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YALE UNIVERSITY
LIBRARY
Bought with the income
ofthe
STARLING W. CHILDS FUND

A N
EPISTL f O THE
INHABITANTS O F >.
South ^Carolina ;
CONTAINING
Sundry Obfervations proper td be
cbnlider'd by every Profeflbr of
Chriftianity in general.
By SOPHIA HUME;

And when Je s u s had called the People unto him with
his Difciples alfo;, he faid unto them, whofoever will
come after tne, let him deny himfelf, and take up his
Crofs and follow me. Mark viii. 34.

L O N D ON:
Printed and Sold by Luke Hinde, at' the
Bible in George-Tard, Lombard-Street, 1754.

'fl\ Wfi Z

I 3 ]
 '  ¦-  ¦•.¦¦.¦¦-  -T '¦"¦ "  — ¦¦— — di.h-  «'
TO THE
INHABITANTS 'OF THE
Province ef South-Carolina.
-- Dear. Country-men, Brethren, and Sifters!
I THINK I 'Can honeftly and fafely addrefs yqu
in thefe Terms ; for indeed? you are de^ar to
rae, and I know you are fo to God, whofe
gracious • Regard , to Men appears obvious , from.
various Scripture Teftimonies ; from whence! infer,
that all the Souls that he hath made, are pre
cious in his Sight : And among the numerous Evi
dences or. Inftances of God's (univerfal) Love to
Mankind, is that notable one. we find in the Apoftle
JfauPs Exhortation to the, Believers,' wherein he re
commends this Chriftian Exercife, or Duty of Prayer,
for all Conditions of Men : I exhort (fays he} thai iT'imAi..
firft of all. Supplications, Prayers, Inter cejfions, and1'*'"1"
giving of Thanks, be made for all Men : — For this
is good , and acceptable in the Sight of God. our Saviour ',
- who, will have all Men to be faved, and to r come un)o
the Knowledge of the Truth.
Again, we find the Almighty fpeaking, by the
Mouth of the Prophet Ezekiel, after this Manner,
to the backQiding Houfe of Ifrael, Js I live, faith ?*&.._
the Lord God, I have no Pleafure in the'Death of the***111'11'
PFicked, but that the Wicked turn from Ms' Way and
live : — Add to this the Teftimony ,the Apoftle P.a,ul
A 2 gives

,[.4J
Rom. r. 8. gives of God's Love to Men, God (fays he) com
manded bis Love towards us, in that while we were,
yet Sinners, Chrift died for us, that we might die to
i lohniv. Sin: And the Apoftle John thus wrjtes ; In this
*v was manifefted the Love of God towards us, becaufe
that Godfent his only begotten Son into the World, that
we might live through him. This Love of God pro
duces Ljove in the Heart of every true Chriftian'',
and by, a neceffary Confequence, he who loves God,
muft loVe his Brother alfo : And that w,e are Bre
thren by Creation the' Apoftl<? PaM intimates, when
fetting forrh the Attributes andfNiture" of the true
God to the Jlhenian Idolaters, and hinting at his
Aflsxvii. Defign in the Creation of Man, where he fays, God
**' c" fhat made the World, &c. hath made of one Blood all
Nations of Men for to dwell on all the Face of the
Earth ; and hath, determined the Times before appointed,
and the Bounds of their Habitation, that they fhould
feek the Lord, if haply they might feel, after him and
find him % though he be not far from every one of us ;
for in him we live, and move, and have our Being, &c-
for we are alfo bis Off-fpring : From whom he expels
ind demands a perfect Love and Obedience to his
Laws ; , and whom he teaches an humble Depen-
- dance on his Goodnefs, Beneficence and Grace, for
our Well-being both here and hereafter : For God
not only created Man to difplay his Glory, and
magnify his Power, but gracioufly wills that he
fhould be for ever happy in the Enjoymentof thofe
ineffable or unfpeakable Pleafures which. are at his
right Hand, in whofe holy Prefence thereyis Fullnefs
of Joy ! I fay, the Condition of this great Felicity
t is a faithful' Obedience to all the Commandments of
God; which feems to be all included in that folemn
Injunction ^delivered the Ifraelites by the Miniftry of
Mofes the Servant of God, and which' appears, to be
an indifpenfible Obligation on fucceedjng Ages \ as
we obierve our blefled Lord ratifying, confirming, ahd

[ 5 ]
and recommending it to the in'quifmVe Scribe, as
the principal and great Commandment of all^ which
he repeats as follows ;.Hear, O ifrael, the Lord our [
God is one Lord : And thou fihalt lov'e the Lord thy '
God with all thy Heart, and with all. thy Sod, and
with all thy Mind, and with all thy Strength ; this is
the 'firft Commandment : The fecond is like, namely,
this ; Thou /hall' love thy Neighbour as thyfelf. There
is none other Commandment greater than thefe ; on '
which hang the Law and the Prophets ; including
(I may add) alfo the Sum(of the Gofpel of our Lord
and Saviour Jefus Chrift.
And now, dearly behoved Fellow-Mortals, in a De
gree of this Love to God and my Neighbour, which
not long fince enlarged my Heart in good Will to
you the Inhabitants of my native Land, do I again
addrefs you ¦, in whofe eternal Welfare I am greatly
interefted, as well as that I am zealoufly concern'd
for the Honour and Glory of our God, (who calls
Us to Virtue, and to partake of his Glory) that he
may be loved, adored, and reverenced, and Men
•finally faved. A meafure or' this divine Love* I fay,
tt ill continues to influence and infpire my Soul with
fervent Supplication to the God of all Grace and
Mercy, that thus it may be .with you; and has in
clined me ro vifit you again with an Epiftle of
tender Love and Sympathy, on the Occafion of the
late calamitous Circumftance of our Province ;
which humbling.Vification from the moft high God,
hath deeply aftefled my Mind: And when I felt
your Diftreffes,, and was led to confider your great
Affliction, it occur'd to me, that fome of you being
humbled thereby, might enter into folemn- Vows
and Engagements before God, when before your
pale Faces nothing appeared but inevitable Death,
Which carried with it a folemn Summon, fuddeniy
to appear before the Judge of Quick and Dead :
D*d not fome of you then promife to feck God with
A 3 your

I ¦•« 1
your whole Hearts, would he bS gracioufly pleafed
to fpare your Lives ? Which wonderful Mercy you
foon experienced ; and for which I have been made
truly thankful to that unchangeable, glorious and
merciful Being, who is ftill a God hearing Prayer,
and made bare the Arm of his Omnipotence, and
fignally (may I not fay miraculoufly) interpofed for
your Deliverance ; had he not thus mercifully, as
well as fuddeniy appeared for' your Safety, the proud
Waves had gone over your 'Heads, and fwa'llowed
you up quick': But for ever magnified be the Power
and Mercy of our-Gpd, in that he hath given you
(a few that perifiVd excepted) your Lives for a
Prey !
And now, dear Country-men, what fhall I fay
Concerning this late awful Vifftation from the Lord,
that fo eminently threatned your Lives, and .partly
deftroyed your Poffeflions ? May I not fafely terrri
it a Mark of his Difpleafure' againft your Tranf-
greffions ; and at the fame Time, an Evidence of
his Companion towards you, -fince whom he loves
he corri els, and chaftens every Son that he receives
into his Favour ; and may I not venture to fay, 'eis
intended to chaftife fome for the Breach of his divine
Laws -, to humble and" reduce others to a Confor
mity to his holy Will, and wean the Affeftjpnsfrom
.worldly and uncertain Enjoyments ; to excite all to
'that incumbent Duty of loving God with all the
Heart, l£c. And is not this. Afflidion alfo defign'd
as a Trial of the Faith and Coriftancy of fome, who
though they may be Branches of the true Vine, yet
divine Wifdom fometimes fees meet to'adminifter
thefe bitter Potions, that they may bring forth,
more Fruitvtp the Glory of the great Hufbandman.
jljfou then who are born again., of the incorruptible
Seed by the Word ofGod, and can in Truth call
ffcb.iii 9. him your fpiritual Father ; remember, We have had
Fathers of our Flefh which correSled'us, and we gave them

I 7 )
them Reverence ; fhall we not much rather be in Sub
jection to the Father of Spirits and live ? For' they
verily fot , a few Days chaftened us after their own
Pleafure, but he for our Profit, that we might be
made Partakers of his Holinefs, and Sharers of his
Glory : Therefore faint not when tried and proved.
And though the Foundations may be fhaken, and
the Earth removed, yet truft in the Lord, and ftay
upon our God, who is always on the Side of them
that truly love.'and faithfully ferve him ; fo that
whether you live or die, you are the Lord's, under
his Care, and in his Favour. But whofoever are in
an unregenerate State,, defpife not yod the Chaften
ing of the Lord, and when rebuked of him, caft
not his Reproofs behind your Backs, but let thefe
Leffons from our common Father and merciful In-
ftruclor, incite you to make ftreight Steps to your
Feet in the Way of Holinefs. And feeing you are
yet mercifully fpar'd, and continued a little longer
in your Stewardmips, and a frefh and favourable
Opportunity put into your Ha,nds to improve your
Talents to God's Glory, and your own eternal' In
tereft, I greatly wifh it may be a Motive to you
to ferve God in earneft, that it may incline you to
apply your Hearts to divine Wifdom, feeing how
frail your Lives are, and uncertain the Time of
your Death : Therefore I defire you may take the
wife* Man's Counfel, and with all your Gettings, be
, relisioufly conce>n'd to purfue that Wifdom that
comes from God, the Beginning of which is truly
to fear him, and which will lead you tq depart from
all Evil. And I would hope there are few or none
among you fo void of .this Wifdom from above, as
to .reafon in that carnal Wifdom which is from be
neath, and prefume to deny God's Superintendency
- over his Creatures, and exclude his Care and over
ruling Power from the World ; attributing the
Footfteps ol his Providence, his Dealings with Men,
A 4 when

when he vifits for Iniquity, to fecotidary Caufes, or
£® the eftablifh'd Laws, Order and Courfe of rn.a-t;
terial Things, which according, to' the Opinion and
Reafoning of fome Men, I underftand they thus
imagine ; that when the Almighty had once fix'cj
thefe Laws of Nature, as they exprefs. it, he no,
longer interferes, therewith : Which fuppofing it
%ere the Cafe, (as it1 moft certainly is not) ,1 fee,
npt w.^at Advantage fuch Reafpners can reap, there
from, ;* fince, "let the Caufe be = what, it may, the
.Effects are deplorable ; as they oftentimes prove
,Inftrume nts of Deftruction to the Lives and ' Pof-
ftffiohs of Men : And in Times of Panger and Dif
treffes, at (he View and Approach of Death, thefe
mighty Reafoners are affeded with as great Terror
and Fear as other People. x,.
But here let me afk Men of this Character, wha>t
Caufe was it that effeded your late * Deliverance ?
'" '' ' '• -.;.. What

* " CHARJLES-TOWN, Sept. 19, 1752.
V The moft vipleat and terrible Hurricane' that ever was
'*; felt in jthjs Province, happened on Friday the i5thlnftant in
" the Morning ; and has reduced this Town to a very melan-
V £holy Situ-iticn : As'thepubiick donbtlefs will expeffa par-'
*,*> ticular Account from the Piers,' To we have endeavoured to
\% obtain the' beft Irtform'a tion; we'poffib'ly cou-ld of this deplo-
*\ rable'Calainity ; for it is impoffible, as yc, to tell ail the
*f Carnage a' cl Devaluation' we have lufiain'd from the Vio-
f; knee' ef the Wind and Waves. ' '.
' ',' Oh the r4:h in the Evening, it began to blow very hard,
V. the Wind being at N.'E'. and ,tbe Sky looked wild and
7 thr'eatnm'g ; It continued blowing fro.m the fame Pp,int,wi?h
*'i little""Va nation, till about four a' Clock ih the Morning of
v th"ei5th, at which Time it became more violent and rained,
"tincre?[!ingvery,laft till about nine, when the;F)ood came in
¦f like % Bore, filli g the Harbour'ina few MinVites. Before
f eleven o" Clock, all the Veltels in the Harbour were on fhore,
«. except the Hornet Man of Warj, which rode it out by cut-
l\ tirg away h.r Main-maft ; all the Wharfs and Bridges were
£ ruipedj, and every Houfe, Store, £&. 'upon theniy beaten
>-•¦¦¦> ¦¦'¦'¦ ¦ .,.'•>¦.- • " m down.

[ 9 3
t
What Power was it that wrought contrary to the
common Courfe of Nature ? At whofe Prefence
was it that the Sea fled, and the Rivers were driven
backward? Was it not by him who calleth ^¦Am^t.fc
Waters ofthe Sea, and pour eth them out upon the Face
of the Earth : That metes out the Heavens with the
Span,

»' down, and carried away (with all the Goods, (£i\ therein;
" as were alfo many Houfes in the Town ; and abundance
'? of Roofs, Chimney's, $$c. almoft all' the tiled or Awed;
" Houfes were uncovered j and great Quantities of Merchan-
tl d\ze\ Cfc. in the Stores on the Bayftreet, damaged by- their
" Doors' being burft open: The Town was likewife over-
V flowed, the Tide or Sea having rofe upwards of ten Feet
" above the High-water Mark at Spring-tides, and nothing
" was now to bi feen but Ruins of Houfes, Canows, Wrecks
" of Pettiaugiias and Boats, Mafts, Yards, incredible. Quan-'
" tities, of all Sorts of Timber, Barrels, Staves, Shingles,
" Houfhokl and other Goods, floating and driving,, with great
" Violence, through the Streets, and round about the Town.
" The, Inhabitants,, Ending themfelves in the Midft of a tem-
11 peftuouss Sea, the Wind ftill continuing, the Tide (ac-
" Cord,ing to its common, Courfe) being expected tb flow till
" after one o1 Clock, and many of the People being already
I " up to thtir Necks in Water in their Houfes,- began now tq
' " think of nothing but certain Death ; but (here we muft
" record as fignal an Inftance of the immediate Interpoiitipn of
*,' the divine Providence as ever appeared) they were foon de-
V livered from their Apprehenfions ; for, about ten Minutes
" after eleven o' Clock, the Wind veered to the E. S.E. S.
" and S.W. very quick, and then (tho' it continued its Vio-
',' lence, ahd the Sea' beat and daftied every where with amaz-
" ing Impetuofity) the Waters fell above five Feet in the
V Space of ten Miriures, without which unexpected and fudden
*' Fall, every Houfcand Inhabitant in this Town muft, in all
"Probability, have . per/ifhed : And before three o' Clock
" the Hurricane was entirely over.  Many People were
" drow'ned, and others much, hurt by the Fall of Houfe*s."
To this dreadful Account there follows a particular Relation
of the Damage fuftainfd' fa the Fortifications, and by moft of
the Veffels being drove: on, fhore ; but let the above fuffice to
, giye an Idea of the deplf^abla, Condition the Province was
reduced to, as well as a Senfe of the remarkable and immediate
Relief from the merciful Hand of Broviderice^ -

[ !• .1
Spftn, -and, meafures the Waters in the. Hollow, of his
ma. exim. Hand ; that caufes the Winds to blow, and the Waters
l8' to flow, and whom the Winds akd the Seas obey, the
Mat, viii. .¦rjyd ofHqftfis his Name : Who I think gave con
vincing Proofs, both of the Strength of his Love,
and the Greatnefs bf his Power, when againft the
ufual Courfe of the Floods, by the Interpofition of
his Providence, the Wind fuddeniy turning back
the fwelling Ocean, and return'd the overflowing
Stream as a Man does his Water-courfe in his
Field. .
Therefore ye vain Difputers ©f this World, bow
before the high God, and reverence the Lord qf
the Heavens and whole Earth, (who prdereth all
Things according to his righteous Will) and ac*
knowledge his Might as well as his Mercy I And
you who confefs, that the moft high God rules in
Micah vi. the Kingdoms of Men, hear ye the Rod, and who
9< hath appointed, it ; [hall there be Evil (or Calamity)
Amos iii, 6. }n a Qty or in a Land, an([ the Lord hath not done it ?
And is there not a divine. Voice in all his Dealings
with the Children of Men ? Has be not pften fpqke
to us in the gentle Language of Profperity, as well
as in the harlher Terms of Adverfity? And did we
fufficiently attend to the Calls and Inftructions or
both, we Ihpuld find they preached loudly and fig-
nificantly to us. The Voice of God in Profperity
would caution the Rich not to truft in uncertain
Riches, not to be high-minded, but fear ; it would
teach us to confider that Men are not Proprietors,
but Stewards of Wealth i. that " * Riches are not
*' always to be looked upon as Happinefs, but as
*• Trials ;" they are put into our Hands, to dp
good with, and to communicate ; and thofe who
rejoice, would be taught hereby to do it with Fear and

* W. Penn's No Crofs, .no Crown, pag,6S»

[ I* ]
and Trembling, left they be found unjuft Stewards,
when called to account with their Lord, What they
have done with his 'Goods ? Whether Pepple b,ave
ufed them agreeable to' his Will, or abufed them to
their Lufts ? Did we but attend, I fay, to this Voice
Pf God, we ftiodld hear it fpeaking to this Purpofe ;
Be not proud of that of which thou art not an Owner :
We ftiouli find it teaching that Part of pure and
undefiled Religion, to vifit the Fatherlefs and Widow
in their Affliclions, and to do as holy Job, who fought
out the Poor, whom he knew not : It would rectify
that Error, that great Wealth pleads for, in Excefs
and Luxury, and fo limit the wandering Defire,
that we fhould be preferved from the Spots of the
World, the Luft of the Eye, &c.
And now let us hear God's Voice in Jdverjily,
wherein he afflicTts not willingly, but as in his
Wiidom he fees the Rod of Correction neceffary to
fome kind and gracious End, which caufed David,
under a Senfe of God's Goodnefs, to fay, I know in
Faithfulnejs thou haft affliileji me ; that is, either to
make Men holy, or to keep them fo ; as well as
to try and prove their Faith and Love by various
Ways, as in the Inftance, of -Abraham being re
quired to facrjfice his only Son ; npt becaufe God
did not know his Faith, and that he would be
obedient to every divine Command; but becaufe
fucceeding Generations fhould have Inftances and
Examples of Fidelity and Love to God tranfmit-
ted for Inftruclion, Encouragement and Comfort.
Again, in the Day of Diftrefs, or Adverfity, the
Lord is calling loudly to Men to confider folidly
of their Ways and be wife ; and happy will it be
for all, who with holy David turn their Feet to
God? s Teftimonies, wherein tbey fee, that Affiitlions
.arife not out of the Duft. This the Ifraelites were
f-nfible of, when in<rtheir Calamities they fought
the Lord, and made this" Search or Enquiry, Where fore

[ w ]
jer. xiii. fore co%ig tfefe Things upon me f w"hen th^y received.
"' for Anfwer from God, by the Mouth of the Pro
phet, For. the Greatnefs of thine Iniquity : Becaufe
they had forfaken the Lord, and ferved ftrange
Gods, and every one walked after the Imagination,
of his evil Heart. But in their Diftreffes we find,
them looking to God for Help, entring into their
Chambers, theinmoft of their Hearts^ ^nd feeing
the Vanity of their Idols, they cry out -to the Al-
Jer.iu. 22. mighty, Behold we come unto' thee, for thou art the,
Lord our God ! And here they make Covenant to
ferve him alone. This is then the kind Intention of
Providence to all Backfliders, -to caufe us to return
to him from whom we have revolted ; and all
Things that he appoints, fliall work together fpr
Good to, .them that love God : But where his Fa
vours fail of accomplifhing his great Defign, to
make his Name famous among the Sons ef Men
(as well as to make them happy) his Severity takes
place ; • for either in Mercy or Judgment muft
every Knee bow to the Power of the Lord of the
Heaven and whole Earth.
That God has thus dealt with Men in- all* the
Ages of the World, I need not tell thofe who are
acquainted with the facred Hiftory, where we find
numerous Inftances of the Love of God extended,'
firft in loving Kindnefs and tender Mercy, and by
long Forbearance alluring Men to Obedience, as
jer. xiii, he did Ifrael of old, 1 fpake unto thee, faith the
2l* "" Lord, in thy Profperity, but thou faidft, I will not
hear ; this bath been ihy Manner' from thy Touth,
that thou obeyedfi not my Voice : Therefore, the Wind
fhall eat. up. all* thy Paftures, and thy Lovers fhall go
into Captivity ; furely then fhall thou be afhamed and
confounded for all thy Wickednefs. Thus we fee the
Difobedience and Incorrigiblenefs of Mankind, with
whom the Lord declares, he will not always, ftrive,
was the Caufe of their Deftructio'n ; for we find
.God

[ h ]
God (if I may ufe the Expreffion) acquitting himfelf
after this Manner to his felect People, Thou hafl Hqf, xiu. ?.
deftroyed tbyfelf, O Ifrael, #«£ in me is thine Help.
, And npw, dearly Beloved, I greatly defire that
the Impreffion the late Vifitation of our God has
made on your Minds, may not be loft ; let it not
be faid, as it was to the fore- mentioned People,
I have fmitten them, but they have not returned unto Amosiv.9.
me,, faith the Lord. But I ihtreat that you will
fuffer it to do it's Meffage, that it may excite the
Righteous to ufe all Diligence, to make their Call
ing and Election fure ; and that it may warn the
Wicked, the Unrighteous, to flee from Sin, and
purfue Things that make for Peace ! And don't reft
in a polluted State, becaufe the Bitternefs Pf Death
is over for a Time, but remember if this Meffenger
is neglected and turned behind your Backs, that ten
Thoufand Ways God can inflicl his Punifhments,
if Men repent not.
And here I muft call upon you to confider the
various Difpenfations of divine Providence, which,
fuffer' me to fay, many have neglecled to improve to
their trueft Intereft ; I mean thereby their fpiritual
Intereft : And I fhould be glad we frequently con-
fider'd, how often we have been tried with Prof
perity, and ajfo proved with Seafons of Adverfity :
Let us call to Mind,-'how the Lord formerly chaf-
tifed us with a cruel and eXpen five Indian War ':
How often we have been threatned. (and in part
effected) with the Revolts and Infurrections of our
Domefticks ; the Enemies literally of our owh
Houfes : How has the Lord fometimes blafted the
fanguine. Hopes of many, who .have been panting
after the Duft of the Earth, by with-hoiding his
Clouds, that they rained no Showers on the Labours
ofthe Field ? And not many Years back, how were
we made defolar.e by devouring Fire? our Habita
tions laid wafte in a few Hour's ; fo that many who at

[ 14 ]
*t Noon were at Eafe in their commodious Apart
ments, at Night had not whereon (of rheir own) to
lay their Heads ? Again, how often has the mighty
Sovereign of the World fent his deftroying Angel
among us, with rnortalDifeafes in his Hand, deal7
ing Death around us ? And how has' this unrelent
ing Meffenger enter'd not only our Houfes, but our
Beds, and wrefted thence a tender Hufband, an
affectionate" Wife," a darling Infant, an engaging
Youth, a, dear. and fympatbizing Friend, &c. *' And
though we fometimes have been permitted tofucceed
by our human Policy and Methods, to keep a con
tagious Difeafe at a Diftance, and'from entring our
Towns ; yet, which of .us can command the Winds
to remain in their Treafuries ! Or will fay to. the
proud Waves, hitherto fhall ye come, and no far
ther ! when he who holds the Winds in his Fifts,
fees meet to thunder againft our Iniquities in ftormy
Wind and Temper!, and caufes his Floods at his
awful Command to roar againft us as in the Over
flowings of Jordan ! This has been our melancholy
Situation mpre than once, which has* caufed the
Hearts of many, as it were, 'to melt for very Trou
ble, when thefe Terrors have overtaken, us. But
this . laft amazing Stroke of. Providence appears
to exceed any of the Kind ,we felt before : Be
awakened then, I injreat, and rife from your Beds
of Eafe and Security, which I am jealous fome are
returned to, after (perhaps) , haviqg had, Recourfe to
your appointed Fafts, and voluntary Humiliations.;
bowing down your Heads for a Day, and faying
many formal Prayers well adapted to the Occafion ;
and hereby fome may think, they, have appeafed the
divine

* This refers to the Peft-houfe, built upon an Ifland fituate
towards the Mouth ofthe Sea, where, when any Veffel arrives,
having a contagious Difeafe on board, the Sick, are brought to
•this Place, and the Veflei perrormi (^uarentine.

