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acknowledged and approved utility? Univerfal practice is for fome rites: a multiplicity, like excess of fuel, may fmother the flame of religion; but fome are neceffary to feed and fupport it.

BUT, feveral members, it is faid, live unimproved under the means of graceBut does this prove the means of grace to be univerfally ufelefs?-What bleffing of Gop is there, which is not abufed? Are not cloaths perverted to the purposes of pride and oftentation? Do not many convert meat and drink to the purposes of luxury and intemperance?

RELIGION means not to overrule but regulate our freedom: partial remedies are better than none at all: if there be wickedness and impiety in the world under the utmost advantages of religion, if many men do, notwithstanding, live mindless of their duty to GOD and their fellow-creatures, we fhould gratefully confider, what the cafe would be, were

there

there no means of calling these neglected truths to their remembrance.

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"BUT I have, (methinks I hear one

fay,) for many years attended the fervi"ces of the church, and I never found any thing folid and fubftantial in her "fervices. I found nothing there of the "new-birth, that heart-felt fenfation, "that forming of the Lord Jefus in "the heart, in which true religion "confifts."

Now the new new-birth means nothing but practising chriftian virtues upon christian motives and principles. Let me then ask the man, who found no folid improvement in religion; whose fault was it? Can he fix the imputation upon the offices of religion ?-There is not one of them, which has not a moral, or, what means the fame thing, a fpiritual tendency.

DID you acquiefce in baptifm, as giving you a right to falvation, without any care of practifing the duties of a chriftian

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chriftian life? The church taught you a quite different doctrine, and told you, "that baptism doth reprefent unto us " our profeffion, which is to follow the example of our Saviour Chrift, and "be made like unto him; that as he "died and rofe again for us, so should "we, who are baptized, die from fin, "and rife again unto righteoufnefs, con

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tinually mortifying all our evil and

corrupt affections, and daily proceeding in all virtue and godliness of "living."

DID you confider confirmation as an empty infignificant rite? The church fuppofes, that she laid then upon you a very strong moral engagement, a deliberate folemn promife," that you did with your own mouth and confent openly ratify and confirm your baptismal covenant, and promife, by the grace of God to endeavour faithfully to obferve it."

DID you rely upon a customary unmeaning

meaning attendance upon the devotions of the church? The error is your own:

she tells you, that you came there to confefs fins with an bumble, lowly,

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penitent and obedient heart, and with a fincere defire, "that the rest of your life hereafter may be pure and holy, fo that at the last you may come to eternal joy.” DID you approach the greater folemnity of the church, the facrament of the Lord's body, without proper fentiments of faith and devotion? The church warned you against the abuse, and directed you not to approach it but with full purpofe of amendment of life.

DID we but attend to the instructions of the church, we fhould fcarce want any other affiftance (the fcriptures only excepted) in a fpiritual life.

THERE is not a truth, relating to GoD our neighbour and ourselves, which is not inculcated there, and that too in a fimplicity of language adapted to every capacity. Having then fuch an excel

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lent and inftructive form, let us but adorn it by a suitable converfation; and we shall be sufficiently wife unto falvation. The church furnishes us with an inftructive prayer for this purpose alfo. Almighty God, who fheweft to them that be in error the light of thy truth, to the intent that they may return into the way of righteoufnefs; grant unto all them that are admitted into the fellowship of Chrift's religion, that they may efchew thofe things that are contrary to their profeffion, and follow all fuch things as are agreeable to the fame, through our Lord Jefus Chrift. Amen.

THE END.

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