induce him to rise superior to such dreadful illusions. The judicious remarks at the end of this account were communicated to us by a very intelligent and faithful friend to the cause of Deism.

Extract from a letter of the Rev. George Scott, of Mill Creek, Washington County, Pennsylvania, to Col. William M'Farran, of Mount Bethel, Northampton County, P. dated Nov. 3, 1802.

My dear friend,

WE have wonderful times here. God has been pleased to

visit this barren corner with abundance of his grace. The work began in a neighbouring congregation, at a sacramental occasion, about the last of September. It did not make its appearance in my congregation till the first Tuesday of October. After society, in the night, there appeared an evident stir among the young people, but nothing of the appearance of what appeared afterwards. On Saturday evening following we had society, but it was dull throughout. On Sabbath-day one cried out, but nothing else extraordinary appeared.-That evening I went part of the way to Raccoon congregation, where the sacrament of the supper was administered; but on Monday morning a very strong impression of duty constrained me to return to my congregation in the Flats, where the work was begun. We met in the afternoon at the meeting-house, where we had a warm society. In the evening we removed to a neighbouring house, where we continued in society till midnight; numbers were falling all the time of society.-After the people were dismissed, a considerable number staid and sung hymns, till perhaps two o'clock in the morning, when the work began to the astonishment of all. Only five or six were left able to take care of the rest, to the number perhaps of near forty. They fell in all directions, on benches, on beds, and on the floor. Next morning the people began to flock in from all quarters. One girl came early in the morning, but did not get within one hundred yards of the house before she fell powerless, and was carried in. We could not leave the house, and therefore continued society all that day and all that night, and on Wednesday morning I was obliged to leave a number of them on the spot. On Thursday evening we met again, when the work was amazing; about twenty persons lay to all appearance dead for near two and a half hours, and a great number cried out with sore distress.-Friday I preached at Mill Creek. Here nothing appeared more than an unusual solemnity. That evening we had society, where great numbers were brought under conviction, but none feil. On sabbath-day I preached at Mill Creek. This day and evening was a very solemn time but none fell. On Monday I went to attend presbytery, but returned no

Thursday evening to the Flats, where society was appointed, when numbers were struck down. On Saturday evening we had society, and a very solemn time about a dozen persons lay dead three and a half hours by the watch. On Sabbath a number fell, and we were obliged to continue all night in society, as we had done every evening we had met before. On Monday a Mr. Hughes preached at Mill Creek, but no. thing extraordinary appeared, only a great deal of falling. We concluded to divide that evening into two societies, in order To accommodate the people. Mr. H. attended the one and I on the other. Nothing strange appeared where Mr. H. attended; but where I attended God was present in the most wonderful manner I believe there was not one present but was more or less affected. A considerable number fell powerless, and two or three, after lying some time, recovered with joy, and spoke near half an hour. One, especially, declared in a surprising manner the wonderful view she had of the person, character and offices of Christ, with such accuracy of language that I was astonished to hear it. Surely this must be the work of God! On Thursday evening we had a lively society, but not much falling down. On Saturday we all went to the Cross Roads, and attended a sacrament. Here were, perhaps, about 4000 people collected. The weather was uncomfortable; on the Sabbath-day it rained, and on Monday it snowed. We had thirteen ministers present. The exercises began on Saturday, and continued on night and day with little or no intermission. Great numbers fell; to speak within bounds, there were upwards of 150 down at one time, and some of them continued three or four hours with but little appearance of life. Numbers came to, rejoicing, while others were deeply distressed. The scene was wonderful: the cries of the distressed, and the agonising groans, gave some faint representation of the awful cries and bitter screams which will no doubt be extorted from the damned in hell. But what is to me the most surprising, of those who have been subjects among my people with whom I have conversed but three had any terrors of hell during their exercise. The principal cry is, O how long have I rejected Christ! O how often have I embrued my hands in his precious blood! O how often have I waded through his precious blood by stifling conviction! O this dreadful hard heart! 'Q what a dreadful monster sin is! It was my sin that nailed Jesus to the cross, &c.

The preaching is various; some thunder the terrors of the law---others preach the mild invitation of the gospel. For my part, since the work began. I have confined myself chiefly to the doctrines of our fallen state by nature and the way of recovery

through Christ; opening the way of salvation; shewing how God can be just and yet be the justifier of them that believe, and also the nature of true faith and repentance; pointing out the difference between true and false religion, and urging the invitations of the gospel in the most engaging manner that I am master of, without any strokes of terror. The convictions and cries appear to be, perhaps, nearly equal under all these different modes of preaching, but it appears rather most when we preach on the fulness and freeness of salvation.

