thing elfe. But thofe, who confider their duty as their meat. and drink, ought not to need much inviting, to feed on dainties fo rich. We should hardly believe a man to be in his right mind, who, for eating a good meal of victuals, should "In keeping thy commandments,

charge the price of it. there is great reward." By thefe obfervations, the reader will fee how needful it is for us, at all times, to attend to our duty, because "now is the accepted time, and now is the day of falvation," to every willing and obedient foul who feels the power of atoning grace; falvation is prefent: Truly it is faid of wisdom, "She hath builded her house, the hath hewn out her feven pillars; fhe hath killed her beafts; she hath mingled her wine; fhe hath also furnished her table." God, in infinite wisdom, has conftituted all moral beings fo that their duty is their happiness, and strict obedience fulness of joy. Why, then, my brethren, fhall we ftarve? Why live ì ! Why should we be fo parfimonious of thofe heavenly stores that can never be exhaufted? "Bleffed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they fhall be filled." "Ask, and ye fhall receive; feek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you." God forbids none; "the Spirit and the bride fay, come; and let him that heareth, fay, come; and whofoever will, let him take of the fountain of the water of life freely." Remember the falvation which God wills is a falvation from fin. Then, as much as you defire falvation, you will wish to avoid fin and wickedness. There are none who would fay, they did not want falvation; but how many there are who fay, they want it by their own condu&t! No man, understandingly, wants falvation, any further than he wants more holinefs. The universalist, who is really fo, prizes his duty as his heaven, as his peace, and his most fublime enjoyment. How then fhall we be fo loft, fo blind, and fo deceived, as to wish to fhun our duty and our happiness? If we really believe thofe things, and defire C G

that others may be brought to fee and believe the fame, let us endeavor, in the first place, to prove to all men, that fuch a belief is of real fervice in cultivating our morals, and in regulating our behavior. And, fecondly, by ufing our abilities as God hath given, in cool difpaffionate reafoning, with those who do not believe; contending for nothing but the pure principles of love, in meeknefs and all gentleness. Never argue for will fake, nor for maftery; and, fhunning every appearance of fophiftry, never fuffer yourselves to be anxious about the iffue of converfation; but fpeak the words of truth and fobernefs, and leave the event to be directed by the fpirit of God. Falfehood is fo apt to detect itself, that an argument is generally best conducted, when the difputant is refuted by confequences arifing from his own ftatements; and if he cannot fee and understand them for himself, it will do no good to fee them for him. If we can fee for ourselves, we do well. If the Lord of the harveft hath graciously been pleafed to call you by his grace, to preach the word of his gospel to his purchafed poffeffion; to found abroad the trumpet of falvation, and to feed the sheep and lambs of the one true shepherd, then remember, that it is required of ftewards that they are found faithful. St. Paul declared himself a debtor both to the Greeks and Barbarians, to the wife and unwife. He having received a difpenfation of the gospel, the grace of which belonged to all men, he thereby became a debtor to all. And if we have received a difpenfation of the fame gofpel, we are debtors to all whom this gofpel concerns. How happy is a friend, who has good news, to communicate it to his companions; and furely it is an office much to be defired to carry good news to the diftreffed. See the officer when he reads a pardon to one who expects immediate death; his foul bursts through his eyes in ftreams of joy, while he pronounces the words which give life to the dead. But how much more excellent are the labors of those whofe feet are

beautiful on the mountains, who publish peace in the Redeemer's name, even glad tidings unto all people. Much watchfulness is neceffary, left the law of the carnal or old man gets the government of the mind. I will venture to fay, there never was a preacher more ready, on all occafions, than the old man which we are exhorted to put off; he is willing, at all times, to affift, never waiting to be called. He has no objections to preaching about Chrift, if Christ be not preached. He is perfectly willing to say, that falvation is all of God, and that Chrift is a whole Savior; but then, it is indifpenfably neceffary that he fhould do fomething; fuch as asking, seeking, knocking; or, if it be only accepting of offered mercy, it is all he wants. It may be, the reader will wonder a little at what I here fay, as I have juft quoted the exhorta-tion, to ask, to feek, to knock, &c. ; but I wish to be understood, that we must ask, seek and knock, not in the name or nature of the earthly Adam, but in the name and nature of the heavenly man. The old ferpent, the devil, is never better pleafed, than when he can do fomething which he thinks lays God under fome obligation to him. If the carnal or old man gets so baffled as to be reduced to give up his influence respecting our eternal life in Jefus, he will immediately propofe, in his fraggles, that all he can do, is to insure a bleffed ftate, for fome confiderable time after we die, fay for a thousand years, or any given time; then all must depend on the Savior. If the earthly Adam can get us up Jacob's ladder a few fteps, he is willing that Chrift fhould do fomething by and by. Now the object of all thofe devices, of which we are not ignorant, (as St. Paul fays) is to keep us in the fervice of the flesh; but remember, he that foweth to the fefb, fhall of the fief reap corruption. A pharifee, who feels as if fomething was coming to him more than others receive, perhaps will not be fcrupulous about the exact quantity. He only wishes to have proper attention paid him; if he can flatter himfelf with a higher feat in heaven than those

