with the Gospel of Christ, danger infinitely worse, eternal danger threatens you. Awake, awake, I beseech you, awake! Awake before it is too late! before eternity seals your doom! before God forgets to be gracious! Awake! as in the sight of God I call on you, awake! Act not the sluggard's part! say not a little more sleep, a little more slumber! Close not your eyes to sleep in sin again! lest

-you should shortly feel,

The sleeper sleeps no more in hell.

Awake! I beseech you, and begin to mind that one thing, which is so needful to you, that food is not half so needful to the poor wretch perishing of hunger; nor help to him that is sinking in the sea, or scorching in the flames. Perhaps all I urge to gain your attention is urged in vain. And shall it be so? Will you slight your God, and make your own destruction sure? Will you be a more cruel enemy to yourself than even devils themselves could possibly be to you? Alas! if you will what must be your condition soon! Yet deny me not one request,-Look up to God and join with me in the prayer that follows; and then beg his mercy on yourself.

2

Sect. 2. A Prayer for the divine blessing on this book.

Ever blessed and most gracious God, thy smile is life, thy frown is death. Thou hast access to every heart, and knowest every thought of every creature in thy wide dominions. Look down from thine eternal throne, and teach one of the meanest of thy creatures to supplicate thy mercies. Without thy love we must be poor in the midst of plenty; and wretched in the midst of worldly joy; whilst in thy love is pleasure, though in the midst of pain; and wealth in the midst of worldly poverty. He that knows thee and loves thee, though he die on the dunghill, is infinitely richer and happier than the king who rules the widest empire, but knows thee not. Thou art our only happiness, yet have we not sought good in thee. Thou art our bliss, yet have we b'd thee depart. Thou hast the first and most reasonable claim upon our hearts, yet by nature those

hearts are shut against thee. But if thou hast blessed him that indites this prayer, with the knowledge of thyself, bless those who may read or utter it with the same heavenly knowledge. Great God, thou only knowest what is man. A fallen miserable wretch; a wilful child and slave of sin; a deserving heir of wrath and woe. Thy heavenly pity has opened for him a way of life, but how few are they who find it; and ah, no hand but thine can guide the sinner into that peaceful path. Hard is the heart thy goodness does not melt-no rock so hard. Cold is the heart thy kindness does not warm -no ice so cold; yet, alas! great God, such is naturally every human heart. Such was his whom thou hast inclined to write this little volume; and such his who reads it. But thou hast power to soften the rock, and melt the ice, and change the heart; and hast thou not the desire. Merciful Maker, hast thou not sworn as I live I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Thou hast said, "Look unto me and be ye saved all ye ends of the earth;" and thousands, now in glory, have experienced thy saving power. The feeblest instruments can in thy hand perform the mightiest works. A pebble and a sling can bring down to the dust thy proudest foe. Now then compassionate God, display thy power to save. Grant that some who read this book may yield to its persuasions, and earnestly regard their best concerns. By feeble instruments thou hast awakened many a thoughtless heart; and if this be the feeblest of the feeble yet magnify thy power and mercy by making it to one soul (0 might it be to many!) a solemn and awakening call. Let some of its readers learn the end for which it was given, and O let them not sleep the sleep of sin and death, till awakened by judgment and destruction. Gracious God teach them that life is not given to be trifled and sinned away. By the power of the Gospel, subdue the stony heart, and break the rock of ice. With a voice, effectual as that which shall wake the dead, bid the dead in sin arise and live. Bid the young sinner, that may read this volume flee from the wrath to come. "O let not sin and death resist thee."

