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LUGR,I»N, s r 1 • K r- TO THE PARISHIONERS OF FREDERICTON, AND ESPECIALLY TO THE MEMBERS OF THE VESTRY, (by whose desire it is made rUSLIC.) I » ^ This Sermon, composed under circum.- stances of extreme hurry, of which the raarks are too evident in the stile and ar- rangement But containing no fruits of hasty or un- advised proceeding in the princ.^les and sen- iimcnts which it expresses, Is inscribed by their faithful and ever affectionate servant, GEO. J. MOUNTAIN. Quebec, Sept. 1, 1817. « 4 * ^ V » t ThF entreaty and exhortation thus enforced JL Hb tntreaty a delivered by an in- i„ the name ot o^^Lord a^ ^^^^ ^^^^^^.. spired Apostle « P^"°f „^der different circum- ""^ '° ^^"rS very d.tferent pretensions to stances, and with ^ery ^^ j ^^^y authority, every ^mister m ^^^^^rding adopt ^he --e bnguage underst^^ ^^^ .to the character ana situ ^^^^_ With all the earnestness of those w ^^^^^ ards of the Mysteries of G^^^^' ^'^'^ ^j^^ all the i, to ^'ivance the salvat^^^^^^^^^^ ^^, ^ anxiety ot taithfu ^hep^ier ^^^^ ^j^^^ ^ the flock; ^^'tV''u °' !^t anart to stand, as it ought to be felt by f Xhf wovld, he may were, between God and t, ^^ ^^^ ^^^^^ « beseech and exhort them W w i^^ .^ God as they ^-ve -med ^-^^. j^; ,ffiee more than a mere lecturer ' ^f virtue is more than to set forth t'le advantag with the ill consequences of Vice^"^ ^^-^ men that they are destined to be immo ._^ 6 is a part, and a very important part of his OfficCj but it is far from being all. There are indeed among the Professors of Christianity many who keep m the back ground what are, in fact, its prominent and distinguishing points ; and receive them, if presented to their notice with neglect if not with averseness : There are many, to whom its prospects appear in a dim and dubious light, and a haze seems to rest over a great part of its extent. But the defect is in then' own vision. Were there no evil propensities and prejudices of wordly attachment intervening to darken the scene, they would never take a partial and con- fined view of the Christian Religion, nor be de- sirous of abating its high pretensions, and redu- cing its exalted character to something more re- sembling the systems of human Philosophy. It never can be, that we should find, fii'st, a long^ train of prepoBttory dispensations— a series of Prophets and Delegates of God — a people select- ed to be the depositories of his oracles, and to convey the chosen seed from which the Messiah was to spring after the flesh, and conducted through various struggles " by a mighty hand, and by a stretched out arm" — and then, at length, this Messiah appearing; this "Desire of all nati- ons" and " hope of the ends of the earth" born miraculously into the world ; conversing familiar- ly with mankind; displaying many wonders of divine power; submitting to suffer and to die: re-appearing alive among his followers ; sending them to preach the everlasting gospel; enduing them personally with supernatural qualiHcations for the work; providing for the perpetuity oF their office, and instituting a visible Church and Sacraments ;--- * ■ 4' V i i Sacraments ;-it never can be that all this was proiected and executed in the Counsels of D,v.ne Wisdom, if things N.ere to be left, after all, nearly m the state in which they were before and it was simply intended to improve ihe moral light ot the world -No— To proclaim redemption to fallen man: To shew him the orig..i and the cure of all that Sin and evil of which the most wicked and light-minded must acknowledge the existence, that perversencss of nature by which men^re impelled to act in a way contrary to their hap- piness, and contrary to their inward convictions : •f o encourage him by great and gracious promi- ses as well as to arm him with sound principles . To warn him against the snares of temptation and the deceitfulness of sin: To impress upon him the necessity of vigildnce and exertion: To exhort him to resist his spiritual enemies, and prav for the assistance of the promised Comfort- er which will ena! ' '^ to do so: To unfold a brge the variov >ts of Christian duty, private, relative an upon obedience to which our salvation ■., and to urge the condition of " adorning the doctrine of our ba- viour by good works :" To explain and open the -vord ofGod.