mal nature were exhausted by disease. Very early in the morning of the day in which she died, I was sent for. When I came to her I asked her respecting the state of her mind, her views and feelings in prospect of eternity. She said, "I am willing to be in God's hands. I am willing he should do with me just as he has a mind to do. I hope I love Christ. Will you lift up a prayer for me?" Does it seem desirable to you to go and be with Christ? "Yes." After prayer, perhaps twenty minutes intervening, she had a very remarkable excitement of mind. I was in another chamber when it began. Perceiving something unusual in the chamber where she was, I entered, and observed she was kissing her mother, and saying some very affectionate things to her. I spoke to her of Christ She smiled. I spoke again. She smiled with a stronger expression of confidence and joy, and soon said, with strength of utterance and apparent clearness of intellect, as if she had been in perfect health, "He has restored me to life, he has restored me to life." I asked her if she meant that she was to get well and live in this world. "no," she said, "He is a precious Savior, He is a secret Savior. Don't you see how he has restored me? Don't you see he gives me an angel's countenance?" She called her sisters and recommended Christ to them. She asked them if they would not seek him. She called her father to the bedside, and expressed her tender regard for him and his eternal welfare in the same manner. She told him what a glorious Savior Christ is. a She assured him that he would receive him, and forgive all his sins. She begged him to seek him, and asked him if he would not. She asked her mother if she was not willing to have her die; and said she was herself willing. She hoped she should meet them all in heaven. She was much spent by this exertion and said, "I now wish all to retire. She remained a few hours in a state of calmness and apparent resignation and expired. This extraordinary revival, which seemed to be very spiritual and heavenly, I could not but consider as supernatural, and a present pledge of her acceptance in the Beloved, and that she was about to enter into glory. "Blessed are the dead, who die in the Lord, from henceforth, yea, saith the Spirit. for they rest from their labors, and their works do follow them." JOSIAH MOORE, The other subject of these memoirs, had been favored with a religious education, was a young man who had maintained a greater decorum of manners, and shewed a more respectful regard to religion than is common to young persons, and who was certainly at times under considerable convictions of sin, and anxiety for his soul. But these convictions were transient, and nothing appeared like a humble acceptation of the mercy of the Gospel, till a little time before his death. His disease was a consumption, which was rapid in its progress, and terminated his life, Jan. 22, 1812. When I was first called to visit him, he was confined to his bed, and was so low that it was not supposed he could live a great while. He expressed little to me, but the impression he had that his disorder was fatal, an acknowledgment that he was a sinner, and needed a saving union to Christ. and a desire that I would pray with him. Some things which fell from him about this time have been preserved by the family, and are as follows. To one of the family he said, "I shall leave you soon, and am unprepared to die." Being questioned respecting the state of his mind, he replied, "I am a stupid, hard-hearted sinner. My heart is wholly opposed to God, to his character, and to his government. Hard as it may seem to you, I am a stranger to the love of God in Christ Jesus. Impressions are lost upon me. I have sinned and still continue to sin against light and conviction. I was considerably affected at my mother's death; [his mother died about two years before] but my impressions were like the morning cloud and early dew, which soon pass away. I have now a conviction of my lost and undone state, of the truth of the Gospel, of the excellency of the plan of salvation, and of the justice, as well as of the infinite condescending mercy of God. Yet I have not that feeling sense of these things which alone can humble me at the feet of Jesus. I know that I am in infinite danger, and that now is the only time. Yet I hesitate and put off. I know what I must do. I must fall at the feet of Jesus, a beggar indeed. But I cannot. My will is unsubdued, and my heart tells me to defer it. O, why cannot I feel myself to be miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked? When eternal happiness depends upon the present moment, and I know it, why can I not realize it? Alas, my wicked heart! Why cannot I come to the foot of sovereign mercy? Why can I not pray? What shall I do?" He then entreated his parents to pray for him. He said, he must soon go to hell, unless he experienced a change of heart. He appeared, and continued to be, in much anxiety of mind till the evening of the 27th of December, 1811. There was then an evident alteration in his views and feelings of heart, and in his manner of expressing himself on these subjects. Addressing himself to his sister, he said, "O sister, I have found relief. I am happy, happy indeed. I am going to Jesus. I shall go soon. sister, don't live in sin one moment, but come to Christ. Only come to him and he will save you. Tell all the young people, tell every body, to come to Christ without a moment's delay." His sister asked him whether he ever was so happy before. He replied, "No, never, notwithstanding I feel this bodily distress." He was then asked respecting the nature and source of his joy. He replied that it was because he had found Christ, and seen the glory of God. He said that God and Christ appeared to him altogether glorious. He was asked why God was so glorious in his view. He replied, "Because he is holy and just." Upon being told that God hated sin with infinite hatred, and that he hated sinners because they were rebellious, he answered, "Yes, and I detest and loathe myself because I am a sinner. But God pardons 4 sinners for Christ's sake, and I believe he will pardon my sins. I renounce all dependance in every thing else, and depend upon Christ alone, and believe he will peared dead to the world, ex pressing the sense he had of the vanity of every thing upon earth, and his astonishment that he could have been so eagerly en receive me. I thought I was go-gaged in worldly pursuits as he ing to hell, but I think now I shall go to heaven." The next morning he was asked what views he had then. He said that he had clear views of the glory of God. He was asked whether he thought God would be glorious if he should send him to hell, and punish him for his sins. He replied, "O, yes. I feel that I deserve eternal punishment, but I believe that God, in infinite mercy will save me." had been. This, he said, was evidence of the total depravity of his heart. At times he was a subject of spiritual darkness, and had doubts of his covenant interest in the grace of God. He appeared, however, humble, and determined to lie at the feet of Jesus; and, as he expressed himself, if he perished, to perish there. This darkness was, at intervals, considerably dispelled, and his comfort and joy in God returned. On the morning of the 20th of January, he requested to have the