most appalling utterance given to me-matters uttered by me in this power of which I had never thought, and many of which I did not understand until long after they were uttered-an enlarged comprehension and clearness of view given to me on points which were really the truth of God (though mingled with many things which I have since seen NOT TO BE TRUTH, but which THEN HAD THE FORM OF TRUTH)—great setting out of Christ-GREAT JOY AND FREEDOM IN PRAYER— and seemingly, GREAT NEARNESS OF COMMUNION WITH GOD, IN THE MIDST OF THE WORKINGS OF THE POWERthe course of the power quite contrary to the course of excitement. It was manifest to me the power was supernatural; it was therefore a spirit. It seemed to me to bear testimony to Christ, and to work the fruits of the Spirit of God. The conclusion was inevitable, that it was the Spirit of God; and if so, the deduction was immediate, that IT OUGHT IN ALL THINGS TO BE OBEYED. Awful, therefore, is the mistake, if a seducing spirit is entertained as the Holy Spirit of Jehovah. Looking back upon it now, I can only say, all this seeming demonstration of truth and holiness would not have been permitted to deceive us, if we had not forgotten the text, 'SATAN HIMSELF IS TRANSFORMED INTO AN ANGEL OF LIGHT.'”!!1

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The writer was, by the blessing of God, ultimately delivered as a bird out of the snare of the fowler," by having had clearly revealed to him, the lying and

1 Narrative, pp. 21-23. 2 Psa. cxxiv. 7.

contradictory nature of the utterances themselves; as well as the false doctrines which were taught, and confirmed in power by the spirits uttering them! And he states, in the preface to his second edition, that his "Narrative" had, under God, been "made instrumental to the opening of the eyes" of some who had been "under the delusion." May the Lord grant His blessing on this brief summary of it likewise.

And here I would note, that the power of Satan is such, that he not only can deceive men, by appearing to them as "an angel of light;" but that he can also confer special gifts upon them, and increase those natural gifts, which they already possess: which he will do, if he can only induce them to employ these gifts in his service: and as the Rev. Edward Payson, D.D., long ago also discovered, he can moreover counterfeit every mark of a real Christian, except” one-and that is, "a growing acquaintance with the desperate wickedness and surpassing deceitfulness of the heart!" For it is the Holy Ghost alone, Who can truly "convince" the sinner of his "sin." And I will, therefore, conclude this Section, by giving an

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1 Life of Payson, p. 208.

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2 John xvi. 7-9. It is quite true, that when it suits Satan's purpose, he can make sin appear very terrible to the sinner, in order to drive him to despair of mercy, or induce him to believe that he has committed the unpardonable sin: but this is only conviction of the guilt of sin, which natural men may have under the law: but the conviction of sin under the Gospel by the Holy Ghost, is the conviction of sin in its nature and essence, as being against God, &c. Psalm li. 4, 5, 17.

example in point, under each of the above heads, by way of a final admonition on this all-important subject. Colonel Meadows Taylor, in his "Story of My Life," from which I have already quoted, says, on one occasion, that "there were great rejoicings on the recovery of the Rajah, and among other entertainments a Hindoo Play, which I had never seen before, taken from the Bhagwat, or recitation of the poem relating to Krishna.

"The chief performer was a handsome young girl, who was a capital actress and singer, very richly dressed. She personated one of Krishna's wives, lamenting his absence from her! The text was given in recitation, with here and there an air and chorus, the language, Canarese, which I could not follow. One plaintive air with a chorus was excellently given, and I wish I had been able to take it down. Her acting was admirable: grief, sadness, hope, jealousy, despair, all depicted in turn, and her joy at the last when she found she had been tormenting herself for nothing after all! Yet the whole was performed by stonecutters, who could neither read nor write; and the plays had been learned by rote; and were traditional in their families" ! !1

Dr. Payson, writing to his mother, on the 10th of August, 1808, says :-" One person who was esteemed by Mr. K., and the whole church, and by myself too, not only as a Christian, but a very eminent one, of

1 Story of my Life, vol. i., pp. 319, 320.

whose religion I had not the least doubt, and who appeared very humble and broken-hearted, and in short, to be everything we could wish, has discovered that she was building on the sand! She had been a professor some time, but had never heard of, or suspected, the difference between holy and selfish love, and is now fully convinced that all her love was of the latter kind! As she possesses good sense and information, the accounts she gives of her experience, while destitute of religion, are very profitable, and open to the view new ways in which persons may be deceived, of which I had scarcely any conception!"1

And he says again :-" The manner in which people obtain a false hope, is generally this: they first believe that God is reconciled to them, and then are reconciled to Him on that account; but if they thought that God was still displeased with, and determined to punish them, they would find their enmity to Him revive. On the contrary, the Christian is reconciled because he sees the holiness of the law which he has broken, and God's justice in punishing him; he takes part with God against himself, cordially submits to Him, and this when he expects condemnation. He is reconciled, because he is pleased with the character of God; the false convert, because he hopes that God is pleased with him." 2 And he adds:-" One mark of the true convert is, that he continues to repent of his sins, after he hopes that they are pardoned. All that the hypo

1 Life of Edward Payson, p. 147. 2 Ib., p. 269.

crite desires, is salvation from punishment; and when he thinks this end secured, he feels no concern respecting his sins. But the true Christian desires to be saved from sin; and his hatred of sin, and repentance for it, increase in proportion as his assurance of heaven increases. Another mark is, that all disposition to make excuses is taken away. The repentant sinner feels willing to lie at God's feet, and confess his sins, without even wishing to excuse them."1

"Wherewithal," then, " shall a young man cleanse. his way? By taking heed thereto according to Thy word." For "the entrance of Thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding to the simple." "O send out Thy light and Thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto Thy holy hill, and to Thy tabernacle." "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path."5 Trust," therefore, "in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding"—which we have seen, that it is the special object of the demons to induce those who have been deceived by them to do! 6

"In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths."7 "If," therefore, "any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.