he seriously refolve to lead a good life, he had better be all of a piece; and not pretend, by receiving the facrament, to a piety which he does not feel.

Thefeftedfaft purpofes of leading a new life," form a very becoming exercife to chriftians. The lives even of the beft of men afford only a mortifying retrospect. Though they may have conquered fome of their worst propenfities; yet the triumphs of fin over them, at the various periods of their lives, will always be remembered with forrow; and may always be remembered with advantage; keeping them on their guard for the future, and ftrengthening them more and more in all their good refolutions of obedience.-And when can thefe meditations arife more properly, than when we are performing a rite, inflituted on purpose to commemorate the great atonement for fin?

To our repentance, and refolutions of obedience, we are required to add "a lively faith in God's mercy through Chrift; with a thankful remembrance of his death." We fhould imprefs ourselves with the deepest fenfe of humility-totally reject ing every idea of our own merit-hoping for God's favour only through the merits of our great Redeemer and with hearts full of gratitude, trufting only to his allfufficient facrifice.

Laftly, we are required, at the celebration of this great rite, to be "in charity with all men." It commemorates the greatest inftance of love that can be conceived; and fhould therefore raife in us correspondent affections, It should excite in us that conftant flow of benevolence, in which the spirit of religion confifts; and without which indeed we can have no religion at all. Love is the very diftinguifhing badge of chriftianity: "By this," faid our great Mafter, "fhall all men know that ye are my difciples."

One fpecies of charity fhould, at this time, never be forgotten; and that is, the forgiveness of others. No acceptable gift can be offered at this altar, but in the fpirit of reconciliation.-Hence it was, that the ancient chriftians inftituted, at the celebration of the Lord's fupper, what they called love-feafts. They thought, they could not give a better inftance of their being in perfect charity with each other, than by joining all ranks together in one common meal.-By degrees, indeed, this

well-meant cuftom degenerated; and it may not be amifs to obferve here, that the paffages in which thefe enormities are rebuked, have been variously mifconftrued; and have frightened many well meaning perfons from the facrament. Whereas what the apoftle here fays, hath no other relation to this rite, than as it was attended by a particular abuse in receiving it; and as this is a mode of abuse which doth not now exift, the apostle's reproof feems not to affect the chriftians of this age.

What the primary, and what the fecondary ends in the two facraments were, I have endeavoured to explain. But there might be others.

God might intend them as trials of our faith. The diving truths of the gofpel fpeak for themselves: but the performance of a pofitive duty refts only on faith.

Thefe inftitutions are alfo ftrong arguments for the truth of chriftianity. We trace the obfervance of them into the very earliest times of the gospel. We can trace no other origin than what the fcriptures give us. Thefe rites therefore greatly tend to corroborate the fcriptures.

God alfo, who knows what is in man, might condefcend fo far to his weakness, as to give him thefe external badges of religion, to keep the spirit of it more alive. And it is indeed probable, that nothing has contributed more than these ceremonies to preferve a fenfe of religion among mankind. It is a melancholy proof of this, that no contentions in the chriftian church have been more violent, nor carried on with more acrimony, and unchristian zeal, than the contentions about baptifm and the Lord's fupper; as if the very effence of religion confifted in this or that mode of obferving thefe rites.-But this is the abuse of them.

Let us be better taught: let us receive thefe facraments, for the gracious purpofes for which our Lord injoined them, with gratitude, and with reverence. But let us not lay a greater ftrefs upon them than our Lord intended. Heaven, we doubt not, may be gained, when there have been the means of receiving neither the one facrament nor the other. But unless our affections are right, and our lives anfwerable to them, we can never pleafe God, though we perform the externals of religion with ever fo much exactnefs. We may err in our notions about tbe facraments: the

world has long been divided on thefe fubjects; and a gracious God, it may be hoped, will pardon our errors. But in matters of practice we have no apology for error. The great lines of our duty are drawn fo ftrong, that a deviation here is not error, but guilt.

