correction, they will rather won- | with the place, affigned me in the

world.

"How often have I defpifed the only Saviour of finful men? and fince I have been numbered among his followers, how unfaithful have I been, to the duties of my holy profeffion? I have folemnly engaged to view myself as my own no more, and to be wholly devoted to the Redeemer, in life and in death. How cold have been my affections towards him, who is the great Immanuel, God with us? In how many ways have I fought to fhun the crofs, and to enjoy the fmiles of an ungodly world? Chrift's kingdom is of infinite worth, but I have refused to promote its intereft as became me, and have fymbolized with the god of this world. I have abundant caufe for deep humiliation, that I have abused my mercies, and have been fo incorrigible under afflictions. Many promifes of amendment have I broken, and I have paid little regard to my covenant bonds. I might juftly be crushed

der that they have efcaped fo long, and have enjoyed fo much profperity. Saith the patient Chriftian in his afflictions, "I am convinced that I am a great finner, and that I deferve all the expreffions of divine wrath against the wicked, in time and in eternity. How fhamefully have I forgotten God and been unmindful of the rock of my falvation? I have refufed to give God the throne in my heart, and have been fetting idols there. I have fhamefulup ly neglected to reverence God's name and day, and have attended the ordinances of his houfe with coldness and indifference. I have not placed a juft value on the faith once delivered to the faints, and have not been valiant for the truth upon the earth. How unfaithful have I been in the difcharge of the duties which I owe to my family, to the church and to the com monwealth? I have neglected to inftruct, counsel and warn, thofe to whom I have had near accefs; and have faid to them by my ex-by the prefent rod, and become a ample, that religion is of no importance, and that worldly glory conftitutes the happinefs of man. What abundant caufe have I to mourn before God, that I have indulged fo much malice towards my fellow men? that I have been fo unwilling to forgive my enemies? and have been fo ready to rejoice at their overthrow? What impure thoughts have I indulged, and how much have I done to encourage the licentious in their conduct? I have not maintained the juftice, the mercy or the truth, which the divine law and the gospel requires. I have coveted my neighbor's fubftance and enjoyments; I have envied his fuperior profperity and gifts, and have been discontented

monument of God's everlafting wrath. I fhould have no jutt cause of complaint, were I deprived of all hopes, and doomed to dwell in the regions of eternal defpair. But, O thou God of grace! fave me I beseech thee! Correct me in measure and in mercy. Let it be the fruit of this affliction to take away fin, and to prepare me for the fervice and enjoyment of thyfelf forever!" When fuch are the breathings of the heart in a time of trouble, affliction is not fent in vain unto the subject.

When God's children are under the rod, they will be convinced of the wifdom, as well as the juftice, of the present chastisement. O Chriftian, is thy world.

er thy heart has not been too much placed upon it, and whether this extraordinary attachment has not rendered it neceffary that thy prefent lofs fhould be fuftained.

ly fubftance taken from thee? | whether thou waft not unthankThou wilt be led to inquire, wheth-ful to him who was the health of thy countenance. Perhaps thou hadft fome favorite plan to accomplish, and waft confident that thy ftrength and vigor would be continued until thou hadst realized thy ftrong hopes. Is it not juft and wife in God, to convince thee of thy arrogant prefumption, by making thee to feel that thy breath is in thy noftrils, and that thou muft foon be laid in the grave? Haft thou not caufe to blefs God that he is now teaching thee the vanity of this world, and exciting thee to ripen for the joys of a glorious immortality?

Set thy affections more abundantly on things which are above, and be more engaged than ever in laying up a treasure in heaven. Haft thou met with ingratitude and unkindness from one of thy fellow-creatures on whom thou haft conferred many benefits? Let this requital of evil for good ferve to teach thee the folly of trusting in an arm of flesh, and engage thee to trust in the living God. Haft thou not fondly doated on the person who now feeks to pierce thee to thy heart? Let the reception of evil for good bring thy benevolence to the trial, and engage thee to imitate thy Saviour in the forgiveness of enemies. Hath God taken from thee, by death, thy bofom friend, or the child of thy love? Afk thyself whether the deceafed had not taken the place of God in thy heart, and rendered the prefent blow a neceffary one for thy beft good. Be affured that thou muft be divorced from thy idols, or from God. And as thou art one of his children, he will take from thee the object of thy idolatrous love. Thy cafe would be deplorable indeed, if under thy bereavement thou couldft juftly take up the lamentation of Micah, "Ye have taken away my gods, and what have I more?" Art thou in a ftate of languish-fhall be ftill and know that the ment, or pain of body, and haft Lord He is God. We fhall no thou wearifome days and weari- longer fay, any other trouble rafome nights appointed unto thee?ther than the prefent, and any Inquire whether thou waft not other time to endure it rather than too confident of the continuance the prefent; but we fhall fay, of health in former days, and " O Lord, thy will be done, both

We are inclined to fay, that fome other affliction would be better fuited to promote our beft good, than the present, and that fome other time would be a more fit time than the period that is chofen. But how incompetent judges are we, what is wifeft and beft to be done? If we were to be our own judges in the prefent cafe, we should strive to pitch upon a trial, and for a time of fuffering, which would lead us to avoid the crofs, and leave us ftrangers to our own hearts. We might, indeed, by planning for ourselves, be involved in far greater difficulties than the prefent, and fink into defpair. God, who knoweth our particular frame and temper, beft knoweth when and how to try us, and how long to continue us under the rod. If we derive fpiritual benefit from the afflictions which we endure, we shall be humbled for our fins, and we

as to the kind and continuance of affliction. ¡Oh, caufe me to adore thy juftice and thy wisdom, and humbly to implore thy mercy."

to recollect, as the once was, a more full and interefting account might have been obtained. The account, in fubftance, as written from her mouth, is as follows.

