the world, have had their affections on things above, whose treasure, the object of their chief care and pursuit, has been not in the things of this world, but in heaven. They may not be rejected by Christ as workers of iniquity; but they have no title to the appellation of good and faithful servants, to a master whom they have never truly loved or respected, and hardly even thought of, and therefore cannot expect to partake in the joy of their Lord.

II. Besides other obvious uses of public worship, a person who wishes to cultivate the true spirit, and acquire the proper habits of his religion, must not neglect it. We are social beings, and our joining in any scheme in which we are alike interested, is a mutual encouragement to persevere in it, and to pursue it with proper ardour. It likewise operates as a tie not lightly to desert the profession, and such a tie men concerned in the multifarious business of this life often want,

III. Private and habitual devotion is the life and soul of all practical religion. No man can be truly religious who does not, in his daily thoughts, respect the presence and government of God, and who does not regard him as the author of all things,

and

and the sovereign disposer of all events; so as to live as seeing him who is invisible; as I have explained pretty much at large in a printed discourse on this subject.

IV. Family prayer, if not of absolute necessity, is of great use in all christian families. Dr. Hartley, one of the most judicious, as well of the most pious of men, says observation on man vol. 2. p. 336, "I belive it may be laid down as a certain

46

fact, that no master or mistress of a family can "have a true concern for religion, or be a

would of

God, who does not take care to worship God by

family prayer. Let the observation of the fact “determine.” I would not chuse to express myself: quite in this manner, since much must be allowed to the different circumstances of families; but thus much may certainly be said with truth, that if the practice of family prayer, or any other mode in which we give evidence to the world that we are christians, be forborn through shame, or a compli ance with the modes of the world, we have no just claim to the title and privilege of christians, but fall under the awful sentence of Christ. If any. man be ashamed of me, and my words, in this generation, of him will the son of man be ashamed when

he

he comes in the glory of his father, with the holy angels, Mark 8. 38.

Every practice by which we declare our belief of christianity, such as attending christian worship, receiving the Lord's supper; or performing any other acknowledged christian duty, tends to strengthen our faith, to inspire the proper spirit of the profession, and secure the performance of every duty which it enjoins; and therefore should by no means be neglected by us.

Thus should we be urgent, even to exhort oneanother, and all should gladly and thankfully receive the word of exhortation; to be steadfast, immoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that our labour will not be in main in the Lord.

The author of this epistle says (Ch. 10. 25.) We should exhort one another so much the more as we see the dav, meaning, no doubt, the great day or the second coming of Christ, approaching. If this motive had weight in the times of the apostles, it must have more now; since that great day, which will try every man's work what it is, must be nearer than it was then, and though this time was not known to our Lord himself, but only the signs of its approach, many intelligent christians, who are attentive

attentive to the signs of the times, are of opinion that it cannot now be far distant, and may be expected even in the present generation. But since the coming is certain, though the time be uncertain, let us all be ready, that when our Lord, shall return, and take account of his servants, we may be found without spot, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.

ON

ON

FAITH AND PATIENCE.

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These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off; and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims the earth. KEB. XI. 13.

THE great use of religion is to enlarge the

minds of men; leading them to look beyond themselves, and beyond the present moment; to take an interest in the concerns of others, and to look forward to the most distant times. By this means men become less selfish, and at the same time more intellectual; being less governed by the impulses of mere sensual appetite, which is the characteristic of brutal nature, and also of a state of childhood. This habit of mind cannot be imparted by inIt must necessarily be the fruit of experience. And since this advance in intellectual

struction

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