Do I, then, envy them their few peaceful years? or would I, like the disciples of old, fetch down con-suming flames from heaven to burn them up, before he come in flaming fire to take vengeance on his enemies? No; let mercy reign her time; for with respect to the wicked, mercy shall soon quit the throne to inexorable justice, and then their misery shall be past expression, and their overflowing anguish shall exceed the fountain of their tears.

MEDITATION LXXIII.

DELUSION.

Leghorn, April 9, 1759.

AMONG all the various kinds of delusion, that which concerns the soul, religion, and God, is most melancholy, and has the most dismal effects. Some, because born in a religious family, account themselves Christians from their cradle, and give themselves no concern about the new birth. Others think all is well with them, because they are neither swearers nor liars, drunkards nor fornicators; they are just between man and man, have a form of godliness, and hence think themselves in a fair way for heaven, though ig-norant of spiritual union to him who is the life of the soul, and quite unacquainted with a life of faith on the Son of God. Again, there are others who have been very wicked in their younger days, have been in the army or navy, and then and there have committed all wickedness with greediness. Now, if these men are separated from their wicked companions, and live where sobriety is more in fashion, they drop their aths, and go regularly to church; and if they have

entered into the married state, and prove faithful to the marriage-bed, then they count themselves converted, and bless their happy state, though they have never undergone, and know nothing of, a saving change. Though the most wicked are at all periods of life invited to return to God, yet what numbers perish through delusion, are averse to try themselves, and build for eternity on sand! Not to speak of the delusions of popery, which makes a merchandise of souls, there are some who, because they have had some legal terrors, some awakenings, and some resolutions to amend, though ignorant of the pew birth, think they are converted; and some, in the decline of life, feeling death fast approaching, begin to be startled at dissolution, and affrighted to plunge into eternity, condemn the grosser actions of their life, and their ill-spent time, and so, to make amends for all, read much in the Bible, and other religious books; but still the sin of their nature lies out of sight; nor do they advert to this, that a man must be born again, else he shall never see the kingdom of heaven; and yet such men pass for converts among the men of the world.

MEDITATION LXXIV.

ON SEEING SLAVES AT WORK.

Leghorn, April 10, 1759.

TO what hard circumstances are some fellow-creatures reduced! These poor men are in bondage, without any expectation of freedom till death deliver them. Are not their heavy burdens and severe labor punishment enough, without dragging the iron chain, which, locked about their ancles, links them two and

two, or couples them like dogs together? and yet, as if all this were not severity enough, see the armed soldiers attend them every where !

So, O sinners! and worse deals satan with you, and yet you will not leave his service, his slavery, and become Christ's free men.

Whence is it that the men of the world, the sons of vice, think the saints of God shackled and confined,and that themselves only are free; and assume the title of libertines and free-thinkers, when indeed they are fettered drudges, narrow souls, and bond-slaves? The saints, and they alone, walk at liberty, being ransomed from their cruel captivity by price, and delivered by power.

These slaves have hard labour, but a coarse and scanty diet; so, when sinners weary themselves in the fire, they are fed, but with wind, and their belly filled, but with the whirlwind.

They are under the check and controul of soldiers, who are commonly the dregs of the people; so the sinner is under the check of the meanest passions, under the influence of the most sordid lusts, and sees not his misery.

Satan, like this prince,* makes the men that run in his service, drag along with them all the signs of slavery, and badges of bondage, which it is possible for them to be loaded with; and they even weary themselves for very vanity. Their pleasures pierce (what can slaves enjoy) and give pain; their joys are acid, and their enjoyments full of torment. All that they can possess themselves of, has still a deficiency; and yet they hunt after shadows, and pursue imaginary bliss. Moreover,

* The grand duke of Tuscany, who was sovereign of Leghorn.

satan, like the centries of these poor slaves, is still pushing sinners on to works of darkness, and the reward at last is more shame, more sorrow, and more torment.

Though these men toil hard all the day, yet at night they have not a soft bed to rest thereon their weary limbs; so the sinners that weary themselves to commit wickedness all the day of life, at last lie down in sorrow amidst devouring flames.

Indeed these poor creatures have the night allowed for their repose, but sinners often pass the silent night in scenes of darkness, and their very dreams are filled with the rambles of the day.

Again, these are slaves through life, but death unlocks the fetters, and knocks off the chains, and gives them perfect liberty: but with the wicked it is not so, for if grace deliver them not, death only seals their slavery, and shuts them up in the prison of the bottomless pit. Oh! melancholy truth, that satan's slaves should be so many, and so content with their sad condition, though death and hell attend its latter end,

MEDITATION LXXV.

QUARANTINE.

Under sail near Sardinia, April 21, 1759.

IT is a laudable practice among these nations, to make all ships, that come from places where the plague now and then appears, perform quarantine; and during that time to forbid their own people all correspondence with the suspected crews. If it is commendable to be careful of the welfare of a nation, how cul pable is that church that receives or keeps in her com

munion persons immoral in their life, or unsound im the faith. How dangerous in private persons, who pretend to be religious, to contract acquaintance, intimacy, or friendship with men of loose morals or libertine principles. O my soul! come not thou into their secret, into their society! How cautious should we be to mingle in the company of the wicked, where we are sure to suffer one way or other! And our care herein ought to extend to all the connections of life. Would I live in the same city with men dying daily of infectious diseases? would I admit into my house persons to serve me, if laboring under the plague? and would I take into my bosom that person, in other respects however amiable and dear, if full of the pestilence? How agreeable, then, to have the fearers of God, the citizens of Zion, for the men of my city? to have Christ's free men for servants in my family! and such as have an interest in Christ for my nearest connections!

Some suttlers adventure along-side, and sell for an extravagant price such things as we want, and cannot go ashore to purchase; they pretend not to touch us, but at arm's length, and with a board too, to reach out the commodity, and receive the money: Even so, men for the love of gain will go every length; will risk not only the peace, but the salvation of their souls, for a temporal advantage. O to see things in their proper light, and not put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter; time in the place of eternity, and eternity in the place of time; the creature in the room of God, and give God no room at all.

The longed for day arrives, when the officers of health inspect the crew, pronounce us clean, and permit us to come ashore; and then we mingle in every company, appear in every place: Even so, when Jesus,