_Most dearly beloved and longed for,

my joy and crown._

MY heart’s desire and prayer for you is, that you may be saved. This

is that which I have been praying and studying, and preaching for these

many _years_: and this is the end of my suffering, and writing at this

present time. I seek not other gifts, give me your hearts, let me but

part between your sins and you: suffer me but to save you; give me

leave to carry you over to Jesus Christ, and I will not ask you any

more. I will serve you gladly, I will suffer for you thankfully, so I

may but save you. Do not wonder why I follow you so pressingly, why I

call upon you so frequently; let not my importunity be grievous to you,

all this is but to save you. Christ did not think his blood, and shall

I think my breath too dear in order to your salvation; what pity is it,

that any of you should miscarry at last, under the power of ignorance,

or by a profane negligence, or a formal and lifeless profession of

strict godliness?

Beloved, I am afraid of you, lest (as to many of you) I have run in

vain. I cannot but thankfully acknowledge, that there are not a few of

you who are the joy of your ministers, and the glory of Christ. But it

cannot be dissembled, that far the greater number give little ground

to hope, they are in the state of salvation. And must not this be a

pinching thought to a compassionate teacher, that he cannot persuade

men, but that the most of them will wilfully throw away themselves?

Is it not a woeful sight, to behold the devils driving a great part of

our miserable flocks, (as they did once the herd of swine) violently

down the hill, till they be choaked in the water, drowned in the gulph

of endless perdition? Ah miserable spectacle! What through the wilful

blindness of some, the looseness and sensuality of others, the halving,

and cold, and customary religion of others, how great a number of our

poor flocks, is Satan like to carry utterly away from us, after all

that hath been done to save him?

Yet I cannot but call after them. Hearken unto me, O ye children. How

long will ye love vanity, and trust in lying words? As the Lord liveth,

you are lost, except you turn: wherefore turn yourselves and live ye.

Ah how mercy wooeth you! How it waiteth to be gracious? Hear, O sinners,

hear. See you not how the merciful Saviour of the world stretcheth

forth his hands all the day long, and spreadeth forth his wings, and

calleth you as a hen doth her chickens! Hear you not the sounding of

his bowels? He hath no need of you: Yet how do his compassions melt

over perishing sinners? His heart is turned within him, and shall not

this turn your hearts? His repentings are kindled together, and shall

not this lead you to repentance? Behold, he standeth at the door and

knocketh. O man, wilt thou keep Jesus at the door, and lodge _Barabbas_

in thy bosom? Oh his melting love to sinners! He calleth after them,

he weepeth over them, he crieth to them. How long, ye simple ones, will

you love simplicity? Will you not be made clean? When shall it once

be? Why will you die? Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out

my spirit upon you. Sinner, art thou not yet melted? Oh come in at his

loving calls. Come out from thy sins: touch the scepter of grace and

live: Why shouldst thou be dashed in pieces by his iron rod? Kiss the

Son: Why shouldst thou perish in the way? Set up Jesus as thy king,

lest he count thee for his enemy, because thou would not that he should

reign over thee, and so thou be called forth and slain before him. Oh

how dreadful will this case be, to die by the hand of a Saviour! Oh

double hell, to have thy Redeemer become thy executioner! And the hand

that was so long stretched forth to save thee, to be now stretched

forth to slay thee! And the merciful heart of Christ himself hardened

against thee, so that he should call thee forth, and hew thee in pieces,

as _Samuel_ did _Agag_ before the Lord.

*Beloved, I despair of ever bringing you to salvation, without

sanctification: or possessing you with happiness without persuading

you to holiness. God knows I have not the least hope ever to see one of

your faces in heaven, except you be sanctified, and exercise yourselves

unto godliness. This is that I drive at, I beseech you study to further

_personal godliness_, and _family godliness_.

*1. _Personal godliness._ Let it be your first care to set up Christ

in your hearts. See that you make all your worldly interests stoop

to him, that you be entirely and unreservedly devoted to him. If you

deliberately and ordinarily harbour any sin, you are undone. See that

you unfeignedly take the laws of Christ, as the rule of your words,

thoughts and actions; and subject your whole man, faithfully to him.

If you have a true respect unto all God’s commandments, you are sound

at heart. O study to get the image and impress of Christ upon you

within. Begin with your hearts, else you build without a foundation.

Labour to get a saving change within, or else all external performances

will be to no purpose. And then study to shew forth the power of

godliness in your life. Let piety be your business. ’Tis the highest

point of justice, to give God his due. Beware that none of you be a

prayerless person: for that is a certain discovery of a Christless,

and a graceless person. Suffer not your bibles to gather dust. See

that you converse daily with the word. That man can never lay claim

to blessedness, whose delight is not in the law of the Lord. Let

meditation and self-examination be your daily exercise, else the

Papists, yea the Pagans will condemn us. If ever you come to any growth

in holiness, without the constant use of this practice, I am grossly

deceived. And therefore I beseech, yea even charge you by the Lord,

that you would daily examine yourselves.

But piety without charity is but the half of Christianity, or rather

impious hypocrisy. See therefore that you do justly, and love mercy,

and let equity, and charity run like an even thread, through all your

dealings. Be you temperate in all things, and let chastity and sobriety

be your undivided companions. Let truth and purity, seriousness and

modesty, heavenliness and gravity, be the constant ornaments of your

speech. Let patience and humility, simplicity and sincerity shine in

all parts of your conversation. See that you forget and forgive wrongs,

and requite them with kindness. Be merciful in your censures, and put

the most favourable construction upon your brethren’s carriage. Be

slow in promising, punctual in fulfilling. Let meekness, innocency,

affableness, yieldingness, and courtesy, commend your conversation

to all men. Let none of your relations want that love and loyalty,

that reverence and duty, that tenderness, care, and vigilancy, which

their several places and capacities call for. This is true godliness.

I charge you before the most high God, that none of you be found a

swearer, or a liar, a lover of evil company, or a scoffer, or malicious,

or covetous, or a drunkard, or a glutton, unrighteous in his dealing,

unclean in his living, or a quarreller, or a thief, or backbiter, or a

railer: for I denounce unto you from the living God, that damnation is

the end of all such.

2. _Family godliness._ He that hath set up Christ in his heart, will

be sure to study to set him up in his house. Let every family with you

be a Christian church; every house a house of prayer; every houshold a

houshold of faith. Let every housholder say, with _Joshua_, _I, with my

house, will serve the Lord_, and with _David_, _I will walk within my

house with a perfect heart_.

_First_, Let religion be in your families, not as a matter by the by,

but the standing business of the house. Let them have your prayers as

duly as their meals. Is there any of your families, but have time for

their taking food? *Wretched man! Canst thou find time to eat, and not

time to pray?

*_Secondly_, Settle it upon your hearts, that your souls are bound up

in the souls of your family. They are committed to you, and (if they

be lost through your neglect) will be required at your hands: Sirs, if

you do not, you shall know that the charge of souls is a heavy charge,

and that the blood of souls is a heavy guilt. O man, hast thou a charge

of souls to answer for, and dost thou not yet bestir thyself for them,

that their blood may not be found in thy skirts? Wilt thou do no more

for immortal souls, than thou wilt do for the beasts that perish? What

dost thou do for thy children, and servants? Thou providest meat and

drink for them, and dost thou not the same for thy beasts? Thou givest

them medicines, and cherishest them when they are sick, and dost thou

not so much for thy swine? More particularly.

1. Let the solemn reading of the word, _and singing of psalms, be your

family exercises_. See Christ singing with his family, his disciples,

_Matthew xxvi. 30._ _Luke ix. 18._

2. _Let every person in your family be duly called to an account of

their profiting by the word heard or read, as they are about doing your

own business._ This is a duty of consequence unspeakable, and would be

a means to bring those under your charge to remember and profit by what

they receive.

3. _Often take account of the souls under your care, concerning their

spiritual estates._ Make enquiry into their conditions, insist much

upon the sinfulness and misery of their natural estate, and upon the

necessity of regeneration, in order to their salvation. Admonish them

gravely of their sins; encourage beginnings. Follow them earnestly, and

let them have no quiet for you, till you see in them a saving change.

This is a duty of high consequence, but fearfully neglected by some.

Doth not conscience say, Thou art the man?

4. _Look to the strict sanctifying of the sabbath by all of your

housholds._ Many poor families have little time else. O improve but

your _sabbath days_ as diligently in doing your Maker’s work, as you do

the other days in doing your own work, and I doubt not but you may come

to some proficiency.

5. _Let the morning and evening sacrifice of solemn prayer, be daily

offered up in all your families._ Beware they be not found among the

families that call not upon God’s name; for why should there be wrath

from the Lord upon your families? O miserable families without God in

the world, that are without family prayer! What have you so many family

sins, family wants, family miseries; what, and yet no family prayers?

How do you pray with all prayer and supplication if you do not with

family prayer? Say not I have no time. What hast thou all thy time on

purpose to serve God and save thy soul, and is this that for which thou

can’st find no time? Pinch out of your meals and sleep, rather than

want for prayer. *Say not, my business will not give leave. This is thy

greatest business, to save thyself, and the souls committed to thee.

In a word, the blessing of all is to be got by prayer. And what is thy

business without God’s blessing? Say not, I am not able. Use thy one

talent, and God will increase it. Helps are to be had till thou art

better able.

*6. Put every one in your families upon private prayer. Observe whether

any perform it. Get them the help of a form, if they need it, till they

are able to go without. Direct them how to pray, by minding them of

their sins, wants, and mercies, the materials of prayer.

7. Set up catechizing in your families, at least once every week. It

was my parting, dying request, that you would set up and maintain this

duty in your families. Have you all done it accordingly? Cannot your

confidences witness, cannot your families witness you have not? Well,

I thought my parting words would have done something with you: I hoped

the fervent request of a dying minister, would have prevailed for such

a small matter with you. To this day are you without solemn catechizing

in your houses! Ah, what a discouragement to your teacher is this?

Brethren shall I yet prevail with you? Will you reject me also? O let

me persuade you before you take off your eyes from these lines, to

resolve to set upon the constant exercise of this duty. Surely I have

done and suffered more for you than this comes to: Will you deny me?

