wy methods which they are capable of adopt- 
ig, certainly secure themselves from falling 
nto error. ‘They may not enjoy the proper 
means of information; or, they may labour 
“under innocent prejudices, even upon very 
interesting subjects, which will as unavoid- 
“bly darken the ae of the mind, as a film, 
_ ot adisorder of the nerves, dots the eye of 
the body. And God, we may be sure, will 
wy not charge that, upon any man as a crime, 
_ which ought really to be considered as his 
mF calamity. ‘The censure, now intended, does 
not extend to the involuntary, and unavoid- 
able mistakes of a humble, upright, teach- 
able mind, who wishes to know the path of 
truth and duty, and diligently uses every 
mean in its power to find it. A person of 
this excellent temper, has no hing to dread 
. from the sentence of his merciful and righte- 
‘ous judge. No, Sirs, such serious and im- 
partial inquirers, may look up to him with 
an assured hope, that their unwilling mis- 
takes, shall never be brought in charge 
against them. It is indolent and superficial 
~ inquirers, who are so enamoured with the 
' pleasures, and profits of this world, that 
they care not what judgment they form upon 
religious subjects; ii is the proud and self- 
~ confident, who are so vain of their own 
knowledge and penetration, that.they refuse 
_ to accept the assistance of that wisdom which 
is from above; in fine, it is men of corrupt 
minds, whose judgment is blinded by evil 
prejudices and passions, to whom the guilt 
_ of error belongs ; and upon whom, even the 
knowledge and belief of the truth, confers 
a In a discourse upon religious worship, 
_ the preacher observes: 
«© We live in an age, when the ordinances 
__ of religious worship have undeservedly lost 
much of that respect and veneration, in 
which our pious ancestors held them. By 
some, it is pretended, they are not expressly 
i) Aer. XXXII. 
_ _IN an advertisement prefixed to these 
‘sermons, we are informed “ that they 
_ have already been printed in imitation of 
manuscript.” We are dlso informed of 
the occasion of their having been thus 
_ printed. “A bookseller ot great re- 
spectability represented to the author, 
that sermons, resembling manuscript, 
were offered for sale by different writers. 
He therefore requested his friend ‘to 
print some in the same manner, in the 
persuasion that they would put a stop 
to what he termed, such disreputable 
trafic. That end being soon answered, 
the bookseller ceased to advertise and 
disperse them.’”? Of his intentions in 
ST. JOHN’S SERMONS. 
Practical Sermons on several important Subjects. 
/", Treopuitus Sr. Joun, LL.B. pp. 394. 
167 
enjoined ; and’ by others, that they do not.~ 
need them. One man thinks it sufhcient, if, 
now and then, when a convenient opportu- 
nity offers, and no other engagement lies 
upon his hands, he pays a complimental visit” 
to the house of God; and another thinks he 
has fully discharged his duty, by attending 
there once a day; the remaining hours, he 
supposes, may be very lawfully given up to 
his own disposal. But I would ask persons 
of this description, what have you, or your 
fathers found in God, that you should be 
thus sparing and reserved in-the time and 
labour you cevote to his worship? You ate 
lavish enough of both, in all other pursuits 
and engagements; and why so nigeardly 
here? Is God so liberal in his grant of mer- 
cies; and can you think it grateful or just, 
to be so scanty and contracted in your returns 
of duty and praise? or, will you review such 
a waste of sacred time with approbation, and 
sronounce it wise, when eternity, with all 
it's interesting scenes, is just opening to your 
view? Admitting, for a moment, that the 
public worship of God, is not expressly en- 
joined; (though IT know not how that can 
well be supposed) yet, surely, a just sense 
of our immense obligation to him, will lead 
us to consider it as an indispensible duty. 
And since it is good for us, in every way 
that we can adopt, to draw near to God ; 
we should lose no opportunity that offers for 
approaching him. The obligation of an 
express command, should not be thought 
necessary here: the duty recommends itself, 
by it’s own reasonableness and importance.” 
From these quotations our ‘readers 
will be able to form some judgment of 
the style and manner of the author. 
The seriousness and piety which prevail 
in these discourses, must have rendered 
them beneficial to those who heard them, 
and they cannot be read without produc- 
ing some similar good effects. 
‘ 
By the Reverend 
offering them'to the public, the author 
thus speaks: he hopes “ that they may 
not be altogether useless,” and “ he en- 
treats the reader to consider them as 
sermons calculated for a popular audi- 
tory, such as a clergyman, ardently de- 
sirous of doing good, would write tor 
the use of his congregation.”? With 
this character these discourses corre- 
spond. They are impressive, serious, 
pious, and liberal. They are twenty- 
six in number, and chiefly practical. As 
a whole, we were particularly pleased 
with the fqwenty-second sermon, on the 
uncertainty of life; and we shall not do our 
co wrong, by submitting to the 
A 4 
