of profeffors, firft doubt of the reality of religion; and foon denounce the whole a cheat.-In this, they are awfully left of God -they become fit fubjects for the temptations of Satan-and he will not be idle. Having no good moral principles within, they lie at the control of their paffions-reafon is unheeded and confcience is filent-good is their evil and evil their good. These are the natural and actual confequences of the neglect and abuse of public worship and coming through the medium of God's children, they difhonor God and religion, much more than all that the enemies of the erofs could do without them. This confideration calls loudly on us, as profeffors, to confider and lift up a mighty standard a gainft infidelity. In this, God's glory, and our happiness are united. Let us then act in character, and walk worthy of our vo cation in the gospel. And if we are faithful to God and ourselves, in public worship and focial pray. er, we may defy all the arts of hell and earth to feparate us from Chrift; or to diffolve order in fociety. But it must not be forgotten, that in all these things, we are wholly dependent on the aids of the Holy Spirit, for light and ftrength. Let us, therefore, in every thing, by prayer and fupplication, with thanksgiving, make known our requests unto GodHis grace will be fufficient for us. tions in W young ISRAEL. converts. E find in the bible many our ways" to be watchful and On the imperfect state of holy affectrengthen the things which remain that are ready to die."-Do we reverence divine authority— are we wise to seek our own happiness, for time and eternity-and do we defire a plentiful outpouring of the Holy Spirit, on our churches and congregations, we fhall long to see the beauty of the Lord, and inquire in his temple we fhall conftantly take our families to the house of the Lord on his fabbath; and lead them daily to the throne of grace, in the morning and evening facrifice. : This is our duty. And we have no reasonable excufe for neglect the means are eafy the work is pleafant-and the end will be glorious. In the exercife of focial worship, if not wanting to ourselves, we shall meet with God -learn our duty-obtain comfort-establish our hearts in the faith and mystery of the gofpel; and thus, grow more and more into the divine likeness-we shall fet a good example before others, paffages, which speak of the kingdom of God, representing it as being exceedingly small in its origin, but increafing gradually, till it finally abforbs all others in itself. In one place it is compared to a stone cut out of the mountain without hands, which afterwards became a great mountain and filled the whole earth: In another, to a grain of muftard feed, which, it is faid, is the smallest of all feeds, but when it is fown, and is fprung up, it becomes a great tree, in the branches of which the fowls of the air may lodge. Although these reprefentations primarily respect the kingdom of our Redeemer in the world, yet we may doubtless with propriety confider them, as being equally applicable to the kingdom of bly from within ourselves as from without. And the moft ftriking expreffions of a sense of finful. nefs, which are recorded in the bible, came from perfons, who had made confiderable progrefs in a holy life. Job, after his trials had proved the reality and holy nature of his religion, fays, "I abhor myself and repent as in duft and afhes:" Ifaiah, after being favored with fome remarkable difcoveries of the majefty of God, cries out, "woe is me, for I am a man of unclean lips :" And Paul, after many years diligent profiting in the fchool of Chrift, exclaims, "O wretched man that I am, who fhall deliver me from the body of this death?" And with this agrees the experiences of Chriftians in all ages: They are at firft ready to think, that the victory is accomplished, but they foon learn, that they have but juft entered the conteft.Now if this be true, must it not be, that they at first estimated their comparative finfulness very erroncoufly? That their finfulnefs was much greater than they fuppofed, and, on the contrary, the kingdom of grace much smaller? This argument receives additional force from this confideration, that, during all this time, in which this finfulness had been apparently increafing in their own 1. Chriftians may continue to grow in grace many years, and yet be far from a flate of perfection. That Chriftians ordinarily grow in grace is plain from many paffages in fcripture: "The path of the juft" we read "fhineth more and more until the perfect day" and, "the water, that I fhall give him," fays our Saviour, "shall be in him, a well of water fpringing up into everlafting life." It is equally plain, alfo, that after a long life of growth in grace Chriftians are very imperfect: Many years after his converfion, the apostle Paul could fay, "O wretched man that I am, who fhall deliver me from the body of this death?" And this perfectly agrees with Chriftian experience: After the longeft life fpent in the fervice of God, under the greateft advantages, and with the moft unwearied application, Chriftians invariably find, that their holy affections are ftill in a very imper-view, they had been, perhaps, in fect ftate. And how could this be, unlefs thefe holy affections were at firft exceedingly fmall. 