stubborn heart refuse thee admittance. But, God of mercy, by thy conquering Spirit, make this little book, which in itself is feeble as a reed, powerful to lead to penitence, prayer and conversion some youthful wanderer from the paths of peace. O thou who pities wretched men, teach the young readers of this book to pity themselves. Let them not by sin and folly make even immortality a curse. Let them not despise thy gracious calls, nor trample on thy dying love. Over them let not hell rejoice and heaven mourn; but let the angels that dwell in thy presence, and the saints that surround thy throne exult over some penitent awakened by this feeble instrument; some youth embracing the gospel of thy Son and finding every good in him. Great God grant this request. O let the sorrows of the Saviour urge it. O let the intercession of the Saviour obtain it. O let the influences of the Spirit accomplish what is thus desired; for blessed Lord it is here devoutly acknowledged that without that Spirit, "books are senseless scrawls, studies are dreams, learning is a glow worm, and wit is but wantonness, impertinency and folly.' And O may it seem meet to thy divine Majesty, to grant that when he whom thou art pleased to make the author of this book, has finished his course, and when the tongue, thou art now permitting to speak for thee, shall be silent in the grave, that then, though dead, he may yet speak in the following pages; and when seen and heard no more on earth, may yet continue to call on the young to "remember their Creator in the days of their youth." If this be a sinful ambition, compassionate God, for Jesus' sake, forgive it; but if it be a desire which thy Spirit has produced in the writer's heart, for Jesus' sake grant the request. Bestow thy Spirit, O God of love. Bestow those blessed influences, O thou Saviour of mankind, who hast received gifts for men. Bestow them O Father and Lord of all, and bring some youthful sinner to the feet of thy crucified Son. Though it be but one, grant that one may go to him for life. But O again permit the petition, that if it please thee, the persuasion and motives for early piety here presented to the young, may be effectual to the conversion of many; and that

many who shall read them may be led to Jesus, and be found to have their names written in the book of life, when time shall have erased every name, that is written even upon rocks below.

And now, O God of grace, hear this supplication; and teach the young reader with sincerity of heart, to join in that which follows. Grant this, great God, for his sake who died on Calvary below, who lives, and reigns, and pleads for man above; and whose is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever and for ever. Amen.

Sect. 3. A prayer for young persons, imploring the divine blessing upon themselves while reading this book.

Great God thou seest me, a young and thoughtless creature. Young as I am in years yet far have I gone in sin. So far that thou mightest justly have said with respect to me, "Cut down that cumberer of the ground;" and had that dreadful sentence been long ago pronounced and executed, I must have owned it just. My years are few, but my sins are many; more numerous are they than my days or hours, more countless than the hairs of my head. Alas, blessed God, what a part have I acted! I have received life from thee, and employed it in neglecting and sinning against thee. I might have died from the womb, or seen the light and closed my eyes in death, but thou didst watch over me in infancy, didst guard me in childhood, and hast brought me to the blooming days of youth; and how have I requited thee. Wretch that I have been to requite thy love with ingratitude, thy goodness with neglect. Distracted creature that I have been, to spend the flower of my years in grieving thee my best friend; in pleasing Satan, my infernal foe; and in undoing my own immortal soul. O make me sensible of my sin; teach me to bowail and loathe my folly; and help me to forsake it. Now let me begin to live that life which on a dying bed I shall wish to have lived. Merciful God, thou hast spared me in mercy; let me not appear to have been spared in vain; but let my life, which has been too long spent without thee, now be devoted to thee,

what thou art. Give me to thy Son, and thy Son to me. Thou art permitting me in this little book to read a serious invitation to early piety. Teach me to regard the truths I read; and may I read them with a devout and attentive mind. May the persuasions and motives here presented to me reach my heart; and may I when I reach the conclusion of this book, be no longer the thoughtless creature I have hitherto been; but may I be found to have chosen that good part, which none can take away. But, ah great God, what am I that I should speak of reaching the conclusion even of this little book. Though I have read its first pages, I know not that I shall live to read its last. Young and vigorous as I may now be, perhaps, before I can reach its end, my time may be finished, my eyes clothed in death, and my soul called to meet thee my long neglected and much injured God. O then teach me to be wise without delay. Teach me what religion is, and enable me to choose it as my portion. Teach me what I am, and lead me to Jesus Christ thy once crucified but now exalted Son. O make me thine. O Saviour make me thine. O God of glory make me thine without delay, and teach me all thy will. Then whatever be the instrument that awakens my soul, thine shall be the praise, for it is thy work and the glory is justly thine.

Hear me O thou most merciful Father, and wash my sins away in atoning blood; hear me and let my youth from this day be devoted to thee; hear me, for the sake of thy beloved Son; and now to Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, as to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be glory and dominion, world without end. Amen.

Sect. 4. Having, my young friend, sought God's blessing, allow me now to explain to you the plan, I design to follow in this little work. As my object is to persuade you to devote your youth to God, it is needful for me to address you as one whom I may suppose to be negligent of that best of blessings, humble piety. I shall therefore endeavour first to show you what is your natural condition, (Chap. 2.) and here with all plainness and affection, I would point out to you how extremely lost and wretched is your state.