For the Christian Journal. "the sword of the spirit, which is the Reminiscences of a deceased Clergy word of God." It is the truths, the man. It is truly interesting and delightful to witness the power and efficiency of evangelical truth, when brought to bear directly and fully upon the human mind. This view of its moral and inherent force cannot fail to deepen and strengthen our conviction of the divine origin of the Christian religion. To see the simple, unembellished truths of the Bible, after learning and eloquence, and powers of reasoning that seem allied to angelic intellect, have exerted and exhausted all their force in the effort "to convert a sinner from the error of his way," and accomplished nothing-to see the simple, unembellished truths of the Bible proclaimed perhaps by the humblest and most obscure herald of the cross, becoming "the power of God unto salvation," awakening from the deep slumbers of spiritual death, and arousing to anxious solicitude about eternal things, those very minds which had remained uninfluenced and unmoved by all the gigantic powers of the most exalted human intellect, clothing its conceptions in language the most beautiful, and uttering its glowing sentiments in tones the most thrilling; surely this cannot fail to convince us most conclusively, that there is a moral power and divine reality in the truths of the Gospel. We have often witnessed instances of this kind; men of the most exalted talents, capable of presenting their thoughts in the most captivating form, and in their utterance, of imparting to them all the charms and power of melody, have often laboured, and laboured in the attempt to "convert the sinner from the error of his way" to no effect. It was not because they had talents and eloquence that they were unsuccessful, but because they were not wielding the right weapons, the plain, naked truths of the gospel. Every unconverted sinner, with all his acknowledgments of being what he should not be, is clad with ideas of his own excellence and righteousness, which, like an impervious coat of mail, can be pierced by no weapon, but VOL, XIII. plain, unvarnished truths inscribed upon the pages of the New Testament, that become to the hearts of men "sharper than any two edged sword,” and "mighty to the pulling down of the strong holds" of sin. As a matter of taste as well as of conscience, it becomes the minister of Christ, in his exhibitions of divine truth, to adhere to the simplicity of the gospel. "I seek divine simplicity in him Who handles things divine; and all besides Tho' learn'd with labour, and tho' much admir'd By eurious eyes and judgments ill-inform'd, To me is odious." The foregoing remarks have been suggested by the continuation of that conversation, the commencement of which we related in the last number of the Christian Journal. "A lady," continued my much respected friend, the Rev. Mr. H 66 a lady was attached to the congregation, of considerable wealth and influence. It often occurred to me, that if she was ardently pious, she had, in an eminent degree, both the means and ability of being extensively useful. But nothing was more foreign to her than religious seriousness. She was the gayest among the gay, and excessively devoted to all the dissipations and fashionable amusements of the day. From the influence of education, she had formed an attachment to the Episcopal Church, amounting almost to bigotry. She was always regular in her attendance upon public worship, uniform in her contributions to charitable purposes, and among the first to admire sermons that contained glowing and impassioned appeals to the heart, but yet an utter stranger to personal religion. It has ever been my study, in composing sermons, to delineate traits of character, to portray habits of thoughtlessness, and describe modes of evading the force of divine truth, from what I actually witnessed among my own people. Hence I never sit down to write a sermon without having some one, or a number of my people, particularly before my mind's eye. The spiritual con 35 sink them beneath its tremendous weight into the abyss of unending woe. Though deeply impressed with these solemn truths, and sincerely solicitous to make a lodgement of them in the hearts of my hearers, the first sermon of this peculiar character that I preach dition of Mrs. V (that was the name of this lady,) was the subject of frequent and fearless delineation. But all my efforts to excite in her mind religious sensibility, were fruitless and unavailing. If at any time a momentary impression was produced, it was as transient as the early dew or morn-ed, seemed to be a total failure, and ening cloud. At the end of five years, tirely without effect. Countenances Mrs. V, though having attended that used to beam with intelligence and upon my ministry during that period, interest when I was addressing my was just the same vain, thoughtless, people, now exhibited a vacant wanworldly minded woman that she was dering look, or symptoms of uneasibefore. ness, as though the subject was dull and unedifying When I began to have a more deepand consistent view of the Gospel scheme of salvation, I immediately altered my mode of preaching. It became my constant effort to exhibit in every sermon, and that in the plainest manner possible, these truths, that all mankind are under the curse of the law, and sentenced to eternal death; that there is no way of escape or deliverance but through Christ; that the grand requisition of the gospel, and that by which alone the soul can be brought into union with Christ, is faith; that this faith is the abandonment of all those props upon which we have hitherto leaned, and an exclusive reliance upon the crucified Son of God for justification and life; that this faith embraces Christ as our all, our best portion and richest inheritance, cordially acknowledges him in all his offices and characters, as our mediator, intercessor, and advocate, as our prophet, priest, and king; and that the reception of this faith into our minds, will be the starting point or commencement of a new and holy life, the beginning of a great moral change in our inner man, and will constitute a new era in the history of our existence. That they who are conscious of no such inward change wrought in their hearts, who are as ardently attached to the perishing things of time as they ever were, and yield as readily to the low, corrupt, and debasing inclinations of their fleshly nature as they ever did, and pass the bleeding Saviour by with the same apathy and indifference that they always have, are most indisputably in an unrenewed state, and over them hangs the curse of God's violated and insulted law, which ere long will I must confess that I was exceedingly