and this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life. Our natural life depends upon, him as our creator and preserver; he only im plants spiritual life in us, and maintains it amidst, all our deadly corruptions; and he gives us the earnest of the life to come. O dedicate your life to the Lord Jesus, who died, that you might live; and affure yourself, that a religious life is the only safe, honourable, and joyful life: the only life that will afford comfort on a deathbed. The Lord himself bless you." "After this Betty (that was the young woman's name) grew daily weaker, and at last gave up the ghost in my prefence, retaining the full exercise of her judgment to the very last, expreffing her dependence upon the righteousness of the all-fufficient Redeemer, as her only title to happiness. She often said, "O my dear Redeemer, be with me in the furnace, in my last extre mity; for death is seizing me, and will bring me to the grave. O, fill me with the confolations of thy Spirit, and grant me victory over this king of terrors." Her last words were, " Now the conflict is over, and I triumph and rejoice in Christ's victory. To thee, O God, I commit my foul, and shall foon see thy face in glory. Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Just when the had spoke these words, the expired, with a pleafant smile on her lovely face; and, without all doubt, entered into the joy of her Lord. She left all her cloaths to Mally, and to Peggy another religious maid, ordering them to fell as many of them as would be fufficient to bury her, and apply the rest to their own use; and defired that I would carry her head to the grave. Finding the expense of the funeral would scarcely amount to 41. I defrayed the whole charge, and permitted the young women to take all her cloaths. i cloaths. I only took her Bible, and her books, which they earnestly preffed upon me. Upon the whole, I have much pleasure in what I did to this heir of glory; and cannot but say, O, that my dear Henry and his Fanny were but as ripe for heaven, and had as much experience of the grace and love of the Lord Jesus, as this amiable young woman had. O, that we may live as she did, that we may die the death of the righteous, and our last end may be like theirs." CHA P. IV. Fanny's affecting narrative of the horrible state, converfion, and blessed death of a shopkeeper's apprentice. IN a pofterior letter Fanny relates the following very affecting story. My friend Mally invited me a few days ago to visit, with her, a young man dying of a fever, but quite sensible, in terrible agonies of confcience for a wicked life, who lodged in the fame stair with us. As there was nobody with him, and Mally told him she had brought a gentleman to see him, I approached his bedside, and asked what was his diforder. He faid, it was a fever, which would soon bring him to death, and plunge him into the ocean of wrath. I answered, God forbid; for though he were a great finner, the mercy of God in Chrift was very great, and that he should make that his plea. I begged him to give me fome account of his life, affuring him that I would give him the best advice in my power. " Sir," answered he, " my history is very short, as my life has not been long, but a very wicked one. I was born in the country, and received a pretty good education. When I was fifteen, I was fent to this place, and bound " bound apprentice to a shopkeeper in the broadcloth and filk way. As I was naturally of a cheerful and sociable disposition, I soon contracted too many acquaintance, some of them not the best ; who perverted my morals and principles. I had small fums remitted me by my father; but these being infufficient to defray the charge of my company-keeping, I had recourse to borrowing from my companions; but being dunned for payment, and not having cash to give them, I fell on the base method of fecreting some of my master's money, by stating accounts paid in cash lower than they were. These villanous practices, which never were detected, furnished me with small fums, which I spent in drinking and whoring. It is needless to give you a particular account of my lewd and abandoned life. It is fufficient to say, that I feldom passed an evening without drinking, and fatisfying my lust in the embraces of a whore. I laughed at all religion, and mocked every thing facred and serious. I paid no regard to the facred name and day of God, but dishonoured the former by vile oaths and execrations, and dedicated the latter to the most infamous practices. I spent five years in this vitious course, and am now about twenty years of age. A few days ago, after spending a confiderable part of the night in rebriety and lewdness, I was, on my awaking from leep, feized with this fever, the forerunner of hell and damnation." I stopt him, and faid, Sir, I own you have led a very ill life; but many others have been as wicked as you, and yet have been faved. You are a finner, but Christ is a Saviour, and came to fave the chief of finners. His blood is fufficient to cleanse from all fin, and he is able to fave to the uttermoft." "I refuse not," he hastily replied, all you have faid but he did not die for me. I mocked at his facrifice, trampled Ee -trampled his blood under foot, and derided his person. He will have no mercy on such a sacrilegious rebel, such a monster of wickedness and abomination. No; his mercy is clean gone; and pure, unmixed wrath lies in store for me. There is nothing between me and the devouring mouth of hell, but the brittle thread of life, which this fever will foon cut; and then I shall be ruined for ever." "O Sir," replied I, "the Son of God calleth you to believe in him; believe therefore in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be faved." "Oh!" faid he, "that I could believe; and oh! that the offended and affronted Son of God would save me. But I cannot believe; for my heart is hardened against him. I know it is needless: for incensed justice will pursue me for my reviling the divine Majesty, and contemning all the displays of his wisdom, love, and grace in the falvation of ruined sinners. Justly do I deserve to perish, who flighted the overtures of mercy, and had pleasure in unrighteousness. Will ever the holy God, and his immaculate Son, admit into their favour such an unclean beast as I have been, who placed my fupreme felicity in wanton dalliance with abandoned prostitutes? No; I see the rod of God lifted up to beat me, and the sword of justice sharpened to run me through. Oh! wretch that I am! O that I had never been born! Wo's me, what shall I do? Oh! that I could fly to God; but he is my adversary, and will not regard me." "Oh! Sir," replied I, you justify the Lord in what he hath done to you; and you think you deserve damnation. That we all do. But there is still hope in Israel concerning this thing. I therefore charge you to receive Chrift as the only propitiation for your, fins; as your Saviour and Redeemer. Throw all your guilt and filthiness upon him, and fly to his his unspotted righteousness, as the only cover and shelter for your guilty foul. This is the command of God, that you believe on the name of the almighty Saviour. Behold, his arms of love and mercy are stretched out towards you; stretch out then your withered hand to receive him. He is the author of faith; cry to him, that he may give you this faith, and take away your unbelieving heart." He replied, Sir, fain would I believe; I would give ten thousand worlds, were I mafter of them, for one act of faith. Lord, enable me to believe, that thou callest me; Lord draw me to thee; pluck me as a brand out of the fire. Oh! Sir, there is no mercy for me, I feel all the horrors of hell in my confcience, and I shudder at the dreadful leap from this life to the place of torment. What shall I do? Hell from beneath is opening its mouth to receive me; and the flames thereof are burning within me. I am ready to die for ever. O holy offended God, be reconciled to me through Christ, and let thy tender mercies speedily prevent me. Glorify thy infinite name; O magnify the exceeding riches of thy grace, in rescuing me from the guilt of fin, and wrath, and hell." On this terror fat on his looks, and his visage was horribly ghaftly. I faid, "O Sir, continue to cry to the compaffionate Saviour: for great are his tender mercies. It is his office and business to save finners; and as vile finners as you have been made the trophies of his victorious grace. He still calleth you, even at this eleventh hour; O then accept of him as your Saviour that died for you. Befiege heaven with your cries, and take it by violence. The merciful Redeemer has mercy in store for you; and his blood will cleanse you from all fin." then cried out, "What shall I do to be saved? I snow I am commanded to believe; but I cannot believe. Eez He |