holy fpirit of promife, as a feal and earnest of falvation must, therefore, have a refpect to him as a fanctifier to his fanctifying influence or operation. This is the only operation, which can be peculiar and common to believers. This was the legacy which Chrift left his difciples. And the apoftle John fays, "Hereby do we know that we dwell in him and he in us because he hath given us of his fpirit. And hereby do we know that he abides in us, by the fpirit he hath given us." And that the fpirit in his fanctifying influence is meant, is further evident, as fuch influences are peculiar to believers, as they qualify for heaven-as they are a prefervative against apoftacy, and as they actually begin falvation in the foul-and carry a foretaste and anticipation of the joys of falvation. It may be neceffary to obferve further, that the gift of the fpirit, in his fanctifying influence, in the text, has not a refpect to fome tranfient influences of that nature, but to fuch as are permanent-to fuch as are abiding. It means, that the fpirit of promife is given 3 to dwell perpetually with them; or as it is expreffed in the paffage before cited," until the redemption of the purchafed poffeffion." The holy fpirit given in this fenfe, is a most distinguishing mark of heirship. It is a mark which fatan cannot affix were he ever fo defirous of it; nor would he do fuch a work, were it in his power. It is a mark which none but God can fet. And all this accords with innumerable other expreffions in facred writ. In this fenfe, In this fenfe, the fpirit witneffes with the fpirit of believers, that they are the fons of God. And believers have the witnefs-the evidence in themfelves, that they are the children of God. It is ftamped upon their hearts. They carry about the witness with them wherever they go. It follows, from thefe obfervations, that whenever perfons have evidence, that they are the real fubjects of the fanctifying influen ces of the fpirit of God, they have proportionable evidence, that they are the heirs of falvation but otherwife, that they have no part nor lot in this matter. And no concern, no joys or comforts carry any evidence of heirship, any further than they fanctify and make men holy. It may be asked, how can a perfon determine, that the fpirit, as a fanctifier does dwell within him. The answer is, in general, in the fame way that a perfon can determine, that the spirit of this world dwells in him. He would conclude thus, from finding that his heart, feelings and affections cen tre in this world, and from his being principally active in it. In the fame way a perfon muft and may determine, relative to the holy fpirit of promife dwelling in him. If he is made really holy, if his heart, feelings and affections centre in God and in fpiritual things; and he is above all active in them, and does live a holy and fpiritual life, he may conclude that the fpirit dwelleth in him. But my limits will not permit me to enlarge any further here. On the whole, it appears from what has been faid, that the heir of falvation hath fomething in himfelf, which is abfolutely discrimi mating-that he is under as good advantages to determine his ftanding, relative to futurity, as refpecting this world; haying "the evidence in himself." And it appears, from hence, that frequent, faithful and diligent felf-examination is a moft intereft ing and important exercife and du- | an opportunity to be fo far, a fpec ty. It is in this way alone, that perfons can determine their own fpiritual ftate. They can, in no other way arrive to a knowledge of it. If perfons deceive themfelves here they will be deceived refpecting their spiritual state. Every one should examine himself, with all the impartiality, with which he will be tried, when he comes to appear at the bar of the final Judge. EUSEBIUS. 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 386.] LETTER XVIII. Second letter from the Rev. JOSEPH | tator of the work,and to hear and judge for himself. I have accordingly adopted this method, and felected the following cafes. The first is of a man about 30 years of age; of a religious family and a good understanding. He was in the view of the world a good man-a praying man; and one who was not confidered by aany who were acquainted with him as inclined to be enthusiastic, or, fubject to any uncommon dejection or gloominefs of mind. As he had enjoyed special advantages, by means of a religious education, to know himself, and be influenced to his duty fo he was also called upon, and peculiarly tried by dif treffing and alarming providences particularly by the very fudden death of his two only fons, within a few days of each other, in the fall of 1798. fcene awakened him to fome conThis diftreffing cern and attention at firft; but it very foon paffed off and he became as careless and inattentive as ever first letter, Iliving, however, as before, in now refume the fubject of the late the formal obfervance of family rerevival of religion among the peo-ligion and external