I never more should feel its influence to mar my comfort, discourage my hope, or darken my prospects.

At one season I have read the promises of pardon and salvation, as if it were impossible that my sins could be pardoned, and my soul saved. At another period, I have perceived such glory in the person, and such efficacy in the blood of Christ, that I have felt a conviction so clear, so deep, and abiding, of the all-sufficiency of Christ to save me, that I have in vain endeavoured to doubt. I feared the experiment was sinful, and I made it, because I dreaded presumption, and its delusive effects.

In believing I saw all the attributes of God, honoured in my pardon and salvation, my peace and usefulness greatly advanced."

I have seen each attribute honoured to the highest degree, and bowed to the reign of sovereign grace.

Now, I thought, had I the guilt of Adam's sin, and the sin of all his posterity upon my conscience, I could triumph in the truth, that "the blood of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, cleanseth from all sin." I could not doubt it. In vain I tried to doubt. "My peace flowed like a river," which bore away guilt, sin, doubts, and fears, with irresistible force. Here is the sufficiency of God!"

"What shall I say to these things?

First, that I am without strength.

Secondly, that a sinner is saved by GRACE.

Thirdly, the obligation to grateful love; when "God worketh in us to will and to do of his good pleasure."

Fourthly, the importance of the first and great command of the Gospel, "believe in the Lord Jesus Christ;" and the encouragement to the duty in the promise," and thou shalt be saved." Thou, whoever thou art-whatever thou hast been-" thou shalt be saved." Saved really, experimentally, freely, fully, and eternally saved.

Anything short of this leaves a sinner in his sins: beyond it language cannot reach-no thought aim. How worthy of God! How worthy of the Mediator! How suitable and adequate to my condition, my wants, my convictions, and my largest desires and hopes !

When I have related this experience, I have met with those of "a doubtful mind," and of "a fearful heart."

Perceiving their sincerity, I could exhort them to "be strong and of a good courage;" because they were as safe as the strongest believer, though not so happy.

When did the Saviour reject those of "little faith?" When did he ever "break the bruised reed, or quench the smoking flax?" Courage! weak believer, courage!

"The weakest saint

Shall win the day,
Though death and hell
Obstruct the way."

I have been weak, faint, doubtful, and fearful; but I never sought the Lord in patient perseverance, without finding the truth of the promise" He giveth power to the faint; and to those who have NO MIGHT, he increaseth strength."

Probatum est!

No. XXXVIII.

NERVOUS AFFECTIONS.

Or all" the trials of the righteous," nervous affections are not the least. Mr. Westley observed, "they are the hand of God impressing us with the insufficiency of all created good to make us happy." Mr. Romaine remarked, that "nervous affections are the seat of Satan."

In these trials, the imagination takes the lead. The IMAGINATION of man's heart is evil from his youth. By this faculty we commit most sin, and by this we suffer most trouble. God, in his wisdom, makes that power in us, which affords the greatest pleasure, inflict the acutest pain. This is designed to prevent the indulgence of criminal thoughts and purposes. An imagination forging sin, often bids defiance to reason and truth: it does the same in resisting comfort! Our friends also suffer with us. Now they sympathize with us, allow the justness of our complaints, and aggravate our misery. Failing in their kind attempts, they endeavour to laugh us out of our gloomy reflections; but "as vinegar upon nitre (which frets it), so is he that SINGETH SONGS to a heavy heart."

When I was under the typhus fever, a friend said, dear sir, you are low spirited. Yes, madam, I answered, that is my disease. My animal spirits are consumed by the fever; and my mind is affected by my body. I do not wish you to encourage my distress, but your laughing at me will never remove, but aggravate it. What then, dear sir, she replied, would you have me do? I rejoined, pray for me. God is my only hope. I look-" my spirit looks to God alone." Let my motto be your's" Hope thou in God; for I shall yet praise him."

No. XXXIX.

THE ADVANTAGE OF PUTTING AWAY CONSCIENCE.

It will prevent a man's losing good bargains by being afraid to lie, to over-reach, to cheat his neighbour in buying and selling. Besides, you can take the advantage of a poor man's necessity, when he must sell or starve. You may also compel a poor man to work hard and long, for a trifle. And if he owes you money, compel him to buy of you, and sell him goods of little value for your own price. When you employ a tradesman, run down his price, however just, and tell him another man will serve you cheaper. Should conscience hint that you are unjust and oppressive," put away conscience," by considering the end of trading and employing others, is to get money. If a good article is offered, say "It is nought, it is nought." Be sure to enlarge on any defect in it; and if there be no defect, make one and stand to it.-Require good measure if you buy, and make use of your brains, in measuring and weighing, when you sell. Cover all with a little charity, and blow your own trumpet in making it public.

Should the preacher on a sabbath-day, enforce upon you "a conscience, void of offence towards God and man,"-apply it to another person, and say, it exactly suits them; and especially exhort all your neighbours, and servants, and tradesmen, to remember it. Should any turn it on you, praise the doctrine, but do not allow it to interrupt your profitable plan. Should any preacher or professor of religion, attempt to prove you dishonest or deceitful, "put away conscience" in them and yourself-charge them with something as bad or worse-and rather than alter your plan, leave them, remembering, that, "money answers all things.'

