of his soul are very low, and all his desires to wards God in a lukewarm and languishing state. While he thus conducts, he can have little or no religious comfort, and all who behold his inconsistent and careless walk, have reason to call in question all his former evidences of piety. How dangerous is his state! He complies with one solicitation after another, he allows himself one carnal indulgence after another, conforms to one worldly requisition after another, and still descending with the stream, who knows where it will land him? My dear friend, we are not to go to the world, and see how far it will permit us to follow Christ, and still retain its friendship. No, we have an infallible guide and standard, to which we must resort, which lifts its monitory voice, and cries, "Whosoever will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God." O may we learn to detach our affections from earth, and rivet them on joys unchangeable and immeasurable. Yours affectionately, F. W.

Letter to Mr. D. S. of Beverly, then at Bradford

My dear Friend,

Academy.

Beverly, Sept. 29, 1813.

WITH tender anxiety and growing solicitude for your spiritual welfare, I improve a few hasty moments in writing to you, imploring the Holy Spirit to guide my pen to a word in season, and impress on your heart and conscience the great truths I suggest. The idea that I am addressing an immortal being, fills my soul with holy dread, and urges, irresisti

bly urges, me to plainness and faithfulness, the I am sensible I can say nothing but what has been already said to you.

You observe, (ah, my mind revolts at the thought,) you observe, I am fighting against God." Wo, wo unto him that striveth with his Maker. Has not God given you life, and has he not crowned this life with a plenitude of mercies? Has he not been your Preserver from infancy to the present moment, delivering you from imminent dangers, seen and unseen, when there was apparently but a step between you and endless death? Has he not opened the gate of heaven, and exhibited the glories of the upper world, and offered them to your acceptance, "without money and without price?" Has he not discovered to you the heart-rending miseries of the infernal pit, the awful and inevitable portion of all who die in their sins, and besought you to flee for refuge to the shadow of his wings? And now, as a return for all his favors and mercies, you hate him a worm of yesterday, rebelling against the Majesty of heaven, that Being who is the Centre of all perfection, glory and excellence, the Source of all felicity, the Fountain of living waters, the Giver of every good and perfect gift, who sways the sceptre of universal dominion, having all creatures and things under his control-whom cherubim and seraphim, angels and archangels, and all the glorious spirits of the redeemed love, extol and wor. ship, and before whose throne they cast their crowns in adoring wonder, ascribing all blessedness, might, power, dominion and glory to *He was in danger of drowning. See p. 100.

one vast and universal concert of praise-that Being, whose potent arm can crush ten thousand worlds, and sink his opposers into the abyss of wo O then, rush not on "the thick bosses of his buckler," and provoke not his direful indignation. Throw down the weapons of your rebellion, and submit to his righteous government. "Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace, thereby good shall come unto thee." "Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him," lest sudden destruction overtake you, and there be none to deliver. The bleeding Lamb of God will soon appear as the Lion of the tribe of Judah, roaring for his prey, pouring anguish, despair and wrath in one impetuous torrent on all those who would not have him to reign over them. He now sits on a mercy-seat, and in the most alluring accents invites you to his arms; but soon he will ascend his dread tribunal, and then he will consign all his incorrigible enemies to the mansions of despair. From those dreary abodes they cast their mournful eyes across the impassable gulf, and, viewing the golden harps and immortal crowns of Paradise, their souls are filled with keener anguish, and the tormenting reflection of what they have procured by their wretched folly, stings them to agony, madness and rage. No drop of water cools their scorched tongues; no beam of consolation sooths their harrowed spir its; no ray of hope mitigates the horror and darkness of their prison. O my friend, are you travelling that broad road, that conducts to all this misery? Change your course then, I beseech you, change your course instantly. Escape for

your life from this devoted Sodom; look not behind you, slacken not your pace, till you reach the place of safety.

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Do you feel poor, and wretched, and miserable, and blind, and naked? Go then to the sinner's Friend, and, at the foot of the blood-besprikled cross, find a tranquil refuge for your weary soul. Go to Gilead's Physician; give yourself up to his care; submit to his directions, follow his prescriptions; and your diseased soul will be in health, and prosper. I entreat you to fly f.om impending wrath to the only ark of safety. By the goodness, forbearance and mercy of God-by the tremendous scenes exhibited in Gethsemane and Golgotha-by all the endearing promises of the gospel-by the heartappalling thunders of Sinai-by the unutterable worth of your never dying soul-by the solemnities of death, judgment and eternityby all that is glorious in heaven, and dreadful in hell I conjure you this moment to renounce your sins, believe in Christ, and make a cordial and unreserved surrender of yourself to him. Remember the Spirit will not always strive. Christ will not always stand and knock. God will not always wait to be gracious. You have had many monitory calls, many precious opportunities, many kind invitations, and, if you do not improve them, you may never have any more; you may provoke God to take his Spirit from you, and leave you to walk in the sight of your own eyes, and after the imagination of your heart. This is the precious, seasonable moment, in which you may rejoice in the favor of God, triumph in the heavenly smiles of the divine Redeemer, in the cheer.

ing presence of the Holy Comforter, and call the joys of heaven your own.

But perhaps you have a hope, that you have embraced the blessed Jesus, and become reconciled to God. If so, let me humbly request you to examine and scrutinize that hope, and be sure it is warranted by the only infallible criterion, the word of God. Beware of building on a sandy foundation, lest, when the rains and storms descend and beat, it should give way, and leave you in confusion and consternation. Strive to obtain those evidences for heaven, which shall elevate your sinking spirits in the Jordan of death, and stand the test of the last judgment. Build your hopes for eternity on the immoveable Rock of ages; and you shall be safe in the awful hour of death, amidst the tremendous convulsions of the last day, and through the rounds of endless ages. Realize your utter nothingness and insufficiency, and the all-sufficincy, fullness and beauty of Immanuel. To those, that 'believe, Christ is unspeakably precious. Do you then, my friend, discern his loveliness, excellency and amiableness? and, renouncing every other dependence, do you rest entirely on him, and trust only in his righteousness and merits? Do you love the holy character of God, as delineated by the pen of inspiration? do you rejoice that he reigns? and do you hate ail sin, because of its contrariety to his holy law? If you possess these characteristic marks of the true disciples of Christ, you may take courage, and go on your way rejoicing. It would gladden my heart to see you coming up to the help of the Lord against the mighty, and joining the little