the Holy Spirit hath shewed me of the things of Christ, such as the present subject, as also his agony in the garden, his death on the cross, his resurrection, his ascension, and of the fiery law that went before him; I do judge from what I felt at each revelation, that my spirit must have sunk under it yet with God there is nothing impossible. Then I must inform you, that notwithstanding the many times the Lord had been pleased to shew my safety in Christ Jesus; yet I have been often troubled with great darkness of soul, and perhaps none have murmured at his ways more than I have. One trouble and

affliction hath fast followed each other, under which I have felt much rebellion and unbelief, and suffered through the perverseness of my own will; until some merciful providence hath broken my heart, and I have been shewn that his ways are not as my ways, nor his thoughts as my thoughts. I thought much of happy frames and feelings, which I earnestly prayed for and coveted, and which I often felt; and when they were withdrawn I felt greatly cast down, and bemoaned the loss of them, neither could I be satisfied until they returned. I loved them in hearing, in prayer, in reading, and meditation; and I expect this is the case with all who have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

It was on one of those sorrowing occasions, whilst reading the 3rd of Ephesians, that I was particularly struck with the prayer of the beloved apostle for that church; I took it up as my prayer, That he would grant unto me according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; that Christ might dwell in my heart by faith that I being rooted and grounded in love, might be able with all saints to comprehend what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height, and to know the love of Christ that passeth knowledge; that

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I might be filled with all the fulness of God." I felt a sincere desire and a continual breathing and groaning in prayer, for a greater discovery of the love of God in Christ; I saw something so desirable in this prayer of the apostle, to comprehend with all saints, that my whole affections went after it, and for a considerable time, both in public and private; I made use of those words in prayer. The first time that I felt the effect of my prayers being answered, was twelve days before Christmas day, as I was setting alone at work; I was visited in a powerful manner, by the Lord the Holy Spirit manifesting to me in a clear and impressive way, my interest in the sufferings and death of our Lord Jesus Christ; and I powerfully felt on my soul, the cleansing, pardoning efficacy of his precious atoning blood: it was brought near, it was felt, and not as a report, or a subject believed on, by faith looking back eighteen hundred years, but then and there set before me it was Christ and him crucified, and I saw and felt myself complete in him. This sight of Christ was attended with a great and unspeakable degree of love, meekness, and humility. I never could more earnestly bless God for my creation, then I did at this time; I felt and saw I had cause to do so, which was not always the case with me. And when at church in youth I have said it with my lips, and I have in my heart wished I had not been created; but now I could bless God from my heart for creation, and for his inestimable love towards me, in redeeming my soul from the power of sin and Satan, death and hell. This took place in the forenoon, and during that day and the next, I enjoyed a sabbath of rest; I reclined my soul on the bosom of Christ, and proved and found the rest only attainable to the people of God. I cannot describe the breathings of my soul, nor the overflowings of my heart with gratitude for his great

a pleasure and gratification of celestial origin, and can not be known, but in the enjoyment, and is of the operation of the Holy Ghost.

The second day was spent much as the first, up to about 11 o'clock, when I rose up from reading, and kneeled down with my wife to offer up our evening prayer. We had been scarcely two minutes on our knees when my wife sunk into a profound sleep, I turned my head and looked at her, but had no power to awake her, for at that moment my understanding was SO greatly enlightened, that it seemed as if I was passing into eternity: I was seized with fear and great horror, dread and fear fell upon me; as it did on our father Abraham; I felt as if an invisible hand had seized me; I felt as if my soul had lift the body : it fell as a lifeless lamp: yet I was agonizing in my spirit for the help and assistance of Jehovah Father, Son, and Spirit. In this agonizing state I remained some time, with an enlightened mind whether in the body or out of the body I could not tell; my cry to God was great, to be delivered from the terror I felt, and I make no doubt but this is the position that every soul is brought into at death, their minds are enlightened into the things of the eternity-if a wicked person, the mind of the wicked is enlightened to all the misery that awaits them, which they neither will see nor hear of, neither believe during a life of sin-but now, in the prospect of eternal death, his eyes are opened, and he becomes acquainted with the curse pronounced against unbelievers. It is not only because they are sinners that they are condemned to endless misery, for all men are sinners, but because they rejected Christ the only way of salvation. Or, when a saved soul is about to leave the world, his eyes