mortified, and humbled, and grieved at the result of this my first essay to preach what I now conceived to be the peculiar doctrines of the Gospel. I went home, and flung myself upon my knees, and with many tears poured out my soul in prayer to God; and I here found comfort. Depend upon it, it is no disadvantage to a minister to be thus disappointed-to be thus humbled and brought low at the foot of the cross God often works in a way and manner unknown to us; he may see fit to produce, through the instrumentality of his ministers, great good, no evidences of which are manifest to them. In my private méditation and reading of the word of God, I became more and more confirmed in the belief that the views I had recently embraced were scriptural and true; and I resolved, as I was not preaching myself but Christ, I would preach the truth, whether men would hear or forbear, whether it pleased or displeased them, leaving the result entirely to God. For a number of weeks I continued to preach with a cloud upon my soul, in " great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart," because the truth did not startle the impenitent from their guilty sleep; but my trust was in God, and I at length began to see the benefit of committing the whole matter to his disposal. I was preaching a sermon over which had been shed many tears, and written with many pray. ers. The congregation appeared unusually solemn. I was considering the sentence that would be finally pro nounced upon the mere moralist. I had placed him before the judgment bar, and was listening to hear what claim, what plea he would urge in the face of that Judge, whom, as a bleeding Redeemer, he had rejected upon earth. My eye at this moment happened to rest upon the countenance of Mrs. V; the big tear stood upon her cheek, and the whole expression of her features bespoke the existence of deep inward emotion and fixed trouble of soul. The sight to me was like dew to the parched ground. I could not but weep. The thought that God in his infinite mercy had begun to touch the hearts of my people, filled me with indescribable emotions. To many, I believe this was truly a solemn daya day long to be remembered. Early on Monday morning I called upon Mrs. VShe met me with great cordiality, but with a sedateness and seriousness of expression unusual to her. On all former occasions, when the subject of personal religion was introduced, she either remained silent, or sought to give to the conversation another turn; but now this seemed the only theme that could interest her. She at length said, "I wish you to tell me, Sir, how I can be saved, for I feel that I am a lost sinner." I inquired if she had never felt that till now? "No!" she replied; "I have always looked at myself through a false medium. The veil that concealed myself from my own view, has but recently been torn off.” On a subsequent occasion, I desired her to favour me with a short sketch of her religious exercises, and the means. by which she was first brought to a right apprehension of her own character, and the way of salvation through Christ. "From the time," said she, "that I began to reflect upon a state of future existence, which was at an early period, I determined to pursue such a course as would carry me to heaven. I thought I was pursuing that course. - Never did I dream that I had not a valid claim to salvation. I fully believed if I did not commit any heinous sin, if I was charitable in giving to the poor, amiable in my temper, courteous in my manners, and regular in my attendance upon public worship, I should discharge my duty in such a way that I should certainly be saved The gaieties and amusements of the world, I thought harmless and innocent, and might be participated in without injury or guilt. "When I heard from the pulpit threatenings addressed to sinners, I supposed that the openly vicious were meant, and those threatenings therefore gave me no alarm. That I partook of the frailties common to my species, I was sensible; that I was a sinner in this sense, I was conscious. But thinking it my misfortune, rather than my crime, I thrust from my mind all anxiety on this subject, with the idea "that God would not be strict to mark what was done amiss. "With these views I remained for years perfectly at ease, indulging the pleasing but delusive hope that all was safe. The first thing that startled me from the deep slumbers in which I was reposing, was a sermon you preached upon the text, "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” Some remarks in that discourse I shall never forget. You told us "that there was not an individual present, however upright, however amiable, however virtuous, that was not so sinful and guilty as to deserve God's everlasting wrath and damnation; and if there was any one present that had any dependence upon his own goodness, and did not look as exclusively to Christ for salvation, as if he had never performed one good action, that individual would perish." Such "These were new ideas to me; I could not credit them. I certainly thought myself better off, and more sure of heaven than the worst of sinners. As far as my good actions go, I am sure they will save me. was my conclusion. Still I was uneasy. I began to read the Bible more attentively; I began to reckon up at the close of each day, my good deeds, to see if I had not enough to balance those I knew to be wrong. The more I read, and the more I examined myself, the more uneasy I became; I be gan to doubt whether I did any good thing. Another sermon that you preached, placed before me my sins in such a light, that I gave up myself as lost, and was on the very borders of despair. O how beautiful, how transcendantly glorious did Christ then appear, when revealed to me. Then I was deeply and perfectly convinced that if he had been any other Saviour than an entire and altogether Saviour; that if I was not saved in the same way that the vilest sinner would be, I should infallibly perish." This is a brief sketch of the account she gave of the manner in which she was first aroused to a sense of her condition. This, thought I, is a lesson intended to teach me to do my duty, and not be discouraged, though I see no immediate results. The very sermon to which she referred her first serious impression, was the one which gave me so much uneasiness, because it was heard with so little interest. I was now more fully determined to know nothing among my people, save Jesus Christ and him crucified." The blessing of God attended the word spoken. In less than three months I admin istered the communion to forty new communicants. O how lovely did the Church of Christ then appear-an ark into which precious souls were gathered, and over them were