THe all-wise Providence of God h [...] ­ing cast you into a [...] from your ow [...] [...] you cannot enjoy th [...] [...] Ordinanc [...] [...] manner [...] Counery; Le [...] [...] [Page 2] of assistance in the great concerns of your Soul, like Sheep without a Shep­herd▪ or think your selves altogether for­gotten and unpitied by your Country-men; I have sent this Letter to you, in the Bowels and Affection of a Minister of Christ, to assist and comfort you under your pre­sent sufferings, and to further you in the attainment of everlasting Rest: earnestly Praying, that the Grace and Blessing of God may accompany these few lines to your effectual Edification and Salvation: in or­der to which I humbly entreat you serious­ly to peruse the same.

In the first place. Let me beg of you to consider the righetous hand of God in your present confinement and affliction; and to lay your hand upon your mouth, to sup­press all murmuring and discontent at his Providence. For no man living has any Reason to complain against God's Govern­ment: Nor have you the least ground for it in this case; whether your past Life has been spent profitably or unprofitably. If the former be your happy Case, if you have advanced in the Knowledge and practice of all Christian Dutys as you ought to have done: It may be, God has providentially disposed your habitation for a time among the Heathen, that they might see and admire the Holy Doctrines and Heavenly Lives of Christians, and be brought over by your Example to own [Page 3] and embrace the Christian Faith: as St. Paul was sent in Chains to Rome, that the Gospel might flourish there thro' his Bonds. And if so, you have great Hon­our done you as Gods Messingers: and you have the happy opportunity of obtain­ing the infinite Reward promised to such as turn many to Righteousness.

But if on the contrary, your past Life, has been very barren and unfruitful of all good, very negligent of the Ordinances of the Gospel, and very guilty of sundry impieties and Immoralities: God here gra­ciously gives you a time to repent and reform, before you go down to remediless Torments: You have then no manner of reason to complain of hard dealing from the hand of God, but on the contrary to admire his goodness and Patience, and to be lifted up in Love and devotion to him, who hath spared your Soul from Death, even from eternal Death and destruction, which is justly deserved by every Sin, and is dismaily challenged and provoked by a continued course of sin. So that in this Case (which is I fear, the most usual) the good providence of God seems to in­tend a double Kindness to you, by way of correction.

First to make you sensible of your great Sin and folly in slighting and neglecting the Light, Grace, and Mercy of the Holy [Page 4] Gospel. That you might now by sad ex­perience be taught how miserable it is to be destitute of Christian Sermons, Sabaths, and Sacraments: To want the food of spi­ritual Life, the Light of revealed Doctrins, and the conversation of holy and exem­plary Christians. That you might now long after the publick Service of God, and above all things relish Communion with him thro' his Son Jesus Christ.

And Secondly, an other reason of Gods good providence in this your affliction may be, to withdraw you from your former evil Courses, and to stop that fierce car­rier in Sin, which might perhaps, in the former posture of things, have been moral­ly remediless: Had you had your full Li­berty, your old companions, your former plentiful and unafflicted State, you would perhaps have gone on still in those Sins to which these circumstances induced you before: And so you would have daily in­creased in guilt and hardness of Heart. But now the scene is quite altered, and all things appear new to invite you to serve God in newness of Life.

We may well suppose that these were the kind intentions of the gracious Provi­dence of God in this present dispensation, because we are assured from his own word, That he corrects us for our Profit (Heb. [Page 5] 12. v. 5. And that he dealeth with us herein as a Father with his Children) And when you have thorowly learnt these Lessons, which were the cause of your be­ing brought into the School of Affliction; you may then comfortably hope that God will find out means that his Banished be not finally expelled; and that he will bring you to s [...]e your own Land again, when you know well how to value and improve the mercies of it. As a Gentleman used to keep little Birds in Cages till they could sing tunably and artificially, and then turn'd them loose into his Grove, when they had perfectly gotten their pro­per Lessons.

