riant and rich, and yet are very dangerous by poisonous weeds which grow there; and there may be also such bars in the way, that though the pastures are good there is no possibility of coming at them. And sometimes there is no fence; then the pastures may be filled with beasts of such a nature that association with them would be dangerous. It is true the ministers of the Associate body do not excel for their rhetorical flourishes or oratorical gesticulations. They do not aim at the vehemence of the theatre, but consider that the oratory of the pulpit lies in gravity; but one thing may be said of them, which can not of other denominations-they all speak the same things, and preach the same doctrine. Those who want food will be satisfied with wholesome fare, though it is not set off with many ornaments and kick-shaws. Paul was afraid of the Corinthians, "lest as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so their minds should be corrupted from the simplicity of Christ." (2 Cor. xi. 3.)

Objection 9. Is not this condemning our Lord, who rebuked his disciples for being offended at one who cast out devils but did not follow him? (Mark ix. 38.)

Answer. The occasion of these words was our Lord teaching his disciples humility, by setting a child in the midst. John the apostle was so struck with this lesson, that he mentioned a case that had lately occurred in respect of himself and the rest, who did forbid a man to preach and cast out devils because he followed not them, and wanted to know if this was agreeable to the doctrine our Lord now taught. Christ told them it was not. Because this man was engaged in the same cause and prosecuting the same end, and had Christ's approbation by casting out devils.

He was probably one of John's disciples who did believe in Christ as come; though not one of the twelve or of the seventy, he held the same faith. Unless it be argued that this man held some different articles of faith, or order of worship, this quotation does not give any support to the cause it is intended. In this way the word of God is perverted by many to their destruction.

Objection 10. May we not occasionally hear where we have ground to believe the Lord is graciously present, and his people holding communion with him?

Answer. There is a spiritual and invisible communion which all the members of Christ's mystical body have together in him, though not a visible and organical communion. The Lord's presence, communicating his grace along with his truths dispensed with many corruptions, can not be the rule

of our duty, and of this we are very imperfect judges. If this has any weight, it condemns all who hold any separate communion from any, where we may charitably believe the Lord has any of his people. It would lead us into communion with Baptists, Independents, Episcopalians, and perhaps into the church of Rome. I should think it a very uncharitable sentiment, that there are none of the Lord's people among these, or that the Lord does not graciously bless his own word and ordinances, when they are dispensed with manifold corruptions. If we know any thing about communion with Christ, we may cease to wonder at his holding communion where many corruptions are, seeing he condescends to hold communion with us, and dwell in our hearts, so full of enmity, atheism, and unbelief.

Communion with Christ is one of the distinguishing privileges of the church invisible, and is neither the standard nor rule of external fellowship in the church of Christ. If this is the case, all confessions of faith should be laid aside; and then a new controversy will ensue,-some will be extending their fellowship to Independents; some will go further, to Anabaptists; some to the Episcopalians; some to Unitarians; some to Papists. It is a certain fact, that those who plead for occasional communion are by no means agreed about the extent of it.

Objection 11. According to this principle it sets all denominations on a level, whether Papists or protestants, Dr. Priestly or Dr. Nisbit.

Answer. We must have recourse to the original grounds of our setting up a separate communion. Surely these admit of various degrees of weight, according to the degrees of corruption and defection. We have always declared, that our separation is not from persons, but on account of the public state of matters in the churches. Our great objection against some orthodox ministers, such as Dr. Nisbet, is that they remain in communion with others who are erroneous, and active in carrying on a progressive defection from the reformation attained to. But surely we never imagined, that countenancing the ministry of such was equally offensive as hearing where there is idolatry or gross heresy taught. In the promotion of a testimony our zeal ought to bear some proportion to the injury done to revealed truth. It might with equal propriety be alleged, that because the church refuses communion with drunkards, liars, Sabbath-breakers and adulterers, therefore we put all upon a level. But it is a very nice matter to ascertain the degrees of offence in the church of Christ; they may be com

pared to the different shades of light in the colors of the rainbow that run into one another. "Some sins in themselves and by reason of several aggravations, are more heinous in the sight of God than others." Sins derive their aggravation from the person offending. Unfaithfulness to God and his truth is no less offensive in a saint than in a sinner. Aaron's sin in making the golden calf was no less offensive that he was "the saint of God."

A.

On page 105, when speaking of the Act passed 1791, concerning public covenanting, it should have been noticed, that while that act was under consideration as an overture, the Presbytery, June 2d, 1786, agreed upon the following "Brief Vindication of the Duty and Seasonableness of Public Covenanting."

"They shall ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward, saying, Come, and let us join ourselves to the Lord, in a perpetual covenant that shall not be forgotten." (Jeremiah 1. 5.)

1. THE Church of Christ has, in all ages, and in all places of the earth, been the object of Satan's malice. Many cruel, and many subtle devices have, through his instigation, been devised against it. It is but a little flock; and its enemies are a whole world lying in wickedness. It is in perils, through infidels denying the Christian faith; in perils, through heretics perverting the gospel of Christ; in perils, through false brethren betraying the cause to which they profess themselves friends; in perils, through the lukewarmness or the cowardice of its own members, who often refuse to stand up, as they ought, in its own defence; and in perils, through that fire which is of men's own spirits, breaking forth in envy, strife, railings, and evil surmisings, frequently about questions which are of no moment, and which have no foundation in the scriptures. But the Lord hath founded Zion, and the poor of his people shall trust in it. A troop may seem to overcome it; but it shall overcome at last. It is like the bush in which the angel of the Lord appeared to Moses; burning, yet not consumed.

