ANHUMBLE ATTEMPT TOWARDS TITE REVIVAL OF PRACTICAL RELIGION AMONG CRRISTIANS, By a serious ,61'delress to Ministers and People. Au Exhortation to Ministers. WHEN true religion falls under a general and remarkable decay, it is time for all that are conòerned, to awaken and rouse themselves to fresh vigour and activity, in their several posts of service. If the interests of piety and virtue are things tit to be encouraged and maintained in the world, if the kingdom of the blessed God among men be worthy to be supported ; surely it is a necessary and becoming zeal for every one who hath the honour to be a minister of this kingdom, to take alarm at the appearance of such danger ; and each of us should enquire, What can I do tostrengthen the things which remain and areready to die, as well as to recover what is lost? Let my brethren therefore in the ministry forgive me, if I presume at this season to set before them ^a plain and serious exhortation. It was prepared for a public solemnity, wherein an esteemed young friend andbrother entered into the ministerial office ; and upon this account I have used much more freedom in the language than I could ever pre- tend to justify on any other occasion. It was in the name of my reverend brethren then present, as well as in my own, that the exhortationaddresses him in the manner following : You have this day devoted and dedicated yourself to the service of Christ in the ministry of the gospel, and particularly for the edification of this church. Your brethren in the ministry have also done all that they can do toward the dedicating and devoting you to the same sacred service, by the various solemn transactions of the day; and now we entreat, we exhort, we charge you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and in the words of the great apostle, that you take heed to the ministry whichyou have received in the Lord, that you fulfil it; Col. iv. 17. While we are endeavouring to press this charge on your conscience, we would speak also, each of us, to our own souls, and renew the awful charge upon ourselves. We would call to mind our own vows and engagements this day, and revive our decaying and dying zeal in this sacred and important service.
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