which he was well qualified, having not only an experimental knowledge of the Truth, but likewile a deep acquaintance with the Holy Scriptures, which were his daily ftudy and delight. Some of the foldiers, he had reafon to believe, were brought to know themselves, and the way of falvation by Chrift. Many and great dangers and difficulties, Mr. Tuffie had to encounter, while with the army in America. One time in particular, (as he informed me) he was fo parched with thirst, that he would gladly have given almost any fum of money for a little water, but could not obtain it. After fuffering great diftrefs, he was at length. relieved by obferving in the footsteps of a horfe a little muddy water he ftooped down, and thankfully received the supply which Providence favoured him with in his great neceffity. At another time, while the regiment were engaged with the enemy in a wood, and the balls flying thick on every fide, being much fatigued, he stepped behind a large tree, both to reft himself, and be fheltered from the inftruments of death; but no fooner had he taken this ftation, than it was fuggefted to his mind, "God can "preferve you in the open field as well as here." Upon which he inftantly left the place, and had no fooner done so, than a ball came whiftling through the air, and lodged in the very part of the tree where he had flood. "Here (faid he) I could not but fee "the hand of Providence; for had I ftayed one minute longer in "that place, I must, in all probability have been a dead man.'

When Mr. Tuffie returned to England, the veffel in which he embarked was in the greatest danger of being loft in a dreadful ftorm. When relating this circumftance, he used to fay, "My "chief concern at this awful moment, was for the everlasting es happiness of my dear family: As for myself, I knew it would "only be a few struggles in the water, and then my foul would be "fafely lodged in Abraham's bofom." When Mr. Tuffie arrived in England, he met in clafs with the Methodists at Tinmouth, (if I remember right); and as the renewal of the tickets happened at that time, he received one with the following Scripture upon it, Having obtained help of God, I continue unto this day: "When I read it, (faid he) I was ftruck with amazement, as it 65 was fo applicable to my cafe: I felt my heart lifted up to the "moft bleffed GOD in gratitude for his unfpeakable goodness to me, in preferving me from the many dangers to which I had "been exposed, and giving me an opportunity once more of "meeting with the friends of Chrift."

In the fummer of 1794, Mr. Tuffie with his youngest fon, a lieutenant, embarked with the regiment for Holland, being obliged to leave his wife behind and part of his family. On this trying occafion he retained his confidence in the Lord, and in one of the letters I received from him at that time, he thus expreffes himself: "Bleffed be God, in him I truft, and find my mind much at "eafe. What a mercy it is to have the Rock of eternal Ages to "rest upon ! a God whofe protection and tender mercy has fellowed

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"lowed me all my days. And bleffed be his Name, in him I now "truft, and fhould be miferable without him." Some months after he landed on the Continent, the Lord was pleased to take him to himself after a few days fickness, at Arnheim in the province of Guelderland, in Holland, where he was buried with military honours, and attended to the grave by his fon. His eldest fon (likewife a lieutenant in the fame regiment) died in England. on his way to the continent. When the account of Mr. Tuffie's death reached England, his wife was fo greatly affected, that in all probability it haftened her death, which happened in a few days after. I have good reason to hope, they are all three entered into the kingdom of Heaven, and are enjoying the bleffed prefence of God and the Lamb. From feveral officers who ferved in the fame brigade with Mr. Tuffie, I received information of his death; and I doubt not, if I could have obtained a more circumftantial account, it would have informed me, that as he had lived a life of devotednefs to God, fo he died full of faith and love, rejoicing in hope of a bleffed immortality.

Yarmouth, Dec. 29, 1795.

JAMES ANDERSON.

Mr. MATHER's fecond Difcourfe on CHRISTIAN PERFECTION.

[ Concluded from page 119. ]

N the fourth place, I fhall endeavour to urge all Believers, not to flop fhort of their privileges, but to go forward to perfection.

