mies of Christianity, if the latter only wrap themselves up in a profession? With the Scriptures in their hands, and the spirit of Christianity in their hearts, it is as easy for Christians to distinguish the enemies of their religion, as for members of a family to distinguish the enemies of their common prosperity from their most approved friends., The very idea that a religion communicated to men for their salvation is of so undefined a character, as that its friends cannot be distinguished from its enemies, is absurd. Let Christians, then, earnestly seek to understand the great truths on which their hopes are built, on which all their great interests depend, and in which the glory of the blessed Gospel consists; to these truths let them adhere, as to the anchor of their safety. These great truths have the most intimate and vital relation to the success and progress of Christianity in the world, not less than to the comfort and support of the individual believer. Let brothers, who are joint heirs to an estate, burn their title deeds, undermine the buildings, pull down the fences, and lay waste the crops; but let not Christians forget, or undervalue the interests which they have in common, and let them beware of all, who, with whatever pretensions, would deprive them of all that is truly valuable.

5. Children of the same par ents are usually friendly to each other through life. They take a lively interest in each other's welfare; they befriend each other in a thousand ways; they assist each other, in short, by advice, and a perpetual interchange

of kind offices. If, through the uncertainty of human affairs, one should become poor and the other rich, the miseries of poverty will be alleviated by assistance afforded by a brother's hand, and with a brother's tenderness. The man who should pass by his brother in poverty, as if he were a perfect stranger, and should not even inquire into his brother's sufferings, would be justly pronounced hard-hearted and destitute of natural affection. So Christians should feel towards each other. They should supply the wants of their fellow Christians, both of a temporal and spiritual nature. Shall it be concealed that they too generally fail in this duty? Can it be deni ed, that there are rich professors of Christianity, who pass by their suffering brethren with closed hands, careless eyes, and hard hearts? Is it not also true, that many others, who are not utterly destitute of feeling, are yet much less alive to the wants of their fellow Christians than they ought to be? Let all professors of religion examine themselves in this matter. Let them consider that all true Christians are their brethren; and let them ask whether they discharge all the duties of which they are reminded by this endearing relation.

6. By the scriptural use of the word brethren Christians are taught that they should feel a peculiar tenderness towards each other's reputation. Though this consideration has been alluded to already, it is of suffi cient importance to be made a distinct head of inquiry. Children of the same parents, unless monstrously unnatural and depraved, never go about defaming

each other. They never stand on the alert to hear, and propagate slander against each other. They never repeat stories to each other's disadvantage; especially old stories which have long since been proved false, and which are vamped up anew to destroy the innocent. They never multiply, magnify, and delight in scandals, which dishonor their own flesh and blood, disquiet their parents, and torment their brethren. If one member of the family is proved to be guilty of a base and wicked action, all the other members lament it, and endeavor to reclaim the wanderer from the error of his way. If their endeavors are blessed they are very willing to let the remembrance of their brother's fault die away. But should they,contrary to every dictate of natural affection,moral propriety, or even external decency, strive to make the most of every failing in their brother, to sink him utterly for every such failing, and to do all in their power to prevent his rising again, there would be one universal burst of indignation at their conduct. How, then, does the conduct of Christians appear, when they act the part of talebearers against each other; when they hunt up old stories and circulate them anew; when they lay hold of charges without evidence, and then endeavor to guess out the evidence to support their groundless charges; when they make a jest of the failings of their fellow Christians; when they convert the social circle into a retail shop of scandal, into a magazine of combustibles and implements of death and torture; when they discover more zeal to sink a fel

low Christian, on account of some real or pretended failings, than they ever yet discovered to raise the sinking cause of religion; when they show themselves to be actuated by low jealousies, base envy, contemptible rivalries, sinister views, a desire of personal aggrandizement at the expense of depressing better men than themselves: and how unhappy is the influence of such conduct; especially when ministers are engaged in it, and fall victims to it, or, if not victims, have their influence diminished, their lives disquieted, and their vigor impaired.

Yet in this

course of conduct many professed Christians systematically engage; and some real Christians, it is feared, get into it before they are aware. Let them extricate themselves without delay, and repent of their sin and folly. O Christians, let us bewail our sins, and strive to live like breth

of the undertaking, and the number and magnitude of the obstacles he must encounter, he almost sinks down in despair of success. When he observes the cold indifference of mortals to their eternal interest; when he sees multitudes living as if they believed there were no God in heaven, and no future state of retribution, debasing their natures by excess and totally regardless of futurity, his soul is writhed with anguish at the folly and madness of his fellow creatures. When he considers the vast responsibility of his station, that a proper discharge of its duties may save a soul, nay many souls from everlasting woe, and the neglect, or careless performance of them, may confirm an infidel in unbelief and harden a sinner in iniquity, and perhaps involve a succession of genera tions in perdition, fearfulness and trembling seize upon him, and horror overwhelms him.

