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For men to adopt certain articles of the Confession, as I understand some do, and still profess to believe them in what they call an explained sense; and when they come to give their explained sense, explain the true meaning all away, is also to impose upon mankind by acting a disingenuous part. The experiment has been tried before now with great success. It prepared the way for a set of clergymen solemnly subscribing artis cles at their ordination, and preaching against them all their life time. Their Confession of Faith and their preaching were constantly at war. But we are not under equal temptations to such gross dissimulation.

In our state, deception is growing rapidly. It has not only got into the market house, but I fear is also getting into the house of God, and defiling his holy temple.

Let us grow in the knowledge of God as he is revealed in the word, as omniscient, as almighty in pow er, infinite in holiness, inflexible in justice, unbounded in goodness, and absolute in truth. Contemplate this infinitely great and glorious object, until filled with holy reverence and esteem, humble adoration, and ardent gratitude; until we see that, as creatures, we are nothing in his sight, and as sinners, less than nothing, and lighter than vanity. I say, contemplate that God who chargeth his angels with folly, and in whose sight the heavens are not pure, and we shall be little disposed to admire ourselves and our own attainments; but would

have the same points of affinity and repulsion, and virtually conspire to promote the dark business of subverting christianity.

Anon.

rather view ourselves as less than the least of all saints. Yes, a proper view of the glory of God's holiness would stain the pride of all our glory, and induce us to think but little of our own perfections. If we knew more of Jesus Christ, as the brightness of the Father's glory, the Creator of the universe, the Redeemer of lost sinners, the great Governor and Judge of the world, we should not so much admire Christ within us. We should think less of the Spirit within us, if we knew more of the Spirit who worketh in us both to will and to do.

Our ignorance of God makes us ignorant of ourselves: our ignorance of ourselves fills us with vanity, leads to despise others, and esteem this an age of superior light and knowledge, and ourselves its great luminaries. This vanity, the child of ignorance, prepares the mind for the reception of every new error advanced with confidence and a specious appearance of piety and zeal: we esteem it a new acquisition-a further advancement towards perfection.

A proper knowledge and sense of God, impressed upon our hearts, would restrain many of those gusts of passion, that flutter of animal spirits in which some seem to think religion chiefly consists: it would weigh down, balance, compose, and solemnize our minds, and produce an habitual esteem of the excellency of Christ and the gospel of free grace, and a sacred regard to the laws and government of God.

Is it possible that we should see another and a true revival of religion in this country? It is impossible with men, but with God all things are possible.

When we seriously view the general state of religion, and the state of our particular churches; the growing inattention of the people, and especially the youth; how greatly have we blundered, and how liable to do so again; how have we provoked God and exposed ourselves to his displeasure, we have reason to fear he will disown us forever, and remember mercy no more, and thus sink into despair. But let us turn our eyes from earth to heaven, and check these despondencies by considering the infinite goodness and almighty power of God, and still hope for salvation; hope that God would heal our backslidings and love us freely.

Let ministers endeavour to be better acquainted with each other, and with the people, and more united in their affections and exertions.

Perhaps one cause of our unhappy divisions was the want of mutual acquaintance and confidence. Our unhappiness was, we came from various parts of the continent, and brought with us our little local differences, manners, and prejudices. Most of us being young, we had but little knowledge of ourselves, experience of the world, and, especially, acquaintance with religious revivals. None were natives of this country, and but few educated in it. We were so widely dispersed that we had not time and opportunity to become properly acquainted. Had we been better acquainted, and more united, we should probably have made one exertion to promote religion, and one exertion to prevent or cure what was amiss and hurtful to the cause. When one saw what, to him, appeared hurtful to religion, and out of a friendly regard mentioned it to others, he would

not, for this reason, have been esteemed an enemy to the work and treated with shyness. A deficiency in one might have been supplied by another, to the edification of the whole. Errors in judgment or practice might have been prevented or cured in time. The work might have been preserved from a number of hurtful excrescences, its credit preserved, and a thousand evils prevented. We should now learn wisdom. from what is past, correct former errors, and endeavour to act more wisely in future.

Let us all, and especially ministers, exert ourselves more and more to promote a proper regard to the great fundamental principles of Cristianity; and, at the same time, with equal zeal and diligence, inculcate the life, power, and practice of it. These should ever be united, and always go together. and not by angry controversy, let us roneous principle and practice. In this let us be firm, steady, and persevering, leaving events to that God with whom is the residue of the Spirit.

By these means, oppose every er

All who name the name of Christ should be anxiously engaged to depart from all iniquity, and live the lives of Christians, not being conformed to this world, but transformed by the renewing of their minds. Christians should carefully observe the precepts of morality, be temperate and sober, and make conscience of relative duties: do justice and love mercy, as well as walk humbly with God. Do justice to their country, to themselves, their neighbours, their relations, and their ministers. In vain we pretend to glorify God, or expect to enjoy the true comforts of religion, while we live in the

wilful known neglect of these moral duties; of which neglect many warm lively professors are known to be guilty. They are glorifying God with their lips, but he is condemning them in his word. They are indulging pleasing hopes of heaven, but God is angry with them every day, and hell is their certain portion.

Parents should realize themselves ministers of God's word to their families, that their houses are Christian churches, and the souls of their children and servants their charge.

A good moral life, arising from a sense of duty to God, is a much better evidence of a sound conversion, and more recommends religion, than the warmest talk, the most lively feelings, or greatest transports of joy, raised on particular occasions. Indeed, all that assurance and those joys, that do not tend to humble us before our Maker, and fill us with holy reverence, empty us of self, lead us to exalt Christ, resign to the will of God, and obey his commands, are greatly to be suspected. Such religion commonly exists no longer than these lively feelings can be kept up, because there is wanting an inward principle of spiritual life, there being no habitual change in the temper of the heart.

My dear brethren, the christian religion, which we have the happiness to be taught, and the great honour of professing, has always met with much opposition in our guilty world. All the power of persecution, all the arts of vain philosophy, all the delusions of error, have been armed against it. The reason is, it is directly op posed to the carnality, worldliness, and pride of the human heart, Yet it has been, and shall be, preserved in

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