And indeed Jefus Chrift did not come into the world, till the fullness of time; that is, until the whole world were, or might have been convinced, that there was need of further help to fave them from ruin, and to make them perfect, befides their own free will, their reafon, or learning, or the best law that could be given them. And this must be the work of the Holy Ghost alone.

For this end we are dedicated to the Holy Ghost in baptifm, that he may take us under his efpecial care; that he may enlighten our understandings with faving knowledge; that

he

may fubdue our wills to the will of God; and that he may change our affections, from following after vanity, to love those things which are above; that being made partakers of a divine nature, God may own us for his children, and, when we die, give us an inheritance with the faints in glory.

In fhort; this is the great rule of the gofpel: Without holiness no man fhall fee the Lord They that are led by the Spirit of God, they are the fons of God, being fanctified by the Holy Ghost. To them, and to them only, belongs the inheritance.

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And this is the reason that I would fuade you all, good Chriftians, not to deceive yourselves, or to place the new birth we are fpeaking of in any thing but in a new life. This is what all the ordinances of God aim at.

We are therefore baptifed, that, being within the covenant of grace, we may have the affiftance of God's Holy Spirit to enable us to become new creatures. And if we value baptifm upon any other account, we mistake the end of that ordinance.

II. Confirmation is an holy ufage, received from the apostles; and very wrong it would be to neglect it. But then those that come not to be confirmed, with full purposes, by the affistance of the Holy Ghoft, of keeping the vows that they take upon them, are in as ill an estate as if they had never been confirmed.

III. We look upon prayer as a most neceffary duty, and fo indeed it is; but then a Christian would be fadly mistaken, if he fhould conclude himself to be a new creature, and in the favour of God, purely because he prays, unless he finds the fruits of his prayers in being better able to fubdue his corrupt affections by the Spirit of God, which God vouchfafes to all that pray to him in fincerity.

IV. Hearing the word of God is a neceffary duty; nobody denies it. But if a Chriftian, when he has heard the manner of his redemption, the fins he is to avoid, and the duties he is to practise, if he grows no better, if the work of holiness does not go forward, it is a fure fign he mistakes the very end of hearing. V. The

V. The Lord's fupper is truly esteemed one of the most folemn ordinances of the Chriftian religion, and a teftimony of our being in communion with Chrift and with his church. But now, if a Christian, in unity with the Chriftian church, does not live as becomes a member of Chrift, he condemns himself, and eats and drinks his own deftruction.

In one word: Chriftians fhould be very careful not to place holiness in actions which do not make us one jot the better. A wicked unregenerate man can do all these things, as to outward appearance, as well as the most holy.

Let me therefore juft fet before you the true marks of holiness, that you may always remember in what it confifts.

It confifts, then, in fuch a change of the heart, as that a man defires and ftrives to please God, out of a sense of love and duty to him. So faith St. John: Whofo keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected.

And though, through the weakness of our nature, our obedience may not be perfect, yet it may be fincere; and fo it must be, or it will never be accepted: that is, We must hate all fin, ftrive against it, avoid all temptations to it; we muft live in the fear of God, beg his pardon when we have done amifs, pray earneftly for the affiftance of his Holy Spirit,

and be always ftriving to get the mastery over our corruptions; and God, who fees our fincerity, will pardon our imperfections, and increase our graces daily.

To conclude:-By this action of your's, you fecure to yourfelves the protection of God, under which you may be fecure from fear of evil.

But then take this along with you, that it will require care, and pains, and self-denial, and prayers, to fecure the favour of God, and the continuance of his grace. But then you will not think thefe fo very hard conditions, if you confider the joys that are set before you, even eternal happiness.

And if the difficulties of an holy life affright you, if the commands of Jesus Christ feem hard to flesh and blood, do but confider, who can dwell with everlasting burnings? And it is to be hoped you will change your mind, and be at any pains to escape so frightful a judgment.

It concerns you to know it, and it is our duty to tell you, that it is much easier now to begin to lead a Chriftian life, than it will be hereafter, when evil habits are become a second nature, when evil company shall have corrupted your manners, when evil discourse shall have corrupted your principles.

It was for this reafon the Spirit of God has left this advice upon record, REMEMBER

THY CREATOR IN THE DAYS OF THY YOUTH;

that

that is, before fin and hell get the dominion over you.

It will therefore be your intereft, as it is your duty, from this day forward, to be very careful of your ways, to take all opportunities of learning your duty, to pray daily to God for the continuance of his grace, and to give him thanks for the favours you enjoy.

But if, instead of doing this, you presently forget the vows that you have taken upon you, and fall into any fcandalous fins, or into a careless way of living, then this whole congregation will be witneffes against you, that you lied unto God, when you promised to lead a fober and a Chriftian life.

But we will hope better things of you, and that you will from this time become a comfort to your friends, and to those that have taken pains to inftruct you; a credit to the religion you profess, and an honour to God.

And now, take notice, that you have been faithfully inftructed in the nature of the Covenant of Baptifm, which you have now renewed, and you can never be too thankful to thofe that have taken pains to fit you for this holy ordinance. You have been plainly told of the danger you are liable to, of the enemies you have to deal with, of the difficulties of an holy life, of the neceffity of God's grace, and of using the means to attain it. All that we can do farther for you is, to offer

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