The open Addrefs of New Tejiament Evidence : o R, THREE PLAIN MONUMENTS Authenticating three facts, on which the Divinity of our Holy Religion has its Support. Humbly propofed to public consideration, in an unthinking Age, By CALEB^LEMING, D. D. ^f/ the Mouth of three Witnejfes Jhall the Matter he ejlablijhed, Deut. xi3t. 15. LONDON: Printed for J. Towers, at No. iit, in Fore-Street, near Cripplegatej and fold alfo by J. Buckland, in Paternofter-Row. MDCCLXXI. (Price One Shilling and Six-pence.) ADVERTISEMENT. A Primary motive to this publication, was, the placing of three chrjftian inflitutions in a light of evidence, which I apprehend wijl "be new to the generality of chriftians. — ^A fin- cere aim is had at reviving a loft fpirit of devotion, and at promoting the real intereils of genuine chriftianity. I prefume to have formed much the fame ideas of the gofpel difpenfation with two an- cient prophets ; one of whom foretold, — *' that " the way of holinefs fliould be fq very plain, ** that the way-faring man, though a fool, " [i. e. of fmall abilities] fhould not err " therein. " And the other faid, — " they " fliall no more teach every man his neigh- *' hour, and every man his brother, faying, ** KMOW THE Lord, for they all fhall know *' me, from the lead of them, unto the greateft " of them, faith the Lord." N. B. The views which, as a Pasdobaptift, I have taken of the infant right to baptifm, in the fecond difcourfe, is not with the lead A 2 defign ADVERTISEMENT. defign to revive, or ever more engage in that controverfy. Should the interpretation, here given, of thefe monuments meet with a favourable re- ception, and my life be continued, it may be followed with an arrangement of thoughts upon another threefold teflimony ; and in as fhort a compafs. Hoxton Square, q p Feb. i8, 1771, * ' ' On the Reafon a7id Efid of the Chriflian Sabbath. IN difcourfing on the three inftltiitions, which I underftand do give teflimony to the truth of the Chriflian fyflem, fhall chufe to begin with the Chriftian Sabbath •, and diftindly treat on the fub- jefl:, from that text, Mar. ii. 27, 28. " And he ' (i. e. Jefus) faid unto them, The fabbath was * made for man ', and not man for the fabbath : * Therefore, (or, fo that) the Son of man is Lord, ' even of the fabbath." Both St. Matthev/ and St. Mark mention the fad of our Lord's difciples plucking the ears of corn, as they went through the fields on the fabbath-day» They report this as giving great offence to the captious chief Pharifees, who confidered it as a violation of the fabbatic-law ; which occafioned that defence of them, here made by their divine mafler. Indeed thefe two evange- lifls do record different parts of his reafoning. St. Matthew has made his mailer's plea to lupport upon what God faid by Hofca, of the fuperiority which the moral has to the ritual : viz. " God will " have mercy rather than facrifice. " " Hence, '* fays Jefus, " had you known what that maxim of " the divine government meaneth, ye would not '* have condemned the guiltlefs." St. Mark has omitted this in his narrative -, but then he has no- ticed what St. Matthew has not, viz. " the fab- " bath was made for man ; not man for the fab- " bath."— Neverthelefs, they are confiflent-, inafmuch, as V7e jr:ay reafonabiy conclude, our Lord's defence A 3 would 6 The Rcdfon and End would contain in it, the realbns mentioned bybotfi- hiftorians. Probably, his difcourle upon a fubjedt fo very important, and lb little underllood, would be very diilinguifliing and copious. Among other things which this ferves to ilhif- trate> it fhews that thofe learned men * were mif- taken, who have been of opinion, " that St. Mark " only copied St. Matthew's gofpel •, " — at the lame time it well accounts for the other variations that are found of our Lord's teachings, in the narrative givea by the four hiftorians ; fmce we have no reafon to fup- pofe that any one of them has recorded the whole of his difcourles to the people. It is therefore enough, that the fundry variations found in their feveral narratives, are no way difcordant. Further, when we confider with what a degree ef fuperftition the Pharifees had perverted the law of the fabbath, and of how much ufe and importance that law originally was, we may rcalbnably conclude the bleffed Jefus would not omit one view of the rea- fon of a capital law, that was apt to inform, or to convince, and fo remove prejudice from that people. According to St. Mark, he firft refers them to an inftance fully in point, of a freedom, Vvhich David and the men with him took, far greater than that of his difciples-, " for they went into the houfe " of God and took the fhew-bread, which v/as *' only lawful for the priefts to eat :'* which free- dom, fays he, your own rabbis do juftify. — Nay more, your very priefts themfelves do much more