God hath made between them, rush as it were headlong into eternity, we shall be as acceptable to him, as the humble, penitent, and holy Christian? If this be not reasonable, “consider your ways," and amend your lives.

We are apt to imagine, that if we had the same sensible appearances of God which Abraham and the Patriarchs had; the same demonstrative presence of the Holy Ghost which the Apostles enjoyed, we should be convinced and governed by them, in all the ways of holiness, as they were. That there is a delusion in this supposition, we have reason to conclude from what our Saviour hath said concerning Moses and the Prophets, to whom we may add Christ and his Apostles-That he who is not persuaded by them, would be persuaded by no evidence, not even by one rising from the dead. We have the evidences of those appearances, the revelations God made, and the commands he gave, transmitted to us. If we believe them, they ought to have the same effect on us, as if they had been made to us personally. If we do not believe them, the matter must rest on the authenticity of the his tory of the Bible. This history Christians are supposed te believe Their name implies this faith; and if they do not live according to it, they are condemned by their own principles and profession, and no excuse can be made for

them.

Among other things, they believe that HE who made atonement for their sins by his death, and who now makes intercession for them, as their great High Priest in heaven, will, at the end of the world, lay aside bis priestly office, and come as King and Head of his Church, and Governor of the world, to judge the quick and the dead-all who have ever lived-those who shall be alive, and those who have died: That all nations of the earth shall then be gathered before him, and "all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation."† Common sense, it is presumed, ought to induce Christians to † John v. 28, 29,

* Luke xvi. 31.

live as persons under the influence of this faith, that they may be found of their Judge in peace. If they wish, in that awful hour, to be among the children of Abraham, that they may be blessed with him they must do as he did; live by the same spirit, and in the same faith and obedience towards God, which so eminently shone in his venerable character. They must, therefore, remember, that,

3. While Abraham sojourned in Canaan, he not only kept himself undefiled by the idolatry and immorality of the country, but he served God faithfully in his religion, and uprightly in his life, according to those revelations and directions which God was pleased to give him. God, too, hath given a revelation to us, respecting our religious services towards him, and directions concerning our conduct while we sojourn in Christ's Church militant here on earth. Our duty, therefore, requires that we serve him faithfully according to that revelation which he hath made to us. This revelation is contained in the Bible, and more especially in the New Testament, which gives directions for the conduct of Christians as they are members of Christ's Church, regulating both their faith and practice. As far as the latter is concerned, these directions are plain, and level to common capacities. And that we might not err in matters of faith, the Church hath comprised the essential articles of our religion in her Creeds, which are recited in her public Service, and taught to her young members in her Catechism. Ignorance, therefore, of the doctrines or precepts of our holy religion must be our own fault, proceeding either from our carelessness in not attending to them, or from our perverseness in corrupting them. Reason and duty both require that we take pains in a matter of so much importance, and study our religion with attention; that we use all proper helps to gain information and knowledge, both of its doctrines and practical precepts; and then, that we conform ourselves exactly to it in faith and practice.

4. God entered into covenant with Abraham, and for his comfort and security in it, he gave him the rite of cir

cumcision, by which he was to know himself to be in covenant with God, entitled to all the blessings, and subject to all the obligations of it. And the instituted means of keeping up fellowship with God in this covenant, were sacrifices and public worship. By the sacrifices, the future atonement of the Mediator was represented, and applied to the soul of the faithful for the remission of sin: And by the public worship with which the sacrifices were attended, God was recognized as the Creator, and Lord, and supreme Governor of all things. Hereby his moral government was acknowledged, and submission to it enforced.

