sense of the infinite perfections of the glorious God to be worshipped, of the nature and importance of the duty to be attended, and to have your affections inflamed and much engaged when you come into God's immediate presence, in any ordinance of religious worship. You should keep your heart with all diligence; watch against, and carefully suppress every roving and wandering thought, endeavour to retain a lively impression of the divine presence, and to keep up a devout spiritual frame of soul, while in the performance of the worship of God. Our transactions with God in the duties of religious worship, above all things call for the greatest seriousness, watchfulness, and care. And all the pains we can take in this matter will prove too little; we shall still have cause to lament our great defects, and to mourn after the pardon of the iniquity of our holy things, through the blood of Christ.

i.

3. Remember, that as you lie at mercy, so you have a mercy-seat to repair to, and that you may sow in hope. It is very true, that we neither have nor can have any claim to the mercy of God, on account of any thing that we do or are able to do in religion. "Not for your sakes do I this, saith the Lord God, be it known unto you. Be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel." But yet it is also true, that the infinite. mercy of God is more than equal to all our unworthiness, to all our difficulties, and to all our wants. "There is forgiveness with God, that he may be feared; and with him is plenteous redemption," And God is in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not imputing their trespasses."

You should approach the presence of God, not only with a most abasing sense of your sinfulness, pollution, and unworthiness, and with most earnest importunity for the influences of his Spirit and grace;

but also with an humble confidence in the riches of his infinite mercy, and with a supporting hope, that for his own sake, and for his Son's sake, (though not for yours,) he will accept, pardon, sanctify, and save you. While you are entertaining hard thoughts of God, giving in to desponding frames, and nourishing your distracting, discouraging fears, you are dishonouring God our Saviour, grieving the Holy Spirit, hardening your own heart, and going further and further from mercy. Come, therefore, before God, self-loathing and self-condemning, yet not with a distrustful dread; but come to him with expectation and dependence. Plead the merits of his Sonplead the riches of his boundless grace—yea, plead your own misery and want before him; hope in his mercy, and wait for his salvation.

4. Review your past life; and be as particular as you can, in your repentance towards God, as also in setting all things right with your neighbour. It is our duty particularly to confess and lament our sins before God; those especially which are peculiarly aggravated, or have been willingly and customarily indulged. It is our duty to make up all breaches with our neighbour, and to repair all injuries we have done him, as far as possible. It is therefore necessary to call ourselves to an account for all the past conduct of our lives, both toward God and man. Look back, then, to your early age, and bring the sins of your youth to remembrance. Confess

them particularly, lament them before God, and lift up your ardent and frequent petitions to him, that he would not remember the sins of your youth, nor your transgressions. Continue your view, to the successive periods of your life. Consider what duties you have omitted, whether personal or relative; what parts of instituted worship you have neglected, or, by a careless, hypocritical, and trifling performance, have slighted and profaned, whether in your closet, in the family, or in the house of God. Consider what relations you have sustained, and what have been your special defects in each of them. Humble yourselves in the sight of God, on account of them all: cry to him for pardon, in the blood of Christ; and for grace and strength to serve him acceptably, by a right discharge of your respective duties, in each station and circumstance of life, as well as by a due performance of the several offices of devotion. Consider your many sins of commission, according to their respective natures and aggravations. Confess them before God; and confess the innumerable multitude which were unobserved when committed, or forgotten since. Endeavour to impress a just sense of their number, enormity, and guilt, upon your conscience, till you are forced to groan out that language of a repenting soul: "Innumerable evils have compassed me about, mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, they are more than the hairs of my head, therefore my heart Endeavour to bring them all (those which you can remember, by a particular enumeration; those which you cannot remember, by a general confession) to the "fountain set open for sin

faileth me."

and for uncleanness :" pray for faith, and endeavour to trust in the infinite merits of the Redeemer's blood, and the infinite mercy of the God of all grace, for a free pardon of all your sins, how extensive soever in their number, how great soever in their aggravations. Thus endeavour to have your past account balanced by the blood of Christ.

In like mauner, be careful to review the defects of the duties, and the violations of the precepts of the second table of the moral law. Consider whether there be none who have offered you injuries and indignities; and see to it, that, from your heart, you forgive them their trespasses, and that you remember each of them at the throne of grace, seeking mercy for them, as for your own soul. Consider

what differences and controversies you have maintained with any man, and in the most kind and condescending manner attempt all reasonable methods of reconciliation, committing the case to God by prayer. Consider whether, in the course of your life, you have not, some way or other, been injurious to your neighbour, by word or deed, in your commerce or conversation; and never rest till you have made reparation and satisfaction, if any thing of that kind can be remembered. Consider whether there be no enmity or rancour of spirit, no prejudice or ill-will, harboured in your breast against any man; and never rest till you can feel a universal benevolence to every individual of the human race, and have that love in exercise which is the fulfilling of the law. Consider whether you have learned of Christ to be "meek and lowly of heart," to live in peace and kindness; and be excited by the gentle

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ness of Christ, to maintain the exercise of those fruits of the Spirit, "love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, meekness, temperance." Consider whether you have practised sufficient liberality towards the poor and indigent; and consult how you may now so cast your bread upon the water, as to find it again after many days." And, in a word, seek pardon through the blood of Christ for all your past defects; and consult how you may, for the future, render yourself the most extensive blessing to the world while you live in it.

5. Be very careful, faithfully to discharge the respective duties of the several relations you sustain. God having placed you, Sir, in a station of public trust, he calls upon you, in the language of Jehoshaphat to his judges, "Take heed what ye do, for you judge not for man, but for the Lord, who is with you in the judgment: therefore now let the fear of the Lord be upon you, take heed and do it." It would be arrogance in me to pretend to direct you in the particular duties of your honourable station, and the particular methods of discharging them. It is your concern, in the execution of your trust, to approve yourself a "minister of God to his people for their good; a terror not to good works, but to the evil;" the patron and defender of the oppressed and injured, and an impartial restrainer and punisher of the vicious and immoral; a shining pattern of a regular life, and one that seeks the welfare of your people.

Allow me further to observe,

As you are likewise remarkably blessed in your conjugal relation, that a full compliance with the