The Force of Truth An Authentic Narrative

h year of my age, I do not remember that I ever was under any serious conviction of my being a sinner, in danger of wrath, or in need of mercy; nor did I ever, during this part of my life, that I recollect, offer one hearty prayer to God in secret. Being alienated from God, through the ignorance that was in me, I lived without him in the world; and as utterly neglected to pay him any voluntary service, as if I had hern an atheist in principle. But about my sixteenth year I began to see that I was a sinner; a leper in every part, " there being no health in me;" out of many external indications of inward depravity, conscience discovered, and reproached me with one; and I was, for the first time, disquieted with apprehensions of the wrath of an offended God. My attendance at the Lord's table being expected about the same time, (though I was very ignorant of the meaning and end of that sacred ordinance,) this circumstance, united with the accusations of my conscience, brought an awe upon my spirits, and interrupted my before undisturbed course of sin. Being, however, an utter stranger to the depravity and helplessness of fallen nature, I had no doubt but I could amend my life whenever I pleased. Previous, therefore, to communicating, I set about an unwilling reformation ; and procuring a form of prayer, I attempted to pay my secret addresses to the Majesty of Heaven. In this manner having silenced my conscience, I partook of the ordinance, held rny res... --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.