change of the views, feelings, and dispositions of the soul, effected by the operation of the Holy Spirit. Without this, I neither expect to enter the New Jerusalem myself, nor to see any one else there. He who cannot lie hath said, "Ye must be born again ;" and sooner shall the heavens pass away, than one jot or title of his word shall fail. Are we the subjects of this change? If we are, we are safe on the Rock of ages, have deposited our treasures in the bright world of glory, and the united powers of earth and hell can never prevent our salvation. But if we are not, we are condemned already; the law thunders its tremendous curses; the wrath of Omnipotence abides on our souls, and hell with all its horrors is open before While in this state, we practically say to the Almighty," Depart from us; we desire not the knowledge of thy ways; we will not have thee to reign over us;" we live in continual violation of his holy commands; we foster the malignant iniquities of our desperately wicked hearts, and we make incessant and rapid advances to that land where hope sheds not its soothing balm, where mercy drops not a cheering solace.

us.

It is a solemn consideration, my friend, that, till we act from holy principles, we can do nothing well pleasing to God. For he can accept of no services which do not flow from love to him; and of true love to him, every unrenewed heart is entirely destitute. Hence the vast importance of immediate repentance, and lively faith in Christ our Lord. Every moment we procrastinate these great duties, we hazard all the bliss of heaven; and for aught we know, fix our future destiny in the abyss of despair. Shall we, can we, be regardless of the things that belong to our peace? Have we no concern for these souls of ours, which must survive all sublunary things,

and live forever beyond the grave? Do we despise that salvation which a Saviour bled to purchase; and which now he tenders from his exalted throne," without money and without price ?" Shall we not awake from our dan gerous slumbers, and use every effort to obtain an interest in that kingdom which shall stand forever? Surely it is time. We have passed many precious years in the service of the prince of darkness. The remainder of our allotted time must be short. The last sand will soon

drop; and then all that is undone, must be undone forever. The closing period of life, how unutterably solemn! How precious will the religion of the cross then be! a religion which can diffuse immortal comforts around the pillow of death, strip the last enemy of all his terrors, and open the gate of paradise to the separating spirit. How desirable then to have that hope, which shall be an anchor to the soul amidst the struggles of dissolving nature, and direct the closing eye to a country where the tempestuous storms, which rage in this adverse clime, never, never rise; but where unruffled peace spreads its heavenly charms, and joys divinely transporting forever grow! But that eventful moment, which crowns the Christians' hope with full fruition, destroys the hope of the hypocrite, and whelms his soul in endless woe. Then "tired dissimulation drops its mask;" every refuge of lies, every false comfort flees away, and all dreams of future glory are transformed into sad realities of everlasting misery. The self-deceived and deluded hypocrite, who had fondly imagined himself sure of heaven, shall too late bewail his mistake, when surrounded by the eternal flames. His hope expires with his breath, and leaves him to the corroding anguish of unutterable disappointment.

O my friend, we have reason to tremble in view of these awful truths. Should we build our houses upon the

sand, they will fall before the rising storm, and bury our souls in irreparable ruins. Let us not madly bind a hope to our bosoms which will facilitate our destruction, and forsake our sinking spirits in the opening light of futurity. Let us not think we are tracing the upward path to Zion's hill, while we are bending our course to the mansions of despair. Without holiness we shall never gain admittance into those regions where consummate purity for ever reigns. Natural amiableness without grace, will avail nothing with Him whose eyes are like a flame of fire, to search the heart and try the reins of the children of men. We may have many moral virtues, many pleasing qualities and attainments, and yet be void of every good exercise, and far from that way of peace which leads to glory on high. A false hope is easily imbibed, but perhaps seldom eradicated, till death unveils eternity.

O my friend, let me earnestly entreat you to examine the ground on which you stand, and realize you do it for eternity. Your everlasting all is implicated. You are amenable to a tribunal from which there is no appeal; the decisions of which must be perfectly just and unalterable. This is your day of probation. It is hastening away; and every moment, as it passes, can no more return. Look a little forward, and view approaching death, judgment and eternity. The scenes of mortality will soon terminate; the enchanting beauties of earth will recede forever from our grasp; but the consequences of our conduct will be infinitely interesting, and abide through rolling ages. And when eternity shall be our portion, we shall see these truths in all their energy, solemnity, and awful import.

Let me urge you, my friend, to prepare to meet your God. Let me entreat you to realize your situation, to awake to your own eternal good, to secure Christ for

your

Redeemer and your God, before he shall assume the seat of judgment, and award incorrigible sinners to the "blackness of darkness" forever. Except you bow before Jesus in humble abasement, be sprinkled with his atoning blood, and appropriate his salvation to yourself by faith, you can never find that rest which remains for the children of God. Give conscience leave to speak, and attend without delay to its faithful admonitions. O give not slumber to your eyes, till your soul rests securely on the glorious Corner-Stone laid in Zion; for there only will you find safety, when the incensed wrath of Omnipotence shall burst in one eternal storm on all the impenitent. Take refuge this moment in those arms, which once were transfixed with rugged nails for the rescue of perishing worms, and which are now benevolently expanded to embrace repenting sinners. All things are now ready. The door of heaven is wide open; and the way which leads thither is exactly pointed out in the oracles of eternal truth. Will you not, then, be wise for

eternity?

Be assured, my friend, I have sought your best good in penning these important truths. I can give you no greater proof of my friendship, than I have now manifested. Let me indulge the fond hope, that you will receive this with candour, and as though it were my dying advice, attend to it with deep solicitude. If you find any thing repugnant to scripture, reject it with abhorrence; but if these things are true, they merit our solemn consideration. I commend you to him, who alone can savingly illuminate your soul, and guide your feet to yonder hill of Zion, where all the redeemed of the Lord shall stand in immortal glory, and make the celestial plains to ring with songs of joy. My dear, dear friend, with the

mɔst tender anxiety, with ardent wishes for your future felicity, I bid you an affectionate adieu.

FANNY.

O make God your friend, and heaven your home.

LETTER TO MRS A. N. OF WENHAM.

Beverly, Sept. 3, 1814.

I SEIZE a hasty moment, my friend, from the necessary refreshment of sleep, to write you a few lines.

May I ask, are you near to God by the blood of sprinkling, or far off in nature's darkness? Have you meat to eat that the world knows nothing of, or do you feed your immortal mind with the perishable husks of earthly joys? If our comfort be scriptural, it will be accompanied with the renunciation of all known sin, a vigorous performance of all known duties, a dread of temptation, and an habitual desire to please God. In keeping the commandments there is great reward. But the joy and con fidence which are not materially lessened by the commission of sin, may well be suspected to arise from a wrong source. True religious joy will lead us to watch and pray, to be humble and penitent at the feet of Jesus, to deny ourselves and take up the cross, and walk in the path of duty, however strait and narrow, however beset with difficulties and trials. All other joy is vain, is dangerous, and calculated to lull us to sleep in thoughtless security, till our souls sink in the flames of hell.

Many, it is to be feared, deceive their own souls, thinking themselves something, when they are nothing, imagining they are christians, while they retain their native love of evil, and are destitute of saving grace. Many, who profess themselves the children of God, have no part nor lot in the salvation of Christ, and will hear.