As But to this it is to be replied. Admitting that there is danger of your apoftatizing, this confideration does not alter the state of the question respecting your duty. If you are a real Christian, as you hope and trust you are, you are bound to follow your Mafter in the practice of his inftitutions. His command is obligatory on all who believe in him. There are no restrictions in favor of those who are preffed with extraordinary apprehenfions or fears of this nature. therefore the service is to be undertaken, the difficulty and expenfiveness, yea the hazard of it in your view of the matter, ought by no means to deter you from it. Befides, if this excufe is to be admitted in one inftance, it is in another. And in that cafe, fince there are no real Chriftians but have their fears and jealoufies of themselves, there would be no profeffors of religion at all. And what a strange circumstance would this be! that Chrift should set up his ftandard, and that even his friends fhould none of them come in to it. Again, it is to be remembred that this diffidence of yourself, provided it is held under proper reftraints, is a confideration greatly in your favor; and will prove a means to fecure you from the danger you apprehend. apprehend. Can there be an instance produced, of one who hath in this temper of mind enlifted under the banner of Chrift; and who hath afterwards deferted his colours, and betrayed the cause? Take courage therefore, O timorous difciple of Jesus. Bid defiance to all unreasonable fears. Many a foldier whofe heart hath trembled at the onfet, hath behaved valiantly in the heat of the battle. You have heard alfo that Chrift does not invite perfons into his fervice, and then leave them to their own ftrength. He hath more tenderness and compaffion, I may add, more truth and justice than all this. No. Your Captain goes before you, throws himself into the hottest place, and where the danger is the greatest. Nay I may add, he hath so laid his measures, and provided in fuch a manner against every kind of ftratagem furprize or affault, that they who are heartily engaged in his interefts may be affured of victory. Can you then call to mind what he hath endured for your fake? Can you reflect how deeply he hath interested himself, in the fuccefs of your feeble attempts in his fervice? Can you believe the many exceeding great and precious promises he hath made you, and which he is as able as he is willing to fulfil? And can you, in a word, T 3 word, realize the glory which shall shortly crown all the conflicts of this your militant state? and not chearfully embark in his fervice - not most readily bow your neck to his yoke ? But there is another kind of objection, I fhould rather call it excufe, to be removed. And an excufe it is which reflects great dishonor upon those who make it; if indeed charity will allow them to be the real friends of Jefus. It is this, 3. That the pofitive inftitutions of Chrift are matters of trifling importance, and may be difpenfed with, at little or no hazard to a man's prefent or future interefts. Strange! the inftitutions of Chrift of trifling importance? - Blush, Chriftian, that ever fuch a word should drop from your lips; or fuch a thought arife in your breast. To look upon them as neceffary to falvation, is indeed to affront the character of Chrift as a Saviour, and to undermine the fundamental principles of his gofpel. And to fubstitute them in the room of those weightier matters, faith mercy and judgment, is to act the part of the corrupt and fuperftitious Jews, which our Saviour fo highly cenfüred. But it does not thence follow that they are of little or no moment. Both the manner and the ends of of their appointment, if duly confidered, fufficiently evince their utility and importance. It was on the very night he was betrayed our Lord instituted the holy Supper, folemnly requiring his difciples to do this in remembrance of him, and leaving it in charge with them, to inculcate the frequent obfervation of it through every future age. And it was upon the memorable occafion of his afcending up into heaven, he commiffioned his apoftles to go teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father the Son and the holy Ghost; at the fame time giving fufficient intimation, that he meant to extend this commiffion to all fucceeding ministers, by adding his gracious promise, Lo I am with you alway, even to the end of the world'. Nor fhould we forget the declaration, which immediately follows his commiffion in another Evangelift, He who believeth, and is baptized, shall be faved; but he who believeth not, fhall be damned. By his connecting baptifm with faith, in the former claufe, he plainly forbids our treating that institution with indifference: and by his omitting it in the latter, we are taught Luke xxii. 19, 20. T 4 c 1 Cor. xi. 26. Mark xvi. 16. not not to lay an undue ftrefs upon it, as neceffary to falvation. To which it must be added that the nature and intent of these facred rites, as they are explained in the New Teftament, clearly prove them to have been defigned, not only as public tefts of our love and obedience, but as means to promote our comfort and edification. What then is the fpirit of their reafoning and conduct, who can allow themselves in the neglect of Chrift's inftitutions, under the vain pretence of their being of trifling confideration? Forgive me if I fay, you do in effect difpute the authority, or however cenfure the wisdom and goodness of Christ. You deprive yourself of one evidence at least of your fincerity. You ftand excluded by your own confent, from the natural and appointed means of improvement in religion. And instead of aiding and promoting the intereft of the Redeemer, you by this strange conduct greatly difcourage and weaken it. And now I afk, Do not these confiderations give you real pain? They will I am perfuaded, if your affection for Chrift is fincere and genuine. Call up to your view the infinite obligations, which his unparalleled goodness hath laid upon you. And then fay what characters of difingenuity and base nefs |