58 AN HUMBLE ATTEMPT, S.C. tofolloro the multitude, and make our profession of separation. an empty name, and our pretence to purer worship a mere badge of hypocrisy. Let us remember, if God should take up his rod into his hand, to punish a sinful nation with an overflow- ing scourge, we who follow any of the'vicious customs of the age, who conform to the iniquity- of the times, and never sepa- rate ourselves from the growing' ungodliness of the land, shall be mingled with our neighbours in the common calamity and de. solation : our profession of a separate and purer cotrunuition will but aggravate onr guilt. If we do no More than others in the practice of sincere piety, why should we expect to be distin- guished froto others by any pecùliar instances of sparing mercy. SECT. VI. Of the Special Advantages for Piety which some Persons of all Parties enjoy above Others. Having ended my survey of the specialadvantages for im- provement in piety which are found in the separate assemblies. of protestant dissenters, above those who generally attend on the worship of the established church, and the special obligations that we lie under to do more than others, I proceed one step further, which shall be the last; and that is to survey any other peculiar advantages, or peculiar obligations which belong to some persons of all parties among us above their fellows, and to en- quire into their behaviour and improvement in practical godliness, whether it has been answerable to the'special circumstances of obligation and advantage with which the providence of God has favoured them. And here let it be observed, that though these two general heads of obligation and advantage are often Mond together, and belong to the saute persons ; for every advantage lays a special obligation on him that enjoys it ; yet for method's sake it may be more proper to treat of them distinctly. First, What are the advantages which some of every party enjoy above others ? I. I will address myself Cheri to youwho have been blest with a more strictly religious parentage, and pious education, among any party of christians whatsoever ; and borrowing the words from the lips of our Saviour I would enquire, what do you more than others? You who have been trained up in the forms ofgodliness from your youngest years, and the nursery has been made as it were a Bethel or a house of God ; you have been early taught to read the holy scriptures in which Timothy was instructed from Isis youth, to the great honour of his mother and grandmother, whose naines have an everlasting memorial in the book of God ; 2 Tim. i.- 5. and iii. 15. You have beep nursed up in the constant attendance on the worship Of God in the family, and in the public assembly ; you have been taught from your infancy to pay honour and respect to every thing that
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