I beseech you, let me find, if ever God brings me again to visit your

houses, that the words of a suffering minister have some power with

you. I have sent you help on purpose: What shall all my persuasions be

but speaking to the wind? Beloved, have you no dread of the Almighty’s

charge, that you should _teach these things diligently to your children,

and talk of them as you sit in your houses, and train them up in the

way they should go_? Hath God so commanded _Abraham_, that he would

teach his _children and his houshold_, _Genesis xviii. 19._ and given

such a promise to him thereupon, and will not you put in for a share

of either in the praise or the promise? Say not, they are careless and

will not learn. What have you your authority for, if not to use it for

God, and the good of their souls? You will call them up, and force them

to do their work; and should you not at least be as zealous in putting

them upon God’s work? Say not, they are dull and not capable. If they

be dull, God requires of you the more pains and patience; but dull as

they are, you will make them learn how to work; and can they not learn

how to live? Are they capable of the mysteries of your trade, and are

they not capable of the plain principles of religion? Well, as ever you

would see the growth of religion, the cure of ignorance, the remedy of

profaneness, the downfal of error, fulfil ye my joy with going through

with this duty.

I have been long and yet I am afraid my letter will be ended before my

work is done: how loath am I to leave you, before I have prevailed with

you to set to this work? Will you pass your promise, will you give me

your hands? Oh that you would? You cannot do me a greater pleasure.

Beloved, why should you not give the hand one to another, and mutually

engage to each other, for more vigorous and diligent endeavours, in

promoting family godliness? I must tell you, God looks for more than

ordinary from you, in such a day as this. He expects that you should

do both in your hearts and in your houses, somewhat more than ever,

under these extraordinary dispensations. My most dearly beloved, mine

own bowels in the Lord, will you satisfy the longings of a travelling

minister? will you answer the calls of divine providence? Would you

that your children should bless you? Oh, then set up piety in your

families. As ever you would be blessed or be a blessing, let your heart,

and your houses be the temples of the living God, in which his worship

(according to the fore-mentioned directions) may be with constancy

reverently performed.

* * * * *

O FATHER of Spirits, that hast set me over thy flock to watch for their

souls as one that must give account: I have long studied thy will,

and taught in thy name, and do unfeignedly bless thee, that any have

believed my report. I have given unto them the words which thou gavest

me, and they have received them. I have manifested thy name unto them,

and they have kept thy word. And now I am no more with them, but I come

unto thee! Holy Father, keep them through thine own name; for they are

thine. As they have kept the word of thy patience, so keep thou them in

the hour of temptation. They are but a little and helpless flock: but

thou art their shepherd, suffer them not to want. Do thou feed them,

and fold them. Let thy rod and thy staff comfort them, and let not the

beasts of prey fall upon them, to the spoiling of their souls.

But what shall I do for them that will not be gathered? I have called

after them, but they would not answer; I have charged them in thy name,

but they would not hear; I have studied to speak persuasively to them,

but I cannot prevail. Then I said, I have laboured in vain; I have

spent my strength for nought, yet I cannot give them over, much less

may I give thee over. Lord, persuade _Japhet_ to dwell in the tents of

_Shem_. Lord compel them to come in, and lay thy hands of mercy upon

them, as thou didst on lingering _Lot_, and bring them forth, that

they may escape for their lives, and not be consumed. Lord, I pray thee

open their eyes that they may see, and lay hold upon their hearts by

thy omnipotent grace. Do thou turn them, and they shall be turned: O

bring back the miserable captives, and suffer not the enemy of mankind

to drive a way the most of the flock before mine eyes, and to deride

the fruitless endeavours of thy labourers, and boast over them, that

he can do more with them, though he seek to ruin them, than all the

beseechings, counsels, and charges of thy servants, that seek to save

them. Lord, if I could find out any thing that would pierce them,

that would make its way into their hearts, thou knowest I would use

it. But I have been many years pleading thy cause in vain. O let not

these endeavours also be lost. O God, find out every ignorant, every

profane sinner, every prayerless soul, and every prayerless family,

and convince them of their miserable condition while without thee in

the world. Set thy image up in their souls, set up thy worship in their

families. Let not pride, ignorance, or sloth keep them in neglect of

the means of knowledge. Let thine eyes be over the place of my desires

for good, from one end of the year to the other end thereof. Let every

house therein be a seminary of religion, and let those that cast their

eyes upon these lines, find thee sliding in by the secret influence

of thy grace into their hearts, and engaging them to do thy pleasure.

_Amen. Amen._

JOS. ALLEINE.

A WORD to a

SABBATH-BREAKER.

_Remember the sabbath-day to keep it holy._

HAVE you forgotten who spoke these words? Or do you set him at

defiance? Do you bid him do his worst? Have a care. You are not

stronger than he. _Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the

earth: but woe unto the man that contendeth with his Maker; he sitteth

on the circle of the heavens: and the inhabitants of the earth are as

grasshoppers before him!_

_Six days shalt thou do all manner of work. But the seventh day is the

sabbath of the Lord thy God._ It is not thine, but God’s day. He claims

it for his own. He always did claim it for his own, even from the

beginning of the world. _In six days the Lord made heaven and earth,

and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath-day

and hallowed it._ He _hallowed_ it; that is, he made it holy: he

reserved it for his own service. He appointed, that as long as the sun

or the moon, the heavens and the earth should endure, the children of

men should spend this day in the worship of him, who _gave them life

and breath and all things_.

Shall a man then rob God? And art thou the man? Consider, think what

thou art doing. Is it not God who giveth thee all thou hast? Every

day thou livest, is it not his gift? And wilt thou give him none? Nay,

wilt thou deny him what is his own already? He will not, he cannot quit

his claim. This day is God’s. It was so from the beginning. It will be

so to the end of the world. This he cannot give to another. _O render

unto God the things that are God’s_: Now! _To-day, while it is called

to-day!_

For whose sake does God lay claim to this day? For his sake, or for

thine? Doubtless, not for his own. He needeth not thee, nor any child

of man. _Look unto the heavens and see, and behold the clouds which

are higher than thou. If thou sinnest, what dost thou against him? If

thy transgressions be multiplied, what dost thou unto him? If thou art

righteous, what givest thou him? Or what receiveth he of thine hand?_

For thy own sake therefore, God thy Maker doth this. For thy own sake

he calleth thee to serve him. For thy own sake, he demands a part of

thy time to be restored to him that gave thee _all_. Acknowledge his

love. Learn, while thou art on earth to praise the king of heaven.

Spend this day, as thou hopest to spend that day which never shall

have an end.

The Lord not only _hallowed_ the sabbath-day, but he hath also

_blessed_ it. So that you are an enemy to yourself. You throw away your

own blessing, if you neglect to _keep this day holy_. It is a day of

_special grace_. The king of heaven now sits upon his mercy-seat, in a

more gracious manner than on other days, to bestow blessings on those

who observe it. If _you_ love your own soul, can _you_ then forbear

laying hold on so happy an opportunity? Awake, arise, Let God give thee

his blessing! Receive a token of his love! Cry to him that thou may’st

find the riches of his grace and mercy in _Christ Jesus_! You do not

know, how few more of these _days of salvation_ you may have. And how

dreadful would it be, to be called hence in the abuse of his proffered

mercy.

O what mercy hath God prepared for _you_, if _you_ do not trample it

under foot? _What mercy hath he prepared for them that fear him, even

before the sons of men!_ A peace which the world cannot give: joy, that

no man taketh from you: rest from doubt and fear and sorrow of heart;

and love, the beginning of heaven. And are not these for _you_? Are

they not all purchased for _you_, by him who loved _you_, and himself

for _you_? For _you_, a _sinner_! _You_, a rebel against God! _You_,

who have so long crucified him afresh! Now, _look unto him whom you

have pierced_! Now say, _Lord_, it is enough. I have fought against

thee long enough. I yield, _Jesus, Master, have mercy upon me_!

On this day, above all, cry aloud, and spare not, to the _God who

heareth prayer_. This is the day he hath set apart for the good of

your soul, both in this world and that which is to come. Never more

disappoint the design of his love, either by _worldly business_ or

_idle diversions_. Let not a little thing keep _you_ from the house of

God, either in the forenoon or afternoon. And spend as much as you can

of the rest of the day, either in repeating what you have heard, or in

reading the scripture, or in private prayer, or talking of the things

of God. Let his love be ever before _your_ eyes. Let his praise be ever

in _your_ mouth. You have lived many years in folly and sin. Now, live

one day unto the Lord.

Do not ask any more, “Where is the harm, if after church, I spend

the remainder of the day in the fields, or in a public-house, or in

taking a little diversion?” You know where is the harm. Your own heart

tells you so plain, that _you_ can’t but hear. It is a base mispending

your talent, and a bare-faced contempt of God and his authority. You

have heard of God’s judgments even upon earth, against the prophaners

of this day. And yet these are but as drops of that storm of _fiery

indignation, which will at_ last _consume his adversaries_.

Glory be to God who hath now given _you_ a sense of this. You now know,

this was always designed for a day of blessing. May _you_ never again

by your _idleness_ or _prophaneness_, turn that blessing into a curse!

What folly, what madness would that be? And in what sorrow and anguish

would it end? For yet a little while, and death will close up the day

of grace and mercy. And those who despise them now, will have no more

_sabbaths_, or _sacraments_ or _prayers_ for ever. Then how will they

wish to recover that, which they now so idly call away? But all in vain.

For they will then _find no place for repentance_, tho’ they should

seek it _carefully with tears_.

O my friend, know the privilege _you_ enjoy. Now _remember the

sabbath-day to keep it holy_. Your day of life and of grace is far

spent. The night of death is at hand. Make haste to use the time you

have: improve the last hours of _your_ day. Now provide _the things

which make for your peace_, that _you_ may stand before the face of God

♦for ever.

♦ duplicate word “for” removed

A WORD to a

SWEARER.

_Swear not at all_,

SAITH the Lord God of heaven and earth. Art thou without God in the

world? Hast thou no knowledge of God? No concern about him? Is not God

in all thy thoughts?

Dost thou believe there is a God? Where? in heaven only? Nay, he

filleth all in all? Am I a God at hand, saith the Lord, and not a God

afar off? Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see

him? Do I not fill heaven and earth?

Whither wilt thou go then from his spirit? Or whither wilt thou flee

from his presence? If thou go up into heaven, God is there. If thou go

down into hell, he is there also. If thou take the wings of the morning,

and remain in the uttermost parts of the sea; even there his hand shall

touch thee, and his right-hand shall hold thee.

God seeth thee now: his eyes are upon thee: he observes all thy

thoughts: he compasseth thy path: he counteth all thy steps: he is

acquainted with all thy ways: by him thy actions are weighed; nor is

there a word in thy tongue but he knoweth it altogether.

And does not power belong unto God? yea, all power in heaven and in

earth? Is he not able, even while thou readest or hearest these words,

to crush thee into nothing? Can he not just now crumble thee into dust?

Or bid the earth open and swallow thee up? O do not set him at nought!

