[Here he falls a crying again, and cannot speak for a good while.] Mist. Too late, Will! do not talk so, Will. Yes, 'tis too late-too late. [And cries vehemently.] Mist. Child, if it be so, thy too late is much sooner than my early was. If it be too late for thee, what will become [The mistress weeps too.] Will. That is all one to me, 'tis too late for me. Mist. Let me see the Bible, child. Where hast thou been reading, that has put thee into this condition? Will. O, every where! every where! Mist. Show me the book, Will, let me see it. [He shows her the book, and abundance of leaves turned down, but most of them at those places which bad discon raged the child.] Mist. What are all these leaves turned down for? and who directed you to those terrible texts of scripture, child? you have found all the dreadful places where God threatens hardened sinners with his displeasure, but not one of those places which give comfort to a returning penitent.. [She turns over the leaves the child had folded down, which were such as these:] Rom. ii. 5, 6-" After thy hardness and impenitent heart, treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath, and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; who will render to every man according to his deeds." Iṣa. vi. 10—“ Make the heart of this people fat, and their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and convert, and be healed." And again the same repeated, Mark iv. 12; Rey. xxi. 8-" And all liars shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone. Rev. xxii. 11, 12-" He that is unjust, let bim be unjust still; and he that is filthy, let him be filthy still, Behold, I come quickly, and my reward is with me." 2 Thess. i. 8, 9--" In flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, &c. who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord." Psalm ix. 17-" The wicked shall he turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God." Psalm 1. 22-"Consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver." Matt. xxv. 41-" Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels." Heb. xii. 29-" For our God is a consuming fire." Isaiah xxxiii. 14-" Who amongst us shall dwell with everlasting burning?" These, and abundance more such as these, the poor boy had folded down, the reading of which had terrified him to such a degree as above. [The mistress having looked them over, turns unto the boy.] Mist. Child, what are all these scriptures to thee! Will. All to me! all to me! he told me, all that was said in the book, was said to Mist. He told thee, Will. me. Pr'ythee who told thee? Will. He that gave me the book, my brother Tom over the way, he told me so; and he is a very good young man, and would not speak wrong. I am sure it is all said to me. [Cries again.] Mist. Well, Will, he is a very good young man. I am glad you have been talking with him; and he meant well, no doubt: but he is but a young lad, a boy, a child like thyself; and you may be instructed farther about it, do not be cast down. Was this it you cried about? Will. Yes, yes, this was it was not this enough? Mist. Well, but you need not be discouraged, Will; let me show you some other texts. Will. What, not to be lost for ever, and go to hell, not to be discouraged! Mist. But are you willing to be better instructed, child? Will. What can instruct me? Is not this the word of God? And is it not plain? Am not I such a wicked one, as is described here? And is not all that is said here true? Mist. But, child, you must take that part of the scripture, which is a ground of hope, and set it against these terrible places. This is only an artifice of the devil to terrify you. Will. What would he terrify me for? Mist. That you might despair of the mercy of God, and not hope in Jesus Christ. Will. What can I hope for, when these plain things are said, and that they shall belong to such as I am? Mist. No, child, I hope they are not threatened to such as thee; they are all to be understood of those that are impenitent in their sins, and go on hardened, without repentance to the last. I hope you will not be found among them. Are you not sorry for your sins? Will. What does that signify now, if I am? Mist. A great deal; even so much, that it takes away the edge of all those dreadful scriptures that have frighted thee so much; and if that sorrow for thy sius be true and sincere, the scripture is full of encouragement for thee to hope. Will. Aye, so he said; but he never told me a word of all those places I have found; and I can't find the promises he told me of, I can't find one of them. Mist. That's for want of somebody to assist thee, and open and explain the scriptures to thee. Poor child! thou hast had but little teaching. Will. Little! I never had any teaching at all! I never had a Bible in my life, never knew what it was till now, and I think it had been well I had not seen it now. Mist. No, no, Will, do not say so; it is the best thing ever was given thee in the world; and I hope you shall thank God as long as you live, that you met with that honest young man that gave it you. He is a godly, sober young man, and has shown thee what it is to be well edu cated. He came of good parents, and their instruction is seen in his very countenance. Every body loves him: he is so sober, so religious, and talks so well of good things; and it appears, I find in his talk to thee, though he is but a youth, he might not be so able to prepare thee for the right understanding of those scriptures which you were to read, as others may. Will. Why, he told me it was the word of God, and that all that was written here was true; and that it was all spoken to me, and I ought to understand it so, and bid me read it. Mist. Well, and you have read some of it, but not all. Will. Yes, I have read all the New Testament over and over; for I sat up three nights last week, and read all night long, for I promised him I would read it. Mist. Well, and have you not found encouraging places, as well as those that terrified you in this manner. Will. No, none at all. Mist. How is that possible, if you have read it all over? Will. I am sure I have read it all over three times, from the first of Matthew to the last of the Revelation. Mist. Then your fears have so prevailed over your hopes, that your eyes have been shut to your comfort, and open only to your discouragement. This is all from the devil, Will; you must pray against it. Will. So Tom said; but I can't tell how to pray, I never prayed in my life but once. Mist. Once, child! when was that? Will, That night he talked to me. Mist. What did you pray for then, and how? Will. I know not how, but I trembled, and cried out to God, to pardon my sins. Mist. Poor child, what moved thee to it, then? Will. I felt some strange notion in my heart, which I cannot describe, that made my tongue speak I almost know not what, for I thought it a dreadful thing to speak to God; and when I cried out, Lord, pardon my sins, it set me a weeping and a trembling. Mist. Well, that was a blessed beginning. Why did you not go on, child? you should have prayed again. Will. My heart did, but 1 could speak no words. Mist. Alas, child! that's the prayer God delights in• so may 1 pray all my days, though I was never to speak again! Will. But brother Tom told me I must speak too. Mist. Yes, child, you may speak; and it is proper, for your own sake, that you speak words both to express your meaning and move your affections; but, unless your heart joins, it is not prayer. God hears no words that the heart joins not in; but he hears many a sigh from the heart, which cannot be expressed in words: as is plain from the text, Rom. viii. 26-"The Spirit also helpeth our infirmities; for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered." I hope it was the Spirit who helped thy heart to pray, when thou couldest utter no words, child; therefore do not be discouraged. Will. I know nothing what it was, or what the Spirit means, unless that I have served the evil spirit all my days, and now I must have my portion with the devil and his angels. This books says so, look here else. [Here shows her the place, Matt. xxv. 41.] Mist, Child, you must not make conclusions against your. self, any more than for yourself, from the word of God, till you are taught to understand it aright. Will. Why, do I not understand this place aright? Will. How shall I understand it, then? Mist. You may take the scriptures as they explain them. selves; and you are bid to search the scripture, that is, to see how one place is expounded by another. You should always pray to God to open your understanding, that you |