that where thy reason would determine one way, but God hath expressly determined another way, thou wouldst allow him to understand his own mysteries better than thou dost; and that therefore thou oughtest, by faith, exercised upon the veracity of God, to receive those matters implicitly, and without reasoning, which God hath revealed, and which thy reason feels to be far above out of its reach, and therefore out of its providence. Whenever, on such inquiry, thou discoverest us to be mistaken, there dissent from us, yea, blame us as far as meekness and candour will permit; but do not condemn us in the gross; do not assert our whole scheme of doctrine to be enthusiastical and groundless, though some of our writers should be found to have advanced some questionable opinion. This were the way to drive all truth and certainty out of the world; for what book can be mentioned, the Bible excepted, wherein there is nothing advanced, either erroneous, or questionable?

And be assured it is no argument of a sincere desire to know the truth, to read only one side of the question, and then clamorously to adopt every childish cavil, every vague report, every scandalous falsehood; and industriously to propagate them, as if these afforded a sufficient confutation of all the arguments, authorities, and scripture testimonies, wherewith we support our sentiments. Observe; that though some professors have been proved enthusiasts, and others detected to be hypocrites, this does not prove that we are all enthusiasts and hypocrites. Such rash judgments hurt not us, but those that pass them.

For myself, I here publicly profess, that. I will to the end of my days acknowledge it, as the greatest obligation that any person can confer upon me; it in the spirit of meekness, he will point out to me any error or enthusiastical delusion, into which I have fallen, and by sufficient arguments convince me of it. I trust, that my earnest desire to discover the truth, as it is in Jesus, has not abated in its influence, and that I retain the same disinterested resolution to embrace, and adhere to it with which I set out. Still am I solicitously fearful of being betrayed by my warmth of spirit, and by the deceitfulness of my heart, into erroneous opinions. But it is not clamour and reproach, or objections and arguments brought against sentiments I detest, or consequences I allow not, and do not see to be consequent from my doctrines; it is not such reasoning as sets. one divine attribute at variance with another, and makes one part of

the Bible contradict another, or exalts the human understanding upon the tribunal, and arraigns and condemns revealed mysteries at her presumptuous bar; I say, such a procedure will have no weight with me, or with any, who ever knew the grace of God in truth.

And now, beloved reader, let me conclude, with leaving it upon thy conscience to search for the truth of the gospel in the study of God's word, accompanied by prayer, as thou wouldst search for hid treasure. I give thee this counsel, as expecting to meet thee at the day of judgment, that our meeting may be with joy, and not with grief; may the Lord incline thee to follow it with that solemn season full in view! Time, how short! eternity, how long! life, how precarious and vanishing! death, how certain! the pursuits and employments of this present life, how vain, unsatisfying, trifling, and vexatious! God's favour and eternal life, how unspeakably precious! his wrath, the never quenched fire, and the never-dying worm, how dreadful! Oh trifle not away thy span of life, in heaping up riches, which shortly must be left for ever, and which profit not in the day of wrath; in such pleasures and amusements, as will issue in eternal torments; or in seeking that glory, which shall be swallowed up in everlasting infamy. Agree but with me in this; that it is good to redeem thy precious time, to labour for the meat that endureth unto everlasting life, and to attend principally to the one thing needful; take but thy measure of truth as well as duty from the word of God: be willing to be taught of God, meditate on his word day and night; let it be the light of thy feet, and the lantern of thy paths; and in studying it, lean not to thy own understanding, trust not implicitly to expositors and commentators, but ask wisdom and teaching of God. And be not a Felix, saying, to thy serious apprehensions about thy soul: "Go thy way at this time, when I have a convenient season I will call for thee;" lest death and judgment come before that season; be not an Agrippa, an almost christian; but seek to be altogether such as the primitive christians were. I say agree but with me in these reasonable requests, and we shall at length agree in all things; in many in this world; in all, when we hear the Son of God address us in these rejoicing words, "Come, ye blessed of my father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." May the Lord vouchsafe unto the writer, and to every reader of this book, that wisdom which is

from above; that teaching of his Holy Spirit, which guides into the ways of peace; that faith which justifies; that peace of God which passeth understanding; and that measure of sanctifying and strengthening grace, which shall enable us to hold on, and hold out unto the end, always abounding in the work of the Lord, as knowing that our labour shall not be in vain in the Lord.

