BV
4316
S7
Fa
FRIENDLY LETTER
TO THE
REGIMENT
Quartered in * * * * * * *
PRINTED IN THE YEAR 1771.
BV
4316
.57
F9

Proz forie & Karpenski
A
11-2013
FRIENDLY LETTER, &c.
-my
Alas! my
IEN I have feen you drawn
up before the
church doors, in readineſs to attend upon
the worih:p of God, and to hear his word-
heart has rejoiced at the fight, and not without an
high eſteem for thoſe at the head of fo wiſe and pro-
per a regulation, who from a fuperiority of rank
and underſtanding, might be expected to be con-
formable to it themſelves. I am ſorry to ſay, that
my joy, has ſoon been ſucceeded by deep concern,
for behold what was juſt now regularity and deco-
rum becomes confuſion and indecency immediate-
ly upon your entering the church.
friends, are not your fouls immortal? and is it not your
bounden duty and intereſt to work out the ſalvation
of them with fear and trembling!
I ſhall caſt no general reflections upon the dread-
ful neglect of Chriſtianity, which is ſaid to be too
common among moſt of your profeſſion--but I beg
leave to addreſs you with freedom, becauſe I have
been an eye-witneſs, and I might alſo add an ear-
witneſs of your profane behaviour in the houſe of
God, and I thus judge, that if you have no fear of
God there, you cannot but be deſtitute of it every.
where elſe.
I addreſs you as men called to be Chriſtians---
you as partakers of the ſame fleſh and blood
with myſelf—in ſhort I wiſh to ſee you happy, and
being deſirous to contribute to your happineſs
, in
humble hope of it, I ſit down to write to you with
pieafure.
feel for

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pleaſure. It has frequently occurred to me, that as
ſoldiers you are entitled to particular regard, be-
cauſe you are the more immediate Guardians of
thoſe civil and religious liberties, in which the com-
fort of every individual is interwoven.
May God incline you to accept the offering of a
grateful heart at this time !
God Almighty is all-happy in himſelf, becauſe
among other of his attributes, he is moſt holy and
good. Thoſe therefore are the moſt happy who
moſt reſemble him in holineſs and goodneſs; and
there can be no fuch thing as happineſs, unleſs
among thoſe who ſeek it in the likeneſs of his divine
image; that is, in leading holy and godly lives.
There may be an appearance of happineſs, among
thoſe who are jovial over their liquor ; but I ap-
peal to you who know what this means, weether it
is worthy of the name of happineſs. Believe me,
you never will know what it is to be happy, till you
have known what it is to walk in the paths of that
religion, “ all whoſe paths are peace.
You can-
not be happy till you can approach God as a recon-
ciled Father in Jeſus Chriſt, for until ſuch time the
wrath of God abides upon you, and all the hopes of
happineſs in ſuch a ſtate muſt be a deluſion and a
lie. Can thoſe people be happy who take the name
of God in vain, who drink to exceſs and com-
mit whoredom ? You muſt allow that blaſphemy,
drunkenneſs and whoredom are the works of the
devil; and if thoſe who live in any of them can be
happy, then the devil can make them fo, and happi-
neſs does not confift in likeneſs to Godboth which
ſuppoſștions are equally abſurd and impious.
That God whoſe name you take in vain, can caſt
both body and ſoul into hell—and do you not fear
him! True courage does not conſiſt in ſetting the
Almighty at defiance-neither is it cowardice to
ſtand in awe of him. What a mercy it is, that you
.
was

21.
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was not ſtruck dead with an oath upon your tongue!
« The Lord will not hold him guiltleſs that taketh
his name in vain”-and“ for every idle word
ſhall men give account in the day of judgment,
how much rather then for the horrid expreſſions of
which oaths and execrations are made up ?
As for drunkards and whoremongers, the Lord
has expreſsly declared their doom.--Gal. v. 19. 20.
“ Now the works of the fleſh are theſe, adul-
tery, fornication, uncleanneſs, laſciviouſneſs, hatred,
variance, emulations, wrath, ſtrife, feditions, en-
vyings, murders, drunkenneſs, revellings, and ſuch
like, of the which I tell you before, as I have alſo
told you in time paſt, that they which do ſuch things
ſhall not inherit the kingdom of God. Hear alſo
1 Cor. Ch. vi. 9, 10, “ Know ye not that the un-
righteous ſhall not inherit the kingdom of God, Be
not deceived, neither fornicators nor adulterers,
por abuſers of themſelves with mankind, nor thieves,
nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor ex-
tortioners, ſhall inherit the kingdom of God.” You
may learn from hence, that many fins which are lit-
tle thought of, effectually exclude men from hea-
ven, though I take notice but of two or three in
particular, which ſeem to cry moſt loudly to God
for vengeance upon you.
You think that you ſhall eſcape the wrath of God
becauſe the effects of it are not always viſible in this
world--but the puniſhment of ſin is fure, though flow.
-The forbearance and long-ſuffering of God are
owing tothe riches of God's goodneſs and ſhould lead
you to repentance-and if in the hardneſs and im-
penitence of your hearts you continue in fin, (alarm-
ing conſideration!) You are treafuring up unto
yourſelves wrath againſt the day of wrath : that day
will as ſurely come as to-morrow, and how ſhall you
abide its coming! Would to God that the certain-
may work upan your hearts while it is called,
to-day,
ty of it

