Inftant in which you are rioting in fenfual Pleafures, and feafting in those luscious Joys, which only leave a Sting behind. Go to now! you who have thus neglected God and your Soul, your Husband, your Children, and your Friends: Go, and confider your Ways, that you may thereby be led to alter your Course; for I would willingly hope you do not fee your Follies in fuch a Light as they are seen by those who feel the Effects of them. You, perhaps, have never been fufficiently. verfed in the divine Oracles; and if not, quickly repair thither, and draw Water out of those Wells of Salvation; for there you may buy without Money, and without Price; and, for your better Improvement thereby, procure for yourfelf fome good and plain Comment thereupon, or confult fome difcreet Friend, where-ever you are in doubt. Lay by all your wanton Books (which are only like Oil thrown upon the Flames of Luft, which makes them rife the higher) and instead of them, reverently turn over thofe facred Pages, as it is thofe, and thofe only, which testify of God: There you will be led by him, who was the Way; be guided by him, who was Truth itfelf; and be preferved in your reformed State, by him who was the Life and Light of the World, through the whole of your Pilgrimage here, and be made Partaker (when you have used your utmost preparative Endeavours) of Blifs prepared for thofe that love God. You have a great Work to do; a laborious Task lies before you; but yet do not be dif couraged couraged by an Attempt to mend; for (if that is diligently pursued) you will find your Mind exfoliate under the Guidance of the Sun of Righteousness, even as the vegetable World does under the Influence of the Eaftern Rays. But (this Work neglected) where can you go in the Day of Tribulation, when Sickness and approaching Death comes upon you? You cannot look up with Confidence to God, if, after this Admonition, you perfift to neglect him; You cannot with any Face go to your Friends, whilft you continue in thofe Sins, which alone feparated between you and them: In this Situation, fhould Reflection then take place, yet perhaps God's Patience (who will not always ftrive with Man) may appear tired out, and the Pain of your difeafed Body may add Fuel to the Flame of your difturbed Mind, when the direful Expectation of an avenging God, ready to deftroy, haunts your Soul, and fills it with Amaze ment. 』『; Perhaps you will anfwer to all these my Remonftrances, as Amaziah did to the Prophet Amos, who prophefied Jeroboam's Death in confequence of his Wickedness, Go into fome other Land, and there eat Bread, and prophesy there, but prophefy no more at Bethel. But do not look upon this as Pedantry or Prieftcraft, for it comes not from one who is ordained to the Office, but only as every one is fo, * who has it at all in his Power to fave a Soul from Death. Do not let your Inclination to pursue your Follies make you throw it by as Waftepaper, but read it over at your more serious and * Lev. xix. 17. reflective reflective Hours (as I am willing to hope you have fome) and then I doubt not but, by the Bleffing of God upon my weak Endeavours, I may prove an Inftrument, of your future Comfort, and a Furtherer of your eternal Bliss. I fhall add but two Things more to what I have already wrote, which is, firft, To point out to you the Progrefs of Sin, and secondly, the Means againft it (which perhaps, upon Reflection, you may find to have been the Cafe with yourfelf): Its Progress is thus: Suggeftion draws on Thought, Thought engages Affection, Affection produces Delight, Delight perfuades our Confent, Confent advances to act, Acts beget Habits, Habits harden and tempt us to defpair of Mercy, Defpair defends the Sins it commits; after which follow, Glorying in Wickedness, Defiance of God, and Contempt of, and fcoffing at Religion, which is, as it were, the Beginning (here) of Damnation itfelf: To this Pitch you feem almost arrived, and therefore would advise you to retreat immediately, and (as the Means against Sin) to call on Wifdom †, and to come unto her as one that ploweth and foweth, and wait for her good Fruits; thou fhalt not toil much in labouring about her, but thou fhalt eat of her Fruits right foon. She is very unpleafant to the Ignorant; he that is without UnderStanding will not remain with her: But come thou to her with thy whole Heart, and keep her Ways with all thy Power; for at the last thou shalt find *Parson's Directory, p. 133. vi. 19, &c. + Eccluf. her her Reft, and that shall be turned to thy Joy: Of, in the Words of the Poet, To watch and pray, the very first Conftantly use the Means of Grace, May God, in whofe Hands are the Hearts of all Men, give you Time and Space for, and alfo the Grace of Repentance: May he influence you by the Means of his powerful Spirit, to fee your Crimes in a proper Light, and, at the fame Time, comfort you, when you seem to yourself overwhelmed in the Ocean of your Iniquity: May he (whenever that happy and neceffary Minute comes) reach out his faving Help to your finking, and almost desponding Soul, and gracioufly affift you by his Righthand. I hereby testify myself 29th April, 1753. Your Well-wisher, THEOPHILUS. ADVICE ADVICE FROM THE AVIARY: OR, The CHANTING MORALIST. IN A LETTER from AMATOR PULCHERIA. Praife him all ye Fowls of Heaven, Dear PULCHERIA, A to FTER having congratulated you upon your fafe Recovery, at which I very much rejoice, I take the Liberty to fend you, for your Amusement, a Pair of Canary Birds, not in the leaft doubting but they will be well taken Care of. I hope you will excufe me, if (in order to render them not only a plea at, but an ufeful Amusement) I fhould endeavour to collect to gether |