service to disclose to these the very secrets of your hearts; especially the weaknesses springing from your natural constitution, or education, or long contracted habit, and the temptations which, from time to time, most easily beset you. Advise with them on every circumstance that occurs; open your heart without reserve. By this means a thousand devices of Satan will be brought to nought; innumerable snares will be prevented; or you will pass through them without being hurt. Yea, and if at some time you should have suffered a little, the wound will speedily be healed.

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12. I say, of your own sex; for, in the third place, it will be highly expedient to avoid all needless conversation, much more all intimacy, with those of the other sex; so expedient, that unless you observe this, you will surely cast away the gift of God. Say not, But they have much grace and much understanding." So much the greater is the danger. There would be less fear of your receiving hurt from them, if they had less grace or less understanding. And whenever any of these are thrown in your way, "make a covenant with your eyes," your ears, your hands, that you do not indulge yourself in any that are called innocent freedoms. Above all, "keep your heart with all diligence." Check the first risings of desire. Watch against every sally of imagination, particularly if it be pleasing. If it is darted in, whether you will or no, yet, let no "vain thought lodge within you." Cry out, "My God and my all, I am thine, thine alone! I will be thine for ever! Ó save me from setting up an idol in my heart! Save me from taking any step toward it. Still bring my 'every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.'

13. "But how shall I attain to, or how preserve, this strength and firmness of spirit?" In order to this, I advise you, Fourthly, (need I say, to avoid the sin of Onan, seeing Satan will not cast out Satan? or rather) avoid, with the utmost care, all softness and effeminacy; remembering the express denunciation of an inspired writer, or paλaxos, the soft or effeminate, whether poor or rich, (the Apostle does not make any difference upon that account,)"shall not inherit the kingdom of God." Avoid all delicacy, first in spirit, then in apparel, food, lodging, and a thousand nameless things; and this the more speedily and the more resolutely, if you have been long accustomed thereto. Avoid all needless self-indulgence, as well as delicacy and softness. All these tend to breed or cherish those appetites and passions which you have renounced for Christ's sake. They either create or increase those desires which, "for the kingdom of heaven's sake," you are determined not to gratify. Avoid all sloth, inactivity, indolence. Sleep no more than nature requires. Be never idle; and use as much bodily exercise as your strength will allow. I dare not add Monsieur Pascal's rule,-Avoid all pleasure. It is not possible to avoid all pleasure, even of sense, without destroying the body. Neither doth God require it at our hands; it is not his will concerning us. On the contrary, he "giveth us all things to enjoy," so we enjoy them to his glory. But I say, avoid all that pleasure which any way hinders you from enjoying him; yea, all such pleasure as does not prepare you for taking pleasure in God. Add to this constant and continued course of universal self-denial, the taking up your cross daily, the enduring "hardship as a good soldier of Jesus

Christ." Remember, "the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force." This is the way; walk therein; think not of a smoother path. Add to your other exercises constant and prudent fasting, and the Lord will uphold you with his hand.

14. I advise you, Lastly, if you desire to keep them, use all the advantages you enjoy. Indeed, without this, it is utterly impossible to keep them; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken the word which cannot be broken, which must be fulfilled with regard to all the good gifts of God: "To him that hath," uses what he hath, "shall be given; and he shall have more abundantly: but from him that hath not," uses it not, "shall be taken even that which he hath." Would you therefore retain what you now have, what God hath already given? If so, "giving all diligence," use it to the uttermost. "Stand fast in" every instance of "the liberty wherewith Christ hath made you free." Be not entangled" again in the "cares of this life;" but "cast all your care on Him that careth for you. Be careful for nothing, but in every thing make your requests known unto God with thanksgiving."

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See that you "wait upon the Lord without distraction:" let nothing move you from your centre. "One thing is needful;" to see, love follow Christ, in every thought, word, and work.

Flee the "sorrow of this world;" it "worketh death." Let not your heart be troubled. In all circumstances, let your soul magnify the Lord, and your spirit rejoice in God your Saviour. Preserve a constant serenity of mind, an even cheerfulness of spirit.