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to-day, leſt any of you be hardened through the dea.
ceitfulneſs of fin, and ſo that terrible day come upon
you unawares!
Would to God, that through the influence of the
Holy Spirit, whoſe office it is to convince of ſin,
you might fall low on your knees, pleading for par-
doning mercy in the name of Jeſus Chriſt, for there
is no other name under heaven by which you can,
be ſaved !
Oh! that you may become ſo ſenſible of your fin-
fulneſs in time paſt, that with the Publican, Luke
xviii. you might each of you cry out,
“ God be
merciful to me a finner!"--and with the jailor men-
tioned, Aets xvi. ver. 30. “ What ſhall I do to be
faved?.??
Are there any among you, who being ſincerely:
forry for their paſt trangreſſions, deſire to lead
a new life, from henceforth walking in God's holy
commandments ? Let all ſuch know for their en-
couragement, that the ſame Lord--who is a jealous
God, and a conſuming fire to impenitent finners
is rich in mercy to all that are truly deſirous to
turn unto him. Họ ſhoweth his Almighty power
moſt gladly in acts of mercy, to thoſe know their
want of it: let your paſt fins be what they will, the
blood of Chriſt has virtue to cleanſe from all manner
of fins-his Spirit is near to ſanctify thoſe that are
waſhed in his moſt precious blood, and his right:
eouſneſs is at hand to juſtify them.
The Corinthians to whom St. Paul ſent the Epiſ-
tles, which go under that name, had fome of them
been as bad as any of you can be ; but they did not
die ſo, for convinced of their fins, they were taught
to beſeech forgiveneſs of God.--The paſſage I al-
lude to follows the verſes already quoted from Ch.
vi. 1 Ep. Cor. " And ſuch were ſome of you: but .
ve are waihed, but ye are fanctified, but ye are juf-
tified

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tified in the name of the Lord Jeſus, and by the
Spirit of our God.”
Some perſons into whoſe hands this paper may
come, will endeavour, it's probable, to prejudice
you againſt it, by telling you, that you have noth-
ing to do but to mind the word of command, and
to be valiant in battle when you are called upon.
This is undoubtedly your duty, and is there a fenti-
ment in theſe pages to the contrary ? It is the un-
feigned deſire of the author to inculcate in you the
deepeſt ſenſe of duty towards your officers, and to
inſpire you with the trueſt principles of courage and
bravery. But this is not the whole of your duty, for
you owe duty towards God, as well as towards your
neighbour.
Tell me, was every man in the regiment to fol-
low theſe directions-- Would deſertion, (which is a
complication of perjury and cowardice,) or diſobe-
dience of any kind be the conſequence ?-Impof-
fible-ſo far from it, that this being the caſe, mili-
tary puniſhments might then only be laid aſide with-
out danger to diſcipline. It is the abſence of vir-
tuous and religious principle, that makes the inflic-
tion of military puniſhments neceſſary. And were
an enemy to demand your preſence in the field—as
Chriſtian-foldiers you would carry your lives in your
hands, with the ſame intrepidity as you carry your
arms--for what ſhould hinder that foldier from be-
ing even prodigal of his life, to whom death in the
ſervice of his King and country, would be an intro-
duction to the realms of bliſs ?
Hear me therefore with attention, while I be-
ſeech you to put on the armour of God as Fellow-
foldiers enliſted under the banners of Chriſt, the
Captain of our fálvation, and engaged to fight againſt
the allurements of the world, the corrupt inclina-
tions of the fleſh, and the wiles of the devil, who
like a roaring lion goeth about, ſeeking whom he
may

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may
devour. You have to wreſtle and contend not
only with the enemies of your country, but with the
enemies of your ſalvation. “ May you ſtand there-
fore, having your loins girt about with truth, hay-
ing on the breaft-plate of righteouſneſs, and your
feet ſhod with the preparation of the goſpel of peace
-above all-taking the ſhield of faith, wherewith
ye ſhall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the
wicked, and take the helmet of ſalvation, and the
fword of the ſpirit, which is the word of God." Eph.
vi. Ver. 14, 15, 16, 17.
If there was not an abſolute neceſſity for this
armour, we ſhould not be commanded to put it on;
if there were no danger in being without it, it would
dook like cruelty in God to terrify us with the ap-
prehenſions of any. But the word of God is truth,
and all the authority of this expoſtulation is faith-
fully borrowed from thence. Permit me to inform
you, that you might as reaſonably expect to be vic-
torious in the field without your guns or your bayo-
nets, as to get to heaven without the armour of God.
It is an armour eaſy and light to be born, try it, it
will not claſh or interfere with your outward armour
--nor will you find it cumberſome--and ſo far from
being of itſelf hard to carry, I may anſwer for it,
you will feel the weight of the outward armour leſs
,
in proportion as you are furniſhed with that which
is inward and ſpiritual.
That you may
be bravely victorious in both—and
come off fuperior to the attacks of every enemy is
the earneſt prayer of your hearty friend,
F IN
1 S.