and a year or two after was licensed to preach But at twenty-two, meeting with Arndt's "True Christianity,' I found I myself was not a Christian. Immediately I left off preaching, and betook myself wholly to philosophy. This stifled all my convictions for some years; but when I was about twenty-seven, they revived, and continued the year after, when I was desired to be domestic tutor to the children of the secretary of state. I now felt I was 'carnal, sold under sin,' and continually struggled to burst the bonds, till (being about thirty-one years old) I was unawares entangled in much worldly business. This cooled me in my pursuit

of holiness; yet for a year and a half my heart was never at peace. Being then in a bookseller's shop, I saw the account of the Church at Hernhuth. I did not think there could be any such place, and asked the bookseller if that was a real account. His answer, 'that it was no more than the plain truth,' threw me into deep thought and fervent prayer, that God would bring me to that place. I went to the secretary and told him I did not design to stay at Upsal, having a desire to travel. He said, he had a desire his son should travel; and was glad of an opportunity to send him with me. I was grieved, but knew not how to refuse any thing to my patron and benefactor. Accordingly

we left Upsal together, and, after a year spent in several parts of Germany, went through Holland into France, and so to Paris, where we spent another year. But I was more and more uneasy, till I could be disengaged from my charge, that I

might retire to Hernhuth. In our return from France, my pupil's elder brother returning from Italy met us at Leipsig. I immediately wrote to his father, and having obtained his consent, delivered him into his hands.

'April 23, 1738, I came hither. Here I was in another world. I desired nothing but to be cleansed inwardly and outwardly from sin, by the blood of Jesus Christ. I found all here laying the same foundation. Therefore, though I did not think with them in all points of doctrine, I waived these, and singly pursued reconciliation with God through Christ.

"On the 22d of May last, I could think of nothing but, 'He that believeth hath everlasting life.' But I was afraid of deceiving myself, and continually prayed I might not build without a foundation.

Yet I had a sweet, settled, peace, and for five days this Scripture was always in my thoughts. On the 28th those words of our Lord were strongly impressed upon me, 'If ye, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Heavenly Father give the Holy Ghost to them that ask him?' At the same time I was incessantly carried out to ask, that he would give me the witness of his Spirit. On the 29th I had what I asked of him, namely, the PLEROPHORIA or FULL ASSURANCE OF FAITH, which is repose in the blood of Christ; a firm confidence in God and persuasion of his favor; serene peace and steadfast tranquillity of mind, with a deliverance from every fleshly desire, and from every outward and in

ward sin. In a word, my heart, which before was tossed like a troubled sea, was still and quiet, and in a sweet calm."

We would add here that the United Brethren or Moravians, in the early periods of their existence as a separate denomination, were inclined to the view, that there is no true and saving faith without assurance of faith; and that justification and sanctification are either the same thing or are so nearly allied that there is no true evidence of the former without an entire experience of the latter. According to the testimony of Christian David, of whose personal experience some account has been given, they were accustomed to inquire of those, who proposed themselves for full membership in the Church, whether they were assured, beyond all doubt, that they were the children of God? In what manner and at what time they received that assurance? Whether they were so renewed in the image of God, that all sin, or "the whole body of sin," as he expresses it, was destroyed in them? And if the person could not satisfactorily answer questions of this kind and to this effect, he asserts,

we judged, that he had no true faith. Nor would we permit any to receive the Lord's supper among us, till he could." On further inquiry into the subject and additional experience of the manner of God's dealing with his people, they abandoned this view as in some important respects incorrect, and adopted the doctrine of faith as existing in different degrees; and recognized the faith of forgiveness, in connection with which a person may be

pardoned in the first instance, as well as that of assurance, which is generally later in one's experience, and results in purity of heart and inward victory. Assurance of faith, however, continued to be a leading and most important doctrine; and every one was expected to strive earnestly for its attainment. And probably among no denomination of Christians, in proportion to their whole number, have more frequent instances of this ennobling and triumphant experience been found, than among the United Brethren.

But it is proper to say, that the doctrine and the personal experience of assurance of faith have not been limited to the Christian denominations, which so far have been particularly referred to. A careful inquiry would abundantly show, that this important doctrine, which recognizes a state of mind. existing in sweet purity and peace, in reverential and affectionate communion with God, in freedom from doubts and fears, in constant prayer, in victory over every known and voluntary transgression, in the baptism and in-dwelling of the Holy Ghost, has been admitted, defended, and preached by Episcopalians and Presbyterians, and probably by a number of other sects of Christians, as well as by Congregationalists and Moravians. And many among the dead, who yet speak in their recorded memorials, and some we trust among the living can bear a convincing and experimental testimony to its truth and preciousness. It would be a pleasing task, if our limits would allow, to repeat here, in the case of individuals both dead and living, the

delightful facts, which warrant and confirm this declaration. Saying nothing, however, of many other instances, which are vividly present to our recollection, it seems to us, that the pious archbishop Leighton was a man, that, in the later periods of his life at least, enjoyed assurance of faith; and, on the principle which he himself has laid down, viz. that love will be in proportion to faith, that he possessed what may very properly be called an assured or perfected state of love. His American biographer speaks of him in the following terms, which, decided and emphatic as they are, will probably command the assent of candid and serious persons, who have thoroughly studied the Archbishop's religious character.

After remarking that his piety was eminently a meditative piety, he proceeds to say, "Whether in the midst of this world's scenes, or in perfect retirement, Leighton's thoughts were always fixed upon the world whither he was tending. Religious meditation seemed the involuntary habit of his soul; and in this was exemplified the profound truth of his own remark, that "the pure love of God maketh the spirit pure and simple, and so free, that without any pain and labor it can at all times turn and recollect itself in God." If duty drew him from seclusion, it was to watch and pray lest he should enter into temptation; and amidst the most absorbing earthly business, if his thoughtful face were of a clear transparency, and you could have looked through the casement of his soul far into the depths of its retirement, you would there have