grace of our Lord Jesus Christ with you.'---This is best, in point of Necessity, Usefulness, and Security.vol burde tor, tong in 8 at blunds

1. In point of necessity. de mug telt 512 The necessity of food and raiment is nothing to this and yet that is all which the generality are solicitous about. If you take care that they be furnished with a sufficiency of these things, you are easy: you have done your part, all that could be expected of you. And if, some time hence, you should be told that the vessel was kept so long at sea, by bad weather, that their provisions were all spent; or that they were wrecked on some barren coast, where nothing was to be had; how would your hearts bleed at the melancholy tale, and how passionately would you cry, Oh! if I could but hear that they had necessaries, barely necessaries, were they never so coarse and scanty, I should be satisfied!'

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A distress of that kind you can feel sensibly enough. And yet, though their souls are in infinitely greater danger; though you see them is the gall of bitterness and in the bonds of iniquity; liable every moment to be cut off in their sins, and to perish in everlasting burnings; yet who concern themselves about that?--- though (comparatively speaking) it is the only thing you should be concerned about! You think it necessary to lay-in a stock of provisions, clothes, and cordials, and suchlike things, for the body: but is it not ten thousand times more necessary to provide something for their poor destitute souls? Is it not necessary that some care should be taken to secure them from the curse of the law, from the bondage of sin, from the

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tyranny of Satan, from the wrath of God, and from the flames of hell? Is it not necessary that they should love God, and that God should love them; and that they should be made fit for communion with him in his ordinances below, and for the enjoyment of him in his kingdom above?

These, these are the grand necessaries, which you should be principally solicitous to provide for them and if these things were at your own disposal, I presume you would not let one of them go to sea without them. But, however, should not you do what you can to procure these blessings for them? Should not you be earnest with the God of all grace, in secret prayer, for them; and endeavour to convince them of their need of these things, and the value of them; and stir them up to pray for themselves?

Nothing that you can give them will do them so much good. Some things may be highly serviceable to one, which are of no use at all to another; and some things may be useful at sea, which are not wanted ashore; but the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ is useful to all persons and at all times. I know it must lie with great weight upon your minds, when you think how full the world is of snares and temptations; and see how many youths are drawn aside, and bring guilt and shame, and often ruin on themselves, and all who belong to them you wish that yours may turn out better; that they may be "companions of them that fear God," and "of them that keep his precepts;" that they may remember what you early taught them, and make it their chief end to glorify God and

It has many times made

enjoy him for ever. And if the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with them, they will do so, Then they will remember their Creator in the days of their youth," and flee youthful lusts. Then they will be sober-minded, and heavenly-minded: they will abstain from bad company, bad houses, bad hours, and all appearance of evil; and will take diligent heed unto their ways, according to God's word. Then, as children, they will be dutiful and affectionate; as apprentices and servants, they will be faithful and diligent; as masters, they will be just and kind-in short, they will adorn the doctrine of God their Saviour in all things."And if they thus behave well, there is no fear of their being well provided for. And this will be another burthen off your minds. your hearts ache, to think, if you should be taken away before your children are grown up, what would become of them and many a wakeful hour have you had on their account, contriving for their future maintenance. But the shortest and surest way is, to get them interested in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ; for then (if I may so speak) their fortunes are made at once. Then, come what will, they are sure of a competency; for they will then be within the reach of these promises: "For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he with hold from them that walk uprightly" (Ps. lxxxiv. 11) The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.... Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,

and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for ever" (Ps. xxiii. 1, 5, 6);" Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you" (Matt. vi. 33.) Espe cially, if I were to add the infinitely better and nobler provision that is made for them in the promises of spiritual and heavenly blessings, you must be convinced that the first thing you should do, and the best thing you can do, for those you are concerned for, is, to pray that the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ may be with them. :

3. In point of security.'

If you were to make never so large provision for them, not merely for the present voyage, but for their future settlement in life; if you were to assure them, that, if you died before they came home again, you should leave them a handsome fortune: you may intend as you say, and yet they may be little the better for it. It was an old and wise caution, "Trust not in uncertain riches;" though few have wisdom enough to profit by it. Job flattered himself that he should "die in his nest," and should never see adversity; and David thought his mountait stood so strong that it could never be moved: and you may think so too; and fancy, that what you leave or give your children is so well secured that nothing can deprive them of it. But, (so "vain are all things here below") by some unexpected turn of Providence, it may happen, that not only they may never have what you intended for them, but you yourselves may live to want it. So that, I say, if your wishes for them terminate only in the world, and the things of the world, God can easily write "vanity" upon them, and you and they

will probably be disappointed. But if you wish them the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that is a "good part, which shall never be taken from them." There you may tell them of treasures and pleasures, joys and glories, crowns and kingdoms, which shall last for ever. "God's gifts and callings are without repentance:" where once he sets his love, he never takes it away again. If he love in prosperity, he will love in adversity; if he love in youth, he will love in old age; if he love in life, he will love in death; and, which is best of all, whom he loves in time, he will love to eternity.

Now then, my friends, go when you will; our best wishes attend you. Not as the world wisheth, wish we unto you. Indeed, we wish you health; we wish you success in all your lawful undertakings; and, if it so please Him in whose hand are your times and ours, we could wish to see your faces again in the flesh: but, besides all this, and above all this, Brethren, our hearts' desire and most earnest prayer to God is, That the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ may be with you all, and always with you, Amen.