Do not provoke him thus. Do not fly in his face! Can he not, in a

moment, cast forth his lightnings and tear thee? Shoot out his arrows

and consume thee? What hinders him from cutting thee off this instant?

Sending thee now, now, quick into hell?

Would God do thee any wrong therein? What! In giving thee the request

of thy own lips? What words were those thou spakest but now? Did not

God hear? Why, thou didst pray to God to send thee to hell. Thou didst

ask him to damn thy soul. How, art thou in love with damnation? Art

thou in haste to dwell with everlasting burnings? To be day and night

tormented in that flame, without a drop of water to cool thy tongue?

Dost thou pray for this? I pray God, it may never be either my lot or

thine! Alas, my brother! What if God take thee at thy word? What if he

say, be it unto thee even as thou wilt? What if he give thee thy wish,

and let thee drop into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his

angels?

I had rather thou shouldst go to the paradise of God. Hadst not thou?

Is not heaven better than hell? Art thou not convinced of this in

thy own conscience? Why, then, amend thy prayer, cry to God, “Save my

soul, for I have sinned against thee: save me from all my sins. Save me

from all my evil words, and evil works, from my evil tempers, and evil

desires! Make me holy as thou art holy! Let me know thee, and love thee,

and serve thee, now and for ever.”

And is not God willing to do this? Surely he is. For God loveth

thee. He gave his only Son, that thou mightest not perish, but have

everlasting life. Christ died for thee. And he that believeth on him

hath everlasting life. Mark that word: he _hath_ it. He hath it now.

He hath the beginning of heaven even upon earth: for his soul is filled

with the love of God: and the love of God is heaven. He that truly

believes on Jesus Christ, hath a peace which earth cannot give: his

mind is always calm; he hath learned in every state therewith to be

content: he is always easy, quiet, well pleased; always happy, in life

and in death. For a believer is not afraid to die; he desires to be

dissolved and to be with Christ: he desires to quit this house of clay,

and to be carried by angels into _Abraham_’s bosom: to hear the voice

of the archangel, and the trump of God, and to see the Son of Man

coming in the clouds of heaven: to stand at his right-hand, and hear

that word (which I earnestly beg of God you and I may hear:) “Come ye

blessed, receive the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the

world!”

A WORD to a

DRUNKARD.

1. ARE _you_ a man? God made you a _man_. But you make yourself a

_beast_. Wherein does a _man_ differ from a _beast_? Is it not chiefly

in _reason_ and _understanding_? But you throw away what _reason_ you

have. You strip yourself of your _understanding_. You do all you can

to make yourself a mere _beast_: not a fool, not a madman only; but a

_swine_, a poor filthy swine. Go and wallow with them in the mire! Go,

drink on, till thy nakedness be uncovered, and shameful spewing be on

thy glory!

2. O how honourable is a _beast_ of God’s making, compared to one

who makes himself a _beast_! But that is not all. You make yourself

a _devil_. You stir up all the devilish tempers that are in you, and

gain others, which perhaps were not in you: at least you heighten and

increase them. You cause the fire of anger, or malice, or lust, to burn

seven times hotter than before. At the same time you grieve the Spirit

of God, till you drive him quite away from you. And, whatever spark of

good remained in your soul, you drown and quench at once.

3. So you are now just _fit_ for every _work_ of the _devil_, having

cast off all that is good or virtuous, and filled your heart with every

thing that is bad, that is earthly, sensual, devilish. You have forced

the Spirit of God to depart from you; for you would take none of his

reproof: and you have given yourself up into the hands of the devil, to

be led blindfold by him at his will.

4. Now what should hinder the same thing from befalling you, which

befel him, who was asked, which was the greatest sin, adultery,

drunkenness, or murder? And which of the three he had rather commit? He

said drunkenness was the least. Soon after, he got drunk. He then met

with another man’s wife, and ravished her. The husband coming to help

her, he murdered him. So drunkenness, adultery and murder went together.

5. I have heard a story of a poor, wild _Indian_, far wiser than either

him or you. The _English_ gave him a cask of strong liquor. The next

morning he called his friends together, and setting it in the midst

of them, said, “These _white men_ have given us _poison_. This man

(calling him by his name) was a wise man, and would hurt none but his

enemies. But as soon as he had drunk of this, he was mad, and would

have killed his own brother. We will not be _poisoned_.” He then broke

the cask, and poured the liquor upon the sand.

6. On what motive do _you_ thus _poison_ yourself? Only for the

_pleasure_ of doing it? What! will you make yourself a beast, or

rather a devil? Will you run the hazard of ♦committing all manner of

villainies; and this only for the poor _pleasure_ of a few moments,

while the _poison_ is running down your throat? O never call yourself a

Christian! Never call yourself a man! You are sunk beneath the greater

part of the beasts that perish.

♦ “commiting” replaced with “committing”

7. Do you not rather drink, for the sake of _company_? Do you not do it,

to oblige your _friends_? For _company_, do you say? How is this? Will

you take a dose of _ratsbane_ for _company_? If twenty men were to do

so before you, would not you desire to be excused? How much more may

you desire to be excused, from going to hell for _company_? But, “to

oblige your _friends_”――What manner of _friends_ are they, who would be

_obliged_ by your destroying yourself? Who would suffer, nay entice you

so to do? They are villains. They are your worst enemies. They are just

such _friends_, as a man that would smile in your face, and stab you to

the heart.

8. O do not aim at any excuse. Say not, as many do, “I am no one’s

_enemy_ but _my own_.” If it were so, what a poor saying is this, “I

give none but _my own_ soul to the devil.” Alas! is not that too much?

Why shouldst thou give him _thy own_ soul? Do it not. Rather give it to

God.

But it is not so. You are an _enemy_ to your _king_, whom you rob

hereby of an useful subject. You are an _enemy_ to your _country_,

which you defraud of the service you might do, either as a man or as a

Christian. You are an _enemy_ to _every man_ that sees you in your sin;

for your example may move him to do the same. A drunkard is a _public

enemy_. I should not wonder at all, if you was (like _Cain_ of old)

afraid that _every man who meeteth you should slay you_.

9. Above all, you are an _enemy_ to God, the great God of heaven and

earth: to him who surrounds you on every side, and can just now send

you quick into hell. Him you are continually affronting to his face.

You are setting him at open defiance. O do not provoke him thus any

more. Fear the great God.

10. You are an _enemy_ to _Christ_, to the Lord that bought you. You

fly in the face of his authority. You set at nought both his sovereign

power and tender love. You crucify him afresh, and when you call him,

_your Saviour_, what is it less than to _betray him with a kiss_?

11. O repent! See and feel what a wretch you are. Pray to God, to

convince you in your inmost soul. How often have you crucified the Son

of God afresh, and put him to an open shame! Pray that you may know

yourself, inwardly and outwardly, all sin, all guilt, all helplessness.

Then cry out, Thou Son of _David_, have mercy upon me! Thou Lamb of God,

take away my sins. Grant me thy peace. Justify the ungodly. O bring me

to the blood of sprinkling that I may go and sin no more, that I may

love much, having had so much forgiven!

A WORD to an

UNHAPPY WOMAN.

1. WHITHER are you going? To heaven or hell? Do you not know? Do you

never think about it? Why do you not? Are you never to die? Nay, it

is appointed for all men to die. And what comes after? Only heaven or

hell.――――Will the not thinking of death, put it farther off? No; not a

day: not one hour. Or will your not thinking of hell, save you from it?

O no: you know better. And you know that every moment you are nearer

hell, whether you are thinking of it or no: that is, if you are not

nearer heaven. You must be nearer one or the other.

2. I intreat you, think a little on that plain question, Are you going

toward heaven or hell? To which of the two does this way lead? Is it

possible you should be ignorant? Did you never hear, that neither

adulterers nor fornicators, shall inherit the kingdom? That fornicators

and adulterers God will judge? And how dreadful will be their sentence,

“Depart ye cursed into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his

angels!”

3. Surely you do not mock at the word of God! You are not yet sunk

so low as this. Consider then that awful word, know ye not, that ye

are the temples of God? Was not _you_ designed for the Spirit of God

to dwell in? Was not _you_ devoted to God in baptism? But if any man

defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy. O do not provoke him

to it any longer. Tremble before the great, the holy God!

4. Know you not, that your body is, or ought to be, the temple of the

Holy Ghost which is in you? Know you not, that you are not your own?

For you are bought with a price. And, O how great a price! You are

not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold: but with

the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without

spot. O when will you glorify God, with your body and your spirit,

which are God’s!

5. Ah poor wretch! How far are you from this? How low are you fallen?

You yourself are ashamed of what you do. Are you not? Conscience, speak

in the sight of God? Does not your own heart condemn you at this very

hour? Do not you shudder at the condition you are in?――――Dare, for once,

to lay your hand upon your breast, and ask, “What am I doing? And what

must the end of these things be?” Destruction both of body and soul.

6. Destruction of body as well as of soul! Can it be otherwise? Are

you not plunging into misery in this world, as well as in the world to

come? What have you brought upon yourself already! What infamy? What

contempt? How could you now appear, among those relations or friends,

that were once so loved, and so loving to you? What pangs have you

given them? How do some of them still weep for you in secret places?

And will you not weep for yourself? When you see nothing before you,

but want, pain, diseases, death? O spare yourself! Have pity upon your

body, if not your soul. Stop! Before you rot above ground and perish!

7. Do you ask, what shall I do? First, Sin no more. First of all,

secure this point. Now, this instant now, escape for your life. Stay

not. Look not behind you. Whatever you do, sin no more: starve, die,

rather than sin. Be more careful for your soul than your body. Take

care of that too: but of your poor soul first.

8. “But you have no friend: none, at least, that is able to help you.”

Indeed you have: one that is a present help in time of trouble. You

have a friend that has all power in heaven and earth, even Jesus Christ

the righteous. He loved sinners of old: and he does so still. He then

suffered the publicans and harlots to come unto him. And one of them

washed his feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her

head. I would to God _you_ were in her place! Say, Amen! Lift up your

heart, and it shall be done. How soon will he say, “Woman be of good

chear! Thy sins which are many, are forgiven thee.――Go in peace. Sin

no more. Love much; for thou hast much forgiven.”

9. Do you still ask, but what shall I do for ♦bread? For food to eat,

and raiment to put on? I answer, in the name of the Lord God, (and mark

well! His promise shall not fail) seek thou first the kingdom of God

and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto thee.

♦ “read” replaced with “bread”

Settle it first in your heart, whatever I have or have not, I will not

have everlasting burnings. I will not sell my soul and body for bread:

better even starve on earth than burn in hell. Then ask help of God.

