devil's to keep us in sin, contrary to the work and doctrine of the holy apostles, who were sent of God to turn people from satan's power, to the power of God; whose glorious, eternal power, is above the power of sin, death, and the devil.

I wish to write a few words concerning some unsound words, and also some Scripture expressions perverted to a wrong use, in the common prayer.

First; As to that expression in the common prayer, that "We are miserable sinners."

Second; And that "We are full of bruises and putrifying sores."

Third; And “From the crown of the head to the sole of the foot, there is no soundness in us."

Fourth; And that "We have left undone the things which we ought to do, and do those things which we ought not to do ;" and these to be repeated for life.

First, then, If people must be miserable sinners all their days, to what end did Christ come into the world and preach the gospel, and suffer death, the painful death of the cross? Did he not come to put an end to sin, and to destroy the works of the devil, whose works are sin? Did he not preach against sin, both within and without? Witness the fifth, sixth, and seventh chapters of the evangelist Matthew. Yea, his birth, life, preaching, suffering, death and resurrection, and ascension into glory, were all against sin, the devil, death and darkness, and all the works and deeds thereof. Christ died for our sins, and we should die to them, and live to him: he came to save us from the act of sin, as well as the imputation of it; and takes away the guilt of sin on condition of true repentance and amendment of life, as the doctrine of Christ and his apostles largely and plainly demonstrates, as any who are come to the years of discretion, and who can but read the holy Scriptures, may plainly discover.

away; for this cause we praise God and adore his eternal majesty for ever.

Second; As to the word "miserable," a Christian may indeed be poor; but since Christ is come to make us happy and comfortable, through the hope of eternal salvation, in his name and power, as we are not to think ourselves better than we are, so we cannot say nor think we are miserable, unless we are without God and Christ; and then we are miserable indeed; but no mortal can be miserable who hath Christ; "For he that hath the Son, hath life (eternal life) abiding in him." To be truly in Christ, is to be truly happy; this doctrine is as clear as the sun at noonday, or as a morning without clouds. When the soul comes to see itself undone without a Saviour, and sees sin to be exceeding sinful, and is ready to cry to the Almighty, Lord help or I perish! save me, or I am undone forever! then it seeth itself miserable; but it is for want of Christ: and when Christ is come into the soul, then its misery vanisheth, or flieth away. But from day to day and week to week, yea, all the days of one's life to be miserable sinners, is a miserable case indeed, destroying the very nature of Christianity: wherefore some tender conscientious souls, cannot join with such miserable sinners and sayers, who neither say nor do that which they ought.

Third; As to these sayings, "We are full of bruises and putrifying sores, from the crown of the head to the sole of the foot, and there is no soundness in us."

If a congregation of such people as these say truly, and if they do not say truly, what will the consequence be, let the wise in heart judge; can such a people be the church of Christ, or his spouse, or beautiful bride? Christ saith, "If the inside be clean, the outside will be clean also; and he came to cleanse the souls of poor mortals, and to heal them, and wash them from sin, and he doth it by his The apostle saith, "Whatsoever things are spiritual baptism, and the fire of his word. holy, whatsoever things are pure, just, and of The abovesaid church and people, do both good report, seek after those things." And "Promise and vow, that they will forsake the again, "No unclean thing can enter the king-devil and all his works, the pomp and vanity dom of heaven;" but certainly all sin is un- of this wicked world, and all the sinful lusts clean. Read over the holy Scriptures, from of the flesh, and walk in God's holy will and the beginning to the end, their nature and tendency is against all sin; and as it is true, that we all have been sinners, surely therefore all true Christians and true believers in Christ, have cause reverently to bow, and to be truly and humbly thankful, that Christ, our great Lord, by offering himself for us, hath taken away that imputation; so that now through faith and belief in Christ, accompanied with true repentance and amendment of life, the imputation of our former sins is taken VOL. VI.-No. 4.

