don, and engage in the fervice of God; and with all the wicked, with thofe lewd and abandoned women, to whom you devote your fervice, and in whofe fcandalous company and filthy embra ces you gratify your bafe and fwinifh lufts. O knowing the terrors of the Lord, be perfuaded to flee from the wrath to come. Will neither the joys of heaven, nor the terrors of hell, induce you to confult your own happiness?. Shall God, and Chrift, and the Holy Spirit, call and invite you to life and glory; and will ye ftill give a deaf ear to all entreaties and 'remonftrances ? Be aftonished, O heavens! and confounded, O earth! Behold, now is the accepted time! behold, now is the day of falvation! To-day, if ye will hear the voice of the Son of God, harden not your hearts. Death will foon overtake you, and hell from beneath will be moved for you to meet you at your coming. In a little time it will be proclaimed, that time fhall be no more as to you. And what will ye do in the day of vifitation? to whom will ye flee for help, and where will ye leave your glory? Once more, I entreat you, with 'tears in my eyes, with a heart pained and grieved for your godlefs and graceless ftate and life, and trembling with fear left you perifh for ever, to believe in the Lord Jefus Chrift, who is now willing to receive you with outstretched arms, and to blefs you with a full pardon for all your trefpaffes and rebellions, to cancel all your offences, and admit you to a ftate of favour and friendship with him, and at laft bring you to glory. But if ye will not come unto him; if ye live and die in a ftate of unbelief, and difregard of the great falvation, yc fhall perish without pity. Then fhall mercy that now allures and invites you, and judgment that now threatens you, accomplish your ruin, and exult in your deftruc

tion. It will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for you. O fly to Jefus, take fhelter under the wings of mercy, and hide yourselves under the Redeemer's righteoufnefs. Behold, God is bringing the righteousness of Chrift near to you; lay hold of it for the Lord's fake, as, unless you approach unto God clothed with that righteoufnefs, ye will perifh for ever. Mercy is now your only plea; and the righteousness of Chrift is exhibited to you, as the foundation of your access to God, and acceptance with him. Receive Chrift Jefus the Lord; and as ye have received him, fo walk in him, being fruitful in every good work, and increafing in the knowledge of God. Remember, that as great finners as you have been faved. The heavenly region is peopled with perfons that have been as vile, wicked, and corrupt as you. Many of the inhabitants of the heavenly country have been fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, thieves, covetous, drunkards, and extortioners; but they were washed, fanctified, and juftified in the name of the Lord Jefus, and by the Spirit of our God. But, on the other hand, remember that any fio continued in will bring the finner to hell. Know therefore, that no whoremonger, drunkard, nor unclean perfon, who lives and dies fuch, fhall have any inheritance in the kingdom of Chrift, and of God. And let no man deceive you with vain words, for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of difobedience. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, whoremongers, and idolaters, fhall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimftone; which is the second death. And there fhall in no wife enter into the heavenly Jerufalem any

thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie.

"To conclude, (for my strength is gone): Let me advise you, as you regard the glory of God, and would not perifh for ever, to abftain from all those lewd houses which ye have haunted former. ly; forfake the company and converfation of all lewd women, and men who frequent their com. pany. Go not to public houfes; or, if ye have neceffary calls, ftay as fhort time as poffible; and drink in moderation, and not to excefs. Drunkenness is often the inlet to uncleannefs; and a being flustered with liquor was perhaps the feafon when you first commenced unclean, in act at least. Ply your ftudies diligently, and endeavour to lay up ftore of knowledge in your refpective profes fions, that you may be fitly qualified for whatever office the Lord in his Providence fhall employ you in. Carefully read and meditate upon the holy fcriptures, and join frequent and fervent prayer with your reading, that the Lord may open your hearts to understand the scriptures. Be ftrict and regular in fanctifying the Lord's day, attend upon public worship, and feek out fuch minifters as preach Chrift and him crucified, who infift upon the diftinguishing and peculiar doctrines of Chriftianity, and prefs holiness of heart and life from faith in Chrift, and a life of faith upon the Son of God, and union with him, as the fource and fountain of all true virtue, morality, and holinefs. And join in the worship that is most pure, fimple, and free from the trumpery of human ceremonies and inventions. Still maintain a friendly correlpondence with one another. Meet in your rooms refpectively, and let your converse be about the things of God, and thofe which relate to your eternal concerns. Inftruct, pray for, and with one another. But fornication, and all uncleanness,

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uncleannefs, let it not be once named among you, as becometh faints: neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jefting, which are not convenient; but rather giving of thanks. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minifter grace to the hearers. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. And be not drunk with wine wherein is excefs, but be filled with the Spirit.

"Now, my brethren, I have fet life and death before you, curfing and bleffing. Chufe the life, that you may be happy for ever. Remember, that he that is often reproved, and yet hardeneth his neck, fhall fuddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy. But I hope better things of you, and things that accompany falvation, though I thus fpeak. I conclude with the apoftolical be nediction, The grace of the Lord Jefus Chrift, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghoft, be with you all. Amen!-I thank you kindly for the time you have staid, and the attention you have given to what I have faid, I have no more to fay, but only to defire you will vifit me often, that I may talk to you further up on the things of God."

On this all the company retired, and my dear friend, quite spent with long speaking, foon after went to bed, filled with a more than ordinary serenity of mind; which made me conclude he would get a refreshing night's reft. But I foon perceived he was likely to reft very ill, though he lay pretty calm. After I had lain down in my couch, I began to reflect on the excellent difcourfe I had heard; and could not but wifh and defire that my valuable friend might recover, and devote himself to the work of the ministry. For,

thought

thought I, if he without any ftudy or preparation could deliver fo evangelical and accurate a difcourfe on fuch a variety of topics; if he could fpeak with fo much precifion and eloquence, even extempore, on the great doctrines relating to fin and falvation, the fall and redemption of loft finners; if he, though unprepared, was fo warm and pathetic in addrefling the confciences of men ; what a noble appearance would he make, what a fine pulpit-orator would he be, after a courfe of study and preparation? what a public bleffing to mankind? what a fon of thunder for awakening a fecure and fleeping generation? I could not but wish he had been mounted on a defk, and all the careless finners in town gathered about him, that they might have been bleffed with the excellent difcourfe he had delivered. But unavailing were my wishes, ineffectual were my prayers, as the fequel will teftify.

CHA P. VIII.

Mr Ts expresses his fatisfaction after reflecting on his addrejs to his companions in iniquity. His reflections on the profpect of death, and repentance for his lewd life; with his affectionate Speech to

the author.

After I had awoke next morning, and my

friend and I had performed our fecret and focial devotions, I fat down on his bed-fide; and found, though he had got very little reft all the. night, that he was in a quiet and composed frame. He spoke to me with an unusual affection and regard; and taking me kindly by the hand, addreffed me as follows.

"My dear and refpected friend, I have had the most agreeable night that ever I fpent in my

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life.