the Rock of Ages, Matt. viii. 21. 5. He would say to his soul, "Soul, thou hast grols laid up :" But had he been wise he would have considered, that although he was rich as to his outward circumstances, and he things which support the body, yet his "soul was poor, miserable, blind, and naked," Rev. iii. 17. 6. He had the folly to promise himself a long life, as if he had a lease of it, signed by his heavenly Lord. Soul, said he, thou hast much goods laid up for many years: But God said, "Thou fool, this night," &c. 7. He would say to his soul, "Soul, take thine ease;" but had he been directed by wisdom, he would have exhorted his soul not to rest till he had obeyed the apostle's precept," Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling," Phil. ii. 12. Alas! how common and how dangerous is the mistake of the children of this world, who openly follow this fool,and say either to themselves, or one to another, "Soul take thine ease; take care of being under any concern about salvation, there is no need of so much ado about religion and heaven." 8. The last mark of the rich man's folly, was to say to his deluded soul, Eat, drink, and be merry : as if a soul could eat and drink, what money can procure or barns contain. No, my brethren the grace of God, and the benefits of Christ's death, which are called his flesh and blood, the bread of life, and the living water, are the only food and drink proper for our souls; and the true mirth and solid joy of a spirit is that, to which St. Paul exhorts us, "rejoice in the Lord, and again, I say, rejoice," Phil. iv. 4. II. The separation between this ich farmer, and his all, was sudden and unexpected," This night," said God, "shall thy soul be required of thee." This night, not so much as to-morrow is allowed him to dispose of those goods, which were laid up for many years! he must suddenly, immediately, part with all. 1. All his moveable goods,-except a winding sheet. 2. All his landed estate, except a grave. 3. All his barns, houses and halls, except a coffin. 4. All his friends and relations, without exception: He must go this dismal journey alone and unattended. 5. All his time; his precious time, which the living kill so many ways, and which the dying and the dead would gladly recover, by parting with a world, if they had it to part with. 6. His soul, it is to be feared. Let us here reflect, how careful we are, to secure our doors, lest thieves should break in, and take away some of our goods; and yet how careless to provide for death, who carries away all, or rather hurries us away from all at once! What an alarming thought is this, for impenitent sinners! May their souls be required this very night? O let them not plot wickedness, and contrive vanity, against to-morrow. III. The circumstance of the particular time of this rich man's death, is very awful,This night, not this day, shall thy soul, &c This seems to imply four things. I. Darkness and horror, which chiefly belong to the night Of this we have striking illustrations, in the destruction of the firstborn of the Egyptians, and of Sennacherib's army in Judea. 2. Drowsiness and carnal security, illustrated in the apposite case of the foolish virgins, Matt. xxv. 3. Sadness, in opposition to those nights which he had perhaps spent in debauchery and vain diversions. 4. Sin and ignorance of the ways of God; which are called darkness and night, works of darkness, &c. in various parts of the Scripture. O think upon this night of death, ye that forget God. How soon may it be here to cast a veil upon your pride, and make it share the fate of Absalom's beauty, Jezebel's paint, and Saul's stature. If this night of death is coming upon all; this night, when no man can work; let us follow our Lord's advice," and work the works of God, while it is day," John ix. 4. IV. How wonderful is the nature, how inestimable is the value, of that soul, which was required of this fool; and which shall be required of us! How excellent is that noble, that neglected being, in itself? Spiritual,-immortal,-endued with the most glorious faculties,-made after the very image of God! How precious is it, as well as how excellent. It is a jewel of inestimable value, and its worth may be estimated, 1. From the admirable texture of the body, which is only the casket where that jewel is placed. 2. From the extraordinary pains which the sons of men take to repair and adorn the body, whose value depends only on the jewel contains. 3. From the testimony of Christ, who prefers one soul to the whole material creation ;-" What shall it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" Matt. xvi. 26. Suffer me, then to intreat you, brethren, to bestow on your souls, pains and care, in some measure, proportionable to their worth; at least, be not offended with us ministers, for shewing some concern for the salvation of your precious, immortal souls. V. Who shall require his soul?" Thy soul shall be required." The original word, anaт80iv, means, "They shall require." The question then offers itself, Who they are, that shall require the unprepared worldling's soul? I answer, 1, "Not Christ, as a Saviour;" for in that capacity he hath nothing to do with dying unbelievers. They would not receive his grace into their hearts, and he to salvation; be