commandments, all the days of their lives," which is the very highest pitch of perfection any man or Christian can attain in this life; and yet contrary to those vows and solemn covenants, they tell the Almighty, from time to time, that they are unsound, nay, that there is no soundness in them; but that they are putrified from head to foot, and by their common practice, intend to tell him so as long as they live in this life: this is unsound work indeed: and truly those who are tenderly con

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scientious, may well scruple to join with it, or that which is not according, but contrary to with those who are in such ways, words and their states and conditions? As when they works. sing, "That they water their couch with their Those bruised, putrified, sore and unsound | tears, and that they practise what they souls, are therefore in Christian love, tenderly know;" when they confess they ، Do that advised to come to Christ, the physician of which they ought not to do, and leave undone value, and great doctor of the soul, that he that which they ought to do." may heal them, and wash their sinful souls and unsound hearts, "By the washing of regeneration, and renewing of his word and spirit." "Ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you," saith our Saviour. They were cleansed by putting his word in practice; for, saith Christ, "He that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him to a wise man;" so consequently, he that doeth them not, is foolish, sinful, and unclean.

The apostle said he would "Sing with the spirit, and with the understanding also." And again, "We know not what we should pray for as we ought, but the spirit itself maketh intercession for us, with groanings which cannot be uttered." In the primitive times of Christianity, they prayed and sung as they were helped by the Holy Ghost, or Spirit, and not by book, or stinted or set forms; but, Oh! the primitive soundness of Christianity is too much lost and defaced; and therefore some who desire to come again to the primitive soundness and purity of the Christian religion, scruple to join with such unsound formalities, and that conscientiously, for the reasons above, and more which might be given.

Fourth; And further, say they, "We have left undone those things which we ought to have done." Doing the truth and that which is right, is what we ought to do; and committing sin, is that which we ought not to do: certainly any man would think it mockery, if When such scruples are mentioned, the his children or servants should serve him so members of the church of England usually from time to time, and make a common prac-reply, that the Scriptures vindicate them in tice of it. By this confession, if it be genuine, their form, which, how well they do so, let it it appears they must needs know better than be freely and fairly examined, not for contenthey practise, they knowing what they ought tion, but for edification in the pure love of to do, but not doing it; and our Lord Jesus | Jesus. Christ saith positively, "He that knoweth his master's will, and doeth it not, shall be beaten with many stripes :" and again, "Be ye not like the scribes and pharisees; for they say, and do not; therefore be ye not like unto them."

But what can be expected from those who say they sin in their best duties ? If so, they sin whenever they read the common prayers; and by the same rule, the oftener they read them, the oftener they sin; wherefore, how can a sincere, devout soul, who unfeignedly loves the Lord Jesus Christ, so as to keep his commandments, for that is to love him truly, and according to his own definition of it; "If ye love me, keep my commandments," saith Christ; I say, how can any such sincere soul join with such wrong doers and sayers? It must needs be an unsafe practice to do what we know should not be done; the nature of such doings being provoking, either to God or man: what man in the world would like it, in either son or servant?

Oh! what would become of poor, degenerate man, if the Lord Almighty were not very indulgent, if he were not a God gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great loving kindness to poor mortals!

Fifth; And as to their singing David's psalms in metre; how often do they sing that which is not true as to themselves, and also

First; "The Scripture saith, that there was a people that was full of bruises and putrefying sores," &c.

Answer. But that was in the time of the law, when the people had transgressed the law, and were under the law; for had they done their duty, and kept the law, they could not truly have said so. They were then indeed gone astray like the lost sheep, and that brought them into that sore, putrefied state, and bruised condition, and “Their law did not make the comers thereunto perfect; yet, as saith the apostle, the bringing in of a better hope did," which was the hope of the gospel. The apostle preaches perfection under the gospel dispensation, though some of our worldly wise men will not allow of it; and I hope we are not under the law, but under grace; the law of the spirit of life, in Christ Jesus, doth set the true believers free from the law of sin and death; so that a true Christian cannot say truly, with the false and rebellious Jews, of whom the prophet there speaks, "That he is full of putrefying sores, and that there is no soundness in him, and say it all the days of his life."

