merce with others; patience under affliction, and pity to the afflicted; a generous contempt of the world, and a readiness to do good to all. Thefe are virtues which the worst of men fecretly honour, and the practice of them explains them better, and enforces them more, than words can do. Would we then prevail with men to become Christians indeed, let us draw out Chriftianity in our lives, and make it visible to their eyes, and it will speak for itfelf more intelligibly and convincingly than we can do: for men, by beholding it, will fee at once, that it is not only excellent, but, by the grace of God, practicable too. This is an argument that hath more perfuafion in it than any other can have; and then it is recommended to us by our Lord himfelf, (Matth. v. 16.), "Let your light "fo fhine before men, that they may fee

your good works, and glorify your Father "which is in heaven."

3dly, If we fincerely defire the profperity and advancement of Chrift's external kingdom, we will manifeft this by our endeavours to fupport and maintain it where' it

is already eftablifhed, especially among ourfelves.

This is an evidence which may reafonably be expected from us; and, indeed, without it, all our profeffions of love to the Redeemer, and of zeal for his glory, muft pass for vain and flattering pretences, which deferve no credit. We only mock God, when we pray that the religion of his Son may become univerfal, and fill the whole earth, if at the fame time we do not difcover, by our conduct, a hearty concern for its continuance in our own land; yea, if we do not actually refift and oppofe all attempts whatever to carry it away from us.

4

It hath pleafed God to diftinguifh us by our religious privileges above most other nations in the world. They were purchafed by our fathers, with the expence of much blood and treasure; and it would be highly criminal in us to refign them tamely, but far more to throw them away with our own hands yet forgive me to fay, that they are chargeable with a crime not less than this, who either openly attempt, or fecretly wish, to bring one to the throne of these kingdoms,

doms, whose principles oblige him to pulk down what we apprehend to be the kingdom of Christ, and to carry us back to that Antichristian flavery, from which we have fo happily escaped.

There is fuch a manifeft inconfistency between this petition and the practice of such people, that it is furprising they do not obferve it; and it must appear ftill more wonderful, when we confider that the perfons who are chiefly chargeable with this inconfiftency among us, cannot be supposed ignorant of the meaning of this excellent prayer, which, by their own, ordinances, they oblige themselves to use so frequently, and even prefs as a neceffary form upon others. But furely to pronounce the words of it cannot be of fuch efficacy as to atone for actions which contradict the fenfe of it;.. nor indeed do I fuppofe that they expect this from it. I rather believe, that inveterate prejudice and strong delufion hinder many of them to perceive this obvious inconfiftency.

But let us, my brethren, "stand fast in "that liberty wherewith Chrift hath made

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"us free, and not fuffer ourselves to be in"tangled again with the yoke of bondage.” Let us fhow our fincerity in ufing this petition, by refifting all attempts to remove the candlestick from among ourselves: let us blefs God for the religious privileges we enjoy, and not fuffer them to be violently wrefted out of our hands, under any pretence whatever let us not even expose them to the smallest danger, but guard them as the most valuable part of our property; and efpecially, let us be careful fo to improve them, that we may never provoke God himfelf to deprive us of them.-In the

4th and laft place, Let us extend our re gards to thofe dark and miserable corners of the earth, which are full of the habitations of cruelty and wickednefs.

Let us not only pray, that the gospel may be fent to them; but let us do what we can to make our prayers effectual, by embracing every opportunity which the providance of God affords us, of conveying to ther this ineftimable bleffing. It is our honow and happiness to have a Society for propagating Chriftian Knowledge erected

among

among us by royal letters patent, (and countenanced by an annual donation from his Majesty of L. 1000 Sterling), whose business it is to attend to this very thing. The progrefs they have already made, is at once a convincing proof of their fidelity, and a manifeft token of the divine favour and acceptance: hitherto, indeed, their pious endeavours have been mostly laid out in the remote and barbarous parts of our own native land, though they have not been wholly confined to these. They have been enabled to employ fome miffionaries abroad; of whose success among the Indians, especially of late, they have received fuch agreeable accounts, as gives the delightful profpect of a large acceffion to the kingdom of our Redeemer. The fields are already growing white in thofe parts, and promise a rich and plentiful harvest, were more labourers employed to gather it.

Here then is an opportunity, which God, in his Providence, affords us of obtaining the answer of our own prayer. By this Society, he demands a proof of our fincerity, and, as it were, offers us the honour to be

come