The works of William Smith D D 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: PUBLIC OCCASIONS. SERMON I. An Earnest Exhortation To Religion, Brotherly Love, And Public Spirit, In The Present Dangerous State Of Affairs: Preached In C... more »hrist-church, PhiladelPhia; ON THE ANNIVERSARY OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST, June 34, 1755. 1. PETER, ii. IT. Love The Brotherhood; Fear God; Honour The King. 1 O contain rules of conduct levelled to every capacity, and fitted to the circumstances of men, in all their various relations and exigencies, is an excellence peculiar only to God's holy word. In the text, and verses preceding, the apostle has the following noble exhortation " Wherefore, says he, laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings; be ye as lively stones, built up a spiritual house; free and not using your liberty as a cloak of maliciousness. Love the brotherhood; fear God; honour tbt king.'" Vcr. 1, 5, 16, 17. 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 every 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 h...« less