fervile work every fabbath in the temple iervice, than m.y difciples hav^e now done -y and yet thofe priefts * Mr. Whiflon, and others. Ag.ainfl which confult Dr. Lard- ner's Supplement, ^"ol, I. ch. v. feet. v. C'red. Vol. III. p. 403. of the Chrijlian ^ahbdth. *) J^tieiis are blamelefs. Indeed, Lightfoot obferves, that fome of their mod learned doflors fay, — " there- is no fabbatifm at all in the temple. "--^Thus much premifed, In treating on the fubjedl before us, our bufmefs will then be, to inquire, Firfl, into the original law of the fabbath* Secondly^ into the reafon, defign, and end of the inftitution. Thirdly, in what (enCe the Son of man is Lord, even of the fabbath. if we carefully examine into the original law of the fabbath, we ihall be perfuaded, from the pett of Mofes, that the Creator of this folar fyftem, did feparate and fan6lify a feventh part of time, for the religious obfervance of man, from the beginning — > and though the Hebrew hiftorian makes no mention of a weekly celebration in the antediluvian world, yet we may reafonably conje6lure, he would have it taken for granted, that this creation-law did ope-' rate, and mufl have been a ftanding rule through- out its ages -, and alfo to Noah and his defcendents after the flood. Mr. Bedford, the fcripture chronologift, was of opinion, that the Hebrew fabbatli was thrown one day backward from the original weekly fabbath , and was thus changed, to be a monument of Ifrael's deliverance from Egyptian bondage*. This fanc- tification * His words are thefe. " As the beginning of the year was •* altered from one feafon to another, fo the day of the fabbath ' A 4 " was 8 The Reafon and End tification of the fabbath, was to be marked out by a ceffation from every kind of civil and fecular labour i and from all thofe recreations and loofe gratifications which are not compatible with fuch a religious feparation : for whatever God fanftiiies or feparates, muft appear to be, in its own nature, diftinguifhed from what is common •, i. e. from what has upon it no mark of holinefs. — Look into the fourth commandment in the decalogue, and you will find it to run thus : " Remember the fab- " bath day to keep it holy. Six days fhalt thou *' labour and do all thy work -, but the feventh day " is the fabbath of the Lord thy God ; (or, to the *' Lord thy God) in it thou (halt not do any work, " -thou, nor thy fon, nor thy daughter, nor thy " man fervant, nor thy maid fervant, nor thy cattle, " nor the ftranger that is within thy gates ; for in " fix days the Lord made heaven and earth, the " fea, and all that in them is, and refted the feventh " day i wherefore the Lord blelTed the feventh day, " and hallowed it. " Thus evident is it, that the original law of the fabbath is expreflive of a reft from all fecular, fer- vile, bodily labour -, and from every of thofe amufe- ments and recreations, v/hich are inconfiftent with a keeping holy the feventh, or fibbath day. N. B. I have mentioned thofe amufements and recreations which are not confiftent with the origi- nal '• was alfo altered from one day of the week to another. That ** which was the feventh day from the creation, was the firft " day of Adam's life ; and fo it was the firft day of the week, *' according to their computation : but now it is altered to " the feventh day of the v/eek ; to be obferved by the Ifraelites '* as a fabbath, in commemoration of their deliverance out of ." the land of Egypt, and out of the houfe of bondage." Bed- ford's Script. Chronol. p. 298. of the Chrifllan Sahbalh. x) nal law of the fabbath : And for this 1 will cit€ fiipreme authority. — The great God fays, by his prophet Ifaiah, wlien he makes a promife of favour- ing a people •, " if thou turn av/ay thy foot from *' doing thy pleafure on my holy day, and call the " fabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honour- " able, and flialt honour him, not doing thine own ** ways, nor finding thine own pleafure, nor fpeak- " ing thine own words •, then fhak thou delight in *-' the Lord." If. Iviii. 13, 14. On the contrary, *' every one that dcfileth tlie ^ fibbath fhail furely be put to death ; for whofo- " ever Ihall do any v/ork therein, that foul fliall be " cut of? from among his people. Six days may " work be done, but in the feventh is the fabbath " ofhoiinefs to the Lord-, v/hofoever doeth any " work on tiie fabbath day fliaii furely be .put ta " death." Exod. xxxi. 14, 15. Such is the original law of the fabbath, that a violation thereof was a capital crime, and to be punifned with death ; as that law operated under the Mofiiic difpenfation. So it is, that when God, by Ezekiel, defcribes the enormous depravity of a people, he mentions th.is impiety, " thou halt pro- " pli.med my fabbaths." Ch. xxii. 8. Hence it is obfervable, that it ever has been eiTential to moral