and the prayers of good men uttered in your hearing, and the invitations of mercy still calling you to the refuge: but what will you feel when pierced by those intolerable.torments which make devils tremble?

*

The days are coming, when sinners in Zion shall be afraid, and fearfulness shall surprise the hypocrite; when the hardiest sinners as they receive their sentence at the bar of God, as they turn their distracted eyes towards the dread abyss, shall cry out in the language of unutterable despair, Who among us can dwell in devouring fire; who can dwell with everlasting burnings? When the great day of his wrath is come none shall be able to abide it. †

O, sinners! seek for refuge, not in the rocks, on that day, when they shall flee away; but now, in the Rock of Ages. Flee for your life, look not behind you, neither stay ye in all the plain: flee to this mountain, lest die. AMEN.

ye

NOTE. It has been said, that there cannot be any reason or motive to pray, or make any petition, to an unchangeable God, whose design cannot be altered, and who has fixed all events, without a possibility of any change.

Before any attempt is made to remove this objection, and supposed difficulty, it must be observed, that it equally lies against the foreknowledge of God. For if God certainly foreknows every thing that will take place, then every event is fixed and certain, otherwise it could not be foreknown. "Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world." He has determined, and passed an unchangeable decree, with respect to all that he will do to eternity. Upon the plan of the objection under consideration, it may be asked, What reason or motive can any one have to ask God to do any thing for him, or any one else, since he infallibly knows from the beginning what he will do, and therefore it is unalterably fixed? Therefore if it be reasonable to pray to an omniscient God, it is equally reasonable to pray to an unchangeable God. For the former necessarily implies the latter. But in order to show that the objection is without foundation, the following things must be observed.

1. If God were not omniscient and unchangeable, and had not foreordained whatsoever comes to pass, he would not be the proper object of worship, and there would be no foundation, reason, or encouragement to make any petition to him.

This, it is presumed, will be evident to any one who will well consider the following observations.

First. If there were no unchangeable, omnisciont Being, there would be no God, no proper object of worship. A being who is capable of change, is necessarily imperfect, and may change from

* Isa. xxxiii: 14. † Rev. vi: 17. Mat. xvi: 18.

bad to worse, and even cease to exist, and therefore could not be trusted. If we could know that such a being has existed, and that he was once wise, and good, and powerful, we could have no evidence that he would continue to be wise or good, or that he is so now, or that he is now disposed to pay any regard to our petitions, or is either willing or able to grant them; or even that he has any existence. What reason or encouragement then can there be to pray to a changeable being? Surely none at all. Therefore, if there be no reason to pray to an unchangeable God, there can be no reason to pray at all.

Secondly. If God be infinitely wise, and good, and omnipotent, supreme and independent; then he certainly is unchangeable, and has foreordained whatsoever comes to pass. This has been proved above, or rather is self-evident. But if he be not infinitely wise and good, &c. then he cannot be trusted; he cannot be the object of that trust and confidence which is implied, and even expressed, in praying to him.

Thirdly. The truly pious, benevolent, devout man would not desire, or even dare, to pray to God for any thing, if he were changeable, and disposed to alter his purpose and plan, in order to grant his petitions. Therefore he never does pray to any but an unchangeable God, whose counsel stands forever, and the thoughts of his heart to all generations. He is sensible that he is a very imperfect creature; that his heart, his will, is awfully depraved and sinful; that he knows not what is wisest and best to be done in any one instance; what is best for him, for mankind in general, for the world, or for the universe; what is most for the glory of God, and the greatest general good; and that it would be infinitely undesirable and dreadful to have his own will regarded so as to govern in determining what shall be done for him or any other being, or what shall take place. If it could be left to him to determine in the least instance, he would not dare to do it, but would refer it back to God, and say, "Not my will but thine be done." But he could not do this, unless he were certain that the will of God was unchangeably wise and good, and that he had decreed to do what was most for his own glory, and the greatest good of the whole; at the same time infallibly knowing what must take place, in every instance, in order to answer this end; consequently must have fixed upon the most wise and best plan, foreordaining whatsoever comes to pass. Therefore, whatever be his petitions for himself, or for others, he offers them to God, and asks on this condition, always either expressed or implied, If it be agreeable to thy will: for otherwise he would not have his petitions granted, if it were possible. And he who asks any thing of God, without making this condition, but sets up his own will, and desires to have it granted, whether it be for the glory of God, and the greatest good of his kingdom, or not; and would, were it in his power, compel his Maker to grant his

petition, and bow the will of God to his own will; he who prays to God with such a disposition, is an impious enemy to God, exercises no true devotion, and cannot be heard; and it is desirable to all the friends of God that he should be rejected. Resignation to the will of God always supposes his will is unchangeably fixed and established, which it could not be, unless he has foreordained whatsoever comes to pass.

Thus it appears that if God were changeable, and had not foreordained whatsoever comes to pass, there would be no foundation for religious worship, or reason for praying to him; or that there can be no reason or encouragement for prayer and petition to any but an unchangeable God.-I preceed to observe,

2.

There is good reason, and all desirable and possible encouragement, to pray to an unchangeable God, who has from eternity determined what he will do, in every instance, and has foreordained whatsoever comes to pass.