2. As Chriftians grow in grace they ufually grow in a fenfe of their own finfulness. Our Saviour taught, "if any man fhould put his hand to the plough and look back, he would not be fit for the kingdom of God;" thereby teaching us to be prepared for unexpected trials, as well proba fact growing in grace; fo that the kingdom of grace in their hearts was, perhaps, never greater, than when they have the greatest fenfe of their own finfulness. Fow exceedingly fmall, then, muit it have been at firft? How fitly is it compared to a grain of muítard feed?- But how, it is asked, does this agree with the appearance of young converts? Are not their thoughts and affections fixed moft liverance, are exceedingly thankon fpiritual things at firft? Is not ful to our deliverer, and are very their zeal and engagednefs in re-ready to make him fome grateful ligion, then, the greateft? And return: And, why should not a how is this confiftent with the deliverance from eternal danger, idea, that their holy affections by the power of God, have a are fo exceedingly fmall-In fimilar effect? Chriftians are fancanfwer to this enquiry, the fol-tified but in part, much selfishness lowing things may be obferved. 1. The peculiar fituation of young converts puts a remarkable check upon their finfulinclinations. This is evidently the cafe under conviction: The courfe of their conduct is then totally altered. Much of their time is now fpent in reading the word of God, in calling upon him in prayer, in attending religious meetings, and in converfing or reflecting upon the concerns of eternity; and this change is not the effect of any real holiness of heart, but merely of thofe views, which they now have of themfelves, and their fituation. Thefe views give a prefent check to all their finful inclinations, and make them appear almost totally different perfons, from what they were before. And may it not be, that the influence of this check continues for a confiderable time, after the kingdom of grace has been fet up in their hearts? May not, therefore, a confiderable portion of their attention to things of a religious nature be confidered as the effect of this check, rather than the fruit of real holiness ? 2. The recent and remarkable deliverance, which they have experienced, is fuch as must have a peculiar influence upon their natural feelings, and produce, in this way, much of the appearance of true religion. If we have been in any great temporal danger, and experienced a remarkable deliver ance, it always has a great effect upon our feelings and conduct. We rejoice exceedingly in our déVOL. III. No. 6. ftill remains in them, and, therefore, may we not well fuppofe that a confiderable part of their apparent love for God, and enga gedness in his fervice, is the fruit of felfifhnefs, rather than of true benevolence? 3. The firft zeal and engagednefs of young converts invariably fubfides, after a certain time, and gives place to a calm, fteady and rational obfervance of the divine commands. From this we must fuppofe, either that Chriftians, inftead of growing, do invariably, after a little time, decay; or, that there is much more of the appearance of true religion in young converts at first, than of the reality. And is not the latter much the moft fcriptural fuppofition? And is not this fuppofition further countenanced by this, that whenever perfons after conviction attain a falfe hope, they invariably have the fame appearance as the real converts? The fame attention to fpiritual things, the fame zeal for God, the fame engagedness in promoting his caufe? But notwithstanding all this, it is not fuppofed that they have in their breafts a fingle spark of divine grace to light up this appearance, and therefore, when the ferment of their natural feelings has fubfided, all is gone. May it not be, then, that during the first engaged and zealous period of the real converts, true grace or real holinefs in his heart, is like a muftard feed, exceedingly fmall, and, at the fame time, fo greatly obfcuE e red by the rubbish of natural affec-, The obligation of children to be kind tions, as fcarcely to be perceived. The view which we have taken of this fubject, fuggefts a few important reflections. 1. Young converts have much lefs of true religion, than what they are generally thought to have, or even than what they themselves think that they poffefs. Hence, in their future lives they almost invariably disappoint both themfelves and others. 2. It is exceedingly difficult to diftinguifh real religion, from the working of natural affection. If the greater part of that, which appears in young minds, is to be thrown away, by what marks fhall we diftinguifh that which is to be retained and cultivated? Well may Chriftians be directed to work out their falvation with fear and trembling. 3. Young converts fhould be humble. What do they find in themselves, befide the workings of natural affections, under which the small feed of grace or holiness, is almost entirely hidden. 4. They should be charitable toward old profeffors. If old profeffors are not as zealous and engaged in religion as the young convert appears to be, they are of ten cenfured and condemned, as being in a cold, formal, lifelefs ftate and their performances greatly defpifed. But which poffeffes the greatest share of true religion? Let the young convert learn to be humble, and to efteem others better than himself?" 