DEVOUT MONITOR: OR REMONSTRANCES AND SERMONS, UPON VARIOUS SUBJECTS. WITH PRAYERS, PSALMS AND HYMNS, Adapted to every Day throughout the Week; BEING A PORTABLE TREATISE OF DIVINITY; Chiefly felected from the most eminent and pious Divines, THE FIRST EDITION. Of Man's employ the greatest should be this, SHEFFIELD: PRINTED FOR THE PUBLISHER, BY J. NORTHALL; GOSPEL MINISTERS OF EVERY DENOMINATION, From him who exhorts his auditory in a private House, to him who preaches in the largest Cathedral. Rev. and Hon. Labourers in the Gofpel! I humbly prefume to dedicate this portable Treatife of Divinity to you, earnestly foliciting your patronage and encouragement, as it is publifhed with an honeft and good defign to infpire fentiments of Religion, Piety and Virtue, amongst your refpective Congregations. I hope and truft you will encourage the Sale of this publication as it is evidently well worth it's price, and proper to be introduced into all Families, for the more frequent use of Prayer and Devotion. You Gospel Minifters whofe office and happiness it is, to infufe every principle of Religion and Virtue on thofe Congregations committed to your care by the great Shepherd and Bishop of Souls. By your industry and noble exertions in the confcious discharge of your Duty, and in A 2 recommending recommending your Hearers to the daily practice of Prayer and the excellent precepts of our Saviour Jefus Chrift: Chriftianity will most probably flourish and encrease, and that many may be faved in the Day of the Lord Jefus is the fincere and hearty prayer of Rev, and Hon. Labourers Your most obedient Friend and Servt. Sheffield, Jan 1, 1795. PREFACE. Candid and Courteous Reader, AVING employed fome vacant time in felecting with a defign to revive dying religion in the family and the Clofet. Much practice in the polite World, and a general acquaintance with the best Authors are great Helps, which the writer of this Treatife has not enjoyed on account of the narrowness of his circumftances However the writer recommends it to the unprejudiced reader and should it be a means of procuring peace of mind and true felicity here, and fecure everlafting Happinefs hereafter to one individual, it will have had the defired effect. Religion is as much fuperior to all other Knowledge as the immortal foul is to a perifhing body, or as Peaven is, to Earth. Upon it depends our everlafting happiness or mifery; for by the ufe or abuse of it, we fhal either be juftified or cordemned. Knowledge in the head, love in the heart and purity in our actions are the genuine characteristics of true and real Chriftians. Phyfic is ftudied in order to preferve the human body; and Law to fecure property; but Divinity to fave the Scul to make us wife unto Salvation. Religion in the Scriptures, is the religion of man in his fallen ftate, and any one who impartially and carefully confiders it, will find one fcheme of religion fubftantially the fame, carried al along through the whole, till brought to its full perfection and accomplishment by the great Meffiah, that immaculate Lamb of God, who came down from Heaven, and offered himself a facrifice on the Crofs to atone for the fins of the human race, & parchafe for them, an inheritance in the lifsful manfions of eternity. The most ufual ways wherein God of old were wort to communicate his will to mankind were by vifons, by dreams, by voices, by inspiration. That vifion A 3 was |