highest Round of all This Jacob's Ladder brings Is Glorificat'on and advance To God the King of Kings Christ's laying down his Life for Man And God's accepting it His saving any doom'd to die Who now in Heaven sit What can this be but special Grace Renounce we then all Merit And give we Praise to God always To Father Son and Spirit The Alphabet in Verse by G. D. for Copies August 29 1687. A. AFflictive Crosses may be well endur'd By pious Souls who have a Christ secur'd B. Boast not of time hereafter don't delay To get prepared for a dying Day C. Content's the Sweet of all where 's greatest Store If that be had with little what needs more D. Delight in good shun Vice redeem your time Serve God whilst you are young and in your prime E. Espouse the Cause of Christ and stand your ground Beware you be not an Apostate found F. Faint Wishes Heavenward can never shew A Love to Christ O Soul that 's fixt and true G. Give all that ask you something if you can But double Kindness to a poor good Man H. High Breeding sweet Deportment lovely Face Will ne're avail that Soul that 's void of Grace I. Intemperance in what we drink or eat Will prove the sowrest Sauce to sweetest Meat K. Kind Carriage wins on all hereby you may Reclaim a wandring Sinner gone astray L. Let Worldlings take the World do you with Paul Account a Single Christ as more than all M. Modest Behaviour with a Temper kind Does really express a gallant Mind N. Nothing we here possess will lasting prove The only solid Joys are those above O. Observe and learn what 's good in all you see But let the real Saint your Pattern be P. Pleasures that sinful are not long do last The Sting remains when all the Pleasure 's past Q. Quit now your selves like Christians stand your ground The Faithful unto Death are only crown'd R. Repining under Crosses we endure Will never lighten those but more procure S. Such who with Esau do their Birth-rights sell Will too late see the Folly on 't in Hell T. Time swiftly steals away and being gone Can never be recall'd by any one U. Vnruly Passions when they have their swing Instead of giving Ease more Sorrow bring W. Whatever haps be Patient and you 'd see It is thô bad in 't self yet good for thee X. Xerxes with Sorrow views his mighty Host As knowing they would soon be dead and lost Y. Young ones serve God whilst young you 'l make thereby Your Death-Bed very easy when you die Z. Zeal in a good Cause this must needs befriend But luke-warm Tempers have a doleful end A Hymn by G. D. on John 14. 27. the Text Mr. Perriot preach'd on August 87. Peace I leave with you my Peace I give unto you not as the World giveth give I unto you Let not your Heart be troubled neither let it be afraid IN love to you Disciples dear Whom I'm about to leave A Legacy of Peace I give My Peace I you bequeath Not as the World gives give I you It 's inward Peace I say The which the World can neither give Nor ever take away Let not your Heart be troubled then My Peace shall be your aid Set this against your Troubles here You need not be afraid An Hymn upon Mr. S's Text Doctrine and Reasons Coloss 3. 1. If ye be risen with Christ c. Octob. 19 1689. LET Earthly Men seek Earthly things And glut themselves like Swine Vpon the empty Husks below Of Riches Corn and Wine But Lord for me being taught of thee It 's better I must have The Things Above I chiefly love And those O Lord I crave Such Treasures they will lasting prove Can only satisfy When Earthly Things soon take their Wings Will wither fade and die These may be had and kept when got Which Worldlings cannot say For what they heap together here May soon be snatch'd away We have thy leave nay thy Command To fix our Heart and Love Not upon Trifles here Below But upon Things Above Those are the best worth seeking for Deserve our greatest pains Will here procure the sweetest Peace Hereafter lasting Gains Seeking aright we shall not miss Of finding but obtain And having found we need not fear Our losing them again Lord being risen then with Christ Help us to seek and love With all our Hearts our Soul and Strength The Things which are Above Another upon the same Text and two more Verses adjoining And 1 Cor. 15. 20 21 22. CHRIST now is risen from the Dead His Bands could him not keep And is to be acknowledged First-Fruits of them that sleep For as by one Man Death did reign In Adam all did die By Christ the Resurrection came And Immortality If risen then with Christ you be Seek ye the Things Above And do not though entic'd thereto The Worldlings Portion love For ye are dead to Worldliness With Christ your Saviour-dear Your Life is hid and you shall shine When once he doth appear An Hymn upon Mr. S's Text Isa 55. 