Having finished what was proposed, it only remains to improve what hath been offered, for your direction and assistance in practice.--
And _first_--We should examine all our principles by the word of God. The true principles of religion are to be taken thence. And they are, in their great foundation, easily to be learned. All men of common capacity may know them, if they will be honest and upright in their search. The reason, why there have been so many divisions and errors, or false doctrines, is because men have left the holy scriptures, and gleaned strange doctrines, from other sources. The word of God must be our supreme and only standard. If we make any thing a rule above it, we wholly depart from it, and get our religion from another source. And respecting the true principles of religion, I venture to say, all real Christians, of whatever denomination, are perfectly agreed in them--in the absolutely essential doctrines, I mean, and are much more agreed in every thing material, than they themselves either clearly apprehend, or are willing to confess.
_Secondly,_ let us feel the need of continually watching, lest we go off from the pure principles of the Gospel. We see others, in one age and another, and in one place and another, renouncing the right ways of the Lord--denying the great doctrines and ordinances of Christ. And we behold men changing their principles after long professed, for errors and delusion.--Let us ever be upon our guard against the danger of going off from the doctrine of Christ. _Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines._--
_Thirdly,_ if we have imbibed errors, let us hence be persuaded to lose no time in recovering ourselves from the snare. Others, after having adopted great errors, have seen their folly--have mourned over their obstinacy, stubbornness, and prejudices:--have recanted:--and returned to the truth. Let us, if we have been carried away with divers and strange doctrines--HASTEN to relinquish them, and recover ourselves from them, before it be too late. Soon our days on earth will be ended, and it will be too late to rectify any mistakes.--
_Fourthly_--Let us add constant humble prayer for divine grace to keep us from backsliding--from instability--from all delusion--and false doctrines. Odious is the character of the _backslider._ The unstable man cannot excel. Fervently--constantly, should we look to the God of all wisdom and grace to keep us from dishonouring him, and the truth, by backsliding, and error;--that he would be pleased to open our eyes to see the truth, and our ears to hear it:--that he would confirm us in goodness:--establish us in the faith:--and hope of the Gospel, that we may not only be stedfast and unmoveable, but abound more and more in the work of the Lord--be perfect in every good word and work--and thus be kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.