That therefore we are dedicated to him, toge ther with the Father and the Son, in baptism; and are directed to make it one of our daily prayers, that he may ever be with us.

We believe particularly, that it was he who inspired the holy apoftles, and enabled them to lay the foundation of ONE HOLY CATHOLICK CHURCH, which is the fociety of all true believers through the world; for that is the meaning of the word catholick; (that is, univerfal;) because the church of Chrift is not confined to one people, as was the church of the Jews, but is appointed for the falvation of all nations, and all ages.

We believe, and are affured, that it is the fame Holy Ghoft who still appointeth the fucceffors of the Apoftles, which are the Governors and Pastors of Chrift's flock. Take heed (faith St. Paul) unto your felves, and to all the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overfeers.

It is the fame Holy Spirit who enables them to preach the gospel with effect; who impowers them to feal covenants betwixt God and men; to fanctify us, by confecrating us to God, making us members of his church and family, and heirs of the kingdom of heaven.

It is the Holy Ghoft who impowers and commands his minifters, to reprove, correct, and to turn out of that fociety, all fuch as are a scandal to it, and refuse to be reformed. For this fociety is, or ought to be, a com

MUNION OF SAINTS; that is, of perfons dedicated to God; who are all members of one body, of which Chrift is the head; who have all one common faith, one hope of eternal life; who are to pray for, and to affift, and be concerned for, one another as members of one body. This we firmly believe, and ought to act accordingly, as we hope for a share in the bleffings promised to this fociety: one of which especial bleffings we believe to be THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS upon our true repent

ance.

This was what the apoftles were, by the Holy Ghost, commanded to publish, THAT

GOD WAS IN CHRIST RECONCILING THE

WORLD UNTO HIMSELF; that he had appointed them and their fucceffors" to be the minifters of this reconciliation; that he had ordained the facrament of Baptifm for the remiffion of fins paft; and the facrament of the Lord's fupper, as a standing means to restore fuch as fhould afterwards fall into fin, and repent of the fame, to restore them to God's favour and pardon.

And we shall be more fenfible of the importance and comfort of believing the forgivenefs of fins, when we confider the next article of our Chriftian faith, which is THE RESURRECTION OF THE BODY: for this is revealed to us by the Holy Ghoft, That all men fhall rife again with their own bodies, and give an account of their own works. God has ex

prefsly

prefsly faid this, and he is able to do it; and therefore it is neceffary we should know and firmly believe it: for the confequence of the Refurrection will be AN EVERLASTING LIFE; and they that have done good, or have lived good lives, fhall go into life everlasting; and they that have done evil, or have lived bad lives, and have not repented, shall go into everlasting fire.

Thus I have given you a fhort account and explanation of this last part of your Creed; that as in the two former parts I did endeavour to fhew you how we might put our faith into practice, fo I may take this occafion of doing the fame in all these articles of the Christian faith just now mentioned.

And believe it, Chriftians, it is not for nothing that you are fo often called upon to repeat these articles of your faith: it faith: it is, that you may put them in practice, as you hope for falvation; and that you may do so every day of your lives: that, as you BELIEVE IN

THE HOLY GHOST, THE LORD AND GIVER OF

LIFE, you may, every day of your life, pray for his gracious affiftance, his guidance, and bleffing: that you may continue true and living members of THE HOLY CATHOLICK CHURCH, out of which there is no appointed means of falvation: that believing THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS, you may ftrive to live as becomes members of fo holy a fociety, or body, which has Jefus Chrift for its head and pattern, the Holy Ghost for its guide and

comforter,

comforter, and God the Father for its eternal reward: that believing the FORGIVENESS OF SINS; on one hand, you may never despair of mercy; nor, on the other, prefume on God's mercy and forgiveness, while you continue to live in any known fin: that profeffing to believe THE RESURRECTION OF THE BODY, AND A LIFE EVERLASTING, you may often remember, that you will moft certainly come forth out of the grave juft as you go in, either beloved or hated of God to all eternity.

But that we may not pafs over these articles, which contain truths of fo great importance, too lightly, or as lightly as too often we repeat them, we will now confider how they should influence our practice.

And in the first place let us confider, that we are, every foul of us, fubject to be led and governed both by good and evil fpirits. St. Paul' expressly tells us, That there is an evil Spirit which worketh in the children of disobedience. And he reckons up a very numerous host of these enemies of mankind.

Now, Christians, confider what a mercy it is, that from our very infancy we are dedicated to the Holy Ghost, by whom we are put under the protection of the angels of God, who are appointed to minijer unto fuch as fhall be beirs of falvation.

But then let us remember, that this Holy Spirit may be grieved, and provoked to leave us,-to leave us, not only to ourselves

(though that would be curfe enough) but to the malice of the devil, who goes about feeking whom he may be permitted to devour, finding them out of the protection of the Holy Ghoft, and the holy angels his substitutes.

And this, God knows, is but too often the cafe and the reafon that fo many, who were once the children of God, are now become the children of the devil: they forgot their baptifmal vows; they left off to pray for the fellowship of the Holy Ghoft; they added fin to fin, till they provoked God to forfake them; and then they became the flaves of the devil, and must do what he will have them to do, though never fo unreasonable, never fo wicked.

Let us therefore always remember, that the condition upon which the Holy Ghost will continue to guide and to protect us, is this; that we keep the vows we made at our baptism, or that we fincerely repent when we are fenfible we have broken them.

When a Christian, therefore, is going to do any thing which he knows to be a fin, he fhould argue thus with himself: I fhall certainly displease the Holy Spirit by this action; if I fhall provoke him to leave me, I.shall become a flave to Satan, and God knows whether ever I shall be able to get out of his fnare.

There is no queftion to be made, but men are often forced to reafon after this manner; the only fault is, they do not heartily beg the aids of the Holy Spirit:-My foul for that man's,