Address to the Public.

I Whiting Sweeting, of Stephentown, in the coun­ty of Albany, in the state of New-York, being about to pass through the dark and gloomy regions of the shadow of death; and having [...]ut a few days more to spend on this side eternity, before my de­parting spirit must be before the throne of God, join­ing the choir of angels and the spirits of just m [...]n made perfect singing and shouting forth hallelujah, in praise of redeeming love—or before it shall receive the shocking and heart-rending sentence of, depart ye cursed, into everlasting fire, there to take up a long and everlasting habitation—where the wheels of time shall roll away thousands and millions of years, and yet be but beginning, and where a sin­gle drop of water will not be afforded to the tongue scalded and forever scalding with the intense heat of the flames; I have thought it my duty to write a few lines to leave for the benefit of my family, and the world of mankind; desiring that what I write, together with the view of the situation of the writer, may be a means of awakening your attention to the serious and solemn consideration of death, judgment, and eternity. And of remembering your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come, when God shall assume his throne of [...]tribution, and take venegeance on them that know not God, and o­bey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, but live as regardless of God and of his holy law, as if they were not possessed of immortal souls, to save or lose. I am conscious to myself, I have undertaken this work, and been led and induced thereto, from a seeing sense of the frowns of an angry God a­gainst sin and sinners—for God is angry with sinners every day, and will assuredly render vengeance on his adversaries. God, out of Christ, is a consuming fire; but through the great and glorious Redeemer you may find pardon: He is a present help in time of [Page 14] trouble, as I have found by sweet experience, to the comfort of my soul, in the most distressing hour when all and every other resource of comfort failed. I intend to lay before you the reasons of my being un­der sentence of death, and the feelings I have had, and now have of the solemn approach of death. I intend likewise to drop a word to those who deny the offices of Jesus Christ, and have the hardness to consider the Saviour of sinners, an imposter, and reli­gion a mere notion. I think I can do this most feel­ingly, for I freely cousess, I entertained the same principles, and maintained them by works natu­rally following from such corrupt ideas. Which led me into sin, and if I had not been by grace prevented, they would have led me to death—not only the death of this body, but to the death of the soul, or second death—for the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. But now, I hope I may say, that the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death, and that I am a new man—that I am born not of cor­ruptible feed, but of incorruptible and by the Word of God that liveth and abideth forever. I now pub­lish my last farewel to my earthly parents, with some remarks, likewise, to my brothers and sisters by nature, and those of my brethren in the Lord, who know that they have passed from death unto like because they love the brethren. Likewise some advice to my dear wife and children, who are near and dear by the bands of nature. And now, Oh eter­nal God, be pleased to grant that in me may be found an excellent spirit of wisdom, directed by thee, the true source and fountain of wisdom; that the sword of the Spirit may awaken convince, convert, and break the rocky hearts and cause them to fall at thy feet in humble brokenness of spirit, and that the ge­nuine fruit, of faith and repentance may shine thro' their life and conversation; that they may break off [Page 15] their sins by righteousness, and turn onto the Lord, now in time, while the day of grace lasts, and secure to themselves a title to the unspeakable joys of be­ing placed at thy right hand—of being made kings and priests to God, and of beholding thy peaceful face in righteousness, while time shall never end; and be considered and owned as the brethren of the se­cond Person in the Trinity; that they may now avoid the miserty and horror of an eternal banishment from God, from angels & the spirits of just men, and from every thing capable of happisying an immortal soul, and of being consigned over to the lake, burning with fire and brimstone, and to associate with devils and damned spirits, where the worm dieth not, and where the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever.

