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who are most regular and conscientious in their attendance on these means? If all the leaders in the great Methodist body were asked this question would they not reply in the affirmative? While, we fear, those who habitually neglect them, are often a disgrace to the cause they ought to honour.

3. It is fatal to themselves. Deprived of the advice and society of the brethren, they fall an easy prey to temptation; evil tempers gain the ascendancy over them; they sink under their trials and difficulties; lose their peace of mind: neither heaven nor earth, God nor man, can make them happy: yea, they anticipate the horrors of hell.

Lastly, it must be offensive to God, ungratefully to slight the means he has so greatly blessed, to be trifling, lukewarm, and careless; to give occasion to his enemies to rejoice; to grieve the hearts of the pious; and endanger the salvation of their souls.

My dear reader, art thou the man, the woman? The writer is not your enemy, he wishes to be your friend. Arise! shake thyself from the dust! "Remember Lot's wife!" Trifler, halt! give way to the devil no more! Fly instantly to the Lord Jesus Christ! Bow down before him with holy shame! Low as thou art fallen, guilty and miserable as thou art, there yet is hope. O do not obstinately perish! Sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee lest the Supreme Judge should at last say, "Depart from me, I know ye not."

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REVIVAL OF RELIGION IN SUFFOLK CIRCUIT.

To the Editors of the Methodist Magazine.

DEAR BRETHREN,

Smithtown, L. I. April 2, 1818.

By the request of brother Jewett, I forward to you the following account of the revival of religion on this circuit; which, if you think it will be acceptable to the friends of Zion, you are at liberty to insert in your Magazine. F. REED.

It was with evident marks of approbation, that the Lord manifested himself at our Camp-Meeting in June last, at Cow-Harbour. Though some dawnings of the late revival had appeared, previous to this, it was here the day began to open with peculiar lustre. A number who attended from the circuit with apparent

carelessness, returned home, either rejoicing in a sin-pardoning God, or groaning under the heavy load of guilt, seeking for deliverance. From such unusual appearances it was evident that the great Head of the Church was preparing the way for a special manifestation of his grace. Our places of worship were much thronged, where the people clearly expressed the anxiety of their minds by the solemnity of their countenances. Conviction gradually gained upon them, till no longer able to suppress their feelings, they were seen flocking to the altar with weeping eyes, entreating us to pray for them.

It was with peculiar emotions of pleasure, that we beheld the pious parent rejoicing over a son or daughter, crying for mercy, or testifying of the goodness of God in their late conversion ;or perhaps a child praying over a weeping, broken-hearted parent. The joyful tidings of the conversion of souls, while it served to strengthen the confidence and rejoice the hearts of christians, struck with amazement those who hitherto had manifested no concern.

Haupogues was the first place that shared in the gracious visitation. A number who experienced religion at Camp-Meeting, joined society the first opportunity. Meetings were attended almost every evening; and scarce one was concluded but more or less were made the happy subjects of converting grace.— Dwelling houses were not sufficiently capacious to contain the people who assembled to witness the marvellous displays of the power of God. They seemed to forget or pay but little attention to their ordinary concerns, while the more important business of eternity engrossed their thoughts. The fruits of the revival in this town were principally youths; though some in a more advanced age have found that God is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto him: among the latter is a man about fifty years of age, once notorious for profaneness; but now a new man in Christ Jesus.

Under preaching, the word seemed to be as eagerly received as a morsel of meat by a hungry man. a hungry man.. Such pleasing appearances could not but encourage us in the labour of the vineyard. Other societies, hearing what God was doing for the people in this place, were quickened in their importunities, that they might be visited with the same blessings.

Westfield was the next that was favoured with the effusions of the Spirit, though it was some time in a doubtful case.

The

teeming cloud seemed long to hover over them, till suddenly it poured forth its rich treasure; and the day so much desired, was now realized. Seven or eight souls were converted in a prayermeeting one evening, and many returned home under a consciousness of their guilt and absolute need of a Saviour. This was the beginning of good days. Thence followed such scenes as will be indelibly pourtrayed upon the mind of every one who witnessed them. Frequently after preaching the congregation would remain upon their seats, as if unwilling to leave the consecrated spot-Prayers have generally succeeded, in the time of which, many have been brought to sing redeeming love. Not only. were sinners awakened and converted, but christians were built up in the Lord, and backsliders reclaimed from their Laodicean security.