7. Let the Wicked forsake his way c. O Let the Wicked leave his Lusts The way that Sinners take And let the Man unrighteous Vnrighteous Thoughts forsake Let him return unto the Lord And he will Mercy shew To God who will abundantly His pard'ning Grace renew Meditations upon Mr. S's Text Joh. 2. 6. He that saith he abideth in him c. HE that on Scripture-grounds can say In Christ he doth abide He also ought himself to walk As did this Blessed Guide For Scriptures they were given forth That to us they might â—e A Rule whereby our Sate to try And our Conditionsee Then true Religion iâ— its Power That Man has â—rely mist Who thinks in bâ—â— Profession It only does câ—nsist That crying out Lord Lord at last Will save his Soul from Hell Without the doing of God's Will And labouring to do well Then 't is not painted Guile will do Nor Shows that do appear But Truth in Heart and inward part Will render one sincere The true Believer then is safe And may on Scripture-ground Most certainly on Christ rely In Christ he being found Behold the Man in Christ therefore New Creature he is made All Things in such an one is new And old Things are decay'd Let Times be ne râ—so black and dark Let Things go aâ— they will The Man in Christ is truly safe And may take Comfort still Meditations on the 6th Doctrine about Justification 'T IS Faith in Christ that sastifies The Sinner in God's sign Labour to shew and let Men knoâ— By Works our Faith is right Lord grant we may who speak and say We know the Lord most High Endeavour by Religious Lives Our Words to justify Doct. 7. Of Conformity to the Example of Christ ALL those who this Profession make Obliged are hereby To walk as Christ did whilst on Earth In all Sobriety To follow his Example
in the Evening of it take one or other of us to walk with him in the Garden where he would always commune with us of Heavenly Matters would enquire into our Proficiency by the Means of that Day would try our Knowledg in Spiritual Things and as carefully instruct us where he found Ignorance prevailing But above all which I must never forget he has so awakingly and pathetically discoursed to us about the Joys of Heaven and the Happiness of Souls being arrived there that I can say I have even longed at such a time to he out of the Body and to be with the Lord have been filled with hungring Desires to forsake the World's Husks and to taste those Dainties of my Father's House which indeed my Brother did most lively and sweetly represent to us I well remember I have then been ready with Paul to desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ At other Times he would in so sweet yet startling manner discourse to us about the Pains of Hell and the Eternal Misery of Damned Souls would so lively set forth Sin in its Black and Bloody Colours as that which brings Souls to that place of horrid Darkness that I and I believe others of my Brothers and Sisters were sussiciently startled and frighted for that Time It made me whilst the Thoughts were afresh upon me much afraid of Sin my main Reason alas being then only as I well remember that I might escape those dreadful Miseries he had represented to us I can say to the Glory of God that thorow his Blessing upon my Brother's Discourse I have had good Impressions sometimes upon me which I must sadly say too soon wore off again being but as the Morning-Cloud and as the Early Dew He would with some others of his School-Fellows who were of the same Form with himself such as Mr. John Reyner that most eminent Servant of God now in Heaven Mr. Jonathan Robinson that Pious Christian now a Bookseller in London Mr. Thomas Peachall an Attourney and divers others then well disposed frequently meet together and kept Hours nay often whole Afternoons in Religious Exercises by themselves They took their Turns for the carrying on that Work and usually discoursed from some Text of Scripture at such times and this they did from House to House doing good it 's hoped wherever they came admitting constantly of some Auditors of the House where they were My Brother was several Years at the University of Oxford and a Member of Corpus-Christi Colledg was an Universal Scholar and supposed to have but few Equals in Learning As for Physick he somewhat delighted in that Study and proved not a little useful to some upon that account I remember I my self being much out of order and weak tho not Sick at about 13 or 14 Years old many thought I was going into a Consumption the Distemper of our Family I spit Blood and had other Symptoms that he discovered he perceiving me discouraged at such their Apprehensions told