Second; Again the Scripture saith, "I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.'

Answer. The psalmist was at that time under deep convictions for the sins he had

been guilty of in the matter of Uriah; but by self-denial. The Scripture says, "If we conhis expressions in the ninth, tenth and eleventh fess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive verses of the same psalm, it is plain he believed us our sins, and to cleanse us from all una better state attainable. And surely these ex-righteousness:" where then is the sin, when pressions cannot be applicable to all men, at God has cleansed us from all unrighteousall times. No, surely, if we believe Christ ness? Indeed it is very meet, and our duty and the holy Scriptures, whose doctrine is to confess our sins; they truly say, that, holy, and commands holiness, in both Testa- Fifth; "The Scripture in sundry places ments. And if people would walk in the holy excites us to confess our sins." light of Christ, who enlightens every man that Answer. For poor mortals have all sinned, cometh into the world, as recorded in the holy and by this sinful nature, we are all children Scriptures, they would then be cleansed from of wrath, and this is a strong and mighty motheir sin, from both the act and the imputa- tive for us in truth to confess our sins, because tion, as saith the apostle; "If we walk in the God is so just and merciful to forgive and pass light, as he is in the light, then have we fel-by our iniquities; and indeed if the weight of lowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanseth us from all sin."

Third; "There is none that doth good, no

not one.'

Answer. It is beyond all doubt the apostle spoke of the people in their unconverted state; for if they had been come to the work of conversion and regeneration, they must, and it is impossible but that they should do some good; and though there was a time that none did good, it was under the law, and not under grace; and spoken of the unbelievers, and not of believers: especially since Christ has brought a covenant of grace, in order to teach and help us to live righteous, virtuous, holy, religious, and sober lives and conversa

tions.

Fourth; They object the words of our Saviour to the young man in the gospel, where he calls Christ good master, asking him, "What good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?" Christ answered, "Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is God."

our sins were upon us, and the true sense of the heinousness of sin and evil, it would certainly bow us in deep reverence and humility before the throne of grace, and melt our spirits into tenderness before the Most High. Then it is that he forgives us, and cleanseth us from all iniquity, and would, according to the apostle's doctrine, "Purify us to himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works," and against bad works and words, and thoughts also: and when God hath so cleansed the soul, then, of course, these common, and often repeated, dry confessions, full of sin and putrefaction, must fall, and we should fear to offend any more. Let it be tenderly, and in Christian love, asked, how often do our common prayer people go into their closets, or privately retire into some secret place, and there pour out their cries and tears to the Almighty, and humbly confess their faults to him alone? I ask, would not such an exercise be more acceptable to God, than a popular repetition, daily and formally made? This I leave to the consideration of all sober Christians, and to the judgment of the truly pious. Answer. And true it is, in our Lord's And how like mockery it looks, that as soon sense, for comparing men to Christ, who is as they come from their prayers and confesGod, there is none good; the young man sions, many of them will vainly laugh, and thought he had been speaking to a man like be full of idle words and discourse, and some himself, and knew not that he was speak- of them curse and swear, and take the awful ing to the good and gracious Son of the most and sacred name which they have been adhigh God. But if we compare men with men, dressing, or pretending to address in vain, it must be granted that there is some good and profane that holy name of God and Christ, men, women and children, in that sense; and which they have been using in their devotion. our Lord showeth how we may know these To this I have been an eye and ear witness, good men, women and children. By their many a time, to the sorrow and grief of my fruits ye shall know them; men do not gather soul, and which hath, in part, occasioned grapes of thorns, nor figs of thistles: a good these lines; also hoping it may be a motive tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can to stir up some to more holy living, and that an evil tree bring forth good fruit; wherefore the name of God and Christ might be glori by their fruits ye shall know them." How fied, and the precious dear-bought soul saved. plain is the doctrine of Christ, if people would Let us also remember that the holy Scripture but lend an obedient ear, and give him a faith- doth abundantly require and command us to ful and sincere heart, and serve him in a pure forsake our sins; the text says, "He that mind, without deceit or guile, taking up his confesseth and forsaketh his sins, shall have holy cross, to the corrupt will of man, in true mercy."

