far more large and fruitful. I have enough, and enough of all kinds of earthly comforts, and perhaps fomething confiderable to Ipare, notwithstanding my yearly expence; I mean, fomething wherewith I can fhew kindness to the Lord's minifters, and his poor people. In fhort, my mind fince these exercises has been more calm, comfortable, and compofed, and I have had Chrift Jefus my Saviour more conftantly in my heart and eye than ever before; fo that I have come out of this wilderness leaning upon him, who, I hope and truft, will still guard and defend me from men and devils, and at last present me without fault before his Father, with exceeding joy. LAWRENCE SPOONER, This excellent man lived feveral years after his fufferings; and was not only an exemplary chriftian, but an ufeful minifter, much known and valued in those parts. He died and was buried at Curburow, near Litchfield, where he was born, and in which place he had always dwelt. THOUGHTS ON BEING WELL-DISPOSED. WHEREVER the genuine Gospel of Chrift has been faith fully preached for any confiderable time, we may expect to find fome lively witneffes of its being the power of GOD unto falvation. In most of these places likewife, we may look, without difappointment, for a number of defpifers and fcoffers at real godlinefs, who fet at nought all thofe that embrace the Truth as it is in Jefus. These feldom hear the Word of Life, except to oppofe and mock at fpiritual worshippers, and carry away fomething, if poffible, to furnish them and their companions in folly, with matter of laughter and ridicule. But there are others, and in general not a few, of a very dif ferent character, who attend the preaching of the Word, efpecially on a Sunday; approve of what they hear, respect religious perfons, and are ready to affift the faithful fervants of God in Ipreading the glad Tidings of falvation. They will occafionally mix in religious company, join in converfation on divine things, and unite in the exercifes of prayer and praise. From these and other hopeful appearances, they have been denominated WELLDISPOSED PERSONS. It certainly becomes thofe who love the Lord Jefus in fincerity, to hope the best of every perfon, and efpecially where there is any appearance of a ferious enquiry after Truth: And furely the Grace of God, where it is experienced in its life and power, will lead to this temper of mind. Yet it may be proper to ask, are thefe WELL-DISPOSED PERSONS, difpofed to part with all their fins, even thofe which moft eafily befet them ? Are they willing to cut off their right hand fin, and pluck out that which feems to be be as useful to them in business as a right eye? Are they at all difpofed to relinquish unprofitable connections, and fashionable purfuits, fo far as they are inconfiftent with the Spirit of the Gofpel? Are they difpofed to deny themselves, and take up their crofs; to come out from amongst the ungodly, to fuffer reproach for him who fuffered death for them? Even the ignominious death of the cross? Are they willing to be faved by Christ alone, without mixing any of their own performances with the merit of his death? Are they at all feelingly fenfible of their guilt and mifery, their helplessness and danger, while unconverted to God? Are they open to conviction, willing to know their real ftate; to have their paft offences, whether of commiffion, or omiffion, brought home to their confciences? Their pride, anger, inordinate affection, self-will, with all the depths of their depravity laid open to their view; to be informed that their inward parts are very wickedness, and that all their works of righteousness are but as a filthy garment? Whatever of these may be found in a few of those who are thus called, it is but too evident, that most of them are utter ftrangers to a lively hope of everlasting glory. They can attend the church, the chapel, or meeting, on a Sunday, and the festive board, the fplendid ball, or the enchanting theatre, the rest of the week; they can be ftrongly urged by Scripture arguments to pray in their families, and their closets, and yet never be found in the practice of either; they can fit and hear with apparent approbation, the minifters of Chrift, declare from divine authority that unless they repent they must perish, that except they be born again, they cannot fee the kingdom of God, and yet never make the ferious enquiry, "Am I born again? Have I repented of my fins? What will become of me when I die ? " "Shall I my everlasting days With Fiends or Angels fpend?" Some indeed of thefe WELL-DISPOSED PERSONS, fo called, abstain from public amusements and grofs