operations of the Spirit. Thefe operations are effectual, in changing our hard and ftony hearts. These produce a moral change, confifting in regeneration and converfion. They excite holinefs, or true gofpel repentance. And nothing fhort of the energies of the Holy Spirit, is able to effect any radical change, or, in the least, to alter the inclination. The Holy Spirit, in the view of gospel means, fubdues the heart, flays its enmity, and brings us to lay down the arms of rebellion, in a cordial fubmiffion to Chrift and his government. All holy exercises and affections in man, are the effect of the Holy Spirit. And by his influence alone, divine revealed truth, and all religious institutions and means, become efficacious and falutary. Paul "planted- but God gave the increase." "It is the Spirit that quickeneth." The gofpel ftands in demonftration of the Spirit, and of power." If, reader, this be a juft reprefentation, then the repentance fpoken of in the paffage above, muft mean, either imperfect repentance, fuch as was that of Ahab, and many other wicked men; confifting, not in a radical moral renovation, but in a strong check and restraint, laid upon their finful inclinations, and which may be produced, by means, without fpecial grace.-This fort of repentance is, fometimes, availing to avert God's threatened judgments. It was fo in the cafe of Ahab: and in Sodom, if there had been even fuch external reformation and repentance, "it would have remained until this day." And fuch a kind of repentance, Chrift afferts, his 'mighty works' which were done in Capernaum, would have produced in Sodom. Or, elfe, if it be evangelical re- | 6 pentance, in the paffage, (which I think is not probable) then the meaning of the mighty works' muft be extended, fo as to include the fpecial influences of the Spirit, by which alone holiness and real gofpel repentance, are produced. And the effect is afcribed to the mighty works, which is actually, the effect of the Holy Spirit. This is a manner of expreffion which often occurs in the fcriptures "The word," it is faid, "is able to fave our fouls." But this can mean only when attended, and fet home, by the influences of the Spirit. And all the efficacy which the word has to fave, it derives from God's fpecial and fovereign grace. We will now clofe with two reflections. 1. We hence learn the totally loft, and wretched condition of mankind. Our hearts are naturally fo entirely bent on fin, that no means can prove effectual to our repentance and faving good. We obftinately refift all the gracious methods which God kindly uses with us; and refolutely perfift in fin, continually acquiring greater degrees of obduracy and hardnefs of heart. We are fixed in our oppofition to God. Our natural hearts are fo firmly inclined to fin, that if God leave us, barely to the effect of his word and providence, we fhall certainly perfift in our wickednefs, and plunge ourselves into remedilefs woe. Here, then, we fee our great finfulness, and wholly loft ftate, fince all the gra cious methods which God in his infinite wisdom has contrived, have no faving operation upon us, and produce no holy affections. 2. We are taught the neceffity of the Spirit to renew the heart. We have need, not only of a MeP p diator to be fet before us, but of divine fovereign grace to change the heart. Tho' Chrift has been provided for us, yet we are difpofed to reject Chrift and the gofpel, and it is fure that we fhall not accept, unless we are made willing in the day of God's power. The infinite almighty power of the eternal Spirit, is alone fufficient to operate upon, and effect a moral renovation of our natural hearts. Unless God, by fovereign, rich, and all-powerful grace, fave us, we perish. Let us then feel the need we have of the new-birth, and of the Holy Spirit to produce it. And let us be deeply impreffed with this confideration, that we must be faved, "by the wafhing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghoft." Y. Z was a very docile child, poffeffing a lively and ingenious fancy, a quick difcernment, and a clear judgment. At twenty years of age, her figure was agreeable, her manners pleafing, having been improved at a boarding school in a diftant town; and her profpects in life were fuch as the world call the most favorable and happy. But, though from her education and good manners fhe paid decent outward refpect to religion, at this age, it did not appear, that he had any real experience of its vital power and heavenly confolations. Drefs and fhow, and the amufements of youth feemed to banish from her mind the plain duties, and more fubftantial joys of religion. She then feemed not to comprehend a Saviour's ineffable love, nor confiderately to feel a finner's guilt and wretchedness. Returning home, one rainy night, from a ball, fhe took a hard cold, which brought on gradually a comfumption, of long duration. Though