5. True religion does not confift fo much in appearances of zeal and engagednefs in the worship of God, as in a calm, fteady and affectionate obfervance of every duty enjoined in both the firft and fecond tables of the divine law. EUBULUS. and attentive to their parents, particularly addreffed to those who have parents in the decline of life. UBJECTS which are wholly practical have their importance as well as thofe which more immediately refpect doctrines ; and cannot be dispensed with, by thofe who write or speak for the religious inftruction of all claffes, confiftently with declaring the whole counfel of God, and rightly dividing the word of truth. In illuftrating the fubject proposed, the following obfervations may. be made : 1. Thofe, who have parents in advanced life, may learn their obligation to be kind and attentive. to them, by looking to the example of Chrift. The Saviour was the true light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. Every part of his life was an exemplification of the nature of true holinefs. In all his relations to mankind, he did that which was perfectly right and agreeable to God's. holy law. The fubject before us. confines our thoughts to a fingle branch of his conduct; viz. to his treatment of his mother. When fufpended on the cross, he obferved among the fpectators, and ftanding near his crofs, Mary his mother, and his mother's fifter, and Mary Magdalen; and with them alfo John, his beloved difciple and intimate friend. To thefe perfons how affecting, how myfterious was the scene? The mother of the dying Saviour was now probably a widow, and had been for fome time. Evidence of this is gathered, from its being particularly mentioned by the Evangelift, that fhe came with his brethren to fee Chrift, when he was fulfilling his miniftry; that the | the Saviour fet a pattern of filial was prefent at the marriage in Cana; that he came to be a fpectator of the crucifixion of her son, without mentioning her husband, in any of these instances; and particularly that the Saviour, with his dying breath, commended her to the care of John, as if she were a woman in a lonely, bereaved ftate. Tho' honored above all women, by being the mother of our Saviour, fhe was nevertheless fubject to like paffions as we all are. She poffeffed natural affection, and was, undoubtedly, acquainted with the feelings of a mother's heart. affection. Shall we fay, he did this folely for his mother's fake ; or fhall we fay, he defigned herein to fet an example, for those who are children, to follow?. He did it, no doubt, from a sense of obligation to his mother then advancing towards old age; and what is more important, that he might in this, as in all the tranfactions of his life, be a light to the world. The plain language of his conduct to all who ftand in the relation of children is this-Be kind and attentive to your parents in old age. Confider their trials and their wants, and let no exertions be wanting, on your part, to render the evening of their pilgrimage ftate, as easy and as agreeable as may be. To enforce this idea, the words of the apostle may be pertinently applied-Let this mind be in you which was also in Chrift Jefus. The argument now used, to inculcate the duty of being kind to aged parents, is calculated and is not eafily evaded. It fuppofes, that a compliance with this duty is neceffary, to give evidence of being a follower of Chrift, and cannot be difpenfed with without reproaching the Christian char As a divine perfon, Chrift was without parents, and without beginning; but as God manifeft in the flesh, or as to his human part, he was born of a woman, and was nourished and brought up by an affectionate mother, whom he owned in this relation. For her in her lonely state, he manifested great kindness. He did not leave the world, until he had made pro-to find its way to the confcience, vision for her comfortable fupport. Knowing the anguish of her foul, when the faw him agonizing in death on the crofs, he pitied her cafe, and immediately adopted a meafure which might adminifter fome relief under her troubles.acter. This appears from John xix. 26, 27. "When Jefus therefore faw his mother, and the difciple standing by, whom he loved, he faith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy fon. Then faith he to the difciple, Behold thy mother. And from that hour that difciple took her unto his own home." From the phrase, "Behold thy fon," many receive the idea that Chrift meant himself; but he evidently had reference to John. He led his mother and beloved difciple mutually to adopt each other, as parent and child. Here 2. The fame duty is ftrongly enforced in the law, and in other parts of fcripture. The words of God's holy law are very explicit, which are thefe :-Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long upon the land, which the Lord thy God giveth thee. Will it be faid, that this commandment has a fole respect to children in a ftate of minority, and while they are under the immediate control of their parents? That it has refpect to children in a state of minority, is readily admitted; but the duty |