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lowing him every where; and fearful noifes founded in his ears, fo that he could get no reft, but his very life was a burden to him.

Mr. Pyne gave him the beft counfel he was able, and reprefented to him the defign of our Lord's coming into the world to die for finners, and the fufficiency of his blood to cleanfe from all fin; affuring him that he would not cast out even fo great a finner, but would be found able and willing to fave him to the uttermoft.

The poor man liftened with great attention, but still knew not how to believe it was poffible for him to find mercy. Mr. Pyne exhorted him to apply to Chrift for falvation, and go to hear fuch minifters as preached redemption through his blood. He faid he would do fo gladly; but was going to embark the next morning on board a merchant's hip, for he had refolved never to enter in the curfed slave bufinefs any more. Mr. Pyne then proposed his going to Bristol tabernacle that evening, and a woman, who was near, offered to fhew him the way, to which propofal he very readily and thankfully acceded, after thanking Mr. Pyne for his good counfel. But what further effect either the fermon or this converfation had on his diftreffed mind, is at prefent totally unknown. S. C.

A SHORT NARRATIVE OF THE LIFE OF JOHN GOTTLIEB HOLBERG, A MEMBER OF THE LUTHERAN CHURCH, WRIT TEN BY HIMSELF.

WAS born Oct. 21, 1729, at Zuillichau. My mother has frequently related to me, that my late dear father, who was a pious man, dedicated me as his firft-born fon with many tears and fervent prayers to the Lord as his property; and his prayers were heard. Of my troublefome pilgimage through this world I may well fay,

With patience immenfe,
With love most intense,
The Lord led me on:

I'm loft in amazement when thinking thereon."

For when I review the great love of my faithful Saviour and confider that he has never been wearied of treating

me with unexampled patience and long fuffering; but whenever I withdrew from the noife of the world, was pleafed by his Spirit to draw me unto himself, my eyes are filled with tears of gratitude;-a thousand thousand thanks to thee, dearest Lord, for ever!

In my third year my father departed this life. I recol le& hearing a converfation of my mother, one Christmas, concerning the child Jefus Chrift. I enquired who that was, and was told, that he was God in Heaven, and that we Chriflians are called after his name. Thefe words made fuch a deep impreffion on my heart that I could not but weep for joy, that poor men fhould have fuch a divine and glorious name. While yet a child, I longed much to die, and go to Heaven, and frequently prayed for it. This defire was encreased in 1732, when my mother married again, and my ftep-father's treatment of me was not the mot kind. In my ninth year I was prefent when one of our neighbours departed this life, under great concern for the falvation of his foul; but uncertain what would become of him hereafter, having no one to adminifter advice and comfort to him. I was hereby led feriously to reflect upon the flate of my foul, and my diftrefs of mind was further augmented by the following circumftance: I went once to hear a fermon of the Rev. Mr. Steinbart; having fung the hymn,

"Jefus thou art my joy,

And therefore bleft am I," &c.

He addreffed his hearers to this effect: "How many may there not be in this large company, who, during the fing ing of this hymn, have publickly, and before the face of God, been lying unto him? For God's fake, do ask your own hearts whether this be true. The world, and what is in the world, the luft of the flesh, the luft of the eyes, and the pride of life; thefe are ftill your joy-how then can you call Jefus your joy?" &c. My heart was deeply affected, and I fhed a flood of tears, for I could not affirm, that Je fus was my only joy, and was therefore confcious that I had lied unto him, which became a fource of great uneafinefs to me. I went home in the greateft diftrefs, kneeled down in a fecret corner, and with numberlefs tears entreated God to pardon all the tranfgreffions of my paft life; and made a new furrender of myfelf to him, promifing to live unto him during the remainder of my life. Soon after, I related to one of my fchool-fellows, in whom I had noticed a fimilar awakening, the covenant I had made with the

Lord Jefus: we united in prayer to God, to have mercy upon us, and to render us well-pleafing unto him. We frequently met to pray together, and whenever one had noticed any thing wrong in the conduct of the other, during the. courfe of the week, a penance was inflicted on the tranfgreffor the Sunday following. We continued in this legal way, for about a quarter of a year, when we grew tired of it, and concluded, that it was quite impoffible to do what was pleafing unto God. My chearful and active difpofition foon led me astray, and it was not long before I excelled my companions in levity. Every fresh tranfgreffion threw me into new anxiety, and was followed by new refolutions to alter my courfe; but before I was aware of it, I was again entangled with fin, till at length I began to be afraid of my Maker, and to dread coming into his prefence. At home I applied with diligence to the learned languages, in order to qualify myself for the study of divinity, thinking if I could but get into office as a preacher of the Gofpel, 1 fhould be able to ferve God more zealoufly than I had done hitherto. But as I was about to go to the University, I heard fo many bad things related, concerning the courfe of the fludents, that I was afraid, left by being feduced to imitate their example, I should lose every impreffion of God, and all reverence for religion. I therefore prayed to the Lord, to make it clear to my heart what I fhould do; and was brought to refolve, that I would learn the bufinefs of my father, who was a tin-man, and brazier; of which refolution I have never had reafon to repent. But now I had many hardships to endure in externals, for my ftep-father was a very fevere man, and was thereby excited to apply in all my concerns to my dear Father in Heaven. If I met with any difficulty in my work, I always went into a folitary corner, fell on my knees, and implored his affiftance; and can truly fay, that my prayers were heard, and that thereby my confidence in him was confirmed. But ftill the true life from God was wanting in my poor heart. In 1750, I began to travel, and went first to Berlin. Here the parting words of my dear mother were a check upon my actions;—" My fon, faid fhe, avoid the great towns; great cities, great fins." It was not long before I found the truth of this, and came into great danger; and though I was preferved by an unfeen hand from falling into the faare, yet fuch an anxiety of mind feized me, that I refolved to leave Berlin immediately. I went to Ruppin, where I renewed all my good refolutions, prayed often, led a very retired and ftrict life, and was on my guard against grofs fins. But as my inwar