virtue, and to an eitabliamieut in rightcoufnefs, tliat man " remenibered to keep holy the fabbath " day." T-ke law of the fabbath elfentially be- longs to the fyftem of the divine moral : and tho* we call it a law of the firft table, yet, on our obfer- vance of it, greatly depends the regard we pay to t-he duties we owe both to God and man : for if we exprefs the liigheil reverence of God, and fuffcr not any debafing ideas of him, either by images or piflures, and fupremely venerate the authority of his I o ^he R^afon and End ■ his name, we then Ihall landify his fabbaths ; for this will, all of it, be implied in that fabbath fanc- tification. So reipeding the relation in which we Itand to mankind, we fnall honour our parents; not dare to injure any human life ; neither by fraud nof force alienate the properties of others ; not dare tO violate the chaftity of any body, nor ftab theif reputation ; and finally, we lliali not fufFer the illicit defire of another's property to have place in our breafts. But, on the contrary, if we make no confcience of hallowing God's fabbaths, we Ihall neither pay him homage, nor regard the rights of our fellow men : whereas, in faft, a contemplation, a ferious renewed attention to the fyftem of moral obligation, is the proper employment of a weekly fabbath; and the way in which it is to be fandiihed. So much may fuffice for a plain and eafy dating of the original iabbatic law itfelf, which required a religious weekly rccefs from all civil and fecular labour. We are, fecondly, to inquire into the reafon, defign, and end of the inftitution. " The fabbath *' was made for man; not man for the fabbath." The fenfe of which divine declaration appears, to me, to be this, viz. that the real benefit, and beft advantage of man, gave the reafon and end of the inftitution, as it is adapted to keep alive the fenfe, bothof his dependence upon, and obligation to his Maker. If, therefore, that law Ihouid be under- ftood in a fenfe that is injurious to this his piety, it muft be a very miftaken interpretation. But inaf- much as u^^ fabbath was made for man, it is thence evident that *' man was net made for the fabbath ;'* becaufe the fabbath inftitution being but a means to an of the Chnjl'ian Sabbath. i i an end, it cannot pofiibly be, at the fame time, both the means and the end. It follows, that to make the law of the fabbath, in fa<5l, incommodious, dif^uftful, injurious, or prejudicial to man, expof- ing him thereby to fundry evils, as the fuperllitious Pharifees were wont to do, v/ould be in effcd: to affirm, that "man was made for the fabbath." Man is not therefore to deny himfelf thereon what relates to the neceffaries of life \ he is not to forego any of thofe refrelliments v/hich heaven has defigned him ; he is not to facrifice cither his health or his fafety, becaufe of the law of the fabbath. The reafon of which is manifefb, fince the inftitution: was to be wholly for his benefit, or in his favour, as a creature whom God has niade for the pure and fublime pleafures of religion ! Whatever, therefore, would deprcfs his fpirits, or indifpofe him for the rational, chearful, delightful fervices of admiration, thankfgiving, and praife, mufi; be carefully avoided, as far as in his power, on that holy day. Let us now attempt to enter yet more fully into the reafon and end of the infticution : and here we muil again advert to the Mofaic hiftory. " Thus *' the heavens and the earth were finilhed, and all " the hoft of them -, and the fevcnth day God " ended his work which he had made. And " God bleffed the feventh day, and fandified it; *' becaufe that in it he had refbed from all his " work which he created to mjake. '* Gen. ii. i, 2, 3. But if Deity may be faid to have refted from creating, and to have taken, as it were, a retrolpedt of his own works on that day, as they were defigned by him to difplay his own per- fections •, it is but reafonable that man fliould be taught to employ himfelf in thofe a6ls of religious contemplation, "\vhich are moft proper to foiace, 3 deliglff, 12 'The "Reafon and End delight, and improve the mind in a knowledge of the Creator, and in a devotednefs to all his will. And, indeed, if we are his creatures, and have a neceiTary inceflant dependence on him, if the rec- titude and improvement of our faculties and powers do require a religious attention to his divine teach- ings, and a dated thankful recognition of the infi- nite debt we are under to his adorable goodnefs ! sfTuredly, no inilitution could have been more apt, none better fuited for the purpofe of keeping alive the fpirit of devotion, than the law of a weekly fabbath. No one, who thinks at all, can miftake the rea- ibn and end of fanttifying one feventh part of time. Were we to imagine that when the Creator had formed man in his own imiage, and made him ca- pable