Put away the bible-and with it the holiness, justice, and threatnings, and commands of God. It will leave you at liberty to follow your own inclinations without control. You may then devote the sabbath-day to business, pleasure, and sin;-you may swear, lie, defraud, iudulge in covetousness, pride, fleshly lusts, and intemperance. You may boast of your honest heart, your honesty, your Charity, and your freedom from the shackles of conscience.

-

If you think any religion necessary, it will be easy to form it to your own taste. A few good words now and then, some sallies of wit against being righteous overmuch, and a readiness to pardon all offences against God, will leave you free to condemn your fellow creatures, in slandering or defrauding you. Say, like an honest man above all shame, I wonder where the CONSCIENCE of the man was?-If your conscience should whisper, "Thou hypocrite!" Stifle it, shun it, sear it, until "past feeling ;"-think of any thing else, and drive away all thoughts of sin, and death, and judgment.

Read books which make sport of religion, as fit only for the weak and credulous. If you must go to church for fashion's sake, take the earliest opportunity of showing that you believe all you have heard is a farce. If you have no religion, say, you never change your religion, but keep to that in which you were born and bred. Should the sudden death of a neighbour, or a threatening disease trouble you, and you must do something because conscience takes the advantage of such seasons, say you repent-bribe it by the sacrament or a few words of prayer-and promise if you recover, you will be all religion. If you recover from the panic or disease, "put away conscience," and next time, you will hope to recover and be less alarmed. This is a fine progress.

Play your part well in conversation, by making the stories to your mind. Leave out any part, or add a few sentences to enliven the spirits. By a habit of such chit-chat, you will please by flattery or slander, and pass for a lively wit, or a man of reading. The power of raising a laugh, by the pleasure it affords you, must render your company desirable and promote your influence. It is thus you level a rival, scourge the tradesman who troubles you for payment, leave a broad blot on those who despise your character, and rise above remorse, shame, or fear.

By company or cards, business or pleasure, news and light reading, keep off the hip, in a rainy day. If trouble or disease assail you, shut your eyes-do not think-drink or sleep if you can; and with undaunted resolution, if you must think,-suppose your soul dies with your body, that the Bible is a book of fables, salvation a vapour, a judgment day and eternal misery, the dream of such weak minds as Bacon or Boyle, Locke or Newton.

If your disease should continue, and occasion sleepless nights, and conscience should begin to read over-duties neglected, sins committed, death fast approaching, and the judgment seat open to your view;-believe all your doctor says of the certainty of your recovery, take an opiate, forget your past self, and future self, and if you cannot sleep, slumber. Be sure no one disturb you with religion, for that will give conscience power, in the absence of health and animal spirits; and when you are unable to divert yourself by business, cards, or company. If you would "put away conscience," do not look forward, beyond life-do not look at the past, and above all, do not look within.

But what if you should die? Will your conscience die with you? Yes, it will, if the word of God be false; that is comfortable. But should it prove true, you will be all conscience; and your conscience all light, all life,-a just accuser, a faithful witness, an impartial judge, a righteous executioner, and, in its effect," a worm that dieth not;-a fire, never to be quenched."

No. XL.

THE THEATRE.

SOME persons indulge "a delusive and groundless hope, that under certain regulations, the stage might be converted into a school of virtue."

The stage a school! this is mere pretence; for the "lovers of pleasure, more than lovers of God," do not go to a play to seek instruction, but amusement.

The stage a school of virtue!-Such writers must use the word virtue ironically, and mean the stage is a school of vice. This seems to be granted by their supposition" IF the stage were purirified from its exceptionable parts-IF the stage were under better regulations-IF the indecent and profane passages of the plays were omitted." This is giving up the point, by admitting the stage, in its present state, to be defiled by indecency and profaneness.

But suppose the whole system of the stage to be purified, and exhibited pure characters in the actors, pure sentiment, and pure expressions in the plays, would the lovers of plays then frequent the play-house? No more than they frequent "the house of God," and for the same reason: the amusements of the stage, in its present state, are palatable to persons of the worst characters. Stage professors, are generally persons of immoral lives, and the plays themselves contain corrupt principles, impure and profane expressions.

The worst of dispositions, and the worst of actions, are, on the stage, so misrepresented, so coloured and softened, as to excite pity instead of blame, and love where our indignation should be kindled.

On the stage, duelling, suicide, and seduction, are excused, vindicated, and commended; and lawless love, is fostered as friendship, jealousy, hatred and revenge; pride and ambition are encouraged, as" splendid virtues." Such is the school, such the teachers, and such the lessons of the stage.

The stage gives additional force to bad passions, already too strong; and the slave leaves a theatre, so fond of his chain, as to imagine himself perfectly free. And if his folly, extravagance, and sensual desires, have involved him in difficulties, he learns by the principles and examples, executed and applauded on the stage, that a duel, in which he may murder another, or the heroic act of murdering himself through disappointed lust, called love, is at least harmless in him! Dreadful delusion! to imagine, that the indulgence of a passion, or the performance of an action condemned by the law of the land, by conscience, and by Scripture, should prove a person free, or find an excuse.