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will be saved. If they cordially approve of God's saving the elect and destroying the non-elect, they cordially approve of the gospel, which must save them. But if they heartily disapprove of God's saving the elect, and destroying the non-elect, they heartily disapprove of the gospel, which must destroy them. There can be no neutrality in this case.—— Every one must believe, or disbelieve the gospel. Every one must love, or hate the gospel.The kingdom of heaven is come nigh you, and you must enter in, or refuse to enter in. You know that many are called, but few are chosen. It is vain to hope that you can enter into the kingdom of God, without believing and loving both these truths. You have heard them from the mouth of the only Saviour, and you cannot forget them. They will meet you in health and in sick. ness, in life and in death, in time and eternity, and determine your final and eternal destination. God is now sincerely calling all, and it is as much as the soul is worth, for any one to reject, or make light of the call, or attempt to excuse himself. The door of mercy is open, and all things are now ready for your reception; and how can you escape, if ye neglect so great salvation.

For the Christian Magazine. Messrs Editors,

If you shall judge the following

worthy of insertion in your Magazine, it is at your service. It is an account of a conversion which took place several years ago, and the facts are stated from personal knowledge.

A. B. now Mrs. C. was a young woman of respectable connections in common life, cheerful in her disposition, of vigorous health, uncommonly active, and agreeably situated among her relatives and friends. She was warm in her friendship; and, though the farthest possible from an unworthy action, she loved the company of her young companions, and was fond of an occasional hour of gaiety and mirth in their society.

Her conversion took place as I have said, several years ago.She had been at her uncle's to pass an evening, with some friends. She went with rather more reflection than usual, though nothing particular lay on her mind ; and she spent the time much as she had often spent an evening, in nothing which would commonly be thought improper indeed, but yet in that light and trifling manner which is but too characteristic of youth in general.

She was living, at the time, with her sister who was married and settled in the neighbourhood. In returning home she must necessarily pass a certain street up which she always went in going to the house of God. She had pass

ed it in a similar way an hundred led to the thought of her guilt

times before perhaps, and always with as little reflection as she had passed any other street. But now the Lord's time had come, and she felt impressions to which, till now, she had been a stranger. The slight seriousness which had hung about her mind through the evening was now suddenly changed into most awful solemnity. Eternity seemed but a step from her.

and God's holiness, and to all the deep revolvings of solicitude, which are wont to fill a truly wounded spirit.'

Her sister and brother-in-law were professors of religion; but convictions like those of A. B. were strange things in their family. They neither knew them in themselves nor in their acquaintances. The appearance of A. B. therefore, was the more observed

A. B. had been in general re- and impressive. On meeting a ligiously educated; and formerly she had received many lessons of religious instruction from an em, inently pious man, then no more. Her sister too and family had great regard for religion. But A. B. now felt, for the first time, a lasting conviction of entire depravity.

The particular thought which the Holy Spirit was pleased to employ as a medium of conviction, was this-it was as she passed the street above mentioned--" Perhaps I shall never pass that street again; and up where I have

none

member of the family in the morn.
ing to whom she was particularly
attached, she said-after a consid-
erable time before she could say
any thing-will you forgive me ?'
It was spoken with a flood of tears.
Utterance was denied to
and she remained in silence.
Similar, at first, was her address
to almost all her friends, though
they, like this one knew of noth-
ing in which she had injured them
to which she could refer, and
could only understand her in ref-
erence to what she felt in general
for having so long neglected

so often been to the house of Christ.

prayer, perhaps I shall go DO In this state of mind she contin

more."
This was the thought,
nor could she dislodge it from
her mind. It followed her home,
and caused her a sleepless night.

Nor did the night pass with only this thought in mind. It was the rallying point for others, and a multitude that came like armed men and overwhelmed her in trouble for her soul. She was

ued several days, perhaps two or
three weeks, during which she
found no rest and no peace. The
impressions on her mind, though
variable in degree, were, in gene-
ral, pungent and powerful, and, at
times, exceedingly, so.
She ap-
peared to apprehend spiritual
things almost as sensible as ma-
terial things are apprehended.-

The purity and holiness of God; the odiousness of sin; her desert of punishment on account of sin, and especially her defilement with it; God's readiness to pardon were she only penitent and believing in Christ; the tender compassion of the Redeemer; and yet her awful exposure while continuing as she was-these, and similar thoughts seemed present to her mind as living, sensible realities. And it was striking to observe, how, from her appearance, there grew insensibly in every beholder a conviction of the truth and importance of religion. After a considerable time, a gradual composure and peace succeeded to pungent conviction and deep distress.