Let us then, to conclude, from the whole, make it our principal care to purify our hearts in the fight of God. Let us befeech him to increase the influence of his Holy Spirit within us, that our faith may be of that kind which worketh by love;" that all our affections, and from them our actions, may flow in a fteady courfe of obedience; that each day may correct the last by a fincere repentance of our mistakes in life; and that we may continue gradually to approach nearer the idea of chriftian perfection. Let us do this, difclaiming, after all, any merits of our own; and not trufting in outward obfervances; but trufting in the merits of Chrift to make up our deficiencies; and we need not fear our acceptance with God. Gilpin.

170. A fericus expoftulation with unbelievers.

It were to be wifhed, that the enemies of religion would at least bring themfelves to apprehend its nature, before they oppofed its authority. Did religion make its boast of beholding God with a clear and perfect view, and of poffeffing him without covering or veil, the argument would bear fome colour, when men fhould alledge, that none of thefe things about them, do indeed afford this pretended evidence, and this degree of light. But fince religion, on the contrary, reprefents men as in a flate of darkness, and of eftrangement from God; fince it affirms him to have withdrawn himfelf from their difcovery, and to have chofen, in his word, the very ftyle and appellation of Deus abfconditus; laftly, fince it employs itfelfalike in establishing thefe two maxims, that God has left, in his church, certain characters of himself, by which they who fincerely feck him, fhall not fail of a fenfible conviction; and yet that he has, at the fame time, fo far fhaded and obfcured thefe characters, as to render them imperceptible to thofe who do not feek him with their whole heart, what advantage is it to men, who profefs themfelves negligent in the fearch of truth to complain fo frequent. , that nothing reveals and difplays it to them? For this very obfcurity, under which they labour, and which they make

an exception against the church, does itself evince one of the two grand points which the church maintains (without affecting the other) and is fo far from overthrowing its doctrines, as to lend them a manifelt confirmation and fupport.

If they would give their objections any ftrength, they ought to urge, that they have applied their utmost endeavour, and have ufed all means of information, even those which the church recommends, without fatisfaction. Did they exprefs themfelves thus, they would indeed attack religion in one of its chief pretenfions: but I hope to fhew, in the following papers, that no rational perfon can fpeak after this manner; and I dare affert, that none ever did. We know very well, how men under this indifferency of spirit, behave themselves in the cafe: they fuppofe themfelves to have made the mightielt effort towards the inftruction of their minds, when they have spent fome hours in reading the fcriptures, and have asked fome questions of a clergyman concerning the articles of faith. When this is done, they declare to all the world, that they have confulted books, and men without fuccefs. I thall be excufed, if I refrain not from telling fuch men, that this neglect of theirs is infupportable. It is not a foreign or a petty intereft, which is here in debate; we are ourselves the parties, and all our hopes and fortunes are the depending stake.

The immortality of the foul is a thing which fo deeply concerns, fo infinitely imports us, that we must have utterly loft our feeling, to be altogether cold and remifs in our enquiries about it. And all our ac tions or defigns, ought to bend so very dif ferent a way, according as we are either encouraged or forbidden, to embrace the hope of eternal rewards, that it is impoffible for us to proceed with judgment and difcretion, otherwife than as we keep this point always in view, which ought to be our ruling object, and final aim.

Thus is it our highest interest, no lefs than our principal duty, to get light into a fubject on which our whole conduct depends. And, therefore, in the number of wavering and unfatisfied men, I make the greateft difference imaginable between thofe who labour with all their force to obtain inftruction, and those who live without giving themselves any trouble, or fo much as any thought in this affair.