Soon after this, the work began in Patchogue; a place once notorious for inattention to religion, especially among the youth, who were much given to the vain recreations of life; and professors in general had become formal and dead. But suddenly the place assumed a different appearance, and the people in general became alarmed. The youth who were once so eager to pursue their vain delights, now saw their frivolity, and deeply bewailed their folly and mis-spent moments. Instead of the nightly revel and unprofitable conversation, companies met together to pray with and for each other, and improve their time with reference to a future state. Conversions were numerous, and many of them clear and convincing. Within the space of a few weeks, upwards of one hundred souls, it was thought, were made the happy subjects of pardoning grace.

In Moriches the work commenced under the preaching of brother M. Some young women were awakened and converted the same evening, and soon after many others became the subjects of the work. Though it was not so general as in many places, it was observed to be very genuine. In a place so long destitute of religious revivals as this, such a work was much needed, and was peculiarly interesting and pleasing to the children of God.

In Islip, Babylon, and Stony-Brook, was a similar work for several weeks, and many were brought from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God. Since the commencement of our labours on this circuit, we have added to our societies one hundred and seventy members and have had occasion to expel but very few.

Though this part of God's heritage has heretofore been favoured with the out-pouring of the Spirit, this is thought to be the most general and powerful that ever was known by the most aged inhabitants among us.

And, considering the greatness of the work, but very few have manifested much declension. Convictions have generally been deep and pungent, and conversions clear and satifactory.Other denominations have, in some places, shared in the gracious visitation. How many have been added to them I know

not.

POETRY.

STANZAS, WRITTEN IMPROMPTU, ON FINDING IN MY BROTHER'S WRITING-DESK a slip of paper, contAINING THE FOLLOWING WORDS,

"Choose God for your portion."

(Inscribed to Oliver W. L. Warren.)

List'ning to pleasure's syren voice,
Or bound in passion's witching spell,
What numbers make a fearful choice!
And sink to hell!

Subdu'd alone by sovereign love,
My soul pursues a diff'rent road;
Her portion seeks in Heav'n above,
And chooses God.
Brother, is this thy happy choice?
And hast thou chos'n the better way?
Then, let my soul with thine rejoice,
And praise and pray.
The tear that wets my conscious cheek,
The grateful heart's enraptur'd swell,
Attests the joy no words can speak,
No language tell.
I've seen life's varying prospects rise,
In fancy's rainbow hues array'd,
And like the Iris' transient dyes,
Its pleasures fade.
Vain is the wealth of India's mines,
False is the charm that wit bestows,
And vain, the holly wreath that twines

The Poet's brows.

But he, who makes the Lord his stay, Shall find his bliss forever sure; When earth, and all its hopes decay, Shall stand secure.

Brother, with zeal thy choice maintain,

Tho' earth and hell against thee rise; Thy course pursue, thy joy obtain, And win the prize.

For me, as far from thee I roam, Where wide Ontario's waters noll, The tender thought of Heaven, my home,

Shall soothe my soul. In twilight's pensive, lonely hour,

That sacred hour, so dear to me,
In some lone grot, or woodland bow'r
I'll pray for thee.

The world is but a weary way,
A dreary land, where pilgrims roam,
Where exil'd strangers sadly stray,
And sigh for home.

But there's a Heav'n of joy and light,
Where weary pilgrims sweetly rest,
And soon we'll wing our joyful flight
To Jesus' breast.
Oh, we shall meet on that blest shore !
Oh we shall join the holy throng,
And sing our toils and sufferings o'er,
A joyful song!
CAROLINE MATILDA.

THE

METHODIST MAGAZINE.

FOR JULY, 1818.

DIVINITY.

EVIDENCES OF THE TRUTH OF THE CHRISTIAN REVELATION,

Extracted from the new Edinburgh Encyclopædia.
(Continued from page 209.)

74. Ir Christianity be not true, then the first Christians must have been mistaken as to the subject of their testimony. This supposition is destroyed by the nature of the subject. It was not testimony to a doctrine, which might deceive the understanding. It was something more than testimony to a dream, or a trance, or a midnight fancy, which might deceive the imagination. It was testimony to a multitude, and a succession of palpable facts, which could never have deceived the senses, and which preclude all possibility of mistake, even though it had been the testimony only of one individual. But when in addition to this we consider, that it is the testimony not of one, but of many individuals; that it is a story repeated in a variety of forms, but substantially the same; that it is the concurring testimony of different eyewitnesses, or the companions of eye-witnesses-we may, after this, take refuge in the idea of falsehood and collusion, but it is not to be admitted, that those eight different writers of the New Testament, could have all blundered the matter with such method, and such uniformity.

75. We know that, in spite of the magnitude of their sufferings, there are infidels who, driven from the second part of the alternative, have recurred to the first, and have affirmed, that the glory of establishing a new religion, induced the first Christians to assert, and to persist in asserting, what they knew to be VOL. I.

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