nor with you, nor you, nor you," (turning to several friends about her ;) but raising herself up, and stretching both her arms in an embracing posture, said, "I wish I could take you all with me; but you must stay God's time, that is best."

I was now fully satisfied there was no delirium in the case, and the trouble I was under an hour before hung still upon me. I then kneeled down upon the bed by her, and said, "Among all the rest, what have I done that you are angry with me?" "With you!" said she, "why ?

what's the matter ?" 66 You bid them turn me out," said I, "and refused to have me pray

by you." "When was that," said she? I said, 66 an hour ago." "Oh! an hour ago," she replied; "I was then otherwise employed, as you find, and you disturbed me." "You disturbed me much more," said I; "for it brought into my mind what you used so often to say, that the hour of death was the time of trial; and if you found then, I had indeed made the way too easy and deceived you, you should not then bear the sight of me: this I took to be the case, and it gave me great disturbance; for I never expected to hear another word from you." "Therefore," said she, "I was sent back to satisfy you, that the way is sure though it be easy; and I have received full assurance, which leaves no doubt behind it, that my sins are all pardoned through the all-sufficient satisfaction of my blessed Savior, and that I am now going to that place which I have seen, and hope to meet you there;" and taking me by the VOL. II. New Series.

hand, said, "No, indeed, I am hot angry with you, but I thank you heartily for all the pains you have taken with me, and it has not been in vain; God reward you." I then told her, "That I heartily blessed God with her, and for her, but more for myself; for I looked upon it, that this wonderful change was wrought in her, and that she was sent back from death to life more for my sake than her own, for she soon would have had the benefit of it, though we should not have known it; but that I doubted whether I

ever should have overcome the impression that my trouble gave me even to despondence: but that now God had in a wonder. ful manner relieved me, and given me comfort, which I hoped would remain with me till my dying hour." Then I askcd; "if I should pray by her."

Yes," " said she, "with all my heart; but instead of the pardon of my sins, as you used to pray, let all now be praise and glory to God, who has already pardoned them." Then I kneeled down and repeated, gloria in excelsis, glory be to God on high, &c. as it is in the end of the communion service, all the company joining, and repeating with me aloud and she said to all present, "I will tell you what the Lord hath done for my soul, he has granted me every thing I desired; I prayed for an easy passage, for I was more afraid of dying than of death, and he has granted it me; for though I feel my pains and see death approaching, the hor. ror of it is taken away, and I desire to be dissolved, and to be with Christ; and the joy that I 3 U

But faith embraces all the prominent and distinguishing doctrines of the Bible, which are the life and glory of that inspir. ed volume. These are its objects; on these it fastens, and grasping them, as immutable truths, it works by love and brings forth fruits unto praise, and glory, and honor.

Duty indeed respects the heart as well as the life. Yea, it be gins in the heart; and no duty, in the sense of the gospel or of the law, is performed, unless the heart is renewed, and warmed with love to God. But as soon as a person spiritually under stands the doctrines of the Bible and embraces them with a cordial faith; he will discover the intimate connexion between them and the precepts of christianity, and cheerfully perform the correspondent duties.

The truth that the duties of christianity grow out of its doctrines, may be illustrated and confirmed by an induction of particular instances. We will begin with the doctrine of the existence of God. This doctrine lies at the foundation of all religion. And what are the duties, which spring from this source? They are love, trust, praise, adoration, reverence, and obedience. When Moses was sent to effect the deliverance of Israel from Egypt, his commission and his obligations to obedience, as well as the hopes of the Israelites, were founded on the independent and eternal existence of Jehovah. "God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM and He said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you." Ex. iii. 14. The author

ity on which Moses was to act, and the duties which the Israelites owed him as a messenger of the Most High, rested on the self existence and the incommunicable perfections of Jehovah. On the same exalted and unchangeable principles, a cordial submission to the government of God and a reverential adoration of his Majesty, are inculcated on his people. The sovereign mandate is clothed in this solemn and expressive language; "Be still and know that I am God." Ps. xlvi. 10.

Again, He is our Creator; therefore we are bound to reve rence his authority, and obey his commands. The relation in which the creature stands to the Creator necessarily involves certain obligations. We are fearfully and wonderfully made; and therefore ought to praise and honor his name. Thus reasoned David.

He is our Preserver and Benefactor; consequently it is our duty, to bless and obey, to wor. ship and glorify Him. By the goodness of God, we ought also to be led to a sincere repentance of our sins.

Further, the infinite power of Jehovah should teach us the danger of offending him, and induce us to reverence his high and holy name; and also should persuade us to live lives of humility, fear, and prayer.