The great responsibility of the ministerial office, and the awful consequences of a neglect, or careless performance of its duties, should be well weighed by every candidate for the ministry, before he enters upon its sacred functions, as well as by those who are already in the holy office. What was said to the prophet is applicable to the Christian minister. Son of man, I have set thee a watchman over the house of Israel. The ministers of Christ are set as watchmen over the souls of the people of their charge. They are to warn the wicked of his danger; to enlighten the ignorant mind; to cheer the desponding soul; and lead the humble penitent to the feet of Jesus. They must

teach the doctrines and duties of the Gospel; and neither shun to declare the whole counsel of God, nor transgress the commandment's of God by their traditions. To be enabled to do this, they must make the Scriptures the principal object of their studies. They should neither desert the schools of the prophets, to walk in the groves of Academus; nor quit the cedar in Lebanon, to gather nosegays on Parnassus.

May not every minister of the Gospel adopt the language of Paul and say, Woe is unto me if I preach not the Gospel? How awfully must the voice of God have sounded in the ears of the prophet, when it uttered, son of man, I have made thee a watch man unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth and give them warning from me. When I say unto the wicked, thou shalt surely die; and thou givest them not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity: but his blood will I require at thine hand. Does not this same solemn warning ring in the ears of every one, who has been set apart to the Gospel ministry? If he, who through carelessness, or neglect of duty, has caused the death of another, has sleepless nights and days of sorrow, how much more distressing must be the condition of that man, by whose false instruction, or careless performance of ministerial duty, a soul has been lost.

If a minister is cold in religion, can it be expected that his people will be otherwise? If he neglects the duties of a pastor, for other pursuits, it will be dif

ficult for him to persuade his people, that religion is the one thing needful; and, being ignorant of its value and importance, they will probably neglect it, till it is too late to correct the mis take. The effect of preaching depends much, very much, on the manner of it. Unless the preacher feels what he utters, he will not make his hearers believe it. The natural effect of a sermon delivered in a cold and careless manner, is to convince a doubting mind, that there is no reality in religion; or, at least, that it is of no importance. Is it improbable, that much of the infidelity and indifference to religion, which abound in the world, is to be attributed to want of zeal and fidelity in the discharge of ministerial duty; not a zeal to make proselytes to a sect, but to imitate the example of our divine Master; to inculcate the doctrines he taught, and enforce obedience to his precepts. He went about doing good; he was not afraid to admonish sinners and reprove vice; nor did the fear of giving offence prevent his benevolent heart from warning the wicked of the awful and fatal consequences of his wicked way. The fear of man bringeth a snare.

If he, who has been appointed to watch over the souls of men, should be restrained by the fear of giving pain or provoking resentment, from admonishing in dividuals of their danger, when he sees them falling under the dominion of sin, and walking heedlessly down the broad road to ruin, his tender mercies would be cruelty. That minister, who has labored, both by his public preaching and private admoni

tions, for the conversión and sal. vation of sinners, will find peace of conscience on this subject, even though his labors may not have been crowned with success. But how clamorous, how tumultuous, must his conscience be, whose careless life, or want of ministerial fidelity, has lulled sinners into a fatal security and plunged them into everlasting woe! Is it possible, that he, who has been guilty of such miscon duct, can find peace in his own bosom, or look with an eye of complacency on the world around him? can he find rest on his pillow, or relief in the bustle of life? If he retires to meditate in his closet, the cries and shrieks of tormented souls pierce his ears. If he lifts his eyes to heaven, he is appalled with the awful declaration, their blood will I require at thine hand. L*.

To the Editor of the Panoplist,
SIR,

The following thoughts respecting the treatment which excommunicated persons are to receive from Christians, are submitted for publication, should it be thought they may be useful and instructive.

PROFESSORS of religion enter tain different opinions on this subject. Some suppose, that the laws of Christ do not require that an excommunicated person should be treated in any different manner from that in which he was before treated, except being excluded from the Lord's table; and that this solemn act of the Church only puts him back where he was before he made a publio profession of religion. It is not