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water, yet learn more wit than to venture on hell-fire.

Do you think these are but empty words? Believe you not a life to come? If you do not, your unbelief shall not procure your escape; but experience shall convince you, and make you, in despite of you, believe or confess that there is an endless life that you should have provided for. If you do believe it, are you out of your wits, man, to believe one thing and do another?-to believe that you are near to heaven or hell, and yet make light of it!

O, Sir, it is but a few days that you have to take your fleshly pleasures in; but it is long, and long indeed that you must suffer for it, if speedy, sound conversion prevent it not. How many years must your rotten flesh and bones lie in the earth, while your soul is paying dear for your wilfulness? And how many millions of years after must soul and body lie in hell? Will you take comfort in the remembrance of your present pleasures? Will it ease your torments, think you, to remember that once you had your will, and once you gratified your flesh ?

Sir, deal plainly and not deceitfully with yourself. Are you considerately resolved to sell all your hopes of heaven for your pleasure? Are you resolved of it? Will you make so mad a bargain? Will you venture upon hell for a little sensual delight? If this be your deliberate resolution, you be not worthy the name of a man, nor worthy to come into the company of men. If it be not, what mean you, to do it? The Governor and Judge of the world hath

told you, that they that are after the flesh, do mind the things of the flesh; and they that are after the spirit, the things of the spirit ; that to be carnally minded is death; that if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die;-that they who are in the flesh cannot please God-and that, if any man have not the spir[ it of Christ, he is none of his.

Sir, all these, and a hundred more such, are the true words of God, which I mind you of, that you may see who it is that you are so bold with, and what it is that you cast your soul on. Jest not with damnation. Hearken not to the suggestions of your vain imagination, nor to the deceitful words of prating sensualists, when you see the words of God against them; remember who you are, and where you stand: though you are a gentleman, you are but a lump of walk, ing dirt, as to that bodily part which you pamper. You are continually in the hand of God. How afraid am I, lest I should ere long hear of your death, and so you should be past recovery in hell, and out of the reach of warnings and advice! And what a base dishonor is it to your understanding, that you should set so high an estimate on the sordid delights of your fleshly mind, as to cast away God and Christ, and heaven, and soul, and friends, and credit, and conscience, and all for them!

Why, Sir, is it really your judgment that your fleshly pleas sures are worth all these? If it be, what a blind and sottish mind have you? I dare say and profess, that no man in Bedlam hath a greater error. If it be not your judgment, will you go against your own judgment? Why, in this, you are far worse

thoughts.

than any beast; for a beast hath it your most sober solitary no reason to rule his appetite, and so disobeyeth not his reason; but you have reason, if you will not stifle and bury it, but use it. What is it that you love so much better than God, than Christ, than heaven, and all? Is it drink and play, and fleshly pleasure? Why a heathen, a Turk, a dog, a swine, hath his part in these as well as you. Take it not ill that I speak to you in so plain and homely a phrase. I tell you the day is even at hand when your tongue shall confess that I spoke not half so ill of your way of folly as it doth deserve. | You have read in Luke, (the sixteenth) of him that was tormented in hell, because he had his good things in this life, in gay clothing and delicious fare: and how much worse than this do you!

Ö, Sir, remember sin is deceitful, the flesh is base, the world is worthless, pleasures here are short; but God is of infinite perfection; heaven is a certain durable possession; holiness is sweet and amiable; the life of godliness is clean, and safe, and pleasant.

I am loth to word it with you any further; but address myself to you, in the grief of my heart, for your sin and misery, with these three important requests, which I intreat you, that you will not deny me.

First, That you will, patiently and considerately, read over and over this letter which I write to you.

