SERMON XXIX.

GALATIANS iii. 24.

Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

I HAVE spoken fully of the first commandment, with a view of showing you what the law saith and expects, and that, unable to answer its expectations, we might humble ourselves, and betake us to Christ. And now I will enter upon the second commandment with the same design.

The first commandment enjoins a practical knowledge of God, or giving the heart to him in the dispositions thereof. And this is the life and substance of all the following commandments, which are only kept in proportion with the devotedness of heart to God which there is in keeping them. More particularly we can only worship God, as our hearts are acquainted with a love and fear of him, and trust in him. Without something of this all worship can be but formality: we can neither pray, nor hear, nor wait on God in the sacraments with any spirituality; so these must be lifeless services, unprofitable to us, and not honourable to God.

This second commandment requires us to worship God; and the worship of God must be according to God's revealed will. Now the Scripture requires we should worship God in a reverent use of prayer, the word, and the sacraments.

At present I will speak of the sacraments, reserving the other two for another occasion. And these are two, baptism and the Lord's supper; concerning which I will only suggest some needful inquiries respecting the use we have made of them, and those such as I hope may be of service to such of you as are now to approach the Lord's table.

Let it be remarked, once for all, that there are four things needful to a right performance of religious worship:—

First. Sincerity, from a simple desire to please God in our worship, because he requires it at our hands as a means of our honouring him and profiting ourselves.

Secondly. Diligence, which is an earnest striving to stir up and maintain the graces which are requisite to worship, and to profit by it.

Thirdly.-Faith, which is a believing that God will accept us in our worship for Christ's sake, and bless it to us.

Fourthly.-Reverence, which is a due impression of the majesty of that God with whom we transact.-Let us see for the present how far we have walked in these rules concerning baptism and the Lord's supper.

First. With regard to baptism, how this sacrament is the instrument of admission into Christ's family, by which the baptized person becomes entitled to Gospel benefits, and voluntarily engages for Gospel duties; namely, that mortification of sin and holy living which are represented by washing the body with water, and which St. Peter calls the answer of a good conscience before God. See, then, since we came to years of discretion, have we been sincere and true to our baptism? Did we immediately, on coming to those years, claim the benefits it gave us a right to, and discharge the engagements it laid us under? Who will say this of himself? Who will say, from the hour he was capable of it, he has always respected himself as a child of God's family, valued as he ought the relation, and faithfully hath walked as a dutiful child of his heavenly Father? Will you venture to say, you have been thus sincere with God in his covenant, at no time starting from it? Or are you now sincere? Alas! how many are unfaithful, not claiming their privileges, and disregarding their duties? in whom sin even now reigneth, and to this day unwashed from their iniquity! To sincerity, let me add an inquiry about your diligence in this baptismal transaction. Have we been diligent to make our calling sure; diligent in seeking the grace of God; diligent in stirring up the grace that is in us; diligent in the use of all instituted means; diligent in living to God, in mortifying and dying to sin; in short, diligent before all

* 1 Pet. iii. 21.

things and as we ought in our spiritual and covenant work? Also, have you been believing, that is to say, trusting with all confidence on God's faithfulness to make good whatever was promised and engaged for to you, when you were baptized into the sacred Trinity? Have you not rather regarded your baptism as a matter of form with which you had little concern; or negligently undervalued and forgotten the privileges you were admitted to in baptism; or at best not failed often and much in claiming those spiritual blessings in time of need, which God had so kindly engaged himself by that institution to make good to you? To speak the truth, we have almost lost sight both of those benefits and engagements which this divine ordinance seals between God and us: baptism stands for a mere cipher; I may ask, who hath any reverence for it? or where is it shown? Is there any thing of that sacred reverence which is due to a divine institution shown when we bring our children to it? From one end to the other, do we treat it as a sacrament? Is not the chief care to procure sponsors who may be able to bear an extravagant and needless expense, and then to entertain them in such sort as, to say the least, doth very ill become the devoting a child to God's service, and that absolute renunciation made, in the child's name, of the pomp and vanity of the world, together with the carnal desires of the flesh, so as not to follow or be led by them? Is there not much cause to fear that on such occasions we forget the vows which are on ourselves; and do but little act the baptismal covenant in our own persons, when we bring others to it, and solemnly pledge our care for their godly education in it? Or is this the only time when we do not reverence our baptismal engagements and privileges? It is a saying among the Turks, "What! a musselman, that is, a professed servant of Mahomet, to do this!" And it hath been a sufficient answer of old, in time of temptation, " I am baptized." But what regard have we in general to our baptism? It is renounced every day by the neglect of the most that have been sealed with it, who live in an utter contradiction to it, slighting God's ways, and keeping in with the world and the flesh, so serving the devil. And I would