as anxious about your eternal, as he was for his temporal prosperity. Pull down, not your barns, but your sins. Build not larger houses, but "the house that will stand," when death beats upon you with all its storms: And never say to your soul, "Soul, take thine ease," until you have an habitation, "not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." wi'l not receive them into his glory, Prov. i. Ye foolish virgins, ye slumbering souls, 24, &c. "Nor good angels :" We read, in- awake,-arise,-trim your lamps. Be wise deed, that they carried Lazarus to Abraham's bosom, Luke xvi. 22 ; but the rich man found his way to the flames without them. (3) Nor departed saints," who neither can nor will meddle with unregenerated souls. For this we may read the conversation between Abraham and the wretch who prayed to him for help, Luke xvi. Who then ? (1) Some unforeseen accident or distemper. (2) Death, who, as an officer, delivers the wicked into the hands of the tormentors. (3) Evil Spirits, the ministers of divine justice; which may be inferred from the strong sense of the powers of darkness, which some wicked men have in their last moments. See the case of the memorable Francis Spira. Believers cheerfully resign their souls into their Saviour's hand; yea, . they long to depart and to be with Christ, which is far better." Unbelievers, who have their portion in this world, are loath to leave it; but a peremptory, forcible command shall set aside all their pleas: their soul shall be required. VI. The last words of the text afford matter for the last head of the discourse. Death comes to require a soul; "Not of me," says, perhaps, the rich farmer, "not of me, for I have much goods laid up for many years ;" but God says, ،، Of thee shall thy soul be required." What! may not the soul of some poor Lazarus, who pines away in want, sickness, and obscurity, be required first ? No, says God, it must be required of thee. May not an old Simeon, who longs to depart in peace, be allowed to die for the rich man ? No: his hour is come : of him is his soul required. But, perhaps, some of the rich man's servants, at the feet of the bed, may go upon this fatal errand for him? No, says death, he must go himself: of thee is thy soul required. See all those weeping friends, who surround his bed? May not one of them do for death? No, cries the stern messenger, my errand is to thee. Consider the peremptoriness of the inexo. rable messenger. Gold will not bribe him. Entreaties prevail not. He takes no notice of promises of amendment. Tears melt him not. In spite of physicians and medicine, he does his office, and requires of the worldling his unprepared soul. The epithet which God fixes on the rich man, belongs, (1) To all who depend upon many years of life, and do not habitually prepare for death. (2) To all, whether rich or poor, who are not rich towards God. (3) Especially to those, who, though they have not the conveniences, and hardly the necessaries of life, will yet trample on the riches of divine grace and heavenly glory. If the rich worldling was a fool in God's esteem, how doubly foolish are the poor, to whom the gospel is preached in vain ! Ye, who are wise virgins, and are preparing to meet the Bridgroom, apply to your souls, but in a better sense, the words, that the rich fool spake to his soul, "Eat, drink, and be merry." Feed upon the flesh of Christ, and drink his blood; that is, believe the gospel of Jesus, firmly believe that, by his cross, he redeemed you from sin, death, hell and the grave; and, through faith in him, you will be able to rejoice in the Lord, with unspeakable joy, and to antedate your heaven. I beseech thee, awakened sinner, who tremblest at Death and Judgment to come, by the prayer of faith, to the Prince of Life, that, through the value of his death, he may take away the sting of death, sin from thy heart. Steadfastly believe these comfortable words of St. Paul," He tasted death for every man ; that he, through death, might destroy him that had the power of death, that is the devil; and deliver them, who through fear of death, were all their life-time subject to bondage," Heb. ii. 9, 14, 15. If you heartily credit this blessed report, you will find your fears of death changed into longings after it: and, with your dying breath you will be able, through mercy, to challenge the king of terrors, and to say with the Apostle, O death, where is thy sting ? O grave, where is thy victory? Thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ." THE TEST OF A NEW CREATURE: Or, Heads of Examination for adult Christians. "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the Faith," 2 Cor. xiii. 5. Whatever is the state of one wholly re newed, must be, in a less degree, the state of all, who are born from above: and whatever is the fruit of perfect holiness, to walk by the same rule, must be the way to obtain the same salvation. The image of God is one, grace is the same, and to be in Christ is to believe, and have the fellowship of his Spirit, Regeneration differs only in degrees of strength and soundness. In our early justification the divine life is comparatively small, and mixed with sin; but when perfectly renewed, we are strong and every part pure, holding, by faith, that salvation, which