With us also God hath entered into covenant, not by the bloody rite of circumcision, but by the blood of Christ; and hath appointed the sacrament of Baptism by which to admit us into his covenant, making us members of Christ by making us members of his Church, which is his body;* and also to be a sign and token to us of our right to all the promises and blessings of the covenant, and a remembrancer to put us in mind of the obligation of our Christian profession, which is to follow the example of our Saviour Christ, and to be made like unto him; that as be died and rose again for us, so should we, who are baptised, die from sin, and rise again unto righteousness, continually mortifying all our evil and corrupt affections, and daily proceeding in all virtue and godliness of living.t'

The benefits of this sacrament are, Regeneration or New-birth, by which we are, through the operation of the Holy Ghost, born into, that is, made members of the Church or Kingdom of Christ, and, being washed from the defilements of sin, are made the children of God by the grace of adoption. In this blessing our bodies partake equally with our souls. Being sanctified and dedicated to God, they become fit habitations for the Holy Spirit to reside in; And in Confirmation, which is the completion and final ratification of Baptism by Christ's chief Minister, we humbly presume he does condescend † Public Office of Baptism.

* Coloss. i. 18. VOL. II

D

to take possession of his temples;* to preserve them pure and undefiled from sin; to guard them from the assaults of their spiritual enemies; and to build them up and adorn them with all the tempers and habits of holiness and virtue, that they may be presented without spot to their heavenly Father and merciful Redeemer.

To keep up this fellowship and union with Christ, which through the Holy Ghost we obtain by being made members of his Church, he hath instituted the other sacrament of his Church, the Holy Eucharist, or Communion of his own most precious body and blood. This is, in truth, the Christian Sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving to Almighty God for the atonement and expiation of Jesus Christ for the sins of the world; the representation and memorial of his sufferings and death, by which we obtain remission of sins, and everlasting life. The bread and the cup, being the representatives of the body and blood of Christ, are offered to God by his authorised Priest, sanctified by prayer, thanksgiving, and the words of Christ's holy institution; and, we humbly trust, by the powerful operation of the Holy Ghost. The merit of Christ's death is, by these consecrated memorials, pleaded before the Almighty Father, by his appointed Priest; and, we assure ourselves, by our Great High Priest himself in heaven, for the remission of our sins; for the strengthening and refreshing of our souls in all heavenly virtues and graces; for the assurance of a happy resurrection, and eternal life in the kingdom of God, through the body and blood of Christ," which are verily and indeed taken and received by the faithful in the Lord's supper"-Christ himself having said, "Whoso eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood, bath eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day."+

How will reason and common sense direct people to act, who believe these things? Most certainly to comply with them with an upright and sincere heart; remembering, that God's grace and Holy Spirit do ever accompany his ordinances, when they are administered and received

according to his appointment. And the death of Christ for all men lays all men under obligation, when they have opportunity, to enter into this Covenant by holy Baptism, with that penitence for their sins past, and faith in the merit and mediation of Christ, which the reason and nature of that holy sacrament demand. That they seriously consider the obligations it lays them under, and faithfully endeavour by God's grace to fulfil them. That they assemble themselves together on all proper occasions for the joint and public worship of his Church, to recognize the Creator, as maker and governor of the world: That they do, as they have opportunity, keep up their union with Christ their head, and with his body the Church, by frequenting the holy Communion, joining with their brethren and Christ's minister in offering the Eucharistic sacrifice in commemoration of the passion and death of their Redeemer, receiving the pledges of his love and heavenly benediction, and in giving praise and adoration to the Almighty Father for the innumerable benefits obtained for us by him. We do not, otherwise, do justice to ourselves, nor to the Saviour who died for us, nor to God our heavenly Father who gave his Son for our redemption; who hath ordained his Church as the ark of our salvation, and his sacraments as the means of our growth in grace and all holy dispositions.

5. The sentiments of St. Paul and St. James, upon this subject, having been both mentioned, it may be worth while, though the present subject may not strictly require it, to mention the different objects those two Apostles had in view, in their arguments. By this means, their different expressions will be fairly understood, and every appearance of inconsistency between them will vanish. St. Paul saith, that Abraham was not justified by works,* and that he offered up Isaac by faith. St. James asks the question "Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar ?'' In this argument, both these Apostles were treating with the Jewish converts to Christianity. St. Paul's view * Rom. iv. 2, &c. † Heb. xi. 17.

James . 21.