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has faid, "Comfort ye, comfort ye my people;' that I could now execute my commiffion; O that I had the tongue of the learned, and could speak a word in season to him that is weary; O that I could remove all your groundless fears and diftreffing jealoufies; O that I could place the promises within your view, and within reach. "Bleffed are the poor in fpirit, for "theirs is the kingdom of heaven." "Bleffed are "they that mourn, for they fhall be comforted." "Bleffed are they that do hunger and thirst after "righteousness, for they fhall be filled." "Bleffed "are the merciful, for they fhall obtain mercy." mercy." Remember "the facrifices of God are a broken fpirit; a "broken and a contrite heart, God will not defpife." Remember the dawn is the pledge and the beginning of day. Remember your defires are an evidence of fomething good, and an," affurance of fomething bet"ter." "Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and "God even our Father, which hath loved us, and "hath given us everlasting confolation and good hope "through grace, comfort your hearts, and establish ઃઃ you in every good word and work.". AMEN.

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SERMON X.

ON PROGRESS IN RELIGION.

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JOSHUA xiii. 1.

-There remaineth yet very much land to be poffeffed.

-SUCH was the address of God to Josh

ua; nor was it vain. It ftirred " up his pure mind "by way of remembrance ;" and having "affembled "the whole congregation of the children of Ifrael to'gether at Shiloh," he said unto them, "How long "are ye flack to go to poffefs the land which the Lord "God of your fathers hath given you?" They should have marched forward, advancing their arms to the extremities of the promised poffeffion. It was all their own by divine grant; and they had only to feize it. When they entered, they burned with zeal; every day was distinguished by fome fresh triumph; they went "from conquering to conquer." But their fervour foon cooled, their courage foon failed; and fatisfied with an imperfect acquifition, they laid down their arms, and refumed them only when they became neceffary for defence.

And this, my brethren, reminds us of a two-fold reproach, which attaches to chriftians. When our

Saviour had received "all power in heaven and in "earth," for the purpose of spiritual empire; he faid to his disciples, "Go ye into all the world, and preach "the gospel to every creature ;"" go ye, and teach "all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Fa"ther, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghoft; and, lo! "I am with you always even to the end of the world." Thus clear, and thus extenfive was their commiffion. They were to fubdue a rebellious globe "to the obedi"ence

ence of faith." This alone was to circumfcribe, and to terminate their exertions. They began well. The company of the publishers flew like angels, having the everlasting gofpel to preach to the inhabitants of the earth. From Jerufalem they proceeded in all directions, like the lines of a circle from the centre. Commencing in Judea, they foon spread over all Palestine, entered the contiguous countries in Afia, vifited the ifles, reached Europe. And fucceffively the banners of the cross were displayed, in province beyond province, and in clime beyond clime. But inftead of continuing their glorious career, after a while they looked back, and were fatisfied with their progrefs; they preferred eafe to acquifition; they began to divide the fpoil they had gained; they often turned their arms against each other, while the enemy preffing upon them, frequently obliged them to contract their limits, and to change their pofition. Since then, their caufę has not profpered; and many a judgment has been inflicted, to awaken them to a sense of their fin, and a conviction of their duty. Many a voice has been raifed in vain; calling upon them to arife and go forward; reminding them that is was all purchased and promif

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ed country; that the "heathen" was deftined to be "their inheritance, and the uttermoft parts of the "earth" were to become "their poffeffion." May we hope, that at length the voice of God is beginning to be heard? and that his messengers, spreading abroad to the east, and to the weft, to the north, and to the fouth, his "glory fhall be revealed, and all flesh shall "fee it together?" May the Lord haften it in his time. And to draw nearer the design of this discourse, christians, God has affigned you a glorious portion. "The lines are fallen to" you "in pleasant places ; yea," you "have a goodly heritage." Opening-before you the discoveries of revelation, He faid, Make. all this your own; advance; leave nothing unpoffeffed. At first you were filled with fpiritual ardour. You laid "afide every weight." You were feen on the full ftretch to reach "the end of your faith, even the fal❝vation of your fouls." Had you then heard a prediction, of what has fince taken place in your difpofitions and pursuits, it would have appeared like “an " idle tale." But, alas! you have become these incredible characters. Your love has waxed cold. You have fat down long before you have obtained a complete victory; long before you have finished your course; long before you have realized all the invaluable bleffings of your inheritance; and I am come this evening to remind you, I. THAT THERE REMAINETH YET VERY MUCH LAND TO BE POSSESSED. II. To CALL UPON YOU TO ARISE, AND MĄKE FRESH AND CONTINUED PROGRESS. III. TO GIVE YOU SOME ADVICE WITH REGARD TO YOUR FUTURE EXER TIONS.

PART I. Yes, chriftians, THERE REMAINETH YET VERY MUCH LAND TO BE POSSESSED; many cities and strong holds, many fine plains, and "springs of "water," many beautiful valleys, and very "fruitful "hills" or, to speak lefs in figure, much of your religion is unattained, unoccupied, unenjoyed; you are far from its boundaries. Very little of it indeed do fome of you poffefs; you command only a fmall, inconfiderable corner, fcarcely affording you a fubfistence. But I make no diftinctions; I addrefs myfelf even to those of you, who have made the greatest progrefs in the divine life. And furely it is not difficult to make you fenfible of your remaining deficiencies. Draw near those illuftrious characters, whose history is recorded in the Scriptures of truth. Compare yourfelves with those finished likeneffes of chriftians, which an infallible pencil has given us in the gofpel. Obferve well the fublime intention of the gracious difpenfation under which you live, and which is nothing lefs than to make you "partakers of the divine nature," to enable you to live "the life of God," and to render you "perfect, even as your Father which is in "heaven is perfect."

Take a furvey of your religion; I would examine you with regard to three articles, which have a de- pendence on each other, and in each of which will be found "to come" woefully "fhort."

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First, Confider your KNOWLEdge. While you are men in years, are you not "children in understand"ing?" You have been liberally favoured with the means of information. Do you poffefs all you SHOULD have known; and all you COULD have known? After

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