1. You have seen, Brethren, whereunto you are called, even to Holiness. This is the mark fet you by the Lord himself, in order that you may have a meetness for the inheritance among the faints in light, for he has declared, that without this holinefs you cannot fee him. Nothing unclean can enter the New Jerufalem. That city and all its inhabitants are holy. There the Spirits of just men are all perfect and holy. The hundred forty and four thousand of the twelve tribes of Ifrael, there fealed, are all in virgin purity, The fouls of the Martyrs under the altar, are holy: They, who caft their crowns before the Throne, are all holy having come out of great tribulation, they have wafhed their robes, and made them white in the Blood of that Lamb, to whom they afcribe all their falvation. The innumerable company, whom no man can number, are all holy. The four and twenty elders, who are before the Throne, are all holy. He that fitteth upon the Throne, is perfectly holy And fhall we alone, who are fo highly favoured as to be called to a feat in that thrice holy place, be unholy? God forbid! We, who are fo diftinguifhed, as to have our lot in a land, where the Gofpel is fo fully and clearly preached ? ̈ the Holy Spirit fo largely poured out ? and the meffengers of God fo multiplied? We, who are allowed the high privilege of hearing

both of living and dying witneffes of holinefs? Shall we, my. beloved Brethren, live and die unholy? Yea, and flatter ourselves, that we fhall obtain Heaven, unholy as we are? Or, which is worfe, if worfe can be,-Shall we fuppofe, that Death, the article of death, the paffage through death, fhall do that for and in us, which Sermons, Prayers, Faftings, Watchings, Sacraments, Communion of Saints, Searching the Scriptures, Hearing of prophe cies, covenants, and the Gofpel, could not do! Yea, which the Life, the Death, the Refurrection, the Interceffion, the Blood, the Spirit of Chrift, Faith in him, Love to him, and the highest Encouragements to expect every fpiritual bleffing from him; and, above all, the Power of God in Chrift, exerted in the foul of man, never could do! O ftrange idea! O fad delufion! To fancy Death fhould make us holy, when all thefe could not! And that in one moment it fhould effect, what years of living in fellowship. with God, never could! Let others leave it to that awful moment, to that dread change, to do this for them. But do not ye, who believe the Scriptures, expect death to do more than its own work, feparate the foul from the body: this indeed it is appointed to do; but you no where read in your Bible, that it was ever prophefied, promised, or covenanted, that death fhould fave the foul from fin! Had it been fo, we fhould, no doubt, have been directed to believe in, depend upon, and rely alone on it, in order to be made holy; and not be pointed to the Life, Death, Resurrection, Ascenfion, and Interceffion of the Lord Jefus! To Death, and not to the renewing, transforming, comforting influences of the Holy Spirit, fhould we have been inftructed to look for the root and perfection of Holinefs! And all the cautions and directions afforded us, refpecting our living in the Spirit; Walking in the Spirit; Through the Spirit mortifying the deeds of the body, that we might live: Not quenching or grieving the Spirit, by whose renewing operations on our minds, we are led to prove, what is that good and acceptable will of God: All this, I fay, fhould on this ground have been written of, and applied to Death! The Purifier, -Death! The Soul's Reftorer,--Death! And to this, and not to the Power, the Truth, the Faithfulness of God, fhould all our views of holiness have been directed! But as we are not so directed, we will continue to look for all from God through Chrift, and through faith in his. atoning Blood. It is this alone, Brethren, which can purge the confcience from dead works, that we may ferve the Living God in that righteousness and holiness he expects of us, all the days of our life. We will expect, that beholding, as in the clear mirror of the holy Gofpel, the great defign of God in fending his only-begotten Son into the world, even to deliver us from the hands of our enemies, for the express purpose of our fo ferving him in holinefs and righteoufnefs: We will expect, that the end will be fully accomplished before death; and that, by fo viewing his Glory, we fhall be changed into the fame image, from glory to glory, as by the Spirit of the Lord, and not by the

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pains of death. We will alfo avail ourfelves of the gracious defign of God, manifefted in giving us the exceeding great and precious promises; and expect here fo to partake of the Divine Nature, as to escape all the pollutions of the world, while living in it, and obtain the deftruction of the moft latent and fecret luft. So fhall we yield obedience to his commands, in our ftate of trial. As we all know that this ftate is ended, when death puts a period to our existence here; therefore, whatever is requifite to enable us fo to obey, muft be done while that obedience is practicable. But it is neceffary, that we should love the Lord our God with all our heart; that we should love our neighbour as ourselves; that we fhould love our enemies in the manner prescribed by our Savi our in his Sermon on the Mount. Yet, this cannot be done, unless the Lord our God circumcife our hearts; unless he take the ftony out of our hearts, and give us the heart of flesh; unless he cleanse us from all our filthinefs and from all our idols. It can only be effected by the old man's being fo put off, and the new fo put on, that we become renewed in righteousness and true holinefs, after the image of him that created us. Hence we conclude, that this is the work of life, not of death; that it can only be performed by the agency of the Spirit of God, not by any agonies of death; that to afcribe it to Death, is to difhoncur God, rob Chrift, reject the Holy Spirit, and fet afide the Scriptures: It defrauds the Chriftian of his greateft privilege; encourages him in indolence; and renders it impoffible for him to answer his character as the Salt of the Earth, and the Light of the World. It effectually provides for, what a great man calls, a Death-purgatory, and fo endangers, greatly endangers his eternal falvation!