me I was not far gone in that Distemper and tho it should prevail might live 20 or 30 Years He advised me to eat Raisons frequently and some time to drink my own Water every Morning which I did for several Days and through the Blessing of God most successfully Unhappy Differences when my Brother was grown a Man did too frequently fall out betwixt my Father and him which did arise sometimes a considerable height some thought my Father too strict with him in his Years of Manhood and others thought him abundance too stubborn and rebellious in his Carriage towards my Father but further mention of this matter will not become my Pen. Those Differences reduced my Brother to great Straits and I heartily blame my self who too often occasioned the Quarrels for want of Brotherly Compassion and Tenderness towards him when in Distress and I my self tho a Child in some Capacity at London to do it the Lord forgive me My Brother John died at about the Age of 16 Years at Swinderby of a deep Consumption And tho I having for some Years before been an Apprentice in London had not the advantage of intimate Acquaintance with him nor therefore of making Remarks upon him for some Years before his Death yet this I was certainly assured of by those who knew him best that he lived a very blameless and unspotted Life and died a most comfortable and happy Death resigning his Soul into the Hands of God his Faithful Creator and leaving a vain World with Joy and Comfort My Sisters Elizabeth Mary and Dorcas were all Persons that had the Fear of God before their Eyes were exemplary in Holiness and truly serious and gracious they were usually under the Eye Care and Conduct of our godly Parents and in this respect had the Advantage greatly beyond some others of us of Parental Instructions and Admonitions being constantly under a Religious Discipline their good Education the Lord gave them Hearts to improve and Grace to answer they were of good natural Tempers Lovers of God's Ordinances conscientious in the Discharge of Duties both Religious and Relative and strict in the Sanctification and Observance of the Lord's Day Elizabeth married to John Hatfield Esq of Laughton in Yorkshire Mary to Mr. Jonathan Stanyforth then of Rotheram in the same County and after of Firbeck Dorcas to Mr. Joshua Wigley of Cliff in Derbyshire All very eminent for Holiness had very competent Estates kept up Religion in the strictness of it in their Families maintained a strict Discipline and endeavoured to train up all under their Care and Charge in the Fear of the Lord. These my Sisters lived but a few Years after their Marriage with their Husbands and left them for their Lord Christ one much better My Sister Mary I think only left a Child to survive her viz. Disney Stanyforth and now under my Tuition as one of his Guardians he is at my writing this about the Age of 15 Years a comely Child of sweet Disposition extraordinary Solidity observant of Friends not morose but kind to Enemies and which crowns all one I think I may say truly fears God My Parents for whom I bless God being truly religious themselves took great care by a religious Education to make us their Children so too and that whilst young and afterwards were as careful and circumspect in the disposing of us in Marriage and Imployments to such as feared God And truly God did wonderfully answer their Prayers and bless their Endeavours for we were all of us setled and disposed herein to our Parents great Satisfaction and our own great Comfort Too few I fear consider and improve the Advantage of a religious Education though certainly a most singular and distinguishing Blessing Not to be born of Popish Pagan Turkish or Debauched Parents must needs be esteem'd a great Mercy and surely will be by those the Lord does savingly enlighten such will know how prone Corruption within will be to
just And to his Life conform Since we Profession make we must The Gospel thus adorn He is our Lord Redeemer and We do profess that we By what he 's done are now redeem'd From all Iniquity His Name we own to call upon Are therefore strictly boâ—… To honour not reproach the same His Glory forth to sound Do we of Nature most divine Pretend for to partake Let us in all our Actions shine And him our Pattern make Do we to 's Doctrine credit give Labour we to adorn The Gospel then in every thing By sutable return Have we his Spirit then we 're led With glorious Success To live and act and walk i' th ways Of Truth and Holiness True Faith in Christ where ' ere it 's found will purge and purify It mends the Heart and every part The Life 's reform'd hereby A Love to Christ we all profess O let this Love constrain Vs for to live to him that dy'd And now is rose again Christ while on Earth was undefil'd Most Sinless was his State No stain or spot did ever soil This Lamb Immaculate He by his Blessed Life while here Did an Example give How we should carry walk and speak And Holy Lives should live In all his ways he was sincere Nothing could ever soil That perfect Innocence of his So free from Craft and Guile Meditations upon Mr. G's Text 1 Joh. 4. 