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your own parish; that the pure unadulterated Gospel is preached in your own Church. In that case

how comes it you are not content with it? Why do you not make your profiting appear unto all men? This you will never do so long as you wander from one Ministry to another; much less when you presume to enter on unlawful ground. It is by courses such as these that the mind becomes depressed, and novelty, not profit, is the object which is sought for.

I recollect, not many years since, reading in the 'Christian Guardian,' a remarkable instance of the evil produced by itching ears. A young man in the humble walks of life became converted in London, under the Ministry of the Rev. Basil Wood, and for many years continued to prosper in his soul by a due attendance at his Church. It happened, however, on a week day evening that this young man perceived his Minister among those who were coming out of a dissenting place of worship; when he reasoned within himself that if it were not wrong in his Minister to attend this meeting there would be no evil result from following his example. No sooner had he thus judged than he began attending the various ministries in London, but seldom attending successively the same place of worship; and the consequence of this spiritual vagrancy was that the great end of the service, "Public Worship," was slighted; his mind was dissipated; the creature became the object of his adoration ; and as a judgment God sent leanness into his soul. He continued in this course for some years, having a name to live, while in reality he was dead, yet he never abandoned his profession. It pleased God at the end of this time to lay him on a bed of

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sickness, which proved, by the blessing of God, the means of his restoration to spiritual health and peace. His bodily health, however, was never restored; he lingered, and finally died of consumption. During his long illness, by his own request, the Rev. Basil Wood, who had been the instrument of his first conversion, visited him, and it appears was again made useful to him, although, he observed, it was evident he never regained his former peace and happy experience, that he was as it were a brand plucked from the burning.

This circumstance was related by the Rev. Gentleman to one of his friends, who remarked, that the pain which the narration gave him was extreme, for he had by his inadvertency been the occasion of his brother's stumbling, and sending him mourning to his grave.

How loudly does this circumstance speak both to Ministers and their hearers! To Ministers, how extremely cautious should they be like St. Paul, "If meats make his brother to offend, to eat no meat." To their hearers to be keepers at home, and to watch and pray against itching ears.

RIDLEY'S FAREWELL,

Which he wrote at his last Farewell to all his true and faithful Friends in God a little before he suffered with a sharp Admonition, by the way, to the Papists, the Enemies of Truth.

(Continued from page 104.)

And thou, O! Sir George Barnes (the truth it is

[graphic][subsumed]

to be confessed to God's glory, and to the good example of others), thou wast in thy year not only a furtherer and a continuer of that which before thee by thy predecessor was well begun; but also didst labour so to have perfected thy work that it should have been an absolute thing and a perfect spectacle of true charity and godliness unto all Christendom. Thine endeavour was to have set up an house of occupation, both that all kind of poverty, being able to work, should not have lacked whereupon profitably they might have been occupied, to their own relief, and to the profit and commodity of the commonwealth of the city: and also to have retired thither the poor babes brought up in the hospitals,

when they had come to a certain age and strength; and also all those which in the hospitals aforesaid have been cured of their diseases. And to have brought this to pass thou obtainest, not without great diligence and labour, (both of thee and thy brethren,) of that godly King Edward, that Christian and peerless Prince's hand, his princely place of Bridewell. And what other things, to the performance of the same, and under what condition, it is not unknown. That this, thine endeavour, hath not had like success, the fault is not in thee, but in the condition and state of the time, which the Lord of his infinite mercy vouchsafe to amend, when it shall be his gracious will and pleasure.

Farewell now, all ye citizens, that be of God, of what state and condition soever ye be undoubtedly in London ye have heard God's word and truly preached. My heart's desire and daily prayer shall be for you, as for whom, for my time I know to my Lord God I am accountable, that ye never swerve, neither for loss of life nor worldly goods, from God's holy word, and yield unto Antichrist; whereupon must needs follow the extreme displeasure of God, and the loss, both of your bodies and souls, into perpetual damnation, for evermore.

Now that I have gone through the places where I have dwelt any space in the time of my pilgrimage here upon earth; remembering that for the space of King Edward's reign, which was for the time of mine office in the Sees of London and Rochester, I was a member of the higher house of Parliament: therefore, seeing my God hath given me leisure and the remembrance thereof, I will bid my Lords of

the temporality farewell. They shall have no just canse (by God's grace) to take it that I intend to say in ill part. As for the scriptural Prelacy that now is I have nothing to say to them, except I should repeat again a great part of that I have said before now already to the see of London.

To you, therefore, my Lords of the temporality will I speak; and this would I have you first to understand that, when I wrote this, I looked daily when I should be called to the change of this life, and thought that this my writing should not come to your knowledge, before the time of the dissolution of my body and soul should be expired. And therefore know ye, that I had before mine eyes only the fear of God, and Christian charity toward you, which moved me to write. For of you hereafter I look not in this world either for pleasure or displeasure. If my talk shall do you never so much pleasure or profit, you cannot promote me; nor if I displease you, ye cannot hurt me or harm me: for I shall be out of your reach. Now therefore, if you fear God, and can be content to hear the talk of him that seeketh nothing at your hands but to serve God and to do you good; hearken what

I say.

I say unto you, as St. Paul saith to the Galatians, I wonder, my Lords, what hath bewitched you, that ye so suddenly are fallen from Christ unto Antichrist; from Christ's gospel unto mens traditions; from the Lord, that bought you, unto the bishops now of Rome. I warn you of your peril: be not deceived, except you will be found willingly consenters unto your own death. For if ye think thus; "We are

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