fend you that we fhould refuse you this name? and fhall you, by countenancing the irreligious, refign it, and in effect deny the faith? You are enraged to be called apoftates; and shall you justify the imputation, and fix it indelibly on yourselves, by your conduct and actions, which more certainly afcertáin your character than occafional decla·rations?

You were baptifed in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghoft: You believe in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit: You honour and worship the Father, Son and Holy Spirit: You are confecrated to the fervice of GOD, feparated from the irreligious, united to the church of the faithful. Is there no meaning in this covenant? Is there no obligation on the baptifed? If GoD is your Gon and Father: if JESUS is your LORD and Saviour: if you are buried with him, if you are rifen with him, if you are united with him: if you are led by the fpirit, and fanctified and comforted, and fealed: fhall not you fave yourselves from the perverfe enemies of your faith and hope, and joy?

EVERY religious exercife in which you engage is either a folemn profeffion of your faith in the Gofpel, and your attachment to religion, or an impious form and detestable perverfion of the offices and ordinances of piety. Prayer and praise, petitions, thanksgivings, confeffions, interceffions, are worfe than without meaning, are abominable hypocrify, if you are not Chriftians : in them you have opened your mouths to the LORD: you cannot go back: you cannot but fhun, and feek to be saved from, the irreligious.

THERE is one folemn, peculiarly folemn profeffion of our faith and engagement to be feparated from the world, and confecrated to GOD; the recollection of which, and ftill more the frequent repetition of which, cannot fail greatly to affect and influence all who have any fenfe of confiftency and ho-" nour, not to fay of confcience and principle. You know I mean the folemn fervice of the Supper the memorial of the death of the LORD JESUS. The death of our bleffed Saviour is of all events the world ever beheld, or history recorded, or feftivals celebrated, the most awful and astonishing;

the most interesting, eventful and blissful; the most worthy of being commemorated. Recollect the affections and fentiments with which you celebrated the communion of the body and blood of CHRIST: what emotions were felt, what refolutions were formed: how pure, how perfect your confolation and joy. While you difcerned the LORD's body, contrition, reverence, and awe, were relieved and chaftened, by holy defires, by love, and truft and exultation. Recollect in what circumstances you celebrated the communion of the body and blood of the LORD. Before GOD, before men, after being called to examine yourselves, after invoking the presence and bleffing of GOD; in the midft of the congregation, you, deliberately and folemnly, with prayers and praises, declared JESUS is our LORD and Saviour, We are separated from worldly men: we glory in the LORD: we abominate the idea of rejoicing and glorying, "fave in the cross of the LORD "JESUS CHRIST." And are many arguments neceffary to determine communicants to fhun the irreligious, to fave themselves from the untoward generation? Be confiftent, be men of your word, be honest and honour

able

able men, according to the good confeffion you have made before many witnesses.

3. In the third place, To recollect the character of thofe who have received the Gospel, have rejoiced in it and obeyed it, will contribute to your faving yourselves from the company, influence and example, of the irreligious,

AUTHORITY has very great effects on men: it must be so, in many inftances: How elfe can ignorance and inexperience be directed? in many instances, it ought to be respected and followed. The affection and deference, to which parents, fuperiors and benefactors are entitled, difpofes us to receive, and to think favourably of, what doctrines they hold, what courfe they follow. The reputation of wisdom, and of fuperior ability, has the same effect. To wisdom and ability, if we have certain evidence, that goodness and real worth are added; our confidence in them, and in their faith and practice, is increafed our preference of them, our adherence to their fyftem and conduct, are the more fixed and refolved.

WE

We know, indeed, that error and even vice, has been recommended by authority. Men carelessly receive what others profefs, and act as they fee others do, but in referring you to the character of those who have received the Gospel, we find inquiry is invited, and not difcouraged; and names are therefore fplendid, becaufe no prefumption lies against them, as to credulity, pride, vanity, or finifter defigns.

You have often been defired to admire the wifdom of GoD, in the choice of the apoftles of our LORD. Truth alone and a full conviction of duty; a full confidence in the prefence of their mafter with them according to his promife; can explain their relinquishing all their prejudices, their publishing his doctrines, their ftrength of mind, their compofure, exultation and joy, amidst the fevereft fufferings which their enemies. could inflict. The people alfo who received the words of CHRIST and of his difciples gladly, relinquifhed the ideas of early life, the fyftem of the country, and of the time, to which they had been long attached, and that were dear to them, at once for their an

tiquity