Kingdom ;--who have duly attended to that Candle of the Lord, which is fet up in the Breast of every Man; and which would lead fuch to a clearer Light of his Gofpel;-other Sheep I have which are not of this Fold; them alfo I must bring, and they fhall hear my Voice, and there fhall be one Fold and one Shepherd. To them likewise may the Times of refreshing come, from the Prefence of the Lord. However, the case of such will undoubtedly be very different from that of thofe, who frequently, and perverfely, reject the Counfel of God against themselves; refolved to truft to their own Strength, and going about to establish their own Righteousness; and not fubmitting themselves unto be Righteoufnefs of God.*

To conclude, with our Bleffed Saviour's Admonition in a like cafe, † If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou

me.

Let us instead of judging others, or haftily determining of their State; take care to fet a due value on, and to fecure our own Salvation: inftead of charging God foolishly, and ungratefully, for not having imparted the fame Benefits to All, which we enjoy, let us rather be giving him continual Thanks for his unspeakable Gift; and endeavouring to employ it to his Glory. Let us be intent on studying the pure Word of God, and careful to interpret it in fuch a manner as may do most Honour to its Author; and at all Times en

Joh.10.16. comp. Matt. 8.11. and Luke 13.29.

Acts 3.19. comp. Rom.8.22.

*Rom. 10.3.

+ Joh. 21.22.

courage a free and an impartial Study of it." "Tis now high Time to do this,and to awake out of Sleep,

d Dr. Benfon's Note on the laft Verfe of 2 Pet. is fo very appofite to the Cafe in hand, that I cannot avoid citing fome part of it. This may reprove those slothful Proteftants, who will not read the Scriptures with that Care and Attention, which is requifite to the Understanding of them:- and much more those who are profeffed Enemies to encreafing Knowledge, who would have all new Difcoveries carefully < fuppreffed; and would have Chriftians fteddily adhere to the Articles and Traditions received from their fallible Forefathers: i. . We are never to gain more Knowledge, never (by any Means) to grow wifer. Whereas what Reafon C can be affigned, why we fhould not reject the Miftakes of our Forefathers, as they rejected thofe of the Church of Rome, and of their Forefathers? They who are afraid of 6 new Light, and increafing Knowledge, feem to betray a bad Caufe, and to be confcious that their Opinions will not ftand the teft of a fevere Examination. And they plainly contradict this Advice, or Direction of St. Peter, But grow in Grace, and in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift.

Some excellent Rules for ftudying the H. Scriptures may be found in Dr. Jeffery's Difcourfes on 2 Tim. 3.15, 16, 17. Take the following Specimen of his Tafte and Temper. If < to this [the Hiftory of the Occafion of each Difcourfe in the Epiftles] be added fome literal, rather than doctrinal Expofition; and Men come to the Word of God to fetch their religious Opinions from thence, and do not, for the governing the fenfe of the Scriptures, bring their Opinions with them thither; this, with an honeft and good heart, will help Men to underftand the Truths of God, and the Truths of Religion. And he that is thus taught of God, being the Difciple of Him and his Son, fhall have an Idea of Religion moft pure and Divine; though not the fame as the Doctrine of Religion has been made by the determination of Controverfies, and by the mixture of Philofot phy. Such a Man's notion of Chriftianity will be plain and wife; fuch as may be taken up from the Doctrine concern'ing God and Chrift.'-Tracts, V.2. p. 259. This would . appear fully to every judicious Chriftian, if the folly of Men had not mixed itfelf with the Wifdom of God; and the doctrine of Chriftianity had been preferved in the original

• Purity

fince our Reformation is much nearer than when we first believed: and it is to be wifh'd that we ourfelves could be perfuaded to examine our own State, before others are obliged to do it for us; that we were disposed to help and forward, rather than check the Progrefs of every ferious Enquiry; and ftop any farther Improvements in the Knowledge of that, which of all Things deferves, and wants them moft; rather than withstand a gene

