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innumerable company of angels, to the general assem bly and church of the first born, whose names written in heaven, where the strictest christian shall receive the most glorious crown. For their shame, they shall be advanced to double honor; and for confusion, they shall rejoice in their eternal portion.

It now remains to beg the reader's excuse for detaining him so long from a perusal of the more important and interesting contents of the following sheets;* and to express my ardent desire, that blessed by a gracious providence, they may gain the haven of public acceptance, and import these most valuable commodities; pleasure which improves, and improvement which delights..

ON THE RELIGIOUS WORSHIPPER.

FIRST of all, he is careful that the worship he performs be of divine institution, and suited to the genius of the gospel. He is not so much taken with gaudy ornaments and glittering ceremonies in any set or religious observances, as with the stamp of heaven's appointment. Though the commandments of men should be ever so plausible and dazzling to the eye, he can despise them as weak and beggarly elements, as worldly rudiments, as carnal ordi

nances.

But though his worship should, as to form, boast of ever so much purity, he knows where there is a spiritual worship, there may be a carnal heart. The soul of his devotion lies, neither in the reverence of

NOTE.

* This essay concluded the preface in the first ed tion.

bodily demeanor, nor in the exercise of shining gifts hut in the fixing of his mind, and the exciting his grace into action, by the influence of the Holy Ghost.

The bended knee bespeaks the humiliation of his soul; the exalted voice indicates the fervency of his mind; the elevated hand betokens the lifting up of his affections. The request of his lips is the same thing with the desire of his heart. If his lips are burning, his heart is also fervent.

Duties he considers as the means of communion with God; but he endeavors never to rest in them as the end. He neither worships God with a view to gain the applause of men by shewing his fine parts ;→ to appease a resentful conscience by some faint com pliances with its impartial dictates;-to work out a righteousness whereby he might be justified before him; or, to encourage himself in the indulgence of his lusts, because he has peace-offerings with him, or because he has paid his vows. But his flesh and heart cry out for the living God.

The influences of the divine Spirit; these are the winds that blow upon his garden, and make the spicy edors of every divine grace to flow forth. These are the gales that urge him forward in every act of wor ship; without whose kindly aid he might ply the oar of natural endeavors in vain. But the spirit helpeth his infirmities with groanings that cannot be uttered. Without his divine succors, what were he, but as the mighty Sampson, when shorn of his sacred locks, he became as another man? Therefore is he tenderly solicitous to cherish every motion of this beningn agent and to avoid whatsoever course of action might quench this heavenly fire by which his sacrifices are inflamed.

It is true, he may, through the workings of inbred corruption, and the influence of wicked spirits, be pestered with the intrusion of vain thoughts, even in his most solemn devotions. But if these hellish birds will alight upon, andpick his sacrifices; he will, as Abraham drive them away. And though he should

not be able to acquit himself with much clearness of thought and elegancy of expression; yet he finds a gracious acceptance with God, who understands the, stammering tongue of his beloved children; and is more moved with their unutterable groans, than with the accurate addresses of the gifted professor; from whom, as being destitute of divine grace, shall be taken away even that which he seemed to have. The angel of the covenant ascends in the smoke of all his offerings. Though he covets earnestly the best gilts, yet God has shewed unto him a more excellent

way.

ON HEARING THE WORD.

ASK you, why faith should come by hearing ? why it should be the ministration of the Spirit? why he should fall on them that hear the word? why saints should be comforted, and sinners converted, by the foolishness of preaching? The same gracious appointment by which the clouds of heaven drop down fatness from above, at the return of spring, hath or dained that his doctrine shall drop as the rain, and his speech distil as the dew. Suffice it for us to know, that of his own will begat he us by the word of truth.-He who teaches the tender babe to hanker after the mother's breast, and renders the milk more nourishing, when sucked from that living fountain, than when presented in a cup; also instructs the infant christian to desire, as a new-born babe, the sincere milk of the word, and makes him grow thereby. Let us rather attend to the character of him who is not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the word.

First of all, he looks not on this divine ordinance as a mere amusement, or as an expedient to pass away a little time. He repairs not to the place of the holy, merely to see, and he seen that bis curiosity may be gratified with the novelty of the matter:-that his

ears may be tickled with the melody of the voice: that his passions may be touched by the elegancy of the address-that his mouth may be filled with some matter of discourse :-that an angry conscience may be pacified; or that an empty name may be maintained; but that his graces may be quickened, his lusts may be mortified, his temptations resisted, his doubts resolved, his discouragements dispelled, his understanding may be stored with truths, his will with holy resolutions, his affections with heavenly emotions. In short, that he may hear what God the Lord will say; and that he may profess the dependence he has on him for the knowledge of his will, and instruction in the way of life.

For, though he is only to hear the voice of a man of like passions with himself, he considers him as the mouth of the living God speaking unto him from heaven. Thou art going to hear, O my soul, not the word spoken by an angel from the blessed abodes, whose tongue is tipt with heavenly eloquence;-not the word of a king, wherewith there is no power commanding deep respect from all that hear; but the voice of him who is terrible to the kings of the earth, and angels bend before him with lowly reverence. stead of diminishing his respect to the heavenly message, because delivered by a mortal tongue, it fires his gratitude to the condescending Deity, who once spoke to the Jews in the likeness of sinful flesh, when the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us; and now he speaks unto us by flesh, having received gifts for men, that his terror may not make us afraid.

In

How can he but be all attention, when so great is the majesty of the speaker?-so vast the impor tance of the thing spoken? No vain speculation; no idle tale; no cunningly devised fable; but truths which angels pry into, and wherein he is most deeply interested; even that word which God has magnified above all his name.

Having, by fervent prayer, and serious meditation, composed his wandering thoughts, allayed his

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passions, and hushed his worldly cares, he receives, with meekness, the ingrafted word. To the hearing of the ear, he joins the hearing of faith. Wisdom enters into his heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto his soul. If the reproofs of the word are applicable unto himself, he does not apply them to his neighbor, nor hate him that reproveth in the gate. He adores that goodness that ceaseth not to be a reprover, but that makes the word to be quick and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, and a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. He obeys the voice, and receives correction. If the thunders of Sinai sound their trumpet, his belly trembles, and rottenness enters into his bones. Knowing these terrors of the Lord, he is persuaded to fly from the wrath to come. Blessed soul! he is not offended with the strictness of the precepts; he turns not from the holy commandment, though it should encroach upon his lusts, or worldly interests, and cost him a right hand, or a right eye. He esteems no commandment little, on which the authority of the great God is instamped; or difficult, when it comes from him who gives power to the saint. But chiefly, he mixes faith with all those great and precious promises which in Christ are yea and amen, and by which he is made a partaker of the divine nature. These, he knows, it is his duty to believe, as well as to reverence the reproofs, to obey the precepts, or tremble at the threatenings.

What shall we say more? What he hears, he understands; what he understands, he remembers; what he remembers, he loves; what he loves, he believes; and what he believes, he practises. His life is a continual sermon. And not being a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the word, he shall be blessed in his deed.