let this love influence and guide all my thoughts, words, and actions; and let my whole life be one continual fcene of praise and thanksgiving!

Now I fearch in vain for my fears; I have left them at the foot of the crofs; they are drowned in the fea of unbounded love and grace. Why may I not join the fong of angels, in afcribing falvation to Him that fitteth upon the throne, and to the Lamb, for ever and ever?

SIGNS OF A LIVING OR GROWING CHRISTIAN.

[From a valuable author of the last century.]

The righteous shall flourish like a palm-tree; he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Pfalm xcii. 12.

SIGN 1.

IGN 1. When
When your chief delight is with the faints;
especially them that excel in virtue. Pfalm xvi. 3.

2. When the fmitings of the righteous are not a burden to you, and you can hear of your faults with affectionate attention. Pfalm cxli. 5.

3. When Jefus Chrift, in the midst of temptation, is more to you than all the world. Phil. iii. 8.

4. When reproach for Chrift makes you not ashamed of Chrift. Mark, viii. 38. Heb. xi. 26.

5. When wandering thoughts in time of duty find less entertainment than formerly. Pfalm cxxxix, 23. 1 Cor. xiii. 11.

6. When length of standing in the profeffion of Chrif tianity works increase of hatred to all fin. Pfalm cxix. 104

-113.

7. When you carry about with you a conftant Jealousy over your own heart, that it turn not aside from God and goodness. Prov. xxviii. 14.

8. When every known new mercy begets new thankfulnefs, and that with delight. Pfalm cxlv. 2.

9. When known calamity in God's houfe begets deep forrow in your heart. Neh. i. 4.

10. When God's afflicting you for your fins makes you love God the better. Pfalm cxix. 75.

11. When the fame care and travail you at first laboured in to get Chrift, is as much, if not more, laboured in to keep Chrift. Heb. vi. 11, 12.

VOL. I.

Yy

12. When a feeling fenfe of the peace and edification of the church of God lies fo near your heart, that you can prefer it above your chief concerns. Pfalm cxxxvii. 6. Rom. xiv. 19. 2 Cor. xi. 9.

13. When, under deep diftrefs or languishing, the word of God is precious to you. Pfalm cxix. 92.

14. When any condition, though in itself mean, as it comes from God, is moft welcome. Job, i. 21. Hab. iii. 17, 18.

15. When the peace of Chrift's houfe begets chief joy in your heart. Pfalm cxxii. 7, 8, 9.

16. When chief care to avoid all fin is as truly occa fioned through fear of dishonouring God, and incurring his prefent displeasure as wrath to come. Neh. v. 15. Gen. xxxix. 9.

17. When the least apprehenfion of God's withdrawing makes you feek him more earneftly in fuch ways wherein he will be found. Pfalm lxiii. 1.

18. When every company is burdenfome to you, that is not defigning your Father's glory, but derogating therefrom. Pfalm cxx. 5. 2 Pet. ii. 7, 8.

19. When the fins of others come fo near your heart, that you walk fadly to fee fuch perfons tranfgrefs God's commandments. Pfalm cxix. 136.

20. When the light of your understanding grows more ftrong to your making judgment of fpiritural things according to God's word. Eph. i. 18.

21. When bitter things become fweet to you, as they are fquared by, and founded on, the will of God. Matt. xxvi. 38, 39. Acts, xxi. 14.

22. When the path of the humble is fo delightful, that you'd rather be with them, than in the tents of the ungodly. Acts, xx. 19. Acts, xx. 19. Pfalm lxxxiv. 10.

23. When your pity is fuch to perifhing people, that you cannot but weep at the thoughts of their ruin. Luke, xix. 41. Jer. ix. 1. Phil. iii. 18, 19.

24. When the yoke of felf-denial, as impofed by Christ Jefus, is not grievous, but pleasant to you. Matt. xi. 29, 30. Mark, x. 28.

25. When the force of the refurrection and judgment to come, lies fo close at your heart, that it makes you answer every call of Chrift to do or fuffer cheerfully. 2 Cor. v. 9, 10. Acts, xxiv. 15, 16.

26. When increase of time in Chrift's acquaintance works increase of delight in communion with Christ. Pfa. xcii. 12. 13, 14.

27. When in the walk of faith you are more frequent, and lefs depend upon walking by sense. 2 Cor. v. 7. Gal. ii. 20.

28. When the majefty of the great God, confidering how visible you are in his fight, hath an awful prevalence upon your heart. Job, xxxi. 4.

29. When you are at open war and conftant hoftility with bosom sin, as difpleafing to God, and forbidden by his law. Pfalm xviii. 23.

30. When you have a thirsting care to get the power of godliness in your heart, rather than the form of godliness in the head, or outward profeffion. 2 Cor. i. 12.