As to my being under sentence of death, it is the wages of sin that has brought me into this condition—as I lived in sin, in the neglect of God, his Son, his gos­pel, neglecting the visitation of the Spirit, trampling on his law and authority, and adventuring as it were on the thick bosses of his buckler, and even bidding desiance to Omnipotence, as every careless and un­concerned sinner does, that lives without God in this world, how little soever they lay it to heart—for straight is the gate and narrow the way that lead­eth to life, and few there be that find it; but broad is the way that leadeth to death, the death of the soul, and many there are, with the swiftest velocity, running and entering in thereat, without ever turn­ing a moment's thought upon [...] dreadful situation that awaits them. Sin has become almost the com­mon element of mankind - the god of this world has blinded the minds of them that believe not, and they will not believe, and be actuated by a living faith, that works by love, therefore God shall send them strong delusion to believe a lie, that they may be damned who had pleasure in unrighteousness. The world, the flesh, and the grand adversary of [Page 16] precious of souls, who goeth about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour, all unice their com­bined force to destroy the souls, the precious souls of mankind—one of which is of more real worth and value than ten thousand worlds. Though our first parents were created holy, yet listning to the sug­gestions of the temper, they fall into sin and there­by introduced misery into the world, which is a natural consequence of sin.—And what sad havock has sin made in this world, not with standing the glo­rious means provided for restoration through a Re­deemer! who freely undertook to make reparation, and where sin abounded grace does much more a­bound; but our sins must be conquered and we must submit or we shall receive no benefit by rich free grace, but a more aggravated condemnation: this is and will be the condemnation of many, that they loved darkness rather than light. Alas! the awful specticle now presented to your view is brought in­to his situation by sin; sin and disobedience to God and his holy law are the causes which are now listing the hand of death, just ready to str [...]ke the last and fa­tal blow; and has armed the king of terrors, and commissioned him to draw near a poor prisoner load­ed with irons, and to [...] of wife, children, parents, friends, every earthly comfort, and of every thing in which the men of this world place their happiness; all this, for disobedience to God, and his holy law—but had I, before the fatal might, obey­ed God and the gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and the strivings of the holy Spirit, which I have often felt, and as often resisted, while in my wicked course of sin and disobedience, no doubt, this fatal catastrophe might have been prevented. Saith the dear Redeemer. I am come a light into the world that whosoever followeth me, should not walk in darkness, but have the light of life—but I did not f [...]llow that heavenly light—I chose darkness rather than light, death rather than life, and vice [Page 17] rather than virtue, because my deeds were evil: I had no desire of the knowledge of God, and was to all good works reprobate—I had adopted the most cor­rupt and vicious principles imaginable and resolute­ly resolved not to be dissuaded from believing all mankind happy after death, and that the supreme Being controlled and governed our hearts, both to will and to do, evil as well as good. And these wicked principles being sufficient ground for the de­vil to build upon▪ he did not fail improving to his advantage; I was an easy prey—I was found faith­ful in his service—I was not only pursuing the ways to my own damnation, but also doing all in my pow­er to proselyte others to embrace the same damnable principles—even denying the Lord that bought them, and to bring upon themselves swift destruction. Oh! what an instrument in the hand of the devil I have been, while the devil was ruling and reigning in my heart! But though my sins have been as innumerable as the particles of sand upon the sea shore, and tho' I have dishonored God and abused his goodness, not konwing or not considering it ought to have led me to repentance, and though I have trodden under foot the precious blood of the everlasting covenant and despised offered mercy, slighted the Saviour of sin­ners, and his people, and have spoken blasphemously of things of everlasting consequence, yet, I humbly hope, that I am washed, that I am sanctified, and that I am justified, in the name of our Lord Jesus, and by [...] Spirit of our God. And now, O sinners! my earnest desire is, that I may be as great an