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peace, that he will fhortly accomplish the number of his elect, and receive his bleffed Saints into everlasting happiness.

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To make us worthy repeaters of this petition, it is neceffary that we should have a due fenfe of God's goodness in establishing a kingdom amongst us, which is founded upon fuch mild and easy conditions as that of Grace, and strengthened with fuch great and glorious promises as that of Glory; we should acknowledge the great privilege of being under his government, whose every action is dictated by infinite mercy, and guided by unerring wisdom for the benefit of his creatures; we should entertain all thofe affections for God which good fubjects have for their kings; and perform all those duties which they pay to them in as much greater a degree, as God is fuperior to the greatest Monarch.

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Monarch. We ought alfo, in ufing this petition, to have an univerfal love and charity for all men, a due fense of the corruption of manners, of the prevalence of infidelity and vice, an holy forrow for all who knowing the truth live not up to it, and for all who know it not, but walk in ignorance and in the fhadow of death, And these charitable affections fhould upon all occafions break forth into action, infpiring us with a fincere zeal to inftruct the ignorant and reclaim the wicked,

A glorious employment this for a reasonable creature, and a neceffary qualification to make us true fubjects of that kingdom which was founded and is governed by Christ, who spent his whole life in doing good, in converting the Sinner from the evil of his ways, and bringing him to the knowledge of God, Chriftianity was never intended

intended to be kept in a corner, or confined, like the doctrines of the philofophers, to any particular school, but to fpread itself over the face of the whole earth. No one therefore can be a worthy fubject of Christ's kingdom, who does not endeavour to advance and propagate it.

It is not to be expected that we should, like the Apostles, vifit remote and barbarous nations, fince we have not, as they had, the credentials of Miracles to produce; but furely it is our indifpenfible duty to plant and propagate the Chriftian religion in our own colonies, and as we reap their temporal things, to which we have I know not what right, to fow in them fpiritual things, to which our religion entitles them, without any other con fideration. Had we been more careful to perform our parts in this respect, had we endeavoured

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endeavoured to civilize thofe rude nations, and inftil into them the principles of the Gofpel, we had not so often lamented their virulent cruelty and repeated perfidies Of late years indeed there has been established among us a moft excellent charity for propagating the Gospel into foreign parts, and if the fuccefs has not as yet answered our wifhes, it has been fufficient to quicken our endeavours.

It is evident from Scripture, that before the confummation of all things Chrift's kingdom fhall be univerfal, that the earth fhall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the fea, that the kingdom shall be the Lord's, and he fhall govern the nations. It is our duty therefore to advance and haften, to the utmost of our power, this happy æra, by approving ourselves true fubjects of Chrift, and striv

ing to erect his throne in the hearts of others, by endeavouring ourselves, to promote Chriftian knowledge at home, and encouraging those who strive to propagate it abroad, adminiftring fuch means to them as may render their labours eafy, and pave the way for their fuccefs, fo that the word af God, and the kingdom of his Christ, may grow mightily and prevail.

It is our intereft, as well as duty, to pray for the coming of Chrift's kingdom, both in regard of the happy confequerices attending his univerfal dominion in the ftate of Grace, and our speedier admission into that of Glory. Univerfal Happiness must be the result of universal Christianity, and the world fhall enjoy uninterrupted peace, when that religion which forbids all the motives to war, is fincerely pro

feffed by all; the wolf fhall dwell with

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