He is not slow to hear. He hath never failed them that seek him. He

who feeds the young ravens that call upon him, will not let you perish

for lack of sustenance. He will provide, in a way you thought not of,

if you seek him with your whole heart. O let your heart be toward him:

seek him from the heart. Fear sin, more than want, more than death.

And cry mightily to him who bore your sins, till you have bread to eat,

that the world knoweth not of; till you have angels food, even the love

of God, shed abroad in your heart: till you can say, now I know that

_my_ Redeemer liveth, that he hath loved _me_ and given himself for

_me_: and though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh

shall I see God!

A WORD to a

SMUGGLER.

I. “WHAT is _smuggling_?” It is the _importing_, _selling_, or _buying_

of _run goods_: that is, those which have not paid the duty appointed

by law to be paid to the king.

1. _Importing run goods._ All _smuggling vessels_ do this with an high

hand. It is the chief, if not the whole business of these, to bring

goods which have not paid duty.

2. Next to these are all _sea captains_, _officers_, _sailors_, or

_passengers_, who import any thing without paying the duty which the

law requires.

3. A third sort of smugglers are all those, who _sell_ any thing which

has not paid the duty.

4. A fourth sort, those who _buy_ tea, liquors, linen, handkerchiefs,

or any thing else which has not paid duty.

II. “But why should they not? _What harm_ is there in it?”

1. I answer, _open smuggling_ (such as was common a few years ago,

on the southern coasts especially) is robbing on the highway: and as

much harm as there is in this, just so much there is in smuggling. A

smuggler of this kind is no honester than an highwayman. They may shake

hands together.

2. _Private smuggling_ is just the same with picking of pockets. There

is full as much harm in this as in that. A smuggler of this kind is no

honester than a pickpocket. These may shake hands together.

3. But open smugglers are _worse_ than common highwaymen, and private

smugglers are _worse_ than common pickpockets. For it is undoubtedly

worse to rob _our father_, than one we have no obligation to. And it is

worse still, far worse, to rob a good father, one who sincerely loves

us, and is at that very time doing all he can, to provide for us, and

to make us happy. Now this is exactly the present case. King George

is the father of all his subjects: and not only so, but he is a good

father. He shews his love to them on all occasions: and is continually

doing all that is in his power, to make his subjects happy.

4. An honest man therefore would be ashamed to ask, where is the harm

in robbing such a father? His own reason, if he had any at all, would

give him a speedy answer. But _you_ are a Christian: are you not? You

say, you believe the bible. Then I say to _you_, in the name of God,

and in the name of Christ, _Thou shalt not steal_. Thou shalt not take

what is not thine own, what is the right of another man. But the duties

appointed by law are the King’s right, as much as your coat is _your_

right. He has as good a right to them, as _you_ have to this: these

are his property, as much as this is yours. Therefore you are as much

a thief if you take his duties, as a man is that takes your coat.

5. If you believe the bible, I say to _you_, as our Saviour said to

them of old time, _Render unto Cæsar the things that are Cæsar’s, and

unto |God| the things that are |God|’s._ If then you mind our Saviour’s

words, be as careful to _honour the King_, as to _fear_ God. Be as

exact in giving the king, what is due to the king, as in giving God

what is due to God. Upon no account whatever rob or defraud him of the

least thing which is his lawful property.

6. If you believe the bible, I say to _you_, as St. _Paul_ said to

the ancient Christians, _Render unto all their dues_: in particular,

_Custom to whom custom is due, tribute to whom tribute_. Now custom

is by the laws of _England_ due to the king. Therefore every one in

_England_ is bound to pay it him. So that robbing the king herein, is

abundantly worse than common stealing, or common robbing on the highway.

7. And so it is, on another account also: for it is a _general_ robbery:

it is, in effect, not only robbing the king, but robbing every honest

man in the nation. For the more the king’s duties are diminished, the

more the taxes must be increased. And these lie upon us all: they are

the burden not of some, but of all the people of _England_. Therefore

every smuggler is a _thief-general_, who picks the pockets both of the

king, and all his fellow-subjects. He wrongs them all; and above all,

the honest traders: many of whom he deprives of their maintenance:

constraining them either not to sell their goods at all, or to sell

them to no profit. Some of them are tempted hereby, finding they cannot

get bread for their families, to turn thieves too. And then _you_ are

accountable for _their_ sin as well as your own: you bring their blood

upon your own head. Calmly consider this, and you will never more ask,

“What harm there is in smuggling?”

III. 1. But for all this, cannot men find _excuses_ for it? Yes,

abundance; such as they are. “I would not do this, says one; I would

not sell uncustomed goods: but I am under a necessity: I can’t live

without it.” I answer, may not the man who stops you on the highway,

say the very same? “I would not take your purse; but I am under a

necessity: I cannot live without it.” Suppose the case to be your own;

and will you accept of this excuse? Would not you tell him, “Let the

worst come to the worst, you had better be honest, though you should

starve.” But that need not be neither. Others who had no more than

you to begin with, yet find a way to live honestly. And certainly so

may you: however, settle it in your heart, “Live or die, I will be an

honest man.”

2. “Nay, says another, we do not wrong the king: for he loses nothing

by us. Yea, on the contrary, the king is rather a gainer, namely by the

seizures that are made.”

So you plunder the king, out of stark love and kindness! You rob him,

to make him rich! It is true, you take away his purse: but you put

an heavier in its place! Are you serious? Do you mean what you say?

Look me in the face and tell me so. You cannot. You know in your own

conscience, that what comes to the king, out of all seizures made the

year round, does not amount to the tenth, no not to the hundredth part

of what he is defrauded of.

But if he really gained more than he lost, that would not excuse _you_.

You are not to commit robbery, though the person robbed were afterwards

to gain by it. You are not to _do evil, that good may come_. If you do,

your _damnation is just_.

“But certainly, say some, the king is a gainer by it, or he might

easily suppress it.” Wilt you tell him, which way? By Custom-house

officers? But many of them have no desire to suppress it. They find

their account in its continuance: they come in for a share of the

plunder. But what if they had a desire to suppress it? They have not

the power. Some of them have lately made the experiment: and what was

the consequence? Why they lost a great part of their bread, and were

in danger of losing their lives.

♦8. Can the king suppress smuggling, by parties of soldiers? That he

cannot do. For all the soldiers he has are not enough, to watch every

port and every creek in _Great-Britain_. Besides, the soldiers that are

employed, will do little more than the Custom-house officers. For there

are ways and means to take off _their_ edge too, and making them as

quiet as lambs.

♦ Paragraph number out of sequence.

“But many courtiers and great men, who know the king’s mind, not only

connive at smuggling, but practise it.” And what can we infer from

this? Only that those great men are great villains. They are great

highwaymen and pickpockets: and their greatness does not excuse, but

makes their crime tenfold more inexcusable.

But besides. Suppose the king were willing to be cheated, how would

this excuse your cheating his subjects? All your fellow-subjects, every

honest man, and in particular, every honest trader? How would it excuse,

your making it impossible for him to live, unless he will turn knave as

well as yourself?

3. “Well, but I am not convinced it is a sin: My conscience does not

condemn me for it.” No! Are you not convinced, that robbery is a sin?

Then I am sorry for you. And does not your conscience condemn you for

stealing? Then your conscience is asleep. I pray God to smite you to

the heart, and awaken it this day!

4. “Nay, but my soul is quite happy in the love of God: therefore I

cannot think it is wrong.” I answer, wrong it must be, if the bible is

right. Therefore either that love is a mere delusion, a fire of your

own kindling; or God may have hitherto winked at the times of ignorance.

But now you have the means of knowing better. Now light is offered

to you. And if you shut your eyes against the light, the love of God

cannot possibly continue.

5. “But I only buy a little brandy or tea now and then, just for my own

use.” That is, I only _steal a little_. God says, steal not at all.

6. “Nay, I do not buy any at all myself: I only send my child or

servant for it.” You receive it of them: Do you not? And the receiver

is as bad as the thief.

7. “Why I would not meddle with it, but I am forced, by my parent,

husband, or master.” If you are forced by your father or mother to rob,

you will be hanged nevertheless. This may lessen, but does not take

away the fault: for you ought to suffer rather than sin.

8. “But I do not know, that it was run.” No! Did not he that sold it,

tell you it was? If he sold it under the common price, he did. The

naming the price, was telling you, “This is run.”

9. “But I don’t know where to get tea which is not run.” I will tell

you where to get it. You may have it from those whose tea is duly

entered, and who make a conscience of it. But were it otherwise, if I

could get no wine, but what I knew to be stolen, I would drink water:

yea, though not only my health, but my life depended upon it: for it is

better to die, than to live by thieving.

10. “But if I could get what has paid duty, I am not able to pay the

price of it. And I can’t live without it.” I answer, 1. You can live

without it, as well as your grandmother did. But 2. If you could not

live without it, you ought to die, rather than steal. For death is a

less evil than sin.

11. “But my husband will buy it, whether I do or no. And I must use

what he provides, or have none.” Undoubtedly to have none is a less

evil, than to be partaker with a thief.

IV. Upon the whole then, I exhort all of you that fear God, and desire

to save your souls, without regarding what others do, resolve at all

hazards, to keep yourselves pure. Let your eye be fixed on the word

of God, not the examples of men. Our Lord says to every one of you,

_What is that to thee? Follow thou me!_ Let no convenience, no gain, no

pleasure, no friend, draw you from following him. In spite of all the

persuasions, all the reasonings of men, keep to the word of God. If all

on the right-hand and the left will be knaves, be _you_ an honest man.

Probably God will repay you (he certainly will, if this be best for you)

even with temporal blessings: there have not been wanting remarkable

instances of this. But if not, he will repay you with what is far

better: with _the testimony of a good conscience towards_ God; with

_joy in the Holy Ghost_; with an _hope full of immortality_; with _the

love of_ God _shed abroad in_ your _hearts_. And _the peace of_ God,

_which passeth all understanding_, shall _keep your hearts and minds

in_ Christ Jesus!

LONDON,

_January 30, 1767_.

A WORD to a

Condemn’d MALEFACTOR.

WHAT a condition are you in? The sentence is past: you are condemned

to die: and this sentence is to be executed shortly. You have no way to

escape; these fetters, these walls, these gates and bars, these keepers

cut off all hope. Therefore die you must: but must you die like a beast,

without thinking what it is _to die_? You need not: you will not: you

will think a little first: you will consider, what is death? It is

leaving this world, these houses, lands, and all things under the sun;

leaving all these things, never to return; your place will know you no

more. It is leaving these pleasures; for there is no eating, drinking,

gaming, no merriment in the grave. It is leaving your acquaintance,

companions, friends: your father, mother, wife, children. You cannot

stay with them, nor can they go with you: you must part; perhaps for

ever. It is leaving a part of yourself; leaving this body which has

accompanied you so long. Your soul must now drop its old companion, to

rot and moulder into dust. It must enter upon a new, strange, unbodied

state. It must stand naked before God!

