Christians in your regular and serious attendance on public worship. Leave it not to them only to keep up the worship of GOD in the family. Let them not furpass you in an holy purity of manners, and an abftinence from the fashionable follies of a vain world, and the diffipations of a thoughtless age. Cultivate with holy care a devotional fpirit. Let integrity and fobriety mark your character. And let candour, gentleness, and benevolence adorn your manners.

Let us, who are Minifters, deliver, not dry abstract discourses, merely on the moral virtues, and the subjects of natural religion; but let us preach the truths of divine revelation : let us study, explain, and represent, seriously and faithfully, the invaluable difcoveries of the New Teftament. Let us preach plainly, with force and energy, addreffing the hearts and consciences of men, on the great things which relate to "the kingdom of GOD, and "the name of JESUS:" as those who bring "the word of falvation," and speak to dying men on fubjects of an heavenly origin, and of eternal moment. Let the ferious ftrain, the warmth, the energy of our preaching, my

N

brethren, fhew that we do not embrace and defend "a cold and uninteresting" scheme of opinions.

your

Be ye all, Christians, what the books ye diftribute instruct others to be. Then take the comfort of reflecting, that ye are enlightening and reforming the world: that ye are ufing endeavours to leave it wiser and better than it was. Then look forward to a future state, where your zeal, piety, and virtue will receive a rich reward. To HEAVEN, to the regions of light, purity, and truth, look forward. Now there are difficulties, now there are discouragements, now there are great imperfections in our knowledge and zeal: now the fuccefs of our pious efforts falls short of our pious wishes. But there the clouds of error will be difperfed. There we shall be furrounded with pure, enlightened minds, raised above prejudice and mistake. There, one bright day of knowledge fhall open upon us and ETERNAL TRUTH fhall break forth and reign with unfullied glory. Amen.

SERMON VII.

CHRIST RAISED UP TO BLESS MANKIND.

ACTS III. 26.

Unto you first GOD, having raised up his Son JEsus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.

A

T the beginning of this chapter is re

lated the miraculous cure of a lame man, who daily laid at the gate of the temple to afk alms. Peter and John going into the temple, the poor cripple begged their compaffion and alms. Silver and gold they had none: but they communicated, by their extraordinary powers, a more valuable bleffing: and in the name of JESUS of Nazareth, commanded him to "rife up and walk." A divine energy accompanied these words, by which "his feet and ancle bones immediately re

"ceived ftrength.

And he leaping stood

up, and walked, and entered with them "into the temple, walking, and leaping, and "praifing GOD." This remarkable cure, effected in so public a place, on a person whose cafe was generally known, filled the people with amazement and wonder: and they crowded round Peter and John, eager to behold the men who had wrought it.

Peter, on feeing this, addreffed the people in an affectionate discourse, in which he difclaimed the honour of this miraculous cure, as if it proceeded from their own power and holiness, and inftructs them to regard it as a proof of the glory which the God of their Fathers had conferred on JESUS. He accufed them of having killed this excellent perfon, though he threw in a foft apology for their conduct; and affured them, that he was raised from the dead, and was the fource of all their miraculous powers and gifts of healing. He called them to repentance, and exhorted them to be converted, with the encouraging affurance of forgiveness. To give greater weight to the doctrine which he delivered, he reminded them of the covenant GOD made.

with their Fathers, and of the predictions of Mofes and the other prophets concerning a great prophet, who should arise among them: and he pointed out the fulfilment of these predictions in the character of Jesus, applying the whole of what he had faid in the words of the text: "Unto you, first, GOD, having "raised up his Son JESUS, fent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from "his iniquity."

These words contain particulars which deferve our frequent attention and serious regard. They lead us to meditate on the miffion of CHRIST JESUS-on the design of his being raised up-on the propriety of his being fent first to the Jews-and on the character of those with respect to whom the beneficent purpose of his mission will be accomplished: The words contain,

I. An affertion of CHRIST's divine miffion. "GOD raised up his Son JESUS." The term here used may appear to point chiefly, if not folely, to the refurrection of CHRIST from the dead, and to that divine power by which He was brought forth from the grave. But the