I 15 J
•divirie Difpleafore, aftoned fo* their Mifdeeds, ^and
Sufficiently acknowledged God's Mercies in deliver
ing you from Death ; returning each one to his
former Wayj walking in thfe Imagination of his
own Heart.
But to thefe I have to fay, from a degree *Jf
Experience, that thefe outward Humiliations, thefe
Performances in our own Will|and Time, are ndt
¦acceptable to, the Lord, 'tis nbt the Faft that Jfe
•requires at your Hands ; but the Fk'ft that eve'r
was, ahd -now is acceptable to him, is, that Min
abftain from all manner of Sin, not for a Day pnly,
•but all the Days of their Lives ; that they loofe the
Bands of Wickednefs, and undo the heavy Burden's,
and that they let the oppreffed Seed pf the 'Kingdom
igo free, and have room in the Heart to grow and
increafe, to the Praife and Glory of God. Let then
each one, not forgetting his late Diftrefs, lay !Hs
Hand upon his Heart, and afk the Witnefs for God
•in his Confcience, What have I done 'br omitted,
to draw down the Difpleafure of Heaven ? Be ih
earneft,, I befeech you, for your immortal Souls,
and fuffer not the Adverfary of them to deceive you
with a Perfuafion, that you can't overcome your
corrupt Lufts and Affections ; but. by divine Aid
and Aflifiance fearch out the Sin thatitafily befets
you, and make no Delay to forfake it. But perhaps
forrie, morally righteous, may think this Scrutiny
needlefs, and are thanking God, that they are not
as other Men; Extortioners, Adulterers, unjuft, &c.
;and may alfo fay, I faft, and give Alms : Upo'n
which I obferve, that the rich Man in the Para
ble is not charged with* grofs Immoralities and Luke xvi.
enormous Vices, but with '.pending his Wealth up
on himfelf,, in a luxurious and voluptuous manner
of living, fuffering his poor Brother mean while
to be pinched with Hunger. But I would remind
fuch as cry Peace to themfelves, on the Account of
mora]

[ r6 ]
'moral Duties, and imagine *tis enough to abftairi
from grofs Senfua.lities ; I fay, I would have them
remember there is fuch a Crime as fpiritual Idolatry,
that is, a forfaking God in the Heart, (whom we
are commanded, and therefore under a religious
1 Obligation, of loving with the whole Heart) and go
ing after other Lovers •, and this fpiritual Adultery
is committed when ^len are loving (more than God)
father, Mother, Wife or Children, any worldly
or temporal Delight or Poffeflion whatfoever ;
thefe Things thereby become his Idols : And art
not Men making to themfelves Gods many; and
Lords,, manyi of the Things of the. Earth, which
have Dominion over them, by engrofling their Af
fedions ; are they not daily making Gods of Sil
ver, and Gods of Gold, of Stone, of Wood, of
Clay, of Straw, of Stubble,. k£c.\ when to Things
contemptible, and infignificant and bafe, People
are transferring the Love and Glory due to the in-
cormptibfeGod, jbafely prpftituring their Affections', -
to corruptible Things, and inordinately purfuing
thofe Things the Heathen Nations, unacquainted
with God, were feeking after with Earneftnefs and
Delight ; and may we not conclude thofe ignorant
of that divine Enjoyment and true Peace attending
a fight Acquaintance with God, who we obferve lo
eagerly purfuing worldly Things, having by their
own Negligence and Difobedience not wicneffed this
divine Privilege ; or, Demas like, loving this pre
fent World, have made Shipwreck of, Faith,- and
of this good Confcience towards God ;* and as I
have before noted, though many may be giving
themfelves Credit on the Score of moral Juftice, i
Equity, pfc. and that Species or Branch of Charity
which leads to relieve the Neceffitous, and which
Virtues are truly, acceptable in the Sight of God,
yet I would not have People forget, that there is a
religious Juftice required of us* A Man may be
very

i *7 J
'very careful' in relation to his Dealings, buying
felling, exchanging, lending and borrowing •, to d'd
right to all Men, and yet. he may fall extremely;
fhort in giving God his Due ; he may comply with,
or not offend againft any human Law?, and yet be
finning againft the Laws of God ; he may rend,er
to Cafar the Things that are his, and at the fame
Time (if I may ufe the Expreffion) defraud God of
the Things that are his. The religious Juftice due
to God. is, that.we fear, love, and honour him by
6,Ur Obedience and Subjection to, his Will ; the re
ligious Juftice We owe ourfelves, is to take care that
we wrong rtot that Part which is, mdtt effeittialLy
ourfelves, by prefering the Care and Pleafure OF the
Body to the Happinefs of our immortal Souls,
which too too many neglect to make a fuitable
Provifion for. In the Senfe "I am now cPnllderina
this Virtue arid Juftice, and its Pppofite Vice, I find
we are doing Injuftice to our Neighbour-in many
Cafe's when we fin againft any of the Laws oi God}
and do nbt come up agreeable to , the Doftrines
and precepts of Cbriftianiiy, as the holy Author
thereof tells us,— Whofoever fhall break one qf thefe
leaft jCommandme'nts, and jhall teach Men fd, he fhall
be called the leaft in, the Kingdom of Heaven : And
previous tb this Doctrine, preached oh the Mount;
'we find our Lord faying to his Difciples in thi AuT
dience of the Multitude, Ye are, the Ligh'l df .the Mni.-.r. ni
World ; a City fet on an Hill ia'nnol be hid ; let lS'
your Light fo fhine before Men, that they may fee your
good Works, and glorify your Father wh'ub is in Hea
ven. Hence it is then, that we wrong our Neigh
bours, when we are fetting them Examples contrary
to .Piety, Humility, Moderation and Temperance,
fife, and it we fee our Neighbour fin, we Plight in
Juftice to admohifh him ;Thou fh,al't ih any wife fe-xwit.^'i.
bake thy Neighbour, and not fuffer Sin .tipoH him. But '?•
Whert Men fee' us in the; contrary Practices, .arid
B purfuing

t i* 3
the Things of this Life with too rtiucri
farmth and Vigour, they not confidering Confe-
quences, and only looking at the Superficies of
Things, are tempted to grafp after thefe as the beft
^Things, as well as they are induced to think them
felves fafer in their Sips, when they have the Ex
ample of their Betters, as they term them, and the
moft Knowing to fupport and encourage them.
*Tis a common, but untrue Saying, that when Men
are guilty of Crimes which may not immediately
and directly tend to the outward Prejudice of their
Neighbour, That Ihey are no Body's Enemy but their
own ; but any, -who will examine the Nature and-
Circumftance of Sin, and the Power of Example, will
fee the Effects do not centre and end in ourfelves, but
pur Vices, of what Nature foever, may caft an un-
happy Influence all around us $ our Neighbours,, our
Children, our Servants., are liable to be affected and
hurt thereby ; nay, may I not fafely fay, that the
Sins of future Generations, in fome fenfe, may be
juftly chargeable on us of the prefent ? For as People
example their Children in Sin, and train them up in
.Vanity and Folly, neglecting the vital Part of true
Religion, and teaching them only a Form of Godli-
pefs, 'eis more than probable (unlefs fome extraor
dinary and immediate Inftruction and Help from
God prevent) that their Children will tread in the
fame Steps, and then as we are, fo will the next Gene->
ration be. And indeed when I look about, I lament
to obferve the generality of Parents propofing little
elfe to their Childrens Imitation and Choice (both
by their ow*n Example, and the manner pf their
Education) < bury, in the firft Place, a vigorous Pur-
fuit ot Wealth, as a Foundation to fupport all their
Lufts and Vanities -. And contrary to the Doctrine
and Precepts of Chrift, are thefe unjuft Parents
teaching Children by Example, to feek and defire
worldly Wifdom,1 Honour, Grandeur? Preferments, Applaufe,

t **, 1
Applaufe, &c. and to emulate thpfe whb ha,tfe a
greater Share of any of thefe than themfelves i
Thefe are the Examples Parents exhibit, and thefe
the good Gifts (as they think them/ they are giving
their Children in their Life-time, and thefe the Le
gacies they are moft earneft and careful to bequeath
them at their Death : Lamentable indeed to behpjd
the horrible Injuftice which fo much, abounds iti the.
World ! moft People ftriving to be opulent and
great* rather than virtuous and good, feeking' and
efteeming the Praife of Men, more than the Piraiffe-
pf God : At this View I am ready to cry-outin the
Words of the Prophet Jeremiah, Be aftonifhed', 0 ye jet. ii.
Heavens at this, and be horribly afraid ; "lament for
poor Man, who has forfaken the Laws of his God,l
(and while you keep your Stations, and move agree*
able to his Commands in the Creation^ Man only
breaks his Rank, and puts aU Things in Confltfiqn and
Diforder.) Could I then but prevail with any, by
• propofing God's Love and Mercy as Inducements
to love him again, how would, all your Thoughts,
Words and Actions, which in a State of Aljenatipn
from God are in Confufion and Diforder, without
Form, and void of this holy Love, be brought
into a proper Rectitude, Order and Uniformity !
But if any one fliould hsre afk, How fhall I.came
to this high Attainment of loving God above all
Things ? I have both read and heard that it is my
Duty fb todo, and fometimes I think I have been
willing thus to do, but how to perform I find
not ; my natural Propenfities' to fenfible and world*
ly Delights are ftrong, and the Frailties of my
Nature great, fo that in Times of Temptation, the
good Refolutions which I have fometimes made*
grow weak and defert me, and my Defires after
God grow cpol and languid, and_ I find myfelf
unable to refift any Temptayanc to this $in,;Fp!ly
and Vanity 1 once thought I muft forfake ; add to
B 2 thefe

thefe Lets in my Way, the Doctrine I have been
taught ,'tb believe, viz. That an entire* Conqueft
oyer Sin, and the Propenfities of our depraved
Nature, is not to be obtained in this Life ; and
therefore I conclude there's no coming fully up to
this Duty here, where we meet with, fo many Ob- '
ffructions. I anfwer to fuch who may be thus rea
foning,— The Way, to attain to the Love of God,
is to be paffive, and willing to let him remove rhtfe
Obftacles ; let Him; Caft out your old Lovers, take'
away your falfe. Gods, remove your Idols -out of
his Temple (your Hearts :) Let God but arife, and
heiwjll fcatter thefe Enemies of your true Happi
nefs ; in a Word, let him redeem you from the
Bondage of your (Corruptions, and then you can't
fail of loving him with all the Heart, &c.
And refpecting the above Doctrine, I would
have you obferve, That notwithftanding, by fome
of your Articles, you deny a perfect Freedom from.
Sin attainable in this Life, yet on the .following
Principles and Doctrines you can't avoid allowing a
Poffibility of faithfully keeping all God's Commands,
(and that all the Days of your Lives) when you fay, 'tis
your Duty towards God to believe in him, to fear
him, to love him with all the Hearty with all the
Mind, with all the Soul, with !all the Strength ;
to worfhip him, to give him Thanks, to put your
whole Truft in him, to call upon, him, to honour
his holy Name and his Word, and tp ferve him
truly all the Days of your Lives. Again;, many
promife and vow thefe three great Things, in which
are couched the Doctrine of perfect and .finlefs
Obedience ; and firfts you promife to .renounce the
Devil and alf.hisffiorks, the Pomps and Yapities of
this .wicked World, and all the finful Lufts of the
Flefh. Secondly, you engage to believe all the
Articles of the Chriftian ,b'a.\th ; and thirdly, tp
keep God's holy Will and .Commandments, and
•,watk

r 21 i
wa/it in the fame all the Days of your Lives i
adding, that you think yourfelves hound to believe
and perform as above, arid by God's Help ro fulfil
this folemn 'Engagement. And being, fenfire: that
you are weak and infufficient to do thefe Things o|
yourfelves, viz. to walk in the Commandments of
God, and to ferve him without his Grace, which.
you are to learn at all Times to call for by diligent
Prayer, to keep you from all Sin and Wickednefs. :
At the fame Time having thank'd God, that he
hath called you to this State of Salvation through
Jefus Chrift our Saviour. Who then that cafts his
Eyes on thefe Articles, &c._ but muft fee the Doc
trine of a perfect Freedom from Sin comprehended
in them ? And that with us you hereby acknow
ledge a Redeemer come out of Zion, not to fave
Men in their Sins, but to turn away Urigodlinefs
from Jacob, and Tranfgreffion from Ifrael. For this Rom. A
is my Covenant unto them when I fhall take away their27'
Sins': And for this Purpofe God has promifed the
Grace and Affiftanceof his holy Spirit to them who
afk in Faith, with fincere Defires to obtain this
Help: So that Men, though weak of themfelves,
have nd room to plead Inability to do God's
"Will, fince he, who is all-powerful, has declared
himfelf to be, our Strength in Weaknefs. And tho'
this Pofition is undeniable, that we cannot do any
good Thing without the Spirit of Chrift inclining an'd
affifting us therein, it does not follow thence that
we cannot come up fully in all Chriftian Duties
¦with this divine Aid; through which I think the
Apoftle Paul, having' experienced the Sufficiency of
God's Grace, tells us, he could do all Things through Philip, w.
Chrift which ftrengihened him : And though while13'
we remain in a State of; depraved Na'ure, -and
thereby Children of Vy 'rath,' doing thofe Things we
ought not to do. v yet let' us examine, it b.ing bow*
asiin, by the incorruptible "Word, or Power "of
'• i' ft < .-- ¦. i
j B 3 vjOQj

[ « ]
God, will be of no Advantage fo us f I think the
? Jo}»n iji. Apoftle John tell us, Whofoever is born cf God dotb
*' not commit Sin, for his Seed remaineth in him; he
cdnnot fin, becaufe he is born 'of God ,; the Spirit of
Chrift influencing his whole Conduct, and he keep
eth himfelf (by the Power of God) and the wicked
0ne toiicheth him not. We know therefore that
we are of God, and the whole World lieth in
Wickednefs, and whofoever is born of God over-
cometh the World ; and' this is the Victory that
pvercometh the Spirit of the World, even our Faith.
*Tis therefore the Sin of Unbelief, as well as a Love
•to their Sins, that caufe fo many to remain in this
erroneous Doctrine, viz. that there is no perfect
Freedpm from Sin to be expected or obtained in
this Life-
Let us next hear the Evangelift John fpea^king of
Jpbn i. ii, Chrift,-T*-i/(? came unto his own, and his own received
him not ; but as many as received him, to them gave he
,Pqwer to become the Sons "of God, even to them that
believe on his Name, (which is his Power) which were
born not of Blood, nor 'of the Will of the Flefh, nor of
the WiU of Man, but af God ; that Infpiration of his
holy Spirit, which you pray for to cleanfe the
Thoughts of your Hearts, iSc. that you might
ferfetlly love him, and worthily magnify his holy
lame. And I would here humbly afk fuch as profefs to
worfhip God agreeable to the Liturgy of the.
Church of England, how this can be done while
Men continue in Sin ? which, by the daily Confef-
fion, the Members of that Church are never free
from i With what Propriety and Confiftency can
they pray in the Form of Words which are occa
sionally, and fome of them daily ufed, one while
drawing near to the Throne of Grace, conf effing their
manifold Sins and IWickednefs before God, that th'ey
Way obtain Fbrfrivenefs of them ; and in the fame
Prayer

. [ *3 ]
Prayer, in the fame Minute, called upon to addreft
the Almighty with pure, humble, lowly, penitent,
and obedient Hearts ; and immediately following, att
miferable Offenders ; one while czWmo God their Father,
and themfelves his Servants, whom he has redeemed
with his precious Blood > fometimes thanking him for
his Creation, Prefervation and Redemption, and anon
telling him, they are like loft Sheep, erring andftrayinjg
from his Ways, leaving undone thofe Things tbey ought to
have done, and doing thofe Things which they ought not
lo bape done : Juft now,- no Health in them % a
while hence, magnifying the Lord, and rejoicing in
God their Saviour : , Now begging divine Protection
to them God's humble Servants \ again, craving
Mercy, being miferable Sinners : Now faying, Day
hy Day we magnify thee, O Lord, and we worfhip thy
holy Name, make thy Servants to be numbered with
thy Saints in Glory everlafting ; and Day by Day con-
fefifing themfelves miferable Offenders againft God's
holy Laws : One while, very Members ofthe myftical
Body, of Chrift ; in the fame Service they have been
bewailing their manifold Sins and Wickednefs, which
from Time to Time they have moft grievoufty com
mitted in Thought, Word and Deed, juftly provoking
God's Wrath ; and faying, the Remembrance of them
is grievous, and the Burden intolerable, and they do
repent, and are heartily forry for their Mif deeds;
again in the fame Day, miferable Sinners ftill. Now
faithfully afking, or praying according to the Will of
Gad, for Repentance and his holy Spirit, that here
after their Lives may be pure and holy, and that
the Things that they do at prefent may pleafe God:, and
that they may ever hereafter ferve him in Newnefs of
Life, to the Honour and Glory of his Name ;. and yet
at the fame Time faying, they, ftill follow the Devices
and Defires of their own Hearts. : Now praying the
Lord to receive, their humble Petitions, and though
tied and bound with the Chain of Sin, beg to-be loojed
B 4 " for

[ H ]
for his Mercies Sake : Again, Spare thy people, w.honp
thou haft redeemed with, thy precious Bhod ; nevertheT
fefs continue miferable Offenders', always doing thofe
Things they ought not, yet daily praying to be
furthered by continual Help, from God* that their
Works begifn and continued, may be ended in him, . that
thereby they may gl°rify his-^holy Name. And if
miferable Sinners ftill,, what' will become of all thefe
Prayers. and'Doctrines comprehended in your Forms
of Prayer ?, Where's the Love and Dread of God,
and diligently living after his Commandments ?. What
becomes of thefe your Petitions, Grant that this
Day we, fall into np Sin ; keep us this>Day without Sin ;
grant that we may do always that which is righteous in
thy. Sight ; that all our Doings may be. ordered by thy
Governance ; that the Cfyurch may, be guided and. go
verned by thy good Spirit., (furthered by thy] continual
Help), that a,ll who profefs and call themfelves
Chriftiqns may be led into the Way of Truth,, and
hold "the Fqilfi in IJnify of Spirit^ and in Righteoufnefs
ofLife% V r - ''.'>'
Again^ if People remain in one Spot, always
confeffing, and not endeavouring to forfake Sin,
where's the Benefit they receive by the Cpming of
Chrift Jefus the. Saviour ? What wilj, become of
thofe numerous Doctrines of the holy Scriptures,
by the whole Tepour of which, we find- not, only
the Neceffity of knowing our Tranfgrefiions par-
aonxd„ and \ taken away, but an Advancement... in Holi
nefs ? And if People are to be always doing wrong
Things^ and always in this miferable" State, how
can it be faid, (foal tbeir Works are" fo much, as begun
biGodf: For this is beginning of the "Work of God
(wrought in our Souls) that we believe in the Power
of Cbnft Jefus,, whom, be hath fen f to take away the
Sins of the World'. For notwithftanding your for
mal and daily Conftilion, that ypij. are miferable.
Sinners, I believe there are fuch'amon^ you^r
Members^

[ *5 ]
Members, in whom the Work ofGod is happily
begun ; to thefe let me fay, you muft know this
good Work continued ; for I experimentally know,
this Maxim to be true, that there is no ftanding ftill
in Religion, or the Work of God j, for if we do not
know a going forward^ we may certainly conclude
we are going backward : And if there was no
Neceffity for an Advancement in Righteoufnefs, if
after People haye ceafed to do Evil, they were not
to learn to do well, to what- Purpofe are all the fol
lowing Doctrines and Exhortations delivered bythe
Prophets and Apoftles Pf Chrift? Grow in Grace, 3 pet. iti.
and in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jefus l8-
Chrift, till we all come in the Unity of the Faith, Eph. iv.13.
and of the Knowledge of the Son of God, unto a per-
fetl Man, unto the Meafure of the Stature of the Fulnefs
qf. Chrift ; and as new born Babes, defire the fincere 1 Pet. ii. 2.
Milk of the Word, that ye may grow thereby,: The job xvii. 9.,
Righteous alfo fhall hold on bis Way, and he that hath
clean Hands fhall be fironger and ftrorger. They go pfaUmiy.
from Strength to Strength, every one of them in Zion, 7-
£fY. But it Satan always reigns in Men, as he cer
tainly does while they continue miferabk Sinners,
Where's the Ceafing to do Evil? where's the Coming
of the Kingdom of God, and the doing his ' Will on
Earth* as it is done in Heaven ? which fome People
daily pretendtp pray for. Where's the Change the
primitive Chriftians knew, and all true Believers in
Chrift. muff witnefs, the Tranflation out of the King
dom, of Parkfiefs^ into, the Kingdom of the dear Son of
God ? And if People are always in Bondage, ferv
ing 'divers Lufts, and Corruptions, (for ofwhom or
whatfoever a IVJan is overcome, of the fame he is
brought into Bondage) where is the Liberty of the
Sons of. God, \h^perjetl Freedom thac many talk of
' • in,

* Is not this State a perfeft Freedom from Sia ?

[ 26 J
in their Devotions ? Where's the gracious and readf
Help of God you acknowledge ? Then, why do you
continue miferable Offenders agSnft his holy Laws t
And are People fincere in their Petitions when they
fay, they defire to be loefed from the Bands and Chains
of Sin, and yet will not come rightly to Chrift to
make them 'free indeed f How can People fay, that
their Sins grieve them ; that they feel the Burthen
of them intolerable, and yet will not properly come
to Chrift, and take his Yoke upon them ? ^heonly
Way and Means of finding Reft to the Soul. Why
are People thus complaining daily of the Burthen of
Corruptions ? Has God left them to fink under the
Load of Sin without a Remedy ? Is there not Help
laid upon one mighty to fave, and able to deliver
from Sin all that come to him weary indeed ?
Does the companionate Saviour call all fuch as
labour and are heavy laden, to him to relieve them,
and when they apply, refufe them his Aid ? Is his
Arm fhorten'd or grown weaker than it formerly
was ? Is his Grace infufficient to fave now, any
more than in the Apoftle Paul's Days ? Is there
not Balm in Gilead ? is there not a Phyfician there ?
Why then are not the Wounds that Sin has made,
healed ? Becaufe, notwithftanding Mens Profeffiont
and Confeffion's, too many are infincere and unwilling
to part with their Lufts and Corruptions.
And now, dear fellow Mortals, let me here fay,
I wifh you would confider, that while you are going
on in your Forms of -Devotion, you are uttering
palpable Untruths in the Prefence of the all-feeing
God ; for if People are miferable Sinners, certainly
they are not at the fame Time humble Servants of
God : And if they happily have known Chrift to re
deem them from Sin, and furthering them by his con
tinual Help, by which they magnify him Day by Day,
thefe then, in fuch a State cannot be miferable Of
fenders, who have no Health in them i neither are
thefe

[ 27 1
thefe daily following theDevices and Defires of their
own Hearts •, for can a good Tree bring forth eviL
Fruit, or an evil Tree bring forth good Fruit ?
Can a Fountain fend forth at the fame Place fweei fjamesi
Water and bitter? So neither can a Man be holy and "•
unholy at the fame Time.
1 have' not faid thefe Things, Brethren, either to
fhame or offend you ; but having heretofore been
fn that miferable Situation myfelf, always or daily
cbnfeffing, but not endeavouring to forfake Sin ;
and finding, when I folidly thought on my Ways,
that there was a Neceffity of coming out of this
unhappy State, and that I muft know a Change of
Heart and Affections ; in a Word, I found, or faw
the Neceffity of being born again, before I could
tall God my heavenly Father, as well as that I muft
he baptized again with Chrift's Baptifm of the Holy
Ghoft and Fire, before I could addrefs his Throne
Of Grace (with a pure, humble and lowly Heart)
and be truly initiated into^ his holy catholick
Church, and be a real Member of that Body of
which Chrift is the Head : I fay, when I confider'd
and examin'd Things that pertain to eternal Life
and Salvation, I have found that the Kingdom of
God came not with outward Obfervations, that it
ftood not in Meats and Drinks, neither in divers
Wafhings, and outward carnal Ceremonies and Or
dinances ; which neverthelefs had their Time, and
were impbfcd on the Jews till the Coming of
Chrift ; that outward Ceremonies and carnal Or
dinances were exhibited only as Types, Figures and
Shadows of good Things to come, and to remain
only till the Time thac Chrift, the Sum and Su'b-
ftanceof all external Rites, came, who was, and ig
'fulfilling in the Hearts of all true Believers thofe
Things testified of in carnal Ordinances, ,and which
the Apoftle Paul -remarks, could not make the
Comers thereunto perfetl, as they, can do nothing
pertaining

[ a8 }
pertaining to the Confcience ; for^ fays he.; ; 'frVw*-:
poffible that the Blood of Bulls or Goats, or <the Afhes of,
an Heifer, &c, fhould take away Sin ; fo neither can
any external Wafhings or the receiving theCrea-
tures of Bread and Wine, in any wife tend ro purge
the Confcience from Sin: Outward Sacrifices and
Offerings, according to the Pfalmift's Experience*
"God has* no Pleafure in ; then he goes on and de-
fcribes the Sacrifices which are acceptable to him ;
The Sacrifices of God are a broken (or humble) Spirit,;
a broken and contrite (or truly repenting) Heart, O
God thou wilt not defpife : 'Tis by this Contrition of
Soul that God is preparing us to do his Will, be
getting a fincere and godly Sorrow for Sin, a Re
pentance never to be repented of, vifible in our
Words and Actions, every Thought having been
brought, by God's Power, to the Obedience or
Subjection of Chrift, Therefore in Chriftian 'hove
I earneftly intreat you, to come to an impartial
Examination of your Faith, your Forms and Cere
monies, as well as your Practice ; and as you pro
fefs Chrift to be the. Foundation of your Faith,
be careful left you be, found building thereon, with
Wood, Hay, or Stubble ; I caution you to beware,
left you be fporting yourfelves with your own De
vices. and Deceivings : Religion, (my dear Fellow-
Mortals) or the Duty and Obligation we are under
to love and ferve God, -is of the utmoft Importance
to usihis dependent Creatures, and an habitual Re
verence, and Eye to the Creator, ought to appear
in all our Words and Actions, and, more efpecially
in that moft folemn Duty of our Lives, the more
immediate Worfhip of the fupream Being when
we approach his Prefence in Prayer, which ought
never. to be entered upon without a due Preparatiori
of Heart, feeling a Reverence and godly Fear be- ,
gotten in our Souls by that Power we profefs to
adore :; We may amufe and deceive ourfelves with
bodily

L 29 J
bodily Exercife, but 'tis impoffible to deceive that
omnifcient God, who requires us his Creatures to
worfhip him in Spirit and in Truth ; and he or fhe
that does not thus worfhip the Father, does not
perform any Worfhip at all : And however eafy
we may make ourfelves with Forms and Shews of
Godlinefs, without witneffing the Power, the all-
feeing God beholds us, and will rrianifeft every
Man's Work, even when he comes into, his Temple,
the Heart of Man, as a Refiner with Fire, the Fire
of his Word or Power, with which he will moft
certainly try every Man's Work of what Sort it is.
And here let me add one Evidence or Criterion of
true and acceptable Worfhip ; If any Man be a
(true) Worfhipper of God, and doth his Will, him be
heareth. When firft I began to write, I had no Intention
of making any Remarks on Men's particular Tenets,
Opinions or Ceremonies refpecting Religion, but as
I' apprehend the great Remembrancer (the Spirit of
Truth) has brought thefe old Things, which have
been done away in me, to the View of -my Under
ftanding, I thought it myDuty thus to mention, and
to offer them to your folid Confideration-. And npw
a Word offers to you, who hold the Doctrine of
unconditional and perfonal Election and Reprobation,
in a Senfe whichT have found, upon Examination
of thofe Doctrines,. reflects great Difhonour on God,,
and proves fometimes of dangerous Confequence to
Men; and I, would briefly fay, from a Degree pf
Experience, what I apprehend to be the true Inten
tion and.Meaning of the holy Scrjptures concerning
this Doctrine ; and firft> I ;find the Apoftle Paul
writing to Titus, that the Grace of God, which brings
Sal'bdtwp, bath appeared.to all Men-, then furelythis
is faving Grace : And the fame Apoftle tells us,
the Gofpel was preached to every Creature •which js.under, c.oi. i 23.
.Heaven : This thsn.is the' Kindnefs and. Love of
vGod

t 30 I
li. Gbd our Saviour towards Man, wh$ will h.alue:aH>Mtfti
to be faved, and come to the Knowledge of the Truth i
here We find all Men call'd to a State of Salvation :
Why then are there but few (in Comparifon)' chofen-t.
or ¦ eleEled? 'Tis becaufe they do not comply with
the Condition or Terms of Election, which were;
propofed by the Almighty to an Offender in the firft;
Age ot the World, and continues to be the Terms,
>7. of Acceptance, pr Election to this very Day ; If thou,
doft well, (faid the Lord to Cain). Jhalt 'thou not be
accepted? and if thou doft not well, Sin lietb at ibi
Door : Here then is the Caufe of Rejection, Sitt
lying at the Door ; which may be removed in all
Men, would they receive the Inftruction and Aid
of the Grace of God ; it wpuld teach them, to deny
all Ungodfinefs, ana the World's Lufts, and enable
'•them to livejbberlyg rigbteoufily,, and godly in this, pre
fent World : Here we lee the Power and Efficacy pf
this divine Grace, which has appeared to all J$en,
Then whofoever does not. refift this, favourable
t cor. xii. Help of God, this Manifeftation ofthe Spirit (which)
is given to every Man to profit withal, but believes in
its Sufficiency to fave from Sin, and fuffers it to
operate in the Heart, to the pulling down the
ftrong Holds of Satan j and by trie fame divine Af-
fiftance comes up in the faithful Difeharge of their
feveral Duties to God" and their Neighbour, as ma~
nifefted in the outward, as well as inwardly written
Law in the Heart 5 thefe are in a State of Elec
tion in and by Chrift, and in Favour and Accept
ance with God : But on the contrary, all thofe who
continue fo refift the Grace and Will of God, and
refufe to be converted, (or changed) and fandtified
thereby, and are perfifting in a State of Difobedj-
ence and Tranfgreffion, in the Violation, of his
Laws, thefe, for this Caufe, are in a State of Re
probation or Rejection ; for the mpft high, holy,
juft and pure God, will not confer on fuch as thefe any

7.