of difcerning the traces of his infinite, his ab- iblute perfeclions, as they are confpicuous all around^us •, and yet, that he Hiould leave him quite undirected to any dated times of paying his focial homage to his Maker, this vv-ould argue a mofli inde- terminate, difordered, lawlefs, ilate of man : whereas a v/eekly fabbath, fandlilied for a religious recefs from all fecular labour, and to the purpofe of at- taining to an improved acquaintance with the Author of our beings, and the preferver of our lives ; has, upon the very face of it, all the marks and tokens of ador&ble wifdom, and of divine care and fatherly benevolence. There truly is in it an amazing tcndernefs and compaffion, even v,^hen abftra6ledly viewed, as only a weekly reft or recefs from the toils and bodily labours of man, in his civil and fecular purfuits. Mercy is therein Ihewn to a creature deftined to eat, ^13 bread in the fweat of his brow : bufied, Im- merfed of the Chrijiian Sabhaih, .13 merfed in the cares of this precarious mortal life. Nay, the very beafts of burden are compaffionately allowed the benefit of a weekly reft from their labours. Whichever way we contemplate the original law of the fabbath, we fee a defign and end wor- thy the Creator of the world — whereas to fuppofe man without fuch a law of recefs from fecular labour, and from all the amufements or the pleafures of a fenfitive indulgence, would be to fuppofe his Maker indifferent to, and unconcerned about the well-being of his own intelligent, rational workmanfhip : — and which would infer a flagrant folecifm in the government of God. As the divine appointment now ftands, no ob- jedtion can pcflibly arife either becaufe of a too near, or a too remote diftance of the days of reli- gious reft. Six days are an interval fufficient for all our fecular bodily labours, and for every laudable attention to the more common bufineftes of humanity. — But a longer interval, would be apt to wear off the ferious imprefllcns, made by our Iblemn and devout fabbath engagements. DO Again, more than one day in feven, God has not fandlified, nor feparated for focial, public, folemn worftiip. " Six days fhalt thou labour, " and do all that thou haft to do" — q. d. One in feven thou Ihalt keep holy. — Men therefore, who prefume to make other days holy, do daringly countera6b his exprefs command, who faid — " Six " days fhalt thou labour, and do all thy work *. " I would * Look into the church calendar of faint-days, and other Jjolidays, anddefpife the authority. 14 ^b^ Reafon and End I would further obferve, were we only intended for thefe fenfitive fcenes, and had no concern with a future ftate of being, I do not fee how the infti- tution of a weekly reft could anfwer to more than for the relief and the refrefiiment it gives from the fatigue of merely bodily labour. 1"he idea of a religious reft, of our fanftifying the fabbath, or keep- ing it holy, would then have but an unfatisfaftory meaning, as the apprehenfions of our concern with God muft be fo transient and precarious; and, at longeft, but of a momentary fhort con- tinuance. On the other hand, a fandlifying of the fabbath has, in the moft corrupt times, given the di- ftinguiiliing charafteriftic of God's people. So Malachi reprefents — " l"hen they who feared the «' Lord fpake often one to another, and the Lord *« hearkened and heard, and a book of remem- " brance wiis written before him for them that *' feared the Lord, and that thought on his name. '•^ And they (hall be mine, faid the Lord of hofts, *' in that day when 1 make up my jewels, and *' I will fpare them as a man fparcs his own fon *' that ferves him. Then fliall ye return and " dilbern between the righteous and the wicked, ** between him that ferveth God, and him that ^' ferveth him not." Chap. iii. i6. I cannot but be of opinion, that here muft be a reference to men who kept his fabbath, fmce his name is upon that inftitution, and there is no greater external evidence of men's fearing the Lord, than that of their religioufly oblerving a day he has fanftified, and feparated for the purpofes of recommending to one another a fupreme reverence of his name. By fanftifying and prophaning hisfabbaths, a diftindion was ever made between " him who ferveth God, " and of the Cbnjllan Sabbath. 15 " and hi.n who ferveth him not."