Believe me, it gladdens my very soul, to see so many of your faces set heaven-wards, and the visible happy effects of your uniting together, cannot but rejoice the hearts of all sincere christians, and oblige them to wish you good luck in the name of the LORD. The many souls who are nourished weekly with the spiritual body and blood of JESUS CHRIST, by your means; the weekly and monthly lectures that are preached by your contributions; the daily incense of thanksgiving and prayer which is publicly sent up to the throne of grace by your subscriptions; the many children which are trained up “in the nurture and admonition of the LORD,” by your charities; and, lastly, the commendable and pious zeal you exert in promoting and encouraging divine psalmody, are such plain and apparent proofs of the benefit of your religious societies, that they call for a public acknowledgment of praise and thanksgiving to our blessed Master, who has not only put into your hearts such good designs, but enabled you also to bring the same to good effect.
It is true it has been objected, “That young mens forming themselves into religious societies, has a tendency to make them spiritually proud, and to ‘think more highly of themselves than they ought to think.’” And, perhaps, the imprudent, imperious behaviour of some novices in religion, who, “though they went out from you, were not of you,” may have given too much occasion for such an aspersion.
But you, brethren, have not so learned CHRIST. Far, far be it from you to look upon yourselves, as righteous, and despise others, because you often assemble yourselves together. No; this, instead of creating pride, ought to beget an holy fear in your hearts, lest your practice should not correspond with your profession, and that, after you have benefited and edified others, you yourselves should become cast-aways.
Worldly-mindedness, my brethren, is another rock against which we are in danger of splitting. For, if other sins have slain their thousands of professing christians, this has slain its ten thousands. I need not appeal to past ages; your own experience, no doubt, has furnished you with many unhappy instances of young men, who, “after (as one would have imagined) they had escaped the pollutions which are in the world through lust,” and “had tasted the good word of life,” and endured for a season, whilst under the tuition and inspection of others: yet, when they have come to be their own masters, through a want of faith, and through too great an earnestness in “labouring for the meat which perisheth,” have cast off their first love, been again entangled with the world, and “returned like the dog to his vomit, and like the sow that was washed, to her wallowing in the mire.” You would, therefore, do well, my brethren, frequently to remind each other of this dangerous snare, and to exhort one another to begin, pursue, and end your christian warfare, in a thorough renunciation of the world, and worldly tempers; so that, when you are obliged by Providence to provide for yourselves, and those of your respective housholds, you may continue to walk by faith, and still “seek first the kingdom of GOD, and his righteousness;” not doubting, but all other things, upon your honest industry and endeavours, shall be added unto you.