and in eternity. The immortality of the foul, the refurrection of the body, the conflagration of the world, the final judgment of Men and Angels, and the reftitution of all things, are among the important and aftonishing difcoveries, exhibited to our view, in this ever bleffed Gofpel.

4. Again, in reference to his Priefly Office, the Gospel implies a free and fincere offer of privileges, which Chrift hath procured for us by his death, and received, in consequence of his afcenfion into heaven. What these privileges are, I need not now take up your time in endeavouring to fhew. You, my brethren, are well apprized that remission of fins, the favour and friendfhip of God, and adoption into his family, whereby we become his fons and daughters, are among the first and principal of them. Thefe prepare the way for others, fuch as our heavenly Father's peculiar care and protec tion, an ample provifion for the fupply of all our wants, temporal and ipiritual, with an affurance that all things, even afs fiction and death, fhall work for our good. Add to this, that Chrift has procured for us, and in his Gofpel offers to us, fellowship with GOD," through the eternal Spirit; which, as it implies a title to, and, in fome degree, at leaft, a meetnefs for the happinefs ielerved for us in the heavenly manfions, fo it is alio an earnest of that happiness in our hearts. Thefe bleffed privileges of the Golpel here, are, you know, to be crowned with the everlafting vifion and enjoyment of God hereafter, when his people thall be admitted to fee his face and behold his glory, fo as to be transformed fully into his likenefs, and pofleffed eternally of his felicity.

5. Once more: if the Gofpel be confidered in reference to the Kingly Office of Chrift, it implies the promulgation of a variety of Laws, enforced with fan&tions, the most momentous and awful that can be imagined, even with promifes of happinefs, and threatenings of mifery, infinite and eternal. All thefe laws are wife and holy, juft and good. They enjoin repentance towards God, and faith in our Lord Jefus Chrift, in order to our poffefling any, even the first of the forementioned privileges, remiffion of fins, or juftification before God. And upon thofe that are juftified and thereby furnished with the main fpring of obedience, Love, they inculcate the uniform practice of piety and virtue in all their branches, directing us in every part of our duty to GOD, our neighbour, and ourfelves, and teaching us, that denying ungodliness and worldly lufts, we fhould live foberly, righteously, and godly, in this prefent world; looking for the bleffed hope, and glo.. rious appearing of the great GOD, and our Saviour Jefus Chrift."

6. That thefe Laws of Chrift make a part, and an important part of the Gofpel, is evident from this confideration,

that

that Chrift is as certainly a KING, as he is a Prophet, or a Prieft, and requires our obedience, as much as our faith or confidence. As 'his Prophetic office, in the 'execution of which he reveals great and important truths, would be of no advantage to us if we did not believe him, nor his Priestly -Office, whereby he atones for our fins and procures for us ineftimable privileges, if we did not truft in him: fo neither is his Kingly office any thing to us, if we do not obey and ferve him. He is a Law-giver and a Judge, as well as a Saviour; and while we apply to him, and depend on him for eternal falvation, we must remember he is "the Author of it, only to thofe that obey him." We are therefore, “nót without law to God, but under the law to Chrift," who, when we ftand at his judgment feat, "will render to every man according to his deeds, and give eternal life only to thofe, who by patient continuance in well-doing, feek for glory, honour, and immortality." Whereas, to thofe that do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteoufnefs, he will render "indiguation and wrath, tribulation and anguish." From all which it is manifeft, as St. John teftifies, that they only are “ blessed that do his commandments," inafmuch as they alone "have a right to the tree of life, and fhall enter in through the gates into the city," Rev. xxii. 14.

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Hence it is, that in the parallel paffages, recorded Mått. xxviii. 20, and Luke xxiv. 47. our Lord is represented as giving the fame, or a like charge, in different words. In Luke it is, "That repentance and remiffion of fins 'fhould be preached in his name among all nations," and in Matt. "Go ye and difciple all nations,-teaching them to obferve all things whatfoever I have commanded you." The Commands, for Laws of Chrift, therefore, are a part of the Gofpel, or Gladridings published unto us. And that they may manifefly ap. pear to be fuch, GOD hath promifed under the new and better Covenant, to" write them on the hearts" of his people. See Jerem. xxxi: 31, and Heb. viii. 6.

