward, to make much of them, to tell how well they appear, and to make comparisons between them and old Christians to the disadvantage of the latter, can scarce fail of doing them great injury. It is directly adapted to fill them with a high conceit of themselves, of their own piety, and of their uncommon experiences, to shut their minds against the cautions and counsels of their fathers, to make them despise the admonitions of age and experience, and to throw themselves into the arms of those who flatter them to their ruin. It is an inspired direction on the subject of putting a man into the ministry, that he should

be "not a novice, (or one newly converted,) lest being lifted up with pride, he fall into the condemnation of the devil." And we think the reason of this direction is equally applicable to the common practice of putting forward young converts to take a prominent part in meetings for conference and prayer. We would not, for the sake of avoiding this extreme, have the other extreme run into, and have entire silence imposed upon them. But we would have their treatment such, as, while it should encourage them to the dis charge of every Christian duty, it should tend to make them, and especially those who are young in years as well as experience, modest, humble, teachable, sensible of their own ignorance and imperfections, and disposed to pay that deference to the counsels of age and experience, which the scriptures enjoin, and which is so becoming in those who are but babes in Christ.

13. Suffering the feelings to con. trol the judgment. We are aware that this may be done insensibly, and without adopting it as a principle that it ought to be so. That it is very frequently done, we think there can be no doubt. It is a common remark, that men can easily believe what they wish to be true. In seasons of revival, we think there is special danger on this head. The feelings are then excited, in an unusual degree; and the judgments we form under excited feelings are not likely to be so correct as those which are formed with greater deliberation and calmness. Under excited feelings we are not in a situa tion to look, with the same attention, at all the reasons of the case. Our feelings are liable to hurry us on to a conclusion, before we have weighed all the circumstances. They are li able to magnify some things beyond their proper bounds, and to diminish others in the same proportion. We think it of great importance, then, that Christians, at such a time, should recal to their minds those deliberate judgments of truth and duty which

they have formed in a calmer state, and which have been repeatedly examined in the light of scripture and experience, and be careful not to violate them now, because they may not entirely accord with their present feelings. To make feeling the standard of truth or duty, instead of reason and scripture, is to throw away the light of the sun, to follow a meteor of the night, which glares but to lead astray. We fear that some go by their feelings wholly, and totally disregard every other rule. And we fear that a greater number have adopted the principle that our cooler judgments are the least to be depended on in the things that pertain to a revival; and that the most judicious Christians, who are not the subjects of any peculiar excitement, are incompetent judges of propriety and impropriety in those that are. Such a principle may be a convenient excuse for the extravagances into which we are liable to run, through rashness and misguided zeal; but the adoption of such a principle seems to lead directly to the disregard of the divine rule of trying every thing by the law and the testimony. There may be danger, also, on the other side. A reluctance to do duty may lead to erroneous conclusions as to what duty is, and to a reliance upon insufficient excuses, which we have no doubt is often done. What we wish, is, to have you guard against dangers on every side, and to listen to the voice of reason, and scripture, and conscience, not suffering them to be overborne by the violence of passion, nor to be deadened by indifference and sloth.

14. Giving heed to impulses, impressions, or supposed revelations. President Edwards, and other excellent writers on Christian experience and revivals of religion, have so fully and ably treated the subject of impulses and impressions, and so exposed the delusion of imaginary revelations, visions, dreams, and the like, that few, if any, have been found, in our denomination, for many

years, who have been willing to be their avowed advocates. Yet, we think those under our care are by no means free from danger on this subject. That fondness for the marvellous, which exists in many minds, and the avidity with which they listen to any thing extraordinary, we think greatly exposes them to such delusions. Immediate inspiration was only necessary till the scriptures were completed and placed within the reach of the churches, stamped with the divine seal, as the perfect rule of faith and practice. Miracles were only necessary to authenticate a claim to inspiration, and ceased when inspiration ceased. All pretensions to such things now, are directly contrary to the word of God, and are regarded by sober Christians as human imposture or the delusions of Satan. But, though none should claim to be inspired, or pretend to receive direct revelations, we think there are some things which so nearly resemble it, as ought to put Christians on their guard. The increase of a spirit of prayer in any church we consider as affording strong ground of hope that God is about to revive his work; but to predict the conversion of an individual, because of the peculiar feelings with which he has been prayed for; to foretel a revival of religion in a particular place, for the same reason; to consider the prayers or the preaching of particular men as dictated by the Holy Ghost; or to consider an uncommon impression on the mind as a direction from heaven in the performance of duty; are things to which we allude. Any thing that is viewed in the light of a special communication of what God is about to do, or of what we ought to do, in whatever way it is supposed to be made, by dreams, visions, impulses, impressions, or otherwise, we think it highly dangerous to listen to, or regard; inasmuch as it tends to set aside the scriptures as the only rule, and open a wide door for the delusions of Satan. And we would exhort all under our care to guard

against the introduction of any such wild and delusive notions, to take the Bible as the only rule of faith and practice, and pray to God, not for new revelations nor for inspiration, but for the sanctifying influences of the Holy Spirit, to incline their hearts to receive the instructions and follow the directions of the holy scriptures, and of them alone. (To be continued.)

From Mason's Select Remains.

OF GOD.

That there is a God, may be proved by considering the manner of propagation of mankind by generation. Thus-First, There must have been one first Man.-Second,

This first man must have had some Maker,-Third, This Maker of him must himself be unmade.-Therefore Fourth, there must have been eternally some unmade Being; and that is God.

We may truly conceive of God, though we cannot fully conceive of him. We may have right apprehension of him, though not an exact comprehension of him.

Then our conceptions of God's attributes are carnal, when our high thoughts of one, give us low thoughts

of another.

His goodness makes his majesty amiable, and his majesty makes his goodness wonderful. His love is not abated by his greatness, nor his greatness by his love. His holiness hinders him not from dwelling with the poor in spirit.

Nothing is great enough for him to admire, who is infinite Majesty; nothing is mean enough for him to despise, who is infinite Mercy.

God deals with his servants not as a passionate Master, but as a compassionate Father.

What pleaseth God, should please us, because it pleaseth God.

A sight of God begins a saint on earth, and perfects him in heaven.

God takes notice of every par

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God is a great God, and therefore we should wait upon him; he is a good God, and therefore it is not in vain to wait upon him.

A man may be a worshipper of the true God, and yet not a true worshipper of God.

The lowest reverence is due to the highest Majesty.

Fear God for his power, trust him for his wisdom, love him for his goodness, praise him for his greatness, believe him for his faithfulness, and adore him for his holiness,

All creatures are as nothing compared with God, and absolutely nothing without God,

THE GRAVES OF A HOUSEHOLD.

By Mrs. Hemans.
They grew in beauty, side by side,

They filled one home with glee— Their graves are sever'd far and wide, By mount, and stream, and sea.

The same fond mother bent at night

O'er each fair, sleeping brow;
She had each folded flower in sight-
Where are those dreamers now?
One, 'midst the forests of the west,

By a dark stream is laid-
The Indian knows his place of rest,
Far in the cedar shade.

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