31. When the worship of God, agreeable to his word, is highly prized, and faithfully practifed, in the worst of times. Mal. iii. 14, 15, 16.

32. When the foul is more hungry for the word of God, than the body is for temporal food. Job, xxiii. 12. Pfalm cxix. 72, 162.

SIGNS OF A DYING, OR DECAYING CHRIS

1. WH

TIAN.

WHEN you are fo indifferent to affemble, or frequent the church of God, that you can come, or you cannot come, at your own pleasure.

2. When, in your folemneft worship, you are quickly weary without warrantable cause.

3. When few fermons will please you; either you like not matter, or manner, or man, or place.

4. When you think you know enough.

5. When a small occafion will keep you from Chrift's table, or communion with the church of God.

6. When you have ufually no great mind to prayer.

7. When reading the Holy Scriptures is more burthenfome than delightful.

8. When you are mighty inquifitive after novelties or new things, rather than wholesome doctrine.

9. When you are fo little prepared for the folemn affemblies, that they come before you think of them, or long for

them.

10. When you come to the affembly more for fear of the brethren's eye, than Chrift's omnifcient and all-piercing eye.

11. When you will rather betray the name of Chrift Jefus, and the credit of his Gofpel, by your filence; than appear for it to your own fuffering and difparagement.

12. When, at a fmall offence, you are ufually fo impatient, that you commit great fin.

13. When you are more careful to get the words of Christ's people, than the fpirit of Chrift's people ;-the form and the power.

14. When you are not much troubled at your own mifcarriages, while they are kept from public view.

15. When you love least thofe Chriftians that deal most faithfully with you, in the opening your fores, and tendering you remedies.

16. When you pray more for afflictions being removed. than fanctified.

17. When under God's calamity, you can neither find neceffity, nor excellency, to humble yourselves by fafting and prayer.

18. When the thought of your bofom-luft, or any other fin, is more prevalent with you, than pleasing God.

19. When you are mighty curious about the leffer matters of God's law, and mighty careless about the weightier. 20. When the Holy Spirit's help to the great work of mortification, feems not of abfolute neceffity to you.

21. When you are fo ignorant of your spiritual standing, that you know not whether you grow or decay.

22. When increafe of time in Chrift's acquaintance, worketh decrease of affection to Christ's company.

23. When great fins feem fmaller, and fmall fins feem none at all.

24. When your tongue is frequent in complaining of leffer miferies, and filent in praifing for greater mercies.

25. When your fenfe of the great worth of time is fo fmall, that you are turned prodigal.

26. When a watchful care of a godly life, and Christian converfation, is more accidental than habitual.

27. When care for your body is ufually most pleasant, and care for your foul ufually most irksome.

28. When you are much a stranger to the practical part of meditation on the word and works of God.

29. When the thoughts of a dying Jefus, for your fins, doth little diffuade you from an unchriftian converfation. 30. When you can remember paft fins committed, rather with liking than lothing.

31. When you can fee fpectacles of morality carrying to their long home, and be as practically unconcerned, as

though yourselves were exempted from the like ftate of mortality.

32. When you find greater fatisfaction in the company of the world, than with the people of God.

THE UNKNOWN GOD.

WONDERFULLY REVEALING HIMSELF TO A POOR PAGAN.

P

EMMEHANUIT, an Indian of the first eminence in Martha's vineyard, and his wife, buried their first five children fucceffively, within ten days after the birth of each, notwithstanding all the efforts of Powaws and the ufe of medicines for their prefervation. In the year 1638, which was before the English fettled there, a fixth child was born. The mother, agitated with fear left this child alfo fhould die, and utterly defpairing of help from the means the had formerly tried, took the babe in her arms and walked out into the field, that there fhe might freely vent her forrows and her tears. While fhe was there, mufing on the infufficiency of all human help, the felt it powerfully suggested to her mind, that there is one Almighty God who is to be prayed to that this God hath created all the things that we see-and, that the God who had given being to herself, and all other people, and who had given this child to her, was easily able to continue his life.

Upon this, the poor pagan refolved that she would cry to this God for that mercy, which the accordingly did. The iffue was that her child lived; and her faith (such as it was) in Him, who thus anfwered her prayer, was wonderfully ftrengthened: The confideration of which caused her to dedicate this child to the fervice of that God who had preferved his life.

Soon after this the English came to settle in the island; and the Indians who had been prefent at some of their devotions reported, that the man who spoke among them frequently looked upwards. The woman hearing this, concluded that their affemblies were for prayers, and that their prayers were to that very God whom fhe had addreffed for the life of her child. In this opinion fhe was foon confirmed when Mr. Mahew preached the Gospel there to the Indians; which Gofpel the readily, chearfully, and cordially embraced. And in the confeffion fhe made at her admiffion into the church, fhe related that preparation for