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deed; let us hate and abhor sin, and look upon it to be most abominable, because it is odious to a God of infinite goodness, occasioned the groans, agonies, and death of a kind Saviour, and tends to bring ruin on our immortal souls; let us condemn ourselves, that we have committed what is of so hurtful a nature; let us be filled with godly sorrow for sin, and take a holy revenge upon it; let us, by the help of the Spirit, turn from it to God; and, as we sin daily, let us delight to renew our work of repentance every day we live: Let us never comply with any thing which is evil, which a corrupt age has made customary, but let us take pleasure in that singularity, which is commendable, which is to stand off from every thing that has a tendency to dishonour God, to wound the peace of our own consciences, and to discredit that pure religion which we profess.

Let us practise all moral duties, and Christian graces; let us act justly, warily, and honestly, in our dealings with men; let us make conscience to perform all our promises, to make good all our engagements, and to be faithful to every trust committed to us: Let us be temperate in our using the things which are appointed for the support and comfort of life; moderate in our pursuit of the world, and wary and careful to provide things honest in the sight of all men; let us be humble in our carriage and deportment, and be amiable in our behaviour; let us be even in our temper, if we are compassed about with prosperity, patient in adversity, in bearing ill treatment, and enduring insults, and ready to forgive all personal injuries; let us be resigned to the will of God, whatever condition of life he may involve us in, and desire, in whatsoever state we are, therewith to be content; let us love mercy, and be ready to shew pity to any in distress; let us relieve the wants of others, as we are able, and do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith; let us show benevolence to all mankind, even to those whose principles and practices we may most detest; and let us not oppress any, if we have it

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in our power; let us shew great love to our Christian brethren, and manifest true affection to all who are children of the same Father, professors of the same faith, and travellers to the same land of rest.

Let us make conscience to act with sincere piety towards God; let us receive the important truths which he has revealed in his word, and, with zeal regulated by knowledge, hold them fast, when they are denied and contested, by such as are strangers to the wisdom which is from above; let us stand up for all that tends to secure the honour of free grace, to exalt Christ, and to promote holiness, and keep our loyality, our faith, and love to the King of Zion, the Captain of our salvation; let us search the Scriptures, and inform ourselves about the mind and will of our heavenly Father; let us walk in all the ordinances and institutions of the Most High blamelessly; and be careful to perform the duties we owe immediately to God; and pay the worship which he requires: let us be frequent in meditation, and constant in prayer, and engage in the several parts of worship required of us, in due place, and proper season; let us not omit private religion, and let us keep ourselves from the view of men, in secret duties, as much as possible; let us take care that the voice of prayer is heard in our families, and the morning and evening sacrifice of praise is offered up in our houses; let us keep holy the day of the Son of man, and not forsake the assembling of ourselves for the public worship of God upon it; let us delight to offer up social worship to our God and our King, and to join with others in compassing his altar with our supplications, and to attend on his word preached, and hear the joyful sound; let us, if we are in church-fellowship, keep our solemn vows, honour them who have the rule over us, and speak to us the word of life, watch over one another, and celebrate the supper of our Lord, remembering his death with faith, love, thankfulness, godly sorrow, and holy joy; let us labour to engage in that ordinance, and in all the parts of worship, with life and vigour, with circumspection

and fervour, and without formality and deadness, without slightness and unconcernedness, that so the words of our mouths, and the meditations of our hearts, may be pleasing to that God whom we serve.

When we do the things mentioned, let us not give way to the insolent vanity of thinking to make God our debtor, or to purchase heaven; but, when we have done most, let us be ready to own, that we are unpro fitable servants, in having done no more than our du ty, and that we are, in part, unfaithful servants, as we omit many things we are obliged to; let us, in all we do, whether of a moral, civil, or religious na. ture, act from a principle of love to God, with a regard to the rule which he has given us, in his word, and with a sincere desire to advance his glory, whose we are, and to whom we are indebted for all the bles sings pertaining to life and godliness; let us, under a sense of our weakness and ignorance, be frequently applying ourselves, by prayer, to the God of all grace, that he would bring us to know our duty, and would enable us constantly to perform it, that so we may cre dit religion, and may adorn the profession we make of his name, as well as expect salvation as the gift of grace, and the reward of Christ's purchase.

Let us at the same time that we renounce all confi. dence in the flesh, and cast aside all trust in our own performances, rely on Christ for assistance to keep the faith, to run our race, and to fight the good fight; let us determine, that in Jesus, who is the Lord Je hovah, our Saviour and our God, we will have strength, as well as righteousness; let us comfort our. selves with considering that he is unchangeable in his truth, to make good his promises, that he is ever present with us, to guard us, that he knows all our wants, and is infinite in wisdom, to order all things for our good, that he is almighty in power, to defend us against enemies, and to finish his own work in us, and that he is boundless in goodness, mercy, and compassion, to bestow upon us all things that tend to our happiness and well-being: Having such a

glorious Captain of salvation, and such a powerful Leader, to the peaceful provinces of immortality, let us go through the wilderness of this world, leaning upon him, our beloved and our friend; and we need not fear but that he will enable us to act as becomes the gospel, and to bring credit to the doctrine of grace, which we profess, by doing justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly and piously with our God: and then when Christ, who is our life, shall appear, we shall appear with him in glory; and, as the sincere followers of the Lamb, shall sit together with him in heavenly places; where crowns of glory will circle our brows, and palms of victory will grace our hands: where the white attire of innocence will deck us, and the glittering array of light will adorn us; and where pleasures, grown to full perfection, will always regale us, and joys, substantial and sincere, will to eternity delight

us.

To the Father of mercies, who, out of his sovereign pleasure, chose us to salvation, before the foundation of the world, that we might be holy and blameless before him in love; to the Son, who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from iniquity, and purify to himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works; and to the Holy Spirit, who changes the whole frame of our minds, that we may walk in newness of life; to these three divine Persons, but the one supreme God, whom we adore, be honour, praise, and glory, in all the churches, now, henceforth, and for evermore. Amen.

HUMBLE AND IMPARTIAL INQUIRY

Into the Causes of the Decay of

PRACTICAL RELIGION:

OR INTO THE

TRUE GROUNDS OF THE DECLENSIONS

AS TO THE

Life and Power of Godliness, visible in such as Profess it in the present Day.

By Mr. ABRAHAM TAYLOR, Minister of the Gospel.

REV. iii. 1, 2, 3.

To the angel of the church at Sardis, write, These things says he who has the seven spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead: Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, and are ready to die; for I have not found thy works upright before God: Remember, therefore, how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast and repent. If therefore thou wilt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.

OUR LORD Jesus Christ is the sole King in his church; and no single man, nor any collective bodies of men, should, on any pretence, usurp his power. What doctrines he has seen fit to reveal, are to be received on his authority, though they may not come wholly within the grasp of our finite understandings; the worship which he has judged proper to prescribe, must be religiously kept to, though it may not, for want of pomp and pageantry, be pleasing to the flesh; and the duties of practical godliness, which he has declared, are to be performed by all his followers, must not be neglected, though they may be difficult to be ob served. When men inculcate doctrines, which Christ never revealed, they offer him a high affront; when

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