That sacred dedication to God, is little Regarded by many Persons who grow ripe in Sin in their very Youth. The Ordinary told them that their Childhood had been Vanity, because then they knew little of God, and their Youth is Vanity, because as soon as Reason began to dawn, their Vicious Dispositions grew stronger to Rebel stronger against him. That they had Rebelled also against Human Society, and the very light of Nature, in the checks of Conscience, and possibly against many resolutions of Reforming, which contracts hardness of Heart, and provokes the Lord justly to suspend his preventing Grace, because by custome they had made Sin familier, and the harder to be Retracted from. Notwithstanding it was not yet too late to seek unto God, that he would recover them out of the Snare of Satan, who had led them Captive in the fulfilling of their Lusts. Therefore their Duty now is, to lay themselves Prostrate before the most High, in the sense of their great Provocations of his Holiness, and then to implore him to create an Eye of Faith in them, to behold a Crucified Redeemer, able to save to the utmost sincere Penitentiaries; and that tho they could not soften their own Hearts, yet it is promised in the Covenant of Grace, that the Lord will take away the Heart of Stone, and give an Heart of Flesh: A tender flexible Disposition to Obey his Laws. Much more the Ordinary discoursed with them; afterwards he Prayed with them, and upon a short Exhortation, dismissed them for that time.

On Saturday he visited them again and having Prayed and Exhorted then to re-account from their own Mouths in Writing, what preparation they had made for a Blessed Eternity: Whereupon most of them freely confessed what their former course of Life had been, and expressing some Relenting, but not clearly understanding the nature of saving justifying Faith, nor of a thorow Conversion to God. The Ordinary instructed them in the difference twixt true and false Faith, Hope, and Charity, exhorting them to a speedy Repentance, then he Prayed again with them, and desired them to prepare themselves for the solemn Duties of the Lords Day approaching, that it might be a pledge of Eternal Rest, in Glory, and so dismissed them.

On the Lords Day the Ordinary read Prayers and Preached to them twice. In the Forenoon on the 9th. to the Hebrews, and the 27th Verse, It is appointed to all Men once to Dye and after that the Judgment.

In the Afternoon he Preached on the fourth Chapter of the Prophet Jeremiah, and the first Ver. If thou wilt return, O Israel, faith the Lord, return unto me; and if thou wilt put away thy Abominations out of my Sight, then shalt thou not Remove.

He observed that they were much affected with both those Discourses, and expressed sighs and Tears for their ill spent Lives. Some of them who before were not so Compliant with the Ordinaries Advice, now were very Active and Flexible.

On the Monday he Visited them again, and took a further Account what Impressions the sabbaoth Duties had left upon their Hearts, and inquired (after he had Prayed with them) what Grounds they had to hope for a future state of Blessedness: Those who had an early Reprieve came not to me, because the fear of Dying with the sense of their past Guilt, were worn out together: Only one among the Reprieved, viz. Elinor Steel< no role > , after she knew she was safe, desired me to Pray for her, that she might live in some measure sensible of so great a Mercy, and walk Humbly under it, and with more Circumspection for the future.

As for the other who had no hopes of a Reprieve, they submitted to a more thorow inquiery into their Soul State, and expressed more of a Penitential Frame, of which I now proceed to give an Account.

The first that offered her self to give the Ordinary an Account of her former course of Life, was Ann Scot< no role > , she was