instru­ment in the hand of my God, to alarm careless stu­pid sinners and to bring them to accept offered mer­cy, as I have been in the hand of the devil to dis­saude them from attending to the things which will make for their everlasting peace and happiness, and to dissaude them from feeling happiness in the unsatisfactory things of time and sense, where no­thing capable of happifying an immortal soul, where [Page 18] nothing permanent can be found; and to point out to them the pearl of great price, which if the visita­tion of divine grace operating on their hearts leads them sufficiently to discover, receive and obey, they will fell all, all the vanities of this sading world, for the purchase of this inestimable jewel, which, I hope I have done, and know it must be done by all true followers of Jesus: for, saith he, if any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him; and if any man love father or mother, wife or children, houses or lands more than me, he is not worthy of me. Can it be an unreasonable command, that we forsake and leave all, for one who hath done so much for us? for one who hath left the bosom of the Fa­ther, laid aside his majestic robes of glory, left the realms of bliss and happiness, for a stable, a manager, to be a man of sorrow, and wear a thorny crown—in a word, a God by whom all worlds were created, and on whose shoulders hangs the government of u­niversal nature, who by his almighty power, holds all the worlds in their order, and prevents their tum­bling into confusion, to condescend to sacrifice his precious life for the redemption of fallen-men? Oh grace, grace! free grace, from the foundation to the top-stone! God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son to die for it, that whosoever believeth on him might not perish, but have everlasting life. And as this life is to be attained only by faith, repen­tance and a holy life, let me now, knowing the ter­rors of the Lord, persuade you to the real belief, and practice of those virtues, and to come to Christ for the gracious influences of his Spirit to enable you both to will and to do: for, faith he, come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest—and whosoever cometh unto me, I will in in no wise cast out—and he that believeth shall be saved. Should it be said, how shall they believe on him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? and how shall they [Page 19] preach except they are sent? I answer, God by his divine Spirit only can speak to the heart, and Oh sinners! what a glorious preacher is in every heart, till resisted and drove away! What a reprover of sin and encourager of righteousness and judgment! Saith he, I have called and ye have refused; I have stretch­ed out my hands all the day, and you regarded not; what a dreadful denunciation follows! I will laugh at your calamity, and mock when your fear cometh.

Since I have called your attention to the important concerns of eternity, I beg a moment's attention to the unhappy situation to which my inattention to those concerns, and my former damnable princi­ples have bro't me.—On the third day of January, 1791 in the evening, the fatal accident happened for which I am now in chains, under the sentence of death, which at first gave a shock not to be descri­bed—my knees, Belteshazzer like, smote one against the other—Oh! how soon then were my false hopes of universal salvation fled, and left me in despair! to God I dared not look for he was to me like a consu­ming fire—to Christ I dared not apply—death started me in the face, as if ready to lay its cold hand upon me. Let him that reads assuredly know and atten­tively consider, that inattention to religion or false principles such as I had adopted, will terminate at last in a situation which my feeble pen is unable to paint, or to describe.

In the situation of which I have been speaking, I ran to and fro like one distracted. I would fly to the [...]aw, which seemed like ten thousand cannons ready to discharge themselves at my poor soul, and hell op­ening her mouth ready to devour and swallow me up, as the earth did Corah, Dathan and Abiram. Could mortals know or feel the wrath of an angry God in this world, they would in some measure be able to realize the following question, Who among you can dwell with devouring fire, who can inhabit everlas­ting burning?—And for false comfort, the old ser­pent [Page 20] pent would seem to say to me, you are beside your­self, why such terror, there is no such thing as h [...]LL it is only to answer [...] purposes that such s [...]are crows are propagated among men; but conscience and the thoughts of death and eternity would de­siray the [...] gleam of comfort. Did ever mortal feel the terrors of death, the death of the immortal soul as I have done they never would give sleep to their eyes nor slumber to their eyelids, till they had place in believing, and intersting their distressed soul in the arm of an all-sufficient Saviour.