to violate their word. A professor should make it a matter of conscience strictly to adhere to his promises, and to be punctual in the payment of his debts. He should be careful to avoid every thing like hypocrisy aud deceit, yea, the "very appearance of evil," in the business of this world. Never should he forget the golden rule, of doing to others as he would they should do unto him.

Incalculable mischief is done, even by professors of religion, in the frequent violation of the plainest rules of morality. Prejudices are thus produced in the minds of men of the world, especially those termed men of business, against religion itself, which it is difficult to remove. If defrauded, or deceived, or disappointed, by a professor, he can do them no good until he repents and confesses his fault to them. Every minister, who has had any experience in revivals of religion, has often been met with these prejudices, and knows how difficult it is to remove them; and until they can bring an impenitent sinner to turn off his eye from the faults of professors, and fix it upon his own, there is no hope of his conversion. Because irreligious men are sometimes externally moral, many professors are prone to feel as though religion had little connexion with morality. True morality and religion are inseparable. Worldly men who are moral, are not so from love to right and justice, or obedience to God. If they were, they would not be guilty of the worst of all immorality, that of robbing God. The morality of the bible, is as much above the morality of the world, in its common acceptation, as the heavens are above the earth. Let every professor endeavour to possess the morality of the gospel, and love to do to others as he would they should do to him. Were a professor of religion habitually to neglect the external worship of God, in the family or in the sanctuary, he would be considered by all, destitute of piety. But he who disregards the moral duties of the second table of the law, has no better claim to the name of Christian. President Edwards says, these moral duties "are of much greater importance in the sight of God, than all the externals. of his worship ;" and many of his remarks on this subject are worthy of the serious consideration of every professor of religion.* Let the

*Speaking of the religion of the heart, he remarks:-" But of this inward religion there are two sorts of external manifestations. The one sort are outward acts of worship, such as meeting in religious assemblies, attending sacraments, and other outward institutions, and honouring God with gestures, such as bowing or kneeling before him, or with words, and speaking honourably of him in prayer, praise, or religious conference; and the oth

members of our churches, then, as they value their own souls, and thiể souls of others, take heed that they do not disgrace the christian name, by a violation of the plain and simple rules of morality.

13. Let all the members of our churches resolve to use no spirituous liquors, and to furnish none for those in their employment, except as a medicine. Many of our brethren in other parts of the country have adopted this rule; and shall we not in this day of spiritual visitation cooperate with them, in thus setting our faces against that beastly, souldestroying sin, intemperance, which is producing such wide spread desolation through our land? It is estimated that more than ten thousand die annually by intemperance; that the liquor necessary to effect such a frightful destruction costs thirty millions of dollars; and that three-fourths of all the crimes committed in the United States originate from this demoralizing practice; and shall we add that hell itself is annually peopled with ten thousand inhabitants from this gospel land by this abominable sin, and thirty millions of dollars are expended in transporting them to their dreary abode!!! Shall not Christians, then, in this day of revivals, do every thing possible to diminish this host of drunkards, who are posting on to ruin.

How much trouble and disgrace is brought upon our churches by this

er sort are the expressions of our love to God; by obeying his moral commands, of self-denial, righteousness, meekness, and christian love, in our behaviour among men; and the latter are of vastly the greatest importance in the christian life. God makes little account of the former în comparison of them. They are abundantly more insisted on by the prophets in the Old Testament, and Christ and his apostles in the New. Hypocrites and selfrighteous persons do much more commonly abound in the former kind of duties, than the latter, as Christ remarks of the Pharisees. They are not so properly showing our religion by our deeds, for they are only showing our religion by word, or an outward profession. The latter sort of duties put greatër honour upon God, because there is greater self denial in them. The external acts of worship, consisting in bodily gestures, words and sounds, are the cheapest part of religion, and least contrary to our lusts. The difficulty of thorough external religion does not lie in them. Let wicked men enjoy their covetousness and their pride, their malice, envy and revenge, and their sensuality and voluptuousness, and they will be willing to compound the matter with God, and submit to what forms of worship you please, and as many as you please; as is manifest in the Jews of old, in the days of the prophets, and the Pharisees in Christ's time, and the Papists and Mahometans at this day."--Edwards' Works, vol iii. page 343.

practice? Half the cases of discipline grow out of intemperance. It may be estimated that one in a hundred in our churches, is annually a subject of discipline, or ought to be, for this vice. Allowing one twelfth of our population to be professors of religion, this would make ten thousand subjects of discipline for intemperance. If then, ten thousand are disciplined annually for intemperance, and many of them excommunicated, and ten thousand in the church and out of it die every year, and go to the regions of woe, shall it be said that the members of our churches cannot be brought to use this poison only as a medicine? If the church of Christ could save but one of this ten thousand from damnation, by refusing to taste this liquid, ought they not to do it? Did Paul say, "If meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth ;" and shall not Christians of the present day say, if abstaining from drinking this intoxicating liquid, can save one of these ten thousand immortal souls from perishing forever, we will drink no more while life shall last?

