who ought to protect them, and their mother forfaken and condemned by thofe whom the formerly called their friends, for the inconfiderate action which expofed them to mifery and woe?

Can you believe, Madam, that a man who has hitherto lived in the practice of vice and immorality, will permit you to attend the ordinances of God with your accustomed regularity? Can you, dare you hazard the falling off from religious duties by fubjecting yourself to the caprice of one who is a ftranger to them? Or can you expofe yourself to the indignation of a justly offended God, by uniting yourfelf with a man who has lived in open rebellion against him? I hope not; and e'er it be too late, would intreat you to reflect on the fatal confequences that would enfué, and avoid a step that must prove your inevitable ruin. As you value your immortal part, flee from the delufive dream, and by immediately difmifling him from your company, preferve your character from juft cenfure, and your mind from the infupportable torture of felf-reproach.

I fear you have foftered a ferpent in your bofom, having reafon to believe a female acquaintance (friend I cannot call her,) has endeavoured to forward the addreffes of Mr.

by an artful concealment of his real character. If this be truly the cafe, remember that even religion may be a cloak for vice, and the fpecious mask of friendship may be ufed to deceive unguarded innocence.

For thus intruding on your patience, I think there is little cause to apologife, the writer having your welfare at heart, and being actuated by no other motive than your private good, and the prefervation of your future peace. I will therefore clofe this epiftle by recommending you in prayer to the interference and protection of the Almighty, that he may preferve and keep you from the impending danger. Whatever your prefent opinion may be of me, you will one day think me your friend, though at prefent, UNKNOWN.

CHRISTIAN PATIENCE.

N the prefent world, every Chriftian has need of patience.

It is not pomible to live in comfort, without the exercice

this grace. It is a choice remedy for every malady. Without it, Job would have utterly fainted in the day of his adverfity. Without it, Paul could not have been contented in

his various conditions. Its effectual operation is not to deftroy the Chriftian's fenfibility, and to form in his bofom the heart of a stoic; but it is to enable him to bear his trials and and afflictions with a calm fubmiffion to the divine will, and to wait, with humble refignation, the Lord's own time and way for accomplishing those divine and precious promises on which his most pleasing expectations are founded. Afflic tions of body, difappointments in life, temptations and buffetings of Satan, the contradiction, oppofition and perfecution of men, together with the occafional hidings of God's lovely face, and his feeming delays to anfwer prayer, may be expected in this militant ftate of the church; but in the midst of all, let patience have its perfect work, and the pious foul will not defpair; nay, it will even glory in tribulation. We have heard of the patience of Job; he had great need thereof. There was a day when melancholy tidings reached his ears. One doleful messenger arrived after another with intelligence ftill more difmal and difaftrous; that, after being informed of the deftruction of his oxen and affes, his sheep, camels and fervants, the fourth and last meffenger arrived with the dreadful news that his fons and daughters were eating and drinking in their eldest brother's house, when, mournful to relate! a great wind from the wilderness fmote the four corners of the house, that it fell in, and killed every one except the individual who efcaped to bring the fad account. In thefe diftreffing and overwhelming circumstances, behold what patience, in connexion with other graces, did for Job. He did not curfe God, and kill himself, but in patience poffeffed himself, and faid, "The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away, bleffed be the name of the Lord!" It was patience which made the holy Pfalmift open not his mouth in murmurs, when confumed by the blow of the hand of God, This made Aaron hold his peace, when his fons Nadab and Abihu were flain by fire from the Lord. It was the exercise of his grace which enabled Eli to fay, "It is the Lord: Let him do what feemeth him good," when he was informed by Samuel that the Lord would judge his houfe for ever. The apostle James tells the brethren to take the prophets for an example of patience. Jefus teftified of them, in his fermon on the Mount, that they had been perfecuted; and we know how Daniel and Jeremiah fuffered in that way; but patience enabled them to endure, and that without murmuring. Patience appeared confpicuous in the apostles, and particularly in Paul, when, in the view of bonds, afflictions and death, he could calmly and truly fay, "None of thefe things move me." But never did patience appear in fuch perfection as

in the ever-bleffed and adorable Jefus. This man of for rows, who endured all kinds of miferies, never once murmured. He was brought as a lamb to the flaughter; and, as a fheep before the fhearers is dumb, fo he openeth not his mouth. The garden in which he agonized, and the crofs on which he bled, bear witnefs to his patient fufferings, even unto death.

But patience is exercifed not only in a calm fubmiffion to prefent croffes and afflictions, but alfo in waiting for the good things which God has promised to give to them that love him. Chrift was waiting for the joy fet before him when he patiently endured the crofs. Mofes had refpect to the recompence of reward, when he patiently fuffered afflic tions with the people of God. There are many great and precious promifes which he has made to fuffering faints; particularly, that he will not fuffer them to be tempted above what they are able to bear, and will make a way for their efcape; That their grievous chaftenings fhall produce the peaceable fruits of righteoufnefs; that he will never leave them, but ever be with them to fupply all their needs, and make all things work together for their good; and at last to deliver them out of all their troubles, and take them to the enjoyment of an eternal weight of glory. The apoftle fpeaks of the patience of hope, which may be the quiet wait ing for God to accomplish his promises in giving fuch enjoyment as hope had for its object. If we hope for that we fee not, then do we with patience wait for it. Ye have need of patience; that after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promife. There must be a patient continuance in well doing. We muft run with patience the race that is fet before us. It is through faith and patience we must inkerit the promifes. The Pfalmift waited patiently for the Lord, and he inclined unto him, and heard his cry. The fame Lord will hear, and fave to the uttermoft all those who, in like manner, wait for him.

