would even mock and deride any

Some inferences may be made from what hath been said upon this subject.

1. We may infer that no person is warranted from the word of God, to publish to the world the discoveries of heaven or hell which he supposes he has had in a dream, or trance, or vision. Were any thing of this kind to

If any messenger from the invisible world could effect the re-person, who should come from formation and salvation of sin- the dead to preach to them. And ners, who so likely to do this as had an account of the invisible the Lord Jesus Christ, since he world been published from the hath come both from heaven, mouth of Lazarus, or any other and from the dead? And not on- person, who had been restored ly so, but his divine mission was to life, it would have availed noattended with many infallible thing, with such as refuse to proofs. Never could a finite hear Moses and the prophets, Jeperson be sent from heaven or sus Christ and the apostles. from the dead, with equal authority, to that of the Son of God. And no one can possibly represent the solemn realities of eternity, more clearly and affectingly than Christ hath done. And yet it hath been found by eighteen hundred years' experience, that no sinner will ever believe and embrace the gospel of Christ until God operate effectually up-be made known to men, we may on his heart by his Holy Spirit. be assured it would have been Not only thousands of the Jews done by the apostles, when they who heard his preaching and were penning the gospel history. saw his miracles, continued un- Have persons remarkable views converted; but many millions, of the invisible world, in dreams from generation to generation, or visions, let them like Mary, have lived and died uninfluenced keep all these things, and ponder by the solemn truths taught by them in their heart. And let this faithful and true witness. them improve all their thoughts and views of God and divine things, which they may have, whether waking or sleeping, for their own spiritual profit; but never make them known to any one, as some new revelation from heaven.

And if an account of the torments of the wicked in hell, given by one who had suffered them for a season, would lead sinners to repentance; why did not the extreme agonies of the innocent Lamb of God produce this effect, when he suffered for sinners, in the view of many thousand spectators? What small relentings were there among the numerous throng which beheld the Saviour when he hung bleeding upon the cross, and enduring the keenest anguish of soul and body imaginable? But on the contrary, they poured forth the most bitter revilings and execrations! And we may conclude that hardened sinners

By publishing their dreams or visions, many persons have imposed upon the credulity of the ignorant. And however sincere and well meaning some have been in such publications, they have opened a wide door for the impositions of crafty and designing men who lie in wait to deceive.

It was by pretended visions that Mahomet gained credit to his Alcoran, by which this grand

and will conduct them to mount

impostor hath drawn many thousand people into that fatal vor-Zion, the city of the living God, tex of error and delusion, which the heavenly Jerusalem; and to has paved the way for their ev- an innumerable company of an erlasting ruin! And many false gels; to the general assembly of religions and fatal errors have the church of the first born, which been established in the same de- are written in heaven; and to lusive way. The following words God the Judge of all; and to the of the prophet Jeremiah, ought spirits of just men made perfect ; to have peculiar weight upon and to Jesus the Mediator of the the minds of all visionary per- | new covenant; and to the blood sons. "The prophet that hath of sprinkling that speaketh better a dream, let him tell a dream,* things than that of Abel. and he that hath my word let him speak my word faithfully; what is the chaff to the wheat? saith the Lord."t

2. We may infer that for persons to desire to know more concerning a future state, than God hath revealed in his word, discovers a vain curiosity, which ought to be immediately suppressed. Nay, it is a high reflection upon the word of God, for any to desire to be wise above what is written. It is treating it as greatly defective; and involves an impeachment of the wisdom and goodness of God, in not revealing every thing to men, which they wish to know, about invisible things.

AMATUS.

The Rev. Mr. Kicherer's Narrative of his Mission to the Hottentots.

(Continued from p. 315.)

W upon our work, we labor

WHEN we first entered

ed to convince our hearers by arguments addressed to their understandings, but our endeav ors in this way had little success. They continually raised objections and difficulties. We then resorted to another method; we insisted chiefly on the dying love of Christ, in the most simple and affectionate manner; we repre

friend of lost and helpless sin ners; tenderly inviting them to come to him that they might be saved; and intreating them to give the fair trial of experience to our doctrine, by praying to Jesus. Since we adopted this

"The secret things belong unto God, but those that are re-sented him as the all-sufficient vealed belong unto us and to our children for ever." Let it therefore be the great concern of all, to study the word of God diligently and faithfully, and to make this the man of their counsel at all times. Let them be suitably influenced, by the inter-method, the Lord has been pleas esting truths it contains, and they may be assured these will guide them in the strait and narrow path of holiness and peace,

* Let him tell a dream, i. e. let him tell it as a dream not as truth. Jere. xxiii. 23.

ed to make the word effectual to many souls. From time to time our hearers, who were before impenetrable, came to us, and with tears in their eyes, declared that they perceived, more and more, the truth and excellency of the gospel which we preached, fin

though slowly; our company both old and young, being obli

ding it to be the power of God to their salvation. This was particularly the case of the tame Hot-ged to walk all the way. When tentots who occasionally heard we stopped at night, near a founus. About Christmas, 1799, several Farmers from a distance, came to partake wtih us, according to the Dutch custom, of the Lords's Supper. Some of them had been awakened under the preaching of the Rev. Mr. Voss, at Rodezand, but now came to our settlement, because it was nearer. The provisions they brought us were very seasonable and we spent several days with them in the most agreeable man

ner.