I cannot but be touched with a hearty compaflion for thofe who fincerely groan

under

under this diffatisfaction; who look upon it as the greatest of misfortunes, and who fpare no pains to deliver themselves from it, by making these researches their chief employment, and moft ferious ftudy. But as for thofe, who pafs their life without reflecting on its infue, and who, for this reafon alone, because they find not in themfelves a convincing teftimony, refufe to feek it elsewhere, and to examine to the bottom, whether the opinion propofed be fuch as we are wont to entertain by popular fimplicity and credulity, or as fuch, though obicure in itfelf, yet is built on folid and immoveable foundations, I confider them after quite another manner. The carelenefs which they betray in an affair, where their perfon, their intereft, their whole eternity is embarked, rather provokes my refentment than engages my pity. Nay, it ftrikes me with amazement and aftonishment; it is a moniter to my apprehenfion. I fpeak not this as tranfported with the pious zeal of a fpiritual and rapturous devotion on the contrary, I affirm, that the love of ourselves, the intereft of mankind, and the moft fimple and artless reafon, do naturally inspire us with thefe fentiments; and that to fee thus far, is not to exceed the sphere of unrefined, uneducated men.

It requires no great elevation of foul, to observe, that nothing in this world is productive of true contentment; that our pleafures are vain and fugitive, our troubles innumerable and perpetual: and that, after all, death, which threatens us every moment, muft, in the compafs of a few years (perhaps of a few days) put us into the eternal condition of happiness, or mifery, or nothing. Between us and thefe three great periods, or states, no barrier is interpofed, but life, the moft brittle thing in all nature; and the happiness of heaven being certainly not defigned for thofe who doubt whether they have an immortal part to enjoy it, fuch perfons have nothing left, but the miferable chance of annihilation, or of hell.

There is not any reflection which can have more reality than this, as there is none which has greater terror. Let us fet the braveft face on our condition, and play the heroes as artfully as we can; yet fee here the iffue which attends the goodlieft life upon earth.

It is in vain for men to turn afide their thoughts from this eternity which awaits them, as if they were able to deftroy it by denying it a place in their imagination: it

fubfifts in spite of them; it advanceth us obferved; and death, which is to draw the curtain from it, will in a fhort time infallibly reduce them to the dreadful neceflity of being for ever nothing, or for ever miferable.

We have here a doubt of the most affrighting confequence, and which, therefore, to entertain, may be well efteemed the moft grievous of misfortunes: but, at the fame time, it is our indifpenfable duty not to lie under it, without ftruggling for deli verance.

He then who doubts, and yet feeks not to be refolved, is equally unhappy and unjuft: but if withal he appears easy and com pofed, if he freely declares his indifference, nay, if he takes a vanity in profefling it, and feems to make this most deplorable condition the fubject of his pleasure and joy, I have not words to fix a name on fo extravagant a creature. Where is the very poflibility of entering into these thoughts and refolutions? What delight is there in expecting mifery without end? What vanity in finding one's felf encompaffed with impenetrable darkness? Or what confolation in defpairing for ever of a comforter?

To fit down with fome fort of acquief cence under fo fatal an ignorance, is a thing unaccountable beyond all expreffion; and they who live with fuch a difpofition, ought to be made fenfible of its abfurdity and ftupidity, by having their inward reflections laid open to them, that they may grow wife by the profpect of their own folly. For behold how men are wont to reason, while they obftinately remain thus ignorant of what they are, and refufe all methods of inftruction and illumination.

Who has fent me into the world I know not; what the world is I know not, nor what I am my felf. I am under an attonithing and terrifying ignorance of all things. I know not what my body is, what my fenfes, or my foul: this very par of me which thinks what I speak, which reflects upon every thing elfe, and even upon itfelf, yet is as mere a ftranger to its own nature, as the dulleft thing ! carry about me. I behold thefe frightful fpaces of the univerfe with which I am ercompafied, and I find myself chained to one little corner of the vaft extent, without underftanding why I am placed in this feat, rather than in any other; or why this mo ment of time given me to live, was affigned rather at fuch a point, than at any other of the whole eternity which was before me, or

of

carries fomewhat fo tempting in it, that not only those who have the misfortune to be fceptically inclined, but even thofe who cannot unfettle their judgment, do yet efteem it reputable to take up a counterfeit diffidence. For we may obferve the largest part of the herd to be of this latter kind, falfe pretenders to infidelity, and mere hypocrites in atheifin. There are perfons whom we have heard declare, that the genteel way of the world confifts in thus acting the bravo. This is that which they term throwing off the yoke, and which the greater number of them profefs, not fo much out of opinion, as out of gallantry and complaifance.

