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 tx mo 
 
 Duke University Libraries 
 
 Friendly conver 
 Conf Pam 12mo #584 
 
 0^047613 + 
 
No. 53. 
 
 FRIENDLY CONVERSATION. 
 
 » My dear Friend — Will you permit one, with the best 
 intentions, to converse with you a few moments on a very 
 important subject ? As a friend, I feel interested in your 
 welfare; allow mc, then, to inquire, What are you? 
 What ought you to be ? What must you be? 
 
 I. What are you, my friend ? 
 
 The question is one which each of us should be prepared 
 to answer, and it surely deserves your serious consideration. 
 
 You are a rational aiM <m accountable being. The past 
 you can remember. You can reflect and reason on what 
 is present — on any piece of work you are engaged in, or on 
 the friendly tract in your hand. And the future you can 
 anticipate, or look forward to. Hence those alarming 
 thoughts which you have felt when a friend has been 
 snatched away by the iron hand of death, or when pale 
 sickness has threatened to bring you to "the king of 
 terrors''/ Of all the creatures on earth, man alone is capable 
 of doing this. This faculty you and I have received from 
 God our Maker; and hence, 
 
 We are accountable to him for every thought we think, 
 for every' word we speak, and for every thing we do. Mat, 
 ] 2 : 36. God has not left us to do as we think proper ; he 
 has. given us a law, which is exceedingly broad, extending 
 to thought, word, and action. This law is contained in 
 the Bible, and is holy, jusr, and good. Did you evar think 
 of this, my friend? ' 
 
* FRIENDLY CONVERSATION. 
 
 The law of God proves that you are a sinful creature. 
 Its righteous demand is, that you love God at all times, 
 with all your m'nd and strength, and your neighbor, 
 whether enemy or friend, as yourself. Now, I will suppose 
 you are not as bad as many are, who are openly and daring- 
 ly " fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, thieves, covetous, 
 drunkards, revilers, or extortioners/' 1 Cor. 6: 9, 10. 
 These are in a most alarming state indeed. They " shall 
 not inherit the kingdom of God." Awful declaration. 
 Where, then, shall they take up their everlasting abode ? 
 There is only one other kingdom to afford them shelter — 
 the kingdom of Satan: and who can dwell with " everlast- 
 ing burnings ? Who can take np his abode amidst "de- 
 vouring fire ? " 
 
 I would rejoice, my friend, if you rank not among these 
 open enemies of God, who wear frhe mark of destruction in 
 their forehead. But, alas, if you have broken only one 
 commandment of the law, or have ceased to love God with 
 all your heart for a single moment, you are a sinner ; he 
 that keepefch the whole law, and offendeth in one point, is 
 guilty of all. James 2 : 10. Now, this law, which you 
 must be conscious you have broken, thunders the most 
 dreadful curses on every soul of man that acts as you have 
 done. Gal. 3; 10. It will admit of no compromise. You 
 must present a perfect obedience to it, or suffer all the 
 weight of its curse for ever. How many thousands are 
 now groaning under this weight, while we are speaking of 
 it, and must continue to do so through an awful eternity. 
 God declares your situation to be dreadful, Rom. 3 ; 10, 
 etc. And yet amidst all this, 
 
 You are a dying creature. As many years as you have 
 lived, so many Death has been on his way towards you to 
 deprive you of life. Surely, then, he can be at no -great 
 distance now. Have not his arrows, flying around ? eutting 
 
FRIENDLY CONVERSATION. 3 
 
 off your friends and acquaintances, warned you of Ins ap- 
 proach? Perhaps now, while yon read, he is setting you 
 as his mark, and drawing to the head the arrow which will 
 break the thread of life, and plunge yen into eternity. 
 And are you prepared to stand before the judgment-seat 
 of Christ, to give an account of the deeds done in the body ? 
 Remember. 
 
 You are an immortnl creature. Your soul will live for 
 ever, either in heaven or in hell. And "as the tree falls, 
 so it must lie'" for ever. If you die unholy, you will be 
 unholy still. 
 
 II. lYh<'t, t/irn, wiijlit you to be? 
 
 You ought ne longer to remain careless and unconcerned 
 about your immortal soul. Why should you spend your 
 precious moments in contriving how you may gather riches, 
 or gratify the desires of the flesh, when every moment may 
 be your last? Did God create you only that you might 
 gather money, or that you might become expert in trade, 
 or that you might eat and drink, and sleep and wake, like 
 the brutes that perish ? 
 
 You should diligently read the Bible. For, however 
 you may neglect it now, you must be judged by it ere long. 
 You should constantly attend the preaching of the gospel, 
 that you may be made wise unto salvation. And, above 
 all, you should immediately flee to Jesus Christ, in earnest 
 prayer and a living faith, that you may be pardoned 
 through his blood, acquitted before God for his righteous- 
 ness' sake, and be made holy by the power of the Spirit. 
 
 Now. let me entreat you — and then I have done — seri- 
 ously to inquire, for a moment, 
 
 III. What must you be ? 
 
 You are now either the friend or the enemy of God. If 
 
* FRIENDLY CONVERSATION. 
 
 3'ou reverence and love him, ^because be is so holy and so 
 just that be cannot but abhor every kind and degree of sin, 
 and -is determined to punish it in the most tremendous: 
 manner, while he pardons and saves the penitent and be-' 
 lieving sinner, then you are 'the friend of God, interested 
 in the merits of his Son, and fitted, by his Spirit, for his 
 presence in heaven. But if not, you are his enemy, fit only 
 for hell; and, dying in your present state, you will, you 
 must be banished thither. 
 
 If unholy, what would you do in heaven ? What sort of 
 company, employment, and pleasure would you find there ? 
 It would be a hell to you, in your present state; and sick- 
 ness and death will make no change in you for the better; 
 they have no power at all to do this : nothing but believing 
 on Jesus Christ, loving and obeying him, can prepare Us 
 for, or entitle us^ to, a place in his kingdom. Both you 
 and I, my dear friend, must for ever dwell either with 
 angels and just men made perfect in heaven, or with devils 
 and damned souls in hell. There is no possible alterna- 
 tive; and how soon our state may be fixed, who can tell? 
 
 Here I am obliged to stop. But ah, how can I take my 
 leave ? Perhaps all this will be in vain; the snares of the 
 world, the deceitfulness of riches, the wiles of Satan, and 
 the depravity of my friend's heart, will cause him to throw 
 aside this paper, and forget these infinitely important 
 truths; he may live and die a stranger to salvation through 
 Jesus Christ; and then — how shall I utter it — he will be 
 for ever undone. Nay, this friendly endeavor to lead him 
 to Christ will then aggravate his final ruin. But, should 
 these truths sink down, into your heart, my dear friend, and 
 cause you to flee from the wrath to come, to a crucified 
 Saviour, my present pain will be all forgot, while I rejoice 
 with angels over one sinner that repenteth. Farewell. 
 
Hollinger Corp. 
 pH 8.5 
 
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