the Holy Ghost, "Whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not." You may slumber, and that so carelessly, that we cannot awake you, but your damnation slumbereth not, nor hath done of a long time, while you thought it slumbered; and when it comes, it will awaken you. As a man that is in a coach on the road, or in a boat on the water, whatever he is speaking, or thinking, or doing, he is still going on, and hastening to his journey's end, or going down the stream; so whatever you think, or speak, or do, whether you believe it, or mock at it, whether you sleep or wake, whether you remember it or forget it, you are hastening to destruction, and you are every day a day nearer to it than before. "Behold the Judge standeth before the door." The Holy Ghost hath told you, "the Lord is at hand." "The day is at hand; the time is at hand; the end of all things is at hand." Rom. xiii. 12. Rev. xxii. 10. 1 Pet. iv. 7. "Behold, saith the Lord, I come quickly, and my reward is with me, to give to every man according as his work shall be." And do you, as it were, see the Judge approaching, and yet will you delay?" And withal consider, that when it comes, it will be most sore to such as you; and then what thoughts do you think you shall have of these delays? You are unable to conceive how it will torment your consciences, when you see that all your hopes are gone, to think to what you have brought yourselves by your trifling. To feel yourselves in remediless misery, and remember how long the remedy was offered you, and you delayed to use it till it was too late. To see that you are for ever shut out of heaven, and remember that you might have had it as well as others, but you lost it by delay. O then it will come with horror into your mind, How often was I persuaded, and told of this? How often had I inward motions to return? How often did I purpose to be holy, and to give up my heart and life to God? I was even ready to have yielded, but I still delayed, and now it is too late.

And now, having laid you down no less than fifty moving considerations, if it be possible to save you from these delays, I conclude with this request to you, whoever you be that read these lines, that you would but consider of all these reasons, and then entertain them as they deserve. There is not one of them that you are able to gainsay, much less all of them. If after the reading of all these, you can yet believe that you have reasons to delay, your understandings are forsaken of God; but if you are forced to confess that you should not delay, what will you do then? Will you obey God and your own consciences, or will you not? Will you turn this hour without delay? Take heed of denying it, lest you have never such a motion more. You know not but God, who calls you to it, may be resolved that it should be now or never. I do beseech you, yea, as his messenger, I charge you in his name, that you delay not an hour longer, but presently be resolved, and make an unchangeable covenant with God; and, as ever you would have favour in that day of your distress, delay not now to accept his favour in the day of your visitation.

O what a blessed family were that, who upon the reading of this, would presently say, We have done exceeding foolishly in delaying so great a matter so long; let us agree together to give up ourselves to God without any more delay. This shall be the day; we will stay no longer. The flesh, and the world, and the devil, have had too much already. It is a wonder of patience that hath borne with us so long; we will abuse the patience of God no longer, but begin to be absolutely his this day. If this may be the effect of these exhortations, you shall have the everlasting blessing; but if still you delay, I hope I am free from the guilt of your blood.

EXTRACTS

FROM

BAXTER'S DYING THOUGHTS.

The reader has witnessed in the preceding pages the fervent zeal and deep anxiety of the pious author in urging on the impenitent the necessity of immediately turning to God and repairing to the Saviour in order to escape eternal death. In the following selections, are exhibited some of the peaceful and happy reflections which the author indulged, in relation to his own prospects in the near view of death.

The sanctifying operations of the Spirit of God are the earnest of heaven, and the sure prognostic of our immortal happiness. It is "a change of grand importance" to man, to be renewed in his mind, his will, and life. It repairs his depraved faculties. It causes man to live as man, who was degenerated to a life too much like the brutes. Men are "slaves to sin, till Christ makes them free." "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." If "the love of God shed abroad on our hearts," be not our excellence, health, and beauty, what is? "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." Without Christ, and his Spirit, we can do nothing. Our dead notions and reason, though we see the truth, have not power to overcome temptations, nor raise up man's soul to its original, and end, nor possess us with the love and joyful hopes of future blessedness. It were better for us to have no souls, than have our souls void of the Spirit of God. Heaven is the

design and end of this important change. What is our knowledge and faith, but to know and believe that heaven consists in the glory and love of God there manifested, and that it was purchased by Christ, and given by his covenant? What is our hope, but "the hope of glory," which we through the Spirit wait for? What is our love, but a desire of communion with the blessed God, begun here, and perfected hereafter? What Christ teaches and commands, he works in us by his Spirit. He sends not his Spirit to make men craftier than others for this world, but " wiser to salvation," and more holy and heavenly. "The children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light." Heavenly mindedness is the special work of the Spirit. In producing this change, the Spirit overcomes all opposition from the world, the flesh, and the devil. Christ first overcame the world, and teaches and causes us to overcome it, even its flatteries and its frowns. "Our faith is our victory." 7." Christ promised his Spirit to all true believers, to be in them as his advocate, agent, seal, and mark; and indeed, the Spirit here, and heaven hereafter, are the chief of all his promises. That this Spirit is given to all true believers, is evident by the effects of it. They have ends, affections, and lives, different from the rest of mankind. They live upon the hopes of a better life, and their heavenly interest overrules all the opposite interests of this world in order to which they live under the conduct of divine authority; and to obey and please God is the great business of their lives. The men of the world discern this difference, and therefore hate and oppose them, because they find themselves condemned by their heavenly temper and conversation. Believers are conscious of this difference; for they desire to be better, and to trust and love God more, and to have more of the heavenly life and comforts; and when their infirmities make them doubt of their own sincerity, they would not change their governor, rule,

or hopes, for all the world; and it is never so well and pleasant with them, as when they can trust and love God most; and in their worst and weakest condition they would fain be perfect. Indeed, whatever real goodness is found among men, it is given by the same Spirit of Christ: but it is notorious, that in heavenly mindedness and virtue, no part of the world is comparable to serious Christians. This Spirit, Christ also expressly promised, as the means and pledge, the first fruits and earnest of the heavenly glory; and, therefore, it is a certain proof that we shall have such a glory. He that gives us a spiritual change, which in its nature and tendency is heavenly; he that sets our hopes and hearts on heaven, and turns the endeavours of our lives towards future blessedness, and promised this preparatory grace as the earnest of that felicity, may well be trusted to perform his word in our complete eternal glory.

"And now, O my soul ! why shouldst thou draw back, as if the matter was doubtful? Is not thy foundation firm? Is not the way of life, through the valley of death, made safe by him that conquered death? Art thou not yet delivered from the bondage of thy fears? Hast thou not long ago found in thee the motions and effectual operations of this Spirit? and is he not still residing and working in thee, as the agent and witness of Christ? If not, whence are thy aspirations after God, thy desires to be nearer to his glory, to know him and love him more? Whence came all the pleasure thou hast had in his sacred truth, and ways, and service? Who subdued for thee thy folly, pride, and vain desires? Who made it thy choice to sit at the feet of Jesus, and hear his word, as the better part, and count the honors and preferments of the world but dross? Who breathed in thee all those requests thou hast sent up to God? Remember what thou wast in the hour of temptation, how small a matter has drawn thee to sin. Forget not the days of thy youthful vanity. Overlook not the case of thy sin