THE Zeal which I deſire to have for the Advancement of the Kingdom of Chriſt, the Love which I bear to your Souls, and my Senſe of the Obligations which I ſtand under unto you in particular, have moved me, to take upon me to ſalute you with this Line. There is not a rational Creature, that doth not propone unto it ſelf ſome chief Good, the obtaining and enjoying whereof, is the great Intent and End of all its Actions; Who will ſhew us any Good? But, the woful Evil among Men is, their ſetting up to themſelves ſome n • ug ••• vain and petty Nothing; and deſpiſing that wherein their real and chief Happineſs doth only ly; rejecting the Counſel of God againſt themſelves: This Miſtake is deplorable, for Man is an infinite Loſer by it; It is deſperate, for he refuſes to be Inſtructed. Hence, ſo many different prevailing natural Inclinations, and predomining Luſts, as there are among the Children of Adam; ſo many different chief Goods; There be Gods many, and Lords many. I am ſad, to think upon the Folly and Madneſs of the poor Creature, that thus doth forſake its own Mercy; But, let the World chooſe and follow what they pleaſe, To us there is but one Lord.

I am hopeful (much honoured Ladies) that ye are turning your Backs upon created and carnal Delights, and ſetting your Faces towards Chriſt, ſeeking after Union and Communion with him. It is my Soul's earneſt Deſire, that it ſhould be ſo; and if the comfortleſs and diſtracting Vanities of a preſent periſhing World, ſhall wheedle and bewitch you, that ye ſtudy not the Wiſdom of God; It ſhall bring great Grief and Sorrow of Heart unto me. I ſay, I am carried betwixt Hope and Fear; I hope the Lord will work a good Work in you; I hope it will be; for, I would have it to be, and there are ſome Appearances of it. And, I fear, that the pleaſant and eaſy Yoke of Chriſt, be looked upon as irkſom and weariſome by you, when I conſider your Temptations, and the (ſeemingly) promiſing Beginnings, and fair Bloſſoms that I have ſeen in many, which have fallen away without bringing forth mature Fruit. Do not take my Freedom in ill Part, neither be offended with it, for it cometh from Affection, and my ardent Deſire, that ye ſhould not neglect the great Salvation. Religion is a great Myſtery, and a far other Thing, than even the profeſſing World taketh it to be. There are many Hinderances in the Way of flying to Chriſt, and cloſing with him. The natural Blindneſs that is in Man, whereby he neither ſees his Sin and Danger, nor his Saviour, is a great Hindrance, Rev. iii. 17, 18. His natural Unwillingneſs and flat Averſation to the Way of Salvation laid down in the Covenant, and held forth in the Goſpel, John v. 40. His hard-hearted Misbelief, whereby he giveth no Aſſent to the Righteouſneſs of Scripture Precept and Doctrine, and Juſtice of Scripture Threatning; nor Conſent to Scripture Promiſes, making fiducial Application of them, John vi 38. Heb. xi. 6. His whoriſh Addictedneſs to his Luſts, Idols and carnal Intanglements, whereby he doth not quite his Prophanity, nor leave the Honour, Applauſe, Profit and Pleaſure of this World, Pſal xlv. 10, 11. Song iii. 11. Chap. iv. 8. His miſtaking the Government of Chriſt, counting it hard, melancholick and unpleaſant, Matth. xi. 28, 29, 30. His judging Religion but a Fancy, and a politick Invention, to amaze and amuſe the Minds of Men, Matth. xxii. 5. His conceiving a Facility in Religion, thinking there needeth not be ſo much ado about it, and that he can do all that is needful, when he pleaſeth, Matth. viii. 19. John vi. 44. His poſtponing the Buſineſs of Life eternal from Time to Time, leaving that laſt in doing, which ought to be firſt done, reſolving to amend e're he end; whereby his vain Heart deceives him, and Satan juſtles him out of all Time, Luke ix. 61. His peeviſh and fooliſh Impatience, whereby he doth not forſake a preſent imaginary Good, for a future real Happineſs. A Man may think it is a good Thing to enjoy everlaſting Life; but becauſe that is an hereafter Happineſs, and lieth now only in Promiſe, he cannot wait for it, and take it as his Portion, but graſps at what is preſent, tho' it be neither comenting nor conſtant, Pſal. iv. 6. 2 Tim. iv. 10, I ſay, all theſe are great Hinderances; ſee that ye get over theſe, and all other Obſtructions, and lay hold upon Chriſt. O that I could bewail the lamentable Condition of Man, who is held in ſo many Chains, • rom this Work of great Concern and eternal Moment!

