may almighty grace prevent) every day and every hour you live here, you will be treasuring up wrath against the day of wrath, increasing fuel to feed that fire which will torture you with unspeakable and eternal woe. I direct my eyes to the regions of despair, and look for one of its most miserable inhabitants. Ah! a lost child of believing parents rises to my view. Enwrapt in the blackness of darkness, she addresses me from the prison of hell," My parents, blessed with eminent piety, consecrated me early to God. They sought the sanctifying grace of Heaven for my soul with many a prayer and many a tear. They nurtured my infant days with tender unremitting assiduity. They cherished and cultivated my opening powers with the most solicitous and affectionate attention. They instructed me in the great doctrines and duties of Christianity. They strove, by precept and example, to draw me from the path of destruction to the path of peace. Their house ever afforded an altar, upon which the morning and evening sacrifice ascended to heaven; so that I had line upon line, and precept upon precept. But I, fool that I was, hardened myself in iniquity, till the harvest was past, and the summer was ended. My day of probation closed. Fear, desolation, and destruction, came upon me as a whirlwind. And now I must cry in accents of doleful despair, How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof."

Dreadful as this representation is, my young friend, it is realized, fully and awfully realized, by many wretched beings in the lake of fire; and the number will probably be increased. O make not one of the company. You are favoured with many advantages for the acquirement of true piety. But should you misin prove or neglect them,

they will aggravate your condemnation, and enhance the misery of hell. In this case you would envy the poor untutored Hottentot, who had spent his days in wandering over burning sands, whose eyes had never seen a bible nor a Christian, whose ears had never been saluted with a Saviour's name. My heart gladdens at the thought of your privileges; but when I think of the depravity of nature, and the deceitfulness of sin, I rejoice with trem bling.

But, my friend, why will you not be a Christian? Why will you not give joy to your parents, to your pious friends, to the holy spirits in heaven, by your early devotion of heart, and soul, and life, and all, to your glorious Creator?

Peculiarly blest are those, who turn to God in the morning of life, and consecrate to the services of religion the vigour of their affections, powers, and faculties. Com mencing in the bloom of youth a journey to yon celestial world, being planted early in the courts of their God, they shall flourish in usefulness and felicity, exhibit eminent examples of the native excellence of piety, reflect honour on their divine Saviour, and hereafter shine in the kingdom of God with immortal splendour. By embracing religion, and declaring themselves pilgrims and strangers here, when earth appears in its most alluring attire, and presents its most powerfully attractive temptations, their piety is not only almost unquestionable, but singularly lovely. They will rejoice that they gave to God the dew of their youth, and forever adore that grace which led them to adopt a course so wise, so happy, so honourable to God, so fraught with heaven. And will you not, my dear friend, select this course for yours? Will you not early repent of your sins, seek pardoning mercy, and secure an interest in the merits of the Saviour? Will you

not ensure a seat in the regions of a glorious immortality, where the righteous shall reign in everlasting light, when the earth shall be destroyed, and all the wicked shall be turned into hell?

You are now destitute of all good, inclined to evil; and without new feelings you can never see God in peace. As you now are, you are totally unfit for heaven; you are lingering about the entrance of eternal perdition; and nothing but the mere mercy of God, that mercy which you forfeit every moment, continues you in this land of hope. Should God in awful vengeance cut you off now, say, my dear young friend, where would you be? Would you not be lost and ruined for ever? And will you, can you, rest sin this hazardous situation? Shall I not urge you to flee from the threatening danger to the refuge which the gospel exhibits? Come then to Jesus Christ. Bow to his sceptre; welcome him to your heart, and you will be -happy forever. You will find him all that you can wish,.a Redeemer mighty to save, a Physician able to make you whole, a Sun to enlighten and guide,a Shield to guard and defend, a Friend infinitely powerful and compassionate, a glorious Resting pace through all the changes of time, through all the ages of eternity.

Shall he not be yours? OI entreat you, if you have any regard for your future well-being, if you wish to be holy and blessed forever, resign yourself cordially into his dear faithful hands, and choose him for your portion, your God, and your all. Defer not another moment, lest that moment should place you beyond the reach of mercy, beyond the solace of hope, Death cannot be far distant. Many, younger than you, have taken their flight to the bar of God. In some unexpected instant, you may fall before the universal conqueror, and go to receive your

doom for eternity. You know you must die, and let me affectionately tell you, that you may die soon. O then I entreat you to prepare without delay. You will never, never repent of loving and serving God, nor of doing it too early. Religion is the only thing you will want on the agonizing pillow of death, and if it is needful then, is it not important that you should possess it now, since this night your soul may be required of you. God is waiting to be gracious; the Saviour's arms are open to receive you; but if you continue to rebel, He that sits upon the throne may swear in his wrath you shall never see his rest.

What more shall I say? What more can I say? Θ that I could tell you of that eternity to which you are hastening. O that I could lead you to think of those ages on ages, which shall never end; which you and I, and all rational beings, must spend in heaven or hell. This eternity we must soon enter; and become acquainted with joy or sorrow greater than we can now conceive. My beloved friend, think of these things. Attend to the things that make for your peace, before they are forever hidden from your eyes. Listen to the voice of conscience, to the warnings and invitations you daily receive, to Him who speaks from above in accents of love," Give me thy heart."

I commend you to the pious instructions of your parents and friends. I commend you to the counsel, benediction, and keeping of your father's God. May the Lord renovate and sanctify your heart, guide you in life, comfort you in death, and bless you with his love through eternity.

Remember me with affection to your honoured parents,. with a wish for the best of heaven's blessings to rest upon.

their souls, and the souls of their children. Love dear Betsy, and listen to her advice.

F.

LETTER TO MRS E. C. OF WENHAM.

MY DEAR MRS C.

Beverly, Sep. 2, 1814.

You requested me to write, and my own inclination urges me to comply with your request. In treating on the great truths of the gospel, truths of more importance to your soul and mine than language can express, I shall write with plainness; and you cannot surely wish me to do otherwise.

In reply to my question, whether you had a hope, I think you observed, that you sometimes feared you had no evidence. It remains then to inquire, what are the evidences of a well grounded hope,-that hope which none but a Christian can possess. I apprehend these evidences are, love, supreme love to the glorious character of God, as exhibited in his word and works; a governing regard to his glory; a conformity of heart to his moral image; a cordial delight in his holy law; a constant and vigorous endeavour to keep all his commandments; a hatred to sin in all its various forms and actings; a most endearing affection and union to Jesus Christ; and entire reliance on his merits. I might ennumerate many more; but these are sufficient to enable you to decide, whether your hope be true or false. Permit me to say, that no person in a state of nature, ever possessed one of these evidences, and every Christian possesses all, and other concomitant

enes.

Great, my friend, is that change of heart necessary to an entrance into the kingdom of heaven. It is a radical