design of his minister; and draw wholesome nourishment from that discourse, which another will turn to poison, by stopping to cavil at the letter.

Another objection arises from the affinity which characters of this class have with a world which lieth in wickedness. In this instance of their worldly attachments, their charity will readily cover a multitude of sins, and form excuses for serious breaches of both tables of the Law, in their worldly friends. They appear in their element while in the society of these friends, especially if wealthy and accomplished. If any person's ear is wounded with a profane expression from one of their rich or fashionable acquaintance, they are ready to whisper that, "notwithstanding his unguarded language, he has yet upon the whole one of the best of hearts." Yet an infallible monitor has said, Know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? If the old maxim does not always hold good, that "a man is known by the company he keeps, it will infallibly stand good if we add one word to it, namely, that "a man is known by the company he chooses to keep." -The physician may be detained in an infectious chamber, and the lawyer be found conversing with his client in a shower of rain: but nobody will infer from thence, that the one chooses to breathe foul air, or that the other chooses to be wet to his skin. While the true Christian, therefore, will VOL. Í.

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avoid inurbanity, fanaticism, or becoming the dupe of any religious party, he will also join the Psalmist in declaring, I am a companion of all them that fear thee, and of them that keep thy precepts.

Again, these moral and religious characters, whom I am labouring to convince of their errors, have been observed to be more disposed to nurse, than to examine their prejudices against a minister of Mr. N.'s principles. "His teaching," say they, "tends to divide a parish, or a family." But why do they not examine the reason? Why do they not consider, that introducing good has ever been the occasion of disturbing evil? I recollect a great family, whose servants were in a ferment, because one truly conscientious man was found among them.

"He will spoil the place," was their term, because he would not connive at their iniquity. But let me ask, what was to be blamed in this affair? his integrity, or their corruption? The Master understood the case, and valued his servant in proportion as he marked the division. And thus it is in religion, while moving in a blind and corrupt world. Christ, though the Prince of Peace, expressly declared that his doctrine would be the occasion of much division in the world; that he came not to send peace, but a sword: that he should be the occasion of family variance, &c. Mat. x. 34, 35; and warns his disciples of what they must expect, while they endeavoured faith

fully to conduct his interests. Plain matter of fact declares, that, to maintain truth, has been the occasion of the suffering state of the true Church in all ages, and that often unto the death of its innumerable martyrs. But, should a man who reads his Bible, or has any regard for the interests of truth, need to have this explained?

Another mistake might be exposed, in the stale objection, that such principles as Mr. N.'s tend to injure the interests of morality, from his strictly adhering to the doctrine of our eleventh article, on justification by faith. I would hope that this objection arises, in many, from a very slight acquaintance with the subject. It requires, indeed, but little attention to mark how expressly the Scriptures maintain our justification on the sole merit of our Redeemer, while they as fully maintain the necessity of our sanctification or holiness by his Spirit. It has been repeatedly proved, by sound and incontestible arguments, that these two grand fundamentals of our religion are so far from opposing each other, either in Scripture or in experience, that, when real, they are found inseparable. But, because this is not the place to either state or defend this doctrine at large, it may help such as have hitherto stumbled respecting it, to observe an illustration and proof of this position, in the matter of fact just now presented to their view.

To one willing to learn, I would say, What

proof would you require of the practical tendency of principles like Mr. N.'s? We bring you, in his history, a most deplorable instance of human depravity and moral disorder. What experiment should be tried to recover this wretched creature to God and to himself?-Regard, I say, the fact in this man's history. You will find that his recovery was not brought about by such considerations as are urged in what are termed moral or rational discourses; but on the contrary, by such truths as he laboured throughout his ministry to establish, not only from the Scriptures, but from his own experience of their efficacy. He dwelt on truths which are essential and peculiar to Christianity-such as the guilt and utter depravity of our fallen nature, whereby man is become an alien and apostate from his God; his inability to recover himself without the grace of the Holy Spirit; the necessity of regeneration by the same. Spirit; and of faith in the Redeemer, not only as the alone ground of his justification before God, but as the root and motive of all acceptable obedience and good works. "If I wanted a man to fly," said Mr. N., "I must contrive to find him wings; and, thus, if I would successfully enforce moral duties, I must advance evangelical motives." He preached truths like these, constantly aud fervently; and he lived a consistent example of them.

Thus in all things approving himself a true

disciple and minister of Christ, those, who knew him, know that, without making any odious comparison, it might be literally affirmed of Mr. N, that “by pureness, by knowledge, by long-suffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned, by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, his mouth was opened and his heart enlarged towards men."

I trust it is from a pure motive, that I am endeavouring to convince persons of the class which I am addressing, of their mistake. And I am the more induced to bring a case in point before them, because I think it cannot be paralleled as an instance of the power of religion, among those who labour to keep up prejudices against Ministers of Mr. N.'s character; or who, by unfair or partial statements, strive to subvert the doctrines which he preached, and the great end to which all his labours were directed, namely, the life of God in the soul of man.

If indeed any one is WILLING to be deceived, let him be deceived. At least such an one will not

be addressed here. But, if a man has any serious sense of the value of his soul, of its lost condition by sin, and of the necessity of recovering the friendship of his God; if he feels the express declaration in the Scriptures of an eternity of happiness or misery to be of infinite importance, and one to which the weightiest concern in this