ing career of low and debasing indulgence, is very unbecoming the votaries of science, who ought to be capable of more close, refined, philosophic thinking and acting, than vulgar mortals, and ought never to sacrifice the noble enjoyments of rational and moral, of religious and immortal beings, to trifling and sordid pursuits.

Beware too of that learned pride, or vain self conceit, which is apt to raise young students, in their own imagination, above the need of public, religious instruction or worship, or which inspires disgust and contempt of every public speaker or performance, which falls below their high and delicate standard. Remember, that the

great design of public devotional exercises is not merely to entertain, or even to instruct, but to excite, express, and promote pious and virtuous sentiments of heart; and that persons of the most improved understandings need, and may be benefited by them in this view, even though they suggest no new idea to their minds, nor afford much gratification to a nice and curious taste. It also merits consideration, that a large majority of our common worshipping assemblies, on the Lord's day, is composed of illiterate hearers; that these peculiarly need the advantages of public, religious instruction; and that, in order to meet their capacities and feelings, and thus accomplish the most extensive good, the learned speaker and his more delicate hearers, must be generously willing to forego many pleasing refinements both of sentiment and expression. Such condescending and benevolent sacrifices are recommended by the best writers on pulpit eloquence as well, as by the best models of it, which the world has produced,

These free, but friendly hints of advice will, I hope, be received with the same candid temper, with which they are given; and may they operate by the divine blessing to revive the credit and practice of serious devotion in this important nursery; and hence may it spread into every department of the American community,

Sermon XXIII.

On Forgiveness.

MATTHEW vi. 12.

Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. THAT divine model of devotion, of which these

words are a part, is equally distinguished for its brevity and fulness, its plainness and grandeur, its universal suitableness and importance. In these several respects it unspeakably transcends the highest productions of man. While it unites the interests of heaven and earth, of time and eternity, in six short petitions; it is remarkable, that the three first of these respect the name, the kingdom, and will of God; while the other three contemplate our own temporal and spiritual welfare. This arrangement as well, as the reason of things, instructs us to set up the honour and pleasure of Deity, and the general happiness of his moral empire, as the prime object of our prayers and pursuits, and by this to direct, limit, and consecrate our desires of personal and inferior good. We are to ask our daily bread, the pardon of our offences, deliverance from temptation and all evil, not merely for selfish purposes, but with a leading view to the service, the glory, and enjoyment of our Maker.

The petition, selected for our present consideration, directs us to pray to God for the forgiveness of our debts, and to enforce the request by a plea founded on our forgiveness of the debts or trespasses of others.

and

peace

The phrase our debts is equivalent to our sins, as it is expressed by another evangelist. Our sins are properly styled debts, because they render us debtors to the injured law and honour of God, and the violated order of his dominions, and in some cases directly infringe the rights of our fellow creatures. Of course they lay us under obligation either to repair the injury committed, or to suffer a penalty proportioned to it. Consequently, the forgiveness of our trespasses is a gracious discharge from this obligation, or from this debt of personal satisfaction or punishment for our transgressions. The petition before us is, therefore, a requést, that God would release us from the threatened and deserved penalty of his just, but violated law, and finally treat us, as though we had never offended, It implies a request, that our merciful Sovereign would not only cancel our past guilt, but confer on us all the privileges and comforts of his reconciled and paternal favour, and introduce us to that transcendent blessedness, which the gospel covenant ensures to those, whose transgressions are forgiven.

In contemplating the forgiveness of sin, three things claim our special attention, viz. the original source, the meritorious ground, and the appointed instrument of this blessing.

Its original source is the free, unsolicited benevolence of God. Its moral ground is the meritorious obedience and sacrifice of his Son. Its appointed condition is a penitent and obedient faith, or such a temper and conduct on our part, as become guilty offenders, favoured with the offer of mediatorial mercy. In other words, the terms of remission, prescribed both by the gospel constitution and the fitness of things, are a deep repentance of sin, a cordial acceptance of offered

pardon, as the free gift of God through the atonement of his Son, fervent love and thanksgiving to our merci. ful, forgiving Father and Redeemer, and a zealous care to imitate and honour them by forgiving and doing good to our fellow servants, and by the studious practice of universal holiness.

These observations illustrate both the propriety and the true import of the petition before us. For since a spirit of evangelical repentance, faith, and obedience is essentially pre-requisite to forgiveness, and since the daily, moral imperfections and irregularities even of the best Christians call for the fresh exercises of humble and believing penitence, in order to a renewed remission of guilt; it follows, that daily prayer to God for pardon is the proper and indispensable duty of all; for it is but a natural and decent expression of conscious depravity and guilt, of becoming humility and repentance, and a suitable acknowledgment both of the sovereign mercy and justice of God. Hereby the humble suppliant pays due honour both to God and the Mediator, to the law, which condemns sin, and to the gospel, which pardons it; he cordially owns and extols the righteousness of the one, and the grace of the other. The spirit, therefore, of this petition, implies, that the person offering it not only feels himself to be a sinner, but heartily condemns and forsakes every evil propensity and practice. Without this disposition, the offender virtually justifies his disobedience, declares his resolution to continue in it, and spurns that mercy, which offers to pardon it. If such a person verbally beg divine forgiveness, he evidently does it in a manner perfectly unmeaning and hypocritical; at best he resorts to it merely, as a refuge from impending but unmerited punishment, or an opiate for a disturbed, seif-condemning