es have been the means of preserving among us, more than all other means, a sense of God's providence and of a world to come; of holding up, in a multitude of honourable examples, a standard of christian character, which has been, and still is, of invaluable benefit to the community. I believe, if these churches are forsaken, and finally become extinct, that no regular institutions of religion will soon be established in their place; and that the name, as well as influence of christianity, will be in danger of disappearing from the land. Believing these things, I cannot hesitate to exhort you to strengthen the things that remain; nor can I hesitate to say, that the things which remain, are worthy of being strengthened.

II. I will now suggest some of the means, by which the end proposed in the text, may be attained; some of the means, by which you may hope to strengthen the things, that remain in this place.

First, I would recommend to the few professors, who remain connected with this church and society, a greater earnestness and zeal in the cause of their Master. You, my friends, must be especially solicitous to honour the religion you profess. You have assumed a situation highly responsible. You have taken upon yourselves the vows of God. You have declared your allegiance to Him, and professed to experience the power of his grace. You profess to have taken up your cross, and to have become the disciples of Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people. You call upon the world to take knowledge of you, that you have been with him. You have charged yourselves with the high office of maintaining the honour of his kingdom in the world; of exhibiting the power of his religion to rectify the human character. You, in effect, say to others, be ye followers of us, even as we are of Christ. The glory of God, the prosperity of the church, the cause of religious order and religious instruction in this place, the health of your own souls; every consideration of duty and interest, urge you to exhibit the peculiarities of the christian character. You must be persons of sound morals, of daily prayer, of visible and fervent piety. You must be frequent in your supplications at the throne of grace, that pure religion, the religion of the heart, the religion which renews and sanctifies the life, may revive amongst this people. You must imitate the

examples of Nehemiah, Ezra, and other eminently pious persons of every age. They humbled themselves before God, on account of their own coldness and indifference, as well as on account of the general disregard to religion. And while they were earnest in prayer, they were earnest also in action. So you, my friends, must evince, by your personal exertions, as well as by your devotional habits, your zeal to promote the cause of truth and righteousness. You must let it appear, that you are not ashamed of the gospel. As a church, you should occasionally meet for prayer and mutual encouragement. You should endeavour to make it manifest, that, although your number is greatly diminished, the spirit of prayer still remains among you; and that you are ready to do whatever is incumbent on you, as professors of Christ's religion, to repair the breaches that have been made here, and to strengthen the things that

remain.

In the second place, I would recommend to those, who are decidedly favourable to the order and mode of worship, introduced and maintained by their fathers, to be more active and engaged in the good work of reestablishing the regular ministrations of the gospel. I trust, here are still remaining a goodly number, who would rejoice to see this church and society in a flourishing state. I trust here are a goodly number, who are convinced and satisfied, that the religious observation of the Sabbath, the regular support of publick worship in a house set apart for that purpose, and the weekly publick instructions, as well as friendly private admonitions of a christian minister, are absolutely essential to a well regulated and moral people. To this goodly number let me say then, you must take a still deeper interest in this great concern; this concern, connected not only with your own personal welfare, but with the welfare of the children, whom you love, and of the town at large, whose prosperity you would gladly promote. Here in this town, my friends, lie your most important temporal interests. Here are your estates; and here are the children whom you expect to inherit them; and whom you wish to come forward in life, well informed, well behaved and respectable. You would gladly do much to promote their advancement. Now what measure can you adopt, better calculated for the instruction of your own children, and of the children generally in the town; better calculated to secure an orderly, industrious, intel

ligent and worthy posterity, than to provide yourselves with a pious, discreet, and well educated minister? I say it seriously, I say it boldly, that your children and posterity would be better situated with half the property they might inherit, provided they could inherit likewise the blessings of gospel order and gospel instruction, than with all your property, along with a broken state of society and a general indifference to the institutions of religion. The inheritance you might leave them in a convenient and respectable house of worship, and in the virtues and labours of a worthy christian minister, would be the most valuable inheritance in your power to leave; even if you consulted merely their welfare in the present life. For, after all, it is moral worth, and not riches, which constitutes the true dignity, and true happiness of a people.