MORNING PRAYER

FOR A FAMILY..

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, we thy unworthy creatures desire to bless and thank thee, for thy gracious protection, and the refreshment of sleep during the past night; and the renewed gift of life and a measure of health this morning. We would gratefully acknowledge likewise the conveniences of our dwelling and temporal provision; the comfort of kind friends and domestic peace, and all the security and tranquillity which we enjoy in this favoured country. We confess, O Lord, that we are unworthy of the least of these thy mercies: and we beseech thee, enable us to shew our unfeigned gratitude, by alacrity in every part of thy service, and a proper use of all thy benefits.

But we are bound especially to bless and praise thy holy name, O most gracious Father, for the salvation provided for us in thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Without this inestimable benefit, no temporal peace or prosperity could' have eventually profited us. By thy righteous sentence we are doomed to die. Our present joys and sorrows, cares and pursuits, must soon vanish like the dreams of the past night; we shall shortly open our eyes amidst the important realities of the eternal world. And, Oh! if thou shouldest, in that unchanging state, deal with us in strict justice according to our deserts; we could no more avoid final condemnation, than we can escape the stroke of death.

But, blessed be thy name, O Lord, our reprieves from the grave may now be improved as opportunities of seeking deliverance from the wrath to come, and of securing an incorruptible and eternal inheritance. Enable us therefore, we humbly pray thee, to regard with solemn attention thy message of reconciliation, through the mediation of Christ, and by faith in his atoning blood. Enlighten our mind to a clear perception of the nature, glory, and inestimable

value of thy great salvation; and fill us with an admiring sense of thy condescending and compassionate love to lost sinners, in this stupendous method of shewing them mercy, and giving them eternal felicity. Here may we see the harmonious display of thy justice and grace, thy holy abhorrence of iniquity, and thy tender love to condemned transgressors. Help us, we humbly beseech thee, to discover, in some measure, that manifold wisdom, and all those glories, which fill the angelic hosts with admiring love, that we may learn on earth the worship of heaven, and here lisp our feeble praises "to him who loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood." Oh, enable us to give such diligence in making our calling and election sure, that we may always be confident; knowing that when we shall be absent from the body, we shall be present with thee in glory. And if any of us have hitherto neglected the one thing needful, resting in a form of godliness, or in any way deceiving ourselves; may we be stirred up without delay to seek first thy kingdom and thy righteousness, and to subordinate all other pursuits to this grand concern.

Teach every one of us, O merciful God, to serve thee in our different employments; doing all in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and using our possessions, or improving our talents, as those who duly consider how soon it may be said, "Give an account of thy stewardship, for thou mayest no longer be steward." Enable us, we intreat thee, so to act at all times and in all things, that we may joyfully an'ticipate the summons, and humbly hope to be received by the Saviour with that welcome, "Well done, good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." Grant us, O thou Fountain of life, such consolations in communion with thee, as may render us superior to the frowns and smiles of the world, and fix our affections on things above.

Teach us also to profit by all thy rebukes and chastisements; that every painful feeling may serve to humble us, to wean us from earthly things, to embitter sin, to endear the love of our suffering Redeemer, to soften our hearts into compassion towards the afflicted, and to bow our wills into submission to thine appointments. And as thou, O glorious Lord of all, art pleased to permit us to call thee our heavenly Father; grant, we intreat thee, that the lively exercise of all filial affection, by the sacred influences of the Spirit of adoption, may fully testify that we are indeed the chil