fhouldeft be fevere and strict with me, I were undone to all Eternity; "ftrike this Rock, O Lord, that the "Waters may guíh out, even Flouds "of Tears. O purge me with Hyffop, " and I fhall be clean; wafh me in the "Blood of Chrift, and I fhall be "whiter than Snow. He faid to one that was no Company-keeper; "I wish "I had done as you have done; If I were to live my Life over again, I "would never keep Company with "thofe that are given to drinking. Being once at a Feaft, where full Ğlaffes were prefs'd, his Parith Minister, Mr. Jencks, being prefent, took him afide, and beg'd of him not to humour fuch Sots, to his own Damage and Danger; this good Caution confirm'd h's Refolution, and made him more afraid than ever of fuch Company; and, through the Grace of God, by degrees, he got a Victory over Temptations to this Sin.

Let Drunkards that make a Mock at this Sin, read this and tremble; for it will certainly be Bitterneß in the latter End, how light foever they make of it, taking a Pleasure, and taking a Pride in making themselves and others drunk,

and

and turning it off with a Jeft. Let them know, that they muft either weep for it, and bewail it with godly Sorrow, and by a holy Violence us'd with themfelves, muft break off from it, and become fober, as this good Man did, or they muft drink of the Cup of the Lord's Wrath, which is pour'd out without Mixture, in a Lake of Fire and Brimftone, where there is weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of Teeth, and not a Drop of Water allow'd to cool the Tongue. For whatever they fay, the God of Truth hath faid, Drunkards fhall not inherit the Kingdom of God: They fhall not have Peace, who go on to

add Drunkenness to Thirst.

1 Cor. VI. 10.

Deut. XXIX.

19.

The Wine that gives its Prov. XXIII.
Colour in the Cup, at the

laft bites like a Serpent.

31, 32.

And let not those who are unhappily entangled in Temptations to this Sin, despair of getting a Victory over it, through the Grace of God, which fhall not be wanting to those that defire it, and pray for it, as this good Man did, and are careful and faithful in the ufe of proper means, for the improving of B 5 the

that Grace. Thofe that are acceptable to their Company, as he was; and upon that Account, are courted and refpected in Company, have need to double their Guard, left under Pretence of obliging their Friends, and entertaining them, and improving themselves and others by Conversation, they wrong and ruin their own Souls.

And let thofe who are out of the way of Temptations of this kind, keep themselves fo, and blefs God, that they are to happy as to be Strangers to this Sin, and hope the beft concerning others, whom they fee entangled in it, that they repent in fecret of their Folly, and that they may yet, through the Help of divine Grace, recover themselves out of this Snare of the Devil, in which fo many are led, and held captive by him.

When he had attain'd to the Age of 57, at which Age, both his Father and Mother dy'd, that Confideration. with fome others awakened him to a ferious Concern about his great Change, and his everlafting State, and confequently to a clofer Application to the Bufinets of Religion; then he began to be more diligent and ferious than be

fore,

ore, in Prayer, Reading, and other devout Exercifes; It was then about the Year 1694, that he fet himself to write down his Reflections and Obfervations upon himfelf, his Meditations and pious Breathings towards God, Memorandums of the Sermons he heard, and very large Collections out of the Scripture, and other good Books he read, with fome Account of remarkable Providences. This Practice he continued from that Time to his Death, which was about 15 Years; and has left behind him Seven Books, Three Quarto's, and Four Octavo's, fairly written; which fhew him to be a Man, whofe Heart was very much upon another World, and who made it his great Care to prepare for that World.

The Reafons he gives for employing himself thus are, because he had made it his chief End to honour the great God of Heaven and Earth, and his chief Bufinefs to endeavour the Salvation of his own precious and immortal Soul; because he would often meditate on Death, that he might prepare for his great Change; because he would thus employ his vacant Hours, that he might keep from Idlenefs, and keep out of

idle

idle Company. He hoped likewife, that this Practice would increase his Knowledge, ftrengthen his Faith, and give him more Hopes of Salvation. He alfo hoped it might be beneficial to his Grand-children, whom he defired to take the fame Method.

Much of what he wrote, being tran fcrib'd out of the Bible and other good Books, which might be thought needlefs, fince the Paffages might be better read in their proper Places, he thus excufeth for it; That he transcrib'd thofe Things which he was himself moft affected with; and which, when they were collected and put together, would be the more ready for his Ufe and Meditation; that the writing of them over, would better fettle them, and fix them in his Memory; that both the writing and reading of them, was pleafant and delightful to him: and that the Time he employed herein, would, if not thus fpent, in all Probability, be worfe fpent. I wifh others would be prevail'd with to use the fame Expedient for the fame good Purposes.

The Motto he wrote on his Books was, Piety is the Way to Prosperity both new and