* Even an apofllc exhorts Chriftians, " not to forfake the aflembling *' of themfelves together, as was the manner of *' fome." Pleb. x. 25. And in the fame epiftle he mentions the reit of a feventh-day fabbath, as emblematical of that reft which remains for the people of God. Chap. iv. Afllired we may be, the Deity would never have divulged a creation-law, relative to the religious reft of man from his fecular labours, and enforced the obfervance by capital fanftions -, he would never have ere6ted fuch a monument of his uncon- trovertible claim of fupreme homage, if he, in his unerring wifdom, had not feen it calculated to keep alive an univerfal fenfe of his fupreme domi- nion, and of that unrivalled right of fovereignty which he lias in his moral kingdom. Having thus fhewn the reafons, defign, and end of the iniiitution, fliall, thirdly, enquire in what fenfe '* the Son of man is Lord even -f- of the fab- bath." Some have been inclined to underttand *' Son of man," here, as applicable in common to the human fpecies. I am perfuaded, it is and can only be applicable to Jefus Chrilt ; fmce the phrale is never once ufed by him on any other occafion, but to denote himfelf ; nor is it fuppofable, that a creation-law fliould be abolifhed, by the man Chrift Jefus's declaring himfelf *' Lord even of ♦» the fabbath." He came not to deftroy or relax * AfTociatlons at cofFee-houfes and taverns, or at the Royal- Exchange, or ill public walks, do not feem to have upon them Ithe air and fpirit of fandifying the fabbath. t I Ihould think xai, to be here an expletive, that makes the phrafe more emphatical, and not a copulative, and fo fead it e-ven, rather than al/o. 3 6 The Reafon and End relax any part of the creation-law, or the prophets ; his profefled buiinefs was to revive and reftore the lioft moral amo^ng the people. Among whofe de- generacies we find the law of the fabbath had been fadly violsted. See If. Iviii. I3, 14. Lam, i. 7. Ezek. XX. 13, 16, 24. Amos viii. 5. So our Lord came to fiilnl, or give energy to the law and the prophets, and to give a fandtion to the law of the fabbath. " That he is Lord even ♦' of the fabbath," appears from many reafons that are conclufive. In the firft place, his authority as the fupreme head of a new creation, took place upon his refurredlion, which was on the firffc day of the week ; and as the laft difpenfation of God's truth and grace introduced and opened by him, was to be diftinguifhed from all other difpenfations, fo it was fit and reafonable, that the weekly reft • fhould be changed from the feventh to the firft day of the week, in demonftration of that great event, viz. his refurredion. If the opinion I mentioned of Mr. Bedford's be right, as to the original fabbath having been moved one day back, when the Hebrew covenant was made at Sinai, it would then follow, that by the change from the feventh to the firft day of the week, our Lord reftored the fabbath to its pri- mitive ftate, under the golpel covenant. However this was, it is reafonable to conclude, that he, whom God has made head over all things to his church, fhould fo adapt the model of Chriftian worfhip, as would render his authority more confpicuous to all who examine into the conftitution of his church and kingdom. " If *' any man be in Chrift, (fays an apoftle) he is in *' a new creation ; old things are palled away, and " behold of the Chriflian Sabhath, 1 7 " behold all things are become new." — Light- foot comments thus upon it : "A new church, " the Jews that were unbelieving call off, the " Gentiles taken in ; new ordinances in his church, " ceremonious worfliip taken down, and fpiritual *' fet up ; new facraments, baptiim and the Lord's " fupper — a new covenant, a new and living way " into the moft holy — a new creature — and in a " word, all things new. So that in this cafe, a " new manner of worihip, new ordinances, new " facraments to be committed to the old fabbath, *' Vv'ould have been improper, and a nev/ fabbath *' muft have been for thefe, as well as they them- *' felves are new." Bcfides, he, the Chriftian's Lord, lay in the grave all the old fabbath ; but he rofe on the new fabbath. It mufb be confeiTed, after all, v/e have no ex- plicit canon, no commandment from Chrift, that exprefles the change of the fabbath ; but yet we may account for our not having it from his lips, who was made under the law, fmce his death was to difiblve the Hebrew covenant, Eph. ii. 14, 15, 16. Col. ii. 14, 15, 16. On the other hand, if we are allowed to confider it as the original fab- bath •, or when y/e com.pare tliis declaration with the Lord's appearance to his difciples, convened religioufly on the firft day of the week ; with St. Luke's account of the Chriftians meetino; too-ether at Troas, to break bread on tliC firfb day of the week. Ads xx. 7. with the orders given to the church at Corinth, to make their charitable col- ledions on that day, i Cor. xvi. 2. and again, compare thefe things with the teflimony of the earf ell Chriftian writers, we fnall find the evidence quite fatistadory, full, and convincing. B Juflia i8 ^he Reafon and End Juftin Martyr, in his Apology, who flourilhed in the year 140, fays, " That on the day, called the day of the Sun, all the Chriftian inhabitants, both of city and country, met together, where the LECTOR read fome portions of the holy fcrip- tures ; and the billiop preached unto them, and adminiflered the eucharifl *". And Tertullian, who flourilhed in the year 200, fays in his Apology, Tliat becaufe of their relioious obfervance of Sunday, they were accufed by the heathens of reverencing and adoring the fun-f.'