to say, that church members ought utterly to discoun◄ tenance all vice by their examples and lives. When this is not the case, such disorderly members ought soon to be either recovered, or excluded from the Church. But professors of the Christian religion ought to be active and diligent, in prudent and faithful measures, to reclaim the immoral, to dissuade from every species of vice and wickedness. This duty is enforced by the commands of God, and the dictates of reason and benevolence. God commands his people to “walk in wisdom toward them that are without." Many things are implied in this diving injunction; and particularly the following; that professors maintain, in the conscenes of those that are without, a clear conviction, that they are followers of Christ; that they wish to da them good; that they benevolently feel for their best interest; and wish for their peace and salvation. And the above injunction implies, that the members of Christ tenderly labor to recover those that are without, from all wickedness, from that sin, which is a reproach to any people. God gave it in express charge to his people of old, "Thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbor, and not suffer sin upon him." Here a neighbor, guilty of open sin, is to be by all means rebuked by the people of God. What-blessed effects might be expected to follow, if this duty were duly performed, with a manifest tender concern for the temporal, and espe cially the eternal welfare of the transgressor? A band of Christian brothers, acting under the influence of the Spirit of Christ, and united under his authority, would in this way be indced "terrible (to the vicious) as an army with banners." This is one instance of their taking their proper stand; and is one instance of letting their light shine before men. Why have so many of the professed followers of Christ forgotten this part of their duty? Was it enjoined upon the ancient Israelite, that if he saw his neighbor's ox or ass going astray, The should give i otice, or prevent the evil? And may a professed Israelite indeed see his neighbor himself going astray, and not attempt to reclaim him? This to conduct in a way unworthy of a follower of Him,

who went about doing good," and who faithfully reproved the wicked. An inspired apostle said to the Thessalonians, "Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly." This must have meant not only the unruly in the Church; but also those out of it, The latter are especially intended. For something more is to be done to unruly members in the Church, than to warn them. Directions relative to them are differently expressed. But the unruly without are to be warned, by the followers of Christ;-warned of their error, their folly and danger. If your neighbor neglect the house of God, warn him, and entreat him to reform. If he violate the sabbath, by journeying, or attending to secular concerns, tell him his fault, and labor with him, to induce him to amend. If you find him contracting habits of idleness, intemperance, profanity, injustice, falsehood, or prevarication, or of any vice, or error; fail not to afford him tender, seasonable and sol emn caution. Thus labor to recover him. Or you will find all his weight in the scale of Antichrist.

Would all the members of the Church of Christ kindly, piously and perseveringly perform these duties, the Church would be the most powerful moral society in the world. They would cultivate and improve every branch of morality, while they taught and propagated the true principle of morality, the love of God in Christ. Great things might thus be done in restraining their fellow creatures from vice. The effects on society would be most beneficial. And we have reason to believe such efforts would be blessed of God, as means of the conversion of many. The Church would then answer to her character, of being Christ's witnesses; unitedly, discreetly and firmly bearing their testimony for him, for the cause of religion and true morality. This would greatly tend to the moral health of communities; and the Church would indeed be "the salt of the earth;" and (in Christ) "the light of the world.” If their light did but thus shine before men, others secing their good works would be led to glorify their Father, who is in heaven.

Is there not much room and occasion for Churches generally to reform, relative to their performance of these duties toward them that are without? Is not their neglect of these duties one sad occasion of the prevalence of those floods of vice and immorality, which threaten to deluge the world? In one solemn descrip tion of the events, which lead on to the battle of that great day of God, (transgressing and lying against the Lord, departing away from our God, speaking oppres sion and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood, so that judgment is turned back, and justice standeth afar off, for truth is fallen in the streets, and equity cannot enter, yea truth faileth, and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey; Isa. lix, 13-16;) it is added; "And the Lord saw it, and it displeased him, that there was no judgment; and he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor." Docs not this imply, that those who were set to intercede for his cause on earth, had become greatly deficient, as to the performance of this duty? The Church, in the way of this deficiency in duty, will perhaps bring upon herself the fiery trials, which she must experience in those days.

Ought not the professing people of God to reform in this thing? Would they not much better stand in their lot, adorn their Christian profession, and glorify God? Would not the Church appear more like the "pillar and ground of the truth?" Would they not present a much more formidable phalanx against the innovations of Antichrist?

And perhaps the people of God might with propriety induce people of stability and good habits, who have not united with the Church, to form into moral societies, or in some way, to lend their aid in the suppression of vice, and in counteracting the attacks of immorality and disorganization. Such an expedient might, no doubt, be of great benefit against the innovations of antichris tian influence.

8. Family Religion; and a pious, discreet family gov

This is a remedy of the first importance against Antichristian influence. And the want of it is the mischiev ous occasion of much of the evils, which now threaten to inundate the civilized world. It is the order and the promise of God; Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it. It was repeatedly given in charge by the God of Israel, relative to the doctrines, duties, and motives of their religion; "Thou shalt diligently teach them to thy chil. "dren, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine "house, and when thou walkest by the way; when thou "liest down, and when thou risest up." How rational, as well as weighty is the following inspired passage, relative to urging on children the things of God! "Which we have heard and known, and our fathers "have told us:-We will not hide them from their chil"dren, showing the generation to come the praises of the "Lord:-For he established a testimony in Jacob, and "appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our "fathers, that they should make them known to their "children: That the generation to come might know "them, even the children that should be born; who "should arise and declare them to their children: That "they might set their hope in God, and not forget the "works of God; but keep his commandments." This is a law of God of prime importance at all times; and especially at this day of innovation and wickedness. When families neglect religion and a godly discipline, how soon do they become receptacles of vice and error; and society will groan under their baneful influence.

Voltaire and his disciples made their highest calculations on corrupting the rising generation, and directing the education of youth. Various of their first arrangements was to effect this object. Family prayer, the reading of the Bible, pious parental instructions and examples, the holy sanctification of the Sabbath, with salutary and effectual corrections and restraints, are most important to the proper education of a family. And these are means of the first importance towards withstanding the seductive arts of Infidelity. Happy if all heads of families properly felt the weight of this

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sentiment. They will feel it, when they meet their children in the final judgment! They will feel it in eternity, where the infinitely weighty consequences of their faithfulness, or unfaithfulness will be clearly exhibited before the eyes of the universe.

9. The employing of PIOUS, as well as able instructors of our children.

School instructors have a great influence in forming the sentiments and morals of our youth. They have a great opportunity to sow the seeds of virtue, or of vice. On this principle, the Illuminces placed great dependence. Among the fatal arts of disseminating their sentiments, getting into their hands the management of reading schools held a high rank. In this way they gradually formed young minds to their views. And unsuspecting youth became an easy prey to their wiles.

The schoolmaster has an influence over the minds of his young charge, which ought never to be unguarded by their parents; nor misimproved by the teacher employed. His examples, and any remarks made by him, are weighty with the listening pupils, who are accustomed to reverence their instructor. Surely then he ought to be a person of correct religious sentiments and habits, as well as of good information. And those communities who have enacted strict laws relative to this object, have set an example worthy to be imitated by every part of the world. Would you hire a nurse, who would poison your children? Or is the poisoning of their souls of less importance than that of their bodies? The want of properly guarding this principle, and the exclusion of Bibles, of prayers, and of religious instruction from our schools, have opened a wide door to irreligion and Infidelity; the consequences of which are alarming. And a speedy and thorough reform in this particular, is a remedy of great importance against the present threatening evils.

And due caution relative to the books read by our youth, is a duty of no inconsiderable importance. It was a remark made by a shrewd abserver of mankind, "Let me compose the ditties, and I care not who en