when found. Like Agrippa, you may be "almost persuaded" to yield to the arguments in its favour; like the Jews of old, you may be "cut to the heart," when you hear the marks of the Church of God defined. Put not off the consideration of the important matter to a more convenient season, lest such season never arrive: but instantly inquire what you must do to be assured that you belong to the communion of the true Church of God. The advice which I thus offer to others, may God, of His mercy, enable me to apply to myself, viz. Prove all things; cleave to that which is good: put away prejudice, and be guided by candour: seek the favour of God more than the applause of men: and when you have found the truth, abide by it until death.

Q. Good Christian: You have satisfied me that you are well acquainted with the reasons of your adherence to the Protestant Episcopal Church, and certainly no one who has the least regard for the honour and service of God, ought to be ignorant of the dignity and importance of the Christian Church. Without knowledge concerning this mat> ter, the Christian must be like a wave of the sea, tossed about by every wind of doctrine. But you are well acquainted with the marks of the Church; great, then, must be your fault if you slight any of them. They were inscribed by the finger of God.

The man who would efface them, the man who would slight them, is venturing to dispute the wisdom of the Almighty, and to tamper with his own happiness. But you are aware of this; all then that I would wish to know is, whether you think that the mere circumstance of being within the border of the Church is sufficient to secure your salvation?

A. The Church on earth is meant to train me up for the Church in heaven, and all her laws and institutions are meant, not to impose a task upon me, but to preserve me in the path of life. The mere circumstance of being within the Church, therefore, is advantageous to me, only in so far as it places me within reach of that instruction and that assistance, which are necessary to prepare me for heaven. But if I do not avail myself of these advantages, and employ them for the purpose for which they are intended, I can never be fit for the society of heaven. "Not every one that sayeth unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven." In the field of God's Church, there are tares as well as wheat. The word of truth is sown, but it is only in a few that it bears fruit. From some the wicked one catcheth it away; others fall away in times of tribulation and persecution; the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches,

make many very regardless of their duty to God; while those who remain stedfast, and walk worthy of their high vocation, do not all bring forth fruit alike, but some an hundred-fold, some sixty, some thirty. I therefore consider it my duty, as a member of Christ's Church, to work out my salvation with fear and trembling, studying the Divine word, which shines as a lamp to guide me on the way to heaven; praying to God to give me His grace, that I may be enabled to run with patience the race that is set before me; and trusting in the Redeemer, Who is God with us, to bring me, under His victorious banner, into the kingdom of the Father.

"O Lord, we beseech Thee to keep Thy Church and Household continually in Thy true religion: that they who do lean upon the hope of Thy heavenly grace, may evermore be defended by Thy mighty power; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen "."

b Collect for Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany.

APPENDIX.

ON account of what is said in answer to the Question, "But there are other Communities, the religious houses of which may be near at hand; could you not attend public worship in any of these?" it has fallen to my lot, as I have heard, to be branded as an illiberal and narrow-minded bigot. This would have been allowed to pass without remark from me, had it not at the same time been alleged, that the principles which I advocated, in that particular paragraph, afford a proof of the intolerant and uncharitable spirit of the Church of which I am a member. It is on this account that I proceed to defend my position.

In the first part of my little work, I had distinctly stated what the Marks or Notes of the Church were, and shewn that they were all clearly recognized in the word of God: and, as a practical duty resulting from the premises thus laid down and established, I, in the second part, admonished Episcopalians to adhere stedfastly to what was thus proved to be a pure and integral portion of the Church of the living God.

Now had I forbidden men to "

prove all things," before

I admonished them to "hold fast that which is good;" had