14. Let bible classes be multiplied. These classes, when well conducted, have received the blessing of God. All the members of our churches should, if possible, attend upon such instruction. No means would be more effectual in leading them to grow in knowledge and in grace. Many old professors are so ignorant, that they are unfit to educate their children or to converse with a convicted sinner. But it may be asked, how shall biblical instruction be in this way imparted to all? Ministers feel as though their burden was already more than they can bear. The elders and most respectable members of our churches ought to be teachers of bible classes. There should be a class in every neighbourhood throughout our societies. Let it not be said this is impracticable; our elders and influential members can never be brought to do it. We can never accomplish great things if we do not attempt them. Much difficulty has been experienced in many places, for want of teachers, at the commencement of Sabbath school instruction. But when a few have persevered with becoming zeal, God has granted them aid by raising up teachers. These teachers are receiving as much benefit as their pupils, and many of them are thus preparing to be better members of the church, better parents, and better ministers, in future life. The talents of the church ought to be brought into requisition. Every church is a little army of christian soldiers, and each one ought to be stationed where his talents may be useful, and the whole moral and physical power of this little army brought to bear upon the empire of darkness. Many of our elders are of little use. If they attend upon the stated

meetings of Session, and vote to receive members, and to discipline the irregular, they feel as though they had done their whole duty. They ought to be " helps" in a far more important sense. Let ministers

instruct a bible class for the members of the church and others who will attend. Let the elders and others selected for the purpose, instruct each a class. At the meetings, let singing and prayers be intermixed with the instruction. Sometimes these meetings might be principally spent in conference and prayer. We merely throw out these hints respecting the manner of conducting them. We doubt not, should such instruction become general, that experience would suggest many thoughts more useful, probably, than these. Great has been the improvement in the instruction and management of Sabbath schools, and the same would be true of bible classes, were they multiplied and continued from year to year. It might be useful for the minister and all the instructors to have stated meetings, to report, to consult, and to pray together. Should such a system of instruction become general, it would do much, very much, to preserve the moral health of our churches; and may we not suppose that this will be one of the great means, among others, by which the "earth shall be filled with the knowledge of God as the waters fill the seas?" The Methodist church owes its numbers, and preservation, and piety, as much to class meetings, as to any other means. Such classes as these, we doubt not, might be equally, and perhaps more useful.

15. Let the members of our churches cast liberally of their substance into the treasury of the Lord. If professors have any true benevolence, frequent acts of christian liberality will strengthen it. Covetousness is the great sin of christendom. The idols of the heathen we are in little danger of worshipping. But many a professor bows down to mammon, with great devotion. Let ministers exhibit the promises of God made to christian liberality, with as much frequency as they have in these revivals his promises to prayer; and let them as earnestly and perseveringly urge the members of their churches to prove their faith by liberal gifts, as by agonizing prayer, and good will be done. They will then be better able to judge of the strength of their faith in God's promises, and of the genuineness of their conversion. Let there be a thorough revival in our churches of faith and works, in this respect, and we venture to say its influence will be felt to the ends of the earth. It would not be strange, if it were found that some of our converts must be converted, before they could be brought to promote, and to rejoice in, such a revival; and we fear it will be long before such a revival will spread thro' the christian world. Were it to extend through these United States, they would turn the

world upside down. Did all the members of our churches in this county possess as much benevolence as the gospel requires, they might contribute twenty thousand dollars annually to the various benevolent objects of the day. And what might not the churches in the United States give? Thirty millions of dollars are annually expended to make drunkards. As much as this might be given for the salvation of mankind; whereas, not half a million is given by all denominations, that the gospel may be preached to “ every creature." At this rate, sixty years must elapse, before as much is expended to conduct our race to the gates of heaven, as is spent in one year to conduct ten thousand drunkards to the gates of hell!! And yet we are often ld that the church has awaked from her slumbers, and some are cryi ̧ out against the immense sums that are given, as though the nation would soon be impoverished by her charities. Shame to the church, and shame to her enemies. A single theatre, in one of our large cities, receives almost as much from the votaries of pleasure, as the Saviour of the world from his professed friends throughout the Union, that he may "have the heathen for his inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession."

To see men rolling in wealth, and professing to be followers of him, who, though rich, yet for their sakes became poor, that they might be rich in heaven's treasures, is enough to make angels weep. These men of wealth think it is the duty of ministers to wear out in hard service; and if they have a bare subsistence, it is all they ought to expect. We do not object to this. But we ask, are not the talents of all other men, farmers, mechanics, merchants, physicians, lawyers, judges, and statesmen, the Lord's, as well as the ministers of the gospel? Will he not call them to account how they spend his treasures, as well as ministers how they preach his word and watch for souls? What right have men of wealth to hoard up for their children, when they have already more than will do them good? They ought to give their whole income to the Lord. Yea, they ought to be diligent in acquiring property by lawful means for this very purpose; and they ought to be as careful to bestow it where it may be most useful, as worldlings are where they can invest their capital to the best advantage. Let the wicked rage against the benevolent operations of the day. If any thing can save the American church and nation from the judgments of heaven, it will be a spirit of expansive benevolence, produced by the preaching of the gospel. No nation ever enjoyed greater advantages for wealth. And how have other nations fallen'? In infancy they were hardy and industrious. As they advanced in wealth, luxury, extravagance and vice increased. This