IL 3l il
any-etpecial Favour or Token of Approbation, ft)
long as they remain inflexible, obdurate, and dif-
obedient to his hply Laws : The Lord had Refpetl to Gen. ir. 4,
(righteous) Abe^t a^bis Offering, but to , (wicked) *•
Cain and his Offering, he had not Refpetl ; for the Prov. xxi.
Sacrifice of the Wicked is Abomination. And flow27'
fomething to the prefent Purpofe occurs, which the
Apoftle Paul wrote to them which heretofore had ^cor- xiii.
finned, and to all others, exhorting them after this
manner, Examine yourfelves, whether, ye be in the 2 cor. xiii.
Faith ; prove your own' Selves, know, ye not your own 5"
Selves, how that Chrift Jefus is in. you execepl ye be
Reprobates. As if he had faid, as he has done elfe
where, Know ye not, that as many as are led by ^ftom.viiii
Spirit ofGod., they are the Sons of God ; and asthe I4°
Apoftle Peter has it, Thefe are obedient Children^ not 1 Pet.i. 14.
fajhioning themfelves according to the former Lufts in
their Ignorance, but are bringing forth the Fruits of
the Spirit of God. And this will be the State of thofe
who are vifited by his Grace, and are obedient to
it, and make not fhipwreck, of Faith and a good
Confcience, by which they become Reprobates, and
often return to their former Luft"s) whereby they
caufe the Spirit of God to be withdrawn from them,,
and thofe Things which conduce to their* Peace are
hidden from their Eyes. You who may have yet fome
Grace remaining in you, and Faith, not quite loft,
examine what are the natural and neceffary Fruits
accompanying the Chriftian Faith, and knpw, that
it muft work by Love to God, to the purifying the
Confcience ; and that you muft add to your Faith 2 p«- «• 5*
Virtue, Knowledge, Temperance, Patience, GodUnefs, ,7' '9'
Brotherly-kindnefs and Charity ;. for if thefe Things be
in you and abound, they make, you that you fhall 'neither
be barren nor unfruitful in the Knowledge of our Lord
Jefus Chrift ; but he that lacketh thefe Things is blind,
and cannot fee afar off, &c. Theie neceffary Pro
ductions were to evidence their Faith, and to prove that

t 3* 1
that they were not Reprobates, or rejected ofGod':
And therefore the Apoftle Peter further" exhorts in
the following Words ; Whereforefthe rather, Bre
thren, give Diligence to make your CaUing and EleSlioH
fure, for if ye do theft Things ye fhall never fall ; for
fo an Entrance fhall be miniftred unto you abundantly^
into the everlafting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour
Jefus Chrift. Thefe Scriptures, among others which
might be produced, plainly evince, that the Elec
tion ftands in our being in Chrift, (made new Crea
tures by virtue of his Power, and accepted through
Rom.vjii. him, the Beloved) and he in us, by his Spirit : Now
?* if any Man have not the Spirit of Chrift, he is none of
^cer. iii, his ; and Know ye not that you are the Temple oj God,
and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you ; which, if
we refift not, will be influencing, leading, govern
ing and directing our Thoughts, Words and Ac
tions : Thefe who: are in this Subjection to the divine
Will, are in a State of Election, chofen of God;
and in his Favour, having obeyed his gracious Call
to Virtue and Glory ; on the contrary, as above-
faid, thofe who refift the Operation Pf the Holy
Ghoft, and quench that Meafure of the Spirit, (given
to every Man to profit withal) who are contentious,
and will not obey the Truth, nor have Chrift thus
to reign over them ; fo long as they continue ih
their Difobedience, they remain in a State of Re
probation, being rejected of God, and out of his
.fpecial Favour.
But not to enter far into the Arguments fome
Men advance for their Doctrine, in the miftakeh
Senfe of it, I would juft fay how my Mind has
been affected with Dread and Horror, when I fee
People prefuming to make void the unalterable
Perfections and Laws of God's Love, Mercy, and
Juftice, and contradicting the infpifed and facred
H»b.ii. ?• Writings, which fay, Chrift tafted Death for every
,Rom.,v.i8. Mant The free Gift came upon all. Men to JuftificltMt of

i 33 J
«f Life ; and that he is, faith the Apoftle John, i Jota*afe
the Propitiation for our Sins, and not for our Sins2'
only, but alfo for the Sins of the whole World ; and
the Apoftle Paul tells us, that God -will have all ^WV**,
Men to be faved, and to come unto the Knowledge of
the Truth ; and the Apoftle Peter tells us, The Lord9^¥AUi
is not' flack concerning bis Promife, but is long-fuffering s'
to us-ward, not willing that any fhould perifhy but that
all fhould come to Repentance: Yet fome Men are npt
afraid to deny and gainfay thefe Scripture- Doctrines,
when they fay, that Chrift died only for a Part p?
Mankind, whom God hath elected to Salvation
from Eternity, when he alfo ordained or predeftir
na ted the reft ; of Mankind to everlafting Deftruci>
tion ; and thus has he, as they fay, decreed withouj
refpect to Mens good or evil Works, and that ire
gives faving Grace to the Elect, but with-holds the
Means thereof from the Non-elect, and palling
-thefe by, excludes them from the Benefits of Chrift's
Death, ; or which is more fhocking, though Goii
offer his Son, yet by an eternal Decree he has put
it out ofthe Power of the, Non elect to receive him*
by refuting them the Ability ; and then reprefent
, the holy, merciful and juft Being, expecting to reap
where he has not fown, when he is calling thefe to
account fpr their Sins, to whom he not only fefufedl
Ability to forfake them, but on the contrary, has
decreed that they fhould not be faved.
I have heard it related, but know not from what
Authority, of an Emperourof Fez and Morrocco^
who fent one of his .Officers to execute a Cornmik
fion of Importance at fome great Difta.nce from the
City ; and while the Officer was preparing for his
Journey, Aid before he could fet out, jt2be.Emperour
caufed him to be arrefted and caft into Prifon.
Some Time after the Emperour enquired of :his
Courtiers, whether this Officer was returned from
-executing his :-Commifiion ; and being, told, mt
C -reminded,

[ 34 ]
reminded, that he had order'd the faid Officer to be
caft into Prifon, Where he had lain ever finee^ the
Emperour gave Command, that, the Officer fhould
be forthwith brought before him ; and being
brought, the Emperour afked, if ^he had executed
the Commifiiorl given ? The Officer anfwered to
this Effect, That his Highnefs fhadcfiuftd'him to be
caft into Prifon, where he had lain, til'l that Inftant of
Time, whereby his Highnefs himfelf bad prevented him
from executing his Commiffion. The Emperour in a
wrathful manner replies, What doth he difpute, or
call in Queftion my Will and Power ? Cut. off his
Head: And the Officer's Head was immediately
ftruck off.
I am ready to conclude, that every reafonable
and confiderate Perfon will judge this Emperour to
be a very unjuft, unreafonable and cruel Tyrant.
Pray now let it be confidered, whether the Scheme
of abfolute unconditional Predeftination, and the com-r
mon or frequent Arguments ufed to fupport the
Scheme, do not render or reprefent the All-wife,
and infinitely gracious, merciful, juft God, as cruel,
unreafonable, and unjuft, as this Emperour is repre-f
fented to be ?
And, when thefe horrid Doctrines, have been
called* in queftion, and fhaken by Arguments
drawn from a Confideration of the divine Attri
butes, as well as from Scripture and Reafon, th&y
fly for Refuge to the fovereign and uncontroulable
Will of God ; not confidering that he, the juft
Judge of all the Earth, (who' calls upon mortal
Man to judge the People with juft Judgment, and
not to accept Perfons therein) muft neceffarily will
and dd right, ¦ and that which is, goad f ancr- that
there is, morally fpeaking,, nothing impoffible. to
God, but to do wrong or evil : And to this Purpofe
is he fpeaking by the Prophet Jeremiah, I the Lord
fearch the Heart, I try the Reins, even to give .every
Man

[ 3* I.
Man according to his Ways, and according to- the"
Fruit of his Doings. And we find the Lord faying
to his Servant' Mefes,''tf¥bofoever -hath finned againft E*&i.mil
mei him will- 1 b I qt out of my Book-. That Man's?*'
Deftruclion is of himfelf, I think is plainly infer'd*
from the Perfections of God, and proved by nu
merous Scripture Texts, -as well as that his Elec
tion to Salvation is conditional, and of God. And
as part of the firft and fecond Chapters of the
Romans feems to be much to the Purpofe, I fhall-
here> tranferibe feveral Paffiges there -from, in
which 'are alfo contained various Hints of the
Univerfality of the Grace and Power of God thro*
Chrift, outwardly , and inwardly preached ; which
it may not be amifs to introduce with a Paffage
from Revelation xiv. 6. where John the Divine thus
fpeaks, And I faw another Angel fly in the Midft of
Heaven, having the ever lofting Gofpel to preach unto
them, that dwell on the Earth ; and to every Nation-
and Kindred, and Tongue and People. And Paul calls
himfelf a Servant of Jefus- Chrift, by whom, fays he> R0ni. t.'t,
we have received Grace and Apoftlefhip, for Obedience 5. '4. &«.
to the Faith among all Nations for his Name. Again,
continues he, / am Debtor both to /#* Greeks and to
the Barbarians, both to- the.Wife and to ¦ the Unwife,
and fo much as in me is, I am .ready to preach the
Gofpel to you that are at Rome alfo ; for I am not
afham'd of the Gofpel of Chrift, for it is the Power
of God unto Salvation to every one that believeth, to
the Jew firft, and alfo to the (Greek or) Gentile ;
for therein (to wit in the Gofpel) is the Righteoufnefs
of God reveal'd from Faith to Faith, as it is written,
the. Juft fkmll live by Faith. For the Wrath of Goft
is revealed from Heaven againft all Ungodlinefs and
Unrig hteoufnefs of Men, who hold the Truth -in Un-
righteoufnefs : Becaufe that which, may be known of
God is manif eft in them, for God hath [hewed it unto
them. For the invifible Things of him from the Creation
C 2 \ ' of

t 36 ]
of the World are clearly feen,,, being underftood by
the Things that are made, even his eternal Power
and Godhead ; fo that they are without Excufe : Be
caufe that when they knew God, they glorified him not
as God, neither were thankful ; but became vain in
their Imaginations, and their foolifh Heart was dark
ened: Prof effing themfelves to be wife, they became
Fools ; and changed, the Glory of the uncorruptible.
God into an Image, made like to corruptible Man, and
to Birds and four footed Beaft s, and creeping Things j
wherefore God alfo gave tbem up to Uncleannefs,
through the Lufts of their own Hearts ; who changed
the Truth of God into a Lie, and worfhipped and
ferved the Creature more than the Creator, who is
bleffed for ever. For this Caufe (then) God gave
them up unto vile Affeblions : And even as they did
not like to retain God in their Knowledge, God gave
tbem over to a reprobate Mind, to do. thofe Things which
are not convenient :, Being filled with all Unrighteouf
nefs, Fornication, Wickednefs, Covetoufnefs, Maliciouf-
pefs ; full of Envy, Murder, Debate, Deceit, Malig
nity, Whifperers, Backbiters, Haters ofGod, Defpiteful, '
Proud, Boafters, Inventers of evil Things, difbbedient
to Parents, without Underftanding, Covenant Breaker^
without natural Affetlion, implacable, unmerciful :
Who knowing the Judgment ef God, that they, which
commit fuch Things are worthy of Death, not only do
the fame, but, have. Pleafure in tbem that do them (or
as in the Margin, eonfent with, them.) And conti-
Rom. ii. 2, nues the Apoftle, we are fure that the Judgment of
God is according to Truth, againft them whicb-.commit
fuch Things. And thinkeft thou this, O Man, that
ljudgeft them that do. fuch Things, and , deft the. fame,,
that thou (halt efcape the Judgment ofGod ? Ordefpifefi
thou the Riches of his Goodnefs, and, Forbearance am
Long-fuffering, not knowing that the Goodnefs of God
, feadetb thee to Repentance. But rafter 'thyHarineJs
And impenitent Heart treafureft. up' unto 'ihyfelf Wratb
againft

[ 37 ]
againft the Day of Wrath, and Revelation ofthe righ
teous Judgment of God, who will render to every Man
according to his Deeds ; to them who by patient Conti
nuance in well doing, feek fot Glory and Honour, and
Immortality, eternal Life. But unto them that are
¦ contentious, and do not obey the Truth, but obey Un-
righteoufnefs, Indignation and Wrath, Tribulation and
Anguifh upon 'every Soul of Man that doth Evil, of the
Jew firft, and alfo of the Gentile ; but Glory, Honour
and Peace to every Man that worketh Good, to the
Jew firft, and alfo to the Gentile ; For there is no AGs i. 3*.
Refpect of Perfons with God ; for as many as have*°m^*''
finned without Law, fhall alfo perifh without Law ;
and as many as have finned in the Law, floall be
judged by the Law ; for not the Flearers of the Law
are juft before God, but the Doers of the Law fhall
be juftified. For when the Gentiles, which have not
the "Law, do by* Nature the Things contained in the
Law, thefe, having not the Law, are a Law unto
C 3 " themfelves,

* Nature : By wbjch I underftand a Pdwer received from a
Degree oil: that true Light '(Chrift the Word of God) wbivb
ligbmh every Mm that cohefb into the World, John i. 9. which
is farther illuftrated by a certain ^Author, after this Manner,
" Truly I underftand no other Thing at prefent than that
"Light which, is divinely infufed into our Souls: For when
" God form'd Man, he not only gave him Eyes to his Body,
" by which he might fhun thofe Things which are hurtful to
" him, and follow rhofe, Things that are profitable ; but alfd
" hath fet before his Mind a certain Light, by which he may
" difcera Things that are vile, from Things that are honeft.
'* £dme call this Power Nature, others the .Law of Nature ; I
" truly judge ic to be divine, and am perfwaded that Nature
" and Wifdom never fay different Things. Moreover God
" hath given us a Compend of the Law* which irt few Words
"comprehends the whole ; to wit, that we fhould love hirn
«' from our Hearts, and our Neighbours as ourfelves : And of
"this Law all the Books ofthe holy Scriptures, which pertain
«' to the forming of Manners, contain no other than an
" Explication." •fe 'Sue hart an. Takeivfrom®ir«Ajji's Apology, pag. J9f.

[ 3§ ]
themfelves, which fiew the Work of the Law written,,
in their Hearts, their Confcience alfo bearing. Witnefs,\
andtheir Thoughts the mean while accufing, or elfe ex?.
cufing one another, in the Day when God fhall judge*,
the Secrets of Men by J ejus Chrift, according "to my Gof
pel. That Gofpel which Paul declar'd ; for to fpeak,
properly, the Gofpel is 'the inward Power and Life,
of God* which preacheth glad Tidings in the Hearts
of all Men, offering Salvation, and feeking- to 're*
deem-.them from their Iniquities, which is preael|ff|
both in them which have the outward LaWj and
them that have it not ; which Power or Grace of
God is not withdrawn from Men, till they refufe
(.as did Jerufalem) to be gathered by it, neither does
he fay, let. them alone, until like Ephraim, they aje
wholly joined to their Idols.
V I now remember a certain Author (Dr. Clark, if
J .miftake not) fpeaking fomething to this Purpofe;
*' Men, (fays,, he) weak and paffionate, are impja-
*'. cable when provok'd ; but the Mercy and
V Companion of God are like his other Attributes,
<< or Perfections of his Nature, unchangeable, relay
" "tb extend itfelf towards thofe Who at £ny Time,
«,' become capable Objects of it. And from the
;' fame Confideration of his Immutability and Pu-
V rity, appears, the Neceffity of Repentance ;' for
''as the Mercy of God is always open to the
«¦ Penitent, fo the Impenitent are excluded from it,
tf.-as long as, they continue fo : No Application can
'.' -reconcile him to Sin ; nor no Artifice prevail
l^.iii.10, cc vvith him to annul his eternal Law of Love, Equity
'c and Juftice.". S.ay (then) unto" the "Righteous, that
it fhall be well with hirn, for they [hall eat the Fruit
of their Doings : * Wo unto the Wicked, it fhall be- ill
With him, for the Reward of his Hands fhall be given,
him: Under this laft Denomination, agreeable to
apoftolick Doctrine, all Men have' been at prie
Time or another, for all have finned, and come fhort of,

V,

fcoir,*3-

[ 39 ]
of the Gloryof God.: Therefore who ever expects
to be admitted into the Prefence or Kingdom of
God, muft of Neceffity be cle anfe'd from every Pol
lution of Flefh- and Spirit ; for no uncleanPerfon ha'th^PlieC-r'i'
any Inheritance in the Kingdom of Chrift and of God.
And whatever Belief, or Notion, a Man may have
entertained of his being one of the Eletl, and pleafe
himfelf with never fo great Hopes of Salvation, it
,vvill prove in the End only the Hope of the Hy.po-
critej if he has not experienced a Death unto Sin,
¦and a new Birth unto Righteoufnefs ; if he has not
known a beingborn again, and witnefs'd a Change of
Heart; or Converfion to God, he cannot fee the King
dom pf God. On the other Hand, he (or fhe) who
may have unhappily imbibed this Doctrine of the ^
-abfolute, and unconditional Ordinations, or Decrees of
"God, and with it a Notion that he is in a State pf
Rejetlion or Reprobation ; though upon an impartial
Enquiry he doth not find the Witnefs fpr God in
his Confcience, charging him with prefumptuous
Sins, nor with being fallen from that State wherein
he knew a being cleanfed from fecret Faults, and that
he was born .again, and had paffed from Death to
'Life, becaufe he loved God above all Things, and his
Neighbour (all Mankind) as himfelf, wifhing them
the fame H ippinefs he defires for himfelf, and wit-
neffed this Fear of the Lord to be as a Fountain of
Life, preferving'him from the Snares of Death. Such
a one hath no Reafon to. doubt of God's Mercy and-
Faithfulnefs, he is in a State of Favour and Accept
ance with God ; and, though the Enemy of Man's
Happinefs may be permitted to caft thefe, (or any
that have their Faces turn'd Zion- ward, in whom
the Work of God is begun^ though not fo far a!-
vane'd) down very low, even fo as to caufe them
to1 make their Bed as in Hell, God is neverthelefs
with them., and will not leave their Souls there,
neither will he -give -them, up-to the Will of the
-¦ C 4 Adverfary,,

f 4® I
Adverfary, to be tempted or try'd above what; By?
his Power, he will enable to bear ;¦ but as luch
continue faithful and patient, always abounding
?n the Work of the Lord, he will in his own
Time make a Way for their Deliverance.
And now after this long Digreffion, as fome may
think it; I triuft return a little to fuch as promife to
keep all God's Commandments, &c and yet,' as I
have heard fome hyi 'tis impoffible fo to do, by reafon
i>f Weaknefs-, Temptations, &c. I anfwer to thefe,
That while you are .prefering your own Wills to the
Will of Gods by livirg in the Gratification of your
inordinate Lufts and Paffions, 'tis (morally fpeak
ing) impoffible to keep his Conimandments •, 'tis
impoffible to ferve God and unlawful Self, "to fol*
low or obey two Matters, whofe In'terefts are op-
J*pfite5 and whofe Commands lead contrary Ways
at the fame Time :' Well, to you then who, plead
Weaknefs in this important Matter, allow me to
tell you what obftructs your Conqueft over Evil,
and Progrefs in all Chriftian Virtues,; 'tis your
Shottnefs in this great Point which you acknow
ledge to be your Duty, viz. To put your whole Truft
WGod ": You afk tor God's gracious and ready Help"'
lo loofe the Bonds of Sin, but you receive hot, be
caufe you afk arnifs ; youf Prayers notbeing mix'd
with Faith, or the Belief, that you can be freed from
Sin in this Life ; a lively Faith then in God's Word,'
which is his Power, is absolutely neceffary ; and he
who Is the Word of God, has declar'd, that All
Things whatfoever ye fhall afk in Prayer^ believing^
ye Jkall receive; and this Privilege is not reftricted
to the immediate Followers of our Lord, but every
one that afketh according to his Will, in Faith,
receivethk If you did but believe then in the Suf
ficiency of the Grace of God, it would help you to*
remove this Mountain of Sin, it would teach and
affift you to come up in that Duty of Self- denial,- V

f 4? I
fo abfolutely reqiiifite to the. being of a true Dif-
ripieof Chrift, it would give you Power^ if you
were but willing to be Co workers' with it, to re
nounce the Devil and all his Wotks, the Pomps
and Vanity of this wicked World, and to vanquifh
all the finful Lufts of the Flefh, and ftrengthen and
help you to perform another of your VoWs, viz. to
keep God's holy Will avd Commandments all ' the Days
of your Life. But if any here afk, What are the
Pomps and Vanities of this wicked World ? In
anfwer to this Query I fhall firft give the Words of
the Apoftle John, and then the Illuftration of them
by a * Minifter of your own Church ; Love not the « lohB 8»
Worlds (hysjobn) neither the Things that are in the13'
World : if any Man love the World, the Love of
the Father is not in him; for all that is in the World,
the Luft ' of the Fleft>, and the Luft of the Eyes, and
the Pride of Life, is not of the Father, but is of the
World. And now hear the Doctor's Senfe of this
Paffage, «' For all that is in the World, in Vogue
" or Efteem with Men of the World, the Luft of
" the Flefh, all voluptuous Enjoyments which tend
11 to Senfuality and Intemperance, and making
*' Provifion for the Flefh, and the Luft of the
" Eyes, the Defire of Gold and Silver, ftately
" Houfes, rich Furnirure, fair Gardens, all which
" tend to gratify the Eye, and the Pride of Life j
" the Defire of Places of Dignity, high Titlesj
"all the Honour, Glory, and Splendor of the
" World, which tends to gratify our Pride, is not
" of the Father, they are not Defires excited by
" him, (nor is it -according to his Will, that we
t,Q: fhould fet our Hearts upon them) but are the
" Defires of the Men of the World, whofe chief
*', Concern is ro gratify their fenfual Appetites."
Thus according to the Apoftle, cirV. If any Man
••• .- lov'e

* Daniel Whitby,

[ 42 ]
lave thefe Things of the World', the Love of the Father*
is not in him-: They, .as well as the Friend (hip of
the World, are Enmity againft God : A ftrong .and
cogent Argument againft loving them, efpecially
as the Apoftle John obferves; the World lies in
Wickednefs. The inordinate. D-fire of Wealth,, we
fee here,- is one of thefe Obftructions in Peoples
Way' to the. Kingdom of God, which caufed, our
Lord to fay, .'that 'The Cares of the World,- and the
Deceitfulnefs 'of Riches, and the Lufts of other Things,
cho'k the. Word (or Seed of the Kingdom) and it
becomes unfruitful. By which1 we may underftand,
that the fenfual and fading Enjoyments of this Life,
haying prepoffefs'd (inconfiderate) Mens Minds,
they obftruct the Operation of che Grace and
Power of God, that would reduce them to the
Obedience of Chrift, and enable them to keep the
firft and great Commandment, and of confequence
all others, and caufe' them to produce Fruits. to the
•Praife arid Glory of his Name. And here I fet my
-Seal to thefe Truths, having had them in Experi
ence, and remembring the Time when every Faculty
of my Soul was employed to acquire worldly Wif
dom, Honour, Grandeur and Applaufe, and all
my Affections placed on vifible and perifhjng. Ob
jects, which engroffed all my Thoughts, and was
fhe Spring of all my Actions, and employed all
my Time ; fothat in this Time I never fo muehas
once ferioufly confidered the End of my Creation,
though I had heard with the outward Ear, That
Man's chief End was to glorify God, and thereby to
¦enjoy him for ever; and had fo frequently utter'd
this Untruth, that I thought myfelf bound to be
lieve and do as my Sureties had promifed for- me,
when (alas !) I thought not the leaft of thefe Things,
but as I repeated them in a ciiftornary Way, as
taught them in the Catechifm when young ; and
Would to Godthis and what follows- might bra
. ' Hint

I 43 J
Hint to Parents and, others, who take upon, them"
thefe important Vows and Promifes, viz.. %o renounce
the Deyil and all his Works, the Pomps and , Vanities of
this wicked World, and all the finful Lufts of the Flefh,
and to keep all God's Commandments. I fay, I with
them to confider how they are performing them,
when fo many are living in th'e Gratification of their
Luft, for the Pomps ahd Vanitjes of Life, &c-
bringing up their Ghildren in the -fame, and yet at
the fame Time are requiring them frequently to re
peat what I have above mentioned. Look at thefe
Things, dearly Beloved, with more Attention than
ypu yet have dpne, .left you be, found, mocking
yourfelves and your poor Children, as I was doing
ip my benighted State, when, the God of this World
had blinded the Eye of my Underftanding ; and
though I had! ijb often promifed to keep all God's
Commandments, and had read the Scriptures from
my Childhood to Youth, yet when, more advanced
in Age, I knew not the Meaning of the firft Com
mandment ; for I remember at a certain Time,
without any previous Reading, or hearing, the Love
ofGod difcourfecfof, it fuddeniy occurred to my
Mind, that I did not love God ; neither could I
then cpnceive what was the Nature, of the Love , of
God: Upon which .Lreafpned a little, and feem'd
to query, how, I could love him ? I was fenfible
what it was to fear him in one Senfe, but I felt no
Defire for his Prefence, his Face being to me
(then) more marr'd than any Man's ; I faw no
Beauty nor Cpmlinefs in him that I fhould defire
him, or the Knowledge of his Wavs» they being
indeed not my Ways, but contrary to them ; but
Glory be given to his excellent Name, (his Power)
and infinite Goodnefs and Love ! who was found
of me when I fought, him not, till he was pleafed
firft to feek me, ..and rnftrumentally to vifit my
Soul, as well as immediately tp reveal, his Son, by
his

