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expresses his virtuous resolution to devote himself to the important duties of the Christian ministry , which he concisely yet comprehensively represents as consisting in " The study and faithful exposition of the Scriptures , the maintenance of pure religion , the visiting of the fatherless and widows in their affliction , and the keeping of himself unspotted from the world . " TKp » Sermrm followshv the Rev . William SheDherd . of Gateacre . —an
, excellent discourse from Luke viii . 18 : " Take heed how ye hear / ' After a short introduction , in which Mr . S . distinguishes between the preachers of the gospel , considered in their personal character , and as heralds of the Divine will ; and observes that it is not to themselves , but to the pure doctrine which they preach , and which is addressed to them no less than to their hearers , that men are required to give heed , he proceeds to inquire , " What
dispositions of mind are necessary on the part of hearers , to render the gospel itself effectual to salvation . " Those which he enumerates are humility , meekness , an earnest desire of knowledge , candour and impartiality , attention , serious recollection , and a sincere intention to practise what we hear . On each of these heads many judicious and some striking and pointed observations are made . We must content ourselves with a few extracts .
" Let us not , " says Mr . $ ., treating of the earnest desire of knowledge as a needful qualification of the Christian hearer , " mistake a mere desire to hear our own opinions asserted , for a desire to know the truth . It is extremely flattering to the imagination , and soothing to the passions , to hear our sentL ments boldly maintained and warmly commended . But , after all , this may be rather the result of partiality to our own opinions than the effect of a
generous regarcj to trutlj . To hear our sentiments proved for reason and confirmed by Scripture , cannot fail to give us pleasure , as it confirms us in our persuasion that we are right . But our improvement does not depend so much upon our being confirmed in what we believe to be right , as in our being convinced where we are in the wrong , and in our being taught something which we did not know . And this desire of knowledge , to be of the greatest possible benefit , must extend to all truths of real importance to conduct . "
May we be permitted to add , that these excellent remarks will admit of d much more extensive application than the great majority of hearers and readers may prpbabjy suppose . ** What truth of real importance to conduct , " many of these will tye inclined to inquire , w am I ignorant of ? JEven wfiere I am not guided by it in my practice , is not my knowledge of the truth sufficiently clear ? " We reply , that wherever the theory and prac- < tiqe are widely at variance , we should fee ) strongly disposed to answer in the negative . It is , in our opinion , a deficiency of knowledge that very fre-r quently , if not generally , rpajkes practice so defective as it is . Multitudes
transgress in opposition to a loose , general knowledge of their duty and interest , who neither would nor could do so if that knowledge were more accurate , intimate and extensive . They take only a hasty and partial view of the nature and tendency of th ^ r actions . Perhaps they know them to be eyjjj bp # ijiey know not wjiy or to what extent they are ao ; they have by no nieafls qo ^ fnpiated the m in all their bearings and consequences ; they
feavie pot maturel y considered how they will affect them in their various relations to their fellow-creatures and to God ; they call them evil , in short , but they know not half the evil that is in them , or , if they did , fheir conduct would , of necessity , be affected by their knowledge . It is a very false and pernicious , though prevalent , idea , that on practical subjects there is no knowledge to be given or gained . Constant accessions of the most valuable
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Feb. 2, 1827, page 106, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1793/page/26/
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