makes us one with the Son of God. The law given in our first state, and the law required by the gospel, the covenant of works, and the covenant of faith, are different. Whatever we see in the example of Jesus, and whatever he promises to bestow on is followers, are unquestionable privileges of gospel salvation. Neither is the whole of this salvation, of our justification, or of our renewal after the image of God, finished, till the resurrection, when we shall see him as he is, and beholding him face to face, his name shall be written on our foreheads. Nor can we ever have so much of the likeness of God, as to be incapable of more; but rather the more we obtain of his image and favour, the more we are fitted to receive for ever and ever. Heads of Examination. I. Do I feel any pride; or am I a partaker of the meek and lowly mind, that was in Jesus? Am 1 dead to all desire of praise? If any despise me, do I like them the worse for it! Or if they love and approve me, do I love them more on that account? Am I willing to be accounted useless, and of no consequence,-glad to be made of no reputation? Do humiliations give me real pleasure, and is it the language of my heart, Make me little, and unknown, Lov'd and priz'd by God alone? II. Does God bear witness in my heart that it is purified ;-that in all things, I please him? III. Is the life I live, by the faith of the Son of God; so that Christ dweileth in me? Is Christ the life of all my affections and designs, as my soul is the life of my body? Is my eye single, and my soul full of light,-all eye within and without;-always watchful? IV. Have I always the presence of God? Does no cloud come between God and the eye of my faith? Can I rejoice evermore, pray without ceasing, and in every thing give thanks?" V. Am I saved from the fear of man? Do I speak plainly to all, neither fearing their frowns, nor seeking their favours? Have I no shame of religion; and am I always ready to confess Christ, to suffer with his people, and to die for his sake? VI. Do I deny myself at all times, and take up my cross as the Spirit of God leads me? Do I embrace the cross of every sort, being willing to give up my ease and conve. nience to oblige others; or do I expect them to conform to my hours, ways, and customs? Does the cross sit light upon me, and am I willing to suffer all the will of God? Can I trample on pleasure and pain? Have I A soul inur'd to pain, To hardship, grief, and loss; VII. Are my bodily senses, and outward things all sanctified to me? Do I not seek my own things, to please myself? Do I seek grace more for God than myself; preferring the glory of God to all in earth or heaven, the Giver to the gift? VIII. Am I poor in spirit? Do I take pleasure in infirmities, necessities, distresses, reproaches; so that out of weakness, want, and danger, I may cast myself on the Lord? Have I no false shame in approaching God? Do I seek to be saved, as a poor sinner, by grace alone? IX. Do I not lean to my own understanding? Am I ready to give up the point, when contradicted, unless conscience forbid; and am I easy to be persuaded? Do I esteem every one better than myself? Am I as wil ling to be a cipher, as to be useful, and does my zeal burn bright, notwithstanding this willingness to be nothing? X. Have I no false wisdom, goodness, strength; as if the grace I feel were my own? Do I never take that glory to myself, which belongs to Christ? Do I feel my want of Christ, as much as ever, to be my all; and do I draw near to God, as poor and needy, only presenting before him his well beloved Son? Can I say, Every moment, Lord, I need The merit of thy death? Still I'll hang upon my God, Till I thy perfect glory see, Till the sprinkling of thy blood Shall speak me up to thee? Do I find joy in being thus nothing, empty, undeserving, giving all the glory to Christ: or do I wish that grace made me something, instead of God being all in all? XI. Have I meekness? Does it bear rule over all my tempers affections, and desires, and that my hopes, fears, joy, zeal, love, and hatred, are duly balanced? Do I feel no disturbance from others, and do I desire to give none? If any offend me do I still love them, and make it an occasion to pray for them? If condemned by the world, do I entreat;-if condemned by the godly, am I one, in whose mouth there is no reproof; replying only as conscience, and not as impa tient nature dictates? If in the wrong, do I confess it? If in the right, do I submit, be ing content to do well, and suffer for it? It is the sin of superiors to be overbearing, of inferiors to be stubborn; if, then, I am a servant, do I yield not only to the gentle, but to the froward; committing my cause in silence to God; or if a master, do I shew all long suffering? The Lord of all was, as he that serveth: if I am the greatest, do I make my self least and the servant of all; if a teacher, am I lowly, meek, and patient, not conceited, self-willed, nor dogmatic? Am I ready to give up the claims of respect due to age, station, parent, master, &c.; or do I rigidly exact those demands? XII. Do I possess resignation: am I con tent with whatever is, or may be; seeing that God, the Author of all events, does, and will do, all for my good? Do I desire nothing but God, willing to part with all, if