Secondly, That you will deliberately read over this treatise of conversion, which herewith I send you; and as you go, examine your soul by it, and allow

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Thirdly, That you would presently, this night, betake yourself to God in prayer, on your knees, and lament with tears your former folly, and earnestly beg his pardoning grace, and beseech him to give you a new, a holy, a mortified mind; and make this seriously your daily practice; and then, go to your father, and on your knees, confess your sin and disobedience, and beg his pardon, and promise unfeignedly to do so no more; and that from this day forward, you will take your fleshly disposition for the great and dangerous enemy of your soul; on the conquest of which your salvation lieth; and which you must study to subdue, and not to please. Read what Paul himself thought necessary;* and that you never more meddle with sports and recreations, or drink, or other fleshly pleasures, but soberly and ordinately, and no more than is needful to fit you for the service of God; and that your care and business, and every day's work may be (when you have bewailed your youthful folly) to do God all the service that you can, and make ready for your appearing before the Lord; and make sure of that everlasting glory which you have forfeited.

Go not out of doors till you have examined yourself whether you go upon your master's business; and whether your work be such that you could be comfortably found in, if death shall call you before you come in again.

* 1 Cor. ix. 25-27.

One thing is needful, and all things else are toys. Choose the better parts, which shall never be taken from you ;† hate such a disposition as hankers after sensual brutish delights, and loveth pleasures more than God; and had rather be at sports, or drinking, than in his service; and loves the company of merry jovial fools better than of them that fear the Lord; and had rather sport and talk away time, than spend it in preparing for eternal glory; for if this be the present frame of your mind, as true as the word of God is true, you are dead in sin, and an heir of hell; and cannot be saved, unless converting, saving grace, do make you a new creature, and give you a new heart, so that old things pass away, and all things become new with you. §

Sir, I again beseech you to grant me these three requests that I have made to you. It would rejoice me much to hear of your conversion, as it grieves me to hear what you are, and fear what you will be. If you yield thus much to God and me, you will have the everlasting comfort of it. If you will not, I do testify to your face, that it is not your fleshly pleasures, nor idle, delusory companions, nor your unbelief, stupidity, false imaginations, or childish folly, that shall save you from the burning wrath of God; and I profess, I had rather be a toad And let me add, the words of a dying mother, and the earnest requests of her and your yet surviving friend, shall witness against you before the Lord, and aggravate that load

than you.

+ Luke x. 42. Psa. xv. 4. $ 2 Cor. v. 17.

that must be on your soul to all eternity.

Sir, nobody shall know from me what I write to you, if you keep it to yourself and amend; and as long as no eye seeth it but your own, the plainest dealing, in so great a cause, can be no injury to you. But let me tell you, if you shall go on in folly, and turn not unto God, and live not in his fear, perhaps I may publish to the knowledge of the world the admonition which I have given you, that your name may rot to all posterity; and it may appear, that if you were disobedient to a dying mother, yet, I was faithful to the last charge of a dying friend; and if you durst abuse the Lord by sinning, so durst not I by letting you alone. But God forbid that you should put me to this! I cannot, I will not yet give up my hope, that God hath mercy for a son of so many prayers and tears which have been poured out for you by a saint now in heaven; and which, the Lord is witness, are seconded with the tears of your surviving monitor, with which these lines were begun, and are now ending; and which shall be followed with my prayers, while God will give me a heart to pray, that you may presently prove a returning prodigal; that both your earthly and heavenly father may rejoice, and say, This our son was dead, and is alive again; was lost, and is found. (Luke xv. 32.) I pray you, read the whole chapter.

Sir, I remain an earnest desirer of your conversion and salvation,

RICHARD BAXTER.

Sept. 17th, 1657.

TO THE EDITORS OF THE CON- |
NECTICUT EVANGELICAL MA-
GAZINE.

REV. GENTLEMEN,

THE Society mentioned in the following address, is termed the Female Missionary Society.Each subscriber, pays 50 cents per annum.-The monies collected, are to be appropriated for the purchasing of the bible and other religious books, which are to be distributed among the needy inhabitants of our new settlements, and other places, as shall be thought expedient. Your's,

PHILA.

An Address, written by a female, to the Female Missionary Society, Massachusetts.