are opened to behold that glory which he had so long looked for, and then becomes possessed of to the full; the one takes its flight to glory and to God, but the body returns to the dust, to wait the second appearing of our Lord Christ, who will change it and fashion it as his own glorious body, and make it a fit dwelling place for a pure and holy soul. This will be a happy union, and looked on with delight by God and angels. My soul felt something of this change; but I was greatly troubled, and agonized in prayer to God the Father, Son, and Spirit, and the words I made use of astonished me. I could not express them the next day; I felt more than mortal. At length a light appeared at a vast distance, the sight of which encouraged me greatly, and caused me to supplicate more vehemently; it continued to increase, until its rays and power reached me, and at the some moment it was either impressed on my soul, or else it was spoken to my soul: it is the glory of Jehovah -Father, Son, and Spirit. This caused me to agonize again to be delivered from the power that held me; I never ceased until I felt my liberty, and then as swift as thought my spirit flew across this very awful expanse, I flew even to the bosom of God. Now all was praise: I felt joy and happiness to the full. I adored the glorious Three in One, who, appeared equally concerned in the salvation and deliverance of my soul. I believe it was a taste of the joy that saints and angels now in heaven experience; but how long this continued I know not, but I have often said since, as I then said, I would to God this had never been interrupted, but that this change from prayer to praise had been for ever. I have heard that the Rev. George Whitfield was found on his knees when his spirit had fled; thus he exchanged prayer for praise. Oh! blessed change to a tried and tempted soul. But the Lord's will was that I should have a taste of eternal happiness, and then return again; which as

soon as I did my wife awoke: neither of us spoke; I put off my clothes to go into bed, and as I was stepping on the side, I heard a noise in the street like the trotting of a multitude of horses; the thought struck me that it was a squadron of light horse coming out of Essex. I listened a moment or two, with one foot on the side of the bed, the other on the floor, I had no power to speak to my wife who stood near me. The noise of the horses increased, I listened, and felt a trembling; then the side of the room before me seemed as a scene drawn up, when before me I saw a pleasant and beautiful plain: at the distance seemed an eminence as a boundary, the plain was set with myrtle trees of equal height, and in rows. The first and only horse that appeared, was a red stately creature, on which was a majestic rider; his garment or cloak which was of a more beautiful red then the horse, hung gracefully over the hind part of his horse: his feet, legs, and thighs, had to me the appearance of bright gold. I saw him only as high up as his middle; his head and shoulders were veiled. I heard him proclaim with a loud voice, whom shall I bring: I replied with great earnestness, Lo d, bring me." I was looking with admiration and wonder, but the scene fell. It had such a powerful effect on my body, that I knew not how I got into bed; I believe I fell in, and for three days I felt as if I was recovering from a severe fever: but my spirit was comforted and happy. It crucified me to all earthly things: I sat and mused on it for hours together. I cannot describe the meekness and heavenly-mindedness it wrought in me; and I felt some emotions of sorrow at knowing I was still in the body: I sincerely panted after a state of bliss, I saw no form, I only seemed bathing in glory and happiness.

