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and faints fhut up in loathfome prifons; poor orphans deprived of their parents; weeping widows forlorn and defolate; the blood and tears, fighs and diftreffes, all call loudly for retribution and juftice. Such is national religion, and men making uniform laws for God. * I wish I could here excuse the prefbyterians and independents; but alas! I cannot; thefe have not kept their bigotted hands from shedding innocent blood. America can witness the truth of this. The very men who had fled from the violence of the church of Eng

land

* I deem it my duty to bear my teftimony against perfecution in every form and degree; hence, I think it my duty to bear witnefs, not only against the church of Rome, but against all denominations of proteftants, who have unhappily trod in the steps of the mother of Harlots. For the clearer our light is, the more inexcufable we are. When I have difputed with fenfible Roman Catholics, and among other reafons I have objected that of perfecution, they have readily and smartly retorted upon me the conduct of fuch as were called proteftants, and whofe conduct in that refpect was a very great ftain to the reformation. Let every one who profeffes himself to be a proteftant, remember this, whether he ftiles himself a churchman or diffenter; whether his creed be arminian or calvinian; yea let every one who is called a methodist, attend unto this, whether he is a stickler for the church or any thing else. Let him know that the fame spirit which would drive away fuch as may happen to differ from him in form or fentiment only, would drive them out of the world, if it were in his power; and I must confefs, I fhould be extremely forry that either my life, my liberty, or my property, were at the mercy of fuch; I am convinced that neither one nor the other, would be long in my own power.

I with the reader an opportunity and inclination, to read Bishop Burnet's History of his own Times; Wodrow's Hiftory of the Sufferings of the church of Scotland; or Crookshanks's Abridgment of it; Neal's History of the Puritans; Ditto's Hiftory of New England; the Scotch Worthies; and the Cloud of Witneffes.

land, as foon as they had acquired a little power, and fomething of a worldly kingdom, they too fet up a worldly fanctuary, and a diana to which all in their coafts must bow, and fuch as would not, must be whipped through their towns at cart-tails, imprisoned, yea preffed to death with leaden weights, fo deceitful a thing is power; but the glory of the latter day, will put a final period to all this ecclefiaftical rage, when they will clearly fee that the Lord of glory came not to deftroy men's lives, but to fave them; they will cease every one from going up against his brother. Their carnal weapons will be laid aside, and all join in pure amity, loving God with all their hearts, they will love their neighbour as themselves. No felf, no cruel perfecuting zeal fhall be left; all that partial self shall be done away, while concord, and pure benevolence shall overspread the earth; while every knee shall bow to the prince of peace, and every tongue fhall confefs him to be Lord, to the glory of the Father.

To conclude. Is not this a moft defirable scene? a period much to be longed for? Ought we not earneftly to pray that the Lord would haften his work, and cut it short in righteousness, and make a speedy end of fin; that violence and oppreffion may cease? that God would arise and maintain his own cause, so that all the bleffed effects, of the dying agonies, of a bleeding Saviour may be happily accomplished; fo that mankind may not live to themselves, but to Him, who died for them, and rofe again.

O, thou

O, thou author of peace, and lover of concord, lay too thy mighty hand, and let thy kingdom come with power; let thy healing influence spread far as the recefs of evil; deep as inbred fin; let love and peace, pity and tenderness take place, let the wrath and rage of man eternally cease, and tyranny and oppreffion come to a final end?

"Thou only art able to blefs,

"And make the glad nations obey;
"And bid the dire enmity cease,

"And bow the whole world to thy fway."

SERMON

SERMON IV.

The univerfal fpreading of the Gofpel.

MARK xiii. 10.

The gospel must first be published among all

WE

nations.

E have already taken notice of the destruction of Antichrift, the chaining of the Dragon, the ceafing of Wars, Tyranny, Violence and Oppreffion. We come now to the fourth ftep of this latter day glory, and that is, an universal spreading of the Gofpel, which my text affures me must be preached among all nations; and as the lip of the truth hath faid it, we may depend on it it will come to pafs.

2 I own things are so interwoven, in this and the parallel chapters, to wit, Matth. 24th and Luke 21st. that it requires much attention, exactly to know, when our bleffed Saviour is speaking of the destruction of Jerufalem, and when he speaks of the end of the world. Indeed the one seems a striking and an awful emblem of the other. As the one was foretold, fo is the other. As the one was preceeded with portentous figns and wonders

wonders, fo will the other. As the one was attended with dreadful calamities, fo will the other. As the Chriftians did escape, taking a favourable juncture of fleeing to the mountains, and were preserved; so, in like manner, will the real Chriftians escape the vengeance of that dreadful day. As the one put a final period to the policy and power of the Jews, fo the latter will put a final period to the power and policy of the present world; for the heavens shall pass away with a great noife, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat; the earth alfo, and the works therein, shall be burnt up. But, previous to all this, our Lord affures us, the Gospel fhall be preached among all nations. This being the cafe, it may be neceffary, in the first place, briefly to explain what the Gospel is; and, fecondly, fhew that it must be preached among all na

tions.

FIRST, I am to fhew what the Gospel is :

I. The word, svalysλov, rendered Gofpel, means, good tidings, or good news. Hence the Angel faid to the shepherds, Fear not ye; for behold, I bring you glad tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people : + and these glad tidings, was the Birth of a precious Christ, and all the benefits refulting therefrom to all the needy children of men, feeing he gave himself a ranfom for all to be teftified in due time. The bleffings of the Gospel are figured out unto us under many strong and ftriking images.

2 Pet. iii. 10.

H

1. MAN

+ Luke ii. 10.

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