But,

God any of us had been without blame on this score. Secondly. With regard to the Lord's supper. Now this I hope you are sensible is such a remembrance of the death of

Christ, as that while therein we receive him to us, we renewedly by that receiving surrender ourselves to him as his disciples, in a living union with him, and in a loving fellowship with one another. Now if the design of this institution be to seal Christ to believers as an all-sufficient Saviour, and them to Christ as loyal servants and faithful disciples and believers, one to another as fellow-members and fellow-servants; if such be the communion of saints with Christ and one another, by a solemn institution of our Lord's own appointment for the purpose, it will be seasonable to ask, in view to the approaching ordinance, and I leave you to make application for the time past,

First. Are you sincere herein? That is to say, are you truly desirous that Christ alone be your Saviour, because you find an utter insufficiency in yourself, and an all-sufficiency in him to help you in every need of your soul, whether respecting your guilt, or the sentence of the law, or the power of corruption, or the force of temptation, or the deceitfulness of your own heart, or the vigilance and artifice of the devil, or the work you have to do, or the shortness of your life, or the approach of death and judgment for any or all of these things do you desire sincerely help from Christ, giving glory to him as alone able, and mightily able, to save you; and saying with Peter, Lord, to whom should I go? thou hast the words of eternal life? And I know and am sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.'* Also are you sincere in this, in determining that Christ alone shall be your Master? Doth he who knoweth all things, even the secrets of your heart, read there the unfeigned characters of loyalty for his service, and zeal for his honour and interests? that, loathing, and exceedingly ashamed of yourself for your past unfaithfulness, you are come now to him with an honest and true heart, earnestly hoping, and steadfastly purposing by his grace, that never more you will be ashamed of him, or deny him, or betray him, or sell him for interest, or reputation, or friends, or life? Can you say also with truth, from the bottom of your heart, that you are ready to all offices of love towards Christ's members and your fellow-members? Can you cheerfully eat this one bread and drink of the same cup in token of your brotherly affection; and as your pledge that you will gladly do all

* John vi. 68.

in your power to promote their greatest interests; and that you are ready to receive all their kind assistance for the edification of your own soul?

Secondly. To sincerity have you added diligence in this matter? Are you come prepared? Have you examined and judged yourself that you might not be judged of the Lord? Is Christ precious to your soul? Do you long to taste of his goodness? Are you come with an hungering appetite to eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of Man; diligently having sought out your wants and his fulness? Is your desire keen after his pardoning, quickening, and comforting grace? Have you been diligent too in trying your ways, in lamenting your iniquities before him whom you have pierced; in stirring up all your graces, and putting on the wedding garment? Have you beheld the man till you have mourned, till you have believed, till you have loved him? Have you thought of all the wonders he hath done, of all the wonders he hath done for you, how he hath plucked you from the hands of the enemy, and led you, and taught you to go, and kept you from falling, and lifted you up when you were down, and to this day with almighty power and care delivered you? Of the wonders he hath yet to do for you have you been mindful-wonders in grace and glory? Have you meditated on all his kindness, till your heart, big with praise and thankfulness, is impatient to come before him in this not the least testimony of his love; to come and tell him of his wondrous doings, and to devote yourself, your whole self, soul, body, and spirit, to him, as a too-little return for his wonderful love? And would you think it worse than death ever any more to part from him, to deny or disgrace him? But more, have you been diligent that your love of Christ might be enlarged to all his people? Have you been earnestly seeking that all prejudices might be done away, and to have your heart taught the gracious tenderness of a Christ-like affection, so that you can say, "You love not in word and in tongue, but in deed and in truth,"* and trust that Christ shall own you by this mark to be his disciple?

Thirdly. Are you come also in faith? Have you considered attentively who hath spread the table, and what are the provisions which are set before you? Do you see Christ under these signs

1 John iii. 18.