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The holiness of God lays us under obligation to have clean hands and pure hearts. Hear what an apostle said to his brethren; As he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation: Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy." 1 Pet. i. 15, 16.

The truth of God renders it our duty to love truth, to buy it and sell it not, and to speak the truth in love. This likewise obliges us to believe all that God has spoken.

The justice of God shews us the reasonableness and necessity of our being just to our fellow. men, i.e. of being just on a right principle.

Each of the perfections of Jehovah lays a proper founda. tion for the practice of religion. What God is in himself, aside from every other consideration, induces upon us the strongest obligations to glorify him with our bodies and spirits which are his. "Keep my Sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the Lord," Lev. xix. 30. It is not necessary that there be any other reason assigned for our obedience, than the name of God. His excellence, greatness, and supremacy, render it proper for him to command, and us to obey. Here is the prime source and exalted ground of man's duty. God, however, has been pleased to encourage his people in the ways of obedience, by making to them the most precious promises both for time and eternity.

From the existence and perfections of God and their correspondent duties, we proceed to the doctrine of redeeming grace. and the duties resulting from it. The love which Christ has manifested in dying on the cross should constrain us to love and serve him. Our hearts must be as hard as the nether millstone not to be impressed and softened by the account which the gospel gives of the death of the Son of God. He died: for

what? To open the way for the salvation of wretched, helpless sinners. This amazing love confers the highest obligations on us to love and obey, to praise and honor his name. Think of the sufferings of the Lord of glory; and instantly and unreservedly give your ownselves to him, and consecrate all your time, talents, and privileges to the promotion of his honor in the world.

From this we pass to those truths, which display his love in the saving application of the benefits of his death. The doc. trine of the new birth teaches the necessity of purity of heart and life. We must be born again, or we shall not enter the kingdom of heaven. This doctrine shews us our obligations to walk in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.

From the election of grace, some important duties arise. Electing love teaches the sinner to cast himself at the foot of the cross, and to give the whole praise to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. While it excludes all boasting, it binds the believer to the strictest and most cheerful obedience.

The doctrine of adoption is fruitful in good works. God receives those who are converted into a state of friendship with himself, and acknowledges them as members of his spiritual fam. ily. The children of Christ will sincerely and fervently desire to live to the praise of him who loved them, and called them into his kingdom. Love and obedience are the fruits of their adoption.

The doctrine of gracious justification teaches the importance

and obligation of living in the denial of ungodliness, and in the practice of righteousness and holiness. Though some may entertain wrong and perverse views of this doctrine; yet the friend of Christ sees and believes that the greater the favor received, the greater are his obligations to holy obedience.

The doctrine of perseverance constrains the christian to love and obey the law of God, and to run in the path of his statutes with great delight. The enemies of this doctrine say, that it countenances a careless, and licentious life. But they do not rightly understand it. The apostle, who had fully proved this doctrine, asks, Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? And solemnly answers, God forbid. Rom. vi. 1. Grace is so far from giving the least indulgence, that it expressly forbids all sin.

The doctrine of the future judgment should persuade us to live in a thoughtful, watchful, and obedient manner. Since we must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, what manner of persons ought we to be in all holy conversation and godliness? The consideration of the happiness of heaven should animate believers to a faithful discharge of their several duties. The future misery of the wicked should persuade sinners to forsake their evil ways, and to embrace and practise religion.

Thus obviously do the duties of christianity result from its doctrines. This was perfectly understood by the apostles, as will appear from a moment's at. tention to the method adopted by them in their writings.

We will examine the Epistle to the Romans. In the eleven first chapters of this Epistle are taught the doctrines, and in the five last, the duties of religion. In those eleven chapters, the apostle asserted the sinfulness and guilt of mankind; the impossibility of being justified by the deeds of the law; the sufficiency of the righteousness of Christ for pardon and salvation. The excellence of the promises as securing the happiness of the believer under various dispensations; the foreknowledge and predestination of God; his sovreignty in having mercy on whom he will have mercy; his unchangeable love to his people; and his grace as manifested in the whole scheme of salvation. From these doctrines he deduces in the twelfth chapter, this practical conclusion, viz. that the people of Christ should live in holy obedience to Him, "I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." Chap. xii. 1. He introduces the plan of christian morality as the fruit and result of the doctrines of grace. He uses the illative particle, therefore, to shew that this verse is the consequence of what he had previously inculcated, and that the obedience here enjoined results from the doctrines which he had stated in the preceding chapters. "I beseech you, therefore, by the mercies of God, i.e. by his mercies exhibited in the plan of redeeming love. In a glorious light, indeed, are the mercy and grace of God displayed in the origin, the execution,