[44 ]
Bis Spirit, in my Heart and Underftanding, which
foon began this bleffed Wo'rk, of turning me from
the Power of Darknefs, and directing (ne to his
Light for Salvation from Sin. This, Belovedfl
lieftify is the true Light, the fufficient Grace of
God, to which I recommend you to take Heed,
knowing that this Unction of the holy Spirit will
(if you obftruct xiot.)Jeacb you all Things ; and let
me farther tell you, it is Truth and no Lie ; it
cannot deceive us, neither will it fuffer us to be de
ceived, if we will fuffer it to lead and direct us:
This is that Power that indeed open'd my Eyes,
and let me fee all that ever I did againft it, for it
brought all my evil Deeds to my Remembrance,
as well as to the juft and impartial Judgment of
God : Here 'tis we know what Chrift our Lord'
meant when he faid, for Judgment am I come into the
World ; now is the Prince of this World judgedg'
(and let me fay) with all his Subjects, whom Chriffi
convinces of Sini of their own falfe Righteoufnefs
and erroneous Judgment, and condemns it all :'
Thus he opens Peoples Eyes, that they which fee
not, may fee; thofe who are infenfible of their
Captivity to Sin and Satan, may fee their Bondsj,
and at the fame Time their Redeemer. And let
me tell you, dearly Beloved, to whom I wifhtrris
great Salvation, that as I followed, and confided
in this Deliverer, this Captain of our Salvation, wno
never was foiled in Battle, he redeemed, me from
the Hands of my fpiritual Enemies ; then, and not
till then, did I underftand what it was to love God.
This great Salvation wrought for me, in me, by
the powerful Hand of our God, often excited un
feigned Thankfulnefs in my Heart ; and a Serif? of
his unmerited Goodnefs and Mercy, bows my Soul
as in his holy Prefence, and enables me to fay,
Thou Lord, who knoweft all Things, knoweft I
Ipye thee above all Things ! And after this manner would

[ 45 ]
would God in his univerfal Love operate in the
Hearts of all who are willing to have their Un
derftanding illuminated ; he would command this
Light to fhine out of Darknefs ; he would open
the fpiritual Eye to fee the exceeding Sinfulnefs of
Sin, the great Sin of revolting from the Creator,
and feeking Hajppinefs in the Creature : And tho'
Jie appears here under the Miniftrationof Condem
nation, as a confuming Fire, 'tis only to burn up
the Chaff, but he will gather the Wheat into his
Garner ; and thpugh he thus come into his Temple,
'tis only to take away the Drofs and Tin, to make
a Man more pure than Gold, that, the Heart may
be a fit Receptacle for the King of Glory, the Lord
of Hofts, who when he appears in the Glory of his
Majefty, and in the Beauty of. his Purity and
Holinefs, how then are we humbled at this great
Sight,, and are made to confefs we are vile ! And
when he appears with Rebukes to cpneifl: Man
for Sin, for his Pride, Rebellion and Arrogance, he
makes his Strength, Wifdom, Righteoufnefs, Good
nefs and Beauty to confume away like a Moth, and
we confefs we are altogether Vanity, and we, as
well as our Gods, our Dagons, fall down before his
great Majefty, [in whofe Prefence the higheft Order
of Angels vail their Faces] feeing we are undone,
unlefs Chrift be made of God unto us Wifdom,
Righteoufnefs, Sanctification and Redemption. This
is the Day of God's Power, the Day1 of his gracious
Vifitation, in which let all the Righteous rejoice,
who have heen thus humbled in his holy Sight,
and thus qualified to be taught of his Ways. In
this. Humiliation we are fenfible that we are ;poor,
and blind, and naked, and miferable indeed ; and
being made fenfible of our Wantscand Defects, and
the Spiritof'Godhelpingour Infirmities, -we -know
what is meant by graying '.-with the ¦Spirit, and with
the Underftanding .; =«nd , .hitherto, ..haviag afk xl
nothing

[ 46 1
fiOthingin the Name of Chrift, now we can afk
nothing without his Power- affiftirig us : This is
the Day which the Lord^hath made for our Help,
wherein the great Phyfician of Value anoints- our <
Eyes, and , lets us difcern between that which
ferves God," and that which brings Difhonour to
his Name ; we now diftinguifh between the precious
Things of the Kingdom of God, and the con
temptible Glories of this perifhing World ; now
we underftand the Apoftle's Doctrine, and put his
Advice in Practice, Whether ye eat ar drink, or
¦Whatjoever ye do, do all to the Glory of God ; that is;
' agreeable to his Will, who declares againft Ej£-
ceffes of all Kinds, and enjoins Humility, Mode
ration and Temperance to all Men. 'Tis in this
the Day of God's Favour, if we clofe not our
Eyes; that we fee ourfelves encompaffed with a
numerous Hoft of our Souls Enemies, the World,
the Flefh, and the Devil, (that tripple League) all
in Confederacy for our Deftruction, and we dif
cover, that thofe Senfualities which we embraced
as our Friends, are really fecret arid undermining
Enemies ; that they came in the Guife of Pleafure,
&c. only to fteal and deftroy ; to fteal our Affec
tions, and rob our Souls of eternal Happinefs. But
in this Day of God's Power,' not only Metis grofs
Senfualities will be brought to Judgment,, but their
worldly Wifdom, and inordinate Thirft for Wealth,
their Luft or Defire for Grandeur, Honours, Pre
ferments, Pomps and Vanities, Pleafures ahd De
lights, -which were heretofore term'd allowable Gra
tifications and Purfuits ; and their Difguifes now
falling off, as in the Prefence of the righteous
Judge of Quick and Dead, they are conftrairied5 to
plead guilty before the Lord ; then are they con
demned, caft fprth and flain ; for I teftify, none of
thefe Propenfities of Man, can fee the Face of
God and live : This is the Day of the Lord, which will

L 47 J
will fooner or later come upon all Flefh, and thofe
who refufe to bring their Sins to the Judgment of
it in this, Life, while the Means of Grace are richly
offer'd, they will certainly follow in the next,
where they will be deftitute of the Means of Grace,
and .Hope of Glory, there remaining no more Sa
crifice for Sins, but a. certain fearful looking for of
the Judgment, ciJV. Let this Confideration excite
all Sinners to bring their Sins, of what Nature or
Degree foever to Judgment here, for this Day of
the Lord will come upon the Adulterer, the For
nicator, the Thief, the Defrauder, the Drunkard,
the Swearer, the Lier, the Railer, the Profaner of
God's facred Name, (by taking it in vain*) the
Covetous, the Extortioner, the iProud, the vain
-Boafter, the Idolater, the Effeminate, the Wanton,
the foolifh Jefter, &c. This is the Day of the Lord
which will burn as an Oven inwardly in the Heart,
where Sin is conceived, confuming the Works of
the Flefh, which are manifefted in Hatred, Malice,
Murders, Emulations, Envyings, Wrath, Strife,
Seditions, Herefies, Variance, Drunkennefs, Revel-
lings, and fuch like ; all which muft be repented
of and abftaiped from, becaufe they which do fuch
¦ Things cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. This is
the Day of the Lord, which will alfo come upon
every one without Diftinction, or Refpect of Per
fons, that js prOud, and lifted up in their Imagina-
. tions, and who are building their Nefts on high,
that they may be delivered from the Power of
Evil,

* The Name of God is taken in vain when People in a
light, irreverent Frame. of Mind and Spirit in common Con-
verlatioB,, and not thinking upon God, are laying, Lo>d have
Mercy upon me ; G id help me ; Lord blefs me ; God fave me;
, as< God's ,m% fudge ; as Cbrijt's my Saviour'; and fometimes in
an angry Tone, when affronted by any, exprels as I have
heard, Good God, why do you do Jo and fo .?

I 4* ]
."Evil, it will come upon every fenced'Wall ; ail
the carnal Reafoning, worldly Wifdom and Self-
Righteoufntfs, with which Men oppofe the Opera
tion of God's Power that would -work -his Righ
teoufnefs, and they fhall be brought low ; it fhall
tikewife come upon all the pleafant Pictures, the
agreeable Plans and Defigns Men are forming of 9
Happinefs, abftrad frpm God ; it will come upon
all the Ships of Tarffifh ; upon the vain Confidence
in the. Riches and Wealth they bring from the
remote Corners of the Earth, and the Merchan
dize of their Vanities fhall be diminifhed ; and the
many Idpls which Men fet up in their Hearts fhall
be utterly abolifh'd ; and the .tall Cedars and fturdy
Oaks, the Haughtinefs, Stubbornnefs and Lpftinefs,
bf Men, fhall be bowed down ; all Things, fooner
or later, muft be put under the Feet of the Sove
reign of Heaven and Earth ; for in that Day the
Lord alone fliall be exalted : Then can thefe fay, .
who are fo wife and happy as to bow in the Day of
Mercy, that have fubmitred themfelves ro the
Power of the Crofs of Chrift, Many Lords have
had Dominion over u», but now to us there is
but one God, and one Lord Jefus Chrift, by whom
are all Things, and we by him delivered from the
Xuke i. 74, Hands of ourfpiritual Enemies," that we may ferve
75* him only all the Days of our Lives in Holinefs and
Righteoufnefs: In this State we know experimen
tally that our Redeemer liveth ; iliere we can. call
Jefus our Saviour in Truth ; now we can call Chrift
Lord, by the Power ofthe Holy Ghoft, which has
fubjected our Will to his 'moft holy Will j now
we can affirm truly, that the Son of God is come,
and hath given us an Underftanding : for we not
only truly believe in the liiftortcal Account of hjs
Birth, Life, M^r.ides, and Death on the Crofs, asa
propitiation for the Sins of the whale World, as well
as his Refurrectipn tor pur JuftificatipnyQcc? but wx
- arf

r 49 i
ire living'Witneffes of his fecond and fpiritual Ap
pearance in the Soul, we know the Effects of his
Power, and we are fenfible of the1 Caufe by the
Effecl , he having done great Things for us, which
no Man could do, he hath wrought a Change in our
Hearts, helped us to overcome every evil Copcu-
pifence, and raifed our Affections from earthly tb
heavenly Things ; here we can fay, ibis is our
Vi ftory, even our Faith in the Power of Chrift ; in
this redeem'd State we can fafely fay, we believe in
God the Father Almighty, who hath created, us and
all Mankind, and in God the Son, who hath redeem
ed us, and in the Holy Ghoft, who fantlifielh us ;
which cannot be faid truly, until we thus witnefs
the PoWer of the Holy Ghoft, purifying us as Chrift
is pure ; baptizing us into the Nature of the one
Spirit, and uniting our Souls to him, and tp the
one Body, his Church ; here then is the Saints
FellPwftiip with the Father and the Son, the Blood
of Jefus having cleanfed them from all Unrighteouf-
nefs-, this is the Faith, and this the Baptifm, that
ever muft fave People from Sin, to which I bear
my Teftimony, who had, been for a Series of Years
acknowledging 'that I believed, in GoH, csV. and
fome of us having been baptized or fprinkled with
elementary Water, have to teftify to the Invalidity
and Tnefficacy of this Ceremony to any fpiritual
Purpofes ; and I fay, fome of us are corroborating
Evidences to the Truth of the Apoftle's Affertion,
that the Baptifm which now faves, is not the putting
away the Filth of the Flefh, but the Anfwer of a good
Confcience towards God ; here we again bear Witnefs"
that there is one Lord, one Faith, one Baptifm, .one
God and Father of all, who is above all, God of
Gods, and Lord of Lords, in us all. Circumcifion
then is nothing, neither availeth Uhcffifumcifion, but a
new Creature, made fo by that true Faith ih the
Power of Chrift that works by Love to God, to the
D purifying

[ 50 3
purifying of the Confcience, enabling People, who are
willing fo to do, lo faep the'holy'Will and Command
ments of God all the Days of their Lives ;and until
we come to witnefs fomething of this Change, or
State of Converfion from Evil to Good, becom
ing like little Children, innocent, loying, humble,
teachable, fubmiffive and obedient to our heavenly
Father ; until, I fay, we 'know in fome Degree thi?
Change, let us be of what religious Denomination
foever, fubfcribe to never fo many Articles of
Faith, obferve never fo many Ceremonies, and prp-
mife never fo much Obedience to God's.Laws, we
have, as the Apoftle phrafes it, no more than a
Form of the Knowledge of God. and Jefus Chrift ; and
therefore no reafonable Hope of Acceptance with
him. Againj thofe who have witneffed a Change
wrought in their Souls, and by God's Help pa
tiently continue in well-doing, feeking the Honour
and Glory of God, and loving him above all
Tilings, to thefe Chrift' will give eternal. Life ;
thefe are the true Members of the catholick or
univerfal Church of Chrift, who are thus united to
him in Spirit, and by this facred Band, the Love of
God, United one to another : Now we know that
Fellowfhip and Communion of Saints, (we fo long
talk'd of) all thinking the fame Thing, as well as
doing the fame Thing, even the Will of God : Here's
the heavenly Relation witnefs'd, being Brethren! in
deed in the hew Creation ; and here we know what
it is to love as Brethren, and to love the Image of
God in our Brethren ; this is alfo the facred Band
of true Friendfhip ; no more in Friendfhip .with
the World ; no more at Enmity againft God, by
joining with the Spirit of the World, in the Lufts
ofthe Flefh, and of the Eyes, and Pride of Life ; but
aU united in Spirit, and -in the Ability which God
gives, to pulldown the Principalities and Power of
Satan,,

I Si' 1 , -
Satan, and to advance' and promote the TCingdofri
of God, his Honour and Glory, and the true and
eternal Happinefs one of another ; being in this
happy State, Friends to God, and to the true and
real Intereft of all Mankind. And, to preferve this
true Union and Fellowfhip with God, ©V. thefe
Members bf the true Church are often examining
their Thoughts, Words and Actions, loo-king bads
to the Day of the gracious Vifitation of God's Love^
and the Time of their Efpoufals (when they made
Covenant with the Lord to have none other God
but him only) and are trying their Love to him^
left they fhould forget the Tnings that their Eyes
have feen, and left Iniquity come in, and cool their
Love, and thereby , Gratitude depart from their
, Heart's, where the Lord is reminding them fre
quently, as he did Ifrael of old, faying, I am the
Lord thy God, who brought thee out of the Land of
Egypt, and out of the Houfe of Bondage, continue to
obey my Voice in thy Soul ; thefe enquire often,
whether they are nearer to Salvation than when they
jirft believed in fhe Power of Chrift, what Advances
they have made in Virtue and Godlihefs ; and they
remember how it was with them then, even as with
the primitive Chriftians, when they forrow'd after
a godly Sort (that wrought Repentance unto Sal
vation) ' what Carefulnefs, or Circumfpection, it
wrought in them ? What Indignation and Revenge
againft Sin ? What clearing of themfelves ? (givisg
none Offence, left 'the Gofpel of Chrift be re^
proach'd.) What 'vehement Defire after God ?
Yea, what Fear of offending him ? Yea, • what
Zeal for his Name, Glory and Honour in all
Things ? And above all Tnings defiring to be ap
proved in his Sight.
But this- great Salvation which I have all, along
had in View, -is not the Work of a [Day pr Year
only, but the Bufinefs of our whcile Lives •, for
D 2 IF: thougli

[ 5* 3
though through Faith in Chrift we have overcome
our Lufts and Corruptions, and have ceafed from
Evil, we muft be always doing well ; and though the
ftrong Man, the Adverfary of Souls, has been,
turn'd out ofthe Heart by a fironger than he, and
his Goods fpoifd, yet he often attempts to return ;
but by Watchfulnefs and Prayer to God for his
Aid, we are enabled to keep him out as often as he
prefents his Temptations, and knowing him now
to be our avowed Enemy, we refift, ftedfaft in the
Faith, by which we overcome : And this is the
Reafon why the Chriftian Life is compar'd to a
continual. Warfare. To this Battle then, of the,
Chriftian Warriour, am I calling all whofe Lufts
have Dominion over them? who have not yetbeguft^
this good Fight of Faith, nor are yet laying hold oiW
the Terms of eternal Life ; 1 am calling thefe to make,
War in Righteoufnefs, to fet you at Variance againft
your finful Lufts and Corruptions ; and alfo I do
invite. and exhort you to enter into the/Vineyard
of your own Hearts, who may not as yet have
wrought one Hour there : You cannot fay, Fellow-
Mortals, that you are not hired) for the Lord has •
often called you to this Work, even to work out
your Salvation with Fear and Trembling, which
neverthelefs .you have delayed, thinking it Time;'
enough ; but let me fay, our God is a jealous God,
he has proclaim'd himfelf fo ;" and as he declares he
hates putting away, (Mens revolting from him in
their Hearts) fo he is equally difpleafed at putting
off the Time ,of returning to the Obedience of his
Laws. I fear there are many who are deferring the Work
of Salvation to more advanced Years, thinking it
too foon to facrifice theirN youthful Propenfities,
and devote their Days to God ; but let* me tell
thefe, -he beft loves an early Sacrifice, and expects'
to be "honoured with your firft Fruits ; as we may
obferve

L 53 J
obferve in the Time of the Law, Regard was had
to the Age of the Offerings, as well as »to the'
Purity thereof, they were to be young, and without
Blemifh : We alfo find the wife 'Man admonifhing
the Youth to remember their Creator in the Days of
their Touth; affigr.ing many Reafons why that is the
moft proper Seafon to feek the Lord ; and agree
ably hereto is the Almighty fpeaking in the Cha
racter of Wifdom, / love them that love me, and
thofe that feek me early fhall find me. Are there any
then making this .Propofition of ferving God in
declining Years ? Or when lefs encumber^ and per-
plex'd with worldly Affairs, making, as it were, a
Covenant with Death, and a League with Satan ?
I would have fuch confider the great Untertainty of
Life, and arriving at old Age, as well as the great
Indignity People are offering the Almighty (by
ferving Satan as long as they think they can) and
putting him off with the Dregs of old Age, wheri
the Powers and Faculties of. both Soul and Body
are grown weak and languid, and the fpiritual
Tafte depraved through the Habit of Evil ; and
in fuch as thefe, if there are, any Remains of
Vigour- and Strength, we frequently obferve 'tis
devoted to Vanity and falfe Delights, and unlefs
morr.ified bythe Power of Gidlinefs, we don't find'
Peoples Lufts,, Vanities, Pride and, Pleafure die of
themfelves, as we daily fee Age indulging in all
thefe, and as far as Infirmities will fuffer them^
affecting as much as ever, all the Art and Vanity of
Attire : And when they can't attend Places of Recre
ation and Diveffion, they find a. fenfible Pleafure in
talking of them, forgetting both their grey Hairs,
and that they were born for better Purpofes. That
I may not be charged with barely afferung
Things, it may notjse amifs to give a Specimen of
the Difpofition and Converfation of aged Perfons
of this Character ; fome of whom I have, heard
P 3 afking

C 54 ]
a'fking the younger. 'Sprt at their Feftival Times,
What Diverfion did you begin the ne\v Year with ?¦
or, pid you begin the new Year with Cards, or
what ? And I have heard a Woman of Seventy afk
Pier Grand-Child, whom fhe had never feen be
fore, Can you play at Ombre ? And I have la
mented tp fee antient Women, whofe Heads have
been cover'd with hpary Hairs, fpending their few,
remaining Moments at a Card - Table ; as we'll
as- that I have heard fome, almoft bowed with Age
and' Infirmities, plead for Drefs and Equipage as
ftrenuoufly, and with as great a Guft, as a Youth of
Seventeen. But I do nbt herecharge in the grofs,
and prefume to fay that 'rjs thus with all aged Per
fons ; but. that it is ft) with too too many I have
feen, as well as that I have known, and am 'fenfible
there a re aged Men and Women (not of our Name)
that would fly a Play-Houfe as they would a Peft-
Hot/fe ; for as dangerous. as one is to the Body, fo I
know by forrowful. Experience is the other to the
Soul : Some of thefe, I fay,, I have known to ufe
or exercife fo much Chriftian Authority over their
Children, that they have excluded Cards, &c. their "
Families, and never fuffering their Children to fre
quent thofe Scenes of Wickednefs and Corruption,
the Play-FIoufes. But leaving this Digreflion, I
would briefly mention the Difficulties which I ap
prehend will attend fuch who expect a religious
Change wrought in their Hearts in declining Years :
We have often heard,-, ' and mariy experience the
Truth of this Saying, that Cuftom is a kind of fecond-
Nature ; and agreeable hereto fpeaks one of the
Prophets, Can ^Ethiopian change his Skin, or the
Leopard his Spots ? So no more can ,they who are
aiccuftomed to do Evil, learn, to do well ; People
will find it hard Work to fubmit to, that Power
which muft remove their evil Propenfities, and
tjend their ftubborn. Wills and corrupt, Difpofitions,
" < as.

[ 55 J
as thefe are the more deeply rooted and ftrengthen'd
by Length of Time. And thofe who have been,
while young, girding themfelves and , going where
they would, will find it hard when they are old,
that another fhould gird them, and carry them
where they would not ; and when they have been
ferving their own Lufts and Paffions forty, fifty, or
fixty Years, fuch will probably be very unwilling
to enter a new Service, fo very contrary to the old :
Befides, if People fhould then be willing to ferve
God, and defire, to offer a Sacrifice, their Offerings
will be blemiftied, having none among the Flock
but the Sick, the Lame, and the Blind. But notr
withftanding I have faid this, 'tis , not with a De
fign to .difcourage any from coming into the Vine
yard of the Heart, though at the eleventh Hour ;
for though with Men this is hard, yet with God ail
Things are poffible ; but let none upon this Pre
fumption put off- Repentance, for remember, no
Man had hired before thofe , who came in at the
eleventh Hour, therefore don't delay when you are
called at the third or ninth Hour : And as I know
this Work will be attended with greater Difficulties
in Age than in Youth, I would here exhort and
earneftly prefs young People to fubmit their Necks
to the Yoke of Chrift while they are young, and as
an Encouragement, let me fay to-them, tha.t I never
once regretted that I took up a Crofs to my own Will
and natural Irtclindlions. too foon -, but when I con
fider how many Years I loft of divine and heavenly
Enjoyments, as well as that my' evil Propenfities
.were the more ftrengthened by Length of Time, I
have great Reafon to lament that I did not embrace
it much foonef : And to bring a Comparifon from
the natural World, we may obferve how much eafier
itis to berid a tender Twig, and- give it a proper
Direction, than it is to reduce an old Branch to that
Order wherein we would have it. Again, let us
D 4 obferve

[ 56 3
obferve how much more practicable it is to root up
a young Plant; than to remove an old Tree.
And now to fpeak a Word to fuch as propofeto
ferve God when they are lefs perplex'd and encum-
ber'd with worldly Affairs, when they have accom-
plifhed fuch a Defign, executed fuch a Scheme,' ac-
quir'd fo much Wealth, &c And here, as I faid
above, I would have People confider the Uncer
tainty of Life, as well as the Vanity of thefe Pro-
pofitions ; for don't we obferve, that People void
of true Religion know no Bounds to their Defires,
do we ever hear them fay they have enough ; and
though they pbffefs Abundance, are they not like,
the Grave, never fatisfied ? Let me then lay to
thefe, by a Degree of my own Experience, that
they fet out wrong in the World, when they are
placing that firft in their Account which .fhould
be laft ; and this they do,- who are feeking the
Kingdom of this World firft ; that is, having
principally in Efteem and View the Profits, Adr
vantages and Enjoyments thereof, and are neglect
ing to feek firft the Kingdom of Heaven, and the
Righteoufnefs, thereof, .which they ought moft ear-
deftly to be concerned to obtain : But this impor
tant Bufinefs (I obferve with a great Degree of
Sorrow) too many are difregarding, as if Religion
was to come in at laft, or only by the bye, as it
fyited Mens Leifure and Convenience, or that they
confidered it as an infignificant Thing, indifferent to
them, whether they knew much \about it or not :
I wifh from my Soul, all who are in this dangerous
Situation may be favour'd as I have been, before 'tis-
too late, with a Sight of this Error, which, every
one may attain to, who does not refift the Grace of,
Gpd. , And let me fay to thofe who delay the Work
of Religion; until they are fatisfied with worldly
Poffeflions, and thereby lefs encumber'd, it is a
great Hazard whether jr. will ever be begun •, for
who.

