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I cannot help, alfo, upon this occafion, putting you in mind of the neglected duty of worshipping God in your families. Thefe fmaller focieties, in which the members are connected by the strongest ties, and ftand in the nearest and moft endearing relations to one another, how proper are they for the joint worship of God? and how great is the fin of neglecting it? How can you expect any thing else, but either an angry providence, or hardening and fupifying profperity, which is infinitely worse, unlefs you call on the name of God? whereas, by mingJing your voices in his praises on earth, you prepare yourfelves for his fervice in heaven. I cannot go through all the excufes offered for this neglect; but wo fhall be to that man, who is too busy, too proud, or too modeft, to worship, in his family, the King of kings, and Lord of lords, who made him by his power, and upholds him by his providence.

In the third place, Let me improve this fubject for the trial of thofe whofe ftate is more doubtful. How ever many open enemies there are to religion in these days, it is to be lamented, that there are many alfo, who continue their attendance upon the ordinances of God, but in a cold and formal manner, and refting upon the form, without the power, lay themselves a fleep in fecurity. Bring yourselves to the test, then, and fuffer confcience to difcover the truth, however painful and mortifying. Is there any of you, who has heard of the employment of the faints above, as confift ing in the fervice of God, who are not able to conceive the happiness or delight of fuch work? Is there any a mong you, who weary of the fervice of God, not from

weakness of body, but from averfion of mind, who, im mediately after, return to the world, and its enjoyments, with eagernefs, and lightnefs of mind, like a bullock, when he is loofed from the yoke? Such have good reason to suspect their condition, and to fear, that they are unrenewed in heart. But, I hope, there are not a few, who, from their heart, call the Sabbath, a delight, the holy of the Lord, and honourable; who efteem a day in God's courts better than a thousand;' whose highest joy it is, to have their hearts captivated with his love, and their affections enlarged in his praife; and whofe indifpofition often to this work, by floth or worldlinefs of mind, is their greatest grief. Such, my brethren, have good reafon to look forward to that happy time, when they fhall ferve him with unwearied vigour and alacrity; and fhall behold the finile of his countenance without one mortifying frown.

In the fourth place, I would improve this fubject for the confolation of the afflicted. The hope of glory is the true and proper fource of confolation; whether your forrow arifes from fuffering, or from fin; for both thefe fhall be perfect ftrangers to the happy abode of the faints above. If you are under the anxiety of worldly care, the oppreffion and reproach of the ungodly, the attacks of sickness, the gradual loofening of the pins of this feeble tottering frame; if these weaken the strength, and mar the melody of your prefent fongs, and compel you to mix your praises with groans, remember, that, in a fhort time, these complaints will be at an end, the harps of God will be given you, and skill to handle them. If a

fenfe of inherent corruption, if grief for an absent or an angry God, make your hands to hang down, exert the hope of being made not only perfectly happy, but perfectly holy, and ferving him day and night in his temple.

: This leads me, in the last place, To direct you, to improve this fubject for animating your prefent devotion. Nothing is more proper for this purpose, than the lively hope, or rather anticipation of the heavenly employment. Let us overcome our prefent floth, by entering, in faith and hope, within the vail, and confidering how we shall then praife him: thes there shall be no wandering thought, no cold heart, no faultering tongue, no flagging spirits. And, as without all queftion, fome are here prefent, not a few, I would charitably hope, who shall enter into that temple of the living God; fo we know not how foon any of us may be fent for, to leave this worldly fanctuary, to be above the use of present ordinances, and to join the innumerable company about the throne. In the prospect of this, Pfal. cxlix. 1, 2.

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-Let us fing unto the Lord a new fong, and his "praise in the congregation of faints. Let Ifrael re joice in him that made him; let the children of • Zion be joyful in their King. Amen.

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SERMON IX.

Minifterial fidelity in declaring the whole counfel of God.

ACTS xx. 26, 27.

Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men: for I have not fbunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.

MY BRETHREN,

THE

HESE words are a part of the apostle Paul's difcourfe to the elders of Ephefus, when taking leave of them, under a firm perfuafion, or rather a certain knowledge, that he would never again fee them in the body. My prefent fituation, of which none of you is ignorant, has determined me to the choice of this paffage, as a very proper fubject, from which I may conclude the exercise of my miniftry among you. I had once occafion, on leaving another charge, to have taken a formal farewel of a very affectionate people, but had not courage to attempt it. The circumstances attending the removal, which, if Providence prevent not, feems now to be at hand, are fuch as do not leffen, but greatly increase the difficulty of speaking from such a subject. And yet,

in another view, they seemed to urge it fo ftrongly, and to prefent fuch an opportunity of being useful, as I durft not wholly decline. Every Chriftian ought to be an observer of providence. Nothing will more effectually promote his holiness and comfort. And both a minister and his people ought to improve the afpect of providence, when it hath any thing peculiar in it, to their mutual benefit.

Let me therefore intreat you to attend to the following difcourfe, with patience and compofure. This requeft I the rather hope you will comply with, as there is nothing intended that is perfonal, further than muft neceffarily arife from the fubject itself, or be unavoidably fuggested by your own thoughts. I blefs God that I have no complaint to make of want of duty, or affection upon your fide; neither is it any part of my purpose to justify my own conduct, during the time that I have had the honour and happiness of being entrusted with the ministry of the gospel in this place. I fhall therefore only fay, that whether I have been able to deliver my own foul, by fidelity in duty, and by purity of principle, I am certain, that very much has been laid to the charge of many of yours. Leaft of all do I intend to endeavour to fatisfy you of the motives which have induced me to accept of a call to a distant part of the world, and, in fome degree, a different employment in the church of Christ. For this, I know that an account must be given, in due time, to a much greater Judge, with whofe approbation either the applaufe or cenfure of men are not worthy to be laid in the balance. The fingle pur

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