"of fpirit, in the bond of peace, and in righteouf"nefs of life." How then can any want of true charity, or what deferves to be called liberality, be with justice imputed to him, who, in his profeffional character, is doing all he can for the benefit of his fellow-christians, and is not willing that any of them fhould be loft, if he can help it? Will nothing serve to conftitute a liberal-minded Christian, but that lukewarm indifference, which is totally unconcerned about every thing connected with religion; which looks on all profeffions as alike fafe, provided men be fincere, and fees no reason why every one may not hope to " get to heaven" in his own way? Do we judge thus in matters of less confequence, and where the interests of the present life only are concerned? Is he applauded as a liberal-minded physician, who, seeing his patient indulging himself in every thing that tends to nourish disease and impair the conftitution, flatters him, that all fhall yet be well; and that he does right to go on in his own way? Is he applauded as a liberal-minded lawyer, who tells his client, that he need give himself no trouble about the laws and government of this country; fince in order to preserve the rights and liberties of a British subject, he may be as well directed in every thing by the municipal code of France, or Ruffia, or any other country? Is the commander of armies applauded as a liberal-minded foldier, who, in the day of battle, leaves his troops without orders or inftructions of any any kind, and lets them fight the enemy in the way that seems best to their own judgment? Why then fhould the teacher of religion be applauded as a liberal-minded divine, whofe only merit lies in "speaking peace, where there is no peace," and leaving the people to grope for the wall of falvation, the pillar and ground of truth; when by pointing it out, through the mist of modern error and delufion, as "a city fet on a hill," which is at unity in itself, he might direct their eyes to that which is the only fure refuge from fin and mifery, the only place of fafety to a guilty world, and therefore ought to be "the joy of the whole earth." Confcious therefore of poffeffing no other spirit than the spirit of Chriftian charity, and actuated by no other motive, than the defire of promoting the glory of God, and the good of my Christian brethren, I fhall proceed to establish the following plain and important facts, as matters of undoubted certainty, and worthy of the moft ferious confideration. I. That the Chriftian religion, being, like its Divine Author," the fame yesterday, to-day and for ever," ought to be received and embraced, just as it is represented and held out in the scriptures of truth, without "adding thereto, or diminishing from it." II. That the church of Christ, in which his religion is received and embraced, is that fpiritual fociety in which the miniftration of holy things is committed to the three diftinct orders of Bifhops, Priests Priests and Deacons, deriving their authority from the apoftles, as those apostles received their commiffion from Chrift. And, III. That a part of this holy, catholic and apoftolic church, though deprived of the fupport of civil establishment, does ftill exist in this country, under the name of the Scotch Epifcopal Church; whofe doctrine, discipline and worship, as happily agreeing with that of the firft and pureft ages of Christianity, ought to be steadily adhered to, by all who profess to be of the Epifcopal Communion, in this part of the kingdom. CHAP. 99 DAY AND FOR EVER," OUGHT TO BE RECEIVED AND EMBRACED, JUST AS IT IS REPRESENTED AND HELD OUT IN THE SCRIPTURES OF TRUTH, "WITHOUT ADDING THERETO, OR DIMINISHING FROM IT." THE truth of this propofition is fo evident, as to admit of no fort of doubt in the minds of those who are rightly instructed in the knowledge of divinė things and there cannot be a more agreeable subject of Christian meditation, than to furvey the various means and inftruments, by which God has been pleased to convey this comfortable instruction For this purpose we are affured, that the fame "God, who at fundry times, and in divers manners, fpake in time paft unto the fathers by "the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto to man. "us by his Son."* The only difference, which is here pointed out to our notice, refers to the times, and to the manners, in which God hath spoken; for under all this variety with respect to the mode of revelation, the fubject was the fame, and the speaker the fame, the voice of the one true God proclaiming the "one Mediator between God and men, the "man Christ Jefus, who gave himself a ransom for "all." It was in confequence of his giving this allfufficient ransom, that he became that powerful Mediator, who alone could make peace between heaven and earth; and who, according to the terms of the everlasting covenant of grace grace and mercy, did of his own free love, and unmerited goodness to man, graciously undertake to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to put away fin by the facrifice of himself; which facrifice, an apostle tells us, was verily fore"ordained before the foundation of the world.”‡ Hence it is, that the plan of this glorious defign is fo often mentioned in fcripture as God's purpose, which he had purposed from the beginning-his "eternal purpose, which he purpofed in Chrift Je"fus our Lord;" his " purpose and grace which was given us in Chrift Jefus, before the world " began ;" which had been foreordained, or predestined in the counsel and decree of the bleffed and glorious Trinity, who had been pleased to bind them E 1 Peter i. 20. 6. Heb. i. 1, 2. † 1 Tim. ii. 5, |