7. If this be the nature of the Gospel, it will not be difficult to fay, (Firft) what is implied in preaching it. It is undoubtedly to teach the truths which it reveals. This must be done clearly, in language intelligible to all, even to the moft ignorant and illiterate; and, if poflible, with fuch a judicious arrangement of matter, and diftinétnefs of method, that while lower truths, and fuch as are more eafily underflood, make way for and prepare the mind to receive thofe that are higher, and or more difficult apprehenfion, all may be easily and laftingly remembered. Again; it must be done fully. Nothing that will be profitable to our hearers, muft be kept back from them, but the whole counfel of God" mult be declared, at least, as far as concerns their falvation, prefent or eternal. And if we

have not opportunity, during the fhort time of our refidence with a people, to enter upon and difcufs the controverted, and lefs important truths of Christianity, we muft, at leaft, take care to explain to them and enforce upon them, its leading and effential doctrines. Further: these truths must be taught affectionately. We must inftruct our people as a Father inftructs his children, whom he dearly loves, and whose welfare in time and in eternity, he has at heart. Love to them, and an earnest defire for their falvation, must be the fpring of all our discourses. Our preaching in public, and our exhortations in private, muft flow from this principle; and the affection of our hearts must manifeft itfelf in all our words and actions. We muft fpeak as thofe that have compaffion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way, remembering, that we ourselves, alfo, are compaffed about with infirmity," while, at the fame time, we rejoice in the increasing knowledge and holinefs of thofe that "receive the truth in the love of it." Once more: We must inculcate thefe truths diligently; as St. Paul enjoins Timothy, 2 Epi. iv. 11. charging him "before Gon, and the Lord Jefus Chrift," to obferve this injunction. We must fo preach the word as to be " inftant in feafon and out of feafon :" muft "convince, reprove, and exhort, with all long-fuffering and doctrine." Yea, and in order hereto, as the Apostle further obferves, must watch in all things, that we may let " no fair occafion pafs unheeded by," but may difcern and embrace every favourable opportunity, whether in private or in public, of communicating knowledge. We must be ready to endure afflictions and hardships of every kind, in the profecution of our work, not counting our ease, our honour, our liberty, or our lives, dear unto ourfelves, fo we may but" do the work of Evangelifts, make full proof of our calling, finifh our courfe with joy, and the miniftry we have received of the Lord Jefus, to testify the Gofpel of the grace of GoD."

8. To preach the Gofpel is (fecondly) to exhibit the privileges which it offers. This must be done freely. They must be tendered to mankind, as the Scripture fpeaks," without money and without price." Our hearers must be given to underfland that remiffion of fins, acceptance with God, adoption into his family, regeneration, entire fanctification, and even eternal life, are all the gifts, the free, undeferved gifts of God through Jefus Chrift, and are offered to them without any regard to their merit, yea, notwithstanding their demerit. They must be made fenfible that " not by works of righteoufnefs which they have done, but according to his mercy God will fave them, by the washing of regeneration, and the renewing of the Holy Ghoft," and therefore that unworthy, guilty, and deferving