* Thele are very early and authentic teflimonies. Moreover, as this Son of Man did moft perfeftly undcrftand the divine conftitutions, and was able to determine with certainty what did, and what did not belongr to the law of the fabbath, he misht with propriety thus affirm of hinifelf, " that he was " Lord even of the fabbath ;" and we know that, as he came not to deftroy or relax the law or the prophets, but to fulfil, he muft have given fpirit and energy to the fabbadi law. Hence he ihewed the people, that that inftitution could not counterad: the law of reafon, the law of truth, and the law of nature •, or that the obfervance of a facred reft from fecular labour would not controul or coun- teract any atlr, either of necefijty or of mercy. On ail thefe confiderations, he could therefore with .propriety affirm, " that the Son of Man is Lord " even of the fabbath." SOME REFLECTIONS. I. It appears from the labbatic law, that man was made for the contemplation, adoration, and 4 fruition * Lord King's Primitive Church, ch. II. parti, papc 42. f Ibid, parcll. page 22. of the Chrijlian Sabbath. ig fniition of his Maker ; for as much as the Creator fandlified a feventh part of time to be a weekly reft, in imitation of his ov/n reft from creating. No doubt, this is faid in condefcenfion to our infirmi- ties. The procefs of creation is reprelented in that gradual order, which might bcft afllft the human mind in its conceptions and contemplation. But, were we to form our ideas of creative power, in a mere abftra6l manner, we fhould be inclined to conclude, Deity no fooner fpake than it was done : no fooner com.manded, than it ftcod faft: infinite wifdom and almighty power can alTuredly produce jnftantaneoufly, and without labour. Yet, fliould we fuppofe numbers of limited in- pelligences to have been witnelTes of the produ<5lion of this amazing folar fyftem., we might then con- fider it as a progreflive production, in fix days divine operation : and from a fublime palTage in the book of Job, this fhould feem to have been the cafe i for Jehovah afks Job, " Vv here waft ^' thou when I laid the foundation of the earth? *' when the morning ftars fung together, and when " the fons of God ftiouted for joy ?" This renders the Mofaic account free from dif- ficulties, and ftiews that the Creator did gracioufly adapt the energy of his creative power to the more diftindt contemplation of thofe pre-exiftent intel- ligences. And becaufe the Creator is reprefented as ceafing from his works on the feventh day, and as fanftifying that day for mian's weekly rcit froni his labours ; hence it appears, that God defigned man fhould employ himfelf on that day in ad- miring, adoring, and felicitating views of his Maker. B a IL The 20 ^he Reafon and End II. The reafjn of thus fanftifying one day in feven, renders the law of the labbath incapable of any limitation or abatement in its divine obligation. It is an infbitution that has alike confulted the weal of man, in every age of the vv'orld. To my pur- pofe, a writer fays, " Religion is as neceflary to " the formation and eftablilhment of political fo- *' ciety, as to the prefervation and tranquil ftate " of the individual. It was long ago obferved by " one, mofl intimately acquainted with the fun- " dry workings of the human heart, that he would " fooner believe a* city might be built without a " foundation, . than a government formed and " upheld v/ithout the belief of a Deity. Ic is the *■' full and firm perfuafion of a God, and of an " equal, impartial retribution in a world to come, "which is the very cement of fociety, that imparts " life, fpirit, and vigour to all its parrs, and uni- " verfaliy excites to refpeftive engagements and " duties." *' If men did not now and then retire from the " anxious cares of this life, and openly profefs *' their belief of God's continual prefence with, " and his watchful eye over them ; the defire of " requeuing of him what they want, and of re- " turning thanks for v/hat they have, would gra- " dually decline, and in time lofe all guidance " and influence over them. Kence the liaiitation *' of thefeventh part of our time to reft and facred *' offices, is an ad of the great God, coeval with " the creation of man*." " The fabbath was made for man :" /. e. His piety and yirtue ever did, ever will depend upon * An Addrefs to the People of Engl.ind on the Manners of the Times, pages 5 and 9. A. D. 1767. of the Chriftian Sabbat b, 2 1 upon a becoming obfervance of this religious weekly reft. If any one prefumes to call this in queftion, he