consequence, in the Lord's time,-which it behoves you to wait. "Again, many think there is no occasion to make so much to do about religion. If the acquisition of £10,000 a-year were in prospect, these same persons would think you could not be too active, and earnest, and circumspect, and careful, to miss no opportunities, and to leave no flaws. How much better is the inheritance of the children of God, than that of £10,000 a-year? Therefore, how much more commendable to give all diligence and care to make all sure; and rather to overdo than run hazards.-Not that worldly business is to be neglected; for it is a part of our duty, and we are God's servants therein, who are to be diligent. "You seem sensible of your sinful lost condition, and need of total conversion; but are not affected with these things as you suppose others are, and as you ought to be. It is right to be so: we have all need to be vastly more affected than we are: but be not discouraged: it is vastly better than being much affected, and resting in that, or being proud of it. "As I have no room to say all that is in my mind, let me hear from you as soon as you can, and I will write again. In the mean time, neglect not prayer; read your Bible; think much of eternity; keep out of scoffing company; omit no opportunities of hearing the word of God; and let nothing cause you to drop family worship. Love to sister May she be the mother of a Samuel!* Assure her, that, when I want her to be very religious, I want her to be very happy, as I am. We wish you all a happy new year. "Your affectionate brother and friend, The next letter, dated Weston, February 15, 1781, relates chiefly to Olney, of which he was about to become curate, and is inserted in the Life.t "Olney, July 4, 1781. 66 DEAR BROTHER, "THAT I may not delay in the midst of my engagements, I must content myself with writing a little, and post poning a more full answer to many things in your letter till another opportunity. We rejoice in the birth of your daughter. My prayer is that she may live, if the Lord be pleased to spare her, to be-what? a lady riding in a coach? No: a good Christian, one who lives the life of faith, walking with God, glorifying him, and serving her generation in whatever station the providence of God places her; that at length, when a few, few years are gone, she, you, and her mother, &c. and I and mine, may all meet in the realms above, to sing the song of poor redeemed sinners, To him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God, be glory and dominion for ever and ever: Amen.-As to sister I can only desire that she may be enabled to speak the language of the hundred and sixteenth psalm, appointed to be read on such occasions, with the same spirit of faith, love, and gratitude, with which the pslamist penned it....... "You have asked me some questions which I cannot now fully answer: but a hint I will drop. To take up our cross, I apprehend means this: simply to follow the Lord in the path of duty, and patiently and cheerfully to bear every thing which in that path we meet with; whether it be reproach, contempt, worldly loss, poverty, hatred, persecution, temptation: not to be diverted from the path of duty by any of these things; but, when adherence to known duty requires it, and God by his word and providence calls for it, to be willing to part with friends, substance, character, ease, life itself; assured that the Lord is able to compensate all losses, and to make amends for every trial. It is called the cross, because that death of the cross, which Jesus our pattern, as well as ransom, suffered, was then accounted the very sum and substance of what could be endured in this world: and, if a man was willing to carry a cross, and be nailed to it, for Christ's sake, as Christ carried his, he then assuredly would flinch from no other suffering. "You say there are many opinions. Thank God for your Bible; read it much; and form both your sentiments and conduct upon it. Thank God for a throne of grace, and a promise that, if any man will do the will of God, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, Plead this day by day in prayer, and the Lord will teach you. I know some about you are too fond of controversy; but keep you to your Bible and the throne of grace: and, when time serves, I will drop you a hint on such matters as I judge to be important. "As to your frequenting the Lord's table, you are uncomfortably circumstanced; and yet I think I should advise you to go; but not without much preceding prayer, remembering that it is a solemn acceptance of Christ as your Lord and Saviour, and surrender of yourself to him, to be his for ever, and to live to his glory. "That you have need to cry instantly and constantly to the Lord, to hold you up that you may be safe, is certain, and you are sure to fall hurtfully, when you neglect it; but, if you are truly the Lord's, while you do this, you are not to distress yourself about the final issue; for he hath engaged not to let you fall fatally. Christ will not let Satan pluck his sheep out of his hand. They are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation. Only give diligence to make your calling and election sure. Those who are spoken of in the scripture you mention were never truly converted, but only outwardly changed....... "Yours affectionately, 62 DEAR BROTHER, "THOS. SCOTT." "Olney, July 21, 1784. "AFTER long waiting, I received your letter, and am sincerely glad and thankful that the Lord has made my sister the living mother of a living son: and I as sincerely wish and pray that