the rivers they fhall not overflow thee; when thou walkeft through the fire thou fhalt not be burnt, neither fhall the flame kindle upon thee." And is not God a faithful God? He will remember his covenant and will not fuffer his faithfulness to fail. He will not caft off his people, neither will he forfake his inheritance: the Lord taketh pleasure in them who hope in' his mercy." All this encourages me against fear, for "God is not man, that he fhould ie, nor the son of man that he thou d repent; hath he said it, and will he not do it? hath he fpoken, and will he not make it good?" The Lord hath faid "Fear not for I am with thee, be not difmayed for I am thy God." I will then rejoice that whatever I lofe, I can never lofe my portion. "I will fay of the Lord he is my God; the Lord is my portion, faith my foul; happy is that people that is in fuch a cafe as this, yea happy is that people whofe God is the Lord." I will now fing Behold God is my falvation; I will truft and not be afraid, for the Lord Jehovah is my ftrength and my fong, he allo is become my falvation. I will go now trufting in his inviolable faithfulness and everlasting love. All that is worthy of enjoyment is to be found in God, and there is no evil I can fuffer, but my God can remove, and however much I may fuffer here, all will be more than overbalanced by that "exceeding and eternal weight of glory," which I fhall have in his prefence above, where there is no more death, neither forrow nor crying, nor any more pain." I I will now go on finging, in the faith of their fulfilment, the following promises: 66 "Fear not I am with thee, O be not dismayed, I, I am thy God, and will still give thee aid; I'll ftrengthen thee, help thee, and caufe thee to stand, When thro' the deep water I call thee to go, That foul, tho' all hell (hould endeavour to shake, 3D 2 Rip. Coll, 128. ON ON THE EXEMPLARY BEHAVIOUR OF MINIS TERS. LETTER II. DEAR SIR, IN * N addition to the cautions given in my former letter, I would fay to you, 4thly. that you fhould beware of ever envying or grieving at the dignity, fame, profperity, orufefulness of others. Such a temper or conduct proceeds from pride, which is the leading lineament of the Devil's countenance. It marks mens' ignorance, and hinders them from being edified by the gifts of others. It marks either the want or weakness of grace. It is contrary to all Chriftian love to God or men. § It hinders our making the glory of God our chief end, and blafphemes him as if he had no right to diftribute his own gifts and grace, or had not fkill or equity to do it aright. It hinders thankfulness to him, and contentment with our own condition; and tends to murder both our foul and body. It appears moft unreafonable, when we ferioufly confider, that it is not the measure of our gifts, but our faithful improvement of them that avails before God; that in many cafes and circumftances, inferior endowments are most adapted to ufefulness, as iron, in many cafes, is more ufeful than gold; that God will call us to account for no more gifts than he bestows upon us; that many others have fmaller measures of gifts; that God is under obligation to none, and may do with his own what he pleafes; and that great gifts expofe to great envy, trials, and dangers. ** 5thly. Beware of all appearances of obftinacy, or of a stiff and felf-willed temper, efpecially in matters which are in themselves indifferent or doubtful.++ Avoid, in like manner, a contentious difpofition, inclining you to contend for things not plainly revealed, or when Providence is not calling to contend for them, and no ground to hope for edification by it. 6thly. Never indulge the least approach to, or appearance of, intemperate anger; I mean, anger on account of things not really finful, but which are merely the involuntary defects of men; or anger on account of difagreeable Rom. i. 29. 2 Cor. xii. 20. Gal. v. 21. Tim. iii. 6. Num. xi. 29. § 1 Cor. xiii. 4. Jo. iii. 8. 1 Cor. xii. ¶ Job v. z. Pf. exii. 10. ** Eccl. ii. Gen. xxxvij. Num. xi. and xvi. 1 Sam. 18. Job xii. 2. Prov. xii. 15, and xxvi. 12. 16. 2 Pet. ii. 10. Tit. i. 7. II Tit. i. 7. 2 Tim. ii. 24. Gal. vi. 17. 1 Cor. xi. 16, events events on the Providence of God; or anger which proceeds not from true deliberation; is not kept within due bounds; is not proportioned to the offence; is expreffed in an improper manner; or is of undue continuance.* This frame of mind darkens and ftupifies the understanding; infuriates the paffions; unfits the foul for the exercifes of religion; renders reproofs ufelefs; involves us in fin and danger; and expofes to diflike, contempt and hatred. + 7thly. Shun every appearance of or approach to intemperance in eating and drinking, and all temptations thereto. As you value the honour of God and the credit of your facred profeffion, carefully avoid all approaches to drunkennefs, whether in private houfes or places of public concourfe. Give no countenance to riotous conviviality, which hath fometimes given great and just scandal to ferious minds, after ordinations, and the adminiftration of the Holy Sacrament of the Lord's Supper; occafions when your mind ought to be peculiarly devout and fpiritual. Such intemperances, fuitable only to the Heathen priests of Bacchus, will render the mind utterly incapable to difcern and penetrate into the things of God. It is a noted mark of falfe