Purity and Simplicity with which it was delivered by the divine Author, and fuch as it is still in the divine Records which are the Standard thereof. What thefe mixtures and adulterations of the doctrine of Religion are, which have prevailed in any place or age, need not be named to him, who is refolved to answer the Character of a Difciple of Chrift; and to admit nothing for Christianity, or ⚫ any part of it, but what is taught of God. And if, with this caution, Men enquire after the Truth as it is in Jefus, they fhall eafily find it in the holy Scriptures, without any alloy: tho' it be never fo hard to find it any where elfe. If af ter fuch inquiry and information, the Man has Judgment to difcern the differences that are between one part of Religion and another; as before he did difcern the differences there are between one part of the H. Scriptures and ano❝ther: he shall establish fuch a notion of Religion and such a Method of studying it, that no Seducer can alienate him from his Religion; no time can make him weary of fearching into it. He will find an entertainment to his mind for ever in the contemplation of God, according to the manifeftations he has made of himfelf in his Word and by his •Works: and the employment of Heaven, which will be Eternal, is happily begun on Earth. Happy is the Man, who has from his Youth been accustomed to this Exercife! his improvement will be great, and his End bleffed.' ib. p. 260.

The next ftep towards the increafe of Chrifl's Kingdom must be a farther improvement of Christianity and of thofe who receive and profefs it. The Church of Rome is not the only Church that wants amendment. Other Chriftian Societies which have feparated themfelves from her and from her groffer defects, are departed more or less from

M4

7

ral Reformation in Religion, by rigouroufly infifting on, and obtruding fuch things for Doctrine, as are the Commandments of Men, and very foreign to the Effence of it; inftead of either entertaining that Antichriftian kind of Spirit, which calls down Fire from Heaven on all who don't receive us; which delights in ftraitening the way that leads to Life, and fhutting up the Kingdom of Heaven against Men; or elfe incurring the Woe denounc'd against thofe Hypocrites, who are defirous of lading Men with heavy Burdens, and binding upon them Things which are too grievous to be born; and which they know, that none need touch with one of their Fingers.

'from the original Simplicity of the Gofpel, and have mixed fome doctrines of Men with the word of God, and fo fland in need of fome improvement. It is therefore to be hoped, that a time will come when Religion will have a fairer and a more alluring afpect; when Chriftians will be united, not in opinion as to all Theological points, for that is im'poffible whilft Men are Men, but that they will be united ' in benevolence and charity, in intercommunion and in one common and fimple profeffion of Faith.' fortin's Remarks on E. H. V. 3. p. 445.

Matt. 23. Luke 11. That Religion which has no goodnefs, has no truth in it: for the Religion which God has given us is entirely for our good. Sobriety is good; for the individual in the firft inftance; and for the Society in the fecond. Righteousness is good, for the Society in the first inftance, and for the individual in the fecond. Gedlinefs is good for both; as it inforces fobriety and righteousness; and as it engages the protection of the Supreme Governour of the World. There is nothing in Christianity but these ; and what is fubfervient to thefe: and fuch a Religion 'none who understand their own good, and wish well to ' others, can either be defirous or willing to be discharged from.' Jeffery on Phil. 1.10. V. 2. p.380. A piece well worthy the perufing.

As

As we fee the Faults and Follies of paft Ages, a double Woe will be to us, if inftead of taking Warning by them, and avoiding the like, we are refolv'd to tread the fame Steps, and fill up the Measure of our Fathers.

Let us, who have leifure given us for this very purpose, think on thefe Things, and study to dif cern the Signs of the Times; that we may be prepared for them, and profit by them: that we may not only fave ourselves in the Day of Trouble, but also contribute to the Safety of our Jerufalem; and be ready to watch over and defend it, whenever, or from what Quarter foever, the Enemy cometh.

As we live in a more enlighten'd Age, and are intrusted with a greater fhare of Talents; let us be perfuaded to walk worthy of it, and endeavour to excell others as much in our Improvements. Above all Things, let us labour to bring forth the genuine Fruits of our Religion, in true Holiness and Virtue; and daily draw nigh unto God, in the Imitation of his Moral Perfections; which is the Sum and Subftance, the End and Aim, of all Religion.

III. The