I was thoughtful about my foul's falvation from childhood; and entertained fome hope that I met with a change of heart, when I was about 9 or 10 years of age. My mind was then very tender, and often affected with divine

Those who make the knowledge of their hearts their ftudy, will not pafs through days of adverfity, without discovering more than ever before their fins, and without viewing them in new points of aggravation. Sins which bad been forgotten will be called to remembrance, and the aggra-things. I remember my mother vating circumftances which attended them will rush upon the mind. The humbled penitent will now feel, that the divine juftice would shine with distinguished brightness in his eternal condem"nation, and will be excited with great and earneft importunity to implore the divine mercy.

(To be continued.)

Memoirs of Mrs. Sarah Dimmuck.

MR

once faid, in my hearing, that if fhe fhould be faved, and any of her children fhould be loft, fhe fhould acquiefce in their condemnation; which very much affected my mind. After my mother was taken from me, I began to feel more fenfibly the neceffity of hav ing a friend in God, and obtaining pardon and fantification. Accordingly I fet myself more earnestly to feek the divine favor. At times, when the lofs of my pious and tender mother was fresh in my mind, my concern for my falvation was fo great, that I tho't I could be willing to fubmit to the lots, even of fo dear a mother, and to experience a fimilar lofs every day, were it poffible, if it might be fanctified to bring me to the choice of God for the guide of my youth and my eternal pòrtion. But this engagedness lafted not long. By degrees youthful follies and vanities drew off my attention, and abated the fervor of my mind towards eternal things. I had, however," frequent alarms, and as frequently renewed my ref

RS. SARAH DIMMUCK, confort of Deacon Oliver Dimmuck of Mansfield, Connecticut, was born Sept. 9th, 1744, in Mansfield, of pious and reputable parents-Capt. Samuel and Mrs. Sarah Gurley. When fhe was in the 12th year of her age, her mother departed this life, in the triumphs of hope, faith, and holy joy. At, or about this time began the following exercifes of mind; which fhe is defirous to have recorded as a teftimonial of the divine goodnefs, truth and faithfulness, and in hope that by the bleffing of God, it may be ufeful to her children and friends,olutions to be for God and devote and others who may read.

myself to his fervice. I continu

By reafon of great and longed to have fuch-like exercises of continued weaknefs, fhe was unable, at the penning of this narrative, to give more than fome general hints of her exercifes--whereas, had she been able to write, or

mind till I was about 20 years of age; at which time it pleased God to give me a deep fenfe of the evil of fin. It now appeared in its true colors, exceeding finful; and

ments which prevailed in that day, relative to the end and defign of the means of grace, the terms of admiffion into full communion in the church, and many other points. I spent much'the't and labor refpecting thefe things, but till found my mind involved in darkness and doubts.-At length I became fatisfied, that however important it may be to underfland, and be rightly established in these points, yet the most effential thing to be attended to, is, the practice of religion. The duties of the first and second table, I found to be plain and eafy. There was no doubt in refpect of my duty to love God, and obey him in all his revealed will. Accordingly I formed a resolution to spend more of my time and strength in doing what God in his word and providence fhould point out to be my prefent duty ;-and God was pleafed to make obedience very pleafant and delightful, so that I could fay that I ran in the ways of his commandments with great de. light. My whole mind and heart feemed to centre in a defire to obey God's will, with my might. And tho' I faw great deficiencies in my best services, yet this was not a difcouragement, but rather an excitement to ftrive for greater perfection in obedience. Not that I expected or wished to be jufti fied in this way; the way of jus tification thro' the atonement and righteoufnefs of Chrift appeared all-glorious; and to this way my foul cleaved in the utter rejection of all others. It was the reason. ablenefs and fuitablenefs of obedi

I felt myself exceedingly bowed down under the weight of it. In this flate I continued for feveral months. In the 20th year of my life I entered the marriage ftate foon after which, this burden of fin continuing, Satan was permitted greatly to diftrefs my mind with temptations and evil fuggef tions. It was fometimes fuggeft. ed that I fhould be immediately carried away, or destroyed in an awful and furprifing manner that my fins were unpardonable, and my damnation fure and certain. I was harrassed with doubts relative to the being of a God, and blafphemous tho'ts refpecting his perfections and government till at length, being almoft worn out by diftrefs and sanguifh of mind, thro' the buffetings of Sa tan, I faw that I could do nothing that I had no ftrength to defend or help myself that all my ftrug gles availed nothing, and that if I perished I must perifh; and was about to give up all for loft, when, to my apprehenfion, Satan was reftrained, and things were opened to my view in a far different man ner from what they had been, at leaft for months and years before. I now viewed the blood of Chrift fufficient to wash away all fin, felt furprisingly freed from the burden of fin, and falvation for my foul appeared poffible. Often did groan out, while borne down with the burden of fin, Oh, who fhall deliver me from the body of this death But now I faw the blood of Chrift fufficient to remove the guilt, fubdue the power, and wash away the pollution of fit. This ftate of mind, and thefe views Ience to God that captivated my had, about the time of the birth foul to it; and I longed to exprefs of my first child, which was in the my love and fubmiffion to God 22d year of my age. After this in this way. This ardor and demy mind was much disgusted by light in God's fervice, was not, the difputes and different fenti. I however, uninterrupted, during VOL. IV. No. 11.

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