One thing is needful, and all things else are toys. Choose the better parts, which shall never be taken from you†; hate such a disposition as hankers after sensual brutish delights, and loveth pleasures more than God; and had rather be at sports,or drinking,than in his service; and loves the company of merry jovial fools better than of them that fear the Lord; and had rather sport and talk away time, than spend it in preparing for eternal glory for if this be the present frame of your mind, as true as the word of God is true, you are dead in sin, and an heir of Hell; and cannot be saved, unless converting, saving grace, do make you a new creature, and give you a new heart, so that old things pass away, and all things become new with you §. i

Sir, I again beseech you to grant me these three requests that I have made to you. It would rejoice me much to hear of your conversion, as it grieves me to hear what you are, and fear what you will be. If you yield thus much to God and me, you will have the everlasting comfort of it. If you will not, I do testify to your face, that it is not your Heshly pleasures, nor idle delusory companions, nor your unbelief, stupidity, false imaginations, or childish folly, that shall save you from the burning wrath of God; and I profess, I had rather be a toad than you. And let me add, the words of a dying mother, and the earnest requests of her and your yet-surviving friend, shall witness against you before the Lord, and aggravate that load that must be on your soul to all eternity.

Sir, nobody shall know from me what I write to you, if you keep it to yourself and amend; and as long as no eye seeth it but your own, the plainest dealing, in so great a cause, can be no injury to you. But let me tell you, if you shall go on in folly, and turn not unto God, and live not in his fear, perhaps I may publish to the knowledge of the world the admonition which I have given you, that your name may rot to all posterity; and it may appear, that if you were disobedient to a dying mother, yet, I was faithful to the last charge of a dying friend; and if you durst abuse the Lord by sinning, so durst not I by letting you alone. But God forbid that you should put me to this! I cannot, I will not yet give up my hope, that God hath mercy for a son of so many prayers and tears which have been poured! out for you by a saint now in Heaven; and which, the Lord is witness, are seconded with the tears of your surviving monitor, with which these lines were begun, and are now § 2 Cor. v. 17

+ Luke x. 42.

† Psa, xv, 4.

ending;'

ending; and which shall be followed with my prayers, while God will give me a heart to pray, that you may presently prove a returning prodigal; that both your earthly and Heavenly Father may rejoice, and say, This our son was dead, and is alive again; was lost, and is found. (Luke xv. 32.) I pray you, read the whole chapter.

Sir, I remain

An earnest desirer of your conversion and salvation, Sept. 17th, 1657RICHARD BAxter.

SIR,

EPISTLE TO A BACKSLIDER.

To the Editor.

The following Effusion of Christian Love, was written to a young friend in the country, who, on receiving it, was unwilling to give much attention to its contents, but put it into the hands of his wife, who had been the mean of drawing him from a Christian walk into the gay pursuits of the world. It made such an impression on her mind, as continually harrassed her when engaged in the vain course of earthly pleasure, until our kind Shepherd brought her back to his fold. She repeatedly urged her husband to read it, without effect; but in the Lord's pointed time he also was brought to lament his backslidings; and has, for a considerable time past, returned to the ways of God, finding them only the "ways of pleasantness, and paths of peace." If you conceive that it may be useful, as an instrument to awaken any poor wandering sheep that is straying in the wilderness, it is at the service of your Miscellany.

I

DEAR FRIEND,

I am, Sir, yours, &c.

J. T. EXPECTED the pleasure of hearing from you, agreeable to your promise; but being disappointed in that expectation, and feeling an anxious concern for your welfare and that of your family, I embrace the present opportunity of writing to a friend, whom I still respect, however I may have lost his esteem; though I flatter myfelf I have not given the least cause for offence.

your

As, I understand, the Gospel is preached in purity in neighbourhood, I would hope that you continue to hear the word; and that you know the truth, not only in word, but in power. I trust your friendship will excuse me, when I exhort you to be firm and stedfast in the religion you pro

fess

fess. It was with much sorrow and regret that I observed that coldness in divine things, which was evident in your conduct for some time previous to your leaving London; and which was especially manifest in your neglect of those ordinances you once regularly attended: ordinances instituted by our blessed Lord, as gracious helps in our pilgrimage through this vale of sorrow. Shall we profess the name of Jesus, and treat his Sabbaths with contempt, by absenting ourselves from his house, or by neglecting public prayer, and entering but in time to hear the sermon; thus proving ourselves not worshippers, but hearers only; or after spending the former part of his day in slumbering or trifling, shall we pay him the honour of a cold attendance on the evening service of his courts? What opinion would you entertain of one who professed himself your servant, and treated the privileges and assistances you bestowed on him in like manner? would you not spurn him with contempt, and consider him as an ungrateful, execrable wretch? Apply this to your treatment of Jesus, who not only granted those privileges, but gave his very life to purchase them for you.