—But the lust of the flesh, and the pride on life has so much power over the earned heart that the laws of God appear hateful and we can't be subject to them until one [...] drop of the purchase of the Son of God take place in the heart, then are we taken out of the horrible pit, and miry clay—our feet placed upon a rock, and a new song put into our mouths, even praise to our God.—Their hearts are at times touched with divine love in such a manner as to cast out all fear—their understandings are enlightened, that the glo­rious gospel of Jesus Christ is like honey dropping sweet and comforting promises, and the most glori­ous encouragement to follow and to know the [...]. Their hearts are taken from the things below, and placed on things above, where they have treasure tho' here in the body. And though they have been building upon earthly pleasures, they are now cru­cifying the flesh with its affection and lusts, and en­deavoring to bring every thought into the obedience of Christ; as faith the apostle, if ye through the Spi­rit mortify the deeds of the body ye shall live: and to be carnally minded is death, therefore the preach­ing of the cross is to them that believe the wisdom of God, and the power of God: but to them that perish foolishness; and to them that continue [...] sin all these important blessings are last, for with out [...] no man shall see or enjoy God—and [...] ye live after the flesh ye shall die; this must be me [...] [Page 21] the death of the soul, for all men die a natural death, whether they live after the flesh, or after the spirit.—Whatever seems to be the road in which mankind are travelling my sincere prayer is that they, each one for himself, may know his own true state. And may I, with the apostle, wish them al­together such as I am except those iron bands. As to the great affairs of my death, my views of it are changed, I can now say, for me to live is Christ, but for me to die is great gain: And though the flesh sometimes seems to have a kind of natural re­luctance, the spirit quickneth and I consider death a kind messenger of peace; and when I look on the gilded sirmanent, and consider the abundant en­trance into the expanded heaven; the city of the new Jerusalem, and of the living God; which I hope to obtain through the merits and perfect righteous­ness of the Redeemer. I feel my heart ravished, with such joys as to banish the terrors of death, and to say, Oh death! where is thy sting? and Oh grave! where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law; but thanks be to our Lord Jesus Christ, that I am no more under the law, but under grace.—When I was called before the bar for trial, for my life, I feared I should not receive my sentence in such a frame of heart as to be recon­ciled to the will of God. I therefore betook myself to secret earnest prayer to God, that he would be pleased to pour out on me his divine Spirit, to ena­ble me to submit to his providential dealings with me, in regard to my sentence; and I can say, that I feel the rays of divine grace in my soul, and that inward peace that the world giveth not: and that I had no [...] a murmuring thought although my com­posure was by the [...]anders taken for the greatest degree of hardness and stupidity, and perhaps by the court; but I consider it an answer to my prayer. I therefore above all things, recommend secret pray­er, and meditation; pouring out your complaints [Page 22] to God with strong crying. My dear friends, let me tell you it is a great thing to have union and communion with a God before whom angels and arch angels vail their faces, being unable to behold his glory. Many may say, let the will of God be done, but perhaps at the same time they say his will be done, they have a secret reserve, if it be agreea­ble to their wills—making their own wills the stand­ard. Christian reader! try yourself and ask your own heart, if you would willingly resign your bo­dy to be burnt at the stake, rather than deny the blessed JESUS. It is an easy matter, under the smiles of Providence, to be reconciled, but in adver­sity, when instead of the smiles of Providence we are called to bear afflictions, if we do not submit with patience we ought to doubt our state—we ought to remember it is through much tribulation we must be made meet for, and be sitted and prepared for the kingdom of heaven. Those who are not chastified are not sons, but bastards. And though the would are all against you, and tho' they kill the body, yet you ought to rejoice, when under the sentence of death. I can say, on my receiving the sentence of death, I was not terrified, yet to heart