spread the outstretched wings of covenanted mercy. Such was the substance of the conversation which was started by the inquiry, "What kind of preaching will be most successful in saving souls ?" If desired by our readers, some further account of the Rev. Mr. H-- may be given. IRENEUS. THE attention of some of the congregations in this city and in other parts of the diocese, having been recently directed to the subject of Domestic Missions in the United States, in a very excellent and eloquent discourse, by the Reverend Mr. Weller, late Secretary of the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society of the Protestant Episcopal Church, we have requested and obtained for insertion in this Journal, an extract from that discourse, relating particularly to the present state and prospects of missionary exertion in this country, under the direction of that society. This extract contains a full and accurate statement of the spiritual wants of our new settlements, with an animating description of the opportunities now presented for the propagation of the Gospel, through the ministry and worship of our Apostolic Church, and arguments drawn from well established facts, for the necessity of immediate zealous and persevering efforts in that work and labour of love. We love that the account here given will awaken in the breasts of our readers the same deep interest in the cause which it was the purpose of the Rev. preacher to advocate, as was produced by the sermon among the generality of those who had the gratification to hear it; and that the members of our communion will be induced, by the considerations which it offers, to contribute liberally of their earthly substance to the relief of those who are living without hope and without God in the world. The Green-Bay mission we would particularly commend to the patronage of Episcopalians, because, from some peculiar circumstances connected with it, and the character and situation of those who are its objects, as will appear from the extract, it stands most in need of present and efficient support.-Ed. Christ. Jour. Extract from a Sermon in behalf of the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society, by the Rev. George Weller. The chief labours of this Society have been in endeavouring to promote the dissemination of the Gospel among our own fellow citizens, our own brethren in the Southern and Western States and Territories. Until within the last nine or ten months, there were but three missionaries employed even there. This number has, in that time, been increased to eight, and it is contemplated to go on to increase the number as fast as the means of the Society will allow. Four or five could be added to this number in the ensuing autumn, should the Society possess the means for their support. What a claim has this region upon the sympathy and aid of the Christian philanthropist! Take up a map, and ascertain its extent. From lake Erie on the north, to the gulf of Mexico on the south, between the original United States on the one side, and the Rocky mountains on the other, spreads a tract of country which cannot be traversed, from one extremity to the other, by the most rapid traveller, with the aid of all the advantages of modern navigation, so speedily as he could cross the Atlantic, and place his feet upon the old world. Take up your statistical tables, and estimate, if you can, its almost infinitely increasing population. Again take up your map, and compare its boundaries with those of the Atlantic States. I can remember the day, when a tour beyond the Alleghany mountains was the subject of admired volumes. Our very youth can recollect when this region was a mere appendage to the atlantic country; and now it is itself an empire, all but immeasurable in its extent and population. In this region, to whose future extent and future power no limits can be assigned, there are, as I am well satisfied, as many members of our Church without a ministry, churches, or ordinances, deprived in fact of the means of grace, as there are in all the rest of our country, in the enjoyment of those privileges. Does any one inquire, what is the number of our churches and ministers in that region? I will answer him. Excluding Ohio, which is an organized diocese, and partially provided for; in Michigan, we have three congregations; in Missouri, one; in Kentucky, three; in Tennessee, three; in Mississippi, four; in Louisiana, two; in Alabama, two; in Florida, four; in all about twentytwo! For these congregations only eight churches have been built! There are but nineteen ministers of our Church in the whole region! Of these, eight have been sent thither by the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society, and five of these within the fast nine or ten months. And this is all the provision which our Church has made for her own children scattered over this immense tract of country! If we do not soon arouse to the work; if we wait only till another generation shall have passed away, the field will be sown, and the harvest gathered in by others. Foreign priests, educated in all the arbitrary principles of the least enlightened parts of Europe, supported by money from Rome, are every year pressing in numbers into the valley of the Mississippi. It is but ten years since the first missionary of the Church of Rome entered the state of Kentucky, where there is now a bish. op, with, it is said, forty-seven churches under his jurisdiction. Three hundred communicants now assemble around one altar of that Church in a town of Ohio, where, in 1822, according to the missionary's own statement, the utmost number was but five! They have already colleges and schools under their control, by which they are enabled to exercise great influence over the children of Protestants. Nunneries and charity schools established in every direction, aid extensively in strengthening this influence. Already do their publications in Europe boast of the numerous converts which they have made in Western America from Protestantism; and societies have been formed in Europe, one at least of them aided by royal munificence, for planting these foreign missionaries all over our Western country. In some parts of that region, there is no appearance of a Christian Church or ministry; in others, rude and ignorant men have assumed the office of preaching the Gospel; and in others, anti-christian heresies, under the influence of similar preachers, are rapidly gaining followers; and throughout large portions of it, missionaries of almost every denomination but ours, are pressing vigorously on, and loudly proclaiming their suc cess. Many who have emigrated to that country, have lived from the period of their emigration to the present |