of this great man by fo humiliating an experiment; and at the fame time to justify his own character as a Prophet. In like manner the ordinances of the Gospel are plain and obvious, and have no outward pomp to recommend them to our obfervance. We are commanded to be baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghoft; and it is in virtue of that incomprehenfible name alone that the waters of baptism have their purging efficacy upon the fouls of Christians. But fhall we make light of this heavenly ordinance, because we know not how the washing of the body can be effectual to the cleanfing of the foul? Or fhall we neglect to eat bread and drink wine, as Chrift hath ordained in his Church in remembrance of him, because we have no fenfible difcernment of his Body and Blood in that Holy Sacrament; and because we cannot account for the strengthening of the fpiritual

man by thofe material means? — Or, laftly, shall we refufe to affemble ourfelves together, and offer up our common petitions in the name of Jesus, because we see him not in the midst of us, as he hath affured us he is, receiving our prayers, and helping our infirmities ? — Surely, if we believe Chrift to have come from God, 'tis prepofterous to think meanly of his inftitutions; especially for fo abfurd a reason, as that they are fimple and easy to be complied with, and we fee no virtue in them that we should obey them. May I not take up the upbraiding question of Naaman's Servants and fay, Had our Saviour commanded us to do some great thing, fhould we not have done it ? "Tis probable we should, seeing the nature of mankind in the practice of those barbarous nations, who through ignorance and fuperftition cut and gafh themselves with knives and lancets; facrifice their very children,

and

and put themselves to numberless miferies in order to appease the offended Deity. How much rather then should we follow the precepts of our merciful Lord? who bids us only wash and be clean; who hath told us that they who afk fhall have, they who feek fhall find, and that "to them who knock the Kingdom of Heaven shall be opened."

Even those who have hitherto despised or neglected the eafy means of falvation which Chrift has offered, are not without the greatest encouragement to enter upon a new state of faith and obedience. For if God had compaffion on the Infidel Leper, when he repented, and did according to the faying of the Prophet; how much more will he cleanse us from the Leprofy of Sin, when we return from our evil ways, and act up to the Gospel of his Son? Such indeed are the very terms of the covenant made with

us

us in that gospel - He who believeth, i. e. who putteth his truft in the merits of Chrift, and keepeth his word, fhall be faved; but he that believeth not fhall be condemned.

In a word-God hath appointed certain ordinances in his Church, which he will have obferved, for the acknowledgment of his fovereignty, and for the manifestation of true religion; and without fulfilling the conditions required on our part, we can have no just pretenfion to the promises made on his. We must be initiated into the congregation of Chriftians by baptifm; make publick profeffion of our belief in Chrift by communicating at the table which he hath inftituted; attend the affemblies of his Saints; give ear to his word, and pray in his name. These are the ordinary. means of divine grace, the conduits of fpiritual bleffings, which never fail those

who

who apply to them in faith. I fay, in faith because the obfervance of these

outward means, however neceffary, without fincerity in the inward man, will avail little. Could Naaman have washed without believing, he had never been made clean: Nor will the externals even of the Christian Religion fanctify a corrupted heart. But if we have faith to be healed, to make a proper application of the means of grace to our diseased fouls; then shall we be cleansed indeed from our spiritual leprofy, then fhall the fprinkling of the blood of Chrift purify us from all fin.