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mitive friend, John Crook, published in the time of William and Mary, 1697, entitled, "The WAY to a LASTING PEACE, and TRUE RECONCILIATION."

"It may be said, by way of allusion to the prophet's words, Isaiah ix. 5. that after the outward war of confused noise, and garments rolled in bloud, is at an end, there must be another war or battle, of which the prophet saith, this shall be with burning and fuel of fire! That as the former killed men's bodies, this latter may destroy men's corruptions and lusts, from whence all outward wars and fight' ings commonly proceed. (James iv.) That this may be effected in all, from the highest to the lowest, there must be a diligent watch kept by every one, over their own ways, unto the convictions, motions, and strivings of the Holy Spirit within; through the neglect and want of which, the flood came upon the old world; and it was said, God's Spirit shall not always strive with man; but after his long sufferings and patience, he swept them all away, except those few in the ark.

"Christ saith, As the days of Noah were, so shall the coming of the Son of man be, (see Matt. xxiv. 37

40.)—Therefore, those that expect a perfect and lasting peace, must not use that wantonness and mocking, as those Atheists did, whom the apostle Peter warns: (2 Pet. iii. 3—9.) all things are not as they were, since the beginning of the creation; neither the Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is long suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but

that all should come to repentance! (be not ignorant, a thousand years is but as one day* with the Lord!) -Pride, covetousness, luxury, and wantonness, which the prophets burning and fuel of fire must consume, and they be forsaken, before a perpetual and lasting peace be established: and that government that makes the nations happy, must be upon his (Christ's) shoulders, as saith the prophet, for unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given, and the government shall be, &c. All nations, then, must come under his government:-for the end of the bloody or lion's war, must be the beginning of the lamb's, who shall have the victory, (Rev. xix. 12.) When this comes to be fulfilled, times will be settled in good earnest, and there will be no doubt of a firm, lasting, and perpetual peace. For the lion and the lamb shall lay down together, &c. And there will be no destroyer upon all God's holy mountain."

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Come, therefore, all ye nations of the earth, and cleanse yourselves from all unrighteousness. Come also all you people that profess Christianity, by the power of Christ, purge your consciences from all dead works, and learn truly to serve the living God! But if an unfeigned repentance be wanting, your joy will be turned into mourning-The great day of the Lord will come upon you, that shall burn as an oven, &c. "Therefore, be serious, and repent-be awake to a true reconciliation with God! That every one may sit under his own vine, and under his own fig

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* From hence it may not be illogical to infer, that this Peace may last, or rather, the Millennium church state, may continue on earth 365,000 years!

tree,' praising the God of peace, and loving one ano. ther, even your neighbours as yourselves.

Be wise now, therefore, O ye KINGS, be instructed ye JUDGES of the earth!

By Me-by wisdom, KINGS reign, and PRINCES decree justice.

And may God, of his infinite mercy, through Jesus Christ, bless and preserve the KING and his family from the machinations of the wicked one: may he endue the PRINCE REGENT plenteously with heavenly gifts-the sword of the Spirit, and the shield of faith, that he may not bear the sword of justice in vain ;" and that truth and justice, religion and liberty may be established among us.

To the only wise GOD and SAVIOUR, be ascrib ed all praise, honour, and majesty.

FINIS.

Forshaw, Printer, Liverpool.

AS the MS. considerably exceeds what had been anticipated, and the work already exceeds the first proposal, by a hundred. pages, it is not possible to introduce the Appendix (five in number) here: and not merely because of the additional expense of printing, (which may account for the various prices this work has assumed,) but as they are a continuation of the same subject, elucidated by extracts from celebrated authors now extant, there is less need of them. Hence I may apologize for the many and long notes: should they be troublesome to any of my readers, pass them over, and give me a fair reading without them, and read them separately or together another time, before they condemn the work or the compiler. And beside, the world is inundated, if not crazed with books !--

The shelves are full; all other themes are sped,
Hackney'd and worn to the last flimsy thread!
Satire has long since done his best, and curst,
And loathsome ribaldry has done his worst;
Fancy has sported all her powers away,
In tales, in trifles, and mere children's play;
--------------- and most true,

Whate'er we write, we bring forth nothing new."

COWPER.

To say then that the world is in want, or even to desire -"So desired and so much desiderated problem !" of new publi-. cations, either entertaining, moral, political, or religious, is an evident mark, that the public mind is either so lax, vitiated,. corrupt, and dull to all solid literature, or, a gross libel on the learning, wisdom, and piety of innumerables ages! The apostle Paul saith," the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears! (2 Tim. iv. 3.) And in the preceding chapter, (iii. 1---6.) saith, "in the last days perilous times shall come: for men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud," &c. " for of this sort are they which creep into houses and lead captive silly women :---ever learning," and might add ever reading, and "never able to come to the knowledge of the truth." Never, surely, was a prediction so awfully and circumstantially fulfilled as at the present day!

With respect then to the deluge of books---the almost inuumerable names and catalogues of books, I shall only recommend, that whatever book any one may read, to gather honey only from the wild-flowers, as well as the garden-flowers ;---having the bible---the holy scriptures by the side of them; watching and waiting at the same time for the teaching and guidance of the great and good Spirit, to enable them to reduce to practice what is in perfect unison with the gospel of Jesus Christ, all may yet be well: and never, no never need another book be written on moral, political, or religious subjects.

Go forth, thou little book, stand in thy lot,
Whether I vindicate thee, or whether not:
Know, reader !

Tho' small my pow'r to act, the mean my skill,
God sees the heart, he judges by the will.

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