You are now honoured in providence as the head of a family: as such you are more particularly called upon to be vigilant and watchful over every part of your conduct, lest, by the bancful influence of bad example (which has more weight than a thousand precepts) you encourage those under you in the ways of sin; and Satan will avail himself of every advantage in the conduct of superiors, to promote the interests of his kingdom.

You are, as it were, the watchman over your little flock: the importance of which situation is awfully shewn in the 33d chapter of Ezekiel. If you use not diligence to bring them to Christ, you are, in a measure, accountable for the loss of their souls.

Consider, my friend, how dreadful it must be to stand at the bar of that Jesus whom we have slighted, and hear a child or brother charging us with having had the care of their education, and that we never taught them they were sinners; never shewed them their only hope and remedy as such; never called on them to join in prayer to Him who has instituted a throne of grace for sinners; nor in praise and adoration to Him from whom we receive every blessing that we enjoy. On the contrary, how delightful inust it be to hear them say, "I was placed by thy gracious providence under such an one; he taught me to look unto Jesus as my only hope for salvation, he prayed carnestly with me and

for

for me; and thou hast graciously answered him,by bringing me through my pilgrimage with comfort and joy! reward him, O Lord, an hundred fold into his bosom !

Remember, my dear friend, by thus slighting the Lord who bought us, we are treading under foot the Son of God, and counting the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing; of which we have a remarkable picture in Hebrews (x. ver. 25 to 31); and our sin will be aggravated in a higher degree, as we have sinned against the light. Should we die in a state of apostacy from God (which, may he avert!) every ordinance we have attended, every sermon we have heard, every privilege we have enjoyed, will appear in the great day of account but as so many witnesses against us; at a period when repentance will not be known, and when we shall be ready to say to the rocks, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us. What an unspeakable mercy is it, that we have a God so long-suffering, who will receive the returning prodigal, and heal the penitent backslider!

Fly then to Jesus, who stands ready to embrace you; seek an interest in him; by falling prostrate at the throne of grace; pray earnestly for the direction and support of the Holy Spirit; without which, the strongest is unable to resist the numerous attacks of the world, the flesh, and the devil. Forgetting those things which are behind, may you look to those which are before, and press toward the mark of the prize of your high calling in Christ Jesus with joy!

Dear Sir, bestow a thought on these things: if the remonstrances are wrong, I willingly retract them; if right, you will not pronounce me impertinent. Love and friendship dictate what I write; and the only end I have in view is the holiness, the usefulness, the happiness, the final salvation of my much esteemed friend. It is for this, and this only, I have now taken my pen in my hand; and for this I shall often bend my knees before God, and thereby prove myself to be

Your sincere and affectionate friend,

J. T.

ANECDOTE.

WHEN the Bishop presented King Edward VI. with the Sword of England, Ireland, and Scotland, his Majesty asked him where the other was, saying, "You have not brought me the Sword of the Spirit."

REMARKS

REMARKS ON HEBREWS VI. 4-6.

IN ANSWER TO A QUERY

IN THE EVANGELICAL MAGAZINE, VOL. IX, p. 62.

To the Editor.

REV. SIR, The following Remarks are selected from a small Ma nuscript, preparing for the press, entitled "a Brief Dispassionate Review of the Chief Doctrines of Free Grace together with a Candid Attempt to obviate and remove the Principal Objections usually brought against them." They are submitted to your correspondent, who has requested some observations on this scripture; and if you should deem them likely to be satisfactory to the generality of the numerous readers of your Magazine, you will oblige me by their insertion.

H. K.

"FOR it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, having tasted of the heavenly gift, and having been made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted of the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, and have fallen away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh," &c. This translation, which is certainly more literal than that of the Bible, naturally leads us to conclude, the sacred writer is describing the case of apostates from the faith. Whether these, however, were ever truly in Christ by the spirit of life and regeneration, is the question, on which the hinge of controversy seems to turn, between the Calvinists and Arminians. Notwithstanding, as the former admit the truth of such scriptures as Phil. i. 6. John vi. 39, 40. x. 26-29, in their fullest extent, they cannot but understand the passage in question, as referring to such as may have gone a good way in religion, but not far enough to experience the saving change wrought by the Spirit of Christ, in those who are said to be "beloved of the Lord, and whom, from the beginning (in consequence of this love) he hath chosen to salvation, through sanctification of the Spirit, and belief of the truth; whereunto also he called them (according to his purpose *) by the gospel, to the ob taining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ +." If then the sacred writer be speaking of supposed apostates from the faith, such as Hyineneus, Alexander, Demas, &c. he † 2 Thes, ii. 13.

*Rom. viii. 28.

Vol. X.

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appears