This will doubtless be evident to him, who will duly consider the following particulars.

First. Prayer is as proper, important, and necessary, in order to obtain favour from an unchangeable God, as it could be were he changeable, and had not foreordained any thing.

Means are as necessary in order to obtain the end, as if nothing were fixed and certain. Though it was decreed that Paul and all the men in the ship should get safe to land, when they were in a storm at sea; yet this must be accomplished by means, and unless the sailors had assisted in managing the ship, this event could not take place, and they could not be saved. Prayer is a means of obtaining what God has determined to grant; for he has determined to give it in answer to prayer, and no other way. "Ask and ye shall receive," says our Savior. When God had promised to do many and great things for Israel, he adds, "Thus saith the Lord God, I will yet for this be inquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them:" [ Ezek. xxxvi: 37.] The granting the favors, which God had determined to bestow, was as much suspended on their asking for them, as if there had been nothing determined and fixed about it. There is as much regard had to prayer in granting favors, and the prayer is heard, and God gives them, as really and as much in answer to it, as if there were nothing determined and foreordained respecting them: for the decree includes and fixes the means, as much as the end; the method and way by which events are to take place, as much as those events themselves. The one depends on the other, as much as if there were no decree, and nothing fixed; yea, much more: for the decree fixes the dependence and connexion between the means and the end: whereas if there were no decree, and nothing fixed, there would be no established connexion, but all would be uncertain, and there would be no reason or encouragement to use means, or do any thing to obtain an end.-Hopkins's Sermons.

OR, THE EVILS OF DIVISIONS AMONG CHRISTIANS,

The Introductory Sermon, delivered at the Session of the Western Association, at Antioch, Meriwither Co. Ga., September, 1843, by Rev. Robert Fleming, of Newnan, Ga.

"Only let your conversation be, as it becometh the Gospel of Christ; that, whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind, striving together for the faith of the Gospel."-PPHILIPPIANS, i: 27.

The word "conversation" is of copious import. In the text, it means the whole conduct or manner of life, in the "affairs" of religion, and has direct reference to the doings of Christians; so that "whatsoever they do in word or in deed" they are to "do all in the name" and by the authority "of the Lord Jesus." To do otherwise would not "be as it becometh the gospel of Christ." The dancing school, the ball-room, the theatre, the circus, the party of pleasure on the Sabbath, cannot be attended in the name of the Lord Jesus; and therefore cannot be considered as becoming the gospel. The phrase "faith of the gospel," in the text, means all the doctrines and ordinances of the gospel. The Scriptures fully teach what we are to believe concerning God, and what duties He requires. "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God; and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness; that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works."*

What lesson of instruction is furnished in our text? It teaches us that the Church of Jesus Christ, is one body, which should be always actuated, by one spirit; and that among the various members of the body, the most perfect harmony ought to be cherished. It furnishes then, the following proposition, which, it will be our business to show, is abundantly supported by the Scriptures, *2 Tim. iii. 16..

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and is of great practical import, viz., that-DIVISIONS AMONG GOD'S PEOPLE ARE UNBECOMING THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST. 1. They are inconsistent with the feelings of the truly pious. 2. They are inconsistent with Christ's prayer, in John xvii. 3. They are inconsistent with Apostolic precept.

4. They are inconsistent with the happiness of God's people. 5. They are injurious to the spread of the Gospel in the world, and are in no sense a blessing, but an evil.

an.

1. They are inconsistent with the feelings of the truly pious. Love to the brotherhood is an essential attribute of the converted soul. Without it we cannot be Christians. "He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. "We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death."* The love of God in the soul is not sectariThe Bible knows nothing of sects, or parties, or branches in Christ's Church. Christ is not divided. God has taught us, in our text, that his people should stand fast in one spirit, with one mind, striving TOGETHER for the faith of the Gospel. God by his SPIRIT in the heart of the Christian, has taught him the same thing. The Word of God does not point one way, and the spiritled heart another. The Apostle says to the Thessalonians, “Ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.” He says to the Colossians," Let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which ye are also called in one body." The call of the Holy Spirit, we clearly discover by this quotation, brings souls together in one body. It never drives them asunder. Whatever tends to separate the Lord's people, is inconsistent with pious feeling, and is not the work of the Spirit of God upon the heart; it is the work of the enemy, and no Christian can rejoice in it, or pray for it. Whatever rends the body of Christ, (his Church,) and sets aside his holy law by infractions on the UNION of the brotherhood, must be a source of sorrow to the spiritual worshipper. Rivers of water run down mine eyes, because men keep not thy law. O, that the children of God would lay aside all the dogmas of sectarianism, abandon all human tradition, and come to the simplicity of the Gospel, resolved to carry out the dictates of holy feeling! O, that they would come with the heart-gladdening piety of David, exclaiming, "I am a companion of all them that fear thee, and of them that keep thy precepts." Why should they not come? The word says, come-the spirit says, come-the pious feelings of every Christian heart say, come-O why not come that we may all strive TOGETHER for the faith of the Gospel, and present one unbroken, formidable front against the powers of Pagan and Papal darkness? Pious Protestant brethren, ye whose hearts are imbued with the love of God,-you long to see

** 1 John, iii: 14.