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However, in fome inftances, I am fatisfied-encouraged-animated. I behold the late excellent Hervey, and fee profeffion and practice agree to his lateft breath! I follow the English apoftle, George Whitefield, and have before me one continued effort to win fouls to Chrift for five and thirty years! The one, though confined to a country parith, employed his purfe, his voice, and his pen, with affectionate affiduity, to promote and publish the truth of God. The other traverfed half the known world to proclaim the falvation of Christ. When I hear thefe men fpeak of "rapturous" delights, in communion with God, I believe---their profeffion and practice accord. Nor have I any doubt of fuch a man as Dr. Gill, who was confined to his ftudy or his pulpit for upwards of fifty years, to digeft, to minifter and defend the truths of the goipel. When one man's pen produces nine volumes in folio and eight in quarto, amidit the labours of his ftated miniftry, and all to fubferve the cause of Chrift, I am convinced that his application and diligence muft have been almoft incredible. Here you have different gifts, but the fame Spirit. They had fuch views of their glorious Lord, and fuch experience of his mighty love, that each was willing to spend and be fpent to glorify his name. And, as foon as God revealed his Son in Saul of Tarfus, he cheerfully entered on his work ---made the tour of the then known world maugre all oppoktion, to minifter the grace of God to all nations; and refted not till he finished his courfe as a proof that his whole heart was in his work. The practice of fuch men is an honour to their profeffion, and their mafter. They give evidence that the love of Chrift conftrained them.

I am far from limiting the Holy One of Ifrael---but I do believe that this caufe will produce correfponding effects wherever it is felt. I know there is a diverfity of gifts and different fpheres of action, more various than perhaps I am apprized of; and to which therefore I am not difpofed to fet bounds. But can it be fuppofed, that large engagements of fellowship with God engender fupinenefs and inactivity in his work and worship? What, has the love of Chrift loft its efficacy? Or is there no deception in the cafe?* James

was

* Do not all caufes difcover themfelves in effects fuitable to their own nature? Were all our profeffed religious joys and delights analized and reduced to their first principles, there would be found much more drofs of natural paffion mixed with them than is generally apprehended; for pure

fpiritual

was ready to atteft the truth of his faith by his works; and, our Lord fays, "By their fruits ye fhall know them." Will not these paffages apply here? Poffibly fuch perfons might not impertinently afk themselves this queftion---" When I declare my confident affurance of eternal life, and the tranfporting experience of God's love to my foul; who will give me credit except they see me zealous and active to promote the kingdom of Chrift?" All the world have agreed that love begets love; and, therefore, unanimously reject the profeffion of it where there, is not a correfpondent conduct. A profethion of divine love, efpecially, fhould not be in word and in tongue, but in DEED and in TRUTH, to gain credit with men, or bring honour to God. Muft not fuch perfons feel a reproof of their indolence when they see the active ufefulness of their inferiors in knowledge and experience, the timid and the fearful, fo far outfhine theirs? The Lord commends the active servant. "Well done, good and faithful fervant: thou haft been faithful over a few things; I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." Though his joys and confidence might not abound---his gifts not fplendid---his sphere of action not extenfive; yet, being diligent in ufing what he had to the honour of his mafter, his Lord approved his faithful service. This is applicable as well to private Chriftians, as to minifters, to whom it more immediately belongs.

MINOR QUAM NIL.

ON THE PRESENT PROGRESS OF INFIDELITY.

MR. EDITOR,

WE

É live in a very eventful period. The moft ferious changes, both in civil and religious establishments, threaten and convulfe the Chriftian World. What the event will be, God only knows. Some imagine that the thrones of monarchs, and the bafis of Chriftianity, tremble, and will be fubverted together. Thefe two conftitutions, however, are unconnected; and whatever may be the fate fpiritual joy in God through our Lord Jefus Chrift cannot but produce, according to its measure, lively active zeal for his honour, both in heart and life: While natural affection, being merely selfish, is empty in itself and tranfient in its appearance. It it be, therefore, an allowed rule of judging, from the effects to the caufe, we may fafely conclude which caufe predominates from the effects which follow.

VOL. VI.

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of the former, the latter is fecure. The progrefs of infidelity may be alarming to fome, and its vigorous and fuccefsful efforts must be diftreifing to all the friends of Chriftianity; but I am neither fo much furprized, nor fo much alarined, at the event as many may be.