O, much honoured Ladies, conſider the indiſpenſible and abſolute Need we have of a Saviour; conſider the awful Commands, full Promiſes, free Offers, hearty Invitations, and ſerious Requeſts given forth in the Word, all crying aloud with one Voice unto you, to match with the Lord of Glory: Conſider the Aſſurance that his own Teſtimony hath given you, of dwelling with him throughout Eternity, in his heavenly Manſions, where ye ſhall ſee him as he is, have a full Senſe of his Love, and a perfect Love to him again; and ever drink of the Rivers of Pleaſures that flow at his right Hand, it ye ſhall embrace him upon his own Terms. Conſider the peremptory Certification of everlaſting Deſtruction, of dwelling with continual Burnings, and lying under the Burden of his Wrath; a Curſe running always out upon you in the overflowing Flood, if ye ſhall neglect to make your Peace with him, and reject his Salvation. I ſay, conſider thoſe Things, and give all Diligence to make your Calling and Election ſure; and ſee well that ye be not deceived, for there are many Miſtakes, and a great Myſtery in this Buſineſs. Many think themſelves to be ſomething, when as yet they are nothing, and ſo deceive themſelves, and come ſhort of the Grace of God; inſtead of founding upon the immovable Rock of Ages, they build upon the Sand of their own Attainments: For Folk may go a great length, and yet be void of true ſaving Grace; they may have a great ſpeculative Knowledge of the Matters of God, and Myſtery of Salvation, and ſtrong Gifts, 1 Cor. xiii. 2. They may abſtain from many Pollutions, and the groſs Evils that others are given unto, Luke xviii. 11, 12, 13, 14. They may externally perform many Duties, as Reading, Prayer, and be very much in theſe, Luke xviii. 11, 12, 13, 14. They may have very great Sorrow for Sin, not becauſe of the Diſhonour done to God, but the Hurt to themſelves; not becauſe they are polluted, but becauſe they are deſtroyed by it, Matth. xxvii. 3. Heb. xii. 17. They may have a Deſire after Grace, which yet is not for Grace's ſake, but for Heaven's ſake, Matth. xxv. 8. They may have an Hiſtorical Faith, and give the Aſſent of the Mind to all that is revealed in the Word, yea to the ſpiritual Meaning of the Law, Mark xii. 32, 33, 34. They may have big Hopes, and that in the Mercy of God, which nevertheleſs is but Preſumption; for they forget that he is juſt, and neglect to lay hold upon Chriſt for Satisfaction of his Juſtice; whereas, he is merciful to none out of Chriſt, John viii. 13, 14. They may have the common Operations of the Spirit, and a Taſte of the heavenly Gift, and of the Powers of the World to come, Heb. vi. 4, 5, 6. They may be convinced that it is good to cloſe with Chriſt, and comfort themſelves as if they had done it; whereas, they are ſtill in their natural State, Hoſ. viii. 2, 3. They may ſuffer many Things materially for the Cauſe of God, and toil much in following Ordinances, undergoing the ſame out of Reſpect for their own Credit, 1 Cor. xiii. 3. I ſay, People may, and many do, arrive at all theſe and ſuch like Attainments, and notwithſtanding remain in the Gall of Bitterneſs and Bond of Iniquity. It may make us all tremble, to think what a Length Folk may go, and yet never have gone out of themſelves, and paſſed through the Steps of Effectual Calling. Many will ſay to him in that Day, We have eaten and drunken in thy Preſence, and thou haſt taught in our Streets: Have we not propheſied in thy Name? and in thy Name caſt out Devils, and in thy Name done many wonderful Works? whom he will chaſe awa • from his Preſence, with that fearful Sentence, Depart Ye, profeſſing unto them, that he never knew them.

Let this alarm you to make ſure Work in this great Concern, and not deceive your ſelves, with a Counter • eit, in ſtead of a Reality, with a Flaſh in ſtead of Converſion, and a Deluſion inſtead of Chriſt. But, get ye 〈◊〉 Sight of your ſinful and miſerable Sate, a Senſe and Feeling thereof, putting you in a Perplexity, and diſcouraging you from reſting in it; a Conviction of your Inability to help your ſelves, and of your Unworthineſs that God ſhould help you out of it; and look unto Chriſt, as your alone Saviour, receiving him wholly, in his Threefold Office, of King, Prieſt and Prophet, welcoming him, and taking up his Croſs, againſt the World, the Devil, and the Fleſh, and reſting upon him alone for Salvation: And then, the Buſineſs will be done, and all will be ſure; Then ye may defy Devils and Men, for plucking you out of his Hand.