I 57 J
who knows not (as I hinted above) that Avarice is
never fatisfied ; that when People of this Difpofition
have executed this Scheme, or obtain'd that Defire,
behold another immediately prefents to their View,
and propofes ftill greater Advantage, and more
Happinefs than they have found in the former,
which Temptation they have, no Inclination to
refift : And thus "it is alfo with fuch as are afpir-
ing after worldly Honours and Preferments, not
content with their Conditions, as an antient Writer
has it, Pompey would be Caefar, Csefar would be a
God. So vaft and unbounded are the Defires of poor
inconfiderate Mortals, too many purfuing and pla
cing Happinefs in wrong Objects, which often tend
to exalt thofe Things above all'that is of God in
their Souls, and at length fee their Miftake, perhaps
.not before the Hour of Death, when by fad Ex
perience they fhall-find they muft die like Men,
and oftentimes very wretched ones too.
And now I would note a few Scripture Paflages
and Doctrines which militate againft this infatiable
Thirft for Wealth, He. And firft we read in the
Old Teftament, that even Kings were forbidden an
inordinate Purfuit of Riches, for in the Laws pre
fcribed relating to the Election and Conduct of a
King, which the Almighty forefaw the Ifraelites
would afk when they came into the promifed Land,
(that they might be governed like the Nations
r.ound about) we find among other Prohibitions,
the King was forbid greatly to multiply unto himfelf
Silver and Gold, Horfes, &c. No doubt tfiis wars to
prevent any falfe Confidence therein, as well as the
Pride and Oftentatipn of Man, as we may conclude
from what follows in the clofe ofthe Chapter, Deut.
' xvii. 20. that his Heart be not lifted up above his Bre
thren, and that he turn not afide from the Command
ment to the Right Hand or to the. Left, which was
too much the CW pf King Hezekiah, when he
fhewed

[ 5§ J
fhewed the King of Babylon's Meffengers his Trea*
fure, who neverthelefs repented of this Evil, ¦ ahd
was greatly humbled -upon the Prophet's tellihg
r him;, that all the Abundance that was in his Houfe, and
th\t which his Father had laid up in ftore until that
Day, fhould' be carried into BabylPri, there fhould be
nothing left : Obferv,e here, agreeable to What the
wife Man fays, that Gold has deftroyed many, and
perverted the Hearts of Kings. Again, we may find
the. Prophet Ifaiah in the Name bf the Lord pro
nouncing a Woe againft them that join Houfe to
Houfe, and lay Field to Field, till there be hd Place,
that they may be placed. alone in the Midft ofthe Earth :
And. befides the Evil of this Sin Covetoufnefs,
thtfe take away the Right of the Poor, leaving
them no Room but what they muft obtain from
thern, and never thinking they have enough, keep*
trafficking on till old Age overtakes ; and, as a
pious and generous Writer obferves, " Thefe. Men
*' are bad Members of Society, for old Traders keep
" the young ones poor." And fpeaking of tne Sin of
Covetoufnefs, he fays, " 'tis' a perfect Luft, anda
" greater and more Soul defiling one tnere is not
"¦ in the whoie Catalogue of Concupifence ; and
" this Ternptation is. the more dangerous, becaufe
" Thoufands think themfelves unconcerned m the
*' Caution, who are yet perfectly guilty ot the
«' Evil." But to "proceed, -we find our Lord in Luke
xii. -15. cautioning his Followers to lake heed and
beware df Covetoufnefs ; for a Man's Life (the Hap
pinefs of it) does not confift in the Abundance of the
Things which he poffeffelb. This Caution may aptly
introduce the Parable of the rich Man, Verf. 18.
whofe Ground brought forth plentifully, fo that he
had no Room where to beftow his Fruits ; and
after this Manner we find him fpeaking, This I will
do, I will pull down my Barns and build greater*}
and there will I beftow. all my Fruit's and my Goods ;
and:

L 59 J
and I will fay lo my Soul, ¦ Soul thou haft much Goods
laid up for many Tears, take thine Eafe, eat, drink
and be .merry. Not one Word of the God that
made him for another Purpofe than to eat,, drink
and fleep, for to indulge in fenfual Delights : But
the penetrating Eye pf the Lord, (whom he had
left out of his Scheme) who beholds the Evil and
the Good, foon convinc'd hirn of his Folly and
Error, in forming a Defign ft> much, to the Difho-
nour of God, and againft the true Intereft of his
' own Soul ; and when fpolifhly boafting of To
morrow, little thinking what it would bring forth,
this Sentence pafs'd on him from the juft Judge of
Quick and Dead', Thou Fool, this Nightfall thy Soul 'Mm xu. ,
be required of thee ; then whofe fhall thofe Things be 20' 2U
phich thou haft provided ? So is he that layeth up
Treafure for> himfelf, and is not rich towards God.
And on this Occafion our Lord exhorts- his Fol
lowers, faying, Seek ye not what ye fhall eat, orVerfe -
what 'ye fhall drink, neither be ye of doubtful Mind, 30, 31,
for all thefe Things do the Nations of the World feek
after ; but rather _ feek ye the Kingdom of God, and all
thefe Things fhall be added unto you : From whence
we may gather or infer, that a neceffary, moderate
and prudent Care is not forbid ; but a perplexing,
diffracting Solicitude, ever attending thofe who
will be rich-, who muft have abundance, which en*
grofs the greater Part of their Time and Thoughts.;
and this keen Defire for Wealth, as well as a Pro-
penfity to falfe Pleafure, and vain and wicked
Amufements, exclude God and true Religion from
all their Thoughts, and this we certainly know by
the Fruit they produce : Well then might our Lord
fay, -Labour not for the Meat that pertfheth, but for
that which endureth- to everlafting Life. Again, we ,
find the wife -Man giving the fame Counfel, Labour
not to be rich ; as it he had faid, be not anxious, nor
weary thyfelf to obtain great Wealth. ¦ Why not ?
Perjaaps

I 6° ]
Perhaps for the fame Reafon Paul gives Timothy,
Chap. vi. of the firft Epiftle, which he thus intro
duces, and fays, Godlinefs with Contentment is great,
Gain, for we brought nothing into this World, and it
ir certain we. can carry nothing out, and having Food
and Raiment,, let us be therewith content : But tbey
that will be rich, fall into Temptations and a Snare, ,
and into many foolijh and hurtful Lufts, which drown .
Men in Perdition and DefirucTion ; for the Love of
Money is the Root oj all Evil, which, while feme
coveted after,, they have err'd from the Faiths and,
pierced themfelves through with many Sorrows, and
often proved hurtful to their Children after them ;
for he that is thus greedy of Gain, troubleth his
Houfe ; and he that heapeth up Wealth to leave his
Children Abundance, is putting into their Hands
(figuratively fpeakingj Spears, Arrows and fharp
Swords to wound themfelves with : In this Senfe
are the Leaders of the People caufing them to err,
all Parents being Leaders' and Eximples in their
Houfes ; and hear wii.it the royal Prophet fays in.
this Cafe, This their Way. is their Folly, yet their.
Pofterity approve their Sayings ; and let me fay, walk
in their Steps : But thou O Man of God, and thou
•who defires to be fo, flee' thefe Things, thefe Temp-,
tations, thefe hurtful Lufts, which drown Men in,
Perdition ; for if a Man gain the whole World, and
loqfe bis own Soul, (the Happinefs of itj what will
it profit him ? And here let me add a Paflage f rom
the Wifdom of Jefus the Son of Sirach, Chap. xxxi.
5, 6, j, 8, Qj-'io, 11, 12. He that loveth Gold fhall
not be juftified, and he that foUoweth Corruption fhall
have enough thereof ; Gold hath been the Ruin of
many, and their DeftruSiion was prefent ; it is a
Stumbling-block unto them that facrifice unto it ; and
every Fool fhall be taken therewith. Bleffed is the
Rich that is found without Blemifh, and hath not gone
after Gold ; Who is he ? and we will call him bleffed^

[ 6t ]
for Wonderful Things hath he done among his People,
who hath been tried thereby and. found perfect ; then
let him glory' who might offend and hath.not offended,
or done Evil and hath not done it. bis Goods fhall be
eftablifhed, and the Congregation fhall declare his Alms.
From the Obfervations we may collect from
Scripture, it is hard indeed for a rich Man to enter
the Kingdom of Heaven ; not fimply (we may
conclude) becaufe he is rich, but becaufe he con-
fumes his Wealth upon the finful Lufts of the
Flefh, which war againft the Soul, and is not mi-
niftring to the pinching Indigence of his laborious
Brother, who can't dig fufliciently to maintain,
perhaps, a numerous Family, merely in the Neceffi
ties of Life, and is afham'd to beg ; and becaufe he
makes Gold his Confidence, building his Neft on
high, to be as he imagines out of the Reach of
EviJ, and alfo makes fine Gold his Hope, expect
ing from Wealth Comfort and Satisfaction, and
that they will procure him the Efteem, Friend
fhip and Praife of Men, with the Pomps, Glory
and Vanities of the World, all which he defires,
and is delighting in : But a Woe is pronounced by
our Lord againft thofe who are rich, and have re
ceived their Confolation ; and though thefe may
boaft of the Multitude of their Riches, none of
them can redeem his Brother, or give to God a
Ranfom for his Soul ; therefore fays the PPalmift,
when one is made, rich, when the Glory of his Houfe
increafeth, when he dies his Glory fhall not deft end
after him ; though whilft he lived he blefled his Soul,
faying, perhaps, eat, drink and be merry ; and
Men like himfelf praife him when he thus does well
'(as fuch term it) for himfelf : But mark his End,
he fhall go lo the Generation of his Fathers^ and they
fhall never fee Light. Man thus in worldly Honour,
and und'erffandeth not ; he that is ignorant ofGod,
and his own true Intereft, having fufJKred the God of

I 6-3.1
of this World to blind his Eyes with, the Glory
thereof, he is like the Beafts that perifh. Again,
the Apoftle Paul charges them that are rich, that
they be not 'high-minded, nor truft in uncertain Riches,
but in the living God. And as there is fuch great
Danger in great Affluence, the Apoftle .thus
"Eph. r. 9. exhorts, Let not Covetoufnefs be fo much as, named.
Heb. rxa.^.amonSft you"> as becometh Saints ; again, Let your
^j. ... Converfation be without Covetoufnefs ; Why fo ? Be-
' caufe Covetoufnefs is Idolatry. And next let us re
mark, that our Lord joins the anxious Cares of
the World .with Surfeiting and Drunkennefs, and .
cautions againft being overcharged therewith ; for,
as before . noted, the Cares of the World, and the
, Demtfulnejs Qf Riches, and the Luft of other Things,
cbsak the Word, and it becometh unfruitful ; Things
©f this thorny Nature deprefs, overgrow and ftarve
the good Seed of the Kingdom ; and the Ground
ofthe Heart, that nourifhes and cherifhes one,
muft confequently kill and deftroy the* other ;
therefore, fays our Lord, Lay. not, up for yourfelves
Treafure upon Earth ; he adds, but lay up for your
felves Treafure in Heaven ; for where your Treafure is,
(where, what you moft defire, love and efteern)-
there will your Heart be alfo. And it is commonly
remarked, that as Wealth increafeth, fo propor-
tionably does the Love of- it : This Obfervation,
perhaps, caufed the Pfalmift to leave this Caution,
If Riches- increafe, fet not thine Heart upon them ;
for let me fay, hereby they become not only thine
Idol, but thy Mafter ; and as no Man can be
Heir of the -Kingdom of God, and that of this
World, fo neither can he ferve two Matters ; he
will neceflarily love the one, (and hate the other ;
and whatever Men may imagine, they cannot ferve
God and Mammon.
If any here afk, what is Mammon? I will give
the Definition and Senfe of the Word, as I have
received

L ©3 J
received it from a, pious Hand ; * Mammon, fays
*' he, is a Syriac Word, and fignifies Gain ; in He-
<c brew, Plenty ; fo that- whatever it is in this
" World that is, or that we account, to be Gain
t£ to us, Phil. iii. 7. that is Mammon ; whatever is
« in the World, the Luft of the Fkfh, of the Eye,
" and Pride of Life, it is Mammm, : To fome their
" Belly, Phil. iii. 19. to others Eafe, Sleep, Sport,
" Paflime, worldly Riches, (James iv. 13.J Honour s^
" Preferments, Applaufe, &c. in a Word, SELF
.« is the. Mammon, which, can't be ferved in Con-
" junction with God ; fpr if it be ferved, 'tis in
" Competition with God,- and Contradiction, to
" him : .God faith, My Son, give me thy Heart ;
" Mammon fays, Give it me : God faith, Be chari-
" table ; Mammon fays, Hold thy own : God fays,
" Be careful for nothing ; Mammon fays, Be careful
" for every Thing. Obferve, Chrift does not fay,
Ct we muft not, or fhould not, but we cannot ferve
" God and Mammon." And now I fhall add the^
Parable of; the Marriage Supper, (in which is con-
tain'd neceffary and ufeful Initruction for worldly
minded^Men) to which, among others, Men of this
Character %e re bidden ; but it appears they made
light ofthe gracious. Invitation, and went their
own Way, one to his Farm,, and another to his
Merchandize ; one had bought a Piece of Ground,
and he muft go fee it ; another had purchafed five
Yoke of Oxen, and he muft go prove, them; a
third had married a Wife, and he could not come :
Nothing fure unlawful oj- evil in all this, and yet
they may become circumftantially an Evil or Dtf-
advantage to us, efpecially wtien they put by or
obftruct the more important 'Work of Religion .;
for we are call'd to Virtue and Glory, to the Love and
* Matthew Henry.

[ 64, 1
and Service of God, and to the Denial of our cor
rupt Wills, and to follow Chrift, that is, to do his
Will; and when any Thing impedes, hinders or
draws us back from him, they become hurtful to us.
But now let us hear the Event. of their Refufal, who
had been pleading Excufes, and deferring the Bufi
nefs of Religion, the Call of God, to more con
venient Seafons ; the Text fays, the Lord was angry^,.
and fpeaking to his Servants who had been with the
Meffage, I fay unto ym, none of thofe Men which were
bidden fhall tafte of. my Supper. The Doctrine herein
contained is plain and legible, and I wifh all that it
concerns, .may make a profitable Application of it ;
who, by the way, I would afk, What Idea they have
forth' d of the divine Being,, when they are difpenfinM-
with his Service till they have nothing elfe do ? O tha#.
thefe carelefs Ones (reflecting the Things of Gol|»
would fpare fo much Time to confider and compare
carnal Things with fpiritual Things, they would feep
that to be carnally minded is Death tO the Soul, and,'
foon difcern their Lofs of mariy fpiritual Advan
tages and Privileges, thofe good Things laid up in
ftore for the fpiritually minded Man, which God in
part reveals to him by his holy Spirit, gracioufly
affording here a Foretafte of the Joys of his eternal
Salvation, more fully to.be revealed hereafter ;
he knows an entring irito the Kingdom ofGod,
even in this Life ; into the Peace and Reft prepared
for the People of God, he is already enter'd ; for,
to be fpiritually minded, brings Life and Peace, to
the Soul : But the natural Man, the Man who re
mains in a State of depraved Nature, the worldly.
Minded, and the Voluptuous, are Strangers to this
Kingdom and Government, and (o intermeddle not
with its Joys, not knowing, becaufe not defiring
to confider and knowi that it exceeds the Joy of
Harveft, or any other temporal Advantage that
can be named ; yet fome of this Sort of Worldlings, as

r 65 3
as well as fome who are devoted to Pleafure
and Vanity, unwilling to be counted irretigous,
that is, to be looked upon as fuch. who do noe
profefs any' Religion ; fuch as thefe, perhaps, are
fometimes attending a Place of Worfhip on the
Firft-day ofthe Week, (if the Exercife ot his Body*
as he a Hedges for the Health thereof, don't call
upon him to ride or walk abroad ; for which fie
will not fpare another Day from his Bufinefs or
Pleafure) where 'tis to be feared they too generally
carry their temporal Thoughts and Delights, and
as the wife, Man fays, They are almoft in all Evil, in Prov. v.14.
the Midjl ofthe Congregation: And when fuch as
thefe attempt to offer, may it not be laid, to be the
Sacrifice of Fools, who are drawing near to God with
their Lips, their Hearts being far from him. Con
fider this, all ye that forget God, and know that
he is a God of Knowledge, who beholds and weighs
all your Actions ip the juft Balance of his Holinefs ;
for f tell you of a Truth, the Day of the Lord's
Vlfitation will overtake all who are at Eafe in Zion,
and content to remain in a Form of Godlinefs, and
are not feeking to know the Power thereof; it
willalfo come upon thefe who are panting after the
Duft of the Earth, as well as upon thofe Who are
Lovers of Pleafure more than Lovers of God ; and
feeing the Emptinefs of all worldly Enjoyments, InEzek. vd.
this Day fhall they caft their Silver in the Streets, and l?-
their Gold (with every other Idol) fhall be removed,
becaufe it has not fatisfied their Souls, neither filled
their Bowels, and becaufe thefe Things have been the
Stumbling-blocks of their Iniquity ; the Bar that has
long obftrticted their Entrance iiito true Reft and
Peace ; that Happinefs they are fe.-king from
wrong Objects, and having been once deceived with
falfe Appearances, and Promifes of worldly De- ,
lights and Enjoyments, I boldly affirm, People will
never find it in temporal Things ; and l,et me add
E truly,

[ 66 ]
truly, that one Day in his- Courts is bilter'than a
Thoufand elfewhere, and that I had rather embrace
the meaneft Office, even that of a Door-keeper in
the Houfe of my Godj than to dwell in the Tents,'
or even Palaces of fuch as are. wicked and forget
God, to partake of their Dainties. And let me
farther fay, that, the Day of God's Power brings us
to a folid Confideration and Examination, and thofe
earthly Things which we once counted Gain, aqd
gloried in, we now count Lofs, compared with the
Excellency of the Knowledge of JefUs Chrift, for
whom many can fay, they have fuffered the Lofs
of all Things they once delighted in, counting therh
but Dung, that we might win Chrift. O, faith my
Soul, that all People would be prevailed with to
look into themfelves, to the Spirit of Chrift mani-
fefted there, and feek this preferahle Good/ the
Kingdom of God ! the Joys of which only can
fatisfy the Defires of an immortal Soul ; for, as a
cerfaih Author obferves, " 'Tis impoffible earthly
** Things fhould fill the vaft' Capacity thereof/ as
Ct fuch is its Nature and Dignity, that it cannot
" ftoop to Flarth, nor feed on Duft ; and when
" Men confine it below, no wonder it breaks their
" Peace, and will not let them, reft in Sin and fof-
" did Pleafure, that feparates it from its real
" Good ; for the Soul grafps at Immenfity, . and
" longs for God ':" To whpm, when by his PoweV
he breaks the Fetters of Sin, and removes , thefe
earthly Impediments, it afcends arid feeks God;
and' agreeably the Prophet tells us, when God had
fearched the Sin of Jerufalem by many afflicting
Providences, and had ftripped. them of outward
Hofea v.i 5. Delights, In their AffHSlion, faith the Lord, they will
feek me early.
But now to return a little to thofe who will be
rich, who inordinately purfue worldly Advantages";
thefe are attended, with, and oftentimes fall into
Temptatibns

[ 6; ¦ ]
Temptations to mean, bafe, and fometinies wicked
Actions ; for, in Trading, this Sblligitude for ,
Abundance tempts People to. be guilty of Frauds
and Extortion,; juft Dealing, and fmall Profit, nop
being, as they imagine, the Way to their End : It
alfo caufes them -to take Advantage' of the Igno
rant, varying their Demand or Price according to
the Judgment of the Purchafer : And I have ob
ferved with .Pain of Mind, the many equivocal
Turns, nay, downright Falfities, fome People are
guilty of in Trading ; to fay little of the many Hy
perboles and falfe Glofifo they ufe to recommend
their Wares, when perhaps they know them not good
in their%ind ; add to this the Multiplicity of vain
Words ufed on thefe Occafions, for which I believe,
nay I venture to fay, they ftand hot guildefs in God's
Sight ; thus, as fays the wife Man, does Sin ftick clofe Ecelefiaffi-
bfetween Buying qnd Selling: And at length, if all thefe c£* X2tv"
Arts and Endeavours fhould fucceed, let us a little
enquire, bow this Abundance is applied ? And firft,
the Mifer'who accumulates Wealth fimply for the
Love of Wealth, he commits his Idol to his Cof
fers, endeavouring by various Means to add to his
Heap,' to which he pays his daily Adoration, bow
ing the whole Attention of his Mind, and watch
ing over it with great Afliduity, left Thief or
Moth, or any Thing fhould impair or leffen it ;
and the Neceffities of his Family (if any he has) as
well as the Poor, in whofe Way perhaps he has
long ftood, he confiders as a kind oi Thieves ; *to
the firft he recommends Frugality and Thrifcmefs,
and.to the laft Induftry and Labour, otherwife bid-
. ding them be warm'd and fe"d, but at the fame
Time he with-holds the Means. .And here let. me fay,
I would not have any think themfelves clear in the
Sight of Heaven, though they do not opprefs and
grind the Face of the Poor ; 'for they will be found
unfaithful Stewards of our Lord's Goods in the Day
E 2 of

[ 68 J
of Account, if they have not fuccour'd and reliev'd
their Neceffities. Let all then, who are rich in this
World's Goods, confider the Defcription of the laft..
Judgment .by our Lor,d, where he fays to fome|.
/ was an hungred and . ye gave me no Meat, thirfty
and ye gave me no Drink, naked and ye clothed me
not, &c. And let all remember what a good Effect
Chriftianity had on Zaccbeus, who was called, and
received Chrift joyfully with his Offers of Salvation,
mark how his Heart was enlarged with Love to
God and his Neighbour, obferve how willing he is ,
to run the Ways of his Commandments, when we
find him faying, Behold, Lord ! the Half ofmy GooM
I give to the Poor ; and ,if I ,hav,e taken any Tmng from.
any Man by falfe Accufation, I reftore him four Fold.
But now to turn to People of , the oppofire Cha--:
racter, whofe Lives are one continued Scene of
Wafte and Profufion, (Pride and Senfuality being
the Motive of their evil Covetoufnefs) when they
poffefs great Riches, they are, as our Lord ob
ferves, deceived thereby \ and becaufe 'tis in their
Power, they .imagine they are at Liberty now to
gratify the Luft of the Eyes, the Luft ofthe Flefh,
and'the Pride and Pomp of Life, faying, in Effed,
Soul eat, drink and be merry, take thine. Eafe,
indulge thy delicate Appetite, be coftly nice, and
curious in what thou eats, drinks and wears. Thus
are People now (as the Apoftle Peter complained
formerly) wqlkingjn Lufts and Excefs, and turning
the Grace and Favour oj God (which would lead
them to Temperance and Humility) into Wanton-
nefs,- and at the fame Time pleading for their many
Exceffes and Superfluities, becaufe they, have Wealth
enough to uphold or maintain them without hurt
ing any Man's Property, forgetting they are here
in this an evil Example to their .Neighbours, as well
as that we are only Stewards of the Goods that our
great Lord has committed to our Truft ; and' tho' he

I D9 J
he gracioufly allows a Liberty to eat, drink and
clothe at-. his Expence, yet he forbids (under the '
Penalty of his Difpleafure) us to wafte, embezzle,
mifipply, and confume his Goods upon' our finful
Lufts ; but as we receive them at his Hands, for
our Neceffity and his Ufe, fo he requires at ours,
that we temperately ufe, faithfully pay, and beftow as
be directs ; for he will certainly one Day or other
require an Account of us, what we have done with
his Corn, Oil and Wine, Wool ¦ and Flax. And here'
let me obferve what the Prep! et Ezekiel fpeaks
concerning Tyre, when the Lord had purpofed to
ftain the Pride of all her Glory, and overthrow her
for her Pride and Luxury, as well as her inordinate
Purfuit of Wealth ; for thus faith the Lord, By theE^.
Multitude of thy Merchandize they have filled the1*^"1' '
Midft of thee with Violence, and thou haft finn'd ; '
therefore I will caft thee as prophane out of the Moun
tain of God. Thou haft defiled' thy Sanctuaries by the
.Multitude of thine, Iniquities, by the Iniquity of thy
Traffick, therefore will I bring forth a Fire from the
Midft of thee, it fhall devour thee, and 1 will bring
th^ee to Afhes -.upon the Earih, in the Sight of all them ,
that behold thee. And Verfe 4. With thy Wifdom
and with thine Underftanding thou haft gotten thee
Riches, and haft gotten Gold and -Silver into thy
Treafuries ; by thy great Wifdom: and by thy.Traffick
haft thou increafed thy Riches, and'-thine Heart isMfted
up becaufe of: thy Riches.; therefore, thus faith the"
Lord God, becaufe thou haft fet thine Heart as the
Heart of God, -behold therefore 1 will'- bring Strangers
ttp'in thee, the Terrible ofthe Nations, and- they fhall
draw their Swords- againft the Beauty of thy Wifdom.
But Ifaiah feems to prophefy, that in the Gofp'el-
day fhe fhould again be vifired and return to God ;
And her Merchandize and. her Hire -ftoall be Holinefs
to the Lord, it floall not be treafured nor laid, up, for
' her Merchandize fhall be for tbem that dwell before
E 3 tho

[ 7© 3
the Lord (in Love and Reverence,) to eat fufficietitfy,
and for durabkt,C lathing. Here is trading, eating,
drinking and wearing, not for Pride and Wanton?
nefs, but for real Ufe and Neceffity. But as I pafs
along, I have thought fome People may be doing
in this Day as the Pharifees did, when our Lord
fpoke in Contempt of Riches, 'tis faid they deride^
him, " * as they might think, that many Promifes
«' of Riches and other temporal Goods were made
*' under the Law and the Prophets ; Were not
" Abraham, David, ffc. very rich ? So it was
*' then ; but now the Kingdom of God is preached^.
»c Things take, a new Turn, the Conftiriition of
f Chrift's fpiritual Kingdom is quite different ;
" now blefled. are the Poor, the Mourners, the
« Perfecuted, &c. and another Reafon may be
w affigned, when, the Lord fees People make Gods
w of this World's Goods, and look upon. Tempo-
*f raJs as the beft Things, no wonder he in his
& Wifdom removes the Temptation : T\\t, Ifraetith
¥¦ made a Qod of their Riches, and worfhipped^it,
«c and then Mofes deftroyed it with the Idolater*';
rf and in this the Gofpel differs from the Law, iii
{<¦ fhewing Mercy to the Idolaters, but not pitying
M or fparing the Idol : But no wonder the Pharifees
<' derided Chrift ; they laughed him to Scorn, for
" going fo contrary to the common Opinion of
*' the World, and endeavouring to recover them
" from a Sin they were refolved tp hold faft." J
fay, fome may poffibly do thus by his Servants,
which if it-be fo> I fhall leave it, ,and proceed to
fay^ that ft is the earneft Defire of my Soul, that
(this Luft for Wealth, as well as all other Lufts
that are finful, may bebrdught to the Judgment of
Chrift on this Side Eternity, that they may witnefs
; Remiffioo

¦;* Matthew Jfenry.

t 7* J
Remifilon of Sin, and Peace with God in the Pof
feffion ot an Inheritance eternal in the Heavens ! •
This my Earneftnefs for the everlaftingWell-being
of my Fellow-Mortals, join'd with a Senfe of Duty
to our God, has led me greatly to exceed the
Bounds of a Letter, which at firft I was inclined to
write byway of Condolance and Sympathy, as well
as by way of Remembrance, that you might not
forget the Dealings of Providence, nor neglect the
pure Gift of God in your Confcience ; bat as I ftill
feel .a Degree of Love, and I hope of the divine
Influence, to attend and move my Heart and Pen,
I fhall make no Apology for my Manner of Wri
ting, nor yet for farther enlarging, in perfwading
you in every Circumftance of Life to have due
Regard to the following apoftolick Doctrines, That-
Jthe Glory and Honour of God is concern'd in our
whole Conduct and Converfation, whether we eat,
drink, converfe, or whatfoever we do elfe ; and,
{hat what is to be known of God, (refpecting Man's
Duty to him, our Neighbour and ourfelves) is ma-
nifeft in Man, for God reveals it to him, through
the Spirit of his Son, by which he fhews unto us
what is good, and what he requires at our Hands,
. viz'. To do juftly, love T&tprcy, and walk humbly with
our God, and that none are the Children of God, but
thofe who are led by his Spirit ; I fay, if thefe Doc
trines are furely believed, and Men are in earneft
when they acknowledge "God to be the Fountain
*' of -all Knowledge and Wifdom, who lyaows our
" Neceffities before we afk, as well as b'tir Igno-
*' ranee in afkirig what" is beft for us, and' therefore
" in Words defire he would be pleafed to give them
" thofe Things that be moft expedient for them",
** granting in this Life1 Knowledge of his Truth,"
(that is himfelf) who leads out of all Error : Where
then can we more properly apply for Inftruction,
Direction,' and Limitation in" a$ our Undertakings,
E 4 than