morality. At ple of my paftoral charge. Greeable to the intimation Α A in my In this letter I purpofe to give you a fummary account of feveral particular cafes. I am induced to this from a belief, that it will give variety to the fubject and render it more interesting to many-and a hope that it may be of fpecial advantage to individuals in fimilar circumstances with those refpect ed, if, as is not improbable, this narrative should ever fall into the hands of fuch. The most eligible method, it is conceived, of doing this, is to introduce the perfons themselves to repeat their own exercifes, in the first perfon, and, as far as practicable, in their own language. This gives the reader length in the month of February following, God was pleased, by his Almighty fpirit to fix that conviction of fin and fenfe of guilt on his mind, which the most powerful means and awakening calls of his providence and word,had not been able to do. From this time I fhall give the exercifes of his mind as I took them and committed them to writing from his mouth, chiefly his own language, and in fome places, verbatim. His narrative, which I found to be the fame he had given me long before, when he had no idea of its being made public, was as follows: 'I was firft awakened at a lecture which I attended in a neigh boring fociety. The truths which • I then heard had a very power•ful effect on my mind. I was in great diftrefs under a sense of fin and guilt, and my diftrefs con⚫tinued and increafed for two or "three weeks, when I found a fer• mon by Dr. Doddridge upon the diverfity of the operations of the fpirit. Before this I had no idea that I had experienced any thing that book I began to feel more eafy. For feveral days I thought I loved to pray and to read the fcriptures. But the next Sabbath "I heard a difcourfe which in fome • measure confounded me. The defign of it was to defcribe the my mind that I had better whol ly avoid them. About the first of April my • diftrefs of mind was fo great that 'I had no appetite for food, and 'could get but little reft by night or day. For about two months I rarely flept more than half an hour or an hour in a night. In 'feveral inftances I spent the whole night without fleep, in great ago. of true religion; but after readingny of mind, looking one way ' and another for relief. At one of thefe times, among other things my mind turned upon the fubject of the truth of the fcriptures. I queried with myself whether there were not fome ground to hope that the bible would prove to be falfe. It appeared that if • I could believe there was, it would give me relief-but I could 'not for a moment. I knew and 'felt it to be the truth and the 'word of God, tho' I had no love for it. ' for it. I could therefore find no relief; but was filled with fuch ' an apprehenfion of the miferies of the damned, that I thought I 'fhould lofe my reafon. nature of true religion and diftinguish it from that which originates in felfishness. The obfer•vations appeared to be just and fcriptural, and yet to be against • me. A few days after this I be'gan to have heart-rifings against ⚫ God, and was filled with pain and oppofition, whenever I faw others · appear to delight in God and religion. After this I had a great⚫er fenfe of the plague of my heart • than ever before. My mind had • been more fixed before this, up⚫ on particular outbreakings of fin. • But now I was led to a fight and ⚫ fenfe of the fountain of wicked'ness within me, from which all had flowed-and I was convinced that I was an enemy to God. Before this, when I thought or fpoke of my fins, I often fhed tears, but now I was unable to I confidered this, at that weep. time, as the effect of a greater ' degree of hardness and ftupidity. • And it appeared to me to be occafioned by converfing with Chriftians and minifters. The more I converfed with them, the more ' hard and unfeeling I feemed to < grow; and it was fuggested to 6 My health was now bro't fo 'low by means of the anguish of my mind, and want of reft, that I was obliged entirely to defift 'from labor, and apply to a phy 'fician. And as I viewed my felf one of the greatest finners in the world, I thought it likely 'God was about to take me out ' of the world, and destroy me as an example and warning to othIndeed my diftrefs was fo great that I did not wish to live; and I began to be under temptations to deftroy myself. I was unwilling alfo, that my wife or friends fhould attend meeting and I endeavored to 'prevent them as far as I poffibly could with decency; or fo as not to have my motives difcovered. For I could not endure to have them, or any others, enjoy any 'feet into the fire, and held them 'there, and borne the pain easier 'than to bear what I did in my • mind. In the month of July, my defpair and diftrefs continuing, the dreadful temptations to fuicide, ' which I had before refifted, over comfort and fatisfaction in reli-powered me. During the dread gion. The happiness of others. in religion, and the fervice of God, was a fource