PART I. The INTRODUCTION СНАР. 2 1. A bort account of the author, and his feduction to vice by Mr Ts; of their debauched lives, and the horrors confequent thereupon II. Of the author's converfion. His letter from the country to Mr Ts, with Mr Ts's anfwer, difplaying his dreadful fituation, and the gracious difcoveries of God to his foul 23 III. The author returns from the country to his friend; their joyful meeting. Mr Ts's reaJons for not afking the affiftance of clergymen, with bis affectionate advice to the author IV. Objections made to religion by a young gentleman. Mr Ts's answer, in defence of Chriftianity and religious experience; with a folemn exhortation to the objector V. Mr Ts's account of an occafional conference with a modeft young girl. A fecond Speech in defence of revealed religion; with a pathetic exhortation to a religious life 42 49 64 77 VI. The author, at his friend's defire, comes to lodge in the fame house, and attends him conftantly. A young gentleman defiring proper means of inftruction, Mr Ts's advice to him thereupon, with a lift of fome books proper for the purpose VII. A Speech made by Mr Ts to his companions in iniquity; containing an account of his parents, education, feduction to vice, wicked behaviour, borrors of confcience, and converfion; with a folemn exhortation to his companions 85 VIII. Mr Ts's fatisfaction after reflecting on his addrefs to his companions. His reflections on the proSpect of death, and repentance for his lewd life; with his affectionate Speech to the author 123 IX. Some account of a ftudious young lady in mens cloaths. Mr Ts's relation of his adventures in a difguifed babit, with a folemn warning given him by a virtuous lady. An account of his mistress 133 X. Containing four letters written by Mr T- bis deathbed, with fome claufes in his laft will 150 XI. Another letter written by Mr T- faid by him on his deathbed, with his addrefs to XII. Mr T- -sis feized with a violent cough. He is vifited once and again by all his companions. Foretels the time of his death. An account of his Speeches and behaviour before and at his triumphant XIII. The behaviour of Mr Ts's companions on bis death, and his funeral. The author's letter to his father. He retires to the country. I The author vifits the most noted towns, and col lects ftriking anecdotes. The history of Fanny, ruhe II. Extracts from Henry and Fanny's epistolary cor refpondence. Henry's account of the adventures of {{ III. Fanny's account of the dying behaviour and hap-. Py death of a young amiable maid-servant IV. Fanny's affecting narrative of the horrible fate, V. Henry's account of the converfion and happy death of a country-gentleman, the great fortune be left to bis kept mistress, with her after virtuous life, and comfortable marriage with a gentleman in London 333 MEMOIRS O F Two Young Gentlemen. INTRODUCTION. A Modern writer hath very justly observed, that there has rarely paled a life, of which a judicious and faithful narrative would not be useful. For, adds he, every man has great numbers in the fame condition with himself, to whom his mistakes and mifcarriages, efcapes and expedients, would be of immediate and apparent ufe. We are all prompted by the fame motives, all deceived by the fame fallacies, all animated by hope, obstructed by danger, entangled by defire, and feduced by pleafure.. If then a narrative of an ordinary life, even when confidered apart from adventitious and feparable decorations and difguifes, may be of great utility to mankind; how much more extenfively useful, may I prefume, will be that of my own, and of my dear deceafed friend, whofe days were for fome years fpent in a scene of the groffeft impurity and lewdnefs, till we were stopt in our awful career, and reclaimed from the error of our ways, by that God who faith, I will work, and who shall let it? To exhibit the most striking inftances of the fares and feduction to which youth are liable; of the horrors of confcience confequent upon a life of vice and diffipation; of the amazing effi A cacy cacy of fovereign grace in the converfion and falvation of the most profligate finners, who were dead in fins and trefpaffes, enemies to God by wicked works, children of wrath, and liable to condemnation; of the pleafures of a religious life, far fuperior to all fenfual gratifications; and of the joy and bleffed nefs of dying in the Lord, is the defign of the following narrative which the reader will find interfperfed with awful warnings to companions in iniquity, ferious exhortations to improve the time of divine forbearance and benignity afforded to men, and entertaining and remarkable anecdotes of the glorious effects of the redeeming love and grace of God in the falvation of fome perfons of the most abandoned characters. The whole calculated to humble and reclaim the fons of vice and profanenefs, to animate every pious foul that afpires to heaven and immortality, to reprefs felf-righteoufnefs fo'natural to men in their lapfed ftate, to exalt the righteoufnefs of God, as the one thing needful, and to promote the facred interests of religion and godliness, A fhort account of the author, and his feduction to vice by Mr Ts; of their debauched lives, and the horrors confequent thereupon. IJs Nu was born in a northern county in England, and was the only child and heir of a gentleman who lived conftantly at his country-feat. As he had a genteel fortune, and was of a fociable and benevolent difpofition, he fpent his time in rural diverfions, in friendly fociety with the gentlemen in his neighbourhood, and in a series of charitable actions to the poor, of whatever party or denomination; but without much much regarding religion, or the concerns of the world to come; unlefs an occasional attendance on divine ordinances difpenfed in a diffenting meeting-house not far from his feat, can be confidered as fufficiently characteristic of a good Chriftian; for though it does not appear he was religious, he always efpoufed the diffenting intereft, being an enemy to ceremonies and pomp in. divine worship, which he looked upon as relics of Popery, and human traditions. As my mother, who was an accomplished, learned, and religious lady, whom my father married when they were both pretty well advanced in years, and whom he entirely loved, died in my infancy; I became the fole object of his moft endeared regard. I was taught Latin at the parish-school, by a ma, fter of fome note; and was not without the afliftance of tutorial and parental inftruction. My life indeed in that early period was fpent in the follies and idle diverfions that youth are naturally addicted to: but though I had no great genius, I was celebrated for a diligent application to my books, and an ardent thirft after claffical knowledge; and my father, blind to the defects of my genius, or perhaps through an overweening conceit of my being poffeffed of endowments which I could never attain to, flattered himself with the vain hopes that I fhould one day make a figure in the world. He therefore directed my youth, ful ftudies with uncommon care, and furnished me with all the books he thought neceffary for my improvement. But how vain are the expectations of weak-fighted mortals, and how foolith the hopes of doting parental affection, that is merely concerned about the outfide of things, will appear in the fequel. My father, alas! unmindful that religion and virtue are the highest ornaments of human nature, the true and fole A 2 |