family called together, and told them he was going to leave them. He first addressed his parents, and urged them to continue their endeavors to train up his brothers and sisters in the way they should go: and he wished them to do all in their power for the promotion of religion in the world. He then exhorted each one of his brothers and sisters to read the Bible, and to believe in Christ. He said, "I am going to heaven. I am sure of it. I have seen the glory of God, and the glory of the king This day his parents sent for me, in the expectation that he would live but a few hours, and with a desire, I suppose, that I might witness the alteration that had taken place in his mind, though no intimation of it was given to me. He took hold of my hand, when I came to his bedside, with a cordiality that he had never before expressed. His countenance and his whole manner indicated the existence of new affections. He could say but little from extreme weakness, but apparently felt much more than he could communicate, of contrition for sin, reliance upon the Savior, joyful hope of acceptance in his name, and resigna-dom of God. I have seen the tion to the will of God. He evidently put a restraint upon himself, lest, by giving vent to his feelings, he should be entirely overcome. Soon after this, ther was a mitigation of his complaints, and he was in a good measure comfortable in his bodily state, and continued so for several days. Through this time, and to the close of life, he ap holy angels, and the spirits of the just.* They are all engaged in praising God, and I long to join them." He said, "O that every person in this town may • This is not to be taken as though he pretended to have seen them with the bodily eye, but that he had seen them with the eye of faith. "Faith is the substance of things hoped for. and the evidence of things not seen." SELECTION. come to Christ! O that Mr. A. may have great success here! O that every body would come to Christ!" He then took an affectionate leave of the family. I visited him on the day, in which he died. The moment he saw me enter the door, with a countenance, and an effort, strongly expressive of faith and affection, he reached out his hand towards me, and said, "I can now shake hands with a Christian." Being very low, however, he did not say much, but was attentive to all that was said to him, and manifested a fixed and comfort able reliance upon an all sufficient Redeemer. Thus he expired in the 23d year of his age. And it is the belief of the pious in this place, that his immortal spirit, being through sovereign mercy prepared for glory, has ascended to heaven. May every young person who reads these sketches, be induced, in view of the infinite desirableness of enjoying the gracious presence of God on a death-bed, immediately to flee from the wrath to come, and to lay hold on the hope set before us. In your August Number, one of your Correspondents favored us with his sentiments upon the causes of the popularity of Evangelical Preaching. Without discussing the merits of that paper, we may consider it as connected with a question of the greatest practical importance: What is the cause, that when there are so many preachers of the Gospel, and so many hearers attending them, the influence of the Gospel is so small? That such is the case appears clear, not only from the complaints of very many ministers, but from facts before our eyes. If we take the generality of churches, even where men of acknowledged piety officiate, we find but a comparatively small number of communicants; often not one in ten of the congregation; and a still smaller number of persons, who, in any given time, exhibit decided proofs of their being real Christians. So much is this the case, that it has been said, that ministers of the present day might be called anglers, rather than fishers of men; now and then instrumental to a solitary conversion, but scarcely ever going beyond this. I need not mention that there have been seasons when it has been far otherwise. In the days of the Apostles, at the era of the Reformation, in the time of Mr. Edwards and some other good men in America, the Holy Spirit seemed to be remarkably afforded, and extensive effects followed. What is the cause, then, that there are so few flourishing churches amongst ourselves; that whilst they abound with hearers, the word of God comes to so few "in power and demonstration of the Spirit?" The question is one of the first importance and demands the investigation of every friend to vital godliness. The object of this paper is to lead your readers to a consideration of the subject, while it points out a few of the probable causes of this Divine favor being withheld, and suggests some means which may be instrumental in procuring so great a blessing. The first cause which may be assigned, is the prevalence of certain national sins-such as profaning the name of the Lord, by oaths of office, upon every trifling occasion; the public gambling in the lottery; and other offences, which are not only tolerated, but authorized, by the nation. But on these evils I will not dwell at present, but advert to others, which depend Jess on legislative provision for their removal. Another cause has a particular reference to persons professing religion. How many of these may be considered as grieving the Spirit of God, by not acting up to their convictions of their duty? There are few persons of any seriousness who do not ad mit, for example, the duty of family prayer, the sinfulness of conformity to the world, and the absolute necessity of devotedness to God; and yet are there not very many who do in practice act agreeably to these admissions? Added to this, we might mention the dishonor done to God, in some congregations, by slighting the prayers of the church; many either not coming into his house till this part of the service is nearly ended, or acting, when there, as if they forgot that the worship of the holy God was to be their employment. His language is, "Them that honor me, I will honor." But can we suppose, that, when a slight is put upon that part of the service which peculiarly teaches us our dependance upon God, he will bless such a people? - If to these omissions we add a want of earnestness, in secret family and social prayer, for the influence of the Holy Spirit (for; alas! how few are continually and earnestly pleading with God for this blessing!) we shall see that it is on account of the lukewarmness of his people, God gives not his blessing to their assemblies. But, as one who desires to bring the subject nearer to himself, and to benefit his brethren, I would mention another cause why there is not a more abundant spiritual influence at present; and that, one which connects itself with the more pious part of the clergy. I most freely admit, that they are in general men who are devoted to the work of the ministry, and desirous to use the best means of promoting the religion of the Scriptures; and that, so far are they from deserving the reproaches which have been cast upon them, that it may be justly said, they are men of firm religious principle, of sound doctrine, and of holy lives. The points in which they fall short arise partly from the peaceable state of the church, which induces them to be better pleased with the world as the world is better tempered towards them; and |