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deed so it should be: [Luke, x. 2.] I am persuaded also, that I have been carried on in my work by your prayers; it is sweet when it is so; [Eph. vi. 18, 19.] and I hope by your prayers to receive yet a farther benefit. [Heb. xiii. 18, 19, &c.] And truly it is but just that you should pray for me; I have often prayed for you. Let the pulpit, family, and closet, witness for me; and "God forbid I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you."

The impressions which such a pastor as Flavel was calculated to make on the hearts of his congregation may, we think, be sufficiently estimated from the language of this animated and tender exhortation; nor can we, after reading it, refuse our full credit to the sincerity of that posthumous veneration, which, speaking (as it were) from the tomb, recommends to generations yet to come, the advantages to be derived from a communion with his spirit, in the works which record its excellence. It deserves the particular attention of those who may have been led by some late works of fiction, (the high and deserved popularity of which is founded yet more on the intimate acquaintance which they evince with the secret workings of the human heart, than on their faithful adherence to the leading points of history, or to the brilliant invention which supplies the circumstantiality of the detail,) to a confirmation of the vulgar prejudice which confounds all classes among the opponents of church and state, in one indiscriminate censure as Puritans, and assigns to all Puritans the same ill-favoured set of features, distinguished (if at all) only by the different shades of formality, hypocrisy, and fanaticism. It would be but the measure of strict poetical justice on the part of the artist who has sketched, with such inimitable force and humour, the portraits of Mucklewrath, Kettledrummle, and Solsgrace, if he would adorn his next historical picture with a faithful delineation of so meek, and charitable, and affectionate, and sincere a non-conformist preacher as "sweet Mr. Flavel," for so (and with great justice) his contemporaries have styled him.

We have dwelt too long on the introductory epistle, to have left ourselves much space for enlarging on the plan and tendency of the work which follows it, nor would it be an easy or a very useful task, to condense the substance of a book of plain, practical exhortation, every word of which has its force, and every sentence its peculiar weight and application. With respect to mere doctrine, how far the author was from entertaining any of those enthusiastic and mystical notions, which we are too fond of ascribing to the separatists of that period in general, may be collected from his thoughts on the hazardous subject of Regeneration.

"Man, by creation, was of one uniform frame and tenor of spirit; he held one straight and even course: not one thought or faculty re

velled or was disordered; his mind had a perfect illumination to understand and know the will of God; his will, a perfect compliance therewith; his sensitive appetite, and other inferior powers, stood in a most obedient subordination.

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"Man, by degeneration, is become a most rebellious creature, contesting with and opposing his maker, as the first cause, by selfdependence; as the chief good, by self-love; as the highest Lord, by self-will; and as the last end, by self-seeking and so he is quite disordered, and all his acts are irregular. His illuminated understanding is clouded with ignorance; his complying will, full of rebellion and stubbornness-his subordinate powers, casting off the dominion and government of the superior faculties.

"But, by regeneration, this disordered soul is set right again, sanctification being the rectifying and due framing, or (as the scripture calls it) the renovation of the soul after the image of God; in which self-dependence is removed by faith, self-love by the love of God, selfwill by subjection and obedience to the will of God, and self-seeking by self-denial. The darkened understanding is again illumined, the refractory will sweetly subdued; the rebellious appetite or concupiscence gradually conquered. And thus the soul, which sin had universally depraved, is again, by grace, restored and rectified."

The dangerous and unfounded belief in the "assurance" of a soul through grace regenerated, is combated, and the necessity of continual and unabating watchfulness, even to the most righteous, enforced with an earnestness of persuasion and a frequency of repetition, which would do honour to the most strenuous of our modern champions in arms against the hydra (or rather, we believe, it is the fashion to call it, fieryflying dragon) of Calvinism; but all who now declaim, would not know how so happily to illustrate, or mildly to enforce, what seem to them more Christian principles.