depravity occafioned me much uncafinefs, and, notwithftanding all my praying, the feeling of it ftill continued; I remained in a dark, unhappy ftate of mind, and began to defpair of ever enjoying true peace and happiness. About this time an awakened acquaintance of mine came from Berlin to Ruppin, who related many things to me concerning the children of God there. I was thereby induced to return to Berlin, 1751, where I worked in the houfe of Mr. Berger. To him I opened my whole heart; and told him I felt the want of fomething which I could not name, to eafe my mind, which was under conftant uneafinefs, and longing to be happy. He told me of the love of our Sa viour to finners, and related many things of the Moravian brethren, with whom he was connected. I requested him to take me with him to one of their meetings, which he did foon after. I there heard a difcourfe of brother Zacharias Hirfchel, which I never fhall forget: what he spoke made fuch an impreffion on my heart, that I was melted into tears, and felt what I cannot defcribe in words. For a confiderable time after, I was fo penetrated with a sense of the love of Jefus, that I felt completely happy. But by degrees this extatic feeling fubfided, and as the Holy Spirit began to give me a fiil deeper view of the depravity of my nature, fear and anxiety overcame me. After many fruitless attempts to renew the former happy feelings in my heart I at length gave it up, and feemed in a manner devoid of fpiritual life. I continued however to attend the meeting of the brethren, and the hand of God preferved me from grofs tranfgreffion. In 1752, I went to Potfdam, where I worked with brother Scheibe. This was a dangerous period for me. I was beloved and esteemed by the brethren there, which had no good effect upon my heart. The conftant uneafinefs of my mind would not let me reft long in one place, and I refolved to travel to diftant parts of the country. I went to Franckfort on the Mayne, but was not there long before the abovementioned brother Scheibe requested me, in the most pref fing terms, to return to him at Potfdam. I complied, and in the fequel it was made clear to me that it was the will of our Saviour I fhould remain in this place. In 1755, I was married to the fingle fifter Steinbeck: being both poor, we were at firft in very diftreffing circumftances, which were rendered more fo by the feven years war, which commenced foon after.-In the midst of our diftreffes we cried to our Saviour, entreating him not to put our confidence in him to fhame; he graciously heard our prayers, and foon after opened a way for me to begin a manufactory of ja

panned goods. I entered into partnership with brother Hollfield: but as our bufinefs was rather precarious in its commencement, he foon after diffolved the partnership, and left me to conduct it alone. Being once in diftrefs concerning my fubfiftence, I turned in prayer to the Lord; the confequence was, that a new invention in my manufac tory occurred to my mind, which I had no fooner carried into execution, than my external circumftances began to take a favourable turn. Many other inftances might be related of the providential interpofitions of God in my con cerns but inftead of being led by his goodness to a still more child-like dependance on him, I entered deeply into worldly fchemes, built many houfes, and laid out an extenfive garden for my pleafure; being defirous of enjoying all the comforts which the profperity of my external affairs would procure. Walking once in my garden, buried in thoughts of this nature, I was fuddenly feized with an anxiety of mind, which I cannot defcribe, occafioned by the reflection, that, though poffeffed of every external comfort, I was deftitute of what would render my foul happy. I fhed bitter tears, and cried out: "Lord Jefus, why doft thou permit my worldly affairs to profper? Thou knoweft how little I deferve it. Is it because I am to receive my portion here in this world, and to be fent away empty in the next? What will the whole world, with all its treafures profit me, if I do not poffefs thee? Rather take from me all temporal bleffings, and fend me to beg my way through the world, than fuffer my poor foul to be loft."

My faithful Saviour was attentive to this prayer; for soon after I loft a confiderable part of my property; and my garden, in which I prided myfelf fo much, was totally ruined by a flood. But now I began to be afraid that the latter part of my prayer might be literally accomplished: I therefore turned again in prayer to the Lord, intreating him to do with me what he thought beft; but not to fuffer me to beg my bread, for thereby I fhould be driven to despair. Thus, for a confiderable time, by humiliations and evident proofs of the interpofition of God, my affairs changed for my good: they produced this wholefome confequence, that my heart was thereby withdrawn from the world, and fixed upon my Saviour. About this time an awakened foldier came to the evening prayers held in my houfe, and received fuch an impreffion, that he requested permiffion to attend them again. By degrees the company increased, and an extenfive awakening took place. In the courfe of half a year, above

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