7. And every one that loveth is born of God c. THe gracious Soul that 's born of God And has a saving sight Of what is Evil and what 's Good And knoweth God aright He loveth God and Godliness And every Saint that he Believes God's Image stampt upon In Truth and Verity Lord grant me Teaching from Above Illuminate me so That thou a God in Covenant I savingly may know That Light of Nature all Men have It never can afford The full Idea of that God Who is the Living Lord. Nor can the best of Creatures show Though wonderfully wrought The Splendour of the God Above Too vainly this way sought No 't is the Soul that 's born again And 's by the Spirit taught Can only fear and serve the Lord And know him as he ought Such they 'l sincerely seek to God They call and knock and cry Will learn to pray from Day to Day With Importunity Re thou the Portion of my Soul I then can be content With smallest share of Worldly Fare And meanest Settlement Give me a Christ or I 'm undone Hear Lord my Suit and Cry Let me be thine and Christ be mine Without him I must die Bless to my Soul the means of Grace Thy Institutions all Incline mine Ear O Lord to hear And to obey thy Call Meditations upon Isa 50. 10. Who is there among you that feareth the Lord c. HE that does truly fear the Lord And 's Servant doth obey Who walk's i' th dark and sees no Light May yet upon him stay He may with greatest Confidence A Succour from him claim Who is the Lord Jehovah Great By trusting in his Name Meditations upon Luk. 10. 31. By chance there came down a certain Priest that way c. ALL Mankind since the Fall are bent To travel out o' th way That leads to Bliss and Happiness And sinfully to stray Both Priest and Levite here agree When as a wounded Man They did espy to pass him by Without Compassion Legal and Moral Righteousness Can never give Relief But dreadful Comforters do prove To Souls opprest with Grief And as for formal Holiness Or bare Profession made It never can relieve a Man With Comfort when dismay'd 'T is none of these that can appease The burthen'd Sinner fainting It 's Christ alone that such an one Is longing for and panting Turn then aside my Blessed Lord A wounded Sinner see For I am sure I need a Cure Have Mercy Lord on me Other Physicians all I find But vain as to my Case I must depend unto the end O Lord upon thy Grace O thou the good Samaritan Compassionate and kind Pour in thine Oil upon my Soul Then healing I shall find Meditations on 1 Joh. 2. 29. If ye know that he is righteous c. KNowing that Christ is righteous Must necessar'ly show That he must needs be born of God That Righteousness doth do A Legal Righteousness none can Discharge since Adam's Fall But here 's our Comfort God accepts What 's Evangelical Meditations upon Mr. F's Text Phil. 1. 27. Only let your Conversation be as becometh the Gospel of Christ GOD grant our Conversations here May ever more be such As may the Gospel of our Lord Adorn and Credit much It presses Holiness in Life And teaches to deny Vngodliness and Worldly Lusts And living soberly The Gospel pure and its Rules Do reach the inward part And notice take of all Mistakes Both in the Life and Heart 'T is Holy Righteous Just and Good Directs us to abstain From all appearances of Ill From Carriage light and vain To cleanse our selves from Filthiness Both of the Flesh and Spirit T' avoid indecent Wantonness And Gospel-Rules to credit All sinful Gestures it forbids And Carriage vain and light The Glances of a Lustful Eye And Works that shun the Light Thy Word O Lord's a Word of Truth Forbids Deceit and Guile Teaches to fly Hypocrisy And ev'ry Motion vile An Hymn upon Mr. C's Text Eccles 12. 1. Remember now thy Creator c. REmember thy Creator now Whilst youthful Days do last Now know love fear and serve thy God For Age is hastning fast The Evil Days are drawing on Then now lay up thy Treasure For being come thou 'lt find and say In these I have no Pleasure An Hymn upon Rev. 2. 10. Fear none of those things c. FFar not the Troubles Jesus saith Vnto his Church below That thou may'st here be call'd to bear And forc'd to undergo The Devil by his Instruments To Prison some shall hale Yet 't is but some it is not all The Promise cannot fail A ten Days Trial such may have And Tribulation bear But being faithful unto Death ACrown of Life shall wear An Hymn on 1 Tim. 2. 