68 Original Letter of the Rev. Richard Baxter. ed it; so that I am in great fears lest it be true. Sir, believe it, these lines are not begun to you without tears. | Alas! that the only son, the too much beloved darling of my dear deceased friend, should prove a wretch, an invincible neglecter of God and his salvation, and an heir of everlasting misery (without conversion)!Shall the soul of such an affectionate, careful mother see you in damnation? Shall the heart of a loving father, who looked for much of his earthly comfort in you, have his greatest earthly sorrow from you? Is it not sorrow enough to him to part with half himself, but he must see his only son as lost and dead while he is alive? Sir, if you cannot feel words, you shall shortly have that which will make you feel. What! is your heart become a stone ?— Have you so lately seen the face of death in a deceased mother, and do you no better bethink you of your own? I beseech you, for the sake of her that charged you by her last words to you, to be ruled by me; nay, I beseech you, for the sake of God and of your soul, that you would take these lines a little into your private serious thoughts if you know how to be serious; and that you will not proceed any further in your folly, till you can tell how to answer the questions which I shall now put to you. Sir, what do you think on? Do you not believe that the infinite God beholdeth you, and that you live in his presence? Is God's presence nothing to you? Are you affected with nothing but what you see? Do you live only by sense, and not by faith? [AUGUST, Say not so, without an acknowledgment of brutishness; do not so, unless you will disown your manhood. I beseech you, tell me, do you ever think of dying, and of what follows? If not, what shift do you make to overcome your wit, so far as to forget it? If you do, what shift make you to overcome your wit and sense itself so far as to disregard it? Can your guilty soul endure the terrors of an offended Majesty? Is it nothing to be condemned by the most holy God to everlasting torments? Sir, you had best bethink you quickly whom you have to do with. It is not only an earthly father that you offend, but you are a creature and a subject of eternal Majesty. You owe him your highest love and obedience; and he will have it, or he will have your heart's blood for it. He will make you know yourself, and know your maker, and know his laws, and know your duty-or he will make you howl in endless misery for it. You may make bold with a man like yourself; but be not too bold with the consuming fire. The sun is darkness in comparison of his glory; the heavens and earth are but as an hand-breadth, in comparison of his infiniteness. Thousands and ten thousands of glorious Angels are praising and serving Him, while such a thing as you are slighting, forgetting and disobeying Him. think he will long put up with this at your hands? If you dare take your Prince by the throat, if you dare play with a raging hungry lion, yet do not play with the wrath of God.'If you dare venture on fire or And do you water, yet learn more wit than to venture on hell-fire. Do you think these are but empty words? Believe you not a life to come? If you do not, your unbelief shall not procure your escape; but experience shall convince you, and make you, in despite of you, believe or confess that there is an end- | less life that you should have provided for. If you do believe it, are you out of your wits, man, to believe one thing and do another?-to believe that you are near to heaven or hell, and yet make light of it ! told you, that they that are after the flesh, do mind the things of the flesh; and they that are after the spirit, the things of the spirit ; that to be carnally mindedis death; that if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die—that they who are in the flesh cannot please God—and that, if any man have not the spirit of Christ, he is none of his. Sir, all these, and a hundred more such, are the true words of God, which I mind you of, that you may see who it is that you are so bold with, and what it is that you cast your soul on. Jest not with damnation. Hearken not to the suggestions of your vain imagination, nor to the deceitful words of prating sensualists, when you see the words of God against them; remember who you are, and where you stand: though you are a gentleman, you are but a lump of walk O, Sir, it is but a few days that you have to take your fleshly pleasures in; but it is long, and long indeed that you must suffer for it, if speedy, sound conversion prevent it not. How many years must your rotten flesh and bones lie in the earth, while your soul is paying dearing dirt, as to that bodily part for your wilfulness? And how many millions of years after must soul and body lie in hell? Will you take comfort in the remembrance of your present pleasures? Will it ease your torments, think you, to remember that once you had your will, and once you gratified your flesh ? Sir, deal plainly and not deceitfully with yourself. Are you considerately