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[Retrospective entry: Autumn 1800]
B Soon after I experienced religion, there
was a poor man in the neighborhood, who, by resisting the
conviction of truth, lost his reason, becoming quite deranged.
Several times did the people of God pray for, and with him;
but apparently to no purpose. Sometimes when they would come
into his presence, he would gnash with his teeth, and ask,
"where is your God. He is not with you." [cf.
Ps 42.3] I once visited him,
talked with him and prayed with him; but without any visible
effect. On a certain day a number being assembled in the
vicinity for meeting, and the preacher not arriving, they
were principally collected at the house of the crazy man. It
came to my mind that, if the people could be taken away,
except two or three, who should remain with him, the Lord
would answer prayer, and deliver him. Means were accordingly
used for that purpose. The people being withdrawn, two
others with myself entered the house, persuaded him to kneel
down, a brother by the name of Ostrander began praying. In a
few minutes the power of God descended, which prostrated the
man to the floor, he giving a hideous yell. The noise being
heard the people came down, and rushed into the house, which
seemed to interrupt the fervour of our souls. The man,
however, was restored to his right mind, and remained so. I
saw him three years afterwards, and he had continued well
until that time; and for aught I know until this day. He did
not profess to find peace to his soul. Who can say the Lord heareth not prayer?
Might not the evil spirit, who appears
to possess many, be cast out by fasting and prayer? [cf.
Mt 17.21,
Mk 9.29].
Not long since, I conversed with a gentleman, once a zealous professor of
religion, but now a complete sceptic, as it respects
Christianity. The candor and frankness with which he
acknowledged his doubts interested me considerably in his
behalf. I thought he was an example of the justness of our
Lord's solemn caution, "Take heed lest the light that is
within thee be darkness; and then how great is that
darkness" [Mt. 6.23]. Allowing heathenism,
atheism, deism, and Christianity, each to be supported with
an equal quantum of probable evidence, reason declared that
Christianity ought to be embraced, on account of its
superior advantages. In respect to the immutabily
[immutability] of the soul, a truth so desirable in itself,
the heathens only conjectured and therefore hoped, in its
reality, the atheist denies it altogether, and the Deist is
indebted to revelation for this article of his faith; but
this divine revelation sets the certainty of it in the
clearest and most perspicuous point of light. This is the
first advantage. That mankind are sinners, or are in a
spiritually descended state, is everywhere felt, universally
acknowledged; but no where is its true cause ascertained, or
an adequate remedy discovered but by the revelation of Jesus
Christ. This is a second. The Christian revelation is
proposed to us under such solemn and awful sanctions, that
if true, it cannot be rejected with impunity, but by
insuring the severest penalties imaginable; and if not true,
the deception of embracing it as truth, can do no possible
injury; whereas if true, and we reject it, eternal
consequences of the most fatal nature, must insure. The
other systems mentioned can yield us no remedy. We can be no
loosers [sic] therefore ultimately, if by embracing
Christianity, we are eventually deceived. But O! who can
calculate the immense advantage, if the believer in divine
revelation, finally finds himself founded upon immutable
truth. Endless felicity is the certain consequence! Now I
aver if there were twenty probabilities against the truth of
the Christian religion, where there were one against
infidelity, still reason declares we ought to be Christians.
It is of such tremendous importance. How awful, how Holy,
just, wise, and good, the character of that God, revealed to
us in the sacred scriptures! How sublime the doctrines of
Christianity, — how pure its precepts; and what a direct
aptitude, considered in all its parts, to promote the
individual, general, and universal good of mankind! All that
is excellent in natural religion, all that is approvable in
the civil institutions of the most refined, and the highest
communities, are included in Christianity. And in those
things in which it goes beyond them, it as much transcends
them in sublimity, purity, and suitableness to the moral
condition of mankind as the magnitude of the objects
revealed, surpasses the objects of sense with which we are
surrounded in this world. Taking the scriptures for our
guide, and we have a universal monstrum [?]to dissolve all the
knotty difficulties, respecting our duty, to God, ourselves,
our neighbor, our origin, and our end; the imposition of our
bodies, the nature and immortality of our souls, a future
state, the certainty of, and the way to obtain everlasting
felicity. Closing our eyes upon this divine light, all is
dark; impenetrable clouds of uncertainty hang over our
minds, and leave us in a state of extreme anxiety. Look then
at the advantages of being, not a nominal, but a real
Christian — but, Add to these considerations, that no
history of antiquity handed down to us, attended with half
the force of evidence, as that with which the Christian
revelation is accompanied — And then say, if you ought not
to believe. These were some of the
considerations which were urged — their propriety were
acknowledged. What a fearful thing it is
to depart from the living God! How dark that mind, when the
light of divine truth, the illumination of the Holy Spirit, is withdrawn.
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