can say, 'I go there you cannot think how we are crowded: ours is the fullest place by far!'

3. May we state, as tending to fill places where the gospel is preached, that worldly interest is a motive which operates very powerfully. Many attend on the Lord's Day with the view of raising a reputation, which may assist them in their secular concerns; thus making the Saviour and his grace a step-ladder, by which to reach at earthly emolument. They wish to be thought religious, they see this as the easiest way, and with diligence attand at Wisdom's gates, that they may have the credit of being wise; or they hope that, among such a number, they may find many agreeable connections, may find customers to create a new business, or keep up an old one; and, as a matter of convenienee for matrimony, it is notorious, that to see, to be seen, and to obtain access, which cannot otherwise so easily be obtained, are motives for attendance, whose influence is wide spread and powerful among the younger part of these large auditories.

4. Perhaps, without allowing for their spiritual influence upon the mind, we may say, there is something in the nature of gos pel-doctrines highly attractive to some states of the carnal man. They hold forth pardon, free pardon for all manner of sin and iniquity; they point to mercy, exercised without regard to human merit, ready for the vilest publican as for the most moral Pharisee; they represent the Almighty God as operating with his influences in a sovereign and uncontroulable way, giving all grace, strength, and mercy as seemeth him good. Pity that such divine truths should be abused! but to some this seems a most easy and convenient sort of religion; they would like to be saved, and to have no trouble about it, so they understand the› proposition; they find sinners at the eleventh hour may be saved. To continue in sia is exactly what they wish; and as the greatness of sin is no bar to mercy, but God is indeed honoured by saving the chief of sinners, they hope to be saved, I had almost said, for their sin; and, as no merit nor righteousness can have a share in obtaining justification, they feel easy in neglecting uncomfortable duties. Such as are yet ignorant that not justification alone, but holiness also is salvation, conceive great hopes and feel much peace in the confused idea they have thus formed of the gospel, and prefer it much to that sort of laborious morality which those who know not the gospel as the source of living morals must preach upon. It is true, such cannot be said to love the whole gaspel, but an abuse of part of Yet this sensation and mistake cause many to desert other places, and come where they think they have discovered much The easiest mode of obtaining Heaven.

it.

5. Of very great influence too in attracting numbers, is the more energetic style of worship, which obtains where the gospel calls forth the most lively and powerful feelings. The humdrum sleepy style in which what they say is delivered at most

places, awakens no interest, moves no passion, has no power to attract attention; but a gospel preacher, who feels his subject, will speak on it with animation and interest, and will thereby, in all probability, stir up sensations of some sort in the breasts of his hearers. If he laboriously study the word of God, his discourses will have much substance and novelty; they cannot but approve a man who seems so knowing in the Scriptures; if he display Jesus and his grace with eloquence, eloquence will move, as it finds principles in our nature adapted to receive its impressions; -if he display the torments of Hell a little, in the phraseology of Scripture, it will be no marvel if even the unconverted sinnner should tremble, and think he must take a little care to avoid it; to attend at this place appears one of the first things to be done;or, if he display the joys of Heaven, many are pliable enough to wish to go thither when they die, and naturally conclude this to be the way, as they never hear any thing similar at other places. Natural feelings are commonly wrought upon, even without special grace; and men as naturally prefer that preaching under which they feel most, unless, indeed, it happens to make them too uneasy; then it will sometimes give disgust, make them leave the gospel, and go where they may settle on their lees,' and be more at rest. Not only will the preaching in so serious a style affect, but even the solemnity of the prayer, when uttered from the heart, will give a high idea of the minister's piety; and, by consequence, suggest to the man who feels it so, that here he partakes of that piety himself. Nor can we here omit the direct influence which the singing in a general, lively, and animated manner, has on the animal frame. As the fife and drum have. enlisted many a raw recruit, and animated many a soldier to battle, neither of whom felt much loyalty or patriotism, so has the style of singing brought many a one under the gospel, who yet never felt any thing of real piety, even though energetically joining in that part of the worship; and the influence of this sensation, when it is aroused by musical excellence, is so well known, as to be even pleaded as an argument for defiling the simplicity of the worship of God with the cornet, dulcimer, and sackbut of heathen temples, in hope of attracting, by such imeretricious allurements, the young and giddy.

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6. Proceeding from the same higher state of feeling, whether genuine or spurious, which obtains under the gospel, will be found also a much greater endeavour, by all who have influence, to exert it in persuading persons to attend on the means of grace. Where there is service but once a day, and that performed as a task, slovened over by indolence, and shortened in every possible way, the Sabbath, as such, can appear of very little importance.. If it happens to be convenient, persons give attendance; and if not, in neglecting it they do but imitate their minister, who omits it;but if those persons happen to attend a few times under the gospel, they and the Sabbath fully occupied by two services; 3 M

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and perhaps a third is undertaken without emolument, only on the principle of greater usefulness. The minister strongly expostulates with the people, to engage them to attend both parts of the day; he places his finger on the Sabbath and its services, as of the first importance, without attention to which no religion can exist. New ideas about it are of course generated; and if a person be inclined to keep up appearances at all, he finds him self obliged to a more frequent and early attendance. In this endeavour to fill the place, the minister is also seconded by every serious member of his congregation. Heads of families imbibe the spirit, and generally make great exertions, not only to attend themselves regularly, but to bring their children and servants with them. Such will also aim to persuade and accommodate their friends, in hopes it may do them good. Love to souls will stimulate them to bring under the gospel sinners of every description; and, where this principle may be weak, attachment to the place or party produces a similar energy. Thus multitudinous endeavours are always at work, in order to produce a full attendance; and especially upon those whose attendance raises the surprize intimated in the question.

