him a compleat Gentleman again. His heavenly Father clothes him with the Robes of Righteoufnefs, Holiness, Truth, and Joy in the Holy Ghoft, and prepares him for an Eternity of Blifs. Heaven refounds with the Hallelujahs of Angels, and Saints for the Converfion of this Sinner; while his Father below makes merry with his Family and Friends, for the fafe Return of his Son; except his eldeft Brother, who took it greatly amifs, that fo much ado fhould be made for an extravagant Youngster, while he, from his Youth up, had feared GOD and honoured his Parents; which occafioneth his Father to tell him again, that all that he had was his, and he never had any Fault to find with him; and that he, who went on in a constant Courfe of Obedience, muft certainly be a Favourite of his heavenly Father, as well as he was a Darling of his: "But Son! "confider what a Miracle is here, that God did << put it into his Heart to repent, and come Home 66 again; that such a Rake as he was, when he went

away, who neither feared Life nor Death, Heaven 66 nor Hell; (as we all were afraid he would never re"turn, having so many Difficulties and Dangers to go

through:) But Thanks be to GOD, he is alive and "found. Look at your Brother! Is not his Condition "enough to make your Bowels yearn, and your Eyes

to turn to a Fountain of Tears? Behold his Rags! "How his Body is fpent with Hunger, and Fatigue of

his Journey! and fo altered, that if I had not "known

66 was my

"known him well, I could not have believed that he Son; but on fome Obfervations that I made, I knew my Son a great Way off; 1 ran, "met and embraced him; and brought him Home "transported with Joy, forgetting all his Sorrows: "Embrace him therefore, with the tender Affection "of a Brother; he is now a Brother indeed, and can fay, Blessed is he, whofe Unrighteousness is for"given, and whofe Sin is covered."

By this Time, behold the Prodigal roufed from his Lethargy of Sin, and praising GOD for his extraordinary Grace! Behold him in his Closet in Tears and Prayers for his past Follies, and for his Perfeverance in a good and holy Life. Every habitual Sinner is this Prodigal; and the Terrors of GOD's Judgments, that happen to fome, fhould alarm the guilty Confciences of others. The greatest Sinner may have Access to GoD, through our Saviour, who will meet a fincere Penitent, farther than the good Father did his returning Son: He will conduct him into his holy Temple, and feed him with the Bread of Life, giving him to drink of those living Waters, running ftill from that pure Fountain opened in his Side, which is able to quench the Thirst of all Generations. This divine Food, and Drink, can only cure the Leprofy of Sin, which fets the Sinner at fo great a Distance from GOD. Faith and Good Works

* Pfalm xxxii, 1.

are

are the Wedding-Garments every finning Prodigal muft put on, before he can be a welcome Guest. His natural Talents and Abilities, be they ever fo bright, yet as they have been employed to the Advantage of his temporal Affairs, must be examined and cleared of those mistaken Notions which impede his Happiness: Contrary Pleasures, and Satisfactions will enfue; when the Soul is cleared of thofe Incumbrances, the will delight in spiritual Objects, and tread the narrow Way, which few delight to walk in. St Paul, from a violent Perfecutor of the Church of CHRIST, was, by a Miracle, converted to be a Preacher of the Gofpel: His Understanding and excellent Talents, that ferved in a wrong Caufe, were intirely changed; and with Spirit, Life and Vigour, he preached Salvation to the Jews and Gentiles through JESUS CHRIST. The rapid Torrent of his Eloquence was fo irrefiftible, that his Enemies could not withstand his Arguments, but fought his Life in Revenge: His Love to his Lord JESUS was unspeakable, and he was determined to know nothing but JESUS CHRIST, and him crucified. But to conclude: Let us all who have been Prodigals, speedily return to our Duty, and GOD through CHRIST will blot out all our Sins: We fhall enjoy his Peace, that paffeth all Understanding. Heaven is before us, Immortality, our Reward, Death cannot hurt us, and Satan's Accufations will avail nothing; all our Sins being washed away by the Blood of the Lamb, and a Crown of Glory to adorn our glorified Souls for ever.

3.

A

S A TIRE

AGAINST

S WEARIN G.

TO THE

REA DE R.

THE

HE wanton Profaneness of too many (far furpaffing all former Ages) in taking the Name of the moft High GoD in vain, occafioned me to publish a Poem against that abominable Practice. The Heathens in the dark Times of Ignorance called on their God to bless them: Heathen Chriftians, under the Light of the Gospel, and the all-observing Eye of Almighty GoD, call upon him for Damnation. Unparalleled Ingratitude! Since the true God hath been revealed by JESUS CHRIST, how ought we, with the fame Breath we receive, to let out the fame to .his Honour and Glory, and for his great Mercies,

to

to fing continual Songs of Thanksgiving, on the best Inftrument, the Heart. God hath joined his particular Refentment to the Breach of this Command in thefe Words, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless, that taketh his Name in vain; that is, that he is a very guilty and heinous Sinner in his Sight, and obnoxious to his eternal Difpleasure. The greater the Perfon is that is offended, the greater is the Offence; GOD is then of infinite Majefty, therefore the Offence and Punishment infinite, because committed against an infinite Majefty. You are already in the Suburbs of Hell, learning the infernal Language, fending out your Oaths like Arrows against Heaven, which will rebound, and bring double Vengeance on the Heads of those that shot them.

I fhall close with the excellent Counfel of the Son of Sirach: Accuftom not thy Mouth, fays he *, to Swearing, neither ufe thyself to the naming of the Holy One: For as a Servant that is continually beaten shall not be without a blue Mark, fo he that fweareth and nameth God continually, fhall not be faultlefs. A Man that ufeth much Swearing fhall be filled with Iniquity, and the Plague fhall never depart from his Houfe: If he fhall offend, his Sin fhall be upon him; and if he acknowledge not his Sín, he maketh a double Offence; and if he fwear in vain, he shall not be innocent, but his Houfe fhall be full of Calamities. There is a Word that is clothed about with Death: God grant that it be not found in the Heritage of Jacob, for all fuch Things fhall be far from the Godly, and they shall not wallow in their Sins. Ufe not thy Mouth to intemperate Swearing, for therein is the Word of Sin.

E

A

Eccl. xxiii. 9, 13, &c.