of torment to me. I found alfo, as I tho't, that I did not love my friends; and that I had not that regard ⚫ and tenderness for my wife and • child which I used to have. And • whenever I heard of any perfon's being of a good difpofition, it would caufe my heart to boil • with a kind of envy. ful ftruggle in my mind, I was confcious that I was guilty of the moft heinous wickedness, in harboring for one moment, fuch fhocking temptations. The words of the fixth commandment were in my mind and I often repeated them, “thou falt not 'kill," I knew what I was con templating would fix me in endlefs mifery. But this reply was fuggefted, that endlefs mifery 'would certainly be my portion; 6 and that the longer I lived to reit'ject the offers of falvation and After I had arrived at this 'pitch, I would willingly have given ten thousand worlds, if had been in my power, to have been deprived of my reafon. My confcience ftung me fo, that I fhould have been willing to ⚫ change circumstances with a toad, 6 or the meanest and vileft creature that ever was. I would have given any thing to be put out of exiftence. I thought that if I knew that thoufands of years would end the miferies of hell, it would give me fome relief. • tho't if I could but justify myself and caft the blame upon God, this would relieve my diftrefs. But I felt this to be impoffible; and I faw my heart fo opposed to • God that I concluded I was left by his fpirit, and was in an un'pardonable state. A great part fill up the measure of my fins, 'the more dreadful would be my • final doom. While thefe things paffed in my mind, I was in fuch agony that the sweat rolled off 'from me abundantly.” After giving an account of his yielding to temptation, and, in feveral inftances making actual preparation to accomplish his dreadful refolution; and of the provi Idential circumstances by which he was very remarkably prevented, when fully refolved, and on the very point of executing his purpofe-he proceeded : of the time I was in total defpair, and I tho't I felt as mifera⚫ble as the damned. No one who has not experienced, can have an idea of the diftrefs I endured. I don't think but that I could haye fat down and put both my And now reflecting how many times and how providentially I had been prevented from accomplithing fo dreadful a purpose, query rofe in my mind whether it was not poffible that I might "yet be brought to repentance, and 'be made a monument of the al • the mighty power and grace of God. And being at the fame time ftrongly fufpected by my friends, ⚫ and preffed exceedingly by them, to disclose my temptations, as the best method of oppofing them, I comp ied, and found great relief. Nor did I after this find that degree of defpair in my • mind, nor of rage and boiling 'oppofition of heart to God, and the goodness and happiness of others, which I had before ex'perienced-tho' I was yet for a • long time in great diftrefs of mind. But my distress now, arose not 'fo much from feeling direct enmity towards God, as from viewing myself as one of the greatest ' of finners, in having thus refifted the ftrivings of his Spirit, and ⚫ an apprehenfion that I must have my portion with the fearful and unbelieving, which I was fatisfied • would be just. bled if ever-he replied, I cannot: And I have often great 'fears that I have never been truly 'humbled. But at times if my 'heart does not deceive me, I feel a happiness in meditating on the 'character of God, and in the thought that I am in his hands, and that all things are at his wife difpofal. And tho' for the moft part I derive a hope in his mercy through Jefus Chrift, yet I anı 'fenfible that in myself I am infi'nitely unworthy and ill-deferving; And that it would be perfectly juft and righteous in God to caft me off. And if this fhould be, 'my portion, and it should finally appear that I had been left, for my great wickedness, to deceive myself with a falfe hope, I could have nothing to fay.' Upon being asked what his prefent feelings were, towards carelefs, impenitent finners, he replied, 'I feel that they are to be pitied. It 'feems when I reflect upon it, as if I could not bear the thought ' of any one's going on, and finally fuffering fuch a hell as I have 'tafted. An eternity of fuch dif'trefs and torment as I experien'ced for a time in my breast, by a 'view of the divine character, and 'the happiness of others in ferving "God, would be intolerably dread I continued in this ftate of Upon being asked whether he could fix upon any particular time in which he was renewed and hum With respect to the dreadful degree of enmity, terror and defpair, which this perfon was the fubject of according to his account, I would remark, that his appearance, at the time, was fuch as abundantly confirms it. It appeared to his friends, in the time, that if his fenfe of guilt and danger should be encreafed or continued much longer, and his heart remain unhumbled, he could not live. They trembled left they fhould fee in him the awful example of a finner |