2. But O! how will you stand before God? The great, the holy, the just,

the terrible God? Is it not his own word, _Without holiness no man

shall see the Lord_? No man shall see him with joy: rather he will call

for the mountains to fall upon him and the rocks to cover him. And what

do you think holiness is? It is purity both of heart and life. It is

the mind that was in Christ, enabling us to walk as he also walked. It

is the loving God with all our heart, the loving our neighbour, every

man as ourselves, and the doing to all men, in every point, as we would

they should do unto us. The least part of holiness is, to do good to

all men, and to do no evil either in word or work. This is only the

outside of it. But this is more than you have. You are from it; far as

darkness from light. You have not the mind that was in Christ: there

was no pride, no malice in him: no hatred, no revenge, no furious anger,

no foolish or worldly desire. You have not walked as Christ walked: no;

rather as the devil would have walked, had he been in a body; the works

of the devil you have done, not the works of God. You have not loved

God with all your heart. You have not loved him at all. You have not

thought about him. You hardly knew or cared, whether there was any God

in the world. You have not done to others as you would they should do

to you; far, very far from it. Have you done all the good you could to

all men? If so, you had never come to this place. You have done evil

exceedingly: your sins against God and man are more than the hairs

of your head. Insomuch that even the world cannot bear you; the world

itself spues you out. Even the men that know not God declare, you are

not fit to live upon the earth.

3. O repent, repent! Know yourself: see and feel what a sinner you are.

Think of the innumerable sins you have committed, even from your youth

up. How many wicked words have you spoken? How many wicked actions have

you done? Think of your inward sins! Your pride, malice, hatred, anger,

revenge, lust. Think of your sinful nature, totally alienated from

the life of God. How is your whole soul prone to evil, void of good,

corrupt, full of all abominations! _Feel_, that your carnal mind is

enmity against God. Well may the wrath of God abide upon you. He is

of purer eyes than to behold iniquity: he hath said, _The soul that

sinneth, it shall die_. It shall die eternally, shall be _punished with

everlasting destruction, from the presence of the Lord and from the

glory of his power_.

4. How then can _you_ escape the damnation of hell? The lake of fire

burning with brimstone? Where the worm dieth not, and the fire is not

quenched? You can never redeem your own soul. You cannot atone for the

sins that are past. If you could leave off sin now, and live unblamable

for the time to come, that would be no atonement for what is past. Nay,

if you could live like an angel for a thousand years, that would not

atone for one sin. But neither can you do this: you cannot leave off

sin: it has the dominion over you. If all your past sins were now to be

forgiven, you would immediately sin again: that is, unless your heart

were cleansed; unless it were created anew. And who can do this? Who

can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? Surely none but God. So you

are utterly sinful, guilty, helpless! What can you do to be saved?

5. One thing is needful: _believe in the_ Lord Jesus Christ, _and thou

shalt be saved_! Believe (not as the devils only, but) with that faith

which is the gift of God, which is wrought in a poor, guilty, helpless

sinner, by the power of the Holy Ghost. See all thy sins on Jesus laid.

God laid on him the iniquities of us all. He suffered once the just

for the unjust. He bore our sins in his own body on the tree. He was

wounded for thy sins; he was bruised for thy iniquities. _Behold the

Lamb of |God|, taking away the sin of the world!_ Taking away thy sins,

even thine, and reconciling thee unto God the Father! _Look unto him

and be thou saved!_ If thou look unto him by faith, if thou cleave to

him with thy whole heart, if thou receive him both to atone, to teach

and to govern thee in all things, thou shalt be saved, thou art saved,

both from the guilt, the punishment, and all the power of sin. Thou

shalt have peace with God, and a peace in thy own soul, that passeth

all understanding. Thy soul shall magnify the Lord, and thy Spirit

rejoice in God thy Saviour. The love of God shall be shed abroad in thy

heart, enabling thee to trample sin under thy feet. And thou wilt then

have an hope full of immortality. Thou wilt no longer be afraid to die,

but rather long for the hour having a desire to depart, and to be with

Christ.

6. This is the faith that worketh by love, the way that leadeth to

the kingdom. Do you earnestly desire to walk therein? Then put away

all hindrances. Beware of company: At the peril of your soul, keep

from those who neither know nor seek God. Your old acquaintance are

no acquaintance for _you_, unless they too acquaint themselves with

God. Let them laugh at you, or say, you are running mad. It is enough,

if you have praise of God. Beware of strong drink. Touch it not, lest

you should not know when to stop. You have no need of this to chear

your spirits; but of the peace and the love of God: beware of men that

pretend to shew you the way to heaven, and know it not themselves.

There is no other name whereby you can be saved, but the name of our

Lord Jesus Christ. And there is no other way whereby you can find

the virtue of his name but by faith. Beware of Satan transformed into

an angel of light, and telling you, it is presumption to believe in

Christ, as _your_ Lord and _your_ God, your wisdom and righteousness,

sanctification and redemption. Believe in him with your whole heart.

Cast your whole soul upon his love. Trust him alone: love him alone:

fear him alone: and cleave to him alone: Till he shall say to you (as

to the dying malefactor of old,) _This day shalt thou be with me in

paradise_.

A WORD in SEASON;

OR,

Advice to an _ENGLISHMAN_.¹

¹ This was published at the beginning of the late rebellion.

1. DO _you_ ever _think_? Do you ever _consider_? If not, ’tis high

time you should. _Think_ a little, before it is too late. _Consider_

what a state you are in. And not you alone, but our _whole nation_.

We _would_ have war. And we have it. And what is the fruit? Our armies

broken in pieces: And thousands of our men either killed on the spot or

made prisoners in one day. Nor is this all. We have now war at our own

doors: our own countrymen turning their swords against their brethren.

And have any hitherto been able to stand before them? Have they not

already seized upon one whole kingdom? Friend, either _think_ now, or

sleep on and take your rest, till you drop into the pit where you will

sleep no more?

2. _Think_, what is likely to follow, if an army of _French_ also,

should blow the trumpet in our land! What desolation may we not then

expect? What a wide-spread _field of blood_? And what can the end of

these things be? If they prevail, what but _Popery_ and _Slavery_? Do

you know what the spirit of _Popery_ is? Did you never hear of that in

queen _Mary_’s reign? And of the holy men who were then burnt alive by

the _Papists_, because they did not dare to do as they did? To worship

angels and saints; to pray to the virgin _Mary_; to bow down to images,

and the like. If we had a king of this spirit, whose life would be

safe? At least, what honest man’s? A knave indeed might turn with the

times. But what a dreadful thing would this be to a man of conscience?

“Either turn, or burn. Either go into that fire: or into the fire that

_never shall be quenched_.”

3. And can you dream that your _property_ would be any safer than your

_conscience_? Nay, how should that be? Nothing is plainer than that

the Pretender cannot be king of _England_, unless it be by conquest.

But every conqueror may do what he will. The laws of the land are no

laws to him. And who can doubt, but one who should conquer _England_

by the assistance of _France_, would copy after the _French_ rules of

government?

4. How dreadful then is the condition wherein we stand? On the very

brink of utter destruction! But why are we thus? I am afraid the answer

is too plain, to every considerate man. Because of our sins: because

we have well-nigh _filled up the measure of our iniquities_. For,

what wickedness is there under heaven, which is not found among us at

this day? Not to insist on the _sabbath-breaking_ in _every corner_

of our land, the _thefts_, _cheating_, _fraud_, _extortion_; the

_injustice_, _violence_, _oppression_; the _lying_ and _dissimulating_;

the _robberies_, _sodomies_ and _murders_ (which, with a thousand

unnamed ♦villainies are common to us and our neighbour _Christians_ of

_Holland_, _France_, and _Germany_:) consider over and above, what a

plentiful harvest we have of wickedness almost peculiar to ourselves?

For who can vie with _us_, in the direction of courts of _justice_?

In the management of _public charities_? Or, in the _accomplished_,

barefaced wickedness, which so abounds in our _prisons_, and _fleets_,

and _armies_? Who in _Europe_ can compare with the _sloth_, _laziness_,

_luxury_ and _effeminacy_ of the _English gentry_? Or with the

_drunkenness_, and stupid, senseless _cursing_ and _swearing_, which

are daily seen and heard in our _streets_? One great inlet, no doubt,

to that flood of _perjury_, which so _increases_ among us _day_ by

_day_: the like whereunto is not to be found, in any other part of the

habitable earth.

♦ “villanies” replaced with “villainies”

5. Add to all these (what is indeed the source as well as completion of

all) that open and profess’d DEISM and _rejection_ of the GOSPEL, that

_public, avowed_ apostacy from the Christian faith, which reigns among

the _rich_ and _great_, and hath spread from _them_ to _all_ ranks

and orders of men (the _vulgar_ themselves not excepted) and made us

a people fitted for the _destroyer of the Gentiles_.

6. Because of these sins is this evil come upon us. For (whether you

are aware of it, or no) there is a God: a God, who tho’ he sits upon

the circle of the heavens, sees and knows all that is done upon earth.

And this God is holy; he does not love sin: he is just, rendering

to all their due. And he is strong; there is none able to withstand

him: he hath all power in heaven and in earth. He is patient indeed,

and suffers long; but he will at last repay the wicked to his face.

He often does so in _this_ world; especially when a whole nation is

_openly_ and _insolently_ wicked. Then doth God _arise and maintain his

own cause_; then doth he terribly shew both his justice and power: that

if these will not repent, yet others may fear, and flee from the wrath

to come.

7. There hath been among them that feared God, a general expectation

for many years, that the time was coming, when God would thus arise,

to be avenged on this sinful nation. At length the time is come. The

patience of God, long provoked, gives place to justice. The windows of

heaven begin to be opened, to rain down judgments on the earth. And yet,

with what tenderness does he proceed? In the midst of wrath remembring

mercy. By how slow degrees does his vengeance move! Nor does his whole

displeasure yet arise.

8. Brethren, countrymen, Englishmen, What shall we do? To-day! While it

is called to-day! Before the season of mercy is quite expired, and our

_destruction cometh as a whirlwind_? Which way can we remove the evils

we feel? Which way prevent those we fear? Is there any better way, than

the making God our friend? The securing his help against our enemies?

Other helps are little worth. We see _armies_ may be destroyed, or

even flee away from old men and children. _Fleets_ may be dashed to

pieces in an hour, and sunk in the depth of the sea. _Allies_ may be

treacherous, or slow, or foolish, or weak, or cowardly. But God is a

friend who cannot betray, and whom none can either bribe or terrify.