But, my friends, you have immortal souls, and your children have immortal souls, whose welfare in a future state, should be your highest concern. This world is not your home. It is a state of probation. It is a transitory state. It will soon come to an end. But its consequences will remain forever! Will you not, then, take an important step, on your part, towards rendering your being a blessing to you, and your children's being a blessing to them? Will you not make great exertions, great sacrifices, if need be, to provide yourselves and your children with the customary privileges of a christian people?

In the last place, I may be permitted to say a few words to those, who are in the habit of doing nothing for the support of any order of worship in any place.

You, my friends, stand aloof, and, like the nobles of the Tekoites, put not your hands to the work of the Lord. Can you now before God, and, at the bar of your own consciences, justify yourselves in the course you are taking? And will you, on a more solemn day, be able to justify yourselves? I take upon me to say, that you are under obligations, which no law of man, nor will of man can dissolve, to assist according to your ability, in providing and maintaining the regular ministrations of the gospel. You are as much bound by the law of God, to provide for the instruction of yourselves and your children in religion and morality, as you are, to provide food, and raiment, and shelter.

But perhaps you are in doubt, what order of christianity to support. I reply, any order is better than none.

But

;

if all were to follow your example, no order whatever would be supported. No christian institutions would be found in the country. You would not see houses of worship erected or repaired; but all would go to decay, and disappear from the face of the earth. This state of things, I am confident, would give you great pain. You could not witness, without deep regret, such a sad departure from the practice of your fathers. You cannot readily give up all thoughts of attending publick worship; of assembling, at least occasionally, with your families and neighbours, in the House, where God has graciously promised to hear and to answer. Why, then, do you hesitate to contribute according to your ability, towards the support of an institution, which you acknowledge and believe to be useful and necessary?

Perhaps some of you may plead, that your property is small, and that you are unable to do much for the support of the gospel. I do not ask you to do much; I ask you to do something. I ask you to do what you are able to do, and no more. How little soever you may do, if it be according to your ability, it will not only show, that you are friendly to gospel order, but will help to strengthen the hands of this society. You can all cast in, at least, two mites; and you know, that two mites were neither rejected, nor ill spoken of. Be entreated, then, to consider this subject in a more serious light, than you have hitherto done. Consider what bearing it may have on your own welfare and that of your families in the present world; but above all, what bearing it may possibly have on your welfare in the world to come. You cannot feel certain, you are right in withholding your aid from this institution of religion. I think, you may be very sure, it will be safe to give your aid. Now, my friends, it is a good rule, where one side is doubtful and the other side safe, always to take the safe side.

I trust you will all do me the justice to believe, that, in the plain discourse I have now given, I have sought not yours, but you. Though I have spoken plainly, I have endeavoured to speak kindly; and to offer such considerations, and such only, as are worthy to influence the candid hearer. "And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them, which are sanctified."

EXTRACTS

From DR. DANA'S Election Sermon, 1823.

"Those laws which are founded in righteousness will give an efficient protection to the Sabbath. Of all the institutions which our world has witnessed, this is the most purely benign. Had it been a mere human invention, it would have justly ranked its author among the greatest of philosophers, and the most illustrious benefactors of his species. Stamped, as it unquestionably is, with a divine authority, it is most precious to the patriot and philanthropist, as well as the Christian.- -The devotions of the Sabbath are the grand cement of human society. They put to flight those baleful passions which invade its order and prey upon its peace; while they powerfully cherish all those dispositions which constitute its beauty, its harmony, and its happiness. The instructions appropriate to this sacred season, are calculated to produce a similar general effect. All which the Scriptures reveal respecting God, his law, the wonders of redemption, the distinguishing excellencies of the Saviour, the genius and spirit of his religion, powerfully tends to humble the pride, and soften the asperities of the human breast; and at the same time, to inspire those virtues which are the ornaments and safe-guards of human society, and the sweeteners of human life. The result is, that the Sabbath is the best friend of social, as well as of individual man; the most efficient patron of publick peace, order, virtue and happiness."

"It has, I am not insensible, been maintained that Religion, being a concern between man and his Maker, and having its principal reference to our spiritual interests, and our immortal destiny, needs not the support of civil government. This position, with certain obvious limitations, may be true. Still there remains a most important question. Does not civil government; do not all the great and momentous interests of society, need the support of religion? Have not the wisest legislators, ancient and modern, heathen and Christian, felt and acknowledged the inefficiency of all institutions and laws merely human; and to supply the defect, resorted to the high and ever