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Sixth; And whereas the apostle John, in his first general epistle, writes, "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves;" from whence it is objected, we ought always to confess our sins.

Answer. Yes, we should do so whenever we commit any, or knowingly do evil; but when the Almighty hath cleansed us from all unrighteousness, then our sins are done away by the grace of his Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, and we are washed by regeneration; then it cannot be true to say we are miserable and putrefied sinners, when at the same time also Christ hath purified and sanctified his church and people.

That is true which St. John saith, when opening and explaining the eighth verse, "If we say we have not sinned, we make him, (i. e., God) a liar;" for all have sinned! So it is plain that he speaks of the state of man before he comes to the work of conversion, or to be renewed by grace; for when we come truly to know Christ, and to see and believe in him, we witness a change from our corrupt and evil nature, and sinful course of life, which is clear, from the same apostle's words, which I shall transcribe for the information and edification of any who may see this.

they did it truly, and in true faith, believing they should witness what they said and prayed to be fulfilled. "Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen."

Christ said to some of old, "Ye are of your father the devil, because his works ye do." And all sin is his work, and by our works we are manifest, whether we are the children of God, or of the devil.

A letter to a Friend in Ireland, containing a relation of some sorrowful instances of the sad effects of intemperance, as a warning to young people.

PREFACE.

Temperate reader,

THE longer we live in the world, the more we see the danger and many mischiefs, miseries and inconveniences, intemperance occaThe first general epistle of John, the beloved sions to mankind, not only in eating, clothing, disciple of our Lord, says, "Whosoever abideth buying and selling, &c., but particularly in in him (i. e., Christ) sinneth not: whosoever that great sin of drinking to excess. And sinneth, hath not seen him, neither known him. though a risk is run of incurring the displeaLittle children, let no man deceive you: he sure of some ill-natured over-lovers of strong who doeth righteousness, is righteous, even as liquors, the which hath been experienced by he is righteous: he who committeth sin, is of the author, through some of the former imthe devil; for the devil sinneth from the be- pressions; yet they having found such geneginning. For this purpose the Son of God ral acceptance in many parts of the world, was manifested, that he might destroy the and being serviceable to people of all perworks of the devil. Whosoever is born of suasions, for the further service of poor morGod, doth not commit sin; for his seed re-tals, I venture to put forth this tenth edition, maineth in him, and he cannot sin, because with this additional preface, in order, if poshe is born of God. In this the children of sible, to persuade all rational souls to forsake God are manifest, and the children of the so destructive and vile an evil. devil; whosoever doeth not righteousness, is not of God;" and as above, "he who committeth sin, is of the devil."

This is naked truth, without any covering, and the very sum and substance of pure religion. Oh! that all true Christians would lay it to heart, and ponder it in their minds, and then resolve whether they will be sinners to the end of their days, or whether they will repent, and turn from the evil of their ways; the latter of which, that poor mortals may come to witness for themselves, is the desire and prayer of my soul.

If it be further objected, "That our Saviour taught his disciples a form;" he did so; and a glorious form it is; and they did as they prayed, and were taught of Christ, and so

First; Then, in the aged it hath these bad effects, viz: they are bad examples to the youth, who when reproved, may reply, My father before me loved strong liquors, as well as I: he loved a glass of wine; he loved a bowl of punch; he loved good cider and good ale, and would be merry with it, and why may not I, as well as he? He was a wise, good man, when he was sober; and pray where is the harm of loving good liquor, and being merry?