I Therefore entreat you, my Brother, to look back seriously upon your past Life, and bring every part of it, as near as pos­sible, to the Tryal of Gods Holy Com­mandments. Inquire impartially, by what Rules you have lived, from what Principles you have acted, and by what Motives you have been led? whether you have lived after the Will of God, or after your own Hart's desire? and whether your Soul has been chiefly sway'd by thelove of God or of this present World? And where you perceive any marks of your past Guilt, rash ness, and unthankfulness; say with the Prophet (Amos. 7. 9.) I will bear the indignation of the Lord, because I have [Page 6] sinned against him. And then also, reti­ring to the most convenient Place that your present condition affords, pour out your Soul to God in earnest prayer and say.

In the next place I desire you to consider the awfulness, solemnity, and strictness of your Christian Vows made in your Baptism, and renewed a fresh (if you have indeed lived as a Christian) at the Holy Table of our Lord. It is not a light matter to make a Promise to the Almighty Soveraign of the World; but to make Solemn Vows to him before chosen Witnesses, and in the face of a Christian Congregation, and to seal this in the Blood of Christ, that blood which is of infinite worth, and which shews the [Page 8] greatest Love and Pity to us that ever was seen in the World, which has a vertue to wash away Sin, and to open the Kingdom of Heaven to such as are purified thereby: How Sacred, how strict, how tremendous are such Vows! And how sorely will our Righteous God avenge every wilful Viola­tion and slight of them? This is called a trampling on Christ's blood, and the sorest punishment is threatned to such transgres­sions: especialy to such as turn Renegado's and deny this Faith into which they were Baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; because they count the blood of the Covenant an unholy thing; they count the Lord Jesus Christ an Impostor and a wicked cheat, and con­sequently his blood vile and base, and a Covenant with him a despicable and hate­ful thing to be renounced and abandoned. And they do despight to the spirit of Grace; they treat that Holy, gracious and Eternal Spirit with Scorn and Hatred; tho' it be that Spirit which alone can prepare us for Eternal Salvation. So that this is the most wretched and desperate Case that we can imagine, for it follows, Vengeance is mine I will repay, saith the Lord. They shall feel the inutterable wrath of an Al­mighty God in it's most horrible Execution upon them for ever, except they deeply Repent. You have all this, Hebr. 10. 28, 29, 30. Where it is also added in the next [Page 9] verse. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. So dreadful indeed, that the wise and good Men of all Ages have chosen rather to be Sawn a sun­der, or Torn with wild Beasts, or give their Bodies to be broil'd and exposed to all the Miseries that men could invent or inflict, than to deny their Faith, and thereby fall under the Vengeance of Almighty God to all Eternity. And the least grain of Faith must needs constrain us all to do the like, thro' the grace of God; for what propor­tion is there betwixt the Anger of a frail man like our selves who can but hurt our bodys and that but for a little while; and the displeasure of an Eternal and Omnipo­tent God, who can punish us not only with all bodily tortures, but with such horror and desolation of Soul as far exceeds them, and that not only for Millions of Millions of Ages, but time without End.

Consider therefore, my Brother, that you have devoted your self entirely to God thro our Lord Jesus Christ, to your Life's end. And that to do otherwise will be the blackest Perjury, Sacrilege, and Apos­tacy: So that your Eternal Hope leanes on your upright discharge of this contract, made with God your Saviour in this so­lemn transaction of the Baptismal Cove­nant. And be you well assured, That there is Salvation in no other Person but in [Page 10] that of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. And that you may cleave stedfastly to him with all your Soul in Profession and in Practice, let me desire you to consider these few things,

1. That our Blessed Saviour proposes no­thing to us in order to our Salvation but what is Excellent, Admirable, and Advan­tagious in it self. To love God above all, to beleive and trust in him who came to lead us from Sin and Distruction, to love our Brethern as our selves, to Pity and Pray for our Enemies, and to live soberly and honestly in the course of our Lives: how sweet and lovely are these things, which are set to keep us from brutal Lusts, and infernal passions, to lift up our Souls to the likeness of God, and the dignity of holy Angels.