And who is wise, or swift, or strong like him? Therefore, whatever we

do, let us make God our friend. Let us with all speed remove the cause

of his anger. Let us cast away our sins. Then shall his love have free

course, and he will send us help, sufficient help, against all our

enemies.

9. Come; will _you_ begin? Will _you_, by the grace of God, amend _one_,

and that without delay? First then, _own_ those sins which have long

cried for vengeance in the ears of God. _Confess_, that we and all (and

_you_ in particular) deserve for our inward and outward abominations,

not only to be swept from the face of the earth, but to suffer the

vengeance of eternal fire. Never aim at _excusing_ either yourself or

others: Let your mouth be stopt. Plead guilty before God. Above all,

_own_ that _impudence_ of wickedness, that utter ♦_carelessness_, that

_pert_ stupidity, which is hardly to be found in any part of the earth,

(at least, not in such a degree) except in _England_. Do you not know

what I mean? You was not long since praying to God for “damnation upon

your own soul.” One who has heard you, said, is that right? Does not

God hear? “What if he takes you at your word?” You replied, with equal

_impudence_ and _ignorance_, “What, Are _you a Methodist_?”――――What, if

he is a _Turk_? Must thou therefore be a _Heathen_?――――God humble thy

_brutish, devilish_ spirit.

♦ “carlessness” replaced with “carelessness”

10. Lay thee in the dust, for this and for all thy sins. Let thy

laughter be turned into heaviness; thy joy into mourning; thy senseless

jollity and mirth, into sorrow and brokenness of heart. This is no time

to eat and drink and rise up to play; but to afflict thy soul before

the Lord. Desire of God a deep piercing sense of the enormous sins of

the nation, and of thy own. Remember that great example: how when the

_king of Nineveh_ was warned of the near approaching vengeance of God,

he _caused it to be proclaimed, Let none taste any thing, let them not

feed nor drink water. But let them be covered with sackcloth, and cry

mightily to God; yea let them turn every one from his evil way; who can

tell, if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger

that we perish not._ Jonah iii.

11. Let them _turn_ every one from his evil way. Cease to do evil.

Learn to do well. And see that this reformation be _universal_: for

there is no serving God by halves. Avoid _all_ evil, and do _all_ good

unto _all_ men; else you only deceive your own soul. See also, that

it be from the _heart_: lay the axe to the root of the tree. Cut up,

by the grace of God, evil desire, pride, anger, unbelief. Let this

be your continual prayer to God, the prayer of your heart, (as well

as lips) “Lord, I _would_ believe: help thou mine unbelief! Give me

the faith that worketh by love. _The life which I now live_, let me

_live by faith in the Son of God_. Let me _so believe_, that I may

_love thee, with all my heart, and mind, and soul, and strength_! and

that I may love every child of man, even _as thou hast loved us_! Let

me daily _add to my faith courage, knowledge, temperance, patience,

brotherly kindness, charity: that so an entrance may be ministered to

me abundantly, into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour

Jesus Christ_.”

AN HYMN.

REGARD, thou righteous God and true,

Regard thy weeping people’s prayer,

Before the sword our land go through,

Before thy latest plague we bear,

Let all to thee their smiter turn,

Let all beneath thine anger mourn.

The sword, which first bereav’d abroad,

We now within _our_ borders see:

We see, but slight thy nearer rod,

So oft so kindly warn’d by thee:

We still thy warning love despise,

And dare thine utmost wrath to rise.

Yet for the faithful remnants sake

Thine utmost wrath awhile defer,

If haply we at last may wake,

And trembling at destruction near

The _cause_ of all our evils _own_,

And leave the sins for which we groan.

Or if the wicked will not mourn,

And ’scape the long-suspended blow,

Yet shall it to thy glory turn,

Yet shall they all thy patience know,

Thy slighted love and mercy clear,

And vindicate thy justice here.

For his MAJESTY

King GEORGE.

IMMORTAL King of Kings,

Whose favour or whose frown

Monarchs and States to honour brings,

Or turns them upside down;

To thee in danger’s hour

We for our sov’reign cry,

Protect him by thy gracious power,

And set him up on high.

Not by a mighty host

Can he deliver’d be;

Let others in their numbers trust,

We look, O Lord, to thee:

Help to thy servant send,

And strengthen from above,

And still thy minister defend

By thine almighty love.

The spirit of thy grace,

Thy heavenly unction shed,

And hosts of guardian angels place

Around his sacred head:

Confound whoe’er oppose,

Or force them to retire;

Be thou a tower against his foes,

Be thou a wall of fire.

O bring him out of all

His _sanctified_ distress,

And by his name thy servant call,

And fill him with thy peace:

Shew him, almighty Lord,

That thou _his_ Saviour art,

And speak the soul-converting word

_My son, give me thy heart_!

A WORD to a

PROTESTANT.

1. DON’T _you_ call yourself a _Protestant_? Why so? Do you know what

the word means? What is a _Protestant_? I suppose you mean one that

is not a _Papist_? But what is a _Papist_? If you don’t know, say so.

Acknowledge you cannot tell. Is not this the case? You call yourself

a _Protestant_: but you don’t know what a _Protestant_ is. You talk

against _Papists_: and yet neither do you know what a _Papist_ is. Why

do you _pretend_ then to the knowledge which you have not? Why do you

use words which you don’t understand.

2. Are you desirous to know what these words, _Papist_ and _Protestant_

mean? A _Papist_ is one who holds the _Pope_, or bishop of _Rome_, (the

name _papa_, that is _father_, was formerly given to all bishops) to be

head of the whole Christian church: and the church of _Rome_, or that

which owns the _Pope_ as their head, to be the only Christian church.

3. In a course of years, many errors crept into this church, of which

good men complained from time to time. At last, about two hundred years

ago, the _Pope_ appointed many bishops and others to meet at a town

in _Germany_, called _Trent_. But these, instead of amending those

errors, established them all by a law, and so delivered them down to

all succeeding generations.

4. Among these errors may be numbered, their doctrine of seven

sacraments; of transubstantiation; of communion in one kind only; of

purgatory, and praying for the dead therein; of veneration of relics,

and of indulgences, or pardons granted by the Pope, and to be bought

for money.

It is thought by some, that these errors, great as they are, do only

defile the purity of Christianity: but it is sure, the following strike

at its very root, and tend to banish true religion out of the world.

5. First, the doctrine of _merit_. The very foundation of Christianity

is, that a man can _merit_ nothing of God: that we are justified freely

by his grace, through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ: not for

any of our works, or of our deservings; but by faith in the blood of

the covenant.

But the _Papists_ hold, that a man may by his works merit or deserve

eternal life; and that we are justified, not by faith in Christ alone,

but by faith and works together.

This doctrine strikes at the root of Christian faith, the only

foundation of true religion.

6. Secondly, the doctrine of _praying_ to saints and _worshipping_ of

images. To the Virgin _Mary_ they pray in these words; “O mother of God,

O queen of heaven, command thy Son to have mercy upon us.” And, “the

right use of images” (says the Council of _Trent_) “is to honour them,

by _bowing down_ before them.” _Session 25. Paragraph 2._

This doctrine strikes at the root of that great commandment, (which

the _Papists_ call part of the first) _Thou shalt not bow down to them,

nor worship them_, _i. e._ not any image whatsoever. It is gross, open,

palpable _idolatry_, such as can neither be denied, nor excused; and

tends directly to destroy the love of God, which is indeed the first

and great commandment.

7. Thirdly, the doctrine of _persecution_. This has been for many

ages a favourite doctrine of the church of _Rome_. And the Papists in

general still maintain, that “all heretics, (that is, all who differ

from them) ought to be _compelled_ to receive what they call the _true

faith_; to be _forced_ into the church, or out of the world.”

Now this strikes at the root of, and utterly tears up, the second great

commandment. It directly tends to bring in blind, bitter zeal; anger,

hatred, malice, variance; every temper, word and work that is just

contrary to the loving our neighbour as ourselves.

So plain it is, that these grand _Popish_ doctrines of _merit_,

_idolatry_ and _persecution_, by destroying both faith and the love of

God and of our neighbour, tend to banish true Christianity out of the

world.

8. Well might our forefathers _protest_ against these: and hence it

was that they were called _Protestants_: even because they publicly

_protested_, as against all the errors of the _Papists_, so against

these three in particular: the making void Christian faith, by holding

that man may _merit_ heaven by his own works; the overthrowing the love

of God by _idolatry_, and the love of our neighbour by _persecution_.

Are _you_ then a _Protestant_, truly so called? Do you _protest_,

as against all the rest, so in particular, against these three grand,

fundamental errors of _Popery_? Do you publicly _protest_ against

all _merit_ in man? All _salvation_ by your own _works_? Against

all _idolatry_ of every sort? And against every kind and degree of

_persecution_?

I question not but you do. You _publicly protest_ against all these

horrible errors of _Popery_. But does your heart agree with your lips?

Do you not _inwardly_ cherish what you _outwardly_ renounce? ’Tis well,

if _you_, who cry out so much against _Papists_, are not one _yourself_.

’Tis well if you are not _yourself_ (as little as you may think of it)

a rank _Papist_ in your heart.

9. For, first, How do you hope to be saved? “By doing thus and thus? By

doing no harm, and paying every man his own, and saying your prayers,

and going to church and sacrament?” Alas! alas! Now you have thrown

off the mask. This is _Popery_ barefaced. You may just as well speak

plain, and say, “I trust to be saved by the _merit_ of my own works.”

But where is CHRIST all this time? Why, he is not to come in, till

you get to the end of your _prayer_. And then you will say, for JESUS

CHRIST’s sake――because so it stands in your book. O my friend, your

very foundation is Popish. _You_ seek salvation by your own _works_.

You trample upon the _blood of the covenant_. And what can a poor

_Papist_ do more?

10. But let us go on. Are you clear of idolatry any more than the

_Papists_ are? It may be indeed, yours is in a different way. But how

little does that signify? They set up their idols in their _churches_:

you set up yours in your _heart_. Their idols are only _covered with

gold_ or _silver_: but yours is _solid gold_. They worship the picture

of the queen of _heaven_; you, the picture of the queen or king of

_England_. In another way, they idolize a dead man or woman; whereas

your idol is yet alive. O how little is the difference before God?

How small pre-eminence has the money-worshipper at _London_, over the

image-worshipper at _Rome_? Or the idolizer of a living sinner, over

him that prays to a dead saint?