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Though grace has, in a great measure, rectified the soul, and given it an habitual and heavenly temper, yet sin often discomposes it again; so that even a gracious heart is like a musical instrument, which though it be ever so exactly tuned, a small matter brings it out of tune again yea, hang it aside but a little, and it will need setting again before you can play another lesson on it."-" The Heathen could say, the soul is made wise by sitting still in quietness. Though bankrupts wish not to look into their books of account, yet upright hearts will know whether they go backward or forward.”

On the necessity of continual and earnest prayer, and humiliation before God, he says,

"It is observed of holy Mr. Bradford, that when he was confessing sin, he could never give over confessing until he had felt some brokenness of heart for that sin; and when praying for any spiritual mercy, would never give over that suit, until he had got some relish of that

mercy."" It is a constant work; it is with a Christian in this business, as it is with seamen who have sprung a leak at sea: if they labour not constantly at the pump, the water increases on them, and will quickly sink them. No sooner do Moses' hands grow heavy and sink down, than Amalek prevails."

Speaking of the unreasonableness of the expectations which many pious men have indulged, of some sensible and outward sign or token of the Divine favour and acceptance, he says,

"I remember that Mr. Roberts tells us, in his treatise on the covenants, that he knew a Christian who, in the infancy of his Christianity, so vehemently panted after the infallible assurance of God's love, that for a long time together he earnestly desired some voice from heaven-yea, sometimes walking in the solitary fields, he earnestly desired some miraculous voice from the trees and stones there. This, after many desires and longings, was denied him; but in time, a better was afforded in the ordinary way of searching the word and his own heart. An instance of the like nature, the learned Gerson gives us, of one who was driven by temptation on the very borders of desperation; at last, being sweetly settled and assured, one asked him, how he attained it? He answered, not by any extraordinary revelation, but by subjecting my understanding to the scriptures, and comparing my own heart with them."

The first two chapters, from which we have made the foregoing extracts, treat of "what the keeping of the heart supposes and imports," and of "the reasons for keeping the heart." The third discourses of "the seasons in which the heart must especially be kept"-and first," a season of prosperity." On the passage, "It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, &c." and on that other, "Not many mighty, not many noble, are called," he presents the following illustration:

"It might justly make us tremble, when the scripture tells us, in general, that few shall be saved; much more, where it tells us, that of that rank and sort of which we are speaking, but few shall be saved. When Joshua called all the tribes of Israel to draw lots for the discovery of Achan, doubtless Achan feared; when the tribe of Judah are taken, his fear increased; but when the family of the Zachites was taken, it was time then to tremble."-"O how many have been coached to hell in the chariots of earthly pleasures, while others have been whipped to heaven by the rod of affliction!"

He adds example to precept.

"What a sad story is that of Pius Quintus, who, dying, cried out despairingly, When I was in a low condition, I had some hopes of salvation; but when I was advanced to be cardinal, I greatly doubted

it; and since I came to the popedom, I have no hope at all. Mr. Spencer tells us a real, but sad story, of a rich oppressor, who had scraped up a great estate for his only son. When he came to die, he called his son to him, and said, Son, do you indeed love me? The son answered, that nature, besides his paternal indulgence, obliged him to that. Then, said the father, express it by this-hold thy finger in the candle while I am saying a paternoster. The son attempted, but could not endure it. On that, the father broke out into these expressions— Thou canst not suffer the burning of thy finger for me; but to get this wealth, I have hazarded my soul for thee, and must burn body and soul in hell for thy sake. Thy pain would have been but for a moment, but mine will be unquenchable fire.". "There was a serious truth in that atheistical scoff of Julian, when he took away the Christians' estates, and told them, it was to make them fitter for the kingdom of heaven."

His reflections on "a season of adversity," are (as may be expected) most animating and consolatory.

