4$2 UOÜY FORTI-TUDE. just hope of doing good to .men ; there is indeed a time to keep silence in this case, and there is a time to speak. O may the word and Spirit and providence of God join together to give us direction in this difficult duty, and courage to perform it ! VI. Reformation of all kinds, whether in families orchurches, in cities, or nations, demands a good degree of resolution and courage. It is a brave and daring enterprise, to stem the torrent of the age we live in, and to attempt to change the vicious cus- toms of a city or nation. We must have a soul inspired with zeal for pietyand goodness, if we would contest the point with the guilty, and cover them with deserved shame, or bring them to deserved punishment. Blessed beGod there are societies formed in our age for this glorious purpose ! May everlasting success attend their zeal, and may their heads be covered with divine protection in every hour of ,danger ! We have need of courage to stand up for truth and purity in the church of Christ, when it is over-run with corrupt doctrines, wicked heresies, superstitions, and false worship. Wemust use our endeavour to root aut these evil weeds by all the sacred inflq- enees Of reason and scripture ; not by rage and violence, not by, fraud and falsehood, not by slander and scandalous language, not by calling in the power of the magistrate and the -sword of the state to assist us; Christ hath not allowed his followers such wea- pons as these against superstition and heresy ; The sword of the Spirit is the wordof God ; Eph. vi. 17. The weaponsofour war- fare are not carnal ; 2 Cor. x. 4, And whenwe have endeavoured to reform the offenders by ah christian methods, and find no success, we must dare to sepa- rate ourselves from the many and the mighty, who will not be re- formed. This was the glorious practice of our fathers, the Pro- testants and the puritans, in the several seasons of their reforma- tion, when they were called to oppose the greater or the lesser corruptions of the christian church. Ifour kindred or families are fallen into any foolish, vain, or sinful practices, or any civil society to which we belong hath de- parted from the rules of justice or truth, it belongs to a christian tobecome a public good, by using his influence, as far as it goes, toward the rectifying of every disorder. He should put on a. divine fortitude, whensoever providence callshim to attempt are- formation amongst them. There is need of a noble spirit and a pious bravery, to rise up against any foolish or vicious customs, to combat any rooted principles or habits of error or iniquity, and to oppose any number of persons that are engaged in an evil course. Moses forbids us to follow a multitude to do evil; Ex. xxiii. 2. And there are seasons when we may be called to op- pose amultitude ofevil-doers : And though noman stand by us,
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