"have provoked him, and that your ill "example has drawn so many after you to "sin, that men are not now ashamed of "their vices, you cannot but think that "God is offended with you; and if you "consider how ill your councils at home, "and your wars abroad have succeeded, " and how much you have lost the hearts "of your people, you may reasonably "conclude this is of God, who will not “turn his anger from you, till "him with your whole heart. you turn to "I am no enthusiast either in opinion "or temper, yet I acknowledge I have "been so pressed in my mind to make this "address to you, that I could have no ease "till I did it; and since you were pleased "to direct me to send you, through the "hands of Mr. Chiffinæ, such informa"tion as I thought fit to convey to you, I "hope "hope your Majesty will not be offended ❝ if I have made this use of that liberty. "I am sure I have no other design in "it but your good; for I know very well; "this is not the method to serve any ends ❝ of my own. I therefore throw myself at your feet, and once more, in the name of "God, whose servant I am, do most hum❝bly beseech your Majesty to consider of "what I have written, and not to despise it "for the meanness of the person who has "sent it, but to apply yourself to religion in earnest; and I dare assure you of many. "blessings, both temporal and spiritual in "this life, and of eternal glory in the life "to come.. "But if you will go on in your sins, the "judgments of God will most probably. pursue you in this life, so that you may "be a proverb to after ages, and after this 66 * life 66 you will be for ever miserable; and I your poor subject that now am, shall be "a witness against you in the great day, "that I gave you this free and faithful warning. 66 "Sir, no person alive knows that I have "written to you to this purpose; and I "chose this evening, hoping that your "exercise to-morrow may put you into a disposition to weigh it more carefully.— "I hope your Majesty will not be offended at this sincere expression of my duty to 66 you, for I durst not have ventured on it "if I had not thought myself bound to it, "both by the duty I owe to God, and that "which will ever oblige me to be, may it If we may judge by this letter, Dr. Burnet was a faithful minister, according to the second epistle of Peter, 7th, 8th, and 9th verses :— "For a bishop must be blameless as "the steward of God, not self willed, not "soon angry, not given to wine, no "striker, not given to filthy lucre. "But a lover of hospitality, a lover of "good men, sober, just, holy, temperate. 66 Holding fast the faithful word as he "has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and "convince the gainsayers." The duty of observance and obedience to ministers is also strongly recommended in various parts of the Holy Scriptures, and that both may be enabled: to fulfil these important claims must be the the wish and prayer of every reflecting mind; for then, on the great day of account, shall the pastor yield up his charge worthily executed, and the flock, following the steps of their leader, enter the paths of peace and happiness.. "Where Seraphs gather immortality On life's fair tree fast by the throne of God: Where time, and pain, and chance, and death expire! YOUNG. ON |