[ 72 I
than to this Grace or Spirit ofGod, which as we apply
to it with a fingleEye to his Honour, illuminates
our Underftanding,. and gives a right Judgment in
all Things, teaching us todenyall-Urgodlinefs and
the World's Lufts, and to live foberly, righteoufly
and Godly, and condemning all Sin, Excefs and
Superfluity of Naughtihefs.; I fay, where then can
I refer you better than to .t^n's holy Unction, a
Meafure of the Spirit of Chrift which you have all ,
received of the Father, and which,, as I faid before, »
is Truth ; and as Men abide in, or , follow its In-
ilru&ions, it . teacheth all Things pertaining to Life
and Godjinefs, and conducive to his Honour or our
true Intereft ; - And I with you would folidly and
weightily confider the great Advantage of this in
ternal Inftructor, the Spirit of Truth, which our
Lord tells us will guide us into all Truth..
And let me here obferve, that all called Chriftians
do allow that they ought not to offend againft the
Command of Jefus Chrift. contained in the New
¦ Teftament, but forget too much the new Covenant,
the inward Law written by the Spirit of the living
God on the Tables of the Heart, to wit, that ancient
aT^'&e' Prom'fe or lbe Almighty, referring to the Gofpel
Difpenfation, where be. fajvs, Behold the Days come
that I will make a new Covenant with. the Houfe of
Ifrael and the Houfe of J udah, not according to the Cove
nant that I made with their Fathers, in the Day tbaf-J
pok them by the Hand to bring them out of the Land of
Egypt, whi>h my Covenant they brake,, although. I was
an Hufbandto them,faithtbe Lord ; but this fhall be the
Covenant that I will make with the Houfe of Ifrael after
thofe Days, faith the. Lord, I will put my Law in their
%nward Parts,, and write it in their Hearts, and will
be their God, and they fhall be my People : And. they
fhall teach no more every Man his Neighbour, and
every Man his Brother, faying, know the Lord, for
tbey .fhall all know me, from the leaft of them unto

L 73' J
the greateft of them, faith the Lord, for I will forgive
their Iniquity, and I will remember their Sin no more.
But perhaps fome may fay, If this he the Cafe, that
all People are favoured with the Privilege of being
immediately taught by the Spirit. ofGod, what Neceffity
then of a Gofpel Miniftry ? To thefe let the following
Remarks at prefent fuffice,. to fhew the Ufe of
Gofpel Miniftry : All People, as I have faid, have
received a Meafure of Grace, which teaches to deny
Ungodlinefs, and have heard this infpeaking Word
ef God, but all do not obey its Reproofs nor
Inftructions : People are fenfible of its fearching
Power, when it comes in the Spirit of Judgment
and Burning upon the tranfgreffing Nature, but
carnal Men flee from it, becaufe it gives them Pain j
they will have none of its Reproofs, ahd are run
ning from the fecret Convictions of the Witnefs and
Judge for God in their Confcience, which if they
would adhere to, and bear his Indignation, becaufe
they have finned, they would indeed prove this >to
be the WTay to eternal Life and Salvation ; but
poor Uphappy Mortals are flying from this hea
venly Guide, and going in bye Ways and crooked
Paths, and are forfaking their own Mercies when
they are feeking Relief from vain Recreations,
Paftimes> wicked or Unprofitable Company, cor
rupting and unedify ing Books, &c. in order to put
by this holy Reprover in their Souls : And thus are
many :People doing Defpite unto the Spirit of Grace,
the Favour and hovt ofGod, who wills that all
Men be faved from Sin ; and therefore he is vifiting
his rational Creatures, and -trying all Means to
bring home Backfliders, calling, immediately to the
fimple Ones who love Simplicity, and' to the Fools
that hate the faving Knowledge ofGod,' to come
and learn his Difcipline ; to theie he is alfo fending
his Meffengers, whom he hath fanctified by his
Wprd, and who have been obedient to his Call, who

I 74 I
who have not only believed in his Nanie, but bore-
his Indignation for Sin, and have been by his Spirit
baptized into his Nature : Some fo qualified he has
immediately called to be the Minifters of his Word?"
Difpenfers of his Gofpel, Evangel ifts or Mefle*flgers,'
whom he fends to the People to ftir up the pure
Mind, to exhort them to take heed to and improve ,
the heavenly Gift ; and that they quench not the
Spirit,' neither turn this Grace of God into Wan-
tonnefs : And thefe are befeecfiing Men to be; re
conciled to God, having known the Terrors of the
Lord for Sin, as well as the Confolation of his Spirit
for Well-doing, they perfwade Men to forfake the
Foolifh and live, by Faith in tlie Power of the Son
ofGod: Thefe Minifters preach not' themfelves,.
but Chrift. the Lord ; they are not feeking their
own Honour nor- worldly Profit, but the Glory of
God, and the Good of Souls, being in this Senfe
.Servants to Men for Chrift's Sake;, feeking not
theirs, but them to God, and ferving them in true
Gofpel Love without Fee or Reward, calling often to
their fellow Mortals to draw near to God, and abide
in the holy Unction which they have all received.
And this is the Benefit arifing to all who believe in,
and are obedient to the Teaching of the Grace of
God, and follow Chrift in the Regeneration and
Newnefs of Life, the Lord will be merciful to their
Iniquities, and will remember their former Sins no
more ; and they will experience divine Confolatioa,
and Times of heavenly Refrefhment from the Pre
fence ofthe Lord, and in the End inherit the
Promifes. But now, left any, one may think that the Doc
trine I have here advanced is a peculiar Tenet of the
People called Quakers, I fhall give the Expofition
of the foregoing Scripture Paflage by a * Teacher of
P$ol on Seb> viii. 10,

£ 75 J
ofthe Englifh Church, where he obferves, " That the
" new Covenant fhould not be fuch a one as was
*'. given at Mount Sinai, but wholly different, and
" that deny'd before^ being carnal and ceremonious,
tC full of Types and Shadows, and thro' Sin ineffec-
,c tual to them. After thofe Days of their Delivery
" from Babylon, but efpecially when thofe Days of
ft the firft Adminiftration of the Covenant were ac-
" complifhed, when the FullnefS of Time for the
" Meffiah's Revelation is come, the great God the
** Redeemer himfelf, the infinitely wife, good and
" powerful Spirit, who only can reach the Soul,
" will make Impreffions, and write clear Charac-
" ters of divine Truth in the Heart : All the Doc-
" trines of the Gofpel, which includes the moral
" Law, 'are now managed by Chrift ; all the Will
" of God concerning our Salvation, his Promifes
" and Commands, and thefe in their Spirit and
Cl Power, which God not only'ratify'd in, butcon-
" vey'd to the World by Jefus Chrift, and efpecially
«' into the Mind, the inward Parts ,; the Mind or
" Underftanding being the inmoft Part ofthe Sou!,'
" is capable of receiving Impreffes of divine Truths,
«« -and fts Characters are by it made legible to the
^ Soul, which, as promifed here, is fo pray 'd for
lf by the Apoftle, Ephef. i. 17. The Heart is i
" Metaphor fetting out a real, actual, powerful
^.Work of the Spirit of Chrift, which leaves ex-
" prefs Characters of all God's faving Mind and
" Will upon the Heart or Soul, as plain as Writing
" upon Paper, jor Engraving upon Stones : Such an
?' Operation of the Spirit of Chrift on the Souls of
" them, as whereby is convey'd into them a new
" Light, Life and Power, fo that they are made
" by it Partakers of a divine Nature ; and though
« they are not other Faculties, yet they are quite
" other Things than they were for Qualities and
!* Operations, fo ^s they are able to know, obferve;
' s *,c and

L 70 J;
", and keep his La-ws,, which are fet up in Aytho-,
" rity and Dominion in their Souls, ruling and-
*< Ordering all there. ,The Apoftle^ Application of
" this 1 Text, Heb. yiii. puts. uss out of al! Doubt
"that this Promife referr'd to, the Gofpel Times,
" and was not only made, with the Jews, but all
" thofe who fhould be ingrafted into thev- good
" QHve Tree." ',. , . „. ,
And now fet me fay, this is the Teacher which
Men can't eafily put by, or remove into- a Corner,
but. he will judge and convince of Sin,, and con
demn for evil Actions, as well as ^Thoughts and
Words ; this, will bring the faving Knowledge, dean,
Fellow Mortals, that I long, to,, have ypu all attain,
to know the Lord firft to execute. Judgment upon
your Sins, and that you may fall under it, repent
and amend your Ways, then will the, Lord be wit->
neffed to exercife loving Kindnefs and tender Mercy,,
for He. that cover eth his Sins Jhall not profper, but.
, whofe confeffelh and forfaketh them fhall have Mercy.
Attend then to this Law of jjheLord, which is^ per
fect, converting the Soul ; this is that which tx-.
plains, ^confirms and refines upon jthe moral Law,
that fays, Thou fh alt not kill- The inward' Law
prevents or removes the firft Emotion of Anger,
Hatred, Malice and Revenge, ThoptAfhalt not covets
fays the outward Law ; but the Law, of the Spirit
of Life removes Pride, and the Love of Money,
the Foundation and Spring of Covetoufnefs, and
limits the inordinate and afpiring Defire, and in
clines People to be content with fuch Things as
they have, and to pray, as did an -holy Man of
old, Give me neither Poverty nor Riches, but feed, me
with Food convenient for me ; left I be full and deny >
the t-ord, or left Ifbe, poor and .fteal, rand take thy
Name in vain : This inward Law, which is Light,
would difcover to Men the Glory and Excellence of
the Things of God, and by its Wifdom would lead
r.i4- • us

t "77 1
us to weigh all earthly Things irt the juft Balance
of the Sanctuary, and try them bythe Standard of
Holinefs, and the Nature' of the G6fpel of Jefus
Chrift, and it-would help People to give them their
properValue •, it would teach them to pray that God
would be pleated to remove far from them Vanity
and Lies, all Things that would deceive and! cheat
us of true Happinefs ; it would lead Men to a
Confideration ot their Beginning and latter End,
and fhew them that they were brought into Being;
to glorify God, and by his Aid to work out their ,
own Salvation With Fear and Trembling ; it would
often 'bring to their View the Shortnefs and Uncer
tainty of the Tim? to do this gre^t Work ; and
feeing how frail they are* it Would" remove all Pride
and.Sollicitude to heap up Wealth ; it would teach
People to covet the beft Things, 'and incline them
to pray, not for Length of Days on Earth, but for
divine Wifdom to conduct them fafely to Heaven ;
it would help them to be diligent and earneft in
making a fuitable Preparatiori for a better Country,
as the Apoftle phrafes it, at the Time he exhorts
Chriftians, whom he compares to Sojourners, Stran
gers and Pilgrims, tp abftain from flefhly Lufts which
war againft the Soul, by captivating and detaining it
from preffing forward to this City, whdfe Maker
and Builder is God.
And here it may not be amifs to obferve, that
Strangers and Pilgrims, or Travellers from one
Country to another, are not very follicitous about
their Accommodations on the Road; if they are but
mean and ordinary, they confider that it is but for
a fhort Time ; and if they are never fo agreeable,
they do not fuffer them to detain them from profe-*
cuting. their Journey ; but having in View fome
greater Advantage at the End thereof they do not
confider thefe Things as their Felicity, but Conve-
xiiencies ip the Way to Happinefs ; and as 1 fhould
tejoice^

t 78 J
rejoice, would all Chriftians adhere to this Standard
of Truth placejl in every Confcience, fo I would
have them examine the Doctrines, Precepts -and
Example of Chrift, (and the primitive Chriftians^
as fet forth in the facred Writings) whom Chriftianj'
acknowledge in Words appear'd on Earth" to exhibit
a,Pattern or Rule of Conduct for them to follow,;
1 John ii. And be that faith be abideth in him, (i. e. in Chrift)
** ought himfelf alfo to walk, even as he walked. And
as this is granted^, I wifh with all my Heart, all
who profefs themfelves Chriftians, would compare
with, and bring their Practices to this Touch-ftone,
and examine if their Lives in any manner refemble
his : And let us here note, that notwithftanding
Chrift Jefus is the Creator and Lord of the whole
Univerfe, yet when he took human Nature on him,
and appeared upon Earth, He came in the Form of
a Servant, born of mean Parentage, the Place of
his Birth an Inn, and a Manger his Cradle, and
call'd in Contempt the Son of the Carpenter* and the
Carpenter, and became in the Eyes of the Men of
this World of no Reputation ; when I fuppofe every
one will allow it might have been quite the Reverfe,
if it had been confiftent with the Nature and Intereft
of his Kingdom, which he declar'd was not of this '
World. ; and when tempted of Satan with the Glories
thereof, we find there was nothing in him that the
Tempter could fallen his Temptation upon, he be
ing holy, harmlefs, and undefiled, feparate from Sjn
and Sinners; and tfie.End of his Coming was, and is
to deftroy the Works and Temptations of the Devil,
and to reform the World that lay in Wickednefs ;
John vii. 7. and thus did he. fay to the unbelieving Jews, The
World cannot hate you, but me it hateth, becaufe I
teftify of it, that the Works thereof are evil. And on
every Occafion we find the whole Defign, Scope
and Tendency, of our Lord's Difcourfes, Precepts,.
Doctrines and Example, calculated to draw Men's
Defires,

i 79 J
Defires, Attentions and Affections, from temporal
Objects to himfelf, and to feek his Kingdom : And
fiis Precepts and Doctrines call loudly and plainly to
all who profefs his Name, to come out of the Spirit
of the World ; and he is at this Day choofing his
Followers out ofthe World, redeeming them from
the Evils that are in it, not- only from the grofs
Corruptions and Pollutions, but from the Pride,
vain Glory, Honours, Grandeur, Pleafure and Wif
dom thereof, with the exeefflve and diffracting
Cares, Luxury and Excefs of all Kinds, which wei*e,
and now are Obftructions in the Way to his King
dom. And when any of his Followers difepver'd t
in Thought or Word, a Defire for worldly Ho
nours, Diftinction or Superiority, the more effectu
ally to draw their Inclinations and Expectations
ffrom earthly Objects, he turns his Obfervation on
the Nations of this World, (People who knew not
God) and fays, Te know that the Princes of the Gen- Mat.xx.15.
tiles exercife Dominion over them, and they that are
gfeat exercife Authority upon them, but it fhall not be
fo among you ; or, ye floall not.be fo, as Luke has it ;
but he that 'is greateft among you% let. him be as the
Tounger ; and he that is chief, as he that doth, ferve.
And again, Te are they which have continued with
me in my Temptations, and I appoint unto you a King
dom, as my Father bath appointed unto me, that ye
may eat and drink at my Table in my Kingdom, and
fit pn Thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Ifrael. But
previous to this, they were to forfake, all. Things
that obftru<5ted the Way to this heavenly Kingdom,
and to fuffer in this World many Things, as did
their great Mafter and Example. And to let the
afpiring Sons of Zebedee fee their Miftake, when they
apprehended our Lord's, Kingdom was. a temporal
one, (and requefted to fit one on Ms right, and
the biher on his left Hand therein) as well as to learn
them that the Servant was not to expect to fare
better

better Shan his Lord, Te know not what ye afk, an
fwered our Lord : They knew not then the Condi
tion Of fitting with Chrift in his VThrone ; thejjf
thought that he came to reftore the temporal King
dom to Ifrael, andmhat he was to fit- op the Throne
of David literally, and in Peace and outward State
and Tranquility ; but he came for another End, he
came to reign in the Hearts of Men, to pull down
Principalities, the Power of Darknefs, and fpiritual
Wickednefs in high Places, in the exalted Minds
of Met), to deftroy the Kingdom of Satan, and to
jeftabliflo the Kingdom of God within Men, to lay the
Axe of his Power tb the Root pf the corrupt Tree,
to ftrike at the Foundation, the ground Work of
Sin in Mens Hearts, ', where he was rejected, as
well, as outwardly oppofed, and fuffer'd the 'Con
tradiction of the very Sinners he came to fave ;
and we find he bore great Indignities and Re
proaches, and wander'd from Place to Place, not
having where to lay his Head, and at length drarik
of the Cup of greater Sufferings, in dying the Death
ofthe- Crofs to manifeft his great Love, and to
atone for the Sins of the World.
Thus we fee Chrift our Lord came not' to be
miniftred to, but to minifter, and to give his Life
a Ranfom for many ; neither did he come tha't ;
Mens Luftsfor worldly Wifdom, Honour, Riches,
Pleafures, Preferment and Applaufe fhould be gjra-"
tified, but to example them in the Path of Self-'
denial in all thefe Things, and to ftain the Glory of
all Flefh, that the richMan might not glory in his
Riches, nor the wife Man in his Wifdom, neither
the ftrong Man in his Strength : He came not to
bring Peace into thefe earthly Minds, that are thus
glorying in any Thing fhort of the Knowledge of
the Lord, but a' Sword, the Sword of the Spirit,
tlie Word of God, which is able to divide betwixt
a Man and his falfe Delights, and to fet him at
Variance

[ 8i j
Variance againft his evil Concupifence ; and he
|fcame and comes to fend the Fire of his Word into
*the earthly Heart, to burn up and confume the
chaffy, thorny and briery Nature in Man. But
unto fuch as. fear his Name, and fubmit ro. his
Power, he ^appears as the Sun of Righteoufnefs,
With healing Beams to nourifh and cherifti the good
Seed, and to gather it into the Garner, to wit, the
Kingdom of God, and to preach good Tidings to the tfa.lxi.ai
Meek, to bind up the broken Heartid, to proclaim 2i 3-
Liberty to the Captives, and the opening of the Prifon
to tbem that are bound,' to proclaim the acceptable Tear
of the Lord, and the Day of Vengeance of our God ; to
comfort all that mourn, to appoint unto them that
mourn in Zion, to give tbem Beauty for Afhes, thi Oil
of Joy for Mourning, and the Garment of Praife for
the Spirit of Heavinefs, that they might be called Trees
of Righteoufnefs, the Planting of the Lord, that he
might be glorified ; who will not give ¦ his Glory to
another, nor bis Praife to, graven Images,
Thus we fee the Chriftian Life, in this Senfe!, is
not a tranquil State j and if we will be Chriftians j
we muft enlift under Chrift's Banner, which is Love,
and his Enfign, which is a Crofs to 'the corrupt
Will, and follow him the Captain of our Salvation ;
and as the Church of England expreffes it, "we muft
manfully fight under it againft Sin, the World and' the
Devil, and continue. Chrift's faithful Soldiers and Ser
vants unto our Lives End. And if we expect to
reign with Chrift, we muft fuffer with him, that is*
we muft deny ourfelves of all the finful Lufts ofthe
Flefh ; apd as he our great Example did, refift the
Temptations ofthe Devil, to the Glory, the Pomps
and Vanity of this wicked World, fo as not tofolbw
or be led by them : We muft mortify our corrupt
Affections for worldly Wifdom, Honour, Prefer
ments, &c. and for all Excefs, Luxury and Super
fluity of Naughtinefs ; and when We have taken , up
JF ~th&ft

[ 82 J
this Crofs to our evil ConciVpifence, agreeable to
our Lord's Direction, we muft follow him who is^
meek, humble, lowly^ • and companionate, who
when he was reviled, reviled not again ; and when
hefuffer'd, he threaten'd not, neither took Ven
geance of his Enemies and Oppofers, but pray'd
for his Perfecutors ; for he came not to deftroy
Men's Lives, but their Sins.' Thus did our great
Example endure, the Crjofs, and defpife the Shame at
tending it, leaving us a Pattern that we fhould foll$®
bis Steps. And as the Church above mentioned has
it, we muft be made like unto him, that as he died and
rofe again for us, fe we fhould die to Sin, and rife
again to Righteoufnefs, mortifying 'all our evil and corr
rupt Affections, and daily proceeding in all Virtue- and
Godlinefs of Living.
And here, let me again afk, If ypu believe this
Doctrine, what becomes of your Affertion, Thai
there can be no perfect Freedom from Sin in this Life ?
Oh, faith my Soul, that all PrOfeffors of Chriftian^
would but come tb this Mortification, then wouffi
they be choofing rather to fuffer (as Mofes did)
Affliction with, the People' of God, than to enjoy the
Pleafures of Sin for a Seafon, efteeming the Repro^i
of Chrift greater Riches than. the Treafures of Egyp^*
for he had Refpetl unto the Recompence of Reward; dn
Eye to the eternal Crown of Righteoufnefs' in Heavens,
which is laid up for all that bear the Crofs of
Chrift : Which excellent Attainment the Apoftle
Gal. vi. 14. Paul had in View when he thus exults, God forbid
that I fhould glory, fave in the Crofs of our Lordjefm,
Chrift, by whom the World is crucified unto me, and 1
unto the World. Dead indeed was this Man of God
refpecting any Defire of its Pomps and Vanities ;
and he counts alt Things but Lofs or unprofitable,
faving what had* fome Reference to the Glory pf
Godi and the Felicity of another Life ; and having
ken the Excellency of the Knowledge of Jefus
Chrift

t «3 1
Chrift his Lord, (whom with the Father to know.
to fave from Sin, is eternal Life) he declines the
Wifdom of this World, and the Excellency of
Speech, and determines not to know any Thing
fave Jefus Chrift, and him crucified : And we
find him concern'd about nothing fo much, as to
keep a Confcience void of Offence in his Sight, who
by the Power of his" Refurrection ihad made him
conformable to his Death, by being buried with
him in his Baptifm, wafhed by his Word, and
raifed thereby into Newnefs of Life. Thus this
great Apoftle, who bids the Believers follow him as
be. followed Chrift, took up the Crofs, not once or
twice only, but he tells us he died daily ; to be fure it
was to all Evil, to every Temptation each Day
might bring with it ; yet, fays he, / live, and the
Life that I now live, is by Faith in th,e Son of God. By
this Faith, in the Power of God, muft all Chriftians
thus overcome the World, and by the fame muft we
ftand, and be enabled to refift the Power of the God
thereof, who bears Rule only in the Hearts of the
Children of Difobedience. And when Profeffors come,
as this holy Man did, to be fubject to the Difcipline
ofthe Crofs, here they witnefs the Cpming of 'the
Kingdom ; here is the doing his Will in Deed, and
not in Word only ; here's the excellent Knowledge
ofGod, whom when we know as the Apoftle did,
we muft needs adore, reverence and love with every
Faculty of the Soul ; and then fhall we keep all his
Commandments:, And here is the Imputation, of
Chrift's Righteoufnefs, becaufe he has made us holy
as he is holy ; here is the Experience that his Yoke .
is eafy and Burden light, and. that his Service is
perfect Freedom : And in this Crofs it. is that we find
Reft unto our Souls, which heretofore was all Con
fufion', "calling up the Mire and Dirt of Sin, by
living in a Succeflion of fenfual, and fordid Delights.
-And though in the World thefe faithful Followers
F 2 of

[ H 1
of Chrift may have Trouble, yet he who overcame
the World, delivereth out of it, and affords them a
Share of that precious Peace, Satisfaction and De
light, which the World with all its Treafures and
Pleafures cannot give, neither can its Frowns and
Contempt deprive them of ; for to his faithful Ser
vants who hunger and thirft after his Righteoufnefs,.
ind cannot live to him (that is to his Praife and Glory)
without him, to thefe does our gracious God vouch-
fafe to difpenfe the Bread of his Kingdom, which
nourifheth the Soul up unto eternal Life ; and thefe
alfo receive at his Hand the Cup of Bleffing, the
new Wine thereof, and are drinking of the Brook
by the Way, the refrefhing and comfortable Streams,
of his Love, which caufe the Faithful to lift up the
Head, and lopk to him above all Temptations,
Tribulation and pifcouragements,who ftrengthens,
fupports and confolates, till they arrive at the Con*-
fummation of Blifs (where the Wicked ceafe from
troubling) to join the Church triumphant in finging
eternal Praife to God and the Lamb, who gives the
Vidory' over Sin.
Thus I have confider'd Mens inordinate Defires
for Wealth, as well as the finful lufting after many
Things which are deftructive to the Life of Chris
tianity, and which the Laws and Doctrines thereof
require every Profeffor of the fame to deny : And
for my own Part I can fay by Experience, that an
•Affection for thefe Things choke the Seed of the
Kingdom, and feparate from the Prefence and' Ap
probation of God, who when he faid; Thou fkalt not
commit Adultery, &c. faid alfo, Ihou (halt have none
other God but me; whom thou, O Man and Woman,
art required to love with every Faculty of thy
Soul,: But if People love not the World, nor the
Things that are in the World, the Luft of the Eyes,
the Luft of the Flefh,' and Pride of Life, if they
prefer them not to fpiritual Things, if they are (as
fome

[«5 1
fome fay) indifferent to chem, why is the moft of
their Attention laid out on temporal Objeds ? For,
do we hear People in a common way fpeak of any
Thing elfe but the Luft of theJEye, Ej?c. or the
Means of procuring them ? Are not People daily
accumulating. Superfluities of many Kinds, that in
the Nature of the Things can ferve no other Pur
pofe but that of Pride and Vanity ; and can all this
be done, and with the greateft Earneftnefs and Af-
fiduity ? And yet will they alledge, that they do
not love nor delight in them, that they^are riot
proud or lifted up in the Pofleflioh of them : What
then is the Caufe or Reafon of treafuring up fo many
vain and ufelefs Things ? Is it becaufe you defire to
be ufeful Members of Society,, by encouraging and
fupporting Trade, and thereby contributing to fub-
fift the Poor? Is this then the Motive which fo
many alledge ? Does many ThoufandsrUin them
felves and come to Poverty by their Beneficence
to the Indigent? Is the Proverb reverfed 1 and does
Charity begin abroad, and npt at home ? Have I
my poor Neighbour's Welfare more at Heart than
my own ? No, no ; I would not have People plead
fuch vain Excufes as the Support of ^ Trade, &c. but
haften to an impartial .Examination Pt their Hearts,
where 'tis more than probable they will find Pride,
Ambition and unlawful.Self-love lurking underneath
all their fpecious Pretences and vain Apologies.
Oh ! faith my Soul, and that with great Fervency,
that People would be prevailed with tp come to a
Confideration of, their trueft Intereft, that they
would fuffer Chrift, the great Phyfician of Value,
to fearch their Wounds, and cure them, of "worldly
Defires, and diveft their Affedions qf worldly Ob
jeds, that they might have no God, but the Lord
alone ; then would they learn and know the; Truths
of the Gofpel, not by Tradition and the Report of
Others only, but would have to fky from grounded
F 3 Experience,

[ 3.6 }
Experience, that the one Half of his Goodnefs, tjje
Perfection , of his Beauty, had pot been told nor .
defcribed j then would they witnefs that Reft and
Peace (which the carnal Reafoner knows not) that
it is of .more Worth than all the Glories of the
World, for its Price is above Rubies ; Silver nor
Gold cannot be W'-igbed forTit, neither- the Delight
of the By, compared with-it. And I here affirm,
iri the Power, and Authority ofthe Truth of our
God, that though People may pretend to high and
fplendid Notions, and "to great Knowledge of Chrif-
tianity,- that they know, nothing ofit, as they ought.
to knoW, until they witnefs in their Hearts and
Lives the Power of the Crofs of Chrift to crucify
nbt only their vile Affedions, but their Love to,
worldly Delights and Enjoyments, and to be,rais'cj;,
from earthly to heavenly Objects ; 'tis in this Crofs
to the finful Lufts and Will pf Men, which never
can work the Righteoufnefs of God, that the Works'
ofGod mUft be begun, continued and ended. And from
certain Knowledge I fpeak, that while we are con
forming to the Spirit of a vain and wicked World,
we cann.pt, as we are called/upon to do, prefent our
Bodies, Souls and Spirits- a living Sacrifice, nor
render to God our reafonable Service ; for Whilft
People live in worldly Delights and Pleafure, they,
are fpiritually dead, and thefe Dead can't praife
God, neither are they fenfible of fpiritual Enjoy
ments, nor have they Leifure to feek after them,
their Hours being divided between the Senfualities,.
the Profits, Pleafures and Amufements of a wicked
World : And in thefe Earthquakes, Hurries and
Confufion of Soul, Peoples Minds are. not 'filent
enough to hear the 'ftill fmall Voice of God, who is
jgracioufly waiting to reveal his acceptable Will in
them ; and thus People do riot know a being faved
from their Sins, becaufe, like Ifrael, they will. not
confider : And, in this. Condition 'tis np wonder fuch are

