children of God, Mat. 5. 9. and this influences him to live peaceably with all men, as much as what the nature and circumftances of things will admit of. Likewise, this peace makes his foul like the ocean, while the furface is uneven by the tempeftuous ftorms, the bottom of it is calm; fo the Christian. poffeffing this peace within, while in the midst of outward difficulties, the centre of the foul is calmly ftayed on God.

Again, there is joy in the Holy Ghost, which is fweeter than the honey from the honey-comb, and will give refreshment to the mind like corporeal bread, refreshing the hungry body, to the fatiffaction thereof. The things of this world, can no more give contentment to the mind, than a handful of fand can refresh the hunger of the body; for the mind is fpirit, and its happiness must be fpiritual, and come from a fpiritual fource; of course from God, confequently it must be found in religion.

Therefore, we need the influence of the holy fpirit, which I call infpiration or revelation, &c. which we all feel at

times and feafons to operate upon our minds, caufing good defires to fpring up within, &c.

And by the help of this fpirit, many have, and all may repent, if they will but obey it whilft the day of mercy lafts, as faith the maxim

While the lamp holds out to burn, The vileft finner may return; But if you will not when you may, When you will, you shall have nay. And now, reader, thou knoweft, that abfiract from religion, thou haft never taken happiness in things of the world, fufficient to counterbalance thy troubles and forrows. Now come and try religion, and fee what folid fatisfaction may. be found in that, and if after a fuitable trial, thou wilt tell me that thou haft found no benefit by it worth thy while, I will never afk thee to purfue religion again, but thou canst turn back to fin, and the Devil will be as willing to take you then, as he is now, &c.

The eighth quality of the Chriftian fruit is temperance-many, to avoid one extreme, run into another on the other fide. Temperance implics avoiding extremes, by ftriking the medium-I may

talk too little, and prevent my ufefulnefs-I may talk too much, and spoil my influence-Likewife, eat too little or too much, and injure my conftitution-alfo, drink too little, or perhaps drink too much and get drunk, and become worse than a beaft or devil, for they do not get drunk; and in this one fin, I commit ever fo many-firft, I injure my body-fecondly, I bring a fcandal on myfelf-thirdly, I fet a bad example for others-fourthly, I lay out my money for that which is worfe than if thrown into the fire-fifthly, I break the command of God-fixthly, I quench the good fpirit-feventhly, I deprive myfelf of the power of reason-eighthly, I hereby am liable to injure or murder my friends, &c. &c. Therefore, O youth, beware of the curfed growing practice in thefe climes-obferve to be temperate in all things.

Ninthly, there is meeknefs, which implies humility, or the poffeffing the fpirit of our ftation, to act in that sphere of life, which heaven hath allotted or qualified us for; not wishing to appear above what we really are, neither to fink ourselves below our proper dignity;

whether among the great or small, wil ling to take up our daily cross and fol low Chrift through evil as well as through good report to joys on high. Chrift faith, come and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, Matt. 11, 29. But fome people are proud and haughty and think great I and LITTLE U.

The tenth quality of the fruit, is long fuffering; for if God had come out in ftrict justice, he would have cut us down while in our fins, as cumberers of the ground-but he bore with us, and forbore to cut us off, that we might have a longer space to repent in.

So we fhould be God-like in this refpect, and never return evil for evil, but contrariwife, good for evil, and bear and forbear as much as what the nature and circumftances of the cafe will admit of.

Again, gentlenefs is another quality of the fruit, as faith the Apoftle, a fervant must not strive, but be gentle, and let your moderation be known to all

men, &c. Some people give reproof in anger, &c. to the no fmall injury of Chriftianity, by prejudicing minds thereby against it, &c. But as God

came to Adam in the cool of the day, and as foft words turn away wrath, I entreat those into whofe hands this may fall, never to take the harfher way, when love will do the deed. For by reproving in anger, you make the oppofite party angry---they then will take you to be their enemy, and thereby their ears are cut off, and none but Chrift can heal them on; fo your talk will be as chaff before the wind.

But go in gentlenefs, in the Chriftian fpirit with found argument, and though they get raised at firft, yet this way will tend to cool them down, and convince their judgment, they fee their error, feel conviction, and for the fake of peace of mind, reform, &c. How much more probable is this way of fuccefs than the other?

The twelfth and laft quality I fhall now mention, is patience, which implies bearing trials with an humble refignation to the will of God, believing that he will carry us through, &c. The greatest mercies, when abufed, becomes the greateft curfes, as the offers of mercy when rejected, is the caufe of the finners condemnation; whereas, the greateft