creature of my own mind. I have seen it realized in numberless instances, and observed the sad effects of this easy way, in preventing all proper timous exertions, to get to heaven. This is the natural effect of such notions, the proper tendency of these doctrines. The present generation of Christians may not thus improve them; their principles, imbibed from a better system, and their present zeal, may preserve them from it; but it will produce, and has in some measure produced this effect upon others; if their children inherit their notions, they will produce this effect in them. Yea, in many instances, these notions will convert their children into Deists and Atheists. We, who are praying for the advancement of Christianity, and for the destruction of infidelity, and predicting the commencement of Christ's Millennian reign, are imprudently, and andesignedly preparing the way for a nation of unbelievers to be born in a day; we are, contrary to our design and expectation, opening the flood-gate for impiety and immorality, to pour forth and deluge this happy land. This, my dear brethren, is the prospect that lies before me; this evil I see already commenced, and forebode its greater increase: it is this that fills my heart with daily anxiety, and causes my harp to hang on the willows.

I beg leave to mention a few things, which I think were the causes which have produced a number of the errors mentioned above, or giving them currency among the people:

1. One of these, I think, was a mistaken opinion a bout the extraordinary bodily agitations which have ap

peared in our worshipping assemblies They were looked upon by too many to be miraculous and immediately from God; and hence the lively and impressive ideas that persons had in these exercises, were all thought to be from heaven, and therefore true. They judged of truth by these impressions, and not of these impressions by the truths of God's word. The apprehension that God was at work in an extraordinary way, and that they were the subjects of his miraculous ope rations, agitated their whole frame, and considerably affected their imaginations, which became therefore more lively and strong. When they saw others under the same bodily exercises, and heard them expressing the manifestations they had received, they looked upon them to be under the same divine influence, and their ideas and impressions also to be from God. This exposed them to be led astray by their own imaginations; and by the imaginations of others of whom they had conceived a high opinion. The error here was, men's taking something else than the written word of God, as the rule of their faith. It prepared them to be imposed on by any body who should advance a specious error with great warmth and engagedness in religion.

2. Another thing that prepared the minds of many for the reception of error, was their high expectation of the speedy approach of the Millennium. This they looked upon to be an extraordinary event, and were ready to conclude every thing that was extraordinary, was a mean conducive to this extraordinary event. It was easy to see that they looked upon all former revivals as vastly inferior to the present, and this put them in a

great measure above learning any thing from the expe» rience and observation of others. Every hint of disorder and irregularity, however kindly intended, was looked upon as opposition to the work of God; which destroyed the influence of those who gave them. In some places where very few were added to the communion of the Church, not half so many as had been known in other revivals, it was esteemed the greatest revival that ever was known, merely because there was an extraordinary commotion among the people. And even now, when the work is evidently in a retrograde motion, and half the christians in the land are mourning over the decay of piety, and the growth of error; a number are full of the idea of a Millennium, and seem insensible of the decay of religion, and of the strengthening infidelity; and confident that they are advancing in truth and piety, while some of them are in the broad road that leads to Atheism.

3. The generous sentiments imbibed by Presbyteri- . ans, and acted upon perhaps imprudently, encouraged some to speak very freely of creeds and confessions. The reflections were popular, the notion was eagerly embraced, and many were resolved to have no confession but the Bible, which they had read too superficially, and very imperfectly understood. They were then prepared to imbibe every new notion, advanced by a popular warm preacher, which he said was agreeable to Scripture. They were like a parcel of boys suddenly tumbled out of a boat, who had been unaccustomed to swim, and knew not the way to the shore. Some fixed upon one error, and some upon another: most, how

ever, of which I have heard, were such as tended to the abolition of Christian mysteries.*

'My dear Christian Brethren, the 1st, 2d, 3d, 4th, if not the 5th grade of error, mentioned above, some of us formerly called Presbyterians, I fear have unhappily trodden; it evidently appears that the other steps are natural and easy; after these are gone over, it requires but little exertion to accomplish the rest. Shall I adaddress you on this subject, or shall I forbear? Shall I vent the anxious, mournful feelings of my heart? or shall I restrain them, and pour out my sorrows in the silent shades of retirement? Shall I retreat to some lonely cell, and hide myself from the church and the world, where I shall see and hear of their errors, their vices, and their miseries no more? and spend the small remnant of my days in endeavouring to converse only with God and my own heart! Have I so far lost the confidence of my Christian friends, as to be esteemed their

*I have frequently, in the course of this address, communicated the idea, that many things in the Christian system are mysterious, and lie in some measure beyond the com-prehension of our present powers; I would not by this be understood to mean, that any thing in Christianity is, in the least degree, contradictory to reason, or absurd in its own nature. There is certainly a great difference between a proposition being absolutely beyond the powers of our present comprehension, and its being contrary to the first principles of reason. The proposition that the three angles of every triangle are equal to two right angles, is one absolutely beyond the comprehension of the illiterate husbandman; is it therefore not true? I am fully convinced, there is nothing in the Sacred Scriptures which is contrary to sound Philosophy. But I am equally convinced, that "none by searching can find out God, nor can any know the Almighty unto perfection."

enemy, because I tell them the truth? an enemy to the Church of Christ, because I labour toguard it against mistakes, and point out those things which threaten its destruction? Shall I be despised, because I mourn over the cause of Christ, when I see it bleeding at a thousand veins? Am I an opposer of a revival of religion, when I say the jirks, dancing, &c. are not God's instituted means of Grace, nor Scriptural evidences of true religion? and that when they are voluntary, they are a corruption of God's worship? Should I say that enthusiasm and spiritual pride, a vain conceit, self-sufficiency, and self-confidence, have evidently made their appearance among us, and are undoubtedly tarnishing the beauty of the religion of Jesus, which is modest, humble, teachable, meek, and lovely. Shall I be counted an enemy to that Jesus, whose cause has been long dear to me, and which I have endeavoured to exert my small abilities to support? Believe me to be your friend, believe me, though very unworthy and insufficient, to be a friend to, and an advocate for, the cause of Christianity. I now consider myself as standing on the verge of the grave, my proper position; and am soon about to step into the presence of God, my Judge; and in this solemn posture, I humbly and earnestly beseech you, yea, I solemnly charge you in the presence of my Judge, seriously to pause, reflect and think. Examine your opinions and religious practices, by the written word of God; call in all the help you can, to understand and rightly apply the Scriptures; view and consider the steps that lead to Atheism, that bottomless gulph of mysteries; consider the steps others have taken, and