immoralities in their conduct, yet are they altogether immerfed in worldly cares and sensual affections; they are eagerly grafping at unfatisfying wealth, momentary honours, or the gratification of unfanctified difpofitions. They can indulge in childifh vanities, trifling conver fation, or unchriftian cenforiousness of absent perfons. Unholy tempers ftill reign in their hearts: they cannot bear to be defpifed, to be thought little of by others; they are impatient of contradiction from men, and under the chaftening of the Almighty. They are not meek in bearing injuries, in forbearing to retaliate, or in a readiness to forgive an offender. They are not influenced by religious motives, nor act from a genuine principle. The glory of God is not their aim, but a fair reputation amongst men. They would wish to be thought religious, though utter ftrangers to the Faith which worketh by Love, and unites the foul to the Saviour, as a branch in the vine; to be devout, though entirely deftitute of the holy flame of devotion. Thefe faints of the world, may eafily gain, and keep in friendship with it; for the world will love its own: They cannot be expected to fuffer for righteoufnefs fake, while they have no evangelical righteousness to fuffer for. Their names will not be caft out as evil, becaufe, Herodian-like, they can readily fall in with the different customs and tempers of the various companies in which they mix, and make their all of religion fubfervient to their fecular interests. But if these observations be supported by facts, is not the state of these WELL-DISPOSED PERSONS truly awful? Drunkards, prophane swearers, fabbath-breakers, &c. have no plea; they know themselves to be in the way to damnation; if reafoned with in their calmer moments, they will generally acknowledge, that they have no hope of falvation, without true repentance and free pardon through Chrift: But these conftant hearers of divine Truth, are in a manner gofpel-hardened. Their comparative goodness has filenced an upbraiding confcience, till that monitor is become dumb, or feared like flesh with an hot iron. By this partial form of godliness, pharifaic pride is nourished, the enmity of the carnal mind confirmed in its dominion, and the alienation of the foul from God increafed daily. Their mifery is approaching with unfufpected rapidity, the ftorms of juft wrath will foon defcend, and hurry these fleepers, (if they continue in their present infenfibility,) into outer darkness, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. Wught not then every Minifter of the Gofpel, frequently and faithfully, to addrefs himself in the plaineft manner poffible to fuch perfons? Should he not ftudioufly avoid every flattering epithet, particularly that of being WELL-DISPOSED; and faithfully affure them, that their fuppofed righteousness will not cover them, (Ifaiah lix. 6;) nor their comparative goodness fcreen them from the dreadful fentence of "I know you not! Depart from me," Matt. yii. 23, Is it not incumbent alfo, on every lover of Chrift, to endeavour by all poffible means to rescue these fouls from their awful flumber ? Should not the followers of Chrift themselves guard againft deception, by taking appearances for realities, civil refpect for Chriftian Love, and fuperficial morality for Bible Christianity? If they mistake here, they may, though undefignedly, help to increafe their prefent infenfibility, and thicken the veil of darkness that is now upon their minds. I will not prefume to fay what means will fucceed best in this chriftian attempt; perhaps they may vary according to education, custom, circumstances, and difpofition of mind: Some of these are of an open temper, and not eafily offended: others may, on feeing the leaft impropriety in the manner of thofe who labour for their good, refent what is improper in the mode, and thereby defeat the defign. However, I will fuggeft one thing as likely ༄ to leave them at leaft without excufe, if not to gain them over to ferious.reflection and close examination; viz. a private interview, wherein they may be faithfully told of their ftate and danger, be affectionately reafoned with on the importance of eternal things, and ftrongly urged to a diligent fearching of the Scriptures, and prayer to the Lord for an understanding in divine things. Where this cannot be obtained, and circumftances will admit of it confiftently with chriftian prudence, a friendly epiftle may be fent, or a book like Alleine's Alarm, or Fletcher's Appeal to Common Senfe, &c, might be put into their hands, with a request to give it an attentive reading. If fuch fteps