diftinguish between the ftones and the stubble, 1 Cor. iii. 12. cease not ftatedly to hear the inftruction that caufeth to err; a practice contrary to exprefs fcripture, Prov. xix. 27. Mat. xvi. 12.-The fafhion, not the faith, regulates the conduct of many.

It has been a doctrine warmly espoused by many of late, that the civil magiftrate, as fuch, has no concern with the matters of Chrift's kingdom: that if men are good subjects, he has nothing to do with their religion; and that he is the guardian, not of both the tables, but of the second only *.

A flood of immorality is come in, threatening

* I have no quarrel at the good old doctrine, that the ma gistrate is cuftos et vindex utriufque tabula. He is exprefly stiled, the minifter of God, and a terror to evil doers, Rom. xiii. 3, 4. But to fay he is a terror to the notorious tranfgreffors of the fecond table only, is to distinguish where the law does not.The apoftle fays fimply, and without limitation, that he is a terror to the EVIL; but to deny that he has any concern with the breakers of the first table, is to teach that he is not a terror to all evil doers, but to fome only. Being the minifter of God, I humbly judge he has a right to punish those fins which strike directly against him, no less than those which more immediately affect our neighbour. Atheism, worshipping God by images, blafphemy, and Sabbath-breaking, are as plainly forbidden, as adultery or theft: and no folid reafon can be given, why the former fhould not be punished by the judges, as well as the latter. This doctrine bears no unfriendly afpect to liberty of confcience. Confcience is to be ruled by the law. If fome think, that to kill men is to ferve God, John xvi. 2. muft they therefore be allowed? Nor is the magistrate's power to punish firft-table fins, calculated to make hypocrites. He has nothing to do with men's hearts; their external actions only come under his cognizance. There is a huge difference between pu nishing a man for blafphemy, and forcing him to pray.

and defence of the doctrine of juftification, thro' imputed righteousness, led our way from Rome; and the cloud that is now caft over it, fearfully forefodes our return. Juftification and fanctification are the Jachin and the Boaz, the pillars of the temple of truth; and confidering how these are weakened to day by the hands of many work-men, that temple must be as a bowing wall, and a tottering fence.

Tho' all fubfcribe one and the fame Confeffion of Faith; yet it is but too evident, that like the 39 articles of the church of England, it is fubfcribed by many, not as a test of orthodoxy, but only as a bond of peace. Nothing can be more oppofite than often their doctrine who have fubfcribed the fame confeffion. Sooner might the iron and the clay mix in the monarch's dream, Dan. ii. 43. than their doctrine can be made to agree. To ufe the words of a late luminary in the neighbourhood *, That there is a difference in doctrine, is fo true, that it cannot be denied; and fo important, that it fhould not be concealed.'-Pillars of Arian and Socinian fmoke have arifen in different corners of the land. Several there are, who, if they do not impudently deny the Godhead, and the facrifice of the Son; yet they criminally conceal thefe foundation-doctrines of Chriftianity. Numbers have loft the fight and favour of evangelic truth. Arminianifm is the modifh doctrine: and provided the Preacher's action be graceful, and his ftyle ornamented, there is little or no follicitude with many as to his orthodoxy. Nay, numbers who can yet Dr. Witherspoon, late of Paifley.

diftinguish between the stones and the stubble, I Cor. iii. 12. cease not ftatedly to hear the inftruction that causeth to err; a practice contrary to exprefs fcripture, Prov. xix. 27. Mat. xvi. 12.-The fashion, not the faith, regulates the conduct of many.

It has been a doctrine warmly espoused by many of late, that the civil magiftrate, as fuch, has no concern with the matters of Chrift's kingdom: that if men are good subjects, he has nothing to do with their religion; and that he is the guardian, not of both the tables, but of the fecond only *.

