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Untitled Article
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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Untitled Article
In the mem t } me , and in order to supply all that is in our power ' to pro mote this £ rerif eWd— -for the Almighty gffecte'tts ^ tir ^ osdsl bf 'Mebkd causes , and by ordinary means—let all things , in the conducting of our religious services , and all things in the regulation bf our lives and conversations , be done decently and in order ; and that the real worth of ouij principles may
be known , that they may not be regarded by others as mere setters of speculation and entertaining subjects of discourse , let it be seen that they produce the best fruits of integrity and of holiness in our lives . Whatsoever things are true and venerable for their goodness , are useful to others , are lovely , and , therefore , are of good report with all , —let us think on these things , and happy shall we be if we do them .
It is good for us sometimes to look back in this manner upon times which are past , to inquire of the days of old , and to observe the workings of Providence with those who have gone before us , and with those who are living in the present day . We may not , in all cases ,, be able to judge why those plans have been chosen in his wisdom , which , nevertheless , we must be persuaded were the wisest and the best ; and if , in the comparison of the one with the other , we can discern the greater kindness of those under which we live , and if we can bring ourselves to think that we are among
the feeble instruments which it pleases him to employ to effect his glorious purposes , how great will be our gratitude , how elevating our devotional feel- * ings , to that Being who rules all by his counsels , and has been waiting to be gracious to us ! And if existing circumstances seem to promise yet better , things , shall not our prayers ascend with still greater fervour * tfiat the kingdom of our Father in heaven may come and his will be d $ ne upon earth ; and shall we not be ready to employ those energies and those means with which he has entrusted us , as the stewards of his bounties , in effecting his righteous determinations ?
And why should any one , under such encouragement , indulge a timid spirit and seek a retreat under the shade of secrecy ? There was a time when this was prudent and right ; but that time is passed by , and the voice of a favouring Providence is inviting us to pursue that line of conduct , with an open and candid but a determined spirit , which will lead to the entire recovery of all civil and religious rights and privileges , that we may stand
secure and fast in the liberty with which Christ has set us fre& ; —the most certain step to which happy result is , \ o make our principles known as widely as possible , to invite others to hear and to understand that in which we believe , to inspire them with the spirit of candour arid good-will which those principles breathe ; thus to remove the unwarrantable prejudices which , in some worthy breasts , are still at work against us , and open a new era by
opening the hearts of all to charity and gootj-will . One talent at least is entrusted to every one : there is no one perfectly destitute . ., Wrap it not u p in a napkin ; hide it not in the earth ; put it out to interest , in your families , in your neighbourhood , among your kindred and your acquaintance . Remember , you will be asked , at a future day , what you have been doing with the means of usefulness which have been entrusted to you , and your Lord will be waiting to receive your talent with increase . " - . -r ¦ • - ' ¦ , • - ¦ •' ' Hrvw ~ \» - ' } ' ' , */• ¦ j # "yy ^
Untitled Article
732 Past Times ana present Times .
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Oct. 2, 1827, page 732, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1801/page/20/
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