muft confront the experience and teftimony of all ages •, for there never was a pious and good man, well informed of this creation-law, who neglefted a religious obfervance. Under the Mofaic dilpenfation, a breach of this law of reft was capitally criminal*; and it was reafonabje that it fhould be punifhed with death, becaufe of its being an aft of high treafon againft the fove- reign Lord, and almighty proteftor and guardian of Ifrael. I will add, fince fix days are allowed for man's fecular purf'iits, he muft be extremely difmgenuous and ungrateful, if he does not exprefs his fenfe of obligation to the tendernefs and compafiion of his Maker, in appointing him this friendly recefs, this refting paufe for recolle6lion and religious attention. For let men think or fay what they will, there is adorable goodnefs in the appointment of a weekly relio-ious reft. tD III. "Man is not made for thefabbath:" for which reafon he is ftiewn, that the obfervance of it muft never counteract, but always correfpond with the firft principles of truth, of nature, and the law of relation. He muft not therefore be debarred any of thofe fupplies, fuccours, or refreftiments, which his bodily wants and weaknefT^s require. There ftiould be no felf-denials, no mor'ifica:ions enjoined him, in virtue of this law, v/hich would convert a day of gladnefs, of thankfgiving and praife, into a gloomy day, a day of fafting, of B 3 humiliation Nui^b. .XV. 32 — 37. 2 2 '^-^^ Reafon and Efid humiliation and diftrefs. The fabbath was made for the highefl benefit of man, and therefore not any thing fhould be impofed on him, that may difcompofe or difable him from the chearful fervices of thankigiving, admiration, and praife*. " Man is not made for the fabbath." Hence he is not allowed to take fuch freedoms with the law, as would load the obfervance with any thing fanciful or fnperllitious. He may neither refufe his food, deny himfelf of the refrefhment, which nature requires, nor make the fervices of the day fuch as v/ould too much fatigue and exhauft his fpirits, or hazard and injure his health, by the rules of obfervance. IV. Since " the Son of man is Lord even of the fabbath," we may well be fatisfied, that he had an undoubted right to change the feventh-day reft to that of the firft day of the week. The reafon of the change feems very obvious ; fince it is thus rriade a divine monument, on which is recorded and fignified to all future ages, that the fadt was real, of " Chrift's refurreclion from the dead." An event, in its own nature and confequences, the moft aftonifning ! An event, that has given fpirit, power, and life to this laft difpenfation. An event, en which fo much depends, that apoftles do reckon that without it, all our faith, and all our hope, and all their preaching too. Would have been vain, i Cor. xv. 14, 17, 19. You have found us cfligning many reafons for the change of the fabbath from the feventh to the firft day of the v/eek, which, when duly con- fidered, have in them a weight fufficient to juftify an * Yet, what griir.ace, what afTedled fole.*nn airs do fome enthtifiafls put on, in their Sunday's Services! of the Chrtjllan Sabbath. 23 an obfervance of it, in honour of our Lord's refurre<5tion. For, by the means of his refur- re6tion, St. Peter tells us, " we are begotten again " to the lively hope of an inheritance, incor- " ruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away, " referved in the heavens for us." i Peter i. 3, 4. V. How aftonilhing is it, that Chriflians, in our day, fhould take fuch very licentious freedoms, as they do, in fabbath-prophanations ! Do you fay, the times are enormoufly corrupt and dege- nerate, that impiety and profligacy do give the fpirit and complexion of the prefent age ? That its debaucheries and vices are almoil, if not alto- gether, unexampled? Be it fo : what then? Why, do but carefully and critically inveftigate the caufe, and you mLift be obliged to attribute and afcribe the fource of this ftiocking malignity to fabbath-prophanation. For, verily, juft as it is with individuals, fo will it ever be with any great community, the more illicit freedoms are taken with our weekly fabbath, the greater wHl be the progrefs of impiety and vice. For if a man can- not be delighted with devoting one day in feven to a religious recefs from fccular labours, to a devout contemplation, and to acls of thankfgiving and praife j he will never be found to make religion his bufmefs ; nor will an acquaintance with his maker ever be his ftudy, or attainment. We might add, thofe men who call themfelves Chriftians will be utterly unable to reap the leaft advantage from the refurredion of Chrift, if they cannot take a divine pleafure in the flated weekly recognition of that event. So that in truth, if there be not a great reformation, by fome means wrought