deferving of condemnation and wrath as they are, they are welcome, nay, are invited and urged to receive these bleffings. Now as men are very averfe to believe this doctrine, and yet amidst the trials and troubles of this prefent life, have great need of the fupport and confolation it affords, these privileges muft be offered them frequently. This fhould make one part, perhaps, I might fay, the principal part, of almoft every Sermon. And in private alfo, we ought to be frequently inviting them to the poffeffion of thefe bleffings, and demonftrating from Scripture and reason, the readiness of the Lord Jefus to beflow them upon all that apply to him for them. All, I fay, for these privileges must be offered to mankind univerfally, without any exception. The high and low, rich and poor, young and old, profeffors and prophane, must be invited to partake of these unfearchable riches of Chrift. "Let him that is athirft, come," must be our language, and "whofoever will, let him come and take of the fountain of the water of life freely." For" whofoever cometh, he will in no wife caft out." They must be informed notwithstanding, that these privileges, will not be conferred upon, and, in the nature of things, cannot be received by the impenitent and unbelieving. We must therefore make this gracious offer conditionally, infifting on repentance and faith, as terms or conditions, required of all who expect to be admitted to a participation of Gospel bleffings; which repentance and faith, however, we muft affure them are the gifts of GOD, and will be bestowed on all who fincerely and earnestly afk and feek for them.

9. Yet again on this head. To preach the Gospel is (3dly) to declare and enforce the precepts it enjoins. This thould. be done boldly and faithfully. In reproving fin, and fhewing people their duty, we must not fear the face of any man, but muft regard only the prefence of God, his all-feeing eye, the terrible Day of Judgment, and the obligations of our office. The Lord, we must remember, hath appointed us to be watch men over his people, we must therefore "hear the word at his mouth, and give them faithful warning from him." And we muft do this under a conviction that our own fouls are at flake, that if we "fpeak not unto them, to warn them, to turn from their wicked ways, that they may fave their fouls alive, that they fhall die in their iniquity, but their blood fhall be required at our hands;" whereas, if we do warn them faithfully, although they should not turn from their wickedness, but should die in their iniquity, we fhall deliver our fouls. Again we muft fpeak plainly and intelligibly on this important fubject, that, if poffible, they may have juft and clear ideas of the fpirituality, extent, and obligation of the law of Chrift, the XVII. Jan. 1794

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Gofpel law, the law of love and liberty, and of every part of their duty as enjoined thereby. We muft ufe every means in our power to give them the neceffary information refpecting both fin and righteousness, truth and error, that, as the Apof tle fpeaks, they may have their fenfes properly exercised to difcern both good and evil. And in enforcing the precepts of Christianity we must be impartial, having no refpect of perfons. We must be as ready to remind the rich and the great of their duty, and to reprove them for their faults, as the poor and the mean. Only, in order that our advice and reproofs may be well taken, and may answer their intended end, we muft be fo mindful of the fuperiority of their station in life, as to addrefs them with proper refpect, and carry ourselves with a becoming modefty and difference, in all our intercourse with them. I muft obferve alfo, that thefe laws of Chrift must be inculcated earnestly and awfully. I mean hereby, that we should urge them upon our hearers, under a deep conviction of their very great importance, and that falvation is abfolutely impoffible, as to thofe that know not God, fo alfo to thofe that obey not the Gofpel of our Lord Jefus Chrift. Perfuaded of this, we must addrefs them on this topic, a topic on which their everlasting ALL depends, with fuitable earneftnefs and awe; and, if poffible, muft not leave them till they are brought to acquiefce in the whole will of God, and refolve, through his grace, to make hafte, and not delay to keep all his_commandments, and endeavour to be holy in all manner of con verfation and godlinefs.

[To be continued.]

A fhort Account of the Experience and Death of Mr. JOHN HATTON. Written by his Son.

Y Father JOHN HATTON, was born at Lightcliff, near Halifax, Yorkshire, in 1724. In the feventeenth year of his age, Mr. John Nelfon came down from London, and began preaching at Birftal. The report of this new religion, as it was then called, fpread far and wide, and my Father, along with the wondering multitude, went to hear this ftrange preacher. His mind was in fome degree affected by the Word, he became a conftant hearer, and through the influence of reftraining Grace, was preferved from outward fin. But in about three years after, Mr. Nelfon being preffed for a foldier, my father was led away by young company, and withdrew himself from hearing the Word of God. For four years he continued in a backйliding flate; the gracious impreffions made on his mind, gradually wore away, and he walked according

to