11. Take one step farther. Does the _Papist_ abroad _persecute_? Does

he _force_ another man’s conscience? So does the _Papist_ at home, as

far as he can; for all he calls himself a _Protestant_. Will the man in

_Italy tolerate_ no opinion but his own? No more, if he could help it,

would the man in _England_. Would _you_? Don’t you think the government

much overseen, in _bearing_ with any but those of the _church_? Don’t

you wish, they would _put down_ such and such people? You know what

_you_ would do, if you was in their place.――And by the very same spirit

you would continue the inquisition at _Rome_, and rekindle the fires in

_Smithfield_.

12. It is because our nation is over-run with _such Protestants_,

who are full of their own _good-deservings_, as well as of abominable

_idolatry_, and of blind, fiery zeal of the whole spirit of

_persecution_; that the sword of God, the great, the just, the jealous

God, is even now drawn in our land: that the armies of the aliens

are hovering over it, as a vulture over his prey; and that the _open

Papists_ are on the very point of swallowing up the _pretended

Protestants_.¹

¹ This was wrote during the late rebellion.

13. Do you desire to escape the scourge of God? Then I entreat you,

first, Be a _real Protestant_. By the Spirit of God assisting you (for

without him you know you can do nothing) cast away all that _trust_ in

your own righteousness, all hope of being saved by your own works. Own,

your _merit_ is everlasting damnation; that you _deserve_ the damnation

of hell. Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God. Lie in the dust.

Let your mouth be stopt. And let all your confidence be in the _blood

of sprinkling_; all your hope in JESUS CHRIST _the righteous_; all your

faith in _him that justifieth the ungodly, thro’ the redemption that is

in_ Jesus.

O put away your _idols_ out of your heart. _Love not the world, neither

the things of the world._ Having food to eat and raiment to put on,

be content: desire nothing more but God. To-day, hear his voice, who

continually cries, _My son, give me thy heart_. Give yourself to him,

who gave himself for _you_. May you love God, as he has loved us! Let

him be your desire, your delight, your joy, your portion, in time and

in eternity.

And if you love God, you _will_ love your brother also: you will be

ready to lay down your life for his sake: so far from any desire to

take away his life, or hurt a hair of his head. You will then leave his

_conscience_ uncontrolled; you will no more think of _forcing_ him into

your own opinions, as neither can he force _you_, to judge by _his_

conscience. But each shall _give an account of himself to God_.

14. It is true, if his conscience be misinformed, you should endeavour

to inform him better. But whatever you do, let it be done in charity,

in love and meekness of wisdom. Be zealous for God: but remember, that

_the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of_ God: that angry

zeal, though opposing sin, is the servant of sin; that true zeal is

only the flame of love. Let this be your truly _Protestant_ zeal:

while you abhor every kind and degree of _persecution_, let your heart

burn with love to all mankind, to friends and enemies, neighbours and

strangers; to Christians, Heathens, Jews, Turks, Papists, Heretics; to

every soul which God hath made. _Let |this| your light shine before men,

that they may glorify your Father which is in heaven._

HYMNS.

HYMN I.

1. WHERE have I been so long

Fast bound in sin and night,

Mix’d with the blind self righteous throng

Who hate the sons of light?

2. O how shall I presume,

Jesus, to call on thee,

Sunk in the lowest dregs of _Rome_,

The worst idolatry!

3. A stranger to thy grace,

Long have I labour’d, Lord,

To ’stablish my own righteousness,

And been what I abhor’d.

4. Foe to the _Popish_ boast

No merit was in me!

Yet in my works I put my trust,

And not _alone_ in thee.

5. For works that I had wrought

I look’d to be forgiven,

And by my virtuous tempers thought

At last to _purchase_ heaven.

6. Or if I needed still

The help of grace divine,

Thy merits should come in to fill

The small defects of mine.

7. Alas! I knew not then

Thou only didst atone

For all the sinful sons of men,

And purge our guilt alone.

8. Didst shed thy blood to pay

The all-sufficient price,

And take the world’s offence away

By thy great sacrifice.

9. But O! my dying God,

By thee convinced at last,

My soul on that atoning blood,

On that _alone_ I cast.

10. I dare no longer trust

On ought I do, or feel,

But own, while humbled in the dust,

My whole desert is hell.

11. My works of righteousness

I cast them all away;

Me, Lord, thou frankly must release,

For I have nought to pay:

12. Not one good word or thought

I to thy merits join,

But gladly take the gift unbought

Of righteousness divine.

13. My faith is all in thee,

My only hope thou art,

The pardon thou hast bought for me,

Engrave it on my heart:

14. The blood by faith applied

O let it now take place,

And speak me freely justified,

And fully sav’d by grace.

HYMN II.

1. FORGIVE me, O thou jealous God,

A wretch, who on thy laws have trod,

And robb’d thee of thy right,

A sinner to myself unknown,

’Gainst thee I have transgress’d and done,

This evil in thy sight.

2. My body I disdain’d to incline

Or worship at an idol’s shrine

With _gross_ idolatry:

But Oh! my soul hath baser prov’d,

Honour’d, and fear’d, and serv’d, and lov’d

The creature more than thee.

3. Let the blind sons of _Rome_ bow down

To images of wood and stone;

But I with subtler art,

Safe from the letter of thy word,

My idols secretly ador’d,

Set up within my heart.

4. But Oh! suffice the season past:

My idols now away I cast,

Pleasure, and wealth and fame,

The world, and all its goods I leave,

To thee alone resolv’d to give

Whate’er I have or am.

5. Lo! in a thankful, loving heart

I render thee whate’er thou art,

I give myself to thee;

And thee my whole delight I own,

My joy, my glory, and my crown

To all eternity.

HYMN III.

1. O THOU who seest what is in man,

And shew’st myself to me,

Suffer a sinner to complain

And groan his griefs to thee.

2. A sinner, that has cloak’d his shame

With self-deceiving art,

Thy worshipper _reform’d_ in name,

But unrenew’d in heart.

3. The servants most unlike their Lord,

How oft did I condemn;

The persecuting church abhorr’d,

Nor saw myself in them!

4. The ♦spirit of my foes I caught,

The angry bitter zeal,

And fierce for my own party fought,

And breath’d the fire of hell

5. Threatning I did and slaughter breathe,

(The flail of heresy)

And doom the sects to bonds, or death,

That did not think with me.

6. To propagate the truth, I fought

With fury and despight,

And in my zeal for _Israel_ fought,

To slay the _Gibeonite_.

7. “The temple of the Lord are we!”

And all who dared deny,

I would not have their conscience free,

But _force_ them to comply.

8. With wholsome discipline severe

To conquer them I strove,

And drive into the pale thro’ fear,

Who would not _come_ thro’ love.

9. How vainly then the zealots blind

Of _Rome_ did I disclaim?

Still to the church of _Satan_ join’d,

And differing but in name.

10. How could I, Lord, myself deceive

While _unreform’d_ within,

_Protest_ against their creed, and cleave

The closer to their sin?

11. Their foulest sin my own I made,

(And humbly now confess)

While by my anger I essay’d

To work thy righteousness.

12. A murtherer convict I come

My vileness to bewail,

By nature _born_ a son of _Rome_,

A child of wrath and hell,

13. Lord, I at last recant, reject,

Thro’ thy great strength alone,

The madness of the _Romish_ sect,

The _madness_ of my _own_.

14. Lord, I abhor, renounce, abjure

The fiery spirit unclean,

The persecuting zeal impure,

The sin-opposing sin.

15. Let others draw with fierce despight,

Th’ eradicating sword,

And with the devil’s weapons fight

The battles of the Lord:

16. But Oh! my gracious God, to me

A better spirit impart,

The gentle mind that was in thee,

The meekly loving heart:

17. The heart whose charity o’erflows

To all, far off, and near,

True charity to friends and foes,

Impartially sincere.

18. Heathens, and Jews, and Turks, may I

And Heretics embrace,

Nor ev’n to _Rome_ the love deny

I owe to all the race.

♦ “sprit” replaced with “spirit”

A WORD to a

FREEHOLDER.

WHAT are you going to do? To vote for a parliament man? I hope then you

have taken no money. For doubtless you know the strictness of the oath,

That you have received no “Gift or reward, directly or indirectly, nor

any promise of any, on account of your vote” in the ensuing election.

Surely you start at _perjury_! At calm, fore-thought, deliberate,

wilful perjury. If you are guilty already, stop. Go no farther. ’Tis at

the peril of your soul. Will you sell your country? Will you sell your

own soul? Will you sell your God, your Saviour? Nay God forbid! rather

cast down just now the thirty pieces of silver or gold, and say, “Sir,

I will not sell heaven. Neither you, nor all the world is able to pay

the purchase.”

I hope you have received nothing else, neither will receive; no

entertainment, no meat, or drink. If this is _given_ you on account

of your vote, you are perjured still. How can you make oath, you

have received no _gift_? This was a gift, if you did not buy it. What

will you sell your soul to the devil for a draught of drink, or for a

morsel of bread? Oh consider what you do. Act, as if the whole election

depended on your single vote: And as if the whole parliament depended

(and therein the whole nation) on that single person whom you now chuse

to be a member of it.

But if you take nothing of any, for whom shall you vote? For the man

that loves God. He must love his country, and that from a steady,

invariable principle. And by his fruits you shall know him. He is

careful to abstain from all appearance of evil. He is zealous of good

works, as he has opportunity, doing good to all men. He uses all the

ordinances of God and that both constantly and carefully. And he does

this, not barely as something he _must_ do; or what he would willingly

be excused from. No; he rejoices in this his reasonable service, as a

blessed privilege of the children of God.

But what if none of the candidates have these fruits? Then vote for

him that loves the king: king GEORGE, whom the wise providence of God

has appointed to reign over us. He ought to be highly esteemed in love,

even for his office sake. A king is a lovely, sacred name. He is a

minister of God unto thee for good. How much more, _such_ a king, as

has been in many respects, a blessing to his subjects. You may easily

know those who love him not. For they generally glory in their shame.

They are not afraid to _speak evil_ of dignities: no, not even of the

_ruler of their people_.

Perhaps you will say, but I love my country, Therefore I am for the

_country-interest_. I fear, you know not what you say. Are you against

your king because you love your country? Who taught you to separate

your king from your country? To set one against the other? Be assured,

none that loves either. True lovers of their country do not talk in

this senseless manner.

Is not the interest of the king of _England_ and of the country of

_England_, one and the same? If the king is destroyed, doth it profit

the country? If the country, does it profit the king? Their interest

cannot be divided. The welfare of _one_ is the welfare of _both_.

Have you an objection of a different kind? Do you say, I am for the

_church_? The church of _England_ for ever! Therefore I vote for ――――.

