to look at, and be influenced by, not the things which are seen, and are temporal, but the things which are not seen, and are eternal? How then can it be believed, that ever he intended thofe things to be propofed as motives and incite ments, for men to embrace and profefs his heavenly religion? True indeed, in the gofpel, he proposes the nobleft, the most exalted, and engaging inducements, to come over to his fide, and submit to his benign government, his rule of grace. But then, are not thefe of a spiritual and heavenly nature? - even all fpiritual bleffings, all the bleflings of grace and glory in Chrift Jefus? And then, on the other hand, as to civil pains or tem poral evils, whether of the greater or leffer fort, is there not good ground for faying, Far hence be all fuch methods of violence from the cause and kingdom of the Prince of Peace, who is not come to destrov mens lives, or injure them in their civil concerns, but to fave them? All methods of violence are diametrically oppofite to the fpirit and genius of the golpel of peace; and therefore methods of Christian perfuafion only can be admitted here. What fitness is there, in depriving men of their natural rights and privileges as free-born and good fubjects of an earthly kingdom, or in imprison. ment, banilhment, &c.—either for reclaiming men from error, or for producing real religion,-producing the knowledge, faith, love, and obedience of the truth, as it is in Jefus? Would not all fuch measures feem rather to be destructive of true religion, properly fo called? For is not all true religion a free and voluntary thing? Is not free choice, without compulfion or force, neceffary to the very being of it? That religion which is cauled or influenced by worldly motives and confiderations, by civil rewards or punishments, however it may pals a mong men, is certainly naught in God's fight.-What then could be meant by praying, that our rulers would exert their influence for promoting the caufse of Chrift? What! muft this caufe be promoted by carnal power and military force? Is not the word, accompanied with the power of the Spirit, fufficient for reaching this important end? - fufficient for perfuading and determining the people to aflemble with one accord, to ferve the highest Lord? Is not the fword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, (though not carnal, yet) mighty through God to the pulling down of trong holds, cafting

worldly prandeur and opulence, or even unto an entire independence upon the Chriftian people for their fubfiftence, and making them wholly dependent upon the civil powers therefor,-instead of turning out onto the welfare of the church, has, in too many inftances, had a quite con trary effect? Or, over and above all this, in order to our rulers being right nerfedithers of the church, would it also be neceflary to impofe the Seceffionfreme, as ftated and laid out in the judicial teftimony, and fworn unto in the bond recuplicating upon the long hiftorical narrative in the acknowledgement of fins thereto prefixed, upon all his Majefty's fubjects, of what foever quality, rank, and degree, under all civil pains? and forcibly to fupprefs, or root out of their lands and empire, all those the ministers of the Secellion might think proper to adjudge Hereticks. Sectarians, Latitudinarians, &c. &c.? But then, how would fuch meatures confift with the peace and welfare of the civil community, the rights of conscience, the nature and genius of the religion and kingdom of Chrift, and the divinely authorised ways and methods of promoting it in the world?-But more to this parpole just now. Wherefore, What is meant by praying, That the Lord would difpofe our rulers to exert their power for advancing the cause and kingum of Chrift? Can they, as civil Tole, ufe any other but carnal weapons, camal power and policy, or temporal rewards and punishments, for this end? fuch as, on the one hand, the offices and riches of the state, or worldly kingdom, by way of motives and attractives; and, on the other hand, civil pains or temporal evils, either of the greater or kefer fort, to be inflicted on those who will not fubmit themselves? But, pray, what aptitude or fitness is there in the motives and engines of this world, for promoting and enforcing a kingdom which, by the glorious King thereof, is presly declared not to be of this world? Does our Lord hire and engage people in his kingdom and fervice with hundreds and thoufands a-year; with the emolu ats, honours, and preferments, of an earthly kingdom? Does not the docbrine of Chrift rather conftantly and uniformly lead off the minds and attention of his difciples and followers from a prefent world, and the things thereof, Undo another world, a better, that is, a heavenly country, where their valt beritance lies? Does it not direct them

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down imaginations, and every high thing which exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into capti vity every thought to the obedience of Chrift? And if it pleafes not God, by the means of his own appointment, to perfuade and determine great multitudes, even whole nations and kingdoms, to come into the fervice of Chrift, or that particular way of ferving him which to us appears beft; are we therefore to exalt our wisdom above the wildom of God, in a way of devifing means of our own invention for the accomplishing of that end? Are not the following words of Henry's commentaries pertinent to the present purpote? "Right notions of the nature of Chrift's kingdom, would keep us at right methods for promoting the fame."