2. Consider, that our Blessed Lord and Saviour will be ready to assist you by his holy Spirit in all the work that he re­quires at your hands. He will help you to subdue your corruptions, to conquer temp­tations to bear afflictions, and in short, to pass undefiled thro' this present World, and to attain the blessedness of the other. He has assured us, that he will as readily give his holy Spirit for those ends to such as dnely seek him, as ever Parent gave a bit of Bread to his own Child crying to him [Page 11] for hunger. Luke. 11. 9, 10, 11, 12, 13. See also Ezek. 36. from the 25 verse to the end of the Chapter.

3. Consider that the term of our pre­sent Life is very uncertain, and at the ut­most very short. Whether we live well or ill, we shall soon finish our Course. The mirth of wicked People is but short at the best: and the Labors and sufferings of good People are but short at the worst. We shall soon have done with this proba­tional Life, for our days upon Earth are but as a shadow (1 Chron. 29. 15.) And there is this vast difference in the present course of things between good and bad people. That the wicked Mans pleasures dye in the enjoyment, and inward darkness and regret springs up in their room, if he has any sense left: But the good man's Difficulties are lessen'd every moment, and there is an eternal founda­tion of comfort laid hereby. The wicked person has a little Sunshine in the morning, as Sodom had; and like it, is suddenly overwhelm'd by a shower of Fire, and Brim­stone. And the faithful Christian, has a little bad Weather perhaps in the morning, but he is riding out of it into perfect se­renity and Bliss. The one says with Jo­nathan, I have tasted a little Honey, and I must dye for it. The other says, with St. Paul, I have fought a good Fight, I [Page 12] have finished my Course, I have kept the Faith; henceforth there's laid up for me a Crown of Righteousnss. (2 Tim. 4, 7.) And this leads me to another considerra­tion, which I beseech you to keep up always in its Vigor in your breast; which is.

4. The exalted Degree and Eternal Du­ration both of the Rewards and Punish­ments of the world to come. The wicked shall go away into Everlasting Punishment. But the Righteous, into Life Eternal. Math. 25. 46. Consider, my Brother, you cannot hold your hand in the fire which burns on your Hearth for one hour, with­out such Anguish as you reckon intolerable: How can you then dwell with everlasting Burnings! And this in utter Darkness! in company with other howling despera­does, and mocking Devils! Where is our sense, and our self-love, when we do not strive to escape this place of Torment? For it is the amazing aggravation of these miseries, that they never end. How dole­ful a thought is it that after all the time we can think of is spent, there will still be as much torture to come to the damned as at the First moment in which they en­tered into it! Let not such a thought as this pass off hastily my Brother, but give your mind leisure to consider it till it kills the very thought and desire of sinful injoy­ments [Page 13] which are but for a moment. Suppose therefore, that a nimble Writer did set himself for one whole day to ad­vance the bigest summ in Numeration that he was able: How vast would the num­ber of Years be that he would set down before Night! every single figure that he made towards the close of his Labour would contain an inconceivable term of time, and the whole summ would utterly astonish us.

Now, I would ask any one who beleives a Life to come, whether of these two conditions is to be chosen, either to live threescore and ten years (the common Age of man) in the love and service of God, and then to enjoy all desirable Bles­sings for all those Millions of years which would be contained in that summ before mentioned? Or, on the other hand, To live according to our foolish and extrava­gant Will for the space of Seventy years and then to ly in flames and exquisite tor­tures for such a vast and astonishing term of Years, as the aforesaid Arithmetician had set down? In this case: every one would speedily determine for the service of God, and the blessed Hope that attends it. And yet, this is nothing of a paral­lel case to Eternity. For tho', not onely that one man, but every person in the World, added summ to summ throughout their whole Life, and if all the Angels, [Page 14] good and bad, threw in all the Numbers that they were able, to swell the prodigi­ous Account to the utmost Advance they could and after this double and treble the whole to the utmost that your mind can imagine: Yet still there is more in this one word Eternity than all this. And we may hence learn, what wonders a lively Faith in the Gospel of our Lord would be able to do, were it duely improved and excited! It would not only remove Mountains, but the whole World, when ever it stood in our way to Heaven: and we should with great scorn and indignation say, what should I be advantaged, if I gain'd the whole World, and lost my immortal Soul by the bargain?