He is a true _churchman_, a lover of the church. Are you sure of that?

Friend, think a little. What kind of a churchman is he? A whoring

churchman? A gaming churchman? A drunken churchman? A lying churchman?

A cursing and swearing churchman? Or, a red-hot persecuting churchman,

that would send all dissenters to the devil at a clap? For shame! for

shame! Do you call a man a churchman, who knows no more of God than a

Turk? Call a man a churchman, that does not even _pretend_ to so much

religion, as would serve an honest Heathen? He is a lover of the church

who is a lover of God, and consequently of all mankind. Whoever else

talks of loving the church is a cheat. Set a mark upon that man.

Above all, mark that man, who talks of loving the church, and does not

love the king. If he does not love the king, he cannot love God. And

if he does not love God, he cannot love the church. He loves the church

and the king just alike. For indeed he loves neither one nor the other.

Oh beware, you who truly love the church, and therefore he cannot but

love the king: beware of dividing the king and the church, any more

than the king and country. Let others do as they will, what is that to

you? Act you as an honest man, a loyal subject, a true Englishman, a

lover of the country, a lover of the church; in one word, a Christian!

One that fears nothing but sin, that seeks nothing but heaven, and that

desires nothing but God. Nothing but glory to God in the highest, and

on earth peace, goodwill towards men!

ADVICE to a

SOLDIER.

1. ARE _you_ to die? Must _you_ leave this world, and carry nothing of

it away with you? Naked as you came out of your mother’s womb, naked

shall you return. And are you never to come back into this world? Have

you no more place under the sun? When you leave these houses and fields,

this flesh and blood, do you part with them for ever? Are you _sure_

of this? Must _all_ men die? Can _none at all_ escape death? Do _rich_

men likewise die, and leave their riches for others? Do _princes_ also

fall and die like one of their people? Can _you_ then escape it? You

do not think so. You know death is as sure as if you felt it already:

as if you was now gasping for life, sweating and trembling in those

last pangs, till the soul started off from the quivering lips, into the

boundless ocean of eternity.

2. And are _you_ to be judged? How is this to be? Why, the Son of God

shall come in his glory, and all his holy angels with him; and then

shall he sit upon the throne of his glory. And before him shall be

gathered all nations, and he shall separate them from one another, as

a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats. Behold he cometh with

clouds! And every eye shall see him, which is, and which was, and which

is to come, the Almighty! And I saw (wilt thou also say) a great white

throne, and him that sat thereon, from whose face the earth and the

heavens fled away, and there was found no place for them. And I saw the

dead, small and great, stand before God; and they were judged, every

man according to his works. And shalt _thou_ also be judged according

to _thy_ works? _All_ thy works, whether they be good or evil? Yea,

and for every _idle word_ which thou shalt speak, thou shalt give an

account in the day of judgment. But _this is_ not all: the Lord, the

judge searcheth _the heart_, and trieth the reins. He understands _all

thy thoughts_; and for _all these_ likewise he shall bring thee into

judgment. Supposest thou it is enough to be _outwardly_ good? What!

though thy _inward_ parts are very wickedness? And are they not? Is

not thy soul fallen short of the glory (the glorious image) of God?

Look into thy breast. Art thou not a fallen spirit? Dost thou not

know and feel, how very far thou art gone from original righteousness?

Desperately full thou art of all evil, and naked of all good? Is there

not in thee, an earthly, sensual, devilish mind? A mind that is enmity

against God? ’Tis plain there is. For thou dost not love God. Thou dost

not delight in him. He is not the desire of thy eyes, or the joy of thy

heart. Thou lovest the creature more than the Creator. Thou art a lover

of pleasure more than a lover of God. O how wilt thou stand in the

judgment!

3. Are _you_ then to go to heaven or hell? It must be either to one

or the other. I pray God you may not go to hell! for who can dwell

with everlasting burnings? Who can bear the fierceness of that flame,

without even a drop of water to cool his tongue? Yea, and that without

end; for as the worm dieth not so the fire is not quenched. No, whoever

is once cast into that lake of fire, shall be tormented day and night

for ever and ever. O eternity! eternity! Who can tell the length of

eternity? I warn _thee_ now, before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ,

that _thou_ come not into that place of torment!

4. But alas! Is not hell now begun in thy soul? Does thy _conscience_

never awake? Hast thou no _remorse_ at any time? No _sense_ of guilt?

No _dread_ of the wrath of God? Why these (if thou art not saved from

them in this life) are the worm that never dieth. And what else is thy

carnal mind? Thy enmity against God? Thy foolish and hurtful lusts, thy

inordinate affections? What are pride, envy, malice, revenge? Are they

not vipers gnawing thy heart? May they not well be called, the dogs

of hell? Canst thou be out of hell, while these are in thy soul? While

they are tearing it in pieces, and there is none to help thee? Indeed

they are not fully let loose upon thee. And while thou seest the

light of the sun, the things of the world that surround thee, or the

pleasures of sense divert thy thoughts from them. But when thou canst

eat and drink no more, when the earth, with the works thereof is burnt

up, when the sun is fallen from heaven, and thou art shut up in utter

darkness, what a state wilt thou be in then? Mayst thou never try! Seek

thou a better habitation, a house of God eternal in the heavens.

5. There the wicked cease from troubling, there the weary are at rest.

For God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be

no more death, neither sorrow nor crying; neither shall there be any

more pain, but everlasting joy upon their heads. But this joy our ears

have not yet heard, neither has it entered into the heart of man to

conceive. Yet a little of it the children of God can conceive, from

what they already enjoy. For the kingdom of heaven is within them. God

has given them eternal life; the life which is hid with Christ in God.

They have heaven upon earth; righteousness and peace, and joy in the

Holy Ghost. Their souls are renewed in the image of God. They love God.

They are happy in him; and they love their neighbour (that is every

man) as themselves, as their own souls. Being justified by faith, they

have peace with God, yea, a peace which passeth all understanding.

And they rejoice in him, knowing their sins are blotted out; that they

are accepted in the beloved, and that they are going to an inheritance

incorruptible undefiled, and that fadeth not away.

6. Will you reply to all this, “But I am a soldier, and have therefore

nothing to do with these things?” Hold! Have soldiers nothing to do

with death? How so? Do soldiers never die? can you fright death away?

No, my friend; he will not regard all your big words and looks; nor all

the weapons of your warfare. You can neither conquer, nor escape him.

Your profession may excuse you from many other things; but there is

no excusing yourself from death. Are you less sure of this than other

men are? No; there is one lot for all. Are you farther from it than

they? Nay, rather nearer. You live in the very jaws of death. Why then

a soldier (if there be any difference) has more to do with death than

other men. It is not far from every one of us: but, to him, it is just

at the door.

7. Or, do you fancy a soldier has nothing to do with judgment? Will

you say then (as poor Captain _Uratz_ did, when he was ask’d a few

minutes before his death, if he had made his peace with God) “I hope

God will deal with me like a gentleman?” But God said unto him, “Thou

fool! I will deal with thee, as with all mankind. There is no respect

of persons with me. I reward every man according to his works.” Thou

also shalt receive of the righteous judge, according to the things

which thou hast done in the body. Death levels all; it mingles in

one dust the gentleman, soldier, clown and beggar; it makes all these

distinctions void. When life ends so do they. Holy or unholy is the one

question then. Lo! the books are opened, that all the dead may be

judged according to the things that are written therein! O may thy name

be found written in the book of life!

8. For, have soldiers nothing to do with hell? Why then is it so often

in _thy_ mouth? Dost thou think God does not hear the prayer? And

how often hast thou prayed him, _To damn thy soul_? Is his ear waxed

heavy that it cannot hear? I fear thou wilt find it otherwise. Was not

he a soldier too, (and a terrible one) to whom God said of old, “Hell

from beneath is moved for thee, to meet thee at thy coming?” And what

marvel? For sin is the high road to hell. And have soldiers nothing

to do with sin? Alas! How many of you wallow therein, yea and glory in

your shame? How do you labour to work out your own damnation! O poor

work, for poor wages! The wages of sin is death; the wages of cursing,

of swearing, of taking the name of God in vain, of sabbath-breaking,

drunkenness, revenge, of fornication, adultery, and all uncleanness.

Now, art thou clear of these? Does not thy own heart smite thee? Art

thou not condemned already? What voice is that which sounds in thine

ears? Is it not the voice of God? Shall I not visit for these things,

saith the Lord? Shall not my soul be avenged on such a sinner as this?

It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God! Be very

sure that thou art stronger than he, before thou fliest in his face! Do

not defy God, unless thou canst overcome him. But canst thou indeed? O

no. Do not try. Do not dare him to do his worst. Why should he destroy

both thy body and soul in hell? Why shouldst thou be punished with

everlasting destruction, from the presence of the Lord and from the

glory of his power?

*9. But if there were no other hell, thou hast hell enough within thee.

An awakened conscience is hell. Pride, envy, wrath, hatred, malice,

revenge; what are these but hell upon earth? And how often art thou

tormented in these flames? Flames of lust, envy, or proud wrath? Are

not these to thy soul, when blown up to the height, as it were a lake

of fire, burning with brimstone? Flee away before the great gulph is

fixt: escape, escape for thy life! If thou hast not strength, cry to

God, and thou shalt receive power from on high: and he whose name is

rightly called Jesus, shall save thee from thy sins.

10. And why should he not? Has a soldier nothing to do with heaven? God

forbid that you should think so! Heaven was designed for _you_ also.

God so loved _your_ soul, that he gave his only begotten Son, that you,

believing in him, might not perish, but have everlasting life. Receive

then the kingdom, prepared for you from the foundation of the world!

This, this is the time to make it sure; this short, uncertain day of

life. Have you then an hour to spare? No; not a moment. Arise, and

call upon thy God. Call upon the Lamb who taketh away the sins of the

world, to take away thy sins. Surely he hath borne _thy_ griefs, and

carried _thy_ sorrows! He was wounded for _thy_ transgressions, and

bruised for _thy_ iniquities. He hath paid the ransom for _thy_ soul.

Believe in him, and thou shalt be saved. Art thou a sinner? He came,

not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Art thou a lost,

undone sinner? He came to seek and to save that which was lost. May

he that gave himself for thee, give thee ears to hear, and a heart

to understand his love! So shalt thou also say, “The life I now live,

I live by faith in the Son of God.” So shall the love of God be shed

abroad in _thy_ heart, and thou shalt rejoice with joy unspeakable.

Thou shalt have the mind that was in Christ, and shalt so walk as he

also walked; till having fought the good fight, and finished thy course,

thou receive the crown that fadeth not away!

The End of the NINTH VOLUME.