My garden now began to assume a flourishing aspect, and promised soon to enable me to supply at least twenty guests with its produce, besides occasional food for the Boschemen, who, by the way, are no great admirers of vegetables. Indeed they would scarcely eat them at all, if I did not save them the trouble of cooking them, and take them to their huts ready for use.

tain in the desert, we enjoyed sweet opportunities in singing and prayer; and when we entered the inhabited parts called Middle Roggefield (or Rockfield) the Farmers collected the people from the adjacent country, who were glad of an opportunity to spend the Lord's day with us in public worship.

On our journey we met a Hottentot servant with some saddle oxen laden with flour for our settlement; this was the present of a well disposed Farmer, and must have proved highly acceptable to Brother Kramer, whom I had been much concerned to leave at home almost without bread.

After about a month's travelling, we reached Cape Town, having preached the gospel of Chrish every Sabbath-day as we passed through the country,

tained of the missionaries at first, (wicked men having told them that they would be insnared and killed) that they would not venture to eat

with him. On a certain occasion, invited a number of them to partake Mr. K. wishing to gain their affections of a refreshment which he had prepared for them. Having cut a large cake, he presented a slice to each of them. Not one of them dared to eat

In January, 1800, I found it necessary to take a journey to the Cape Town, for the purpose of procuring the necessary supplies for my people, particularly Clothes. I was forwarded by a friendly Farmer, who furnished us with a waggon and oxen. A number of Boschemen also, who had never been at the Cape, of fered to accompany me. This a morsel. afforded me great satisfaction, as it was a certain proof that the suspicions they had entertained of us were declining, and that they felt an increasing confidence in as*. We travelled agreeably,

* Mr. Kicherer, when in London, mentioned to a friend that such were the suspicions the Boschmen enter

Mr. K. preceiving this, and guessing at the reason, took a piece himself, and ate it before them.

He then told them that he had called

them together, to assure them of his friendship, and to inform them that as they were all invited to eat of that one cake, so there was one Saviour, the

bread of life, for Hottentots as well as others, of whom they might freely partake, and live for ever. This satisfied them, and they all received this token of his love with pleasure.

and have reason to be thankful who had come among them that it was rendered a blessing merely to obtain a livelihood. I both to Christians and Heathens. embraced every proper oppor When approaching the Cape,tunity of introducing them into my feelings differed widely from Christian company, and religious those of my poor Boschemen. I meetings. They seemed to reanticipated with delight, the ceive benefit upon all these ocpleasing scenes before me, but casions, being thereby convinc they were struck with dread and ed of two things, namely, that dismay. Some of the first ob- the doctrine I had preached was jects which presented themselves agreeable to the common creed to their affrighted view were of Christians, and also, that several men hung in chains for Christians in general were far atrocious crimes, and many of happier than Boschemen. I the Boschemen were conscious grant that these convictions do of having deserved the same not constitute saving faith in the punishment. Their terror was gospel; yet, in this instance, soon increased by beholding in they prepared the way for it. a few days the public execution We waited on several of the chief of another malefactor. I took magistrates, particularly Mr. this opportunity of explaining to Renefield, the Fiscal, by whom them the nature and excellence we were kindly received, and of European Justice, as an ordi- presented with abundance of nance of God, who had appoint- useful articles, chiefly consisted civil Governors for the pun- ing of waring apparel for my ishment of bad men, and the re- poor people. The Boschemen, ward of the good. This pacified clad in their filthy Karosses (or them they allowed the propri- sheep skins) sitting in a drawing ety of it, and said it would be room on silk covered chairs, or happy for our settlement in the parading before large pier glaswilderness, if a similar order of ses, were the objects of much things could be established good natured mirth, as well as there. of sincere compassion. The Fis cal did us the honor of presenting us to the Governor, who was pleased to shew us great kind

The Boschemen thanked

Soon after our arrival at Cape Town, I was called to preach at the Calvinist Church, a very capacious building, then overflow-ness. ing with a very genteel auditory. | him, in their way, for permitting My Boschemen, accompanying Missionaries to come and teach me, were greatly struck with the them, no man before having large number of well-dressed cared for their souls. people, whom, in their simplici- It was now necessary to return ty, they compared to a nest of to our settlement, but our jourants; and the sound of the or-ney proved very uncomfortable, gan was at first mistaken by the country being inundated by them for the noise of a swarm- the copious rains which had lateing bee-hive. From that timely fallen. At length, however, they entertained a higher opinion in the month of March, we reof their minister; for, before gained our place, Happy Prosthey had been tempted to con-pect Fountain, where we found sider me as a beggarly fellow, onr friends in good health and