were judiciously taken, we fhould probably fee fome happy effects follow; fome fouls would praife God, for fuch acts of kindnefs, in time and etérnity; and the favoured inftruments rejoice in thus having faved fouls from everlafting death. Should thefe lines fall into the hands of any WELL-DISPOSED PERSONS, it is to be hoped, that they will not haftily conclude they are ill-founded and unjustly fevere; but rather give them a candid perufal, compare their conduct with the Word of God, and ferioufly enquire how their ftate is in his fight. Perhaps, like Jehoath, you have fome good things in you, but have you the Spirit of Chrift dwelling in you? Have you experienced that repentance which is unto life, that faith which is of the operation of God? What a pity it is that you' fhould stop short of entering in at the ftrait gate; of enjoying the one thing needful; that you should be almoft perfuaded to be Chriftians, and yet remain unbelievers? aflift the fervants of God in temporals, and yet not partake of fpiritual bleffings? help in building the Church of Chrift, and then like a fcaffold be thrown away Shall all the fermons you have heard be the favour of death unto death? Have the Ambaffadors of Christ befought you in vain. to be reconciled to God? Have they spent their time, labour, ftrength and conftitution in vain, as to your falvation? Hath the Saviour of the world fuffered, died, interceded, called and invited you in vain. My dear fellow finners, be intreated not to trifle away another day, another moment! Now call upon God for help. Beg him to give you true repentance, living faith, and full falvation. If you seek fincerely, you shall find, if you afk in faith, you fhall receive all you want to make you holy and happy here, and meet to dwell with faints and holy angels to all eternity. "O may you never look behind, "To fin and fatan turn again; "Reft in the world, or comfort find ? The Chriftian Experience and happy Death of LOVE LOVE Μ 'Y fifter was awakened to a fenfe of her wretched flate by nature, in Auguft, 1789, through the preaching of the gofpel by Mr. James Mann. She did not refift the convincing Spirit of God, but gave herself up to his gracious influences; and her inceffant cry was, "What muft I do to be faved!" This falutary work of conviction deepened continually, and fhe was brought into great diftrefs, till one evening, when returning home with Tome friends from clafs-meeting, the was constrained to mercy even in the ftreet. When they came to her mother's door, the fell on her knees, and cried mightily to God for mercy. cry for Soon after, they took her into the houfe, where her agony increased, and the wreftled in fervent prayer for fome time. Satan ftrove hard to caft her into black defpair; but, glory be to God! in this hour and power of darknefs, the Comforter came, and Spoke peace to her fainting foul. Great was her rejoicing in the Lord. The by-ftanders told me, (for I had not the happiness of being prefent) that there was fuch a change in her countenance as aftonished them; for her face fhone like that of an angel. They had fent for Mr. Black (our minifter) who came just as the received this ineftimable bleffing, and they joined in fervent praises to their Redeemer. Soon after the experienced this bleffed change, the enemy was permitted to buffet her with fore temptations; yet her Almighty Captain led her on from conquering to conquer; fo that her greatest afflictions in the end proved for her good. She had many gracious vifits from her Lord, and was enabled to rejoice with joy unfpeakable; although the fuffered much from fome relations, and unfaithful friends; but most of all from the powers of darknefs: yet, glory to God! from her firft fetting out in his bleffed ways, to the end of her race, she never turned afide to the right hand, nor to the left, but fteadily purfued the plan laid down in the gofpel: She denied herfelf, and took up her crofs daily, and continually exercifed a godly jealoufy over herfelf. ticular temptation frequently affaulted her, viz. a fear that the One parwas a hypocrite, and would at laft prove unfaithful and become a caft-away. I think I can fay in truth, my confcience bearing me witness, that I never knew one who walked more uprightly in the ways of God than fhe did. During the laft five years of her life, the never loft her evidence, from the happy time the received it, but held it faft till the still more happy day when faith was lost in fight, and hope in full enjoyment. means of grace, even fometimes to an extreme: Notwithstand. She was diligent in all the VOL. XIX. Auguß 1796. ing I |