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the new-born babes, as well as others, to make their calling and election sure; "for, if ye do these things, ye shall never fall." As the Saviour revealed these things as a matter of joy, and Peter as their security; what are those gentlemen at, who make them nothing but stumbling-blocks, or rocks of offence? If this foundation of God standeth sure, having the seal of God upon it, what assurance can such men administer; and what divine impression can those expect, who are taught to ridicule these things, and are built upon a sandy foundation, where the ruin is sure to be great?

For my own part, and I speak from experience, I should not wonder if a professor thus misled, and thus hardened, should end his days in a mad-house, or perish by suicide. I know this hath been the case with many, who have waged war with the decrees and purposes of God, till they have been, in just judgment, given up to the devil, as Alexander the coppersmith and Hymeneus were, who withstood the truth till they were both delivered unto Satan, that they might learn not to blaspheme, 1 Tim. i. 20. As far as I am enlightened to see, I have endeavoured to keep close to the truth; for it is a pleasure to me, as well as it was to John, who rejoiced when he found that not only the elect lady, but her children also, walked in the truth, 2 John 1-5.

I was puzzled a while what method to adopt in sending my thoughts among you, and various

schemes were formed; till, at last, I fixed upon sending them out by way of dialogue, as the most intelligible method; and to which I was encouraged by the Song of Solomon. The characters fixed upon to carry it on are, a Steward of the Royal Household, and a Shepherd of the King's Flock; both which are scriptural characters, and well known to the just.

I have been rather profuse with the word of God; knowing that weak souls, after their first awakening, proceed with great caution, and dare not venture without a divine warrant; being commanded to stand in awe, and cleanse their way, by taking heed thereto according to God's word.

It is not expected that a work of this sort should be of any use to believers who are grown up and established in the present truth; they that are men put away childish things, unless they should be desirous of seeing a map of their travels, or of perusing a journal of their infant days, when they went in a go-cart.

There ever hath been, and will be, even to the end of time, some of the children of God who will be staggering at the promises, and going bowed down, through fear of miscarrying, coming short of the saints' rest, or failing of the grace of God. To such therefore it is dedicated, and for such it is intended; hoping that, as God hath commanded us "to strengthen the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees," it may please him to cast it in the way of many of them, and to bless the reading

of it to their souls' growth, comfort, and establish

ment.

Many are found in the simplicity and power of the gospel who have very little light into the great things of it; and many have been enlightened to discover great things in the letter of it, who never knew the simplicity, nor felt the power thereof.

My intention, in this work, is not to humour Little Faith, nor to indulge him in his whims and fancies, nor to encourage his infidelity, nor to build him up in falsehood, much less to establish him in unbelief. What I aim at is, to shew him what is faith, and what is not; wherein he is right, and wherein he is wrong; what is justifiable in him, and what is reprehensible; what he says of himself, and what God says of him; what God has done in him, and what may be expected to be done for him, according to the promise: and the difference between a babe in grace, and a fawning wolf; Little Faith, and a little fox; the sincerity of the one, and the infernal cunning of the other. One loves the truth, the other hates it; one trembles at the word, the other is hardened against it; one comes to the light, the other cleaves to darkness; one honours them that fear the Lord, and contemns the vile; the other hates the just, and speaks well of the false prophets; "and in this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil."

There is some milk, reader, and some strong meat; "some good thing toward the Lord God of Israel," which is faith; and some bad things, such as unbelief, and cleaving to the flesh, which is a departing from him. In short, thou wilt find some of thy best frames pointed out, and some of thy worst feelings; thy best and thy worst hours; noble acts, and wretched failings; courageous feats, and fainting flights; the truth of grace, and fleshly foibles. That the Lord may give his blessing to it, and minister consolation by it, is the prayer and desire of,

LITTLE FOLKS,

Your affectionate friend and servant

in Christ Jesus,

Winchester Row,
Paddington.

W. H.

THE

HISTORY OF LITTLE FAITH.

DIALOGUE THE FIRST.

As a certain Steward of his Majesty's household was one morning walking abroad for the benefit of the air, he promiscuously met with a rustic Shepherd, whom he accosted in the following

manner:

Steward. Good morning to you, Shepherd. Shepherd I call you; for such you appear to be by the crook in your hand.

Shepherd. Sir, a good morning to you. You have called me right; for a Shepherd I am by profession, such an one as I am.

Steward. Yours is an occupation that exposes people to all sorts of weather; wet and dry, cold and heat; and it requires both wisdom and watchfulness, especially if a man be careful to "give a portion to seven, and also to eight."

Shepherd. True: and the more a man looks to his flocks and to his herds, the less he is esteemed in the world: for it is in our days, as it

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