of the dissec­tion of my body, seemed disagreeable to nature, at first, but I was soon calm'd by serious reflection, which calm has continued with me ever since; my mind being impressed, with a serious contemplation of the bright mansion of the realm of bliss, and e­ternal glory. My dear reader! if you are yet un­impressed with my solemn history, let me now for a moment, request your serious attention to your own dissolution. Death, relentless death, will soon arrest you, as well as me, and should it seize you at an un­happy moment, while in your career of sin and vani­ty, it will then be too late to think of heaven, and the glories you might have attained, had you im­proved the golden season of grace, now forever lost to you; you, like the foolish virgins, sleep too long. [Page 23] Alas! you are now too late, your shocking sentence is not the death of the body, but the death of the soul: the second death. Will you swallow the sweet morsels of sin and yet flatter yourself you can with confidence meet God. Remember though sin seem sweet in the commission, yet it will bite like a ser­pent, and sting like an adder. Remember that if you are ever renewed you will mourn with heart break­ing for the commission of all which you falsly call little sins, while in the love and practice thereof. These reflections are applicable to my wicked life, before I was the cause of the death of that poor un­fortunate young man; what a scene of mourning and lementation to his parents, his brothers and sisters, for their son, and their brother. In the morn­ing he left home well, and at his return is a life­less corpse! Can tongue express the anguish of your hearts! then extend your view, and see my body hanging between heaven and earth as a public exam­ple, my poor aged parents, with the most keen an­guish of heart, and tears flowing like rivers from their eyes—my dear wife made a widow, my chil­dren fatherless, mourning and refusing to be com­forted. All this is the wages of sin. Sinners, are you not as it were thunder-struck and resolutely re­solved to forsake sin! Since the beginning of its con­sequences are so dreadful, are you not determined now to flee to the Bock of safety, where all man­ner of sin and blasphemies will be forgiven, on your application for pardon. (the sin against the Holy Ghost excepted) Come then to Christ and plead his blood and his perfect righteousness; come without money—bring nothing to purchase a pardon by way of merit. I confess I was much stumbled with the subject of coming to Christ, till by divine inspiration of the Spirit of God, my mind was wonderfully en­lightened, to discover the connection, beauty and harmony of the glorious gospel, which the natural man knows not, for they are spiritually discerned.

[Page 24] I will then attempt to express my ideas of the work of coming to Christ, or believing on him, on which depend the salvation or damnation of every mortal under heaven. It is said by the Saviour "No man cometh unto me except the Father, who hath sent me, draw him;" and it is by man, assigned as a reason for not coming, because they are not drawn. But by the same authority it is said, if I be lifted up, I will draw all men unto me, and they shall be all taught of God; every one therefore, that heareth and learneth of the Father cometh unto the Son. All men are then drawn, and none but those wilful­ly blind and rebellious are left in darkness. A mea­sure of the divine Spirit is given to every man, that cometh into the world. I am not that light said John; but faith he of Christ, this is the light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world:—and faith Christ, I am come a light into the world, that whosoever followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. This light, I conceive means his divine Spirit, which all have that will follow its teaching; those who will not, it is taken from them, and they are left in hardness, darkness; and in the words of the apostle, repro­bates; not that they were reprobated by a kind and merciful God from eternity, but by their inattention to his calls. Behold, faith the loving Jesus, I stand at the door and knock; if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in; most clearly then, it belongs to sinners to open the door, and all will open the door of their hearts and receive the King of glory in, or bar the door of their hearts against him, to their final and everlasting distructon. I have said much about the divine quickning Spirit, and in order to lead you further into the knowledge of this mystery, which is denied by many, though po­sitively expressed in the sacred oracles, let me turn your attention to the original state of man, as he came from the forming hand of his Creator.