he may live to be a comfort to you; which he will be most likely to be, if you and his mother do really, and heartily, and daily, bring him by faith and prayer to the Lord Jesus, that he may lay his hands upon him and bless him. Bring him and dedicate him to the Lord; and then he will do by you as Pharaoh's daughter did by Moses' mother; he will bid you take him home, and bring him up for him; and he too will reward you for bringing up your children for him. I hope, dear brother, now the Lord is increasing your family, you will be the more careful in praying for them and with them, setting them a good example, and, as they become capable of it, giving them every godly instruction; remembering that they are to live for ever either in happiness or misery; and that God has said, Train up a child in the way that he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.—I hope, dear brother, you will cease from your over anxiety about the world, and about growing rich, which will infallibly prevent you from being rich towards God, and cause you to be like that rich man whom Christ mentions, and calls a fool, in the twelfth chapter of Luke. You have had frequent convictions, and have several times been almost persuaded to be a Christian: but let me in love ask you, yea ask your own heart, Have you gone any further? Are you altogether a Christian? Do you in judgment, count all things but dung that you may win Christ? Do you in practice seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness? Do you stand prepared to leave all, deny yourself, and follow Christ, when called to it? Are you weaned from outward things, so as in temper and affection to have left them; possessing them as though you possessed them not, using them as not abusing them, seeing the fashion of this world passeth away? Do you actually leave for Christ all that your conscience admonishes you to leave, whether profit, pleasure, company, credit, friendship, or whatsoever it be that entangles and ensnares you, and prevents your simply following Jesus whithersoever he calleth you? Are you looking to him to bless you, in turning you away from your iniquities? or to the world to satisfy you in making provision for your lusts? True Christianity, dear brother, requires all this, and much more; and I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy. I hope you will not only excuse me, but love me the better, for thus anxiously desiring and seeking your salvation. I greatly fear your heart is yet thorny ground, and that, though the good seed has seemingly taken root and sprung up, yet the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. If so, go directly to Jesus Christ, and beg of him to make your heart good ground, that the seed may henceforth spring up, and bring forth a hundred fold. Your long silence, and making no mention of the precious Saviour and your precious soul in your last, give me much reason to suspect. Oh, for your soul's sake, spread this letter before the Lord, and spend an hour or two in reflecting, examining, praying over it. If you could gain the whole world and lose your own soul, what would it profit? Oh, mind the one thing needful! Be diligent in true religion! Seek grace to make you a faithful follower of the Lamb! and then you will find that peace and joy which you now in vain seek in a deceitful world.-Write soon, and let me hear good news of you and your's; that you really love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. My wife joins in love and prayers with "Your truly loving brother, "THOS. SCOTT." "I own I have not paid proper attention to your postscript, or I should have answered your letter sooner. But I have had many engagements, and am frequently indisposed, and, alas! more frequently indolent. I have waited some time lately in expectation of intending to send some letters, and some copies of a sermon I published on the thanksgiving day: but, now the time is come, I have only this evening to prepare, and am but poorly in health, and not capable of writing much. I should have been glad if it had been deferred about a fortnight longer, as I could then have sent you a parcel of books that are now printing -on Repentance. But that must be deferred. The sermons I now send you you may lend, and give among your friends, as you see good; and I am not desirous of selling one, as the printer is paid, and I am no loser: but, if I send you some of the Discourse upon Repentance, you must sell them; because I publish them so cheap, that, if most of them are not sold, I shall be money out of pocket, besides my labor; which I cannot afford. "But to come to more important matters. I was much pleased with your last letter; and was thereby encouraged to pray with more earnestness for you all. I do not know Mr. ; but like your account of him, and your sister's; for I suppose it relates to the same person. I hope you will all value and improve the opportunity of hearing statedly a faithful minister of Jesus Christ: and be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving, not others, but your own selves. Of the rich mercy of our offended God, all things which the vilest slave of sin and Satan needs, in order to be made accepted, holy, and happy to eternity, are laid up in Christ, as in a treasury; the purchase of his atoning blood, the fruit of his availing intercession. All this is revealed and proposed to us in the word of God, and we are most pressingly invited and entreated to partake of it, as the gift of God to us. Nothing then is wanting to complete our blessedness, but such a view of our own |