exhort others to be diligent and watchful, should themselves be indolent and unemployed: or that they, who are to teach others to renounce the pomps and vanities, diversions and pleasures of this world, should have nothing to do but to indulge and gratify themselves therein. For my part, as regularly as the morning, noon, or even comes, it brings with it its business, which I think I ought not to neglect. Should you ask how this comes to pass so much more than formerly? the answer is, that I see things relative to my profession in another light than I used to do, and regard much more as incumbent upon me."

II.

LETTERS TO MRS. SCOTT'S BROTHER IN LAW.

1778-1785.

NEAR the close of the sixth chapter of my father's Life, a series of letters is adverted to, addressed to the husband of my mother's sister, and mainly employed in urging an immediate and decided attention to the great concerns of religion. This series I shall here introduce, preserving, in their proper places, (in order to avoid any mutilation of the letters,) the few specimens which have already been given to the public.

"DEAR BROther,

"Weston Underwood, August 11, 1778.

"RELIGION was so much the subject of conversation with us when you were in Bucks, that I hope it will not be a disagreeable subject of correspondence. I am so deeply sensible of the importance of religion, that is, of the concerns of eternity, the interests of our immortal souls, and the way and manner in which we may be accepted by a just, holy, almighty, and eternal God, that I am naturally led to think every one as much impressed with the sense of these things as I am; though I have abundant evidence that there are very few who pay much regard to them: and, of those who do pay some regard, most are so

but

much blinded and prejudiced by the world, by Satan, and by sin, that their religion is one of their own making, and they know little of that religion which the word of God proposes to us. Now, when you were with us, I felt comfortable under the persuasion that the Lord had sent you with the design of making your coming useful to you: that he had opened your mind to attend to the things which, in public and private, were discoursed to you: you seemed to receive them so willingly, and with such a desire of hearing more and more. You may remember that, though I told you my views of religion over and over, yet I laid little stress upon that: I told you withal, that I did not want you to believe them because I taught them, but because the Lord taught them. The Bible being the word of God, his message to us, able to make us wise unto salvation, the great point I laboured to impress upon your mind was, the absolute necessity of taking our religion from that book alone, and the obligation we are under to search the scriptures daily, to know what indeed they do contain: to receive what they contain as certain truth, however men, even learned men, and preachers may contradict them; and however contrary they may be to our former notions and conceptions; and how mysterious soever some things in them may appear.-The next thing I laboured to impress was, the necessity of prayer in general, for whatever we want; but especially, when we read the holy scriptures, that we may be enabled by the Holy Spirit to understand them. The word of God teaches us, that the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for

they are foolishness to him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned: that the Lord must open the understanding before we can understand the scriptures: that, if any man want wisdom, he must ask it of God: that no man cometh unto Christ but as taught of God: that we are to trust in the Lord with all our heart, and not to lean to our own understanding; in all our ways to acknowledge him, and he will direct our paths: that we must receive the blessings of Christ's kingdom with the teachable humility of a little child, knowing that a man can receive nothing except it be given him of God. Now, could I persuade you (the Lord blessing my words,) to enter upon this course of reading God's word, and prayer, then, I trust, I should have put you into the right way of searching, and the Lord would teach you. Then the papers I put into your hands, and the hints I might from time to time drop in my letters, might be useful.-But this is the first point I wish to gain. By this you may see that I do not want to proselyte you to a system of opinions, but to send you to the word and the Spirit of the Lord, to be taught the way of salvation as it is in Jesus. But I know experimentally how carefulness about many things makes one neglect the one thing needful: how backward and indisposed all are to enter upon a course of strict religion; how Satan takes advantage of our corruptions, and besets us on every side: how powerful the allurements of the world are. I can make many allowances for you, but none that will excuse you. -I can only drop one hint more, and that is, that a sinner's salvation is an act of grace; that we are

to seek it of the Lord as a free gift; first, seeking an interest in Christ's blood for pardon and peace with God, by faith; and, secondly, the converting grace of the Holy Spirit to create us anew unto good works, which is a part of our salvation; and, lastly, continued supplies of grace to help us to go on as we have set out.-My paper is full. We join in love and duty, and especially in prayers to God for you all, for health and comfort here, but particularly that we may all obtain this salvation by Jesus Christ, and meet in heaven.

"Your most sincerely affectionate brother, "THOMAS SCOTT."

"DEAR BROTHer,

"Weston Underwood, January 15, 1779.

"YOUR letter gave me great pleasure, not only as it intimates that you are all in tolerable health, but also, and particularly, as it shows that you have not forgotten what you heard and saw amongst us: because, though the important concerns of religion generally, when new to any person, make some little impression upon him, if not an open profligate who can make a jest of them, yet that impression generally wears off, when he returns into the business, hurry, pleasure, and diversions of the world. It is seed sown by the wayside, or among thorns; and either the devil takes it out of his heart, or the cares of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, or the desires of other things enter in, and choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. But as, after so long a time, you continue to have serious desires, and purposes of carrying into practice what you were then put upon