will disclose. We must forsake all, deny ourselves, and follow Christ. The days of our pilgrimage will be short, and for these days the Lord will provide. He will take care of us; he will take care of those we love and leave behind; he will be our guide even unto death."

Diary. "January 11th, commenced labouring for Dr. M'Dowell, supplying his pulpit during his absence, "Wednesday, 25th March, 1819. Important day! This evening was married by the Rev. Mr. Schenck, to Miss Mary W. Ferguson.-May the Lord of heaven bless our union.

"Sabbath, 26 April, closed my ministry in Elizabethtown. 20th of May, commenced our journey to Ohio. 18th June, arrived safely, after a very fatiguing journey, at Dayton. Cordially received by every person we meet. Here let me set up my Ebenezer, for the Lord hath helped us, preserved us from accidents and dangers, seen and unseen, and brought us to our desired haven in safety,

"Sabbath, preached to a full house from Acts x. 29. 'I ask therefore for what intent ye have sent unto me.' July 9th, attended presbytery at Unity, was received under the care of the Miami Presbytery. May my union with them be blessed. Sabbath 19th. Not as many people out to day as usual. Why this? Perhaps the Lord means to try me; O may I have grace to do his will, Sabbath 26th. This has been a hard day's work; I am not in my usual health; I must fly to the promise, as thy day is so shall thy strength be.

"Wednesday 26th August, the Presbytery met in this town for my trial and ordination. I opened Presbytery with a sermon from 2 Timothy, ii. 3, which had been assigned as a subject of popular discourse for trial. May I remember my own sermon. Thursday, passed my examination, which was sustained. At eleven repaired to the church for ordination. Rev. Mr. Gray preached from Daniel xii. 3. They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever.' The Rev. Mr. Thompson presided and gave the charge;

O may this day never be forgotten by me! God has now given me the desire of my heart by putting me into the ministry. May his Spirit be with me; O let me not labour in vain and spend my strength for nought." Close of diary.

יי..

Sabbath, August 30th. The church was very crowded; the solemn transactions of the past week were fresh on the minds of all. The text was from Ezekiel iii. 17. "Son of man, I have made thee a watchman to the house of Israel; therefore hear the word at my mouth and give them warning from me." After mentioning the duties required in the commission, he added, "Every relative and personal duty should be inculcated, and every danger if possible be pointed out; all this is to be done with the judgment seat in view, and in such a manner as God has directed. It is to be done under the certain knowledge that the warning will prove a savour of life unto life or of death unto death. Who then is sufficient for these things? Let the watchman stand in his place with his hands to his work and his eye upon the awful glories of the judgment seat. Let him remember he is to go from the pulpit, the study, the social circle, to the bar of God;-to him who gave the commission and made him a watchman. With such a prospect, with such an account before him, what manner of man ought he to be in all holy conversation and godliness. If he be found faithful, he shall receive a crown of glory. He is not accountable for his success but for his fidelity. In the afternoon he preached from Luke viii. 18. "Take heed therefore how ye hear." In the evening attended the Bible class at four o'clock, and with this exercise closed his pastoral duties in the Dayton church. He laboured very hard from the time of his arrival in Dayton, but when remonstrated with, his language was, hinder me not, I have a great work to perform. To instruct the young was Mr. Wilbur's delight;-among them he was as a father;-over them he watched with all tenderness and care, for they were the lambs of the flock. They were borne on his heart in life and even in death they were not forgotten. He laboured as if he had a presentiment that his time was

short. Sometimes when he would seem quite exhausted, he would say, O if the Lord would grant us a revival my work would then be easy.

[To be concluded in our next.]

HOLY AFFECTIONS NECESSARY TO THE RIGHT UNDERSTANDING OF DIVINE TRUTH.

[For the Monitor.]

MEN, whose affections are not set on God, know not the things of the Spirit, however deep their penetration. They may spend their days in the study of the Bible, make great attainments in what is accessible to the intellect, united with mere animal feeling, and think that their views of divine things are clearer than those of prophets or apostles. Although they should speak in such lofty strains as to fill angels with wonder, yet a dark veil is upon their own hearts. They are morally blind, and should the great mystery of godliness be unfolded before them, they would not discover its excellence, any more than blind men would see the beauties of the rainbow.

We cannot judge of natural things, much less of heavenly, except they excite feeling by making an impression upon some of our powers; and religion is of such a nature, that it can make no impression, so as to be understood, upon any, who do not exercise holy feeling. The great reason why the Jews did not understand Christ was, that they had not the love of God in them.

In order to understand the truths of revelation, the - nature of our affections must be heavenly, must be produced by the Holy Spirit, who teaches all things. When faith, which works by love, is in exercise; and hope enters into that within the veil; when we hunger and thirst after righteousness, and have a conscience void of offence towards God and man, then will our feelings be a heavenly guide to our understanding.

Holy affection will influence us in proportion to its

strength, to contemplate what is revealed. "O how love I thy law, it is my meditations all the day." That a subject occupies the thoughts to the same extent, that it engrosses the affections, is a well established principie. And our knowledge of what we can comprehend, corresponds to our perseverance in close investigation. Pious affections lead us to study the word of God; and we are rewarded by a proportionable degree of religious knowledge. Besides, they cause the Christian to pray. "Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law." He prays with a humble, teachable disposition, which secures the fulfilment of the promise, "If any lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him. "He that asketh receiveth;" like him who said, "Give thy servant an understanding heart, and the speech pleased the Lord," and he granted the petition. Holy men of every age avail themselves of this privilege in order more successfully to search out the truths of revelation; and we are assured, that "they who seek the Lord understand all things." At times the glories of the Deity seem to center in their souls, and to add lustre to all their perceptions of heavenly things, while engaged in fervent prayer; the word of God is then a lamp to their understandings to lead them in the ways of knowledge.

Christians may be expected to have a degree of illumination in proportion to their holy affection. The anointing, which they have received of God, teaches them all things. The eyes of their understanding are enlightened, that they may know what is the hope of God's calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, and what the exceeding greatness of his power towards them. They are spiritual and judge all things. Their hearts are heavenly, and while laying up their treasures in heaven, they cannot but see its own native loveliness. By giving them a new heart, overflowing with holy affections, God has "brought them out of darkness into his marvellous light," and is shedding upon their hopes, his holiness and glory, making their knowledge wonderful, giving

them assurance, that they shall hereafter be restored to his image, and be like his beloved Son, who has already taken up his abode in their hearts. Hear them describe what they see and feel; there is an impress of reality, a radiation of divine glory in what they bring to view; they are borne, as on a flood of light towards a glorious eternity, with a heart panting after the living God. The deeper their religious feeling the more enlightened will be their understanding. Their pure affection is almost constantly bringing them nearer the Deity, in whose light they may behold all that is glorious; while all who are destitute of holy love, will grope in thick moral darkness.

"THE following night the moon took her station still higher, and looked brighter than before, insomuch that it was remarked of the lesser stars in her vicinity, that, many of them were paler, and some no longer visible As their associates knew not how to account for this, they naturally enough presumed that her light was fed by the accession and absorption of theirs; and the alarm became general, that she should thus continue to thrive by consuming her neighbours, till she had incorporated them all with herself.

"Still, however, she preserved her humility and shamefacedness, till her crescent had exceeded the first quarter. Hitherto she had only grown lovelier, but now she grew prouder at every step of her preferment. Her rays too became so intolerably dazzling, that fewer and fewer of the stars could endure their presence, but shrouded themselves in her light as behind a veil of darkness. When she verged to maturity, the heavens seemed too small for her ambition. She rose in clouded majesty,' but the clouds melted at her approach, or

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