Yet, if they have the leaft referve of common fenfe, it will not be difficult to make them apprehend, how miferably they abufe themfelves by laying fo falfe a foundation of applaufe and efteem. For this is not the way to raife a character, even with worldly men, who, as they are able to pass a fhrewd judgment on things, fo they cafily difcern that the only method of fucceeding in our temporal affairs, is to prove ourselves honeft, faithful, prudent, and capable of advancing the intereft of our friends; becaufe men naturally love nothing but that which fome way contributes to their ufe and benefit. But now what benefit can we any way derive from hearing a man confefs that he has eafed himfelf of the burden of religion; that he believes no God, as the witness and infpector of his conduct; that he confiders himfelf as abfolute mafter of what he does, and accountable for it only to his own mind? Will he fancy that we shall be hence indeced to repofe a greater degree of confidence in him hereafter or to depend on his comfort, his advice, or affiilance, in the neceflities of life? Can he imagine us to take any great delight or complacency when he tells us, that he doubts whether our very foul be any thing more than a little wind and fioke? Nay, when he tells it us with an air of affurance, and a voice that teftifies the contentment of his heart? Is this a thing to be spoken of with pleafantry? or ought it not rather be lamented with the deepest fadnefs, as the most melancholic reflection that can ftrike our thoughts?

If they would compofe themfelves to ferious confideration, they must perceive the method in which they are engaged to be fo very ill chofen, fo repugnant to gentility, and fo remote even from that good air and

grace which they purfue, that, on the con trary, nothing can more effectually expose them to the contempt and averfion of man kind, or mark them out for perfens defective in parts and judgment. And, indeed, fhould we demand from them an account of their fentiments, and of the reafons which they have to entertain this fufpicion in religious matters, what they offered would appear fo miferably weak and trifling, as rather to confirm us in our be lief. This is no more than what one of their own fraternity told them, with great fmartnefs, on fuch an occafion, If you continue (fays he) to difpute at this rate, you will infallibly make me a Chriftian. And the gentleman was in the right: for who would not tremble to find himfelf embarked in the fame caufe, with fo forlorn, fo defpicable companions?

And thus it is evidet, that they who wear no more than the outward mask of thefe principles, are the most unhappy counterfeits in the world; inafmuch as they are obliged to put a continual force and conftraint on tl.cir genius, only that they may render themselves the most im pertinent of all men living.

If they are heartily and fincerely troubled at their want of light, let them not diffemble the difcafe. Such a confeflion could not be reputed fhameful; for there is really no fhame, but in being fhameless. Nothing betrays fo much weakness of foul, as not to apprehend the mifery of man, while living without God in the world: nothing is a furer token of extreme bafencís of fpirit, than not to hope for the reality of eternal promifes: no man is fo ftigmatized a coward, as he that acts the bravo against heaven. Let them therefore leave thefe impietics to thofe who are born with fo unhappy a judgment, as to be capable of entertaining them in earnest. If they cannot be Chriftian men, let them, however, be men of honour: and let them, in conclufion, acknowledge, that there are but two forts of perfons, who deferve to be filed reafonable, either thofe who ferve God with all their heart, because they know him; or thole who feck him with all their heart, be caufe as yet they know him not.

If then there are perfons who fincerely enquire after God, and who, being truly fenfible of their mifery, affectionately defire to be refcued from it; it is to these alone that we can in juftice afford our labour and fervice, for their direction in

finding