the Lord manifest his will for my so doing? Do I know how to abound and yet not gratify unnecessary wants; but being content with things needful, do I faithfully and freely dispose of all the rest for the help of others? Do I know how to suffer need: is my confidence in God unshaken, while I feel the distress of poverty, and have the prospect of future want, while, humanly speaking, strangling were better than life; and, in these circumstances, do I pity those, who having plenty, waste it in excess, instead of helping me? XIII. Am I just; doing in all things as I would others should do unto me? Do I ren der due homage to those above me, not presuming on their lenity and condescension? As a superior, do I exercise no undue authority, taking no advantage of the timidity re. spect, or necessity of any man? Do I con sider the great obligation superiority lays me under, of being lowly and kind, and of setting a good example? XIV. Am I temperate, using the world, and not abusing it? Do I receive outward things in the order of God, making earth a scale to heaven? Is the satisfaction I take in the creation, consistent with my being dead to all below, and a mean of leading me more to God? Is the turn of my mind and temper in due subjection, not leading me to any extreme, either of too much silence, or of too much talkativeness, of reserve or freedom? XV. Am I courteous, not severe; suit ing myself to all with sweetness; striving to give no one pain, but to gain and win all for their good? XVI. Am I vigilant; redeeming time, taking every opportunity of doing good; or do I spare myself, being careless about the souls and bodies to which I might do good? Can I do no more than I do? Do I perform the most servile offices, such as require labour and humiliation, with cheerfulness? Is my conversation always seasoned with salt, at every time administering some kind of avour to those I am with? XVII. Do I love God with all my heart? Do I constantly present myself, my time, substance, talents, and all that I have, a living sacrifice ? Is every thought brought into subjection to Christ? Do I like, or dislike, only such things as are pleasing, or displeas ing, to God? XVIII. Do I love God with all my strength, and are my spiritual faculties always vigorous? Do I give way to no sinful languor? Am I always on my watch? Do not business, worldly care, and conversation, damp my fervour and zeal for God? XIX. Do I love my neighbour as myself: every man for Christ's sake, and honour all men, as the image of God? Do I think no evil, listen to no groundless surmises, nor judge from appearances? Can I bridle my tongue, never speaking of the fault of ano ther, but with a view to do good; and when, I am obliged to do it, have I the testimony that I sin not? Have I that love, which hopeth, believeth, and endureth all things? XX. How am I in my sleep? If Satan presents an evil imagination, does my will immediately resist, or give way to it? XXI. Do I bear the infirmities of age or sickness, without seeking to repair the decays of nature by strong liquors; or do I make Christ my sole support, casting the burden of a feeble body into the arms of his mercy! Many consider that perfect love, which casteth out fear, as instantaneous: all grace is so; but what is given in a moment, is enlarged and established by diligence and fidel. ity. That which is instantaneous in its descent, is perfective in its increase. This is certain,-too much grace cannot be desired or looked for; and to believe and obey with all the power we have, is the highway to receive all we have not. There is a day of Pentecost for believers, a time, when the Holy Ghost descends abundantly. Happy they, who receive most of this perfect love, and of that establishing grace, which may preserve them from such falls and decays as they were before liable to. Jesus, Lord of all, grant thy purests gifts to every waiting disciple. Enlighten us with the knowledge of thy will, and shew us the mark of the prize of our high calling. Let us die to all thou art not; and seek thee with our whole heart, till we enjoy the fulness of the purchased Possession. Amen. A Gentleman from Yorkshire, now resident in London, has obligingly favoured us with the following Letter of MR. FLETCHER'S on the PROPHECIES: the superscription is lost; but from the Contents, there can be little doubt but it was written to MR. WESLEY, in the year 1755. REV. SIR, I was very much surprised to hear you read part of a Letter, written on the impending Revolutions; they have often been, for some years, the subject of my meditations, and of many conversations with a great Divine abroad. That Gentleman, as eminent for his uncommon learning, as he is remarkable for the use he has made of it, from his youth, shewed the greatest inclination to dive into the apparent obscurities of the Prophecies contained in the Bible. That inclination increased with his knowledge and piety; it followed him every where. When upon his travels, he generally got what light he could, from the learned in that uncommon branch of knowledge, and had several conferences with Sir Isaac Newton and others. For these fifty years he has spent his time in making himself perfectly master of the Oriental Languages, which are become as familiar to him as