Patience is a most defirable grace. It stands highly com mended in the facred Scriptures. Solomon might well fay, “The patient in fpirit is better than the proud in fpirit." Yes, unfpeakably better indeed! Patience is truly and highly acceptable to God, as the apoftle Peter fays, "If when ye do well, and fuffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God." The patience of the churches in Ephefus, in Thyatira, and Philadelphia, is particularly noti ced and commended; and Paul even gloried in the Thef falonians for their patience and faith in all their perfecutions nd tribulations. The exercife of this grace brings much

glory to God: Like love, it thinketh no evil; but hopeth and endureth all things. It views the various forrows and affliction 3, which render its exercife neceffary, as the merciful appointment of infinite wisdom to prepare the veffels of mercy for the realms of endless glory. While it glorifies God, it comforts its poffeffor, and benefits the community. In patience, faid the bleffed Jefus, " Possess ye your souls." Impatience will not fuffer a man to enjoy any thing. Let him have who or what he may, while deftitute of patience, he has no peace, but is conftantly uneafy, and a burden to himfelf: But in the exercife of this grace of patience he has a peace, which the world cannot give, and which death itfelf cannot take away.

O then for this choice and precious grace! Where and how is it to be obtained? Do we not know that the God of heaven is the God of all grace? From him every good and perfect gift cometh. He is exprefsly called the God of patience; and all who would have it, muft pray unto him for it. The increase and exercife of it may be promoted by the right use of the facred Scriptures, and a due regard to the difpenfations of Divine Providence. The Scriptures, like godliness, are profitable unto all things, and particularly to perfect the man of God in the grace of patience. It is exprefsly faid, by the Apostle Paul, that "Whatfoever things were written aforetime, were written for our learning; that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures, might have hope." In them, not only the calls and exhortations to patience, but alfo the motives and arguments to promote the fame, are many and weighty. Hear particularly the apoftle James, "Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be ye alfo patient." If we pay a due regard to the difpenfations of God in his providence, the fame will tend to promote our patience. We may daily obferve his patience and long-fuffering towards all men. He waits to be gracious, and have mercy, and furely then we may patiently wait for his mercy and grace. He bears with more provocations in us than we have to bear with in any of our fellow-creatures. His afflictive difpenfations are nothing new, and the design of them is to work patience in our fouls, fo as to conform us to himself, and fit us for his heavenly kingdom; when everlafting joy fhall be upon our heads, and forrow and fighing fhall flee away.

S. B.

PROPERTIES OF A CHILD OF GRACE.

[Extracted from a Letter written by a Minister, aged about Twenty-three, to his Young Friends.]

IF you are born again, you fee; for a living child sees. what have you feen? Yourselves finners, by nature and practice? In heart and life? Undone and miferable in yourfelves? Your own infufficiency to fave yourselves? Perifhing without an intereft in Chrift? That you cannot be faved by your own righteoufnefs of filthy rags? Your ftrength to be weaknefs, and wifdom folly, in falvation-matters? Your light, in divine things, attended with darknefs? The holinefs, purity, and perfection of God's law? your contrariety to it in heart and life, and inability to do any duty in that perfect manner it requires? That if God had dealt with you according to it, in your own perfons you must have perished for ever? An all-fufficiency in Chrift? Suitablenefs to your cafe? A foul-attracting, heart-ravifhing beauty in him and his falvation? That you must be faved by free diftinguifhing grace?

A living child hears. Have you heard the law condemn and curfe you? Chrift invite you to come to him, as weary for reft; naked, for raiment ; poor, for grace? Do you approve of Chrift? Rev. iii. 20. Matt. xi. 28. Jer. iii. 22.

A living child cries. Have you, by thefe views, been made to confefs fin? Proftrating yourfelves, as felf-condemned, to cry for pardoning mercy and fanctifying grace? For ftrength, under fenfe of weaknefs? Draw me; turn me, help me; give me Chrift, whatever I be denied of.

A living child has desires. What do you defire? Chrift above all? Chrift alone? Pfa. lxxiii. 25. His prefence as your chiefeft comfort and greatest joy? To have your natures fanctified, as well as fins pardoned? To be like Christ, as well as faved from wrath to come? To have your hearts filled with grace, as well as heads with knowledge? To make God's glory your end, and his word your rule.

A living child must have something to live upon. What are your enjoyments? Upon what do you live? Is Chrift fweet to you? Do you live by the faith of the Son of God? To whom do you live? Rom. xiv. 7. 1 Cor. vi. 20. Col. iii. 17. Do you obey his commands with an eye to his glory? In