this flattering difeafe, which fo often deencouraged the hope of a refteraceives thofe whom it afflicts, often tion to health; yet, as affording Louifa retirement, her active mind was turned upon the duties great of religion, and the weighty confideration of changing worlds.She became ferious, prayerful, and defirous of Chriftian converfation. She read confiderably, gained a general knowledge of the great gospel doctrines, and became a va kened to a feeling fenfe of her deplorable condition, as a guilty, miferable finner, who had greatly abufed her religious opportunities and privileges. Her conviction of fin was not accompanied with fo many legal terrors, as is fometimes the cafe with awakened finners in times of great religious revivals; but it feemed to flow hopes beyond the grave.A few days before her death, fhe fent for me, for the last time, to come and pray with and for her, as the expected daily to die. I found her greatly debilitated in body, (her voice reduced to a kind of loud ry appearance of speedy death; but her understanding was found, and her mind completely tranquil. joys above the terrors of death, and fully fenfible of its near approach, the converfation was chiefly turned upon the interefting nature of a change of worlds. I told her that from an enlightened understanding, and a full belief of the neceffity of regeneration for admission into the kingdom of heaven. She, at length, admitted the hope of having experienced this defirable change. Her anxieties and diftreffes were removed; and the ap-whisper) and threatened with eve, peared to be filled with a fweet tranquillity of mind, daily rejoicing in Chrift, and often fpeaking with delight of the aftonishing wonders-Finding her elated with spiritual of redeeming love. She obtained the religious diary of an eminent [Chriftian, which fhe often read with pleasure, feeling her own experiences correfponding in many particulars. At this period, the death would close her probationary looked forward to an approaching ftate forever; that as he died, a day of death with great tranquilli- finner or a Chriftian, so she would ty of mind, and profeffed a readi-arife, and be found in the day of nefs to die, at God's will; appear-judgment, and fo she would remain ing to have the most lively hopes of joining glorified faints and angels in heaven, in finging the fong of Mofes and the Lamb. The diftance of time prevents me from diftinctly recollecting many of her own words, which were fome of them peculiarly expreffive and interefting. She lamented that she had done fo little for God and the interefts of religion in the world, and that he had spent the most interesting and impreffible period of this life, in walking in a vain show. She longed to redeem that precious time, which had been inconfiderately wafted in the vanities of youth but knowing this to be impoffible, her only refuge was in the allfufficient righteoufnefs of the great Redeemer, whom he believed to have been wounded for our fins and bruifed for our iniquities, that with his ftripes the penitent believer might be healed. During her fickness I frequently vifited her, and converfed freely with her upon the nature and duties of faving religion, and upon her own views and to all eternity. She appeared to "have no defire to live any lon- | fed!. Blessed !"—Meaning, by thefe words, as was fuppofed, to exprefs the greatnefs of her joy in dying, in the strong and pleafing hope of entering immediately into glory. She then died, in a moment, without a struggle or a groan. "Ah lovely appearance of death, cr ger in this vain world. I fee "nothing in it worth living for. "I am not afraid to die; nor am "I afraid to be dead. My friends "I leave in the hands of a merci"ful God. I hope to fee them "again in a better world."-She fpoke these words in a molt fweet and tranquil manner, expreffive "How eafy the foul that has left "This wearifome body behind." of the genuine feelings of her heart. To fee, and hear a perfon If ever the appearance of death was of her age, natural talents and im- lovely, it was lovely in Louifa.provements in life, with the moft O redeeming grace, how fuperior pleafing worldly profpects before thy glory!-Never did vain phiher, (feeling herfelf to be on the lofophy yield up the immortal fpivery brink of the grave) converfe rit to the Almighty Creator, with in this humble, rational, refigned fuch compofure, dignity, and sweet and tranquil manner, on death and refignation, joyfully anticipating an the profpects of eternity, naturally immediate entrance into the paraimpreffed the mind of the beholder, dife of God.