What can we say to the youth of such parents that will avail, while their parents show them such evil examples? And as it is in that, so it is in all other evils, parents' examples are very hurtful in evil things, though very helpful in that which is good. If a man

sees a youth to be out of order, and reproves him for being in drink, evil speaking, pride, covetousness, &c., and he guilty of the same, his child may answer, Why father, I had not done so, if I had not seen thee, or you, do it! And it being an incumbent duty in a father, mother, master, or mistress, to reprove their youth for evil; if we are not clear in ourselves of what we reprove in our children or servants, and our children or servants miscarry through our bad example, what a melancholy reflection will that be to us, if rightly considered! which indeed would be this, I have been instrumental to my poor child's ruin and destruction! A melancholy reflection to any sober Christian.

such a country; bad people flock to it, and often make their exit in it.

Fourth; And many a fair estate has been embezzled and spent through intemperance, which honest parents, with great labour, care and industry, have got together, and left to their sons and daughters, who have extravagantly spent it upon their lusts; and thereby have brought infamy on themselves, their fathers, and their posterity, whenever it has pleased God that they have left any behind them; besides, which is worst of all, dishonouring God, and bringing a scandal on the Christian religion.

Some of our wise kings and queens in Great Britain, being sorrowfully affected with the heinousness of this great sin, have made strict laws against intemperance: and where the legislative authority makes little or no provision against it, or when they do make any, do not take care to put it in practice, such a

Also, except there is a large income, instead of taking care to put the youth in a reputable way to live in the world, it brings them to poverty: and if there is a large estate, it puts them in the way to spend it. And, Oh! how many are spending their precious time in tav-state or colony must needs be in a declining erns and ordinaries, and at the same time their wives and children suffering and weeping at home? And some sober, modest women, would suffer unspeakable hardships before they would expose their husbands.

Second; Concerning the youth, it mightily hurts them, as it doth the aged also, as to their religion, reputation, health and estate, &c.

First; As to their religion, it not only clouds their understanding and darkens the nobility thereof, but it unfits them for all and every religious duty.

condition. And for particular families and persons, we may see too much of this evil in our neighbourhoods, almost in all parts of the world, which causes sober and truly religious Christians to mourn, and humbly to bow before the most high God, begging of him, for Christ's sake, that he, by his mighty power, would be pleased to reform the unregenerate world.

This is the prayer and fervent desire of an entire lover of mankind, both body and soul, and who desires their welfare in this, and in the world to come.

THOMAS CHALKLEY.

Barbadoes, 7th of First month, 1718-19.

My dear friend,

Second; Some who value a good name, had rather lose their lives, than lose their reputation through immoderate drinking. For if the youth be single, and addicted to immoderate drinking, no wise and virtuous person will tie themselves to them for life, by marriage; which state of life, to a wise and virtuous pair, is far exceeding in happiness all Ir is long since I had a line from thee: but other company or conversation whatsoever. not long since I thought of thee, and thine, It is better to be one of these than to enjoy a with Friends of your nation; where I know kingdom and on the other hand, it is better that the Lord hath a seed, who love him, and to be a slave, than to be married to an intem- desire to serve him, and are accounted to perate person. him for a chosen generation; and that this Third; Intemperance destroys the health generation may spread and prosper in the of the body, which we generally esteem be-earth, is at times, my earnest travail in spirit fore wealth. And if a man were a king, both night and day. There is also an exerprince, or duke, if he did not enjoy his health, cise upon my mind for the offspring of this what good would all his honour, power, and seed, the children of those men and women, wealth, do him? Oh! what abundance of who have confessed the name of Christ before young people have destroyed themselves by this sin? As it is written: "The wicked do not live out half their days:" and where this sin is growing general in a country, that country is growing to its ruin and destruction. It wastes the people, decays trade, and is very destructive to religion, and an inlet to Atheism. Good people are afraid to live in

men, in a holy, self-denying life and sober conversation: and I do certainly know, that many pious souls join with me in this exercise, bowing the knee to the Lord of sabbaths, for the peace, prosperity and eternal welfare of the present, rising generation. Oh! how exercising it is to good men and women to see their youth take those ways which lead to