Fix your mind seriously on these things, my Brother; till you find your heart affect­ed with the meditation, and then direct your Soul with fervor to the Throne of Grace, and say.

Supposing therefore, my Brother, (as in charity I must) that you will rather chuse to live or dy in the most painful and wretched outward circumstances, than to [Page 16] renounce your God and Saviour, and part with your Religion and the hope of Eter­nal Life through it. Your next care must be to walk worthy of that Holy and Vene­rable name that you bear, that is, of a Christian. That the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ be not blasphemed by the Heathen by reason of our evil deeds; but that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in Heaven. You are reputed to have been brought up in the School of Christ: and unbeleivers will be prying into your actions to see what there is in Christianity above other Religions, and will judge of it according to what they observe in you, be it good or bad. O what a motive is this to the strictest Vertue and Piety! Since your Lord and Master will be accounted a Divine and Blessed Saviour, or a base cheat and Impostor, according to your good or bad behaviour. Yea, and some of those Infi­dels who might have been brought over to your Religion by your singular Piety, will assuredly be hardened against it by your looseness and debauchery. So that here are two of the most constraining con­siderations to induce you to holiness of Life, besides those other which have been already laid before you: which ought to constrain you to shun all appearance of Evil: and to make you careful to shew before an unbeleiving People what Purity, [Page 17] meekness, Sobriety, Patience, Charity, and integrity our holy Religion teaches and produces, Oh! dare not swear, lye, curse, or cheat; or to be drunk, passionate, cla­mororous, or abusive: But in meekness and patience possess ye your Souls, as having your conversation in Heaven, and your hearts set on things above. And then, God will in his time, either remove you to your own Land, or what's better, to his: heavenly Kingdom. In the contemplation of which, you may humbly address your s [...]lf to your Heavenly Sovereign and say.

And now, my Brother, having shewn you the never failing way to true Content­ment here, and to eternal happiness here­after; Let not the bitterness of any tem­poral sufferings leaven your Soul: nor run you into sullenness, frowardness, or the withdrawing of your heart from God. Be you assured, that God hath brought many a person whom he hath greatly loved into worse sorrows and streights than you are burthened with all. The beloved Disciple, St, Jobn, was banished and con­fined to Patmos, a desolate and uncomfor­table Island: and we read of some excel­lent men of whom the World was not worthy, who wandered about in Sheep­skins, and Goats-skins, in desarts, and Dens, and Caves of the Earth, being des­titute, afflicted, tormented; and yet they would not accept deliverance upon sinful terms, because they fixed their hearts on the hope of Heavenly enjoyments. Heb. (11. 37. 38.) It ought therefore to be your care to acquit your self, as they did, in every point of Christian duty, with all good conscience; that you, with them, may partake of that Rest which remaineth to the People of God.

And upon the whole, as you would per­form any of the foregoing Duties in an acceptable manner, or injoy any of these great Blessings relating to this or the other world, you must be much in Prayer and ear­nest devotion to God, the giver of all Grace, who will be found of such as truly seek his face, thro' his beloved Son Jesus Christ our only mediator and Redeemer.

And if it shall please his infinite good­ness to restore you to your former Liberty and Enjoyments; be sure to live in per­petual thankfulness for such a singular mercy, duely answering the ends of it by a serious and truly Christian Life. For, if your temporal Liberty when obtained, should become an occasion of your sink­ing under the slavery of sinful Lusts and Passions; it were infinitly better that you remained all your days under the most bitter and disco [...]solate Thraldom in this world: because no chains on Earth can sit so heavy as those of eternal Darkness werewith the Devil is bound, and where­withall he seeks to load us. Labour there­fore, my Brother, to obtain such firmness in the ways of God as no Prosperity nor Ad­versity may ever shock, And then, if it please God to set you free, lift up▪ your devout Soul to God with great fervency and say.