A

lief of our poor heathen breth-
ren, who are perishing in native
darkness; can we be destitute of
gratitude to him? What can
mo e sensibly touch the feelings
of a tender, pious heart, than
this consideration, that one soul
should perish for the want of
knowledge? Can any one feel
the power of religion, and not
wish to have others feel the
same? If we have ever tasted
that the Lord is gracious, we
shall long to have others partake
with us.
We shall unite with
the psalmist and say, "Oh, taste
and see that the Lord is good :
blessed is the man that trusteth
in him." Psalm xxxiv. 8. If the
bible has ever been opened to us,
(for to the natural man it is a
sealed book) and we have been
able to say with the Psalmist ;—
thy word have I hid in my heart;

Worthy and respectable friends, RE we not engaged in a thy word is a lamp unto my glorious cause, and may feet, and a light to my path ;we not hope for the divine pres- I rejoice at thy word, as one that ence of our God, and expect his findeth great spoil :-thy word blessing to rest upon us? What is very pure; therefore thy sercan be more animating to a heav- vant loveth it.-Oh how love I en born soul, than to be striving thy law; 'tis my meditation all to advance the interest of the the day. If, indeed, we have dear Redeemer, and doing every felt like this; our eyes have been thing in its power (the grace of opened, to see wondrous things God attending) to build up his out of the law. And if so, we kingdom in this world? Saith shall be ready to improve every David," while I was musing the opportunity, that God gives us, fire burned: then spake I with my to manifest our love for our dear tongue." Ps. xxxix. 3. Methinks Lord and Master. How thankthat every child of God must and ful ought we to be, to the Suwill say, when he reflects upon preme Being, that we are indulthe late happy meeting of the ged this precious opportunity, Female Society; how transport- which we now enjoy? Is it not ing and soul refreshing was that animating, to think of being used precious season!--And when we as instruments in the hand of contemplate upon that wise and the great God, of bringing some judicious plan, which was pro- poor, ignorant souls to the posed by our worthy and Rever- knowledge of the truth as it is in end pastor, that of forming our- Christ Jesus? It surely is. If selves into a society, for the pur- we love God; if we love Jesus pose of contributing for the re-Christ, the blessed son of God;

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I send the promise of my Father
upon you therefore up all ye
fearful ones, and lay hold of the
promise of God, that thereby
you may be quickened in your
duty. The Bible tells us, that
he who waters shall be watered
again. Then fear not to sprin-
kle a few drops upon the dis-
tant parched land. And while
we thus water, will not the dew
descend upon us from above, in
plentiful showers. If we trust
in Jesus, that he will be in the
midst of us, we need not fear
who is without?
What greater

encouragement can we wish for?
We must not however, expect
to enjoy this privilege unmoles-
ted. We must look out for tri-
als, that will perhaps sift the true
Christian as wheat. Many re-

My dear Christian friends, have not your hearts burned within you, as did the hearts of the two disciples, when on their way to Emmaus, and conversing about their dear Lord, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them? Has not this been the case with some of you when Jesus has really drawn near, and opened to you the scriptures; drawn back the veil, and enlight-proaches have already, and will ened the eyes of your understanding? While thus your eyes have been opened, to see and know your dear Lord, have you not run and told his disciples, that the Lord has risen indeed. Methinks some can answer in the affirmative. If so, then will they rejoice to send these glad tidings of great joy, to our poor heathen brethren. And while we thus do, and meet together, to commune one with another upon this benevolent plan; may we not hope that Jesus will be in the midst of us and say, peace be unto you? Then, what calm serenity and heavenly peace will sit upon every countenance; if Jesus deigns to converse with us.

But it may be, that some will be filled with doubts and fearful apprehensions. If so, his words are, why are ye troubled, and why do thoughts arise in your hearts; behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. And behold VOL. V. No. 2.

still be cast, upon the Female Society. This is no sure evidence that the cause is not good, or that the work is not the Lord's. Jesus plainly taught his disciples that in the world they should have tribulation-but comforting words follow: Be of good cheer, I have overcome world. It is enough that the servant should be as his master.

the

Christ says, if they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you. We shall have enemies without, and perhaps, some within, who will not be friendly to the cause, and they may bring up an evil report of this good work. But, my friends, let us not fear, neither be cast down. But rather obey Jesus,and stretch forth the hand of faith and lay hold of those promises of God, which are applicable in such a case. No weapon formed against thee shall prosper-and every tongue that shall rise up against thee in judgment thou shalt K

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