I waited until the next afternoon, to hear if my wife mentioned any words relating to this wonderful

circumstance; when as she was silent, I asked her if she heard me in prayer last night, she said, no, I did not, for as soon as I fell on my knees I fell asleep, and knew nothing after, but on opening my eyes and looking about I saw you getting up from your knees. I asked her if she heard any noise of horses in the street, she said she did not, neither did she notice any thing in the room, nor that there was any thing more then common in me. At this I was the more surprized, and clearly perceived it was of God. I never before read the Revelation and Daniel, as I did after, and when I fell in with the words of your text I was still more amazed: I had read it often before, but had never considered it, but when I reflected on the things recorded by these holy men, and of what the Lord the Spirit had revealed to them of the promised Messiah, I was amazed at the thought that it should please the Lord to reveal him so clearly to me. I saw the protection his people were afforded; I saw the care that the Holy Trinity took of them from the birth to the grave; I was led to view his almighty power in bringing them out of the world, in bringing them into his garden the church, and in bringing them to glory. I viewed him as a God of providence as well as grace, and the sovereign Ruler of the universe, as the captain of our salvation, the king of all the saints-he knew them all and watched over them-the king of all kings and all kingdoms, and especially of this kingdom to which by birth I belong, and in which are more of his people then in any nation on the earth besides. These revelations of Christ, enabled me to see what is deficient in the wise and learned of the earth; that they knew not the exceeding sinfulness of sin, they knew not how low they had sunk in Adam, and therefore they cannot see the necessity of Christ and his most precious atonement, and that the world by wisdom can never find out God: they may

trace his footsteps in the heavens, in the earth, and in the sea, as a person may trace footsteps in the sand, and discover the difference between the footsteps of a man and a beast, but the discovery of God in Christ by the creation of the world can never be known; they must be brought by a way that they know not by nature, and into paths that all the wisdom of the world can never guide them into. It must be by being brought to a feeling sense of their lost and undone condition, saved with an everlasting, salvation, and kept by the mighty power of God. Your further remarks on this text, of Jesus as King of nations, King of saints, and sole manager of the present affairs of the myrtle trees, will oblige your will -wisher, and brother in Christ.

CORNELIUS TOZER

THE FORGIVENESS OF SIN, NO. II.

HAVING shewed in the last piece that sin is the transgression of the law; that God from the perfection of his holiness infinitely and eternally hates sin; that as sin as brought us into a state of opposition to God it is unto us destructive: but from this treble curse of the law Christ hath delivered those who are his; but those who are not chosen to salvation nor ordained to eternal life, will continue to eternity under the law and its curse. There is no medium between the loved and the hated: for either we are chosen to salvation or we are not, either Christ died for us or he did not, either the Holy Spirit is our teacher or he is not: these are the momentous rules of decision : duties nor ifs, nor buts, nor may be's have any room here; none but the Lord himself can shew who are his. "if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." He may say as many prayers as there are stars in the sky, be in the eyes of the world pure as an angel, and be engaged in all the public (so called)

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pious works of the day: yet if he do not feel his need of, and receive into his mind and affection God's eternal election, Christ's particular and eternal redemption, the doctrine of the Holy Spirit's invincible work; if he do not feel his need of and receive these things in their power and preciousness, and make them his theme too: if he do not thus receive the truth, he does not possess the spirit of truth, his heart is the habitation of him who is transformed into an angel of light. He will therefore prefer the freewill or moderate Calvinistic ministers: these ministers are made and sent by the devil, and are the instruments of carrying on by delusion, the dark designs of the infernal world-casting the Saviour down from his excellency, entangling the children of God, deceiving immortal souls; and would if it were possible deceive the very elect: but these shall all be taught of God and great shall be their peace.

vices and follies

Now then for a word on the true experience of the forgiveness of sin. In this experience, there are, conviction of sin, the power of truth, and natural result of that power. Conviction of sin brings into real personal soul trouble: this trouble comes on either rapidly or gradually. The difference between a false and true experience may be thus illustrated to persons become concerned about their state as sinners. Both reform their lives, neither can continue to follow the of the world. Both are equally determined to do that which is lawful and right in the sight of God and man. Both confess that they are sinners, and that there is no hope but in Christ, their conversion thus far appears to be alike, but presently one of the two finds himself quite at home, either in the freewill or moderate Calvinist system, and feels his need of no better gospel than the ministers of those systems preach : feels his need of no better religion