is said to be very common amongst the disciples of Fo in China, who hold the immortality of the soul. Several passages might be produced to shew, that the wisest of the Heathens were sensible of the great importance and necessity of the doctrine of future punishments as well as rewards to the wellbeing of society. Accordingly, this always made a part of the representations of a future state exhibited in the mysteries, which were under the direction of the civil magistrate." And to omit the names of some of the wisest among the Heathens, mentioned by Dr. Leland, in the work from which the above extract is taken, I shall content myself with the testimony of Celsus on the subject. He says, 'the Christians rightly maintain that those persons, who lead good lives, shall be happy; and that the unjust shall be subject to eternal evils; and he adds from this doctrine neither they nor any one else should depart. Necess. of Rev. Vol. 2. p. 368.

It has been already shewn, of how great importance the doctrine of future punishments was considered, by the wisest among the Pagans; and how necessary it was, for the peace of society, and good order among men, that the people should believe the punishment of a future state. For after all, civil penalties can reach no farther than the outward action; they can at most only restrain open acts of wickedness. But if bad men have nothing farther to fear than the penalties of human laws, these can have no influence to prevent their giving way to sinful thoughts, affections and dispositions, which do not properly come within the reach of human judicatories, or to hinder them from committing the greatest wickedness in secret, when they flatter themselves that they shall escape detection, or that by fraud, bribery, interest or power, they shall avoid the judgments of earthly tribunals. Or, if their crimes should expose them to death, they may despise the penalty, if death be all they have to fear, and they have nothing to apprehend after it. But, if besides all this, they should really believe, that there is a supreme governor and judge, of infinite power, wisdom, and justice, who knoweth all their actions, and even their most secret intentions and thoughts, and will call them to a strict account; and that the penalties of human laws and governments are far from being the worst they have to fear, but that much greater punishments are prepared for them in a future state; this, if really believed, must needs have a mighty influence to stem the violence of their vicious appetites and passions, and to awaken them to serious thoughts, which might put them in way of better impressions. Human laws and penalties will be found too weak to restrain men, where there is no fear of God before their eyes, no regard to a future state, and the powers of the world to come.

It may now be inquired, if Universalism is not only unsupported by the word of God, but is absolutely and unequivocally opposed by the spirit and letter of his law; if it be subversive of the peace and order of civil society, as well as incompatible with the spirit and genius of the Christian Religion, how comes it to pass, that it finds any advocates, or that it should so far be dignified, as that houses should be erected, devoted to its service? Sorry should I be, to impute it to any improper cause. Nor can it be supposed, that the self-same reason has influenced all who have embraced the doctrine. Making allowances for the inattention of some,-the weakness of others, the partialities in its favour, founded on education, -the settled opposition to rigid Calvinism as containing the unconditional election of some to everlasting life, and the counter part of this doctrine, unconditional reprobation and appointment of others to eternal damnation; making I say, all due allowance for these and other causes, I am decidedly of opinion, that Universalism owes its being to the apostacy of Christians, or the badness of the lives of those who embrace it. What man that is striving to enter into the strait gate,' expects any benefit from a system that is equally opposed by the word of God and the experience of the saints? Who, that treads in the footsteps of the Adorable Redeemer, is to be found marshalled in its ranks? Who, that like the Apostle Paul, is fighting the good fight of Faith, contends for victory under its banners? Alas! it cannot be denied, and the truth ought not to be suppressed, that one is a Backslider and he flies to this refuge of lies' to obtain relief. Another is a Drunkard, and he finds it quite convenient to embrace the doctrine. Another lives in a state of Adultery, and behold, he is an Universalist. Another is a but where is the necessity of travelling down the catalogue of scandalous crimes; let any man look round on men of this profession, in his own neighbourhood, and then let him say, if their vices will not bear me out in making this statement. I am certainly not surprised,' says an elegant writer, 'that dissolute men should doubt of a future state (of punishment), and endeavour to combat or to weaken a truth, so capable of disturbing their criminal sensualities. It is horrible to look forward to everlasting misery. The world has no pleasure, which can endure a thought so shocking; consequently, it has always endeavoured to efface it from the heart and mind of It well knows, that the belief of a future state is a troublesome check on the human passions, and that it will never succeed in making tranquil and resolute libertines, without hav ing first made them unbelievers.'

man.

A.

To the Editors of the Methodist Magazine.

DEAR BRETHREN,

WITH the subject of the following memoir, I was long, and intimately acquainted. I had the account of his conversion from sister S, when she applied to me to preach the funeral sermon of her much lamented husband. At that time, I gave, from the pulpit, the substance of the following communication; but believing such instances of the goodness and grace of God ought not to be buried in oblivion, I applied, when in Baltimore, to their son, Mr. H. L. S.-, and obtained from him, the following Extract,' which I send you for publication, if you think it worthy a place in your useful Magazine.

I am, &c.

EXTRACT FROM MR. B. s.'s LIFE.