Keep at the utmost distance from foolish desires, from desiring any happiness but in God. Still let all your "desire be to him, and to the remembrance of his name."

Make full use of all the leisure you have; never be unemployed, never triflingly employed; let every hour turn to some good account. Let not a scrap of time be squandered away; "gather up the fragments, that nothing be lost." Give all your time to God; lay out the whole as you judge will be most to his glory. In particular, see that you waste no part of it in unprofitable conversation; but let all your discourse "be seasoned with salt, and meet to minister grace to the hearers."

Give all your money to God. You have no pretence for laying up treasure upon earth. While you "gain all you can," and "save all you can," "give all you can," that is, all you have.

Lay out all your talents of every kind in doing all good to all men; knowing that every man shall receive his own reward, according to his own labour."

15. Upon the whole, without disputing whether the married or single fe be the more perfect state, (an idle dispute; since perfection does not consist in any outward state whatever, but in an absolute devotion of all our heart and all our life to God,) we may safely say, Blessed are "they who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake;" who abstain from things lawful in themselves, in order to be more devoted to God. Let these never forget those remarkable words: "Peter said, Lo, we have left all and followed thee. And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you," (a preface denoting both the certainty and importance of what is spoken,) "There is no man that hath left" (either by giving them up, or by not accepting them) "house,

or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake and the Gospel's, but he shall receive a hundred fold now in this time; and in the world to come eternal life," Mark x, 28-30.

A THOUGHT UPON MARRIAGE.

If thine

eye

be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.

1. I AM not now about to speak to men of the world, or to them that have only the form of religion; but to you who have experienced, if you do not now, the "faith which worketh by love:" and, in speaking to you, I do not peremptorily assert any thing. I barely propose a thought that rises in my mind, and beg you to consider it.

2. You have some thoughts of altering your condition; and we know, "marriage is honourable in all men." But is your eye single herein? This is worthy your most serious consideration. Retire a little into yourself, and ask your own heart: "What is it moves me to think of this?"

3. I will tell you how it was with me: though I do not know I was ever low spirited, (my spirits being always the same, whether in sickness or in health,) yet I was often uneasy. Even in vigorous health, in plenty, and in the midst of my friends, I wanted something; I was not satisfied. I looked about for happiness, but could not find it. Then I thought, "O, if I had but such a person with me, I should surely be happy." I mused with myself, "How lovely is her look! How agreeably she talks!" I thought of Sappho's words :

"Bless'd as the' immortal gods is he,

The youth that fondly sits by thee;
And hears and sees thee all the while
Softly speak and sweetly smile.'

Surely this is the very thing I want; and could I attain it, I should then no more be solitary! For,

Thou from all shades the darkness wouldst exclude,

And from a desert banish solitude:

Therefore, with her I can be happy; without her I never can."

4. Perhaps your case is something like mine. Let me then ask you a few questions.

You

Were you ever convinced of sin? of your lost, undone state? Did you feel the wrath of God abiding on you? If so, what did you then want to make you happy? "To know, my God is reconciled." had your wish. You were enabled to say boldly, "I know that my Redeemer liveth." And were not you then happy? "Indeed I was.” In what? "In the knowledge and love of God."

5. And if you have now the same knowledge and love of God, does it not answer the same end? Will not the same cause still produce the same effect? If, therefore, you are not happy now, is it not because you have not that intercourse with God which you then had? And are you seeking to supply the want of that intercourse by the enjoyment of a creature? You imagine that near connection with a woman will make

amends for distance from God! Have you so learned Christ? Has your experience taught you no better than this?

6. You were happy once; you knew you were; happy in God, without being beholden to any creature. You did not need

Love's all-sufficient sea to raise

With drops of creature happiness.