-Louifa's faith overwith a deep fenfe of the propriety came the world. She knew in of Balaam's wifh, "Let me die whom he had believed. She the death of the righteous, and let trufted in the covenant mercy of my laft end be like his "How the living God, and in the all-fufgreat must be the power of reli- ficiency and glorious promises of gion, how lively its joys, and how the great Redeemer. She was trong its faith to raife a naturally truly a pilgrim on earth. She timid, feeble mortal, in this trium- fought an heavenly country, fearphant manner, above all the ter- lefs of the ufual terrors, which are rors of death!-But, the trying experienced in the valley of death. moment, which, like the refiner's Perhaps, nothing will better ferve fire, tries all hearts, was not yet to fhow the power and glory of recome. Perhaps, thought I, this ligion manifefted in her death, than bright ftar, in the gofpel firma- contrafting it with the death of ment, will yet go down, in a dark Leonora, a different character, as cloud. Let me wait, and watch recorded in the 275th page of the its laft appearances. A few days first volume of the Magazine. For after, Louifa died. After fitting both were much alike in their naup fome time, in an eafy rockingtural figure and vivacity ;-both chair, fhe was led to her bed, and died at nearly the fame of life; gently laid upon it, upon which, and both were carried to the grave The immediately appeared to be by the fame difeafe. Seriously read dying. A friend ftanding by her, then, the hiftory of the one and of told her fhe was dying. Louifa the other; and if I mistake not, turned her eyes upon the perfon, you will fign your approbation of with a wishful look, accompanied a life of early piety, and join the with a tranquil countenance and a great cloud of witneffes, which gentle fmile of triumphant joy, and have gone before us, in faying, clafping her hands together, fpake "Bleffed are the dead which die with an audible voice." O blef in the Lord.” ZEPHO. - age Letter from the Directors of the, CHRISTIAN BRETHREN, U faith and fellowship of the glad. He has given feals to the adminiftrations of those actually laboring in the miffionary field, both under the patronage of this, and of other focieties. The publication of the fermons and of the report of the Directors, given at our late feventh annual meeting will have informed you, before this letter can reach you, of the number and circumftances of our actual Miffionary Stations, to the time of that meeting. We fhall not therefore repeat what you will there find. gofpel, and engaged in the fame bleffed caufe, the extenfion of the knowledge of that glorious Name by which only men are faved; we cannot but feel towards you brotherly affection, and with you good fpeed in the name of the Lord. It is a fubject at once animating to Moft of the accounts fince reus in our own endeavours, and cal-ceived from our feveral Miffionaling for congratulation to our fel-ries are confolatory and animating. low-laborers, that the Lord hath] Those from our venerable brother been pleafed to fpread abroad in Dr, Vanderkemp are peculiarly the minds of his people in every fo. God continues to uphold and place a fpirit of earneft prayer for ftrengthen him, and to furround the fulfilment of thofe glorious him with fuch fignal manifestations promises which relate to the prof- of his providential care as ftrongperity of the Redeemer's Kingdom;ly to revive in our minds the reand that as the beft evidence of fin- collection of the wonders which cerity their prayers are accompani- he did of old in the land of Ifed with correfponding exertions. rael. To enumerate thefe would Is not this the ufual courfe of the be pleafant, but as they could ondivine conduct? Is not this a fignly be mutilated accounts we shall that the time the fet time to favor Zion is at hand, if not come? Did God ever fay to the feed of Jacob, feek my Face in vain ? Let us, therefore, dear Brethren, by fuch views as thefe,-by the confideration of what is to be done, by the obligations we are under to our bleffed Redeemer and the fouls of our fellow-men,--by the recollection of the fhortnefs of the time and the animating hope of the recompence of reward, encourage one another; and in the ftrength of him who has promifed to teach our hands to war and our fingers to fight" go forward" and ceafe not from the conflict till Zion fhall become the praife of the earth. The Lord is in various ways doing great things whereof we are not abridge the pleafure you will receive from the unaffected recital of them in his own words, which will be given in an early number of the Evangelical Magazine. But what is better, he has reaped the firft fruits of his labors among the unenlightened Caffres with whom he dwells. Our other brethren too are not without encouragement, both from paft experience and future profpects. Several heathen have been baptized, one at least among the Bofchemen has died in the faith; others feem to be awakened. There is even ground to hope that God will render the poor native employed as an interpreter to the Bofchemen, not only a reporter of what he is told by others, but a relater of what he |