"IN the fifth chapter of Mark we read a strange story of the Devil getting into the swine after he had been turned out of a man, and as the freaks of the Devil in that story and the tumble-down descriptions in this are very much alike; the two stories ought to go together.

And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes. And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains: Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces; neither could any man tame him. And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones. But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him, And cried with a loud voice, and said, what have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not. (For he said unto him, come out of the man, thou unclean spirit,) And he asked him, what is thy name? and he answered, saying, my name is Legion: for we are many. And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country. Now there was there, nigh unto the mountains, a great herd of swine feeding. And all the devils besought him, saying send us into the swine, that we may enter into them. And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine; and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand,) and were choked in the sea.'

The force of imagination is capable of producing strange effects. When animal magnetism began in France, which was while Doctor Franklin was minister to that country, the

wonderful accounts given of the wonderful effects it produced on the persons who were under the operation exceeded any thing related in the foregoing letter from Washington County. They tumbled down, fell into trances, roared and rolled about like persons supposed to be bewitched. The Government, in order to ascertain the fact or detect the imposition, appointed a committee of Physicians to inquire into the case, and Doctor Franklin was requested to accompany them, which he did.

The committee went to the Operator's house, and the persons. on whom an operation was to be performed were assembled. They were placed in the position in which they had been when under former operations, and blind-folded. In a little time they began to shew signs of agitation, and in the space of about two hours they went through all the frantic airs they had shewn before; but the case was, that no operation was performing upon them, neither was the operator in the room, for he had been ordered out of it by the Physicians; but as the persons did not know this, they supposed him present and operating upon them. It was the effect of imagination only. Docter Franklin in relating this account to the writer of this article, said, that he thought the Government might as well have let it gone on, for that as imagination sometimes produced disorders it might also cure some; and a similar remark may be made on this account from Washington County, for if it makes the people better livers than before, let it go on. It is fortunate however, that this falling-down and crying-out scene did not happen in New-England a century ago, for if it had the preachers would have been hung for witchcraft, and in more ancient times the poor falling-down folks would have been supposed to be possessed of a devil, like the man in Mark, among the tombs. The progress that reason and Deism make in the world, lessen the force of superstition, and abate the spirit of persecution.

FOR THE PROSPECT.

Mary, her Son, and the Ghost.

THIS wonderful story told by Matthew about the immaculate

conception of Jesus Christ the son of Mary by the Holy Ghost, has made such an impression upon unreflecting minds that it has become a sacred story, and believed to be such, by a vast number of the human species. It were to be wished that every

E

reflecting man would examine into the nature of such a story for himself, and see if he does not discover some deception in it, which has been imposed on the credulous for real facts; and in short is nothing but fabulous. The examination is certain worth making for ourselves.-Priests and Commentators have undertaken to unravel the whole affair, and say they can clear up all doubts and all misunderstandings, and if we will but believe them (and pray a 'little besides) they will make it all as clear as the sun at noon day, and yet they tell the story with such contradictions, which if there was nothing else, would be sufficient to make us think that they knew but little about it; for some say he was God, others say he was but a man, and some say he was both, that is, half God and half man, or the offspring of an heavenly ghost and an earthly virgin. On the whole, take the story which way you will, or altogether, and it has the appearance of being taken from one in the heathen mythology, (for that in the mythology is certain the most ancient) of Jupiter's encounter with the earthly woman. When Jupiter or Jove is said to have come down in one of his amorous moods and metamorphosed himself into the husband of Alcmene, a beautiful and chaste women, so deceived and embraced her. As soon as Jupiter was gone her real husband comes home and likewise embraces her; and the issue of this affair with Alcmene was twins, the one mortal, and the other immor. tal, or half God and half man; and likewise this son of Jupiter is said to have done many mighty wonders or miracles, and the same is said of Jesus.-I think that the story of Mary's son bears such a striking resemblance with that of Jupiter's, we may without profanation suppose it to be taken from the same Ideas. Now which of these two stories are the most authentic and sacred? I will not decide, but rather conclude one to be as foolish as the other.

BENEFICENCE.

THE proper exercise of wisdom, and the right use of riches, are not yet subject to legal regulations; and all the pleasing duties of beneficence are in our hands. We shall deservedly forfeit this privilege if we abuse it; or if we make the distinction we are favoured with in society, the occasion of mischief and injury to it. If the labourer thinks himself obliged by his wants, by his connections with his wife and children, and by the fear of bodily punishment, not only to refrain from