We conceive that, in finging the praises of our God, in his adorable characters of Creator, Parent, PreServer, and Redeemer of the world, we more nearly refemble the beatified spirits, who, as the spirit of truth informs us in Revelations, 5th chapter, fung a new fong, faying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the feals thereof, for thou waft flain, and haft redeemed us to God by thy blood ;---and again, I beheld, and heard the voice of many angels round about the throne, and the beafts, (living creatures) and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thoufands, faying, with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was flain, to receive power, and riches, and honour, and glory, and bleffing; and every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, heard I faying, Bleffing, and honour, and glory, and power unto Him that fitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.

We have alfo the pleasure to reflect, that in thus * finging the praises of Immanuel, we cannot err, though we have no more knowledge than babes and fucklings, who, in thus finging, fhew forth the Saviour's praise.

We have alfo, by particular defire, introduced our Articles of Faith, Sc.

We humbly truft, that in making use of this Book, we fball mutually fing unto the Lord with the spirit and with the understanding alfo :---finging and making melody in our hearts unto the Lord, giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father, in the name of our Lord Jefus Chrift. Amen.

SELECT PORTIONS OF SCRIPTURE, INTRODUCTORY TO THE ARTICLES OF FAITH.

PSALM CXXXIII.

I BEHOLD, how good and how pleasant for brethren to dwell together in unity!

2.

Like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, Aaron's beard; that went down to the fkirts of his garments :

4. As the dew of Hermon, that defcended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the Lord commanded the bleffing, life for evermore.

Aaron, the Jewish high priest, ftands as a type of the High Prieft of our profeffion, Chrift Jefus ; who was anointed with the oil of gladnefs above his fellows, which anointing descended on the people with whom he was to clothe himself, according to Ifaiah xlix. 18. As I live, faith the Lord, thou Jhalt clothe thee with them all, as with an ornament, and bind them as a bride. This anointing of the great High Prieft defcending on his garment, caufes them to fmell of myrrh, and aloes, and caffia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made them glad. O the condefcenfion of the expreffion! fhewing, that he expreffes it as agreeable to Him, when his difciples in their converfation and condu& make manifeft the favour of his knowledge in every place where they meet together, to which they are under the strongest obligation.

ift of JOHN, chap. 1. ver. 1 to 7.

1. THAT which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have feen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled of the word of life.

2. (For the life was manifefted, and we have feen, and bear witness, and fhew unto you that eternal life which was with the Father, and was manifefted to us.)

3. That which we have feen and heard, declare we unto you, that ye alfo may have fellowship with us and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jefus Chrift.

4. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.

5. This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

6. If we fay that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lye, and do not the truth:

7. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another; and the blood of Jefus Chrift his Son cleanfeth us from all fin.

Chap. iv. ver. 18 to the end.

He that

18. There is no fear in love; but perfect love cafleth out fear; becaufe fear hath torment. feareth is not made perfect in love.

19. We love him, because he first loved us.

20. If a man fay, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a lyar; for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath feen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen ?

21. And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother alfo.

ARTICLES OF FAITH,

AND

UNITING COMPACT;

Adopted by the Members of the UNIVERSAL CHURCH, in Bofton, February, 1791.

WE, whofe names are hereunto fubfcribed, being fenfible of the unchangeable and univerfal love of GOD to mankind, exhibited in a Redeemer ; and in humble thankfulne's to HIM, for difpofing our hearts to unite together in the bonds of Chrif tian love and fellowship; think it our duty, as tending to the good of fociety in general, and the improvement and edification of each other in particular, to form ourselves into a Church of CHRIST, which we conceive, consists of a number of believers, united together in the confeffion of the faith of the gospel.

The Articles of our faith having been seriously deliberated upon, and confented unto, we humbly conceive, are expreffive of our belief in the lively oracles of God, and fully pointing out to us, our confequent obligations to adorn the doctrine of GOD our Saviour, in all things.

The ARTICLES OF FAITH are as follows:

WE believe the fcriptures of the old and new Teftaments, to contain a revelation of the perfec tions and will of GoD, and the rule of faith and practice.

WE believe in one God, infinite in all his perfections, and that these perfections are all modifications of adorable, incomprehenfible, and unchangeable Love, manifefted to us in CHRIST JESUS.

We believe that the SPIRIT of GOD will in due feafon fo effectually teach all men, that the earth fhall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord (whom to know is life eternal) as the waters cover the fea; for it is written they fhall be all taught of God.

We believe in the obligation of the moral precepts of the Scripture as the rule of life; and we hold, that the love of GoD manifested to man in a Redeemer, is the best means of producing a holy, active, and useful life.

THEREFORE, receiving, acknowledging, and fubmitting ourselves unto JESUS CHRIST, as the Head of the Church; and receiving the Scriptures as our complete and perfect rule; we conceive it our duty, to meet together on the first day of the week, for the public worship of GOD, the breaking of bread, the reading of the Scriptures, and the preaching of the gofpel of JESUS CHRIST, which is glad tidings of great joy to all people; to inftruct our children in the principles of the gospel, by bringing them up in an acquaintance with the Scriptures, as able to make them wife unto falvation, through faith in CHRIST JESUS and as the best means to infpire them with the love of virtue, and to promote in them good manners and habits of industry and sobriety.

:

WE will endeavour, as much as poffible, to avoid going to law, by referring all matters tending thereto, to arbitrators; to fubmit to government, and in truth and justice, to pay fuch taxes, as may be required, for the maintenance of order and good government; to refrain from, and dif