IV. As to the distribution of divine or dinances into more ordinary and more folemn; it may be obferved, that by the more folemn, as opposed to the more ordimary, ordinances, doubtless the preacher meant, ordinances of a more extraordinaby nature, which are but feldom to be obferved; fuch, for instance, as public fafting, &c. And from the connection it appeared, that, among this latter fort, he claffed the Lord's fupper, as indeed other Seceders alfo do. But, then, one can scarce help asking, By what authority be, or they, do fo? It is readily granted, that this ordinance is verv folemn and important. The things therein fignified and reprefented are the deep things of God, the refult and produce of the manifold wildom of God, which things the angels themselves defile to look into; and therefore are most striking and aflecting to the fpiritual mind, the believing foul, which, in the light of the word knows, and is perioaded of thefe things. But the question here is, If the Lord's fupper be of fuch a nature as that it ought but feldomly to be difpenfed in Chritian congregations? - only once, or twice a year, or fo? Does the fcrip. ture-account authorise this view? fee 1. Cor. xi. 23.-26.; with Acts ii. 42. and other places. Or does the Weft. Conf. and Directory (unto the whole doctrine whereof Seceders bind them felves by folemn oath) countenance it? fee particularly Conf, chap. 21. le&t. 5. where the due adminiflration, and worthe receiving of the facraments of the New Telament, is declared to be a part of the ordinary religious worthip of God

in the church, as well as the preaching and hearing of the word; and that, as oppofed unto, or diftinguished from, the more extraordinary fervice of God; fome inftances whereof alfo are there condefcended upon. Further, is the fo feldom obfervance of this ordinarce, going forth by the footsteps of the flock, the primitive churches and Chriflians, who, for aught that appears to us, ftatedly came together on the first day of the week, as their circumstances would admit, for the breaking of bread facramentally, as well as the other parts of focial or church worship? —Or is it confonant to the views and feutiments of fome of the most renowned of our reformers from Popery, for instance, that great man Calvin, who maintained, that the table of the Lord ought to be spread in Chriftian churches every first day of the week; and roundly affirmed yearly communicating to be an invention of the devil? Since Seceders profefs fuch a veneration for Calvin's principles and fentiments in fundry other things, how comes it to pafs, they pay no manner of regard to this? - Which, perhaps, is fully as clear and obvious, as fome other things they rigidly enough adhere to, and contend for. — If, according to the West. Conf. and Directory, the Lord's fupper be a part of the ordinary worship and fervice of God in the church, frequently to be administered, and that of fafting an extraordinary duty, to be performed upon eípecial occafions only; - for information's fake, I would ask, how Seceders reconcile their practice, of publicly fafting often, and eating the Lord's fupper but feldom, with their received and fworn-unto principles on this head? For I understand, they ufually observe about five public fafts in the year; — two uppointed by the fynod, one by the prefbytery, one about a month before the facrament, and another the week immediately before it, befides, it may be, a fixth upon any especial occurrence, as coveranting, &c. in their several congregations; and yet it is customary with them to difpenfe the Lord's fupper only once a-year. Does not this look like changing extraordinary duties into ordinary, and ordinary into extraordinary ?

- Upon the whole, would not the revival of that truly apoftolic and primis tive practice, a frequent eating of the Lord's fepper, through the divine blessing accompanying the fame, be fully as con

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There is no country in the world more happily fituated, for a vigorous cultation of the earth, than France. The chate is mild and temperate, the foil face any where barren; and the fituation, between two feas, gives her a mtion of advantages in the articles of Commene, which are an immediate af Glance to husbandry. It must however be confeffed, that this art has not met with that attention in France, the real -importance of it deferves.

Where ever great numbers of people have erifted, we may take it for granted, agriculture has been followed; for without it they could not live. It is one of the most melancholy reflections humanity can fuggeft, that the records of mankind are filled with miferable butcheries, while the cultivation of the earth is fcarce ever mentioned. A few pages would give us complete compilation of the history of agriculture, which feeds mankind ;-millions of volumes are filled with the art of war, which deftroys them. Such are the cruel prejudices of this world!

The blind infatuation is to be regret ted in the French writings, equally with theft of other countries, until the prelent age. Very little concerning hufbandry is to be met with in any before the reign of that great and good prince Henry IV. He, and his minifter Sully, nderflood and loved agriculture; and were the most remarkable men in this, as as other refpects, in modern times. The King's ideas of national improvewere of a larger extent than the ter's, comprehending the encourage est of manufactures; but the latter, th most juftness, was of another opi, and condemned manufactures until that frit great manufacture of the foil complete; accordingly, he encouraand agriculture all in his power, and by eatly adding to the cafe and comfort

of the lower people, made them fond of that profeffion which rendered them happy. Nor was his master backward in promoting the minifter's conduct; and agricul ture fo attended to, made large strides, and flourished more in France than in England, or any neighbouring kingdom. And herein, in a good measure, was laid the foundation of the future power of France.