[ 87 ]
are fayfhg, JF<f do not fee any Evil in thefe Things our
Defires go after : But there are many, neverthelefs,
in whom the Light has fliined out of Darknefs, and
they have feen their Deformities, yet unwilling to
take up the Crofs, like Ifrael of old, they have im
mediately clofed their Eyes, and will not bring their
Deeds to thee Light, left it reprove them. Thus
many go on in this deplorable Way, giving th£
Reins to their, own Wills and Paffions, not con-
fidering that they are not their own, and therefore
'tis not reafonable they fhould do their Works and
fulfil their own Defires, but, the Works and Will
ofGod,' who hath a twofold Claim to our Service',
both by Creation and Redemption; for we are
bought with a Price,' therefore call'd upon by the
Apoftle to glorify God in our Bodies and Spirits, which
are his : And when People come. to be fandified
throughout in Body, .Soul and Spirit, crucified to
the World, and the World unto them ; when they
arrive at this faving Knowledge of Chrift, then are
they experimental Witneffes, that there is a bleffed
Reward to the Righteous ; for. though God's tender
Mercies are over all his Works, yet in an efpecial
Manner is' he favouring and confolating the upright
in Heart, the fincere, pious and religious Mind.
Would ro God, tharall People profeffing Cbrifti-
unity 'were but in the Way to this happy Attain
ment, having their Faces fet Zion-ward, advancing
from Strength tp Strength, they might then be fay^
ing to their Neighbours, Come let us go up to the
Hill of the Lord, the Mountain of the God of Jacob,
and he will teach us to hold on our Way : Such as
thefe would be qualified, by their good Example,
to turn Men from Darknefs to Light ; and indeed,
thefe dare not, either by Word or Deed, keep
others jn Ignorance, but agreeable to our Lord's
Admonition, are letting their Light fhine before Men
in the Midft of a dark World, \t being beftowed or
F 4. communicated

[ 88 ]
communicated to us not to be concealed, but that
our Neighbours fhould reap fome Advantage from
it, who feeing our good Works, might be enduced|
to- 'follow- us, as we follow Chrift, and thereby
glorify God in 'bringing forth much Fruit to. the
Honour of his great Name. Thefe, I fay, who have
occupied the unfpeakable Gift of God, the Meafure
of the Spirit of his Son, and have tailed of the
good Word of Life, they cannot eat their Morfel
alone, but are fometimes divinely.lnfluenced by the
Love of God to call to their Neighbours to come
and partake of the Bleffing, .the faving Knowledge?
of Chrift, who. js the Way, the Truth and the Life,
and. Light of Men, and be faved thereby from Sin,
Ignorance, Error and Vanity. Thefe real Chrif
tians-, through divine Aid, being redeemed from
fpiritual Bondage, and having overconie their own
fihful Lufts and Paffion, firft ruling thejr own
Hearts, are then qualified (as were the Patriarchs of
old) to be Kings, Rulers, Judges and Leaders,:
ruling, in the Fear and Authority of God, and
judging for his Honour and Glory ; in their Fami
lies ihftruding their Children and Servants in the
Knowledge, Love and Fear of the Lord ; they
wbuld be bringing up Stones of Memorial in a
Converfation becoming the Gofpel of Chrift,; and\
^when their Children demanded a Reafon of their
Faith and Pradice, and why they run not to the
fame Excefs of Riot with the World that lies in
Wickednefs, why they walked not in the Spirit of
the World, and according to the Courfe or Cuftom ,
thereof, according r.o their former Lufts in their;
Ignorance, they may have to tell them, that they
were once in Egypt, (fpiritually in Darknefs) Bond-
flaves to their Corruptions and Vanities, and had
been ferving divers finful Lufts, as well as others ;
but that our God, gracious and merciful, had with
a mighty Hand and putftretched Arm of Love and
Compaffion,,

[ 89 ]
Gompafiioh, redeemed us from our hard Tafk-
f afters, our Lufts and Corruptions, and fronvthe
[orfhip of our ftrange Gods, and at the fame
ime gave us new Laws and Precepts, command
ing us to ferve no other God but the Lord alone,
who brought us out of the Land of Egypt fpiritu
ally ; ahd thefe are the Laws and Statutes given us
by Chrift himfelf, by which we now walk, even the, .
Denial of ourfelves of all Things whatfoever that in
any wife tend to difhonour God, and to obftrud our
eternal Felicity. This religious Experience would
qualify Chriftians for a * Converfation that would be
to the Ufe of edifying in Love to God and one to
another, and being fo feafon'd with Grace, it would
adminifterlnftrudion in Righteoufnefs to the Hearers;
And thefe hsving been help'd by the Grace of God
to deny the Pleafures, the Pomps and Vanities of the
wicked World, they are faved from the miferable*
Shift of fpeaking Evil of their Neighbours, and like-
wife from defcanting and criticifing upon Modes,
Fafhions, Amufements and Recreations ; and their
Luft for worldly Honour and Preferment being
crucified, their Defires for Wealth limited, tempo
ral Profit, Trade and Grandeur; &c. would not be
always uppermoft in Mens Minds, as we fee they are
by Peoples fpeiking almoft inceffantly o$ the Earth.
Such as thefe the Evangel ift defcribes thus, He thatt John Hi.
is of the Earth is earthly, and fpeaketh of the Earth : 3'-
And agreeably hereto the Apoftle Paul gives the
Charader of the Enemies of the Crofs of Chrift, (or
Power of God) that God is their Belly, whofe Glory is Phil, iii.18,
in their Shame, who mind earthly things. And again, For

* Tatianes tells. u=, that the Virgins among the (earlyj
Chriftians wefe wont to fpeak of God's Word and Works as
they fet at' their Wool Work ; ancf fays another Author, The
true Difciples of Chrift, their Minds are converfant about
heavenly Things. Penn.

[ 90 f
Rom. via. Ear they that are after theFlefi), do mind the Things- oftbi
5* Flefh, but they, that are after the Spirit, the Things ofthe4
Spirit .'And in another Place he is calling' the Bre^
thren tos walk fo, as, ye have us for an Example- ;
adding a little farther on, for our Converfation is in
Beaven. Would to God that all People were come
to this happy Situation, they would not then.be
perpetually talking of who was advanced to worldly
Honour, Power and Wealth, (Who can believe
favingly in the humble Jefus, while they are feek-.,
ing thefe Things ?) ' but enquiring who grew in
Grace, and in the faving Knowledge of Jefus Chrift 5 ;
thefe having no greater Joy .than to hear the- Pro- ,
feffors of Chriftianity are making Advances in the
Truth, that is in Chrift, walking agreeable to his
Gai.v.itf, Dodrihes and Example, in the Spirit, vthefe fhaft,
**' not fulfil the Lufts of the Flefh ; for they that are
Chrift's, have crucified the Flefh with theAffeffiom and
Lufts. Thefe real Chriftians would be .feeking the
Profit of many, being concerned for one another's
Welfare in the, beft Things, thofe .which refer to
another Life, and led by the Love of God. (that
Principle of Charity filed abroad in their Hearts).
to go out into the Fields and Vineyards of God,
among their Neighbours, to fee if the Pomgranates
bloffom'd, and what Fruit on the Vines (or at leaft
on the Branches, the Profefibrs of Chrift, who fay
they are ingrafted in him the Vine) digging, dung
ing, pruning and watering ; and as in the natural
Garden, tenderly nipping off the fuperfluous Buds,;'
the fkilful Pruner fees will injure and ftarve the
bearing Branches, as well as affaying to' give fome,
that are growing out of Order a proper Turn and
beautiful Uniformity : Thus would ChriftiaHsbe
building up one another in the 'moft- holy Faith,
praying in and by the Holy Ghoft, and exciting to
the Love of God and good Works, the moft cerT
tain Concommitant of true Faith. But

[ 9* 1
* Bpt here the common Objedion may arife , in
fome Minds, (to wit) That Mens Thoughts can't be
.always bent this fpiritual Way ; they will fire and flag
with conftant Exercife as well as the Body, and muft
be fome Times unbent : This, I allow ; but yet I never
remember to have heard any fay, that they were
fatigued with thinking and fpeaking pf their earthly
Enjoyments ; but I obferve on the' contrary, how
vigorous and elert they appear while the Converfa
tion turns On Temporals : But offer to cjbange the
Subjed for any Thing ferious, or referring to -the
Happinefs of the Soul in another World, and pre
fently a fudden Gloom overfpreads the Countenance,
and they app;ar uneafy at fuch Difcourfe ; and
having no Tafte or Relifh of the Things of God,
they fpeak Evil of what they know not. Again,
fome to evade a religious and fober Converfation
alledge, 'That the Subjects of Religion are made too
cheap and familiar by fpeaking thereof in Vifits, -which,
fay they, are intended for Relaxation of the Mind, &c.
I grant that Religion, the Laws of God, the Doc
trines and Precepts of Chriftianily, are facred and
fplemn Subjeds, and ought not to be fpoken of
lightly or wantonly, and in an irreverent pirame of
Mind ; yet this does not hinder, but that when
Chriftians (who are' exhorted unto Holinefs in all
manner of Converfation,, tobefober, watching unto
Prayer) are influenced by the Spirit and Love of
God, they may provoke one another to Love and
good Works, and by Way of. Remembrance ftir
up the pure Gift of God, the Meafure of, his Spirit,
in them ; and by fpeaking of what the Grace of
God through Faith in Chrift has done for them,
excite others to believe in the Power of Chrift,
and in his Love counfel and caution them that they
negled not the Operation and Teachings thereof.
And thus was Ifrael of old commanded by the Lord
to repeat their Laws and Statutes, (and I believe in
a partipular

[ 9* ]
a particular and efpecial Manner that firft and great
Deut.vi. Commandment Ihave frequently hinted at) Thefe
6'7' Words (faith the Lord) which I have commanded thee
this Day, fhall be in thine Heart, and thou fhalt teach ,
tbem diligently to thy Children, and fhall talk of them
when thou fit teft in thine Houfe, and when thou walkeft
by' the Way, &c. And we find the Defigh of thefe
Repetitions were to imprefs the Love and Fear of
God upon the Minds of the then prefentGeneration,
that they might arife and fpeak of them to .their
Children, that it might be well with them, and that
the Generations to come might fear the Lord. And tho'i
there was fo great a Declenfion among that People*,
fo that they forgot God and his Laws Days without
Number, yet there was a Remnant that feared and
ferved the Lord, and clave to him with full Purpofe
of Heart, of whofe Love and Conftancy the Prophet
makes honourable Mention, fomething to this Pur
pofe-; Though the Proud (by the "Proud) are counted
Happy, and they that work Wickednefs are fet up, Sec.
yet he tells us, thofe that fear'd the Lord fpake often
one to another. Their Theme doubtlefs was the great
Love of God extended various Ways in their won
derful Deliverances, Prefervation and Favours, both
fpiritually and temporally confer'd upon them ;
and not unlikely they might fometimes make Men
tion of the Name of the Lord»after the Manner the
royal Prophet breaks forth, when he thus invites all
Pfal. hvj, that fear God, Come and hear, (fays he) and 1 will
ie, &c declare what God hath done for my Soul ; I cryed. unto
him with my Mouth, and he was extolled with my
Tongue : If I regard Iniquity in my Heart, the Lord
will not'hear me ; but verily God hath heard me, he
bath attended to. the Voice of my Prayer. And Pfalm
xl. He brought me up alfo out of an horrible Pit, out of
the miry Clay, and Jet my Feet upon a Rock, and efia-
bliflied my Goings, and he hath put a new Song in my
Mouth, even Praife unto our God. Here feems to be a
compendious

[ 93 ]
compendious Account of the Work of God in the
Soul ot Man; the Chriftian Beginning and Advance
ment, firft, a Sorrow for Sin ; next, a forfaking
thereof; and then a Perfeverance and Eftablifhment
in Holinefs. Here we find this holy Man (whilft he
kept faithful to God) no longer an Offender againft
God's holy Laws, but a Man after his own Heart :
And here is worthy of Notice, the bleffed Effeds of
the Operation of God's holy Spirit in the Heart of
this royal Prophet, which had not only wrought an
happy Change in him, but it produced this great
Advantage to his Neighbour' ; many (fays he) fhall
fee it and fear ; as if he had faid, Sin appearing
exceeding finful, the fame Sorrow fhall feize the
Minds of others; and they fhall truft in the Lord for
Salvation from Sin. And whoever is thus raifed
from the Death of Sin to a Life of Holinefs, thefe
are the Living who offer Praife fo as to glorify God ;
and to him that orders his Converfatiop aright, ac
cording to his divine Law in the Heart, will our
God fhew his eternal Salvation. And the Prophet
Malachi goes on and obferves the great Favour and
Benefit attending fuch as fear'd God, and not only
thought on his Name, but out of the abundant
Love and Gratitude of Heart, fpake often one to
another ; whofe Pradice it appears was well pleafing
to the Almighty, for the Prophet tells us, the Lord
hearken' d and heard ; that is, he regarded and far
vour'd them with his Approbation, and a Book of
Remembrance was written before him for them thac
feared the Lord, and thought upon bis Name.
Happy all fuch whofe Names are thus written in the
Lamb's Book of Life, for in the Day that the Lord
makes up his Jewels, he hath promifed, that he will
fpare thefe as a Man fpare s his own Son that ferve th
him, and grant them his Salvation. This is the
glorious Privilege of the Children of God ; and
thus fliall it be done unto the People that delight to
love

{ 94 J
love and honour the Lord ,by a willing and perfect
Obedience to his divine Will, which, I have faid,
all Men may know' by, attending to the Light or
Spirit of Chrift inwardly revealed ; the great. Ad
vantages of which 1 have repeatedly mentioned ;
yet I«do not hereby intend to exclude the facred
Scriptures of Truth, which abundantly teftify
of Chrift the Light of the, World, but I greatly
defire you may come to him, as he himfelf directs,
John v. 39, wheii he fays, Search the Scriptures, for in them ye
4°" think ye have eternal Life, and they are they wbicjb
teftify of me ; and ye will not come to me that ye might
have Life ; that Life, Virtue, Power and Energy,
that only can come from him whofe Name is called
the Word of God, and Who has declared himfelf [the
Way, the Truth, and the Life, the Key of David,,
which opens the Seals and unfolds the Myfteries the
Scriptures contain : For though they were given to
holy Men by the Infpiration pf God, they are to
the carnal Comprehenfion ..as a fealed Book, until
open'd by the Spirit of Chrift, and then through
Faith in him they are able to make us wife unto
Salvation ; thus they become, profitable to the,
Man of God (who is willing to be inftruded by
the Word, as well as the Words of God) for Doctrine,
for Reproof, Correction and Inftrubtion in Righteouf
nefs, &c. Therefore, fince what Was thus written was
penn'd for our Learning, and thefe facred Records
providentially preferved and handed down to us for
our Profit, it is the Duty of every Profeffor of
Chriftianity frequently to perufe them ; as I would
hope none of you believe that the Laws, Precepts
and Dodrines therein contained, were calculated' only
fpr, and reftrided to paft Ages, and that they re
late not to' us of this prefent Generation, or that
they were defigned for our Speculation only, and
not for our Pradice, and fo read them for Amufe-
ment, and not for Inftrudion and Profit j for in
deed

[ 95 1
deed with Sorrow it may be obferved, that too many
under, the Chriftian Name ad as if this were the
Cafe ; and that the ancient Laws of God requiring
Love, Honour and Obedience from his Creature
Man, 'were obfolete or repeal'd ; and that inftead
of demanding our Hearts and Affedions, ' the All-
mighty was now reverting his Defigns or Purpofes,
and giving People Leave to fet them wholly upon
themfelves ; for though People are formally and fre
quently, praying, that God's Will may be done in Earth
as itisdone in Heaven, (in which State, as before faid,
there muft certainly be a perfed Freedom frpm Sin)
neverthelefs a Stranger to Chriftianity would be in
duced to think, they were left at large to do their
own: And'thoUgh our Lord tells us, Wiztftr eight is
the Gate, and narrow the Way that leads to eternal
Life, yet how many are walking in the broad Way
which leads t© Deftrudion, and are hoping againft
Reafpn, Scripture, and the Convidion or Witnefs
for God in their Confcience, to be admitted into
Heaven, notwithftanding all their fenfual Indi
gencies : And although the facred Records abound
with Teftimonies to the fbllowing Truth, that the
Righteous enter the Kingdom of -Heaven through many
'* Tribulations, following their great Example of
Self-denial,

* As Man is born to Trouble', fo 'tis natural and common
for People to complain of their Troubles and the crofs Occur
rences of this Life, and many are thinking that they often
walk through various Tribulations, great Trouble, Anguifh
and Affli&ion of Mind ; and indeed fo they are, but 'tis- often
times for the Lofs or Abfence of earthly Enjoyments or De
lights : And in this mournful State to which the Lofs of near
"Friends, and ftreight or narrow Circu-mftances have reduced
them, they are milapplying, the Blefiediiefs our Lord pro
nounces to a State of Poverty of Spirit, Humiliation or mouth
ing for Sin; that godly Sorrow which the ApoftiE' fpeaks of,
and diftinguifhes (from the worldly Sorrow I have mentioned J
thus, or after this^ Manner, Now J rejoice not that ye woe iritdefiny

[ 96 ]
Self-denial, who was a Man of Sorrows, ahd ac
quainted with Grief; yet thefe pretended, though not
real Difciples, avoid Sorrow, and divert inftead o&
.improving all Occafions of Grief: He endured the
Crofs, and dejpifed the Shame attending it ; they in
dulge in whatfoever their Hearts luft after, and
ftill flatter themfelves, that an Entrance into Hea
ven will be adminiftred unto them, notwithftanding
they have lived in worldly Pomp, State, Grandeur,
Mirth and Pleafure ; and though they read, that
it is only thofe who work to whom the Reward is given,
yet thefe unreafonably exped the Penny without do
ing the Work, and to obtain and wear the Crown
without ever bearing the Crofs, and fighting the
good Fight of Faith ; and though they have heard,
that the Faithful, the Laborious, the Diligent, 'the
Circumfped, the Obedient, the Humble ; in a
Word, that the Righteous' are fearcely faved, being
befet with divers Temptations and Snares of the
Adverfary of Souls, who is often attempting to re
turn to the Houfe or Heart which is fwept and
emptied, not only of finful Lufts, but of worldly
Delights,

. yii. fenij, but thut ye forrovoed to Repentance, for ye were made lorry
after a godly Manner that ye might, receive Damage by us in no
thing* for a godiy Sorrow worketb Repentance unto Salvation, not
to be repented et) but the Sorrow of the World worketb Death;
(and now obferve the Marks or EjFefts of this godly Sorrow)
for behold (continues the Apoftle) this felf fame Thing that ye
f arrowed after a godly fort, what Care fulnefs it wrought in you,
yea what clearing of yourfelves, what Indignation, yea what Fear,
yea what vehement Defire, yea what Zeal, yea what Revenge, Sec.
I have in the foregoing Sheets explain'd this Text according to
my Underftanding or Senfe ofit, fo I fhall , only add another
Maik of a godly Tribulation, or fuffering in Body or Mind for
, v. 3. B$|hteoufnefs-fake ; Ifeg/ei^fays the Apoftle Paul) in Tribu;
itttton alfo, knowing that Tribulation worieth, Patience, and Pa
tience Experience, and Experience Mope, and Hope maketbi%not
ajhamed, becaufe the Love of God is jhed abroad in our Hear u by
the Holy Ghojt which is given unto us.

[ 97 1 ,
Delights, and garnifhed with divine Graces arid
Virtues ; that thefe wife Virgin's have no Oil to fpare,
thefe righteous Ones hive dpne ho more than their
indifpenfable Duty to God ; where then will, appear,
in the great Day of juft Retribution, the Unfaithful,
the Difobedient, the Idle, the Indolent, the Volup
tuary and the Carelefs ? Where will the Sinner and
Ungodly hide themfelves, who are now lightly
talking of, and vainly hoping for Salvation, without
performing the unalterable Condition thereof, (to
wit) Love and Obedience to God and -his -Laws ?
And how many are there who, like the foolifh Vir
gins, have the Name of Chriftians, -but are without
Oil in their Lamps, not knowing any Thing of the
vital and fubftantial Part of Religion, the true Faith
in and Baptifm of Chrift, which faves and cleanfes
from Sin, and unites the Soul to God, its Only
Happinefs ; yet thefe again, without a Foundation,
exped it will be only faying Lord, Lord, 'open
to us, and they will be admitted to Glory and Blifs.
MySoul mourns at thisTime for allthofe'who are
in this unhappy Situation, under a deep Senfe that
this -Hope of the Hypocrite (who pretends to believe
in Chrift, but is not baptized by his Spirit) will
perifh. And I find, by difcourfing with fome Per
fons who plead for this pernicious Dodrine, that
thfire can be no perfect , Freedom from Sin in this. Life,
that all the vain Hope of thefe carnal-minded Men
proceeds from that unreafonable Notion many have
imbibed:, th&t though People are not altogether cleanfed
from the Pollution, of Sin in this Life, yet at laft, they
fay, God's Mercy will take Place of Ms Juftice, and
cover the Judgment-feat to an Hairs Breadth ; a
Term, as well as Dodrine, of their, own devifing,
which they propagate, becaufe they would have k
fo, as fuch a Dodrine beft fui ts an Indulgence in
their finful Lufts. But- whoever calls himfelf a
Chriftian, and will carefully and impartially perufe
G thg

[ 9* . 1
the facred- Scriptures, will, find our Lord Jefus fay
ing, If ye believe not that I am he, (that is, the Son
and Sent ofGod to take away Sin) you [hail die in
pur Sins ; and then where Chrift is gone- thefe can
not come ; as every one may fee who will look at;
and fplidly confider the holy pure Nature of the
Kingdom ofGod, and theInvariablenefs,of his-Per-
fedions, and his frequent Calls to Men to perfed
Holinefs in his Fear ; all which muft for ever ex
plode their Dodrine, and deftroy their Hope ; fpr
God is God indeed, and not one of his Attributes
can be difpenfed with, or deftroy another ; neither
can one Tittle of his Law, moral or divine, fail :
With the high and lofty One, whainhabits Eternity'^
qnd dwells in the Light, and whofe Name is Holy,
there can be no Shadow Of Change ; Men who have
all finned, muft change Or perjfh for ever ; for, as
abovefaid, if they die in Sin, where Chrift is gone
they cannot come. But were this poffible* that
People could be admitted in an unregenerate State
into God's holy Prefence, (according to the Nature
of Things) Heaven would be no Heaven to thefe,
they would have no more Defire, nb more Tafte
or Relifli for fpiritual Enjoyments there, than they
had heretofore. , • *
Thus, all who will but examine the Nature of
God, and the Nature of Sin, if they do not clofe
their own Eyes, may plainly: fee the abfolute Ne
ceffity of a Change in themfelves ; and then, where
muft, this Change be effeded, and a Converfion wit-
•neffed ? Are People putting it off to a Death-bed ;
who knows not the Danger that attends this folemn
Seafon > For though God gives of his Grace and
good Spirit, by which for a Time he ftrivesr with
all Men in order to fave them, yet he hath declar'd,
his Spirit, fhall not always ftrive. The Day of Favour
maybe over, and by a long Habit of Winning, the
Senfe of Sin may be loft ; yet will all People be left
without

[ 99 ]
without Excufe, whom, as " aforefaid, God treve't
gives up, until thpfe in whom hefias thus manifefted
himfelf, glorify him not as God, but are gf&wn vain
in their Imaginations, hoping that God*wlll admini-
fter an abundant Entrance into his Kingdom, tho'
they have negleded their Duty to him. But; I would
go on to imprefs a proper Senfe of the Dange* of de
ferring this Change-of Heart and Affedion^thatT
have noted, to a Death or Sick-bed, from the' above
and following Confiderations and Obfervations which
fall under our Notice ; firft, that many are removed
by fudden Death without the leaft Warning •, and
next, that many Difeafes are attended with Lofs of
Reafon ; and where this is not the Cafe, yet the
Extremity of bodily Pain, ufual at this awful Period,,
is more than fufficient for poor Mortals to ftfuggle
with : And I can fay by Experience, that a Sick
bed is no proper SeafOn for working out the, Salva
tion of the Soul, having in my very young Years
been brought to the Brink of the Grave ; and let
me here fay, (as an Incitement to Youth to remem
ber their Creator, and bear his Yoke in the Days
thereof) in this, fore Affiidiori, the falfe Difguifeg
and Gloffes of my youthful Pleafure and Vanity fell
off, and Peace Was all I then wanted ; and when t
looked to God for Comfort, I beheld nothing but
a melancholy Gloom, and felt Tribulation and Con
demnation for Difobedience to my tender Mother,
whom the Lord would have made inftrumental to
have brought me from a Delight in the Pomps and
Vanities of the wicked World, which by my bap-
tifmal Vow (fo call'd) I had promifed to renounce ;
but I rejeded her Counfel, and the Reproof of the
Lord through her his Inftrument ; and therefore
when I looked towards God, I received no Confo-
- lation ; but In this Diftrefs he mercifully inclined
me to pray for longer Time, and if I recover'd, I
promifed and made Covenant with the Lord to be
G 2 more

t io° 3
more obedient to my godly Parent : In thefe af-
flidirig Seafons, although the Lord' may mercifully
vifit the Children of Men, yet 'tis dangerous for
any to put off the Work of Salvation to fuch a
Time. Do any then 'exped to be made pure in
another Life ; let them hear what the wife Man
, faith, Whatfoever thy Hand findeth to do, do it with
thy Might, for there is no Work, nor Device, nor
Knowledge, nor Wifdom, in the Grave whither thou
goeft : We find by our Lord's Dodrine, that there
are twelve Hours in the Day in which Men ought
to work ; but when we come to this Period, and
the Curtains of the Night be drawn upon us, there
will be no working, neither available Repentance,
nor no more Sacrifice for Sin, but after Death
Judgment will fucceed, when it Will be faid to him
that is filthy, be filthy ftill, and to him that is , holy,
be holy ftiU. < . , , * , . .
Under this Senfe my Soul earneftly defires, that
all People would be fo much their own Friends, as
to come to a Confideration of this folemn and laft
End ; that they would examine arid afk themfelves,
what will be the Confequence; of all their Forms of
Godlinefs, without witnefling the Power thereof to
purify them throughout in Body, $oul and Spirit ?
And what the End of all this Hurry, Confufion,
Noife , and Diftradion attending the inordinate
(Purfuit of earthly Things? What will be the Iffue
of all the reigning Covetoufnefs, Ambition, Pride,
Senfuality, Voluptuoufnefs, Madnefs of Mirth and
Pleafure, with all the Malice, Hatred and Revenge,
one devifing Evil againft another, faying, / will do
to him, as he. hath done, to me ! Don't you think,
that without this Change of Heart that I have been
fpeaking of, the End of thefe Things will be Death,
thelfecond Death, even the Separation of the Soul
from God ? Wherefore the Call of God, by his
holy Spirit in the Heart is gone, and going forth to
all