And is it wise to seek it now any where else than where you found it before? You have not the same excuse with those who never were happy in God. And how little is the seeking it in any creature better than idolatry! Is it not, in effect, loving the creature more than the Creator? Does it not imply that you are "a lover of pleasure more than a lover of God?"

7. O return to Him that made you happy before, and he will make you happy again. Repeat your prayer,—

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Keep me dead to all below;

Only Christ resolved to know:
Firm, and disengaged, and free;
Seeking all my bliss in thee!"

Seek, accept of nothing in the room of God. Let all the springs of your happiness be in him. "Seek first," just as you did before," the kingdom of God and his righteousness;" the knowledge and love of God; "fellowship with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ;" "and all other things shall be added unto you;" particularly joy in the Holy Ghost. Again,

I. 1. I am not fond of saying the same thing over and over; especially when I have so many things to say, that the day of life (which with me is far spent) is not likely to suffice for them. But, in some cases, it is needful for you that I should; and then it is not grievous to And it may be best to speak freely and fully at once, that there may be the less need of speaking on this head hereafter.

me.

2. When we look into the Bible with any attention, and then look round into the world, to see who believes and who lives according to this book; we may easily discern that the system of practice, as well as the system of truth, there delivered, is torn in pieces, and scattered abroad like the members of Absyrtus. Every denomination of Christians retains some part either of Christian truth or practice; these hold fast one part, and those another, as their fathers did before them. What is the duty, meantime, of those who desire to follow the whole word of VOL. VI.

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God? Undoubtedly to "gather up" all these "fragments," that, if possible, "nothing be lost;" with all diligence to follow all those we see about us, so far as they follow the Bible; and to join together in one scheme of truth and practice what almost all the world put asunder.

3. Many years ago I observed several parts of Christian practice among the people called Quakers. Two things I particularly remarked among them, plainness of speech, and plainness of dress. I willingly adopted both, with some restrictions, and particularly plainness of dress; 1 the same I recommended to you, when God first called you out of the world; and after the addition of more than twenty years' experience, I recommend it to you still.

4. But before I go any farther, I must entreat you, in the name of God, be open to conviction. Whatever prejudices you have contracted from education, custom, or example, divest yourselves of them, as far as possible. Be willing to receive light either from God or man; do not shut your eyes against it. Rather, be glad to see more than you did before; to have the eyes of your understanding opened." Receive the truth in the love thereof, and you will have reason to bless God for

ever.

II. 1. Not that I would advise you to imitate the people called Quakers in those little particularities of dress which can answer no possible end but to distinguish them from all other people. To be singular, merely for singularity's sake, is not the part of a Christian: I do not therefore, advise you to wear a hat of such dimensions, or a coat of a particular form. Rather, in things that are absolutely indifferent, that are of no consequence at all, humility and courtesy require you to conform to the customs of your country.

2. But I advise you to imitate them, First, in the neatness of their apparel. This is highly to be commended, and quite suitable to your Christian calling. Let all your apparel, therefore, be as clean as your situation in life will allow. It is certain the poor cannot be as clean as they would, as having little change of raiment. But let even these be as clean as they can, as care and diligence can keep them. Indeed, they have particular need so to be; because cleanliness is one great branch of frugality. It is likewise more conducive to health than is generally considered. Let the poor, then, especially labour to be clean, and provoke those of higher rank to jealousy.

3. I advise you to imitate them, Secondly, in the plainness of their apparel. In this are implied two things: (1.) That your apparel be cheap, not expensive; far cheaper than others in your circumstances wear, cr than you would wear, if you knew not God: (2.) That it be grave, not gay, airy, or showy; not in the point of the fashion. And these easy rules may be applied both to the materials whereof it is made, and the manner wherein it is made or put on.

4. Would you have a farther rule with respect to both? Then take one, which you may always carry in your bosom: "Do every thing herein with a single eye;" and this will direct you in every circumstance. Let a single intention to please God prescribe both what clothing you shall buy, and the manner wherein it shall be made, and how you shall put on and wear it. To express the same thing in other words: let all you do, in this respect, be so done that you may offer it