apparently of little importance, if delivered on his authority, ought ever to command our respect, and may have confequences at tending them, of which we are not aware. And we know not what we do, when we presume to reject any thing which he hath taught, or difregard any thing which he hath commanded: only this we know, that in both inftances, he that wilfully infringes a part of the law, is confidered as a tranfgreffor of the whole; and forfeits his. title to all the benefits of the chriftian difpenfation. But are no allowances to be made for human frailty and the practice of the world and must we entirely refign all power of judging for ourselves?

FOR frailty, most undoubtedly, much allowance will be made, otherwise what will become of the beft of men? But not for wilful tranfgreffion perfifted in without penitence and amendment: nor indeed have

we any reafon to expect allowance for fuch frailties as we do not fincerely endeavor to overcome whenever we are fenfible of them. For it is our duty and our happiness, to make the improvement of our nature in all its parts, the leading object of our lives. All fins which we repent of and forsake, and all failings, which as far as we know them, we pray against and faithfully strive to fubdue, the gospel affures us, that for the merits of Chrifts death, God will not remember to our condemnation: but if the wilful obftinate perfevering offender, i. e. the rejecter of his Maker's design to render him happy, could finally escape; what dif honour would this reflect on the justice and fovereignty of God. Happy would it be for those perfons, who feek to obtain the rewards of duty, in other ways than those which he has pointed out; if they would confider this, and conform with reverence to the declarations of him, who is truth

itself, and in whofe purposes there is no variableness, nor fhadow of turning!

WHERE the practice of the world does not interfere with God's commands, it is the part of a truly wife and good man to pay it due attention; but where it does, there can be no doubt whether we ought to obey God or man: and holy fcripture trongly cautions us against following a multitude to do evil. Unneceffary fingularity is no part of a chriftian's character; nay, he makes it a point of duty, to conform to other men as far as he innocently and fafely can, that he may, with a better grace, and confequently with greater influence of example, differ where he finds it neceffary.

As to the liberty of judging for ourselves, that is by no means defigned to be taken away or even restrained by the gospel, ex

cept

cept in cafes of which we are not competent to judge; nay, we are required to exercife our judgements and to prove all things, only we are to take all circumftances into confideration, with a fair intention of holding faft that which shall appear to be good. But further it will be urged by fome, and it will be thought by many, that fuch circumfpection and care as all this requires, would take up a large fhare of their time, would lay them under confiderable reftraints, and interfere with the established courfe of the bufinefs and amusements of life. The proper anfwer for a minifter of Chrift to make to thefe objections is, to afk-are these things required by God or not?-Search the fcriptures and fee: if they be, are you willing. to escape eternal mifery and obtain eternal happiness upon the terms: which infinite wisdom and goodness hath thought fit to propofe? What can be more unreasonable

or

or inconfiftent, than for men to take fo much thought and pains, to encounter fo many and grievous difcomforts, to fubject their darling inclinations to the feverest reftraints, forego all amusement, and neglect their most preffing concerns, as we frequently fee they do, in order to obtain fome favorite object, which (rate the things of this world at the highest,) must neceffarily be given up in a few years, perhaps to-morrow, or in guarding against the tranfitory evils of this life; and yet to grudge the small portion of time and pains which is neceffary to deliver us from eternal fuffering, and fecure to us that perfect happiness which is to last for ever?

Nor that in reality we take from our engagements here, what we lay out in the purchase of eternal happiness hereafter. This world and the next are parts of the fame constitution of things, and that temper

and