thofe

ferious belief of the great doctrines of Chriftianity might be fuppofed to have upon kinds of intercourfe which more immediately pertained to their common falvation. Say, then, doth it not appear highly probable, that they who relifhed the joyfnl tidings, while they made them the subject of their own delightful meditation, would likewife take pleasure in imparting them to others, efpecially to thofe with whom they were moft intimately connected? that parents in particular would rehearfe and commend them to their children; and that in every family, the God of all grace, and the Saviour of a loft world, would be presented with the morning and evening facrifices of humble adoration, of fervent prayer, and of thankful praife?

How would they behave, do you think, to fuch of their brethren, if any fuch there were, who neglected the great falvation, and ftill remained in their natural state of distance and alienation from God? Would they regard them with fupercilious contempt, or treat them with harfh feverity? would they lay afide all concern for their

recovery,

recovery, and leave them to perish in their folly or rather, would they not look upon them with an eye of the tenderest pity; and, regarding them as criminals, who, though at prefent under an awful sentence of condemnation, may nevertheless obtain mercy, even as they themselves have obtained mercy, would they not take hold of every favourable opportunity, nay, may we not conclude, that they would even seek out opportunities, of awakening them to a fenfe of their guilt and danger, that they might feel themselves conftrained to implore the protection of that good Shepherd who laid down his life for the fheep, and came from heaven to earth to feek and to fave that which was loft?

View them once more in their intercourfe with those who have obtained the fame grace, and are become co-heirs of the fame incorruptible inheritance. Would you not take it for granted, that they could not be long together, without talking of thofe matters that most nearly concerned them ?-Surely none could fufpect, that in a company of fuch perfons, it would ever

be reckoned a breach of good manners to introduce any thing that related to their Father in heaven;-to his house with many manfions, where they all hoped to dwell;

-or to that precious Redeemer, who hath gone before to prepare a place for them. Might it not rather be expected, that besides pccafional converfe upon fubjects of fo interesting a nature, they would choose to fet apart fome portions of time for the fole purpose of comforting themselves toge"ther, and edifying one another," according to the early practice of the Christians at Theffalonica, which our Apoftle fo highly. commends, 1 Theff. v. 11.?

"

THUS have I given you my cool deliberate fentiments upon the practical influence of the great doctrines of the gospel, and that kind of converfation towards God and man which is beft fuited to the belief of them. Should any indeed be fo perverfe as to refift the influence of thefe doctrines, and counteract their native and moft obyious tendency, while at the fame time they acknowledged the evidence of their truth,

1

it would not at all surprise me, to fee them crowding, from day to day, the public theatres, that the regularity and decorum of a fictitious reprefentation might draw their attention away from that real and ill-conducted medley in which they themselves acted their difgraceful parts. I fhould not wonder to behold them flying with eagernefs to cards and dice, and feeking aid from every engine of diffipation and noise, to conceal the lapfe of time, and to bear down the clamours of an accufing confcience. It would not even furprise me, to see them rufhing beadlong into the haunts of riot and debauch, that the intoxicating cup might either ftupify or madden their reafon; which, if left to its fober exercise, would anticipate the evil day, and torment them before the time. Such things as thefe I fhould expect to fee: but for none of them could I find any place at all in the natural and orderly state of reasonable creatures, whofe temper and conduct, as I have all along fuppofed, were formed and regulated by the doctrines of the gofpel.

How far my reafoning upon this branch

of

of the fubject hath been juft, will more fully appear afterwards. It no doubt exhibits to our view a state of things widely different from what we at prefent behold; which, I am aware, may furnith us all with matter of humbling and painful reflection. This, however, fhall not difcourage me from proceeding in my inquiry; as I well know, that if,“ by the fadneís of the `countenance, "the heart be made better," we shall in the iffsue be infinite gainers, and obtain from him who is "the comforter of thofe that ઃઃ are caft down," "the oil of joy for "mourning, and the garments of praise for "the fpirit of heavinefs."

MAY God difpofe and enable us all to “ judge righteous judgement." Amen.

SER