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Though God has reserved to himself a liberty of afflicting his people, yet he has tied up his own hands by promise never to take his loving kindness from them."- -"O my haughty heart! Dost thou well to be discontented, when God has given thee the whole tree, with all the clusters of comfort growing on it, because he suffers the wind to blow down a few leaves?"-" My God, says the church, will hear me. Suppose your husband or child had lost all at sea, and should come to you in rags, could you deny the relation, or refuse to entertain him? If you would not, much less would God," &c.

"What if, by the loss of outward comforts, God will preserve your souls from the ruining power of temptations? We see mariners in a storm can throw overboard rich bales of silk and precious things, to preserve their vessel and their lives with it, and every one says they act prudently. We know it is usual for soldiers in a city besieged, to batter down or burn the fairest buildings without the walls in which the enemy may shelter themselves in the siege; and no man doubts but it is wisely done. Such as have mortified legs or arms, can willingly stretch them out to be cut off, and not only thank but pay the surgeon for his pains. And must God only be repined at for casting over what will sink you in a storm? for pulling down that which would advantage your enemy in the siege of temptation? for cutting off what would endanger your everlasting life?-O, inconsiderate, ungrateful man! Are not these things for which thou grievest, the very things that have ruined thousands of souls ?"-"It may strengthen thy heart, if thou considerest, that, in these troubles, God is about that work at which, if thou didst see the design of it, thy soul would rejoice. We are beclouded with much ignorance; and therefore, like Israel in the wilderness, are often murmuring because Providence leads us about in a howling desert, where we are exposed to straits, though he led them, and is now leading us, by the right way to a city of habitation."". "Providence is like a curious piece of arras, made up of a thousand shreds, which, single, we know not what to make of, but, put together and stitched up orderly, they represent a beautiful history to the eye."

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The third season,

"Calling for more than ordinary diligence in keeping the heart, is the time of Zion's troubles-when the church, like the ship in which Christ and his disciples were, is oppressed and ready to perish in the wars of persecution, these good souls are ready to sink and be shipwrecked too, on the billows of their own fears. I confess most men rather need the spur than the reins in this case, and yet some sit down overweighed with the sense of the church's troubles."

He adduces, as historical examples of persons so influenced, those of Eli, Nehemiah, and Elijah,--all which he touches with very forcible language, and then comes to the question, "how tender hearts may be relieved and supported when they are overweighed with the burthensome sense of Zion's troubles?" And gives, for his first precept,

"Settle this great truth in your hearts, that no trouble befalls Zion, but by the permission of Zion's God; and he permits nothing out of which he will not bring much good at last to his people."

And, to such as those who would presume to direct in what manner the affairs of the world should best be ordered, he addresses this wholesome admonition :

"As Luther said to Melancthon, cease to be the ruler of the world,' so say I to you. Let infinite wisdom, power, and love, alone; for by these all creatures are swayed and actions guided, in reference to the church. It is none of our work to rule the world, but to submit to him that does rule it. The motions of Providence are all well ordered; the wheels are full of eyes. It is enough that the affairs of Zion are in a good hand."

The fourth season of danger :

"Now there are fourteen excellent rules or helps for keeping the heart from sinful fear, when imminent dangers threaten us. The first is, Look upon all creatures as in the hand of God, who manages them in all their motions, limiting, restraining, and determining them all at his pleasure.' -" In Revelations, you read of the white, black, and red horses, which are nothing else but the instruments that God employs in executing his judgements in the world, as wars, pestilence, and death. But when these horses are prancing, and trampling up and down in the world, here is that which may quiet our hearts-that God has the reins in his hand."-" Remember that God, in whose hand all the creatures are, is your Father, and is much more tender over you, than you are, or can be, over yourselves. Let me ask the most timorous woman, whether there is not a vast difference between the sight of a drawn sword in the hand of a bloody ruffian, and the same sword in the hand of her own tender husband?"-"That is a sweet scripture to this purpose. [Isa. liv. 5.] "Thy maker is thy husband, the Lord of Hosts is his name." Who would be afraid to pass through an army,

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