Permit me to hint here, that neither can rational, practical piety be promoted, nor religious truth be advanced, unless you keep your minds open to inftruction and conviction; unless you allow, and even invite your Minifters to lay before you, freely, the refult of their religious ftudies, and ferious, impartial enquiries. From the offence that many take, at the freedom with which their Minifters deliver their fentiments on virtue and truth, one would think, that they defire to be fostered in their prejudices, and fupported in their vices; to be kept in ignorance and error. Such Chriftians think, that they have already attained to the utmoft correctness of fentiment, and are already perfect. But this opinionof themselves is not the effect of modefty, nor the dictate of wisdom. To wave, however, this topic, and to bring all that hath been said to one point.

If there be any particular circumftance, or occafion, from which these confiderations can derive more force than they poffefs in themselves, it is from the fervices of this day. Allow me to appeal to you, my friends, who conftantly affemble here: allow me to refer it to your ferious judgment and confcience, whether these services do not convey and inculcate such sentiments. By the transactions of this day taking place at your defire, do you not express your fervent, devout wishes, that henceforth, a peculiar and facred

connexion

connexion may fubfift between you and your Minister? On the fide of your Minister, the purposes which he avoweth, and the prayers offered up on his behalf, have a reference to his future exertions in the cause of truth and religion. Hath not your concurrence in these fervices a like reference to your future endeavours in the fame cause? Doth not the ordinationof a Minister to any particular body of Chriftians, fhew, that those Chriftians are united together in the profecution of fome great defign, in which they with him to help and prefide? Doth it not show, that this design lieth near to their hearts? Doth it not point out their future duty? Nay; doth it not, in a sense, bind their confciences, to keep united together upon this plan-to act with zeal and fervor-to be at peace among themselves-and to favour, affift, and advance the labours of their Minifter amongst them; labours, which are defigned, not only for their own benefit and falvation, but to transmit the knowledge and power of the Gospel to the rifing generation, and to spread the favour of it around them.

Carry not these appeals conviction to your hearts? Is it not the fixed purpose of your minds, to fulfil all these duties, which as friends to religion, and as friends to your Minifter, you owe to one another; which you owe to the common cause of that divine faith you are mutually bound to fupport?

But,

But, I ought to check myself, confidering before whom I fpeak; before a congregation, whose kind, respectful, and generous behaviour to their late worthy Minifter, the excellent Mr. WaTERS*; whofe general character hath given a convincing proof, that the fentiments, now inculcated, are felt by them, and have over them their genuine influence. Let the usefulness of stirring

up

* Mr. George Waters, was the fon of the Rev. Mr. Waters, a worthy and learned Diffenting Minifter, fettled fome time at Falmouth, in Cornwall, and then at Ashburton, in Devonshire, where he died. He was the author of a Critique on Phil. iii. 7-21. in the Theological Repofitory, v. 2. p. 83:—and of a New Verfion and Paraphrase of the 139th Pfalm, in the 3d volume of that work, p. 291, &c. His fon received his Academical learning first under Dr. Jennings and Dr. Savage; and on the death of the former, in the year 1762, under the latter gentleman, in conjunction with Dr. Kippis and Dr. Rees. In the year 1766, he left the Academy, and foon after fettled at Bridport, where he was ordained 17th Auguft, 1769, with the Rev. Wm. Youatt, fettled at Dulverton, in Somersetshire, fince dead. Mr. Waters was a pattern of fingular industry in his preparations for the pulpit, of great prudence and decorum of character, of dif tinguished modefty, humility, and piety. He died in the fall of 1787. For several years preceding his death, he was feverely afflicted with a fcorbutic rheumatifm, which frequently incapacitated him for his public fervices, and wholly for afcending the pulpit; fo that he was obliged to go through all the duties of the Lord's day fitting, and in a pew. This painful difpenfation of Providence gave him an opportunity of difplaying an exemplary fortitude and refignation; and the congregation he ferved, an opportunity of fhewing their kindnefs and attention.

up your pure minds, by way of remembrance, be my apology for bringing these fentiments into a review at prefent.

To conclude, let us all be prevailed on to take these things into very ferious confideration. Be exhorted to hold faft the profeffion of your faith without wavering; be united together in the bonds of affection and peace; be pure and exemplary in your manners; confider one another to provoke to love and good works; "not forfaking the affembling of yourselves together, as the manner of fome is;" but, " exhorting," encouraging and ftrengthening one another; "fo much the more as you fee the day approaching;" that great and folemn day which the progrefs of our years rapidly brings on, when Jefus, our master and friend, whose we are, and whom we ferve, shall be revealed again from Heaven, to approve and reward every act of piety, and every labour of love, for his name.

As fervants, who wait for their Lord's coming, be diligent, that "you may be found of him, without fpot, and blameless;" active for his honour, and faithful to his caufe. JOYFUL and TRIUMPHANT will be the meeting of genuine, zealous, faithful Difciples, with their respected, beloved, approving MASTER, whofe reward is with him. Amen. "Even fo, come Lord Jefus." Amen.

THE PERPETUITY OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH.

S

ER M O

N,

&c.

MATTHEW XVI. 18. Latter Part.

And I Say also unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church;—AND

THE GATES OF HELL SHALL NOT PREVAIL AGAINST IT,

T

HE being and profperity of the Chriftian. Church must be important and defirable objects in the estimation of all, who have any concern for the prefent or eternal interefts of mankind. If this declines, religion and virtue, fo effential to the welfare of individuals and of public communities, will languish and decay of course, lose their credit and influence, and give way to licentiousness of principle and profligacy