It is impoffible that wiser measures could have been taken, than were by these two truly great men, for the restoration of France. Haraffed with all kinds of civil convulfions, of a great number of years, it was neceffary, if ever he was expected to make a confiderable figure, to allow her full time to recruit her loffes, and likewife, during that time, to purfue fuch a conduct, as would lend the moft helping hand to render her tranquillity flourishing. This was not to be done by hunting after foreign commerce, while her foil was uncultivated; nor by establishing manufactures at home, while hands were every where wanting in hufbandry. The only just plan was, to give all poflible encouragement to the cultivation of the earth; and thereby to render the people, who had groaned fo long under the oppreffion of a civil war, eafy and comfortable,

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These were the measures of that great; king, and his truly faithful minifter. Agriculture, under their encouragement, flourished; the lands, which had been to long uncultivated, were covered with corn; -the peafants were affluent and happy;-the general face of the kingdom was changed; it gave manifeft figns of speedily becoming moft flourishing and formidable.. Cabals, factions, confufion, civil wars, and every horrid contraft to this happy period, then enfued, It may eafily be fuppofed, that the voice of husbandry was heard no more: indeed we know nothing of the French agriculture during that period, and in all probability there was nothing in it worthy to be known. In those times of public confufion, it infallibly finks to a wretched state of infignificance. So great a power have a few of ruining the many! The number of men engaged in a civil war, is always vaftly fhort of the number whe follow their common occupations, -the proportion will not be found to be one in a hundred; and yet what mifery and wretchedness does that one man bring upon his hundred neighbours!

The

Colbert foon became the chief minifter of Lewis. This man had certainly great ideas; and withal a fpirit of improve ment, which blazed out with wonderful luftre. He apprehended that a vaft trade, and numerous manufactures, would enrich the kingdom fo prodigiously as to give her unfathomable refources. He accordingly rejected the plan of Sully, and began with establishing a vast variety of manufactures at a prodigious expence; neither did he spare any coft to render France the first trading power in the u niverfe. But with defign to enable his manufacturers to fell cheaper than thofe of other countries, he thought it requifite to have bread at as low a price as poffible; from that apparently just reasoning, that the cheaper a manufacturer could live, the cheaper the manufacture could be afforded. To effect his defign, he prohibited all exportation of corn from the kingdom, and even greatly cramped the transportation of it from one province to another. These mea fures were intended to give a plenty at home. Not content with this, he, in times of diftrefs, (and even before they came), greatly loaded the husbandman with impofitions and taxes, that the manufacturer's fhare of those burthens might be the lefs.

All this management formed a system of policy, infinitely more wretched than one could believe would ever have en tered the head of a man of genius, who had the example of Sully before him. Every measure was attended with an effect directly contrary to that he expected. In ftead of the price of the neceffaries of life falling, they rofe, and became extremely fluctuating and various: corn was fome times a drug, at others, immenfely dear; and famine itfelf appeared almoft periodically. These circumstances ruined the agriculture of France, without being of any

But had their manufactures flourished in proportion to the depreffion of husbandry, as Colbert feemed to imagine; nevertheless, what the nation gained by one hand, fhe loft by the other: Her profits by manufactures were ten times overmatched by her loffes in bufbandry. Befides, there was a standing difadvantage attending the luxurious manufactures fet on foot by Colbert: They did not all find their way into foreign countries; many remained at home; the nation became luxurious and expenfive in these articles, in proportion with her neighbours; this occafioned vast quantities of money, and numbers of hands, to be perpetually drawn off from the culture of the land, until France became almost a defert.

The refources, likewife, which this celebrated minifter expected would always attend fuch numbers of manufactores, proved as delufive as the rest of the fcheme. In refpect of perfect popu lation, that is to fay, the number of valuable people, manufactures improperly managed yield none. It is a lively and vigorous cultivation which alone breeds a race of hardy and courageous foldiers.-The true military genius of the French decayed when an immense number of manufacturers entered her armies, in the recruits which neceffarily were drawn from that set of people. But this circumstance was not of fuch striking confequence, as the hurt which population in general received from so imperfect a cultivation as took place in France.

It is fuppofed that manufactures add prodigioufly to the population of any country;-and one reafon is, because we fee manufacturing towns so very populous. But it is well known, that the increase of mankind in cities is in no proportion to what it is in the country. Great numbers of people collected together, form an appearance of population: but this proves nothing; the point is, their in

creafe.