114 LIFE AND CORRESPONDENCE OF THE [1784 



Seek not to be wise above what is written, nor establish any vain imagi- 

 nations of your own for tlie sure Form of sound Words. What you 

 have received, hold fast with a fervent and enlightened, but with a holy 

 and charitable, Zeal. Add nothing, diminish nothing; but let this 

 Lamp of God shine among you till the Day Dawn, till the Morning of 

 the Resurrection; and walk ye in the Light of it, not kindling any 

 Sparkles of your own to mix with its pure and hallowed Lustre. 



Let not your best State too much elevate, nor your worst too much 

 depress, you. Whereunto you have attained, walk ; yet sit not down 

 with attainments, but forgetting what is behind, press still forward, 

 having perfect Holiness in your eye and purpose. 



" Remember that Faith without Works is dead. Remember that God 

 commands Works, Grace establishes them, Christ died to confirm 

 them, the Spirit is given to influence them; and that, without a holy, 

 humble and peaceable Life, we annul the Law, abuse the Gospel, tram- 

 ple upon Grace, frustrate the end of Christ's Death, grieve the Spirit, 

 dishonour God, and give the lie to our holy Profession." If one com- 

 ing as an Apostle or as an Angel from Heaven, were to preach to you 

 any other Gospel than you have received, I trust, you would say, let 

 him not be believed. 



Thus, with the Truth in our Heads and Love in our Hearts; with 

 Zeal and public Spirit; with a concern for Liberty, Civil and Religious ; 

 with Industry and Economy ; with a strict care for the Education of 

 Youth, and their nurture and admonition in the Fear of the Lord; this 

 American land shall become a great and glorious Empire ! — 



Hasten, O blessed God, hasten this glorious period of thy Son's 

 Kingdom, which we know shall yet come! And, O ye, who now enjoy 

 the blessed opportunity, be ye the happy means of hastening it. Adorn 

 by your lives the Divine doctrines which you profess with your lips; 

 that the Heathen and Unbeliever, seeing your good Works may be the 

 sooner led to glorify your Father who is in Heaven ! * 



Bishop White, in a passag-e of his memoirs, which we quote 

 here, often speaks of the great service done to the church by the 

 last two conventions in Maryland, to which we have referred, and 

 which he rightly says " were chiefly originated and conducted by 

 Dr. Smith." 



* This sermon was published at the time with the following dedication : 

 To his Excellency | William Paca, Esquire, | Governor and Commander in Chief 

 of the State of | Maryland, &c. | The following Sermon | is inscribed, | in sincere 

 testimony and acknowledgment, | as well of his public zeal and regard | for the | in- 

 terests of Religion and Learning, | as of | the private friendship and esteem, | with 

 which, I from an early period of his life, | hath subsisted between him, | and his most 

 affectionate, | old preceptor, | and obedient servant, | the Author. | 