resolved to sell all your hopes of heaven for your pleasure? Are you resolved of it? Will you make so mad a bargain? Will you venture upon hell for a little sensual delight? If this be your deliberate resolution, you be not worthy the name of a man, nor worthy to come into the company of men. If it be not, what mean you, to do it? The Governor and Judge of the world hath which you pamper. You are continually in the hand of God. How afraid am I, lest I should ere long hear of your death, and so you should be past recovery in hell, and out of the reach of warnings and advice! And what a base dishonor is it to your understanding, that you should set so high an estimate on the sordid delights of your fleshly mind, as to cast away God and Christ, and heaven, and soul, and friends, and credit, and conscience, and all for them! Why, Sir, is it really your judgment that your fleshly pleasures are worth all these? If it be, what a blind and sottish mind have you? I dare say and profess, that no man in Bedlam hath a greater error. If it be not your judgment, will you go against your own judgment? Why, in this, you are far worse 70 Original Letter of the Rev. Richard Baxter. [AUGUST, than any beast; for a beast hath it your most sober solitary no reason to rule his appetite. thoughts. and so disobeyeth not his reason; but you have reason, if you will not stifle and bury it, but use it. What is it that you love so much better than God, than Christ than heaven, and all? Is it drink and play, and fleshly plea- | sure? Why a heathen, a Turk, a dog, a swine, hath his part in these as well as you. Take in not ill that I speak to you in so plain and homely a phrase. I tell you the day is even at hand when your tongue shall confess that I spoke not half so ill of your way of foily as it doth deserve.— You have read in Luke, (the sixteenth) of him that was tormented in hell, because he had his good things in this life, in gay clothing and delicious fare : and how much worse than this do you ! O, Sir, remember sin is deceitful, the flesh is base, the world is worthless, pleasures here are short; but God is of infinite perfection; heaven is a certain durable possession; holiness is sweet and amiabic; the life of godliness is clean, and safe, and pleasant. I am loth to word it with you any further; but address myself to you, in the grief of my heart, for your sin and misery, with these three important requests, which I intreat you, that you will not deny me. First, That you will, patiently and considerately, read over and over this letter which I write to you. Secondly, That you will deliberately read over this treatise of conversion, which herewith I send you; and as you go, examine your soul by it, and allow | Thirdly, That you would presently, this night, betake yourself to God in prayer, on your knees, and lament with tears your former folly, and earnestly beg his pardoning grace, and beseech him to give you a new, a holy, a mortified mind; and make this seriously your daily practice; and then, go to your father, and on your knees, confess your sin and disobedience, and beg his pardon, and promise unfeignedly to do so no more; and that from this day forward, you will take your fleshly disposition for the great and dangerous enemy of your soul; on the conquest of which your salvation lieth; and which you must study to subdue, and not to please. Read what Faul himself thought necessary;* and that you never more meddle with sports and recreations, or drink, or other fleshly pleasures, but soberly and ordinately, and no more than is needful to fit you for the service of God; and that your care and business, and every day's work may be (when you have bewailed your youthful folly) to do God all the service that you can, and make ready for your appearing before the Lord; and make sure of that everlasting glory which you have forfeited. Go not out of doors till you have examined yourself whether you go upon your master's business; and whether your work be such that you could be comfortably found in, if death shall call you before you come in again. * 1 Cor. ix. 25-27. One thing is needful, and all things else are toys. Choose the better parts, which shall never be taken from you;† hate such a disposition as hankers after sensual brutish delights, and loveth pleasures more than God; and had rather be at sports, or drinking, than in his service; and loves the company of mcrry jovial fools better than of them that fear the Lord; and had rather sport and talk away time, than spend it in preparing for eternal glory; for if this be the present frame of your mind, as true as the word of God is true, you are dead in sin, and an heir of hell; and cannot be saved, unless converting, saving grace, do make you a new creature, and give you a new heart, so that old things pass away, and all things become new with you. § Sir, I again beseech you to grant me these three requests that I have made to you. It would rejoice me much to hear of your conversion, as it grieves me to hear what you are, and fear what you will be. If