prophets, and is a diftemper which can scarce be cured. As before God, I folemnly charge you, to refift every inward rifing of irregular defire, and all unbecoming familiarities with the other fex. ** Criminal indulgences of this kind grieve the Spirit of God; ++ carry away all the powers of the foul with them; ftupify the confcience; weaken and diffipate the judgment; while the leaft appearance or fufpicion of them will renler a minifter and his miniftrations contemptible and detefted. I fhall, in my next, fpecify and recommend to you fome of the Chriftian graces and tempers, which are especially becoming in your ftation and character. In the mean while, I remain very affectionately yours, &c. 5. * Pf. xxxix, 9. Eph. iv. 26, 27. Rom. i. 31. † 1 Tim. ii. 8. Prov. xiv. 17, and xxii. 24. Ecl. vii. 9. Luke xxi. 34. § Lev. x. 8-11 Ifaiah lvi. 12. Mic. ii. 11. and iii, ¶ Prov. xxiii. 35. Hof. iv. 11. Eph. v. 3-6. 2 Tim. ii. 22. tt Eph. iv. 29, 30. 1 Cor. vi. Iş 19. and iii. 16, 17. ‡‡ 1 Pet. ii. 11. i Sam. ii, 12-17, 30. ON A ON PUBLIC SINGING. ADDRESSED TO MINISTERS. S the conduct of public worship is a branch of minifterial duty, permit me, brethren, respectfully, to fubmit to your ferious confideration a few remarks, in reference to the performance of that part denominated finging. In fome congregations, the words to be fung are always given out in others, this cuftom is varied at the caprice of the clerk, which is, in my judgment, very reprehensible, and inconfiftent with the defign of focial worthip. That the end of public worthip, with regard to man, is public benefit, is a pofition that needs no proof; and of this worthip, praife, as well as prayer, is moft undoubtedly an important branch. But how, I would aik, is this defirable end to be accomplished, in reference to finging, if the words to be fung are not audibly expreffed? It may be faid, that the parties concerned must furnish themselves with books. But it fhould be remembered, that there are individuals in almoft every congregation who are unable to purchase books; others, who, through want of education, are incapable of reading them; fome who, by reafon of age or infirmity, are blind; or their fight fo much impaired, as to derive no advantage from optical affiftance; together with a very confiderable number of cafual hearers, unacquainted, or unprovided, with the compofitions ufually fung; all of whom, however, devout their hearts, or however ardent their defires, are excluded from joining in this delightful part of worthip! Permit me to aik, brethren, what you would fay of the man who fhould ftop the ears of half, or of a third part of the auditory which, in preaching, you were labouring to inftru-Would you think yourfelves refpectfully treated? -Would you not view it as an unwarrantable attempt to fruftrate your benevolent intentions ?—But if to, by what kind of reafoning can you vindicate a practice that excludes to many from uniting in the worihip of Him whom all creatures are commanded to praife, and in comparison of whom, the beft of men are unimportant as the duft on the balance! Surely this branch of religious duty is equally momentous, and may be equally ufeful to the difciple of Jefus, as thofe thofe difcourfes in which you are yourfelves immediately engaged! In the fong of praife, the understanding and the heart of the real Chriftian are in union; they have but one object to purfue; but this is not the cafe while liftening to 1ermons delivered by the most eminent preacher, whom it is my duty to hear with caution and with candour; and afterwards to inquire, like the noble Bereans, whether the things fpoken comport with the oracles of truth. Now, if the end of public worthip, in reference to man, be public benefit, this end, in the cafes to which I advert, cannot be answered: the purpofes for which the people meet, or ought to meet, are defeated. But is this, brethren, to do all things for the edifying of the body of Chrift? Is it not, with regard to thofe on whom filence is impofed, like fpeaking in an unknown tongue? The found is indeed heard, but the words are not known, nor is the edification of the mute fpectator attempted to be promoted. -Whether this be right, judge ye. Whether, brethren, thefe curfory hints deferve your notice or not, permit me to fay, That if I know my own heart, they proceed from the beft motives. The writer has, with many others, been tong grieved by the practice he withes to correct; and if that excellent apoftolic maxim, Follow after the things wherewith one may edify another, be attentively regarded, he flatters himielf that it will not be found he has written in vain. PHILENOR. I A WORD TO THE DISCONSOLATE. DEAR SIR, In a Letter to a Friend. Received your kind letter on Saturday laft, for which't return you my fincere thanks. But why does this difmal gloom overspread the pages of your epifle? Why do you manifeft this forrowful fpirit, in every line? You anfwer, "Becaute it is not with me, as in days that are pait"But though this be the cafe, I would not have you caft down, nor plunge yourfelf into new diftreiles, remembering that Chrift is the fame, however you may change. His love is now the fame, as when he left his Father's throne, and the praifes of angels, to take up his abode in a fordid ftable. And his mercy is as great now, as when he cried, It is finished, and gave up the ghoft." Why then, my dear |