7. Without any thing like conversion, great also is the influ ence of natural conscience. Men, unless very profligate, nay, even they also, feel the necessity of something like religion. Now, without keeping the Sabbath, and attending at the Lord's house, common sense says there can be no pretensions to religion made: they must therefore attend somewhere. This persuasion carries many to places of all sorts. It is the impelling principle which urges the castomary attendance where preaching and worship are conducted in the tamest style. If it have influence where there is so slight an appearance of obtaining what is sought, no wonder if it impel many to come where, according to appearances, religion much more abounds, and where the same trouble of attendance may obtain a much larger proportion of the commodity sought.

8. There is also an indistinct sort of hope, which carnal persons feel in associating with the godly. On this principle, many desire to be buried near some of whose piety they have a high opinion, as if themselves should be somewhat safer for the contiguity. Those who wish to assemble with the righteous in the world to come, will endure, perhaps desire, to assemble with them in present worship. If once the idea rise that these people are more godly than others (an idea which the wicked often are conscions of, though they do not always like to own it) there will be a predilection for that society, transferring to themselves a share of the reputation for religion which it enjoys. Men will take credit to themselves for the general piety of the place or the people, and hope that, as they associate with numbers who will undoubtedly go to Heaven, their own chance is much fairer at such a place than where the general probability is less.

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9. As Hope stimulates many to attend the gospel who do not feel its real influence, so, I believe, does sometimes Despair. — Sinners living the deepest in sin, and having the most rooted aversion from the gospel, have nevertheless times of compunction and terror; their cordial needs be strong, in proportion to their deep languor. Whether, therefore, their opinion of the superior piety of such places may arise from the knowledge of the holiness of professors, or the free-grace truths there preached, or, more indistinctly still, from the mere number and excitation there found, such, when they feel they must compromise with a little religion, are urged by their very despair to seek it in the strongest style. That this principle is very operative in some such way, is seen when characters notorious for profligacy, and perhaps too for their hatred to the gospel, will, supposing themselves on a death-bed, send for the most godly person they know, nay, for the minister they have sneered at and persecuted, 'to make a prayer by them,' as they term it,-naturally concluding, that the prayers of the godly are more likely to be efficacious than their own prayers, or the prayers of those ministers whom, by frequent associations, they know to have nothing of religion in them. As those who hate physic will, in a time of alarm, swallow greedily medicine the most nauseous, so, without any love to the truths of the gospel, or approbation of them, will the sinner, in his alarm, resort where it is preached in that style which most he hates, urged, by the mere pressure of desperation, to do something which may quiet his irritated conscience.

Most of the principles I have mentioned have much power and influence; and there are very few places where the gospel is preached where they do not all exist, and operate to considerable effect in producing the attendance supposed. Happy is it when divine grace takes hence its opportunities to turn these deceptions of Satan (as some of them are) to his own discomfiture! Happy for those who are brought any-how under the word, when that word penetrates to their inmost sous, and produces real conversion! when the doctrines of the gospel subdue all opposition, and, by enlightening the mind, lead it to the teet of a crucified Saviour! when they give a man to say, not ouly I go to the house of the Lord,' but I am glad when they say, Let us go up! Lord, I have loved the habitation of thy house, and the place where thy honour dwelleth !'

If so many principles operate to produce attendance on the gospel, men had need beware, and should examine closely into the nature of the motives which guide their choice of a minister, and produce their attendance on the word; for mere attendance, even on the most evangelical preaching, proves nothing as to the state of the heart towards God.

How awful is the case of men who have sat long under tha gospel, without having been drawn by it to the Saviour! Such, perhaps, take up a hope as to their safety, and may die with a

sort of calm confidence; may, as represented in the parable, knock at the door of Heaven, and plead, Hast thou not taught in our streets?' but we know the answer that shall be given to all who are not real converts, "Depart from me, I never knew you!"

Let ministers too be cautious how they measure the extent of their usefulness by the numbers who attend their labours. Multitudes crowded around Christ, thronging and pressing him; but he had few real disciples, and fewer still, then actually exercising that faith which drew virtue out of him.

Let us pray for a divine blessing to attend the gospel, whereever it is preached! that, whatever be the motives which engage mens' attendance, the effect of it may be, that God is found of them who sought him not! and that the word of his grace may have free course through every power of mens' souls, and be glorified in their true and effectual conversion, till gospeltruths be attended upon from actual approbation and felt effect!

IMUS.

THE FULFILMENT OF THE SCRIPTURES

RESPECTING THE PAPACY.

(In a Letter from the Rev. Mr. BICHENO to a Friend.) Dear Sir,

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Newbury, Sep. 2, 1809. THE sentiments expressed in your friendly letter of the 20th ult. claim the earliest acknowledgment; and, though the mea sures which have lately been pursued by the extraordinary man who bas turned the world upside down,' relative to the Pope and the papal hierarchy, the suppression of the bloody inqui sition, the seizure of the temporal dominions of the pretended Ivicar of Jesus Christ, the annihilation of his court, and his banishment from thence, have served more to confirm me in the persuasion of the general justness of the conclusions long ago drawn from the stupendous occurrences in Europe, than to create any new light, or to lead to any new opinions,-yet, as what has lately happened to the papacy appears to have excited in you, as it has in a few others, an increasing attention to the Scripture prophecies, and you so far honour me as to wish for my opinion on the present aspect of things, I devote the first hour I can command to scrawl a hasty letter; and which I do, indeed, rather from motives of respect than from any expectation I have of being able to communicate much that may serve to illustrate the sacred predictions, beyond what I have attempted to do in those publications of which you are pleased to take

notice.

If any thing be capable of rousing the Christian world to an attentive enquiry into the meaning of the Scripture-prophecies