Greek and Latin and in comparing and explaining the various Prophecies scattered in the Old and New Testament. Therefore, if his labours have been attended with a blessing from above, and a measure of God's Holy Spirit, he is, in all appearance, a man most likely to discover what God has been pleased to hide, for a time, under the veil of Prophetic Figures. As I have often read his works, both those that have been printed, and those which he has not yet been able to publish, on account of the strong opposition of several people, I shall take the liberty to give you a short account of his system It is, as far as I can judge, pretty much the same as the Gentleman's who e letter you read lately; and supported by the n. merous train of his arguments; it seldom fails either to silence, or convict those that oppose it; it agrees with the tenor of the whole Bible: it gives such grand ideas of God's justice in punishing the wicked, and his faithfulness in remembering the gracious promises he has made to the faithful: It squares so well with history,and chronology, (I would almost say with the present state of the world,) that if it is not true, one must confess it is, at least, very probable. This has been owned by numbers of Clergymen, and even by some of those, who, because "The Lord delayeth his coming," think that the world shall always remain in the same state. Three are past long ago; the Empires of the Assyrians, Persians, and Greeks, have disappeared: The Iron Legs, that represented the strength of the Roman Empire under the Consuls and Emperors, have had the same fate; the Feet only remain, which being "made of Clay and Iron, partly weak and partly strong," express plainly the remains of the Roman Monarchy, which is nothing, but a weak compound of spiritual and temporal power, that does not cleave better together than Iron to Clay. And whereas the feet of the statue ended in ten Toes, so was the Roman Empire divided into ten kingdoms, these were still united together by the Clay, i. e. the Pope's erroneous religion and idolatrous worship. In the days of these ten Kings," says the Prophet Daniel, "shall the God of Heaven set up a Kingdom which shall never be destroyed: For it shall swallow up all these kingdoms and stand for ever: Forasmuch as a Stone cut from the mountain without hands;" (a small number of true Christians sent from Mount Sion, without the hand of mortal man, and by the Spirit of God alone; or Jesus himself, the Corner-stone that was cut off by God's justice on Mount Calvary,) "shall smite the feet of the Statue," the last of the four Monarchies; "and the pieces of it shall become as the chaff, carried away by the wind, and no place shall be found for them; but the Stone that shall smite the image, will become a great Mountain, and fill the whole earth." 2ndly. Compare with this the vision of the seventh chapter, where the fourth beast that had Iron Teeth, to deLet me beg of you, Sir, for the sake of your all, answers clearly to the Iron Legs of that Gentleman, whom I have great reason to Nebuchadnezzar's Image; for as this had honour, not to judge absolutely of him by ten Toes, so had that ten horns; viz. the ten what I shall say; considering that clear wa Kingdoms into which the Roman Empire ter running through a foul pipe, may easily was divided; those of Burgundy and Lomcontract a disagreeable and muddy taste. I bardy; that of the Vandals, the Eastern and confess, I want a competent knowledge of Western Empires, England, France, Spain, Scripture, and the degree of profane learn- Portugal, and Poland. Betwixt these ten ing, necessary to illustrate it; so that if you Horns did another come up, i. e. the Pope; observe in these sheets any inconsistency, it is probably all my own. According to that Divine's opinion, we are come to the last times, the grand catastrophe of God's drama draws near apace; he shall soon be avenged, first of his unfaithful servants, and next of his barefaced enemies; in a few years, he shall purge his floor, and burn the chaff with unquenchable fire. Every Christian ought then to prepare himself for that day, which will come as a thief in the night; and to labour for a living Faith, the Ark which alone will carry us safe to the Harbour, amidst the universal deluge of woe, which is going to overflow the earth. Here follow some of the reasons on which his opinion is founded. 1st. Consider Nebu chadnezzar's dream, which is a rough sketch of the world's four universal Revolutions: who aggrandized himself at the expense of the other kings, and before which three of the horns fell, the Kingdoms of Lombardy, Burgundy, and that of the Vandals, who were once possessed of a great part of France, Spain, and Africa, but are now no longer known but in history. "This Horn had Eyes ;" i. e. an appear. ance of wisdom, and a great deal of fraud; and a mouth that spake great things against the Most High: It warred against the saints;" and so has done the Pope; millions have fallen as so many victims to his cruelty, pride, and persecuting spirit: But we are near the time, when having fully, "prevailed against them, they shall be given unto him for a time, times, and a division of time;" but after this last raging of Antichrist, "his Body, shall be destroyed; then the Saints of |