5. ONE God there is and only One One Mediator High The Man Christ Jesus who for all Did pay full Price and die On 1 Joh. 2. 1 3. IF any sin we have on High An Advocate who spilt His precious Blood that he thereby Might expiate our Guilt On Rev. 5. 13. BLessing and Glory and Renown To him we give therefore That sits o' th Throne and to the Lamb Of God for evermore Psal 113. turned into other Verse and a more common Tune April 1686. OYe the Servants of the Lord His Holy Name adore Sing forth his Praise with one accord And bless him evermore Ev'n from the rising of the Sun Vnto its going down Cease not this praising Work begun Give Glory and Renown Above all Nations God is High His glittering Glory count Does very much for Majesty The Heavens High
Riper-years of lost Time in Youth will prove sad and cost dear and be assured that Time 's lost that 's spent either in Eating Drinking Sleeping Visiting or Sportings more than Necessity requires 13. If the Lord should again make thee Head of a Family and bless thee with Children as well as Servants take care of their Souls train them up for God and let thy House be a Nursery for Heaven take an account every Week of their Proficiency in Spirituals and always esteem of those Children and Servants most that love fear and serve God best Travel in Birth to see Christ formed in thine and know that if any go from thy House to Hell through thy neglect their Souls will be required at thy Hands 14. Make Religion thy Business and always account the serving of God and the saving thy Soul to be the greatest Work thou art sent into the World about and continued in the World for give not Christ the World's leavings much rather let the World have his 15. Get right and well-grounded Evidences for Heaven O lay not a Sandy Foundation for the Building that 's to stand to Eternity 〈…〉 some Evidences for Heaven thou'lt find in the first part of this Treatise others in Rogers's Evidences for Heaven Examine thy State often and impartially and never be satisfied till the Interest betwixt Christ and thy Soul be compleated and cleared up 16. Sit loose from the World and seek not great things for thy self here My Circumstances in the World be such that I cannot leave thee much more than what was setled upon Marriage but all I could I have and a little with the Lord's Blessing is better than the great Revenues of many Wicked Make sure of an Estate in Heaven live much upon Invisibles choose Christ for a Portion and thou art made for ever 17. Be content with thy Condition here whatever 't is and expect Sufferings A Christian's Life here is militant If thou continue to keep thy Face Heavenwards which I trust thou wilt then may the Devil the World and the Flesh be frequently sallying out against thee But O pray that thy Faith fail not and that God's Grace may be sufficient for thee 18. Labour to persevere in the good Ways of God maintain thine Integrity and hold out unto the end whatever it cost thee Be a Follower of those who through Faith and Patience inherit the Promises or Things promised All thy Bitters here will serve to make Heaven more sweet to thee and being Faithful unto Death Christ will give thee a Crown of Life 19. Get off from thine own Bottom place no Confidence in the Flesh look off from thine own Righteousness thine own Duties thine own Services when thou doest the best in point of Justification and depend and rest only on Christ upon whose account alone thou canst be accepted and saved It 's Christ's Righteousness alone imputed to thee for Justification and imparted to thee for thy Sanctification that can or will bestead thee 20. Be rich in good Works and go about doing Good hold on thy Charitable way of doing Good to Bodies but especially befriend poor Souls Be always as kind as thy Circumstances will allow to those worthy good Ministers of the Gospel thou and I were always beholden to and I am perswaded shall be blessing God for as Instruments in his Hand of our Good to Eternity 21. Allow thy self in no Sin for the least Sin loved and allowed is certainly damning When God has at any time convinced thee of a Sin and Conscience has flown in thy Face and thou art full of Terrour go to God down upon thy Knees and beg pardoning Grace and Mercy leave him not till thou hast obtained that Blessing and always have a care of Relapses for though we find a David and Lot and others of the dear Servants of God recorded in Scripture guilty of some great Miscarriages yet we find them sorely broken for those Things