And if ye have thus cloſed the Bargain with him, then ye will find in-you a War, declared and maintained againſt all Sin, Rom. vii. 15. Ezek. xviii. 21. 1 John iii. 9. A Reſpect to all the Commandments of the Lord, Ezek. xviii. 21. A liking of the Way of Happineſs, as well as of Happineſs it ſelf, John iii. 14.15. An high Eſteem of Juſtification and Sanctification, Pſal. xxxii. 2. A Prizing of Chriſt, and a longing to be with him. Phil. i. 23. And an admirable Change wrought in you; a new Judgment, new Will, new Conſcience, new Memory, new Affections: In a Word, all the Faculties of the Soul will be new, in regard of their Qualifications; and all the Members of the Body, in regard of their Uſe, 2 Cor. v. 17. Now, if ye have attained to a Saving Intereſt in Chriſt, ye may find theſe, and the like Marks and Evidences of it.

O halt not in this great Matter, reſt not in an Uncertainty, and ſatisfie not your ſelves with a May-be; But Examine your ſelves, whether ye be in the Faith; prove your own ſelves; know ye not your own ſelves, how that Jeſus Chriſt is in you except ye be Reprobates? In ſetting your Faces toward Zion, ye may expect that Satan will raiſe all his Storms againſt you; but fear him not, for the Grace of GOD is ſufficient for you. Give your ſelves wholly to the LORD, to ſerve him, and to love his Name, to chooſe and follow the Things that pleaſe him: Your greateſt Honour lieth in this, your greateſt Duty, your greateſt Profit, and your greateſt Pleaſure. Count the Coſt of Religion; God is a liberal Dealer, deal not niggardly with him, prig not with him about your Eſtates: Who in Heaven is like unto him? and who in the Eart • is to be deſired like him; Lay down to him your Names, your Enjoyments, your Lives, and your All at his Feet; for he is only Worthy to have the Diſpoſal of them; and the Sufferings of this preſent Time are not worthy to be compared with the Glory that ſhall be revealed. Think not much to quit the vain and carnal Delights of the World; they cannot ſatisfy your Senſes, and much leſs your Souls: The Earth is Round, and the Heart of Man Three-nooked; therefore, This cannot be filled by That: And tho' ye could find Content in them, yet how vain were it, becauſe unconſtant? and how unſolid, becauſe uncertain?

Regard not Mens Reproach, for ſo reproached they our LORD and the Prophets; Yea, there can be no Contempt or Calumny caſt upon you, for the Goſpel's Sake, but what hath been caſt upon the Faithful in all Ages. Remember Moſes, who eſteemed the Reproach of Chriſt greater Riches than the Treaſures of Egypt: And go ye forth without the Camp bearing his Reproach; Chriſt's new Name will more than enough compenſe the World's Nick-name. Advance reſolutely in the Way of Godlineſs; your Guide is faithful, your Victory certain, your Reward ſure, and your Triumph everlaſting: Stumble not, becauſe Religion is mocked at; for it is not the worſe that Man thinketh ſo little of it. Count it not a Fancy, becauſe many deſert it; but Taſte and See that GOD is good. Follow no Man further than he follows Chriſt; Divide not from the Head, to unite with any profeſſed Members: Walk not with them, who renounce their Dependence upon Chriſt; Or, who are carrying on a Courſe of Defection, preſſing a relinquiſhing of the preſent Teſtimony, and caſting Reproaches upon the Way of GOD. Keep your ſelves from the Pollutions of this Time, and partake not with other Men in their Sins; But ſtudy to have a good Conſcience; and a good Conſcience will be a peaceable Conſcience, and a peaceable Conſcience will be a fat Feaſt. Shun ſo much as ye can the Company of carnal and vain Perſons: Ye will not get this wholly evited, but ye may avoid unneceſſary Converſe, Frequency and Familiarity with them: We are obliged to carry our ſelves with Courteſy, Humanity and Pity towards All; but not with Friendlineſs and Familiarity: Ye know, Evil Company and Comunication corrupteth good Manners. O! what ſhall I ſay? Watch always, be much in ſecret Prayer, Self-examination, Spiritual-meditation; Read the written Word of GOD; Seek to have your Minds underſtanding it, your Hearts affecting it, and your Conſciences and Actions guided by it: Get his Spirit to dwell in you, by directing you into all Truth, reproving you for Sin, and bringing every Thought in Obedience to Chriſt, and leading you into Supplication. Lay aſide every Weight, and run the Race that is ſet before you with Cheerfulneſs and Alacrity; Deſpiſe every Oppoſition and Obſtruction in the Way, and keep your Eyes ſtill upon the Prize, having a Reſpect to the Recompence of Reward.

Now, The very God of Peace ſanctify you wholly, and I pray GOD, your whole Spirit and Soul and Body be preſerved Blameleſs, unto the Coming of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt. I am,