you yield thus much to God and me, you will have the everlasting comfort of it. If you will not, I do testify to your face, that it is not your fleshly pleasures, nor idle, delusory companions, nor your unbelief, stupidity, false imaginations, or childish folly, that shall save you from the burning wrath of God; and I profess, I had rather be a toad And let me add, the words of a dying mother, and the earnest requests of her and your yet surviving friend, shall witness against you before the Lord, and aggravate that load than you. + Luke x. 42. Psa. xv. 4. § 2 Cer. v. 17, that must be on your soul to all eternity. Sir, nobody shall know from me what I write to you, if you keep it to yourself and amend ; and as long as no eye secth it but your own, the plainest dealing, in so great a cause, can be no injury to you. But let me tell you, if you shall go on in folly, and turn not unto God, and live not in his fear, perhaps I may publish to the knowledge of the world the admonition which I have given you, that your name may rot to all posterity; and it may appear, that if you were disobedient to a dying mother, yet, I was faithful to the last charge of a dying friend; and if you durst abuse the Lord by sinning, so durst not I by letting you alone. But God forbid that you should put me to this! I cannot, I will not yet give up my hope, that God hath mercy for a son of so many prayers and tears which have been poured out for you by a saint now in heaven; and which, the Lord is witness, arc seconded with the tears of your surviving monitor, with which these lines were begun, and are now ending; and which shall be followed with my prayers, while God will give me a heart to pray, that you may presently prove a returning prodigal; that both your earthly and heavenly father may rejoice, and say, This our son was dead, and is alive again; was lost, and is found. (Luke xv. 32.) I pray you, read the whole chapter. Sir, I remain an earnest desirer of your conversion and salvation, RICHARD BAXTER. Sept. 17th, 1657. Address to the Female Missionary Society. [AUGUST, TO THE EDITORS OF THE CONNECTICUT EVANGELICAL MA GAZINE. REV. GENTLEMEN, THE Society mentioned in the following address, is termed the Female Missionary Society.Each subscriber, pays 50 cents per annum.-The monies colThe monies collected, are to be appropriated for the purchasing of the bible and other religious books, which are to be distributed among the needy inhabitants of our new settlements, and other places, as shall be thought expedient. Your's, PHILA. An Address, written by a female, to the Female Missionary Society, Massachusetts. Worthy and respectable friends, A RE we not engaged in a glorious cause, and may we not hope for the divine presence of our God, and expect his blessing to rest upon us? What can be more animating to a heaven born soul, than to be striving to advance the interest of the dear Redeemer, and doing every thing in its power (the grace of God attending) to build up his kingdom in this world? Saith David," while I was musing the fire burned: then spake I with my tongue." Ps. xxxix. 3. Methinks that every child of God must and will say, when he reflects upon the late happy meeting of the Female Society; how transporting and soul refreshing was that precious season!-And when we contemplate upon that wise and judicious plan, which was proposed by our worthy and Reverend pastor, that of forming ourselves into a society, for the purpose of contributing for the re lief of our poor heathen brethren, who are perishing in native darkness; can we be destitute of gratitude to him? What can mo e sensibly touch the feelings of a tender, pious heart, than this consideration, that one soul should perish for the want of knowledge? Can any one feel the power of religion, and not wish to have others feel the same? If we have ever tasted that the Lord is gracious, we shall long to have others partake with us. We shall unite with the psalmist and say, "Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him." Psalm xxxiv. 8. If the bible has ever been opened to us, (for to the natural man it is a sealed book) and we have been able to say with the Psalmist ;thy word have I hid in my heart; thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light to my path;— I rejoice at thy word, as one that findeth great spoil thy word is very pure; therefore thy servant loveth it.-Oh how love I thy law; 'tis my meditation all the day. If, indeed, we have felt like this; our eyes have been opened, to see wondrous things out of the law. And if so, we shall be ready to improve every opportunity, that God gives us, to manifest our love for our dear Lord and Master. How thankful ought we to be, to the Supreme Bèing, that we are indulged this precious opportunity, which we now enjoy? Is it not animating, to think of being used as instruments in the hand of the great God, of bringing some poor, ignorant souls to the knowledge of the truth as it is in Christ Jesus?-It surely is. If we love God; if we love Jesus Christ, the blessed son of God; |