gradual accessions, and not by sudden impulse or miraculous illumination. Our preaching, therefore, does not aim, so much as that of some others, at immediate excitement. We hope, by the blessing of God, to produce a more calm and steady and rational and therefore, we think, more probably Our manner permanent influence on our hearers. is consequently less impassioned; in the sense, that we do not so constantly touch the springs of terrour in the human breast. We are not insensible, that this manner can never be so acceptable to that class of hearers, who delight to be powerfully moved; who expect from a sermon the effect of a tragedy; and are accustomed to think, that a strong emotion is a great virtue. But though we are sorry to be thought unprofitable preachers by any of our fellow christians, we yet think, that popularity may be purchased too dearly. We seriously doubt the general and permanent good effects of applying a constant stimulus to the stronger passions of the soul. It is apt, we fear, to rouse them at first to unnatural, and not always very valuable exertions; and at last to expend their energy and wear out or palsy their power. It is, however, a question of fact. We do not court, but we certainly do not decline a comparison, as to the practical efficacy of the two modes of preaching, considered in their effects on the whole character, through the whole of life, of all the different classes of mankind.

We confess, then, that our principles lead us to the exercise of caution in our addresses to the pas

sions. If this were the place for speaking of our individual failings, we should not hesitate to admit, also, that—from the difficulty of finding the exact medium between extremes, which is the great task of human life-this caution may sometimes be carried too far, and degenerate into a coldness and want of becoming earnestness. May God forgive us, wherever this is in any degree the case. There is nothing in our principles, however, which justifies any want of zeal, or excludes at all the most affecting appeals to the best feelings of the human heart. Our views of it, we trust, do not rob religion of any of its salutary power to move and raise and melt the soul. The character of God appears not to us less merciful or less glorious, than to our brethren. Christ seems not less endued with allsufficient power to enlighten, redeem, and exalt his sincere disciples; nor are his labours and his sufferings for us less entitled to our most grateful and affectionate remembrance. The aids and consolations of the holy spirit of God seem not to us to be less freely or less impartially offered to all who sincerely and humbly ask them, than they do to our brethren. Sin appears not to us less opposed to our nature, and to the benevolent designs of God; nor does its connexion with misery in every stage of our being seem less evidently to be the established and eternal law of the divine government. He, whom such motives and such views as we embrace will not warm and excite to the love of holiness and dread of sin, and to ardent and persevering efforts to produce that love and that dread in those,

who are committed to his care-must be impassive to the influences of all that is most animating and awful, all that is most touching and sublime in human conceptions. It surely does not follow, because we think, that views of religion, produced and nourished by fear chiefly or alone, will be ignoble and degrading, that we are less-in truth we ought to be more-induced to address the principles of love, hope, gratitude, and, in its due degree, fear itself, together with all the sympathies and affections of our moral constitution. We regard it as a very incomplete and erroneous view of human nature, as well as of christian theology, to suppose, that the best effects of our religion are to be felt, or the highest style of moral character to be produced, without the use of the affections. The glory and beauty and perfection of the christian character will never be seen, except where all the faculties of our moral and intellectual nature are called into action to produce and adorn it-where reason makes itself tributary to affection, where faith is warmed in the heart, as well as enlightened in the understanding-where a sense of duty and a sense of interest, philosophy and sensibility, prudence and enthusiasm-while they temper and regulate each others tendencies-unite in prompting to sublime and disinterested benevolence to man and supreme love and devotion to God.

I might remark on some other and less peculiar characteristicks of those christians, in whose name I have spoken, but it is necessary that I should forbear. I will only repeat my hope, that the

observations, which have now been hazarded, will be taken, as 1 am sure they are meant, in the spirit of entire good will towards those, who differ from us. I profess towards them a real respect. I see among them very many bright and true exemplifications of the christian character. I bear them witness, that they have a zeal towards God. I doubt not, that their modes of representing truth may have a real use to some classes of minds. It may be one of the reasons, why the sacred writings are not framed more systematically and technically, that a provision is thus made for such a difference in the mode of regarding some points of secondary importance, as is adapted to the differences in the mental constitution and habits of mankind. This is a view, which I acknowledge to be refreshing and consoling to my mind, when I consider the different sects, into which the christian world is divided. It enables me to see without pain the success of those, whose views of christian truth vary a good deal from my own; regarding their exertions, as I am thus permitted to regard them, only as diversities of operation under the influence of the same spirit-At least, however, there is nothing in the differences, which have been noticed in this discourse, which need to loosen, far less to rupture the bonds of christian charity or christian fellowship between us and our brethren. They are such differences as might even be made subservient to mutual improvement. If a spirit of mutual candour and friendship could be cultivated, if we would concede to each other the great Pro

testant right of individual judgment, and if, while contending earnestly for what we believe to be truth, we would remember our own weakness and fallibility, we might contribute to guard each other from that tendency to rush into extremes, to which we are all so liable. After all-whatever may be said or thought in the heat of controversy-it is impossible, that any one should seriously doubt, that all christians have ultimately the same object. For have they not all the same interest, the same eternal interest; and what imaginable motive can there be, with the immense majority of them, to attempt to deceive others or themselves? How can it be thought, that men, acknowledged to be men of integrity on every other subject, should wantonly and madly desert their principles on that subject only, which is of all the most momentous? Would to God that the time might at length come, when christians would apply the same maxims in judging of each other's motives and views in religion, that they feel to be just in every other case!

But with whatever feelings the views, which we take of the nature and design of the gospel, are regarded by others, we are not at liberty to alter them. We beg our brethren, who think hardly of us for our opinions, to believe, that we have adopted them in the honesty of our hearts. We conscientiously think, that a rational representation is the true representation of God's word. We think, the genius of the age requires, that it should be made, if christianity is to retain any hold of the greater part of thinking and cultivated minds. It