upon us, as a nation, we may expert that fome- B 4 thing 24 ^^^^ Reafon and End thing like what God denounced on idolatrous Ifrael by his prophet Hofea, muft loon be our public condition, viz. " I will caufe her mirth, her feaft- " days, and her labbaths to cease." Would to God our youth would confider how very much depends upon hallowing the fabbath. It would promife them the very beft fecurity againft the deadly infection of the times — for how extremely perilous is their prefent condition ! How ffiockingly faulty is our police ! How fhamefully little regard is Ibewn, even by our magiftrates, to the religious obfervance of the weekly fabbath ! " All avenues to vice are fet open, both within " and all around this great city." The great, the rich, the noble, the princely, are themfelves exhibiting the moft fhocking fpedacles of fabbath- prophanation, in open contempt of law, both hu- man and divine. Nay, even card-tables are faid to be common in the houfes of families of rank and title; and what is more aftonifhing, in Ibme card-parties, the Cleric is found ! The con- lecrated pried thus defecrates and difgraces his fundlion. In fad, the day which God has fandi- fied for a religious reft men impioufly convert into a day of plealure, or of loofe gratification : a day of travelling, of banquetting, routs, of revelling, and debauchery. Every v/here the common people are clofely copying fuch enormous impieties ; fpending thefe holy days, in all the diiiipations and wantonnefies of pleafurable amufement, and in every depraving indulgence. 't)^ Hew ungrateful! how fhockingly difingenuous fuch behaviour towards that innnite, almighty, eternal of the Chrifiian Sabbath. 25 eternal Spirit, who made all, who preferves all, who inceflantly refrefhes, and fo bountifully accommo- dates his immenfe creation ! And how ofFenfive is it to the Son of Man, *' who is Lord even of the fabbath !" No divine protedion for Britain, profligate Britain, can furely be expedled from this Lord, the prince of the kings of the earth ! v/ho has a name given him above every name ! But afluredly every individual,who dares to defpife God's fabbath, fhall find himfelf cut off^ from his favour, who is the inexhauilible fountain both of light and of life. VI. Whoever enters with care and precifion into the do6lrine of the fabbath, as delivered by the divine Jefus, mull be perfuaded, that the change of it from the feventh to the firft day of the week, was intended to be a perpetual monument of the fa6l of his ov/n refurredion from the dead -, and which muft remain a conclufive evidence of that fa(5l : for it will be very difficult for any to fliewj either from the New Teftament records, or from ecclefiaftical hiftory, hov/ the Chriftians came to fandify the firft rather than the feventh day of the week, but upon the fact of his having rifen from the dead on that day. Nor could thofe Jews, who remained infidel, blame the Chriftians for this change of the fabbath, fmce it feems highly probable, that Mofes ch mged the creation-fabbath, in order the better to ac- commodate it to the deliverance of the people from Egyptian bondage. For fo Mofes ordained, " That " they ftiould eat feven days of unleavened bread ; *' and in the feventh day there ftiould be an holy ** convocation to them, no manner of work " ftiould 26 The Reafon and Endy &c. " fhould be done thereon — for in this felf-fame " day have I brought your armies out of the land " of Egypt ; therefore fhall ye obferve this day " in your generations, by an ordinance for ever." Exod. xii. 15, 16, 17. But if God by Mofes could make this a reafon for their obferving the feventh day fabbath, (chap. xx. 2 and 8.) it is but rea- fonable to conclude, that the refurredion of ChriiV, on the firft day of the week, Ihall reftore the fab- bath to its original appointment, and give a de- monftration to all fucceeding ages of the truth of that his refurredtion. " Thus the Sen of Man is " Lord even of the fabbath." On the Reafon mid Rnd of Chrijiian Baptif?n, AS the author's praftice has been to baptize infants, he hope? to be allowed the liberty of Hating more fully the ideas he has formed of fuch application of baptifm •, he keeps in his eye an injunction laid down by St. Peter, i Ep. ch. iii. v. 15. What he fixes upon as a theme for the following difcourfe, is, i Pet. iii. 21, 22. " The like figure " whereunto, even baptifm, does now fave us (not " the putting away the filth of the flefh, but the " anfwer of a good confcience towards God) by " the refurreclion of J^fus Chrift, who is gone into " heaven, and is at the right hand of God -, angels, " authorities, and powers being made fubjedt to " him." The dodlrine of Baptifm has been much contro- verted among Chriftians, both as to the fubjects, time, and mode of baptizing. It has been affirmed by fome, that it was an