and humbled and not repeating and relapsing again into them 22. Prepare for Eternity get and keep Oil in thy Lamp that it be not to buy when thy Lamp should be found burning put on thy Wedding-Garments and be prepared c. 23. Mourn not for me excessively I am gone but thy God and my God stays with thee and I trust will guide thee by his Counsel till he conduct thee to his Glory I am dead but God lives thou hast no Husband on Earth what then If thy Maker be but thy Husband thou hast cause enough to rejoice What though they that have seen me shall in this World see me no more This is my Comfort let it be thine he does see me that has seen though my weak yet my sincere Yernings and Groanings after him he sees me that will never say I know you not being a God that will not forget Covenant he sees me who has seen my Soul in Travel and those Pangs of Desite after him that no others have O'couldst thou but hear what I confidently hope through the Morits and Mediation of my dear Redeemer I shall before thou â—â—est this Paper my God in the Riches of his Mercy saying to this effect Yonder 's poor such a one come to my Gate let him in he chose me for a Portion whilst on Earth and gave himself according to his weak Measures up to me I will in no wise cast him off Surely this would abate thy Sorrows surely then thou wouldst not wish me so Ill as to be on Earth again well live in the Faith of this and walk comfortably with thy God God has made thee indeed whilst on Earth to me the greatest outward blessing that ever I enjoyed O let me not want thy Company in Heaven And now my Dearest on Earth I commit thee to the keeping and Mercy of the Great Jehovah I resign thee to that God who is thy Maker and thy Husband serve him and thy Generation according to his Will here that thou mayest sleep in Jesus and be found in him Gervase Disney POST-SCRIPT OR A Continuation of the most Remarkable Passages of my LIFE since the other the last of June 1686. SINCE my last particular View of my Diary design'd in the Treatise of my Life I find my up's and down's and that I am but a poor vile and weak Creature unable of my self to answer by a holy and humble Carriage the Lord 's great Goodness to me in late signal Deliverances out of Trouble and that upon better Terms than I could expect I was now no sooner at ease and rest thrô the Lord's Mercy and at liberty than I grew secure and begun to be too regardless of Soul-Concerns I too little remembred and considered Promises made when under Affliction and neglected too much to pay those Vows My Circumstances when in Trouble were a Snare to me in some Particulars In my Diary the 19th of September 1685 I find my self blessing God for his Protection and Care of me in my Journey and
Carriage to her was too high and peevish apprehending her too little submissive to me as a Husband and too ready to invade the Authority I thought my self to have a Right to here I might mistake but however by it see abundance of Pride and Corruption in my Nature the Good Lord humble me for that 6. My not discharging it may be all Marriage-Duties as I ought might provoke the Lord. 7. It may be I have done this in cumbring my self with so much worldly Business in bad times and when I had no need Now the Lord seems to knock me off from such Cumbers by taking from me her that was wonderfully assisting to me in them Present Thoughts I have had with reference to my Removal since the Death of my Wife as to a retired Life After my seeking God by Prayer about my Settlement the Encouragements for my continuing at Ollercarr were such as these 1. THE Lord's Providence bringing me to this Place more particularly manifest in my Diary in the first part of my Life and his giving me great Encouragement in my enjoying Gospel-Ordinances here without very much Interruption or Disturbance 2. The Favour and Respect he has been pleased to give me from the whole Neighbourhood 3. A Settlement by House-keeping Necessaries being concerned to take care of some whom I would provide for according to my Ability 4. My having a great Husbandry upon my Hands and eleven Years Lease of this Estate 5. The Capacity I am in of serving this Neighbourhood by the publick Opportunities the Lord has blest me with here Reasons and Encouragements for Removing from Ollercarr 1. THe Loss of my Dear Wife upon whose account at first I was chiefly induc'd to this Place but now very uncomfortable to me 2. The irregular Carriages and Behaviour of Servants in Family-Affairs and my Unfitness to manage and look after them 3. In regard that I have Encouragement enough that I may let this Land or else manage it with two or three