A flood of immorality is come in, threatening

* I have no quarrel at the good old doctrine, that the ma giftrate is cuftos et vindex utriufque tabula. He is exprefly stiled, the minifter of God, and a terror to evil doers, Rom. xiii. 3, 4. But to say he is a terror to the notorious tranfgreffors of the fecond table only, is to diftinguish where the law does not.The apoftle fays fimply, and without limitation, that he is a terror to the EVIL; but to deny that he has any concern with the breakers of the first table, is to teach that he is not a terror to all evil doers, but to fome only. Being the minifter of God, I humbly judge he has a right to punish thofe fins which strike directly against him, no less than those which more immediately affect our neighbour. Atheism, worshipping God by images, blafphemy, and Sabbath-breaking, are as plainly forbidden, as adultery or theft: and no folid reafon can be given, why the former fhould not be punished by the judges, as well as the lat

This doctrine bears no unfriendly afpect to liberty of confcience. Confcience is to be ruled by the law. If some think, that to kill men is to ferve God, John xvi. 2. muft they therefore be allowed? Nor is the magistrate's power to punish firft-table fins, calculated to make hypocrites. He has nothing to do with men's hearts; their external actions only come under his cognizance. There is a huge difference between punishing a man for blafphemy, and forcing him to pray.

to bear down all before it. It overflows all the banks of Britain in a most fearful manner: Because of fwearing the land mourneth. The Lord's day is publicly prophaned, and with impunity. What mean the loiterers at home, the haunters of the tavern, the rattling of the chariot wheels on our ftreets, and the crouds who traverse the fields? Do not all thefe, as with a loud and an inceffant voice proclaim, the enemy is come in like a flood? Fair chastity has, in a great measure, left our land; and the unclean spirit walks thro' it in it's length and it's breadth. They declare their fin as Sodom, they hide it not.

A flood of neutrality is come in. How fearfully do the billows roll! Multitudes are ftill at their ease in Zion. Gallio-like, they care for none of these things. Though the ark is now on the waters, if ever, they have no follicitude; no: not one figh, that the may come fafe afhore. is not all.

For,

But this

2. The Romish enemy is come in like a flood. Thro' the two neighbouring kingdoms, the priests of Rome can walk, and commit idolatry as before all Ifrael, and before the fun. Schools they can openly erect; and who knows how foon they may initiate the unwary youth in all the abominations of the fcarlet-coloured whore. With what a difmal profpect do these things prefent us! What an unfavourable eye do they caft on the Proteftant vine which God brought out of Egypt! That precious vine is not plucked up: but if her hedges be broken down, every paffenger may pluck her; the boar of the forest waste her, and the wild beaft de

vour her, Pfal. lxxx. 12, 13. When the fons of Rome may traduce the gofpel as they please, provided they hatch no treafon against the civil government, and may they never, how pitiable the profpect! Who that has his eyes in his head, but must tremble at it! But,

3. The floods are lifting up their waves, and threatening ftill a more extensive spread. What an alarm is through Scotland, left the fluices of Popery be opened wider ftill, and that enemy be let in as a fea upon us! What matter of mourning, if the bulwarks our fathers built, as with their own blood, be caft down in one day! If the altar of Damascus may stand untouched in the midst of our Jerufalem, I am afraid our temple may foon be reduced to afhes. If Dagon univerfally enter, the glory, the Proteftant religion, must depart. They cannot ftand together. In whatever proportion the one rifes, in the fame muft the other fall *. The votaries of Rome cannot reft. They will agonize for the ascendancy; and having got it, Edom's cry will be raised, Raze, raze Jerufalem even to it's foundation, Pfal. cxxxvii. 7.

Though their rock is not as our rock ; yet they have advantages in the estimation of the world which we nobly difdain. They have gold to acquire property, to bribe the covetous, and buy the poor; fubtilty to deceive the simple,

* Perhaps their is more truth in the observation, than many are inclined to think, viz. that if once there be no law against Popery, then the period feems at no great diftance when there fhall be a law for it.