moting the kingdom of Christ beyond the narrow limits of his own congregation, and the confined space of a few short years.

In composing the subsequent pages, it has been the Author's wish to imitate the serious plainness which prevails in the writings of some of those eminent men, who lived a century and a half, or two centuries ago, rather than the more polished but much less impressive manner of the present age. Gospel truth is now often held forth in so refined a style, that the offence of the cross ceases, the force of divine truth is lost; it is little better than the mere wisdom of words, and has not much more effect than sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal.

How far the writer of this little book has succeeded in his aim, must now be left to the decision of God. If he deign to employ it as an instrument of advancing his cause, it will be successful; but if he have nothing for it to do, the sooner it shall sink into oblivion the better.

CHAPTER I.

INTRODUCTORY ADDRESS TO THE YOUNG READER.

§ 1. My dear young friend, if a person could rise from the dead to speak to you, could come from the other world to tell you what he had seen there, how attentively would you listen to his discourse, and how much would you be affected by it! Yet a messenger from the dead could not tell you more important things, than those to which I now beseech you to attend. I come to entreat you to give your heart to GOD; to follow the divine REDEEMER now; and to walk in the pleasant path of early piety. O that I could, with all the fervour of a dying man, beseech you to attend to your only great concerns for of how little consequence is this poor transient world to you, who have an eternal world to mind! -It is not to a trifle that I call your attention, but to your life, your all, your eternal all, your God, your Saviour, your heaven, your every thing that is worth a thought or a wish. Do not let a stranger be more anxious than yourself for your eternal welfare. If you have been thoughtless hitherto, be serious now. It is time you were so. You have wasted years enough. Think of Sir Francis Walsingham's words; "While we laugh all things are serious around us. God is serious, who preserves us, and has patience towards us; Christ is serious, who shed his blood for us; the Holy Spirit is serious, when he strives with us; the whole crea

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INTRODUCTORY ADDRESS

tion is serious in serving God and us; all are serious in another world; how suitable then is it for man to be serious! and how can we be gay and trifling ?" Do you smile at this grave address, and say, this is the cant of enthusiasm ? O, think, that those who laughed at these solemn truths, when the last hundred years began, now laugh no more! The friendly warning may be neglected, and the truths of the bible disbelieved, but death and eternity will soon force on the most careless heart, a deep conviction, that religion is the one thing needful.

Yes, my young friend, one thing is needful; So said the Lord of life; needful to you, to me, to all. The living neglect it, but the dead know its value. Every saint in heaven feels the worth of religion, through partaking of the blessings to which it leads; and every soul in hell knows its value by its want. It is only on earth that triflers are to be found; and will you be one of them ? God forbid!

Fain

Read, I beseech you, this little book, with serious prayer. Remember that it is your welfare which is sought. I wish you to be happy here, and when time is past, happy for ever. would I persuade you to seek a refuge in the skies, and friends that never fail. I plead with you a more important cause than was ever conducted before an earthly judge. Not one which concerns time only; but which concerns a long eternity. Not one on which a little wealth or reputation depends; but one on which your eternal poverty or eternal riches, eternal glory or eternal shame, a smiling or a frowning God, an eternal heaven or an eternal hell, are all de pending. And it is your cause I plead and not

TO THE YOUNG READER.

9.

my own; and shall I plead your cause to yourself in vain? O my God, forbid that I should!

I know, my young friend, how apt we are to read the most serious calls as if they were mere formal things, of little more consequence to us than the trifles recorded in a newspaper; but do not thus read this little book. Believe me, I am in earnest with you; and read, I entreat you, what follows, as a serious message which I have from God for you.

Consider what will be your thoughts of the advice here given you a hundred years hence. Long before that time, you will have done with this world for ever. Then your now vigorous and youthful body will be turned to dust, and your name probably forgotten upon earth; yet your immortal soul will be living in another world, and far more sensible of joy or grief than it can possibly be now. Then, my young friend, what will you think of this friendly warning? How happy will you be if you have followed the advice it contains! Fancy not that it will be then forgotten. Calls and mercies forgotten here must be remembered there, when every sin is brought to the sinner's memory. If now you think me over-earnest, you will not then entertain the same opinion. If now you slight this humble effort for promoting your salvation, and carelessly, or contemptuously throw this book aside, or read it and forget it, then, if ten thousand worlds were yours, they would appear a little trifle, for another season of salvation like that you now enjoy; and which, perhaps, you now waste: but now is your day of grace; then, another generation will have theirs. Think again, that while you are reading this,

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thousands are rejoicing in heaven, that they, in past years, attended to such earnest calls. Önce they were as careless as you may have been, but divine grace disposed them to listen to the word of life. They regarded the warnings addressed to them; they found salvation; they are gone to rest; and now with what pleasure may they recollect the fervent sermon, or the little book, that, under God, first awakened their attention, and first impressed their hearts! About one hundred and fifty years ago, a gentleman went into the shop of a Mr. Boulter, a London bookseller, to inquire for some plays. Mr. Boulter told him he had none; but showed him Mr. Flavel's treatise of "Keeping the Heart ;" and assured him, that it would do him more good than plays. The gentleman glancing at different pages, said, "What a fanatic was he who made this book!" Mr. Boulter assured him, he had no cause to censure it so bitterly. He bought it, but said he would not read it. "What will you do with it then ?" said the friendly bookseller. "I will tear and burn it," said he. Mr. Boulter told him then, he should not have it. Upon this, the gentleman promised to read it. About a month after, he went again to the shop, and spoke to this effect: "I most heartily thank you for putting this book into my hands

-I bless God that moved you to do it — blessed be God that ever I came into your shop!" and then he bought a hundred more to give to those who could not buy them. How much happier, my young friend, is he now, than he would have been if he had continued the same thoughtless creature as he was when he entered the bookseller's shop! Now, though to us his.