Page:Letter to the Reverend Mr. Michael Potter, minister of the gospel at Kippen, as an answer of his letter to the Reverend Mr. Ebenezer Erskine.pdf/10

 of them do not obſerve the morality of the Sabbath, but in open contempt of the authority of GOD, are as buſy about their paſtimes that day as on other days of the week; and even ſome of them, who are not ſo openly profane and give ſome ſmall attendance on ordinances, the greateſt length that they come to is to attend the afternoon; and alas! many of their carriages and behaviour, when they look rather as if they were attending balls and play houſes than attending on the GOD of ordinances, ''Eccl. v.and i. Keep thy foot when thou goest'' unto the houſe of GOD, and to he more ready to hear than to give the Sacrifice of fools. Little do many believe, that we muſt all appear before the awful bar of GOD’s judgment-feat, ''2 Cor. v. to.- For we muſt all appear before the'' judgment feat of CHRIST, that everyone may receive the things done in the body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Now let Church judicatories judge and ſee whether or not ſuch men can be fit for chuſing of faithful miniſters to take care of the poor flock of CHRIST, to feed them with knowledge and underſtanding: They cannot endure the ſtrictneſs of religion themſelves, as little can they endure to hear faithful miniſters preſs home ſuch things upon them. But pray tell me what is it our church judicatories hath now in their view in planting congregations? Is it the glory of our great king of Zion, and to get ſons and daughters born unto him, that it may be ſaid of this and the other congregation, that this man and that man was born there, Pſal Ixxxvii. 5. But alas! this ſeems little to be the deiſigns of out church judicatories at this