A. M'CAINE.

He

"I forgot to mention in its proper place when Captain S. returned from Amsterdam I told him what I suffered in mind from fears about his salvation, and begged that he would relate to me his experience, that I might know his ground of hope for acceptance, that if it should please God to call me to the trial of parting with him when absent from home I might find comfort in the reflection that he was gone to a better world. then related as follows: When about seventeen years of age, home being uncomfortable from the treatment I met with from my step-mother, I ran away and enlisted in the flying camp; and as we were passing through Baltimore to join the regiment, we rested on the Sabbath at the Point, when a young man and myself went to Methodist preaching; the word reached both our hearts. It was the first spiritual sermon I ever heard. When meeting was over we each told our minds to the other, and formed a resolution to seek and serve the Lord. Accordingly when we got to the regiment we used to meet at every convenient opportunity to read our bible, pray and converse together until we both found peace. After this we still kept up meetings when time and opportunity permitted, for reading, singing and prayer; this was often our employment on moonlight nights when off duty. Thus we spent our time while at camp, and I believe I enjoyed religion while in the army. When my time was expired I returned home, but soon found I could not stay there. I then turned my mind to the sea, but having no Christian friend to converse with, and being young and inexperienced, exposed to numerous temptations, I lost my religion, but not my conviction, for that followed me continually, and by it I believe I was kept from falling into many of the vices unto

which my calling exposed me; and when at any time through a powerful temptation and the influence of bad company, I was overtaken by any sin, I felt immediate remorse, and would promise the Lord amendment, but still I went on this way for ten years. During this time, I got the command of a vessel, and on a voyage from Barbadoes to Boston, whilst crossing the Gulph-Stream, after my watch below was out, I came on deck, to see the weather. It was in the month of October, a few minutes after seven o'clock in the morning, the wind blowing fresh, a heavy swell took the side of the vessel, on which I was standing, and washed me overboard: the Mate was very much alarmed, the swell foamed so high, that no person on board could see any thing of me. I was now about twenty-nine years of age, in full vigour of health, and could swim exceeding well; they tacked for me the way they thought I went over, but by that tack were farther from me. I thought then all hope of being saved was over, for I could see them though they could not see me; then I pulled off as many of my clothes as I could to lighten, and strove to give up to the mercy of my gracious God. I recollected that the Mate did not understand navigation very well, and thought it might be, when they were tired of looking for me, that he would recollect the tack the vessel was on, when I fell overboard, and then return, to proceed home by the same way; so I threw myself on my back, to collect my mind, and strove to prepare to meet my fate; and whilst thus engaged, I felt a sense of God to my soul, which took away the fear of death, and I believed if I was drowned, God would receive my soul. In this time the vessel tacked back, as I expected, and to their great astonishment they discovered me, and soon got me on board again; we then looked at the watch, and found I had been out of the vessel one hour; then I discovered the wonderful hand of the Lord that sustained me on the foaming billows for such a length of time, and felt gratitude springing up in my soul to God for this wonderful deliverance, and formed a resolution after I got on shore again to set out and serve the Lord. From that to the present time I have kept the annual return of that day as a time of humiliation, prayer, fasting and thanksgiving to God for my wonderful deliverance; and after I got home I strove to keep my promise, and sought the Lord in private prayer, and every other means of grace in my reach. The year following the Lord restored me to his favour, and ever since I have strove to do the will of God. Though I am conscious of many imperfections, yet I strive to keep a conscience void of offence, walking as near as I discover it the line of my duty; and I can say, that I feel no more fears, (as to my soul) in a storm than in a calm, for I know that I am at all times in the hands of a good God. I strive to be resigned to his

will whether in life or death, and feel a trust that I shall be saved through the mercy and mediation of Jesus Christ. From this time I never felt the same anxiety about him when from home." B. S. H. L. S.

FOR REV. ALEXANDER M'CAINE. Baltimore, May 23, 1820.

Religious and Missionary Intelligence.

For the Methodist Magazine.

A descriptive view of the Western Country previously to its dis covery and settlement by English settlers, or the citizens of the United States, as additional or supplementary to Introductory Remarks, to the Rise and Progress of religion in the Western Country.

No. VI. CONcluded.

THE FIRST DISCOVERY OF KENTUCKY.

"It is a melancholy reflection," says Gen. Knox, Secretary of War, in his report to President Washington in 1794; "that our modes of population have been more destructive to the Indian nations than the conduct of the conquerors of Mexico and Peru. The evidence of this is the utter extirpation of nearly all the Indians in the most populous parts of the union. A future historian may mark the cause of this destruction of the human race in sable colours." Gracious heaven! if these unfortunate natives have been literally swept from the eastern side the mountains, and our modes of population have been more fatal to them than that of the Spaniards, what could theirs have been?" It is computed by able writers," says my Lord Kaimes, "that the present inhabitants of America amount not to one twentieth part of those who existed when that Continent was discovered by Columbus. This decay is ascribed to the intemperate use of spirits, and to the small-pox, both of them introduced by the Europeans." He seems to have forgotten, that they are indebted to us also for "the intemperate use" of the sword and the dreadful bigotry and cruelties practis ed by the pretendedly religious and avaricious Spaniards. We may add another proof of European humanity, says another writer, "A plantation in Jamaica, which employs one hundred slaves requires an annual recruit of no less than seven yearly victims to the cruelties of the lower overseers, who follow them all day with whips." May we also add with the most humiliating sensations, that this boasted land of freedom,