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the purpose of forming churches according to what they consider as the mind of Christ, have been of a much more pacific spirit than those, who, retaining the principles of national churches and the authority of the magistrates in matters of faith and worship, were always lingering after a comprehension in the establishment, and finding fault with particular ceremonies and forms that kept them out of it: that this was the case among the first settlers of America has been already noticed and so far as my observation ex. tends, it is the case to this day. Those who dissent for the sake of being at liberty to follow up their convictions in promoting the kingdom of Christ, will not be averse to the civil institutions of their country; and as to the ecclesiastical, unless called to defend themselves against the charge of schism, and such others as are heaped upon them, they would cherish no hostility. Being allowed to follow the dictates of their own consciences, they are willing that others should do the same. They dissent, not so much from antipathy to what they desert, as from love to what they embrace ; and they love and pray for the government that protects them in the enjoyment of it.

They cannot approve of making the political prosperity of their country the supreme object of their pursuit, nor consent that the religion of Christ should be rendered subservient to it; and this, in the esteem of those who are otherwise minded, will often be ascribed to the want of patriotism: but a wise and good government will know how to distinguish a contumelious behaviour towards them, from a conscientious obedience to God; and while they properly resent the former, will not fail to respect the latter.

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MISCELLANEOUS ESSAYS,

&c.

CIRCULAR LETTERS,

Addressed to the Churches of the Northamptonshire Association. 1782-1815.

THE EXCELLENCY AND UTILITY OF THE GRACE OF HOPE.

Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.

DEAR BRETHREN,

On this delightful subject, we feel great pleasure in addressing you. We congratulate you amidst all your sorrows, on your possessing such a hope; a hope which solid, and objects the most substantial. into your hands to be made light of. derstand it in order to prize it. His

has foundations the most God has not put this jewel He would have you to unbestowing upon you a spirit

ual illumination is to this very end. He does not open your eyes to present you with mere spectacles of misery, nor call you by his grace as having nothing to bestow upon you: no, blessed be his.

name, the eyes of your understandings are enlightened, that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints.

To assisting your meditations on this cheering subject, by showing its excellency and pointing out its great utility, we devote this epistle.

We trust that what we have already communicated to you on various important subjects, has not been received in vain. We would not wish to trifle with you, and we trust our letters to you have not been trifled with. Having therefore confidence in your readiness to examine and receive what we communicate, we are willing to impart unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye are dear unto us!

HOPE, or an expectation of future good, is of so extensive an influence, that whether true or false, well or ill founded, it is one of the principal springs that keep all mankind in motion. It is vigorous, bold, and enterprising. It causes men to encounter dangers, endure hardships, and surmount difficulties innumerable, in order to accomplish the desired end. In religion it is of no less. consequence. It is claimed by almost all ranks and parties of men. It makes a considerable part of the religion of those that truly fear God for though in all true religion there is and must be a love to God and divine things for their own excellency; yet God, who knows our frame, and draws us with the cords of a

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* Hope, as its objects are future, is distinguished from enjoyment. Herein the portion of the saints is unlike that of the worldling, and even that of saints in glory. Also from love, the objects of which are past and present as well as future, whereas hope is confined to the last. As they are good, it is opposed to fear, which is the dread of evil. As they are both future and good, and merely so, it is distinct from faith. We may be said to believe things past, as that the worlds were made; and things evil, as the wrath to come; but cannot be said to hope in either. As it is an expectation, it is distinguished from desire. We may be said to desire what it is not possible we should ever enjoy; but we cannot hope unless there appear at least a possibility, and generally speaking some probability, of our possessing the object hoped for; and in proportion as this probability appears to the mind great or small, hope or expectation is strong or weak.

man, condescends also to excite us with the promise of gracious rewards, and to allure us with the prospect of a crown of glory.

We wish you, brethren, secing God has given you everlasting consolation, and good hope through grace, to consider well the GOODNESS OF EXCELLENCY of that divine gift. On this account it excels every other hope as much as a pearl excels a pebble. A great part of its excellency consists in its being so well-founded. Though our hope should aspire to the highest heavens, and could grasp in all the bliss of an eternal world, alas, what would it avail us if ill founded? The hope that is ill founded, is said to make ashamed, and so terminates in disappointment. It is to be feared that many, (O that there may be none of us!) who are now towering high in expectation, will one day be ashamed and confounded because they thus had hoped.

The grand FOUNDATION of all good hope is the Lord Jesus Christ, God's revealed Mediator, embraced by faith. On this rock the people of God in all ages have built their hope, whatever other foundations sinners have devised. Of old God laid this in Zion. This was the subject of apostolic ministrations; they held forth none other than him whom God had set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood.

That the mediation of Christ is the primary ground of all good hope, will appear evident if we do but recollect (and O, let us never forget!) the hopeless condition in which sin involved us. By our breach of covenant with God, the very idea of future good for us was totally annibilated. Nothing but eternal tribulation and anguish, as the reward of evil doers, was now to be expected. The image of God being totally effaced in us, his favour towards us was absolutely forfeited. Hence the least idea of hope from any other ground than the mediation of Christ is not only declarative of opposition to God's way of salvation, but is altogether a wild chimera. By the state of the fallen angels we may learn what ground is left for hope where no mediator is provided; and what must have been our state had we been left in their condition. These, void of all hope whatever, are reserved in everlasting chains under darkness, unto the judgment of the great day.

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