[ -ioi ]
all who are in this unregenerate State. Ano! he is
now, as heretofore, commanding all Men every
where to repent, and lay afide all Filthinefs, and all
Superfluity of Naughtinefs, allMalice artd Pride,
the Sin that fo eafily befets Men, and to receive,
that is, entertain and obey the ingrafted Word, be
Doers of it, and not Hearers only, deceiving your
own felves ; for the Word, the Power of Chrift,
is abundantly able to fave the Soul from all Sin ;
And, there is no other Power but the Spirit of Jefus,
inwardly operating, able to do this great Work of
Salvation in us and for us. And I believe his gracious
Arm is now extended to many Nations, that the
Kingdoms of the Earth, in his appointed Time,
may become the Inheritance of our Lord and Saviour
Jefus Chrift. And are you, Fellow - Mortals, txk
eluded his Favour ? Certainly wo ; but I find he iV.
ftill caUing you to forfake the Foolifh and Jive ; '
I know, in Seafons of his Love and merciful Vifita-
tion, he has brought fome of you to a Confidera
tion of your Ways, and a fcrutimzing, into your
own Hearts, where an End of all human Perfec
tion and earthly Glory is feen ; and his Truth, as
it is in Jefus, has at Times been more defirable
than all Things here below: And at thefe Times,
have not fome of you been drawn by the Power
of Love to God, and inclined to return to the
Father's Houfe, who has caufed you to fee, that
while you Continue feeding and foftering your" Lufts
and Vanities, you are, in a figurative Senfe, feeding
Swine: But notwithftanding your repeated Calls,
and the Refolutions tP arife from the Duft of the
Earth, and to return to the Father's Houfe, your
falfe God, your worldly Delights, and the Friend
fhip of the World, have drawn you back again,
and you have fuffered flefhly Reafoning' and Cort-
fultations to enter your Minds, fearing, if you
fkould be religious in earneft, you will lofe your
G 3 Efteem

C 102 ]
Efteem and Reputation among Men ; many of
whom are contending, ftriving and pleading for Sin^
faying, People can't live without finning daily : Thefe
do not obey the Truth, the Gofpel of Chrift, whofe
Power throughly purges the Floor, and lays the Axe
to the Root of the corrupt Tree ; but they obey
Unfighteoufnefs and Error, and will only praife us
when we do welffor the Body, sto the Negled of
the immortal Part. Thus many have been fo un
happy by liftening to the contrary Power, the Ad
verfary of Souls or his Agents, fuffering thefe,
through their Subtilties, to beguile them of the
bleffed Reward of Love and Obedience to God's
holy Laws, to wit, Peace here and hereafter, where
by the glorious Operation of the Power of God is
pbftruded in the Souls of Men.
But? dearly Beloved, let it be no longer the Cafe
gmong any of you, I befeech you ; for I will ven
ture to fay, the Almighty is ftill waiting, to be
gracious ; and in his late awakening Vifitation he has
fpoke lopdly, and call'd you to the Confiaeration
of your Ways, therefore do not ftop your Ears,
but by his Power make your Calling and Eledion
fure, the Lord is ready to manifeft his - Strength^
^jlpry and Beauty ; do not then continue to clofe
your Eyes, but rememberthe Lofs Ifrael fuftain'd,
to whom God had given of his good Spirit to inftrud
arid illuminate their Underftanding, Eyes to fee, £s?r.
but they faw not, becaufe we are told by our Lord
himfelf, Mat. xiii. 15. Their Eyes they have.clofed, left
at any Time they fhould fee with their Eyes, and hear
with^ their Ears, 8?c. and be converted,, and I fhould
heal them ; agreeable to what he fays, John iii. 19,
2Q, 2 1 . ^nd this is the Condemnation that Light is come
intp the World, and Men loved Darknefs rather than
Light, becaufe their Deeds were evil ;_ for every one
that doth Evil hateth t\e Light, neither cometh to the
JJglit, lefthi$J)eeds%Quldbe reproved : But he that dqth
Trutk,

[ i°3 ]
Truth com&b to the Light, that his Deeds may be made
manif eft that they are wrought in God. Here the Uh-
wilJingnefs of the People to be converted, chang'd,
or turn'd from Darknefs to Light, is worthy our
Nptice ; they clofed their Eyes, they flopped their
Ears, and harden'd their Hearts againft the Re
proof and Inftrpdion of the Lord, in a Word,, they
rebel I'd againft his Light. But for the Encourage
ment of all the Willing and Obedient let me fay, he
i$ fpreading a Table in bis Houfe, the Good of the
promifed Land is before' you, therefore feed, no
longer on Hufks, that which is nbt Bread' for
your Souls, but come and partake of the Dainties
which the Table of the Lord is deck'd with, and
do not any longer refufe his gracious Vifitation and
Invitation ; there is ¦ Bread enough in the Father's
Houfe, and all that will come may come (on Terms
of Obedience) and eat freely, and live to God's
Glory : Do not then, I intreat you, my dear Coun
try Mm > a'nd. Women,, refufe or forfake your own
Mercies, but by the late fignal Interpofition of God's
Mercy and Goodnefs, I befeech you return unto
bim, and prefent before him your Bodies (the whole
Man) a living Sacrifice, offer'your Hearts freely to
him, .he calls for them, for the whole of them, he
will not accept of a divided Heart, neither can you
be Heirs of two' Kingdoms ^therefore be not con-
form'd to the. prefent evil World, and then ypu will
be fit Subjeds for God to work in, according to
his good Pleafure revealing his acceptable Will to
you. And here I would again remind you, that tho5
the Lord has proclaim'd himfelf' a God gracious exocuv.*.
apd merciful, long fuffering, and abundant in Good
nefs and Truth, yet will, he by no means clear the
Guilty without Repentance and Amendment pf
Life, agreeable to the firft Sentence; of the Liturgy
of the Englifh Church, taken from the Prophet
G 4 Ezekiel,

t 104 1
E4ek .™». Ezekiel, When the wicked Man prneth away from
7' his Wickednefs that he hath committed, and doth that
which is lawful and right, he fhall ¦ fave his Soul
alive. And though God bears long with finful
Men, 'tis not a Token of his Approbation, but a
Mark of his Love and Compaffion, who declares,
he defires not the Death of Sinners, and therefore he
is granting them longer Time, to fee if they will
return to him who will then have Mercy ; arid for
tius End, as I have before faid, is he frequently
calling, both immediately by his good Spirit,
(which while it ftrives with Men, will not let them
be at Eafe in their Sins, but is convincing them jn
the; fecret Receffes of the Soul thereof) and inftru-
mentally by his Servants, that the People may turn
frpm the Vanity of their Idols, and ferve the living
God in Truth and Righteoufnefs, the Effed of
which will be Peace and eternal Life, the bleffed
and glorious Reward of all who forego all Things,
though never fo dear to them, that in any wife ob-
ftru*d the Progrefs of his Kingdom, and hinders his
Will from being done in us. By this Propofition I'
would be underftood to mean the Denial of our
felves (that are called Chriftians') of all Things that
are inconfiftent with the Nature of the Gofpel, and
the Precepts and Example of Chrift, and againft
found Dodrine, that which was preached and en
forced by the Practice of the Prophets, Apoftles
and primitive Chriftians ; for I am not enforcing a
Dodrine which would abridge Chriftians ,of the
reafonable and neceffary Support and Accommoda
tions , of this Life, nor the lawful and chriftian
Means of obtaining what is needful for the Body ;
but I am prefs'd in Spirit to call all Profeffors of
Chriftianity to a diligent Attention upon that Meafure
of the Grace ofGod given to every Man to profit
with. And would People be perfuaded to cofne
and be taught of God, direded and limited by his
unerring

[ 105 ]
Unerring Spirit,, they would walk in the Paths of
true Judgment, and would not, as maiiy do, call Evil
Good, and Good Evil, non. put Lighffqr Darknefs,
or Darknefs for Light, calling Excefs and Superfluity,
of Naughtinefs (or in other Words, the Gratifica
tion ofthe Luft ofthe Eyes, the Luft of the Flefh
and Pride of Life) a charitable Employment of
Riches ; Pride is named a genteel Decency, a Wil-
lingnefs to appear like their Neighbours ; Malice,
Refentment and Revenge, are called Marks of great
and heroick Spirits, neceffary, as they fay, to defend
and fupport Honour and Reputation ; an afpiring,
ambitious Difpofltion is ftiled a neceffary Spur or
Incitement to great and .noble Adions^ the Acqui
sition' of worldly Honour, Wifdom, Wealth ; the
inordinate Defire and Purfuit of the laft, is termed
a prudent Care and Regard for a Man's Family ;
and an Attendance on the corrupting Divertife-
ments of the Age,' is pleaded an innocent unbend
ing or Relaxation of the Mind, conducive to the
Health ofthe Body : And William Penn, in his No
Crofs, no Crown., expreffes himfelf thus ; • " The
'," Providences of the Almighty are alfo called by
" wrong Names > Afflidions are ftiled Judgments,
*' and Trials (more precious than their beloved
*c Gold) are called Miferies ; on the other hand,
" they call the Preferments of the World by the
*" Name of Honour, and its Wealth Happinefs, when
*« for once that they are fo, 'tis much to be fear'd
" they are fent of God an hundred Times for
«* Judgments, at leaft Trials upon their Poffeffbrs."
But would People come really to believe in Chrift,
the Way and the Truth, he would lead them out
of thefe Errors, and they would not be thus erring
and ftraying from his hbly Laws, neither Would
they be feeking Honour one of another; but the
Honour and Intereft of God's Kingdom and Go
vernment in whatfoever they did.1 'Tis

[ iof; ]
'Tis then to this Righteoufnefs, this Denial of un
lawful Self, dearly Beloved, ami casing you, know-,
ing of a Truth the Effed of it is Peace ; and,
knowing alfo, that unlefs we take up a daily Crofs
to our corrupt Wills and Affedions, and are found
doing the Will of God, we can never be true Dif
ciples of Chrift, neither are we (while we are ful
filling the finful Lufts of the Flefh, and living in
the Pride of Life) Partakers of the divine Nature.
Therefore, for all fuch as are in this unfandified
State, do I travail in Pain of Mind, and Bowels of
Gofpel- Love, until Chrift be formed in jqu, until
ypu are changed and made conformable to his holy
Image, and fubjeded to his Will ; on this, and no
other Condition, can you ever be Inheritors of the
Kingdom of Heaven, and Heirs of Glory : And to
fuch who have happily witneffed this Change, viz. a
being regenerated and born again ofGod, my Soul
greets you in the true and comfortable Fellowfhij^
of the Gofpel and Love of Chrift, earneftly defiring
that neither Heights nor Depths, Principalities nor the
Powers of Darknefs, . AffliStions prefent or to come,,
nor any Creature, may ever be, able to feparate you,
from the pure unmixed Love of God j and by the
fame Grace and Faith in Chrift, who hath called,
you with an .high, and holy Calling to Virtue and
Glory, even to be Children ofGod, and joint Heirs
with Chrift -, give all Diligence then to make your
Calkng and Eledion fure, keep low, meek and.
humble, in a State of Dependance for the Aid of
God's holy Spirit, to keep you in a State of Prayer
and Watchfulnefs in the Flour of Trial or Tempta»
tion, left Satan tempt you to make Shipwreck p£
Faith and a good Confcience : And if for the Trial
of your Faith, your Lord fometimes delays^ his
Coming in your own Time tp help your Infirmities^,
and adminifter -the Bread of Life tp your needjj
Souls, rufli not into his holy Pisefen.ce till the ScepM

[ 107 J
of his Love is extended to give you Accefs to the
Throne of his Gracev where you may fpread your
Caufe before him ; in this Cafe, I fay, let Patience
%a.vt its perfed Work, and ad not in your own
Will and 'Strength, afk nothing but in his Name,
that is, through the powerful Influence of his Spirit,
and judge not of your States and Wants before the
Time, before the Lord Jefus come, before he un
veils his Face, . and fends forth his Light and his
Truth to difcover to you what you ought to pray
for •, for without this divine Aid to help in Time of
Need, many, not knowing this Power ofGod, do
greatly err, and fo afk for Things that are not
convenient or expedient for them, Things perhaps
to confume upon their own Lufts, to gratify their
Own Will, both in a natural and fpiritual Senfe.
Well, dearly Beloved, I believe there are fome
who have this in Experience, that they can do
nothing .without thif Aid, and are fenfible that the
Preparation of the Heart for acceptable Service to
God is of the Lord, and that a good Man's Steps
are order'd by him; continue then to walk in thefe
Footfteps of the Companions of Jefus, who are
following him in the Regeneration, and walking in
the Law of the Lord, which is perfed, and has
converted their Souls : Thus do, and then fear not
little Flock (though in the World you may have
Trouble) for 'tis your Father's good Pleafure to give
you an Inheritance in his Kingdom af Reft and Peace.
Thus will it be with the Righteous, (let their Name
refpeding Religion be what it may) with all that
love and fear to offend God ; but it is not fo with
the Unrighteous, who though they may have a
Form of Godlinefs, yet they fuffer not the Power
^hereof to purify their Hearts -, for thefe do I
mourn, and being influenced by the Love of God,
thefe do I repeatedly call to Repentance and
itosndmenc of Life, while the Day of God's Love and

[ xo8 ]
and tender Vification is afforded, and your Lives
yet fpared, and a little longer Time allow'd in
order that you may double your Diligence, and
work out your own Salvation ; come then to that'
Judgment to which the Lord is calling ypu, even
the Light of Chrift in your own Confcience, which/:
convinces of and condemns Sin in you ; and let
him judge you in 'Time, that you may be happy
in Eternity, for in the Day of Account none can
plead Ignorance ; you all know that it is your Duty
to love and ferve the Lord, and that , he calls Meil
to be holy in all manner of Converfation ; and to
enable us to perform this Duty, much is given us
who are called Chriftians, and the more will be
required of us ; the Lord hath fhewn us what is^
good, and what he requires of us, to do juftly^
not only in a moral but a religious Senfe, ify'the
feveral Relations that I have noted ; he calls /ns to
love Mercy, and to extend it on all Occafions, andj
in an efpecial manner, to walk in Humility^ as;
becomes dependent Creatures, fenfible of the awful
Prefence of the Majefty of Heaven, who is not therej
circumfcribed, but his Glory fills Heaven and Earthf
and his penetrating Eye runs to and fro, beholdlft |j
the Evil and the Good, marking every Thought oj
the Heart of Man, (as well as every Word in his
l&Fongue) where, as I have faid, he fits as Judge|
either condemning or juftifying: the Adions pro
duced therefrom : Take Heed then and attend tp
this internal Monitor, artd reverence this divine Law
which is fet before you this Day, and learn Difi
cipline and Inftrudion from the Statutes, Judgl
ments, Dealings and Difpenfations of God to Mel
Recorded in the Scriptures of Truth, and let nq
his particular Dealings with you be forgot ; let nor^
I fay, a proper Senfe of the Goodnefs and Mercy<ot
God (fo lately, fo eminently, and fo evidently fet
before your Eyes) depart from your Hearts. And,
Bek'

[ io9 3
Meloved, I think I may venture to fay, it was a
lipeated Vifitation of God's Love to your Souls,
and I have to tell you in a holy Boldnefs, if you
negled to improve it to your fpirituaf Advantage,
it will one Day turn to yeur Condemnation ; for
the Word that is gone, and goes forth from the
Mouth of our God, that awful Power that makes
the Hearts of Men to tremble when the vifits for
Iniquity, fhall not return to him empty, void and
vain. And though many may by their Pradice
tclare, they will not deny themfelvesf*of thofe
hings their Souls luft after, neither will they have
this Power of Chrift to reign over them, but will
gird themfelves and go where they lift, into this
or the, other Country or Citjfc, and buy and fell,
prid get Gain ; and when in Poffeflion of Wealth,
are in Effed faying, this is our own, and. as are our
Brands, fo are our Tongues and Pens, we will ad,
ifpeak and write what we pleafe ; we will eat our
-own Bread, and wear our own Apparel, gratify
our Paflions in whatfoever our Hearts defire, for
who is Lord over us ? But yet we will be called
Wriftians to take away our Reproach. But Oh !
pithinking, unhappy,,, wretched Mortals, who are
in this Situation, my Soul laments your State ; for
know, that for all thefe Things God will certainly
bring you to Judgment ; confider that ip, the Midft
pf your Life of falfe Pleafure, flefhly Liberty, and
carnal Security, you are not only fpiritually dead,
lut remember that you are every Momgnt liable
!b a natural Death : And though fome may be
prying in their Youth and Strength, yet at the
pnamand ofthe great Author of our Being, how
n, and how fuddeniy, do we fee Health and
length, vigorous Youth,- as well as advanced and
guid Age, bow their Heads,, and yield to its
ke as in a Moment ? Perhaps,

[ lio I
Perhaps, Redder, while thou may beperufing thlj
Trad, thy flender Thread of Life may be cut, ani
thy Lamp extinguifhed, by that Breath ofGod w.hicK
gave thee Life, who, when he fpeaks the Word'
Return, 'tis inffantly obeyed : But this is not all, i
fimple Difunion or Separation of the Soul from the
Body, is of little -Moment ; 'tis the. Judgment that
fttccee'ds ''that I am concerned to endlaVour to per-
fwade yOu to prepare for, that you may reft'in this
Day of Trouble, which will5 bfe a folemn Seafbfy
however^ight you fnay makfe pf the Confidefcjsjjti^p
Of it now : Let me again repeat my Defires, and if
poffible with greater Ardency, that you may bb
prepared t© meet the Lord in this Day of Trial, at
which Time; and whether you will or no, yolj
muft appear at the Bar of the'Tribunal of Heaven';
for the Dead, fmall and great, fhall ftand beforfj
Gpd, arid the Books fhall be opened, and every
Work, with every fecret Thing, fhall be revealed;1
and the Dead fhall be judged out of thpfe Thinjjpi
Rev. k.k. which are written in the^Bopks, according io'"the0
Works : And this will brie Day be your Cafe, an|
whether your Accounts be jn order or no, yo$j
muft appear before the Lord, " to render an Ac|
count of your Stewardfhip, what you have done
with, your Talents of Grace, as well as every other,
Gift or Loan which you have received at the Haiji
ofGod ; vrhether you have occupied therewith, oj
improved them agreeable to the great and glbriq™
Purpofe ofthe Lord of Heaven and Earth* Ani
here he will not have Mercy indifcrimirid$tf ol
all, as fome Men vainly imagine, becaufe he-wM
making his Will his Law ; but his equal and irffpal
tial Juftice will weigh every Man's Adions in !¦
juft Balance of the Sanduary, and will retribW
according as they have been good or evil : InJm
Day every mortal Man, even the proudeft MoritfPl
muft bow to the fovereign Power of God thefonl
Potentall

( III ]
Potentate ; for in this Day will the Lord God
omnipotent reign, and fubdue and bend all the
Nations of the Earth to his Power : And that in
this awful Inquifition, this folemn and final Enqdliy
into your Accounts, not one Soul of you may be
found wanting, am I concerned f to petition the
Throne of Grace and Mercy at this Time, begging
that you. may be helped fo to nan the Chriftian
Race, that God's glorious Attributes may indeed
be magnified in your eternal Salvation ; behold it
now expended, the Means of Grace 'are offer'd,
draw near and embrace them, all you that are afar
off from the holy Dominion of our God : Behold,
I fay; how good the Lord is ! for though he has
cafi'd you out of Egypt, fpiritually the Houfe of
Bondage, yet many have refufed to come into the
Liberty of the Sons of God, but on the contrary-
are confederate with Edom, Moab and Babylon, con
tinuing to violate his moft holy Laws ; yet is his
unparallel'd Goodnefs ftill offering thefe plenteous
¦Redemption frorii every Luft and Vanity which
holds ybur Souls in Bondage,: Be willing then, as
you tender the eternal Happinefs thereof, to be
redeem'd from the Power of. Satan, the Chains and
Bonds of Sin, which you feem fp often to complain
of, for I'll tell you, by a Degree of Experience,
that the Author thereof, who keeps Men, under
his, Dominion, is a limited Power, and can only
tempt to fin, but cannot force any Man to commit
Evil againft his Will ; 'tis your own .Wills, and
contrary working pr refifting the Grace of God,
'tis your own Content that ftrengthens the Power
of the^Adverfary, you are free Agents -, and tho'
Satan cannot compel you to do Evil, the Almighty
'will not force you to do Good, it being below the
Dignity of the Creator to force his Creatures to
"love and obey him, but he is fetting before them
Life and Death, Good and Evil, and is calling to
Men

I ii2 t!
Men to choofe the Good; and all the Compulfion
he ufes, is in Love and Compafilon by earneft In/-
treaty and Perfwafion, gracioufly promifing,/ if we
ate willing to be Co-workers with him, the Affift-
ince of his Spirit to refift Evil and do Good. I
pray God then, that you may be fo wife as to
choofe the Good which is fet before you, that, at the
Conclufion of your Time you may hear that com
fortable Sentence, Enter into the Joy of the LqrA
We find there will be but two Awards pronounce^
in that Day,,, come ye Bleffed, or go ye Curfed ; ^ang
fhould the laft Sentence pafs on any poor Soul, it
will be here irreverfible, there will be no appeals!
ing elfewhere, though the formal Profeffors of Ref"
ligion may then call to the high Mountains (the
great Profeffion they haye made) to cover them,^zx\&
may fay, Lord, are we not call'd by thy Nam?. ?
Have we not caft out Devils (grots Sins) thereby, I
Have we not received the outward and vifible Sign
If^ Chrift crucified, eating and drinking them in tM
rrefence ? Have we not been baptized in thy Nan^
and haft thou not taught in our Streets ? And have
we not faid many Prayers, and bowed the Knees, of
our Body at the Name oi Jefus, and heard in many
Sermons of what he has done and fuffered for us?
Yet let me tell thee, O Profeffor pf Chriftianity^
this Covering will be here too fhort, this Plea will
be»in vain ; all this outward Knowledge, and thefe
Performances will avail thee nothing, if thou haft
not known thy depraved Nature changed, if, thou
art not born again and baptised with Chrift's Bap
tifm of Fire and the Holy Ghoft, if thou art not
crucified to the World and the World to thee,.;, if
thou haft npt worfhipped God in Spirit "and. in
Truth, if thou haft not howfed the Knee of thy Soul
to the Power of Jefus, and denied thy own Will,
and taken up the Crofs of Chrift ; if thpu haft not
-kept the firft and great Commandment, and if thou haft

[ 1^3 I
haft loved any Thing* more than Chrift, thou art
unworthy of him, and haft no Reafon to exped
the Favours arid Privileges he confers on them
who love him above all Things ; and notwith
ftanding thy great Acknowledgements and/ high
Profeffion, thou art in great ,Danger of, To ting
eternal Life.. Let us all then folialy" confider,- how
dreadful that amazing Sentence from trie' Mouth
ofthe Judge of Quick and Dead' would found in
any of our Ears, / never knew you ; depart from MativB,!
me ye that -Work9 Iniquity. How can any one, whofe23*
Heart is not quite harden'd, endure the Thought
of an eternal Separation from the Prefence pf
God?" Who among you, can bear a wounded Con
fcience, and dwell1 With everlaftihg Burnings t. For
notwithftanding, as l have faid, many may be covet
ing themfelves, biit not with the Spirit of God,
their Plea will, be over-ruled, and, the- vain Dif-
puters of this Wbrl'd^ with alt the Wife in the
Wifdom whisk, is from beneath, will' be turned,
backward and perifh ; and in this Day of .Trial"
fhe Mouth of all Wickednefs will be flopped,
none daring then to, charge God foolifhly, but all
who may be thus doomed, will then be confcious
that their Deftrudion is oi themfelves, and will con
fefs, that true and righteous are the Judgments of
God; and perhaps the Pain of Mind -produced
hereby may be aggravated by this too late but fad-
Reflection, that they have bartered Heaven, an,d con
fequently all Happinefs, for the bafe and contemp
tible Gratifications of the carnal Mind ; Things
that indeed they will be afham'd of, if the Pain
and Horror of fuch unhappy Souls will.' floor/ a
while to let a Blufli take place.
May our God of his infinite Mercy grant, that
this may never be the deplorable State of any one
of you ; and it will not, dearly Beloved, if you'll
fuffer yourfelves to be cleanfed (after the-Manner I-'
H: have

[ H4 1
-Have been propofing) from all TJnrighteoufnefs,
arid to be ledirito all Righteoufnefs, the Effed pi
which is Peace and Joy; 'Tis this Peace, „Belove%
iVotS'Will one Day Want, and earneftly defire above
all Things;' td Day then are rhe Things belong
ing .'^hereunto mercifully offered you, this is the
acceptable Day, the prefent Moment ; To-morrdw
is riot yours ': For your Souls Sake, feek this Peacq,
labour for it more than for any earthly Treafure,
give not Sleep' to your Eyes, take no Reft until
you have obtained an Evidence, of it, by walking
in or keeping God's Commandments.
And once more to you happy ones, who "are
keeping "the Commandments of the Lord, and
thereby know that you love him, let me fay, that
thpugh you are walking through many Tribula
tions, I know that our gracious God is often ad-
miniftririg great Confolation to your Souls ; and
what is worthy all your painful Labour arid Tra
vel, .the comfortable Evidence and Affurance (fo
long as you walk' in; the Way undefiled) that when
your earthly Tabernacles are diffolved, you have
a Building bf God, an Houfe not made with Hands,
eternal in the Heavens, where the Wicked will
ceafe frdm troubling, and where the Weary, are at
Reft ; and where, I earneftly pray God (the Au
thor of all our. fure Mercies and, Bleflings) you,
my dear Country Men and Women, may each one
arrive, when that folemn Sound is heard, Time to
thee fhall ' be no more ! For which End, may the
fandifyirig Grace of Our Lord Jefus Chrift throughly
purge your Hearts from all dead Works, and from
an evil Confcience ; and may the Love of our God
continually attend you, tthen the- fweet'. Fellow/hip,
and Communion of the Holy Ghoft will be with!
you all : So be it, faith your true Eriend,.
Sophia Hume

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