commencement of a Jubilee of

grace, the acceptable year of the Lord. Nor can you view it otherwise, if you rightly estimate the benefits with which it presents you. For it announces to you every thing you can justly esteem great and important, both for your happiness in this world, and in that to come. And self love if duly regulated, will teach you, to neglect no means of being happy, that promise to render you so; and especially, that offers you an happiness adequate to the utmost extent of your wishes and desires. This the gospel certainly does. For that in which Jesus Christ hath so much interested himself, and continues to be interested in, cannot be otherwise than of indispensible necessity to your good, and equal to all your wants. Are you poor, then, and straitened in your worldly circumstances, so that you find it difficult to provide a competency to support you, and give to others the just claims they have upon you? The gospel proclaims to you, not only enough, but unperishable riches. And certainly, you will not prefer the pains of poverty to the ease and comforts of affluence.-Would you not rather be servants in your fathers house, where there is enough and to spare, than, like the prodigal son, naked and hungry among strangers, who would not so much as ask him to share with the swine he fed, in their coarse repast? The gospel enriches you with the best of consolations now,

and will hereafter endue you with an affluence of immortal blessings.

Are you sensible that you are blind, and see nothing of divine truth, as you ought to see it? The gospel offers you the clear sight of the soul; a light that will not mislead you. For, if you fol low Christ, who is the light of the world, you shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. Is not light pleasant to the eye; and is it not a delightful thing to see the sun! Will you not therefore come into the clear light of Christ, which will make you see all things plainly, rather than remain in the darkness of the shadow of death?

Let me ask you also, if freedom is not better than bondage; and if you had rather be in the service of Christ, which is liberty, than in the service of sin, which is equally degrading and enslaving? Would you not rather serve your benefactor and friend, whose yoke is easy, and whose burden is light, than your irreconcilable enemy, who first aims to make you wretched, and then will scorn you for your folly? Spurn, therefore, so ignoble a service, as that of sin, and come into the liberty of the sons of God. This will give you a vigour and activity worthy of the immortal spirit that animates you; and be a source of pleasure that will alleviate all your sorrows, and give poignancy to all your enjoyments. In this state you will feel yourselves to be men, and possess a conscious dignity,

M m

superior to all the greatness of the world. If the Son make you free, you shall be free indeed. The honors of his family will place you above the kings of the earth, and neither accident nor time, nor eternity, shall deprive you of them; for none shall be able to pluck you out of his hand.

Are you contrite, and broken-hearted for your sins, and feeling burdened by them, do you groan under them as your greatest misery? Be of good cheer, for your sins are forgiven you, and you may. go in peace. God, who healeth the broken-hearted, and bindeth up their wounds, will cause the bones which he hath broken to rejoice, and pour into your souls the balm of consolation.

In a word, how inveterate soever your maladies, Christ can heal them; and how pressing soever your wants, he can supply them: he is able to save even to the uttermost, all that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

My brethren, it is the great business of the gospel-ministry, to publish the good news of salvation. And, as the dispensation of this grace has, once more, become stated among you, and some of its happy fruits already apparent, I hope you are rejoicing in the same, as the tokens of a plenteous harvest.

May the

year of grace that hath commenced so favorably among you, revolve with increased

blessings! May many that are now blind, be enlightened by the sun of righteousness, that they may see and live! May many that are now the servants of sin and Satan, be rescued into the liberty of the sons of God, and become the servants of Christ! And many souls that are now as bruised and enfeebled, in the mean drudgery of the world, become active, and vigorous in the holy and enlivening duties of the Christian life! And when they shall have performed their allotted services upon earth, they shall go to be forever with Christ, to rest from their labours, in the regions of everlasting light, liberty, and joy.

Now to him who is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presense of his glory, with exceeding joy; to the only wise God our Saviour,, be glory and majesty, do minion and power, both now and ever! AMEN,

PROMISCUOUS REMARKS

ON THE

"AGE OF REASON."

NUMBER I.

No doubt but ye are the men, and wisdom will die with you."

THERE are few cases in which a manexposes himself more, than by over-rating his own talents and consequence, and undertaking to discuss subjects for which he is possessed of no competent qualifications. Of this error, for which a man seldom meets with any indulgence, I do not recollect a more glaring and pitiable instance, than that of the author of the work before us. While he confined himself to politics, he was justly entitled to attention, and acquired reputation. But, by attempting the subject of religion, he has shown himself imposed on, by a vain opinion of his abili