—He was [Page 25] made holy and fell by disobedience. In the day thou eat thereof, thou shall assuredly die. In the same day he did die, not a natural, but a spiritual death; that principle of divine life was immediately eradi­cated from the soul, and man left in a state like de­vils; without God and without hope; had it not been for the merciful interposition of the second Per­son in the Trinity, who, I conceive restored to A­dam and all his posterity, a principle of divine light, or a portion of his blessed Spirit, which, if believed in, and hearkened to, is sufficient to con­vince, convert, sanctify, and bring them to glory. Therefore those that find in themselves any of this divine light, or resistance against the works of dark­ness, may attribute it to sovereign grace: it is of God, it is not ourselves; it is not from nature's gar­den, that corrupt root; but those who have no remains of this divine principle, which was purchased and giv­en by the Saviour, have had it, and lost it. If this is not the case, how can it be said, the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life, and that Christ tasted death for every man. Is every man then saved by his death? No. If then he hath per­formed all that their necessities required, he is a complete Saviour. If he has not, where is the pro­priety of the angels address to the shepherd, as be­ing matter of joy to all people? It can be no mat­ter of joy to those for whom Christ did not die, nor to those who are not the subjects of his special call; and if they are not included in the great things Christ has done for the world, how can it be their con­demnation, that light is come into the world, hav­ing never reached them—they not being included in that light. The tidings of salvation therefore can be no matter of joy to them. And the sacred ora­cles say, they are damned for not believing on the name of the only begotton Son of God. If he did not die for them, and they are damned for not be­lieving on him, they are damned for not believing [Page 26] a lie. I find the scriptures both of the old and new testament, hold up to view that all mankind may obtain salvation if they will: But say some, it is God that gives the will—and as a soveriegn, he gives to some and not to others—I conceive he gives to all power, liberty and ability, and leaves it to their choice to obey and be happy, or to disobey, and be miserable; or why are such pathetic expres­sions to obedience, used, as, Take heed and observe, for, it is for your life: Oh that they were wise to con­sider their latter end! and, How often would I have gathered you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wing, and ye would not: And ye will not come unto me, that ye might have life: Do not these texts imply that all bars in the way of sin­ners coming to Christ are removed. What means this coming to Christ? I humbly conceive it is at­tending to the visitations of his divine Spirit, which knock at every heart, and in receiving the heaven­ly Messenger, and being lead, guided and governed by the dictates thereof—and in conforming our lives to the perfect pattern of the sacred oracles. It ap­pears to me to be a vain hope, to expect heaven and live in sin. "My sheep know my voice and follow me." What is it to follow Christ, but to follow him in the way of holiness, and to pattern after his per­fect example. "Why call ye me Lord, Lord, and do not the things that I say?' Should it now he said, I expect to obtain salvation by my works; I say I do, but not for my works nor on the ground of merit. I do not think so little of the joys of spending an e­ternal duration in beholding the face of a reconciled God, as to conceive such an inestiamble blessing can be purchased by a few good works; but they are pro­mised to those that yield obedience to God, and do his will, and to none but such. A question here will arise. "What is the will of God?" I conceive it is that principle of goodness flowing from the divine perfection and ever promoting holiness agreeable to [Page 27] his most holy nature; for if God is holy, nothing but holiness can flow from him. As is the fountain, so is the stream: it being the height of absardity to suppose a holy God the author of sins, or of our vi­cious propensities to evil; and where it is said, [...]'s there evil in the city, and the Lord hath not done it? it means natural evil, and not moral, The exhorta­tion is, Be ye holy for I am holy. Should we adopt the other principle, the injunction must be inverted thus, Be you unholy for I the Lord your God am un­holy. But say some, if every thing does not take place according to the will of God, then he is infi­nitely crossed by sin, and the most miserable of all beings. But if it is acknowledged, that moral evil is in its nature infinitely contrary to the law of per­fections and government of