-the actual communications receiy- ;d hL Heaven by mankinjl: To officiate in public worship, to administer^ordmances ot Re- Lion, and dispense the appointed means o Grace,-all these are duties appropriated to that s^andi^g Order of men who are called the Clergy These are the duties which during the period ot niy labours among you I have, although imper- fei-tlv, discharged ; and these the principles which I liave endeavoured to maintam : And these prin- '^ ' ciples V>' V 8 S ' i J ciples now that I address you for the last time, I „.Lt solemnly, most earnestly recommend. I beseech you by the Lord Jesus that as ye have received from us" (according to the measure ot nnuence which may have been reasonably aMow- ed me,) " how ye ought to walk and p'ease God. so ve would abound thercm more and more. - k would be happy if this were all. t wou d be a great consolation if the Clergy had or,lv to Enforce the tr Uis of Christianity ; to check he nrojress of Vice, and to lead those committed to E in the way of life by the ordinary and pre- scribed means. But their situation in these day is oreciselv that of the Jews who rebuilt the walh Xru alem under the inspection of Nehem.ah °Thev which builded on the wall, and they which bare burdens, with those that laded, every one ^ith one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon. In vam would they hope for success in pfoceeding regu- Sy w^th\heir work, and edr/yrng the.r Congre- gations ; in vain would they expect th- whole to become " fitly framed together unless they le- pelled in some\vay -he inroads of their numerous fcomoetitors. " He that is not f ga>nst us, is to us" says our Saviour. And to the benefit of th. rule we may admit those regular reformed Churches, (though we could by no means con- form to them in Sertain points) which do not in- terfere with us, and never were comprised ^vlthn^ our iurisdiction:-"But our Saviour also says, upon another occasion. " He .hat is not with me is^against me"-and we sec and iecl but too wel how this declaration may be reconciled v.nth 1 . former, and where the Church may apnly no w i< I i . \ . hcv i „ . We see and led but uv . ,;p\1 how her own case .—we see an ^j,^^^ grievously the ^^-7 "^ .i;^ ^ ,;4. u's; who by tvho have separated '^^"''^'^^^J^,. ^ho are not that very ^^P^f I"" ^!" fclarc n^i .o./A us, but only agamd ^^^''''^'l ^^ l,^,,^ and uuweaned against us in the ^-^^-P^ "' disc.jles" and lUnv- o|,p«ncnts. '• ''^r^^^XllhcZc that 1 have lately entered at ^"^n leng pardoned rhc question between "^' «"" \;", J, ^U ^^''"^^ for now calling to m'"heart:— True—But it can- not indicate a very zealous respect for the honour of God, that his house should be neglected, and his Courts should wear an aspect of meanness. And it does not look well, thai the Church at the seat of Government in this Province, should be still unlinished, still destitute of various usual and decent appendages— without a steeple, without sacramental plate, without a font for the admini- stration of Baptism, without any external enclo- sure to prevent its immediate precincts from be- coming a harbour for cattle. All these wants will, 1 trust, be supplied, and the means of the Church so husbanded as to supply them soon : And I an> not the less anxious that they should be so, because I shall not see it. For in this and all other points, I shall never cease to take a lively interest in the affairs of that flock to which I have once borne the relation of Pastor. There is another. improvement which regards, not ihe place of Divine w-orship, but the numner of its stated p^riorimince^—m which those w^ho have concurred with me deserve, (and I beg them to accept.) my cordial thanks,— the improvement in the peribrinancc of our Psalmody. In this I trust you v/ill persevere: to drop it would be worse than never to have attempted it— but I need not now enlarge upon its importance which has been fully represented upon a former occasion. And now 1 bid you farewell, and^ay the bles- sing of Almighty Cod be with you!— Were this the place to do it, I could assure you sincere- ly, that that rec'ret whicii many of you have been pleased to express for my departure, is fully met ]i',- corrcspcsr/Ji'^o; fccliii'.^s on mv side; and I will not If ''i 15 ^1 (• I i <-P not pretend to be so above human weakness, as to deny that I am gratified by such testimony of your approbation, though conscious that it is greatly beyond my deserts. I could assure you that neither I, nor mine, will soon forget the kindness and attention which we have experien- ced here. But I shall only once again entreat you to *' abound more and more in walking that will please God ;" and if you are disposed to bear in mmd " what ye have received from us it is summarily this: In the general conduct of life " to do justice, and to love: mercv, and to walk humbly vvrith God:" ' In your social and political capacity to abide by the wise man's advice — " My son fear thou the Lord and the King, and meddle not with them that are given to change:" To " fear God, ho- nour the King, and love the brotherhood," are three things which always go together— In the guidance of religious opinion, " stand ye in the way and see, and ask for the old paths i where is the good way; and ye shall find rest for your souls." Ik •^* It will probably be thought that too large a portion of this Sermon is devoted to the subject of Church-Communion. — But here was the par- ticular danger to which the Congregation were immediately to be exposed.— And there were cir- cumstances at the time which left no room for hesitation or reserve. y