I am not fo much furprized; because, I think, the prefent corruptions of Chriftianity naturally account for it. The religion of Jefus, in its primitive fimplicity, fuccessfully encountered oppofition, and was received, at its first publication, on the ground of its own divine evidences. But men gradually began to profefs it, merely because it was the religion of their ancestors, without confidering it for themfelves. This fpirit of indifference expofed them to impofture; and gave defigning men an opportunity of corrupting the divine original, to ferve their own purposes. Hence Chriftianity became loaded with impofition upon impofition; with doctrines, ceremonies, fuperftitions, and a vaft heap of wood, hay, and stubble, which the Christianity of the New Teftament knows nothing of. In this unhappy manner has it been disfigured to the prefent day. The real genius of the Gofpel is buried fo deep in this rubbish, that it requires the facrifice of prejudice, and the exertion of ferious enquiry, to difcern and diftinguish it. When freedom of thought awakes, and the fpirit of liberty begins to burft its fhackles, men look on the mafs of what they have been taught to call Christianity, and, difcovering fo much fuperftition and prieftcraft, they turn away from it with hafty difguft, condemning the whole without examination or diftinction. Thus the extreme of credulity is fucceeded by the oppofite extreme of volatile and obftinate infidelity.

But, I am not fo alarmed by the prefent progrefs of infidelity as many may be; becaufe, I think, it may be wifely permitted, and mercifully defigned, in the providence of God, to purge Christianity from the corruptions it has experienced. As infidelity takes its rife efpecially from the corruptions of Chriflianity, fo we may naturally expect that it will abound moft where thefe have moft abounded; and nothing is fo calculated to deftroy them as that infidelity which they have occafioned. Its bold and mercileis hand will do more execution against them in a few years, than the temperate procedures of prudent reformers and interefted divines would ever effect. When the heat of the contest is over, and the fpirits of men are calmed, the gequine fimplicity of the Gofpel, divefted of the mifchievous appendages

appendages of prieftcraft, will recommend itfelf to the judgments and to the hearts of men.

Under the influence of this confideration, whilft I lament the spread of fcepticifm as a moral evil, I cannot but compofe myself in hope of the happy refult, and, I would congratulate Chriftianity on the destruction of its corruptions, even though it is effected by the unhallowed power of infidelity itself.

MANCUNIENSIS.

ON VISITING.

T is to be lamented, that though we live in a day

I when the Gospel Sun things with fuch glorious luftre,

yet our hearts are little warmed and animated by it! Profeffors of the Gospel often meet and vifit each other, but there is little faid or done for the glory of their Mafter, The cares of the world, the politics of the day, or the circumftances of the family, form the general topics of converfation, while there is little time left for thofe more importants things that relate to God and their immortal fouls. A word of advice, therefore, on this fubject, I hope, will be both feasonable and profitable.

In all our focial interviews let it be remembered, that we fhould have each other's welfare at heart. Many vifit for the fake of gaining temporal good inftead of imparting what is fpiritual; but our chief object thould be the improvement of the mind. In this way a Chriftian may get good and do good. But it is painful to fee in fome profeffors nothing but levity and noife. Many always carry with them a long ftring of foolith and fcandalous anecdotes, to excite the laughter or malevolence of the company; while others have nothing to fay except it be about themfelves, what they have faid, and how much they have done! But have Chriftians no better fubjects than thefe to difcourfe of? Surely, they of all men ought to be the most heavenly, the most confiftent, and the moft fublime in their converfation. The aftonishing events in Providence, and the delightful truths of revelation, would afford them ample field for the moft animating and profitable converfations. In fome companies a text of Scripture propofed for difcuffion would be beneficial; in others, a plain Gospel truth brought forward and improved; and in moft, if not all, prayer and praife thould be attended to. When vifits are kept up in

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this manner, they resemble a little heaven upon earth, and are far more profitable than the unmeaning chit-chat, or that defultory talk which fo much prevail when we vifit each other.

Minifters of the Gospel should be very circumfpect and fpiritual at thefe times. The eyes of all are upon them, and their little, indifcretions are more eafily feen than others'. They fhould therefore be forward in difcourfing on fpiritual fubjects, and be Minifters out of the pulpit as well as in. It is not enough for a Minifter to difcourfe well publicly, but he should endeavour to communicate instruction when in private companies; and that, not only with his lips, but in his conduct. As the great Dr. Owen obferves, "a paftor's life should be vocal; for if a man teach uprightly and walk crookedly, more will fall down in the night of his life, than be built up in the day of his doctrine."

Parents when vifiting their children fhould discover a regard for their fouls as well as their bodies; fhould direct them to their glorious Parent above, fhould pray with and for them, fhould converse with them about the best things, and endeavour to draw off their attention from the world; this would be the moft ftriking way of thewing affection to them, and care for them.

Relations and acquaintance when they meet fhould beware of trifling converfation, especially of flander and backbiting, fo common in the prefent day. They fhould not talk of the faults of any one but to his face. He that is always fpeaking evil of others thinks but little how others are talking of him; or, at leaft, what foundation he is laying for others to do so.

Young people would do well when visiting to watch against their natural vivacity, to fpend their time in profitable converfations, and not in idle, frothy talk. How delightful is it to fee a company of young perfons joining in things of a ferious nature! How amiable do they then appear, and how likely are fuch to be intelligent, good, and happy! How incumbent is it upon all, Ministers and people, rich and poor, young and old, whenever they meet, to confider how much good may be done, and how much evil may be avoided, by being watchful, fpiritual, and circumfpect!

GAMMA.

REFLECTIONS

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