God. we may say by the same mode of reasoning. he is frustrated pained and grieved by sin; viewing it in its nature, as that he chuseth it: and is pleased with it, viewed in its consequences. Does not God say he is grieved at his heart for sin and that it is his will to have all men saved; not his efficient will, but his permissive will. He hath done all for man, that he could do, consistant with his plan of government, and his terms are, obey and live. he scripture resolves our mise­ry to our non- attention and disobedience. Witness the foolish virgins, the feed sown and the talents: he to whom one talent was given was not condemned be­cause he had not five, but for not improving his ta­lent, but hiding it in the earth. So the carnal, un­concerned sinners hide their talent (meaning, as I conceive, their measure of the holy Spirit) in the earth; they bury it in things of this world to their everlasting destruction. As every thing is attract­ing towards the fountain, God is the fountain from whom flows this Spirit—he is the fountain of light and life, and so his Spirit is from the fountain and leads or draws to God, or to christ, he being co­equal, co­eternal one in the godhead, and insepara­ble. [Page 28] —This Divine Spirit opens to our view the great purchase of the son of God; that when we stood justly condemned, and the holiness of God was such, that he could not, consistant with his divine perfec­tions, forgive sinners and receive them to favor; God the Son undertook this work, which he hath completed and which by his Spirit, the poor and help­less are enabled to see believe in, and comply with, to their eternal salvation.—You, saith the apostle, hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; you are washed, sanctified and justified by the Spirit of our God,—I conceive the whole Trinity fathers the new born soul, and that each has his dif­ferent office in the salvation of man though mostly ascribed to the Son: because the purchase was made by him; it is the Father draws it was the Son re­deemed, it is the Holy Ghost sanctifies and seals—The soul seems to be drawn two ways—God draws it to virtue, and its own inclinations to sin draws it to continue the practice of sin; the soul then stands on [...] free choice, to whom to yield or obey; his ser­vants ye are, says the apostle, to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, whether of righteous­ness unto life, or of sin unto death. God not only draws us by his Spirit but by mercies and afflictions—sometimes by judgments on nations, on families and on particular persons, because they rebel against the dictates of his Spirit, and he by his Spirit, will bring out the persons bound with chains, but the rebellious shall dwell in a dry land. When God is pouring out his judgments, they that are led by the Spirit learn right consness and all things will work to­gether for their good: but, saith the Saviour, those mine enemies that will not that I should reign over them, bring hither and slay before me. This, sinner, will be your fate, when you shall be called before God's awful bar to render a solemn account how you have improved these glorious talents and advantages—your vain excuses will not then avail you, but the [Page 29] blessing you foolishly have neglected and despised will aggravate your condemnation—You have chosen darkness rather than light; alas! you must now a­bide the consequence of your inconsiderate choice: the harvest is ended, and your souls are not saved, but irrecoverably lost and gone for ever—While there is yet hope then reject not the teachings of the Spirit, be baptised into the Spirit, be sanctified by the Spirit, come with full boldness to the throne of grace, pleading the merits of an all-sufficient Savi­our, he hath fulfilled the law for you, he hath a robe of perfect righteousness for you, he hath done and suffered all for you, unless you cut yourself off by disobedience, and bar the door of heaven against your entrance, by your resistance—The Spirit and the Bride say come; and let him that heareth say, come—and whomsoever will let him take of the waters of life freely. The greatness of your sins, need not form an objection on your part, for though they are like scarlet and crimson, and sands in num­ber, yet they will be made white as wool or snow; if ye will be willing and obedient, you may not on­ly be partakers of his death and righteousness, but also of his ascension and intercession with the Father, pleading his perfect righteousness for you; he hath fulfilled the law for you; and if you submit to him, justice has no demand on you—you are no longer under the law but under grace. The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made you free, free from the law of sin and death, unless you chuse death rather than life.