faithful Servants in my Absence and it may be more to my advantage than now 4. The very great Unsetledness of Present-times and my Obnoxiousness to their Effects seems to call me to a more retired way of Living than here at Ollercarr 5. The Debts which at present I am in I am apprehensive can no better way be soon discharged which I much desire than by giving up House-keeping at least for some time 6. By a more retired way of Living I may have greater advantage for Self-Reflections and more time than here I can have for the Management of Soul-Concerns 7. The Cumbers of the World will ill sute me in my solitary and lonesome Condition when the Language of present Providence seems to call me off from these things 8. By giving up House for a time I shall have the advantage of Visiting Conversing with and serving some Relations that need Help and Assistance and I have been too much wanting to 9. Because my present Purpose after seeking the Lord in the case is but to leave my House here for the Winter half-year it being uncomfortable enough then 10. Mr. Coats and his Dear Consort whom I heartily love and honour need be no Losers by this Alteration they may here keep House take Tablers serve their Generation and live at as little charge I believe as any where else and if so then the great Objections I have against leaving this House will be removed and my leaving it encouraged and the Ordinances of God will still be kept up here to the Refreshment of this hungering Neighbourhood 11. I may the rather go upon this account that Mr. Coats the last Year had given me notice to remove from me The Author having gone so far by his own Hand in the Account of his Life to June 86 some farther Passages since that time to the time of his Death be pleased to take a view of in the Preface written by his Worthy and Reverend Pastor In which Place it was thought best to insert them rather than to interrupt what he had collected and recorded himself LETTERS A LETTER to a Relation inviting him to forsake Sin and to pursue Holiness April 1685. SIR COnsidering the ill use you have made of some former Advice given you I have not upon that account much encouragement to make further Attempts of that nature yet knowing that the Work of Convincing and Converting is the Lord's and that the Wind blows where and when it listeth I may not despair but some Good through the Blessing of the Almighty may yet be done upon you I do indeed purposely conceal my Name at present lest you should despise or slight the Advice upon the account of the Adviser whom you have too lavishly and unjustly reproached though I am confident I have deserved better Treatment at your hands But this is not the thing such Passages I can pass by yet sadly bewail them in you as knowing them to be some of the dismal Effects of your drunken Frolicks but remember for these and the like things God will bring you to Judgment I am not ignorant that many of those that wish you well have advis'd and reprov'd you again and again for your sinful Follies and would fain have you as well remember that terrible Threatning That he that being often reprov'd and hardens his Heart shall suddenly be destroy'd and that without Remedy Wherein you have injured me by your Tongue I can pass it by I would not return Slander for Slander nor answer Railing with Railing nor Reproach with Reproach I have not so learned Christ I can heartily pity you forgive you and pray for you and would now fain perswade you to be good and what can be more your Interest than to be so Come Sir if you have any respect to a dear and tender Wife that lies in your Bosom to a small Babe to indulgent Parents to well-wishing Friends to your own Soul Body or Estate but above all to the Commands of a great God you must be good make a stand consider and take up in time It 's my Love to you makes me thus plain with you for I dare not flatter Whatever you may think or however others may endeavour to palliate great Sins by giving them easy Names Sin will be called Sin and Wickedness Wickedness Drunkenness will be call'd Drunkenness and Sweating Swearing at the Great-day and punished as such and why not now Repentance is your Duty and that can never be right and evangelical without Reformation I do believe it is your desire to be eternally happy and can you expect it if you be not holy Without Holiness no one shall see the Lord Heb. 12. 14. Can you ever expect to get in at the Strait-gate while you walk in the Broad-way no Strait is the Gate and narrow the Way that leadeth unto Life and few there be that find it O that you may be one of those few Will you do the Devil's Work and expect the Lord's