Thefe to fome may feem hard fayings, ---"giving no quarter to fin, indolence, &." To others they may appear to have little or no foundation either in Scripture or Reafon: but not to you, my Brethren, who have otherwife learned Chrift than thofe who at tempt to rob you of the brighteft jewel in your Chriftian crown, even Holines and your Redeemer of his greatest glory, that of being a Saviour from fin: and God of the praife and glory of his Grace, fo richly provided for you, and fo freely bestowed upon you thro' his Son. For ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jefus: even the truth which is according to godlinefs: namely, That Chrift is made unto us, not only Wildom and Righteoufnefs (wherein ye likewife glory,) but Sanctifica. tion and Redemption alfo: Redemption, not only of your body from the grave, but of your foul from all iniquity. Hereby you become zealous of all good works here; and men beholding them, glorify God in your behalf, as having fo made the tree of your corrupt nature good, that the fruit is alfo good. Yea, your frait is so abundant, as fully proves, that your Root,---Chrift, was not rottennefs, nor ye yourfelves withered branches, cut off from him the true Vine, and fo liable to be burned: but that you are living branches of the living Vine, bearing much fruit, that your Father

may

may be glorified by you here. And when he rewards you, and all faithful fouls, with a---"well done," the reward fhall be proportioned to your works of faith and labours of love. And if he fhould make you ruler of ten cities, you will find no difficulty in cafting that Crown before him, who loved you and washed you From your fins in his own Blood; and fo made you meet to be kings and priests unto God and the Lamb for ever!

O then be not ye deceived, who know, that God is not mocked, but that every man muft reap as he fows. Do you then fow to the Spirit of holiness, and so shall you reap life, yea, everlasting

life!

For God's fake, let no man deceive you with vain words: and none can be more vain than the following, "You cannot be holy here perfect here: Sin muft remain in you, till death purge you from it by demolishing the walls of this earthly ta"bernacle: We cannot live without fin. We all fin. We "muft fin, that we may know Chrift more precious, &c."

And

will you, my dear friends, let those who speak fo, rob you of your crown! caufe you to believe a lie, and not the God of eternal truth? Surely, you will not thus fuffer your eyes to be put out, your fouls to be fhorn of their ftrength, and yourfelves to be chained to grind in the mill of indwelling fin all your life long, and after fo many proofs of the power of God, and the efficacy of Divine Grace, as you have enjoyed! Have you not been enabled to lay your foundation on the Rock, and to make fome proficiency in the fpiritual life? And will you now fubmit to have the glory of finishing your falvation given to death, and not to Chrift? Will you, who have fo often fung, fweetly fung, “ O to Grace how great a Debtor!" now change your note, and fay, "I fhall be indebted to death for finishing my falvation: death will make an end of all my indwelling fin, and bring in an everlasting righteousness: Death will circumcife my heart, and perfect me in holinefs and love ?" There would have been a proper affinity between the fong of the glorified Saints, and yours, had you continued imploring him, whofe Almighty hand of Grace had laid the foundation of your building, to bring forth the top tone, fhouting, Grace, Grace unto it." But now to make the whole harmonize with any tolerable concord (whatever difcord it may at the fame time occafion in the grand chorus) you must break forth and shout, "Death, Death, to the top-ftone! For by Death, I am washed from my fins! I never could be a complete Conqueror of all my inbred enemies, till Death got unto me the victory! Till. then, I was prevented from being a Prieft unto God. But Death has now loofed the chains from off my heart; and has broke the tyrannical yoke of inbred fin, which I had in vain so long groaned under. He gave me a full and glorious conqueft over the world every form when I was no longer in it; and over the creatures of every fpecies, when I was utterly incapable of ufing or enjoy. ing them! And then 'I could make an offering, a free, full, un

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