My dear reader! don't conclude man's salvation is completed by the Spirit without sanctification, or that the Holy Ghost has nothing to do in it; it is first renewed by the Spirit and sanctified by the Ho­ly Ghost, which is the saints, comforter; it is sent to feed the converted soul with heavenly bread; for, saith Christ, except ye eat my flesh and drink my blood ye have no life in you; meaning his Spirit; [Page 30] for saith he, the words that I speak they are Spirit, they are life. Oh, poor saint! were it not for the Holy Ghost, the Comforter with us, how would we be able to support ourselves through tribulation, persecution and affliction? but, being strengthened by the mighty power of God in the inner man, we are enabled to persevere, and may become fit tem­ples for the Holy Ghost to dwell in.—Is not this e­nough to bring the hardest heart into submission, and induce it to shout forth hallelujahs, and join the song of Moses and the Lamb, in thanksgiving to Him that sitteth on the throne, who by his blood, hath redeemed us unto God, to live and reign with him for ever and ever. I have mentioned a day of grace that is the time while persons are under the visitations of his Spirit, and a time when God with. draws his Spirit, for saith he, my Spirit shall not al­ways strive with man. What a solemn situation are those in, from whom God hath withdrawn his Spi­rit? they are left in utter darkness, they are no more the offspring of God; but as our Lord said to Judas, I have chosen you twelve and one of you is a devil so after they are left of God, they belong to their father the devil, and are devils incarnate—The day of grace once past, lost you are, and must for ever be to all eternity. How will you then reflect o [...] your stupidity in the neglect and abuse of rich fre [...] grace and offered mercy? Have you not yet th [...] Spirit accusing and condemning for sin, for so often and so long rejecting its counsels, and for not hark­ning to its reproofs; hark then, fearing it may b [...] the last visitation—in a matter of such infinite impor­tance delay not a day, an hour nor a single moment I confess it has been my delay and non-attention the strivings of the Spirit that has brought me be a public spectacle in my death: when the Spirit was striving with me, I was striving to resist, grie [...] and quench it; and though it was like fire to my flesh yet the devil, together with my own wicked hear [...] [Page 31] would not fail to suggest to me. that I might yet follow the vanities to the world▪ and that what I now know was the Spirit, was only superstition, or the tradition of my pious parents education, and good counsel, to which I need not he [...]d, and if they were right it was time enough ye; I need not so soon begin to deny myself of vanity and folly—Repentance and attention to religion belongs to old age. But I now believe religion rarely takes place in old age; and there principles proceed from the father of lies, that ought by all means to be rejected in youth. Oh! that I might be a means to induce poor, though, less souls, bound to the eternal world, to consider these important truths and how often they are persuaded by the adversary of souls, to neglect them—Oh! con­sider what a sub [...]le adversary we have to encounter, and that he is continually going about as a roaring lion, seeking wh [...] he may devour—And be induced to consider that like and death are within our reach, and assuredly depend on our choice, assisted by a mea­sure of the Spirit, which is freely given without ex­ception; for, saith the Saviour to the wicked Phari­sees, the kingdom of God is within you; and the a­postle of the israelities, they all drank of that spirit­ [...]al Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ: which I understand was his divine Spirit; [...] with many of them God was not well-pleased, and did swear in his wrath that they should not en­ [...]er into his rest. I conclude mankind are [...] agents, and have restored to them, by the Redeemer, full power and ability to save or damn themselves; to abuse and obtain life or death, heaven or hell; that they are left at their own free choice, and may be [...] by the Spirit of God or of the devil, accord­ing to whom they yield themselves to obey—that they may and often do put themselves so much under [...] power of satan by yielding to him as to be an ea­ [...] prey to him, and to be led captive by him at his [...]easure; which is assuredly death, and will end in [Page 32] an eternal banishment from God, and from the least gleam of hope or comfort. And, Oh sinners! stupid sinners; your portion if you remain such, will be to be turned into hell, into a lake burning with fire and brimstone, where you will, without intermission, be mourning your fo [...]ly and bitterly cursing your delu­ded and bewitched attachment to the momentary vani [...]es of this vain world; for the sake of which, you have placed your immortal part, your never-dy­ing souls, under the scalding drops of divine ven­geance; there to remain as long as God lives to pu­nish you.—But those which will be led by the Spi­rit of God, they are the sons of God; God himself will be a Father to them, and own them as his chil­dren; Jesus, the second glorious person in the ever­blessed Trinity, will own them as his brethren, and though the [...], were created below angels, those shining attendants before the throne of God, they will be raised far above them; and while in this world, they, in believing views, may anticipate in some degree, their happiness; they may die in peace, be­ing assured that guardian angels, will, at their souls leaving th [...]se mortal bodies, wa [...]t them, with the swift­ness of angelic wings, into the heavenly Jerusalem, where millions and legions of angels will hail their happy arrival and where no sin nor sorrow shall e­ver enter; where they shall drink plentiful draughts of those rivers of pleasure, which flow through the Paradise of God: not for days months, nor years, but during the inconceivable and inexpressible dura­tion of ETERNITY.