The change in A. B. was very manifest to all. She had no instantaneous consciousness of it herself, and the moment of release was not so sensibly marked by her as it is wont to be by many. But to all her acquaintances the change was unquestionable. With occasional interruptions from doubts whether her experience was genuine, her state was now that of uniform quietness and peace.There was also much of joy and happiness. All was calm. She was modest and rather reserved as to herself. But her tone of sentiment and moral feeling was highly evangelical and decided, and her apparent happiness in thoughts of God, and Christ, and heaven, and glory, was marked by all. Her anxiety for others

was noticable from the first. She was now also abundant in reading the bible and in prayer. And thus she continued to live while I knew her, ten years, and till about the time of her marriage, when a removal to a distant part of the country prevented my further particular acquaintance with her case. From occasional oppor

tunities of seeing her still, and especially from the high estimation in which know her to be held as a christian by all who know her best, I feel warranted in giving assurance that she adorns the doctrine of God our Savior.

But what I have in view is something further. And what I wish particularly here is, to call the attention of christian readers to what, from this, we see may be the importance of even a single conversion in common life. Judging from the effects of this, it may be immense.

As has been suggested already, the family in which A. B. lived though respectful towards religion and themselves, the united head being professors, was not acquainted with experimental religion. And tho' they always, with scarcely a single failure, attended public worship on the Sabbath, and kept it strict at home, yet they not unfrequently complained, if the doctrine of our depravity, or of regeneration, or of the election of grace was discussed. They believed these things, they would say. No doubt they are true. But they

did not think them profitable sub- of them, in a profession of relig

jects.

But the time had come when things were soon to assume a new aspect. Two in the family were much affected by what they saw in A..B. and in the course of a year, hoped they had found mercy. It may be observed here too, that for aught that is known they both sustain to this day an irreproachable christian character. But A.

ion. Not a few were more thoughtful; and one more now became hopefully pious. And here it may be observed of him, that he afterwards received an education preparatory, and is now a missionary among the Heathen, under the patronage of the American board. He lived in the same family with A. B.; and from about this time uncommon solicitude was felt for the family, and espec

B. and these her two friends were in the midst of a dark region.-ially for the heads of the family by Lightness and vanity had long had possession of the minds of the young throughout the place. Nor was the church, in many of its members, very spiritual. Many professors of religion lived without prayer in their families, or even the reading of the scriptures except on the Sabbath and very seldom perhaps on other days. It was also the custom for persons to make a profession of religion, or unite with the church, without pretending to have experienced religion, in their hearts; and as it would seem merely to provide for the more consistent baptism of their children. But now the meal had received the leaven. A. B. and her two friends made the place a subject of constant prayer. One more about this time, and much in the same lonely way, became serious and obtained hope. Things continued in this state four or five years, though a considerable blow was struck by the change in these few and their coming forth, most

A. B. and now by her three friends. They conversed and prayed over their state. And indeed religion was beginning to be more and more prominent in the family.But there was no special seriousness on the minds of any, more of them for some time. At length, however, Mrs.--the sister of A. B. and wife of Mr.--became impressed. And the praying members of the family were of course encouraged. They resolved to set a part an hour for prayer for themselves without the knowledge of the family, when the salvation of the family should be made the subject of particular supplication. Mean while the husband became impressed; and but a few days had passed, when, as they rose, very early one Sabbath morning, fortheir little meeting, who should they meet, on going down stairs, but Mr. and Mrs.--both rejoicing in hope and praising the Lord. It was almost too much for A. B. and her friends; and all

Then

mingled tears of joy. which was a new thing and a strange thing--Mr.-led in prayer. Though he had been a professor twenty years, he felt that he had never known the joys of true religion before. So thought also his wife, who had not been a professor so long by two or three years.

The influence of A. B's. conversion had hitherto been comparatively confined; but now it was to be felt more widely. Mr.her brother-in-law could not rest. He knew there were others in the church in the same state in which he had been; and trusting in the Lord, that his eyes had been opened, he wished some way to make his case known. Not many days passed before he had an opportunity to address a small neighborhood assembly. He simply stated his case. 'I did not make a profession thoughtlessly,' said he. did it from a sense of duty. But O,' continued he, I never knew the depravity of my heart, and how much I needed Christ. I never felt that I must be born again; but vainly trusted that somehow I had religion and did love God.- But,' he added, I have seen the emptiness of it all. My heart has appeared in a light in which I never saw it before--and now I hope have truly found the Savior.

He

is altogether lovely and precious. Havng thus stated his case, he then entreated any who might be in circumstances similar to what

his had been, to examine themselves and make thorough work of repentance. The few words. he said had a powerful effect."-He had been regarded as among the most religious of all the church; and it such was found to be his case, it was time indeed for others to look around. Although some scoffed, the consequence was as it has proved to this day in hopeful charity, that not less than five or six who were with him members of the church, were brought to see themselves and repent.

But this is not all. One of A. B's friends had himself friends ; & they through him or otherwise were several of them affected. Some of the children also of those who had been so long members of the church, seeing their parents impressed, became impressed themselves. Thus considerable seriousness spread through the society.

On the whole, not to mention others who apparently became pious in consequence of A. B's conversion, there may be reckoned as the fruit of it, first, one missionary among the Heathen; second, one pastor at home; third, two females also sharing with their husbands the burden of the sacred calling; fourth, three candidates looking forward to the ministry; and, fifth, one other young man also who died in the midst of his studies--not without leaving, however, a lasting remembrance in the minds of those who knew him

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