are to have, on whom he looks as worse than himself, it fatisfies his carnal pride: Perhaps a period of punishment for finners, after death, in which they may be justly corrected, for not being fo good and holy as this pharifee, would give him much fatisfaction. He would then be willing to have the poor wretches delivered from abfolute mifery, and enjoy fome fmall conveniences. O, how hard it is, to be a humble difciple of the meek and lowly Jesus. It is death to carnal mind. If I preach the gospel all my life long, spend all my time and strength for the good of mankind, and the honor of my Savior, fhall I not have something more hereafter, than one who has mocked and derided me? Answer, if I have, in truth and meeknefs, preached Chrift, and have been faithful in his caufe, ought I not to be thankful, that he has enabled me fo to do? Have I been the lofer, unless I am paid, in the world to come, by having fome privilege granted me which another may not enjoy? O, blufh, my foul, if thy follies rife fo high. No, every moment's faithfulness has been fupplied with ftreams of divine confolation; and it ought to be remembered, that, the preacher never refreshes others, unlefs he himself is refreshed. If I have profeffed to preach Chrift, but have preached myfelf, in room of him, undoubtedly I may think there is fomething coming, as my living has been very poor, while I have thus labored; but the truth is, my reward has been equal to my fervice. I am willing to acknowledge, that carnal mind often contends, that I have done fo well, I ought, in confequence, to expect high approbations; and I begin to look down on those whom I fancy of lefs magnitude. But, O, the viperous fting! Well might an apostle fay, "I find a law in my members warring against the law of my mind, bringing me into captivity to the law of fin which is in my members." Says the fame apostle, "Unto me, who am lefs than the leaft of all faints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unfearchable riches of Chrift." Upon what high advantages did he calculate, above those who were much less in labor than himfelf? But, fays the reader, will not St. Paul fare better than the worft of finners, in eternity? Judge from what he fays, "This is a faithful faying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Chrift Jefus came into the world to fave finners, of whom I am chief" The more humble we are, the greater our enjoyments. But when all are completely humbled, and perfectly reconciled; when all old things are done away, and all

things become new; when he, who fitteth upon the throne, maketh all things new in deed and in truth, I believe all ftrife, concerning who fhall be great in the kingdom of heaven, will be at an end. Ye, who preach righteoufnefs in the great congregations of the people, forget not the exhortation of the Captain of our falvation, " Learn of me." What good will all our labors do, unless we learn of Chrift? If we learn of him, he will be unto us, wifdom, righteoufness, fanctification and redemption; and we shall preach, not ourselves, but Chrift Jefus our Lord, and ourselves the fervants of the people, for Jefus' fake. Remember, again, the exhortation of him who is the leader and commander of the people, "Search the fcriptures." Make yourselves acquainted with, and have free recourfe to, this great store-house of divine riches, that you may be ready to "deal a portion to seven, and alfo to eight." "Ye are the falt of the earth." As falt preserves and feafons meats fo that they are acceptable, fo ought the minifters of righteoufnefs to endeavor, as far as poffible, to preserve mankind from fin, that they may be acceptable members of the church of Christ. "But if the falt has loft its favor, wherewith fhall it be falted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be caft out and trodden under foot of men." We cannot be profitable to others, unlefs we have the favor of the Spirit within us; this loft, and we are good for nothing; and in room of having a mouth, and wifdom, to put gainfayers to filence, we shall be overcome by them, and they will tread us under their feet. "Contend earneftly for the faith once delivered to the faints." But be fure to remember, that, "The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but fpiritual, and mighty through God." Carnal mind frequently urges the neceffity of contending earnestly for the faith once delivered to the faints; but then, we must contend in a coat of mail, and with the weapons of him who fought the life of the Son of Jeffe. Be prepared to meet every kind of oppofition; we must be attacked on every fide, the adverfary will not leave one stone unturned, nor a weapon, in his armor, untried. Be cautious of any fyftem of divinity; remember "the path of the just is a fhining light, which fhineth more and more unto the perfect day." The moment we fancy ourselves infallible, every body must come to our peculiarities, or we caft them away. Even the truth may be held in unrighteoufnefs. Daniel's God was undoubtedly the true God; but I do not con