ON THE HOLY SPIRIT.

AMONG the greatest truths of Christianity, I place those of the divinity of the Holy Spirit, and the necessity of his influences upon the human mind, in order to men's becoming spiritual and Christ like. The apostle Paul declares, 1 Cor. ii. 10, that the Spirit searcheth all things; yea, the deep things of God. Other proofs from scripture need not be added. The Spirit which searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God, must be allowed, I think, to be divine.

In love and tenderness to those who have fallen into error on this important point, I intreat them to reconsider the above passage of scripture, and the many others which speak the same language, and plainly assert the same doctrine. Much and earnestly do I wish, that they may no longer grieve that Holy Spirit, by whom alone they can be sealed to the day of redemption.

The influences of the Spirit of God are declared, in a variety of passages, to be necessary to our illumination, sanctification, and consolation. Unless a man be born of this Spirit, he cannot see the kingdom of God: John iii. 3. He cannot enter into the world of glory and happiness, because he is not prepared for it. For this reason, it appears to be one of the great duties of a minister of Christ, to take every opportunity to impress on the minds of his hearers, the need they have of the blessed Spirit, to make them wise unto salvation, and to prepare them for the presence of their glorious Lord.

"We must preach the necessity of the Holy Spirit's influences on the heart of man, in order to help him to believe unto salvation, to apply the word to him, to enlighten

him to understand it; and to give him a will to obey it. I fear a departure from the scriptures in this, as well as in many other important points, has done much mischief, and is one cause of the iniquity which so much abounds. among us. If ministers would be honored in their labors, they should honor that heavenly and divine Spirit, from whom grace and goodness proceed.

I wish all who cast an eye upon these lines, may be enabled to lift their hearts to God, in earnest, fervent prayer, for the unspeakable gift of his Holy Spirit. It is your welfare, dear readers, that I seek. It is your salvation for which I long. My desire is, that you may be happy when the world and time are no more. Christ himself hath assured us, for our encouragement, that the Father will give his Holy Spirit to them that ask him. O! ask, there fore, that ye may receive; seek, that ye may find; and knock at the door of mercy that it may be opened unto you.

T.

AN ANSWER TO THIS IMPORTANT INQUIRY; How am I to know whether I have the Holy Spirit? If you have the Holy Spirit; 1, you have seen the evil of sin; 2, you have repented of sin; 3, you have forsaken sin; 4, you hate sin; 5, you watch and pray against sin; 6, you have received the spirit of love. If you have the Spirit of God, you love God supremely; you love the Father who gave his Son to suffer and die; you love the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, for what he hath done and suffered on your account. You love all the sincere followers of Jesus Christ, and confine not your regards to a party. You love the human race at large, as children of the same

family, and you wish them to know the things that be

long to their peace.

7, You are of a forbearing and forgiving temper; 8, you pity and pray for sinners, who, through blindness and ignorance, oppose at present their own eternal interest; 9, you are of a thankful spirit; you thank God for making you to differ, by his grace, from many others; and you praise him for every favor, both of a temporal and spiritual na. ture; 10, you are zealous for the honor of God in the world; 11, you desire to rejoice in Christ Jesus, and in all the duties of Christianity; 12, you esteem the applause, the pleasure, and the wealth of the whole world, as nothing, in comparison of the love and blessing of God, through Christ Jesus. These are some of the signs of having the Holy Spirit. (Read with care Gal. v. especially towards the close.) See, my dear readers, that the graces there mentioned by the apostle, in verse 22, &c. be in you and abound; and you will prosper in the divine life, and walk in the comfort of the Holy Ghost.

THE SOCINIAN.

A GENTLEMAN of B....., pretty deeply tinctured with Socinian principles, took occasion, in almost every company, to speak contemptuously of the leading doctrines of revelation. Being one day at the sale of a library of a late divine of that city, in one of the lots there happened to be a volume, entitled Christ Crucified. The lot being sold, and the volume missing, there was a general inquiry after it through the room; when, very unfortunately, it happened to be found in the possession of the above gentleman, who, without hesitation, gave it up, with a sneer,

saying, "Here, take your Christ Crucified, for any thing it is good for." Upon which another gentleman in the company patting him upon the shoulder, very smartly whis. pered him, "I find it is nothing uncommon for thieves to ridicule a crucified Jesus."

DEATH.......A VISION.

PASSING the other day through ....... I met a funeral procession; a hearse, several mourning coaches, and all the sable apparatus of death. I was struck at the contrast so manifest between this procession and all that was moving about it; and these scenes so occupied my mind, that I consider them as the cause of a visionary dream which I had on the following night, wherein Death was represented as driving his hearse and procession through that populous street and addressing himself to various persons who met him in his route:

"Ye numerous passengers, going and coming on each side of the way, whose aspects manifest that you are bent on different schemes, which you deem of importance; know, that whatever your business may be, ye are all hastening to my territories. You who are young and gay, and you who are more advanced in life, are moving, with different paces, toward that house of mine which is appointed for all living. You who are arrayed in the height and variety of the fashion, will soon put on your last suit, and, like the corpse in this hearse, be enshrouded by death. You, whose plumes are high, and proudly nod over your giddy heads, will soon occupy my plumed hearse, and your vanity will cease for ever. Some of you may be driv ing to the temple of Hymen, and pleasing yourselves with

prospects of many years' happiness; but you must soon. submit to my cold embraces; and your connexions and enjoyments, however dear and delightful, must be resigned at my command, and be exchanged for the gloomy solitudes of my kingdom.

"Ye foolish people and unwise, who in your crowded carriages are hastening to various places of dissipation, folly, and vice, remember that the heart of the fool is in the house of mirth. Know, that I often visit these delusive scenes, snatch the frightened victims from their fatal festivities, and plunge them into outer darkness. Even lately I seized several giddy wretches on the threshold of one of these seminaries of vice which you are driving to. Know, foolish citizens, that what I have done, I may do again. In my next visit I may come in a fire, an earthquake, or ́a storm, and swallow up the crowded fabric, and all its unthinking and deluded company. Stop, ye cruel parents, look on my retinue, and return to your houses! Are ye so mad as to drive your children to tophet, and offer them to the devouring idol, Dissipation? Ye are rapidly advancing in the broad way, and your steps will soon take hold on hell. Carry, therefore, your little ones home, read them a lecture on what you have seen in this street, and so teach them to number their days, that they may apply their hearts unto wisdom.

"I perceive a carriage advancing, whose armorial bearing, declare it to belong to the bishop of the city: 'Remember; my lord, you and I wear the same livery; it is my business to kill; but your duty to prepare men for my stroke. It is evident that I work too fast for you; for, many under your charge feel my dart in their vitals, before they possess repentance in their hearts. Where lies the