2. Christ's little flock is, at this time, grievously scattered. It wanders through the mountains, as having no shepherd; and is become a prey to all the beasts of the field. But he has not lost sight of it. "Behold, I, saith he, I will both search my sheep and find them out. As a shepherd seeketh out his flock, in the day that he is among his sheep, that are scattered so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day." He, who, in the day of his holy indignation at the treachery and

* See Mr. Anderson's Sermon on Prov. xiv. 27.

wickedness of those who professed to be his people, hath scattered Israel, will, in loving kindness and in mercy, gather him and keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock. Come, then, and let us return unto the Lord; for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. After two days he will revive us; in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight. Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord; his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain, upon the earth.

3. The Lord is saying, Go through, go through the gates, prepare ye the way of the people. Cast up, cast up, the high way, gather out the stones, lift up a standard for the people. In much weakness, and in the midst of many temptations, this Presbytery have endeavored to do as he hath commanded. We have, according to the measure of understanding and judgment given to us, pointed out the way, in which we, as a church, ought to renew our solemn covenant engagements to the Lord; and we entreat all who desire to be found faithful witnesses for Him, to the present and to succeeding generations, that they would lay this matter to heart.

us.

4. We are not devising any new path. The way, in which we desire to go, is that in which the Lord led his people who have gone before If, through weakness, we walk slowly, and are often like to halt; it is our consolation, that the Lord Jesus has a tender regard to the weak, and has promised, that they who wait on him shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

5. To deter people from giving attention to any thing said by us, they are told, that we are very few in number, only two or three ministers belonging to this Presbytery. As to this, it may be replied, that seeing the greater part of the generation are either like the Samaritans, who opposed the building of the walls of Jerusalem, or like the nobles of Tekoa, who put not their necks to the work of their Lord; it is no just cause of reproach to us; that we are few in number. It is better to stand fast in the profession of our faith, though we should, for this, be gazed at, and counted fools, than to follow a multitude in a gradual apostacy from it. The promise of Christ has the same gracious aspect towards a few, as towards a greater number: Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

6. The duty we recommend, as particularly seasonable at this time, has been much opposed: and there is not less hatred towards it in the present age, than in these which are past. We may lay our account that enemies will stand in our way, as we set forward to it. But can we expect, that any thing in which the glory of God, and the prosperity of his church is concerned, will pass unopposed in this evil world? Certainly not; or the enmity of the serpent must cease; his agents must lay down the weapons wherewith they fight against God; and the corruption of the saints must be so entirely destroyed, that no one of them shall speak, as Peter once did, favoring rather the things which are of men, than the things which are of God.

7. Through the mercy of the Lord, a very small remnant may yet be found asking the way to Zion, with their faces thitherward. Such we would intreat to consider, whence the objections to public covenanting have formerly and of late proceeded. The first opposers of it were men who had set their faces toward Rome: The next, such as had

turned aside from the faith and order of the most purely reformed churches, and knew not where to fix; but passed from sect to sect, and added error to error. And, at all times, but especially of late, this duty hath been spoken against by men of Gallio's disposition, who have lightly esteemed the truths and ordinances of Christ, have boasted of their neutrality in the great controversy between God and Baal; and have preferred their worldly interest, and the praise of men, to the cross and reproach of Christ. Such have the leaders been, in the opposition of which we now speak. That some others of a better character have been found in their company, we will not deny; but, as they have been drawn by the enemies of Christ to a joining with them in opposing one part of their duty, there is reason to fear lest they be more and more ensnared. One wrong step makes way for another; those, who once depart from the straight path, know not how far they may wander from it. Where the beginning of apostacy seems small, the end is often fearful. Of this, ancient and modern times afford many remarkable instances.

8. The tendency of the objections made against a public vowing to the Lord ought to be considered. The enemy is drawing the simple into a dreadful gulf; but lest the sight of it should affright them, he is studious to keep them from looking forward to it. By the same arguments that public vows and covenants are opposed, confessions of faith are removed out of the way: all distinction between the friends and enemies of Christ is destroyed; and a foundation, not of God, is laid for uniting in one church all who bear the Christian name. Those who preach another gospel, a counterfeit of that which we have received, and those whose principles are a very compound of ancient and modern heresies, not excepted.

9. Ever since the design of drawing the Reformed churches back into the kingdom of the Romish Antichrist was so blasted, as to leave the enemy little or no hope from that quarter, strong and subtile efforts have been made to remove them from the foundation on which they stand to another side. Once reverence for antiquity was used as a pretence to recommend superstition, and to enforce submission to prelates acting as lords over God's heritage. To the confusion of Rome and its allies, it has been made manifest that we follow the true antiquity, building on the foundation of the prophets and apostles, of which Jesus Christ himself is the chief corner. Now, regard to the scripture, and the advantage of judging freely for ourselves, is used as a pretence to turn us aside from the footsteps of them who have, in faith and patience, followed Christ through tribulation, and are at rest with him in glory. It is our own fault, and must be very hurtful to us, if we are ignorant of Satan's devices, how he would carry us to the right and to the left hand of the Lord's way, solicitous only to keep us out of it. The Judge of all will determine, whether those who keep the old path in which our reforming ancestors walked, or those who have chosen new ways for themselves, pay most regard to the scripture; and Christians may, upon a fair examination, easily discern, in whose writings and sermons there is most of the style and spirit of the scripture.

10. It has been often said, and it will perhaps at this time be repeated, "That there were great confusions and tumults among our ancestors in times of covenanting; that many of them acted deceitfully; and that they are no friends either to the church or the state, who attempt to revive what has been, as many think so happily buried." We an