The Works Author:William Smith Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: The most excellent doctrine contained in these .words is not only highly suitable to the purpose of those at whose instance I now appear here, but likewise to ev... more »ery man among us of whatsoever denomination or degree. And this, I confess, was my chief inducement to the choice of them. It was reasonably apprehended that the nature of this occasion would draw together a very large and mixt assembly; and therefore I thought it my duty to select a subject, which might equally interest us all, both as men and as Christians, especially in the present dangerous state of our affairs. In things of inferior moment, I doubt not, our sentiments may differ; but in those principles which are the foundation of the text, 'tis to be hoped we all agree, namely, in believing—That there is one God, the supreme Lord of the universe; that our whole species is one brotherhood, being one flesh, and the work of his hand; and that we were designed for social life, being by nature both fitted and disposed to increase each other's happiness, and incapable of any tolerable happiness in a solitary state. These principles partly constitute a kind of universal religion, of eternal and immutable obligation; and whatever associations we may form for particular purposes, the great end proposed upon the whole, should be to enable us the more effectually to act in conformity to this obligation, which no power on earth can rekase us from. As long, therefore, as we believe these principles —and we cannot help believing them, as long as we continue to be constituted as we are—it must, at allrimes, and in all circumstances, be our indispensable duty, to love this brotherhood who are our own flesh; to fear this God who made us for social happiness; and to honour those who, in a more eminent manner, concur with the ben...« less