This prophet, though the book of his prophecy be short, and relating to one fubject, viz. The judgment of GOD against the city of Nineveh, seems to have been inspired with a large effufion of the divine fpirit, and speaks with an authority and folemnity, which, as it claimed the serious attention of the people of his time, ought likewife to command the ferious confideration of all people, at all times. And though many ages have paffed away fince the deftruction of that city, and the particular deliverance of the Jews, there never can be an age in which the laws of fear and reverence are not awful in themselves, and as they regard the infinite holinefs of the Almighty.

In this age, therefore, it behoves us to be deeply thoughtful of God, by whom we have been created, by whofe power we live and move; and endeavour to have our minds raised into a fuitable contemplation and reverence of him; that as we are paffing away, like the ages that have gone before us, and we know not the measure of our days, we may live suitably to the frailty of our short and uncertain life, and in all our ways be found the true worship

pers

pers

of him that is invifible! He is indeed invifible to us, with refpect to the nature of his being; but we are not without the most awful proofs and evidences of his adorable attributes!

The works of his creative and sustaining power are infinite, and none but the fool can fay in his heart "There is no GOD." He is, beyond all controverfy, in every place, and every vifible thing teftifies of his prefence! Well might the royal Pfalmift fay, "The heavens de"clare the glory of GoD, and the firmament "fheweth his handy works. Day unto day ut"tereth fpeech, and night unto night fheweth "forth knowledge!" But though the great Creator of all things be every where, in every moment of time, there is an evidence of his tremendous presence, particularly folemn, in the movings and voices of the elements around us: In the winds of heaven, and the storms of the firmament: CC The LORD hath his way in the "whirlwind, and in the ftorm, and the clouds. are the duft of his feet!"

In

XXVII.

In proportion as any church or body of merr are removed in the terms of their affociation, and the principle of their union, from the obvious liberality of the doctrines, and the fimple examples of JESUS CHRIST, they are removed from chriftian ground, and from the genuine import of the name christian!

XXVIII.

Few diftinctions or defcriptions of men, I fuppofe none, will be found to believe that they are fo removed; or, that they are not the fociety moft in conformity to the doctrines and precepts of the gospel, and confequently most truly the church of CHRIST.

XXIX.

Every church being partial to itself, and fully perfuaded of its own fuperior purity of faith, if not of its own exclufive orthodoxy; it is not to be wondered at, that every church fhould have in it members weak enough, and zealous enough, to render it ridiculous to infidels and irreligious perfons, by giving it the titles of the

only

only true church; and, the church and people of GOD! But the wife, to the utmost allowable degree, muft learn to bear with the weak.

XXX.

A religious profeffor fhould be tender of hurting the feelings of any man in religious matters: he should not only wish to guard against fo doing with refpect to those in, but out of communion with himself. A liberal thinker and writer, however, will more frequently be in danger of offending his brother profeffors, than thofe of other communities; and that for the reafon above expreffed.

It therefore behoves a man who writes for the reformation of a partial or bigotted difpofition, fo common to churches, to attempt (not by using dogmatical affertions, which are the common aids of ignorance, and a bad caufe; but) by fober enquiry and argument, to induce an examination into the grounds and truth of things.

Why

XXXI.

Why would we wish for a long continuance in this world? Would we live for the fake of old age?

What is that but to live for fecond childhood, weariness, and pain;-to be burdensome to our friends, and of little use to society?

Would we live to get money for ourselves?

What is that but to live a life of conftant anxiety and fervility, to procure it;-to wear out our powers of enjoyment in the attainment of our object; and to acquire a selfishness, which must counteract all eventual fatisfaction? What is it but to procure the envy of the ignorant, the blame of the wife, the rivalship of the rich, and the trouble or the curfes of the poor?

Would we live to grow rich for the fake of being generous?

This may be a popular and a benevolent argument. But what better privilege do we