CONTENTS. All Scripture is given by Inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in PACE. Ye shall observe to do, therefore, as the Lord your God hath THE DUTY OF WATCHFULNESS. MARK, XIII, 37. And what I say unto you, I say unto all, Watch........... THE REWARD OF THE GOOD AND THE BAD. PROVERBS, x1, 31. Behold, the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth: much more the wicked and the sinner........ 42 47 THE DUTY AND ADVANTAGES OF REPENT ANCE. JOEL, 11, 12-13. Therefore also, now, saith the Lord, Turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting and with weeping, and with mourning, and rend your heart and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God; for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil...... 53 THE FEAR OF GOD, AND OBEDIENCE TO THE LAWS OF THE LAND. 1 PETER, 11, 17. Fear God, Honour the King......... THE GREAT JUDGMENT OF THE LAST DAY. 2 CORINTHIANS, v, 10. For we must all appear before the Judgment-seat of Christ, that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad............ 58 64 ON THE HOLY SCRIPTURES. 2 TIMOTHY, III. 16. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doc trine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. I AM speaking to those who have been baptized into the religion of Jesus Christ, and who, therefore, profess to believe that the word of God, contained in the bible, is true-who indeed, have no doubt of the certainty of the facts which are related in it, or of the good end of the instruction and advice given in its pages. Some of you, perhaps, because you were so baptized, have never once thought about the bible, taking it for granted, that the fact of having been named as christians, was quite sufficient to save you; and so far from acting according to the instruction given you in the holy scripture, shew yourselves, by your conduct, to be despisers of that book which was written for the rule of your lives-for your peace of mind here, and your eternal happiness hereafter. Again, others of you, perhaps, though aware of the danger of neglecting the duties set before you in the bible, yet wickedly persist in hardness of heart, and will not obey the voice of the Lord, nor fear his threatenings against sinners, nor turn unto him in repentance. I trust then, you will now listen to what I am about to say to you upon a most serious subject-a subject, which concerns not only your present happiness, but your eternal welfare in the world to come. You cannot be ignorant of the certainty of a state of B grave, being after this life; you do not even pretend to doubt, that, though your bodies die and are committed to the and turn to dust, your souls must live for ever. You believe also, that you shall be judged hereafter in another world according to your conduct here in this. It has pleased God, who willeth not the death of a sinner, but rather that he should turn from his wickedness and live, to grant to his fallen creatures a true and faithful guide for their mode of living here upon earth, so that they may avoid the punishment of their sins after death, and obtain through the merits of His Son Jesus Christ, the glories of eternal life. And this sure and certain guide is none other than the holy scriptures contained in the bible-those writings, which were given by inspiration of God, for the benefit, not only of those who first received them; but of all mankind to the end of time. You will all, perhaps, acknowledge that the several parts of the bible are divine, that is, that they proceed from God himself, and were by him directed to be written by good and holy men, who were inspired by his Spirit and preserved to the present time, as pure as when they were first given to mankind. I will allow that you acknowledge this; but I fear, from your conduct, which brought you into this distant land, that you have not hitherto paid that attention and regard to this holy book which you ought to have done-that you have not treated it as containing a message of eternal consequence to your immortal souls-that you have never read it with devotion and prayer—that you have not listened to it with due attention, when it has been explained to you by the ministers of God in public worship upon the sabbath day. And, doubtless, you will confess, that if any book of common amusement, or of loose or wicked trifling, were ever given you to read, which might stir up your passions for the moment, you attended to it eagerly enough; but if your attention were directed to the bible and religious subjects, you would turn away in disgust, and neglect the awful concerns of an eternal world, for the follies and wickedness of this. Let me then exhort you to bear with me a few minutes, while I attempt to explain to you the meaning of the words of the text, and remember that it is not too late now to turn from the error of your ways and to re pent, because, while there is life there is hope, and Jesus Christ has promised in his gospel, to save all them, who truly turn unto him. And may God, of his infinite mercy, bless this my endeavour to lead you to see, and confess unto him your iniquities-to pray unto God to give you true and sincere repentance-to forgive you your past transgressions for the sake of his Son Jesus Christ, and to grant to you such a faith in him, as shall shew itself in your future conduct, in the amendment of your lives according to his holy word. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning. The Almighty in former days raised up holy men, whom he instructed by His Spirit, to address the world in His name, to set before mankind the wickedness of their doings, to call them to repentance, and to point out to them, the way of Salvation. The writings of these, who lived at different times and places, are collected into one volume, which is called the Bible, that is, the Book, as distinguished from all others. This book is divided into two parts, the Old and the New Testament.The Old Testament, or Covenant of Moses, together with the Prophets and the Psalms, written in the Hebrew ; and the New Testament, or Covenant of mercy through Jesus Christ, written in the Greek language. And these two have come down to us, through so many years, protected by the providence of God, free from all such errors and corruptions, as might affect any one fact or doctrine of importance. And here let me beg of you to consider, how thankful you ought to be, that these holy writings, which were published in languages which you could not understand, have beeh translated, that is changed exactly out of them, into your own language, by learned men, duly appointed for that purpose, whereby you may not be kept in ignorance of what is your duty to God and your neighbour, but may yourselves read the words of eternal truth, and be able thus to find the path, which leads to everlasting life. Oh! no longer then I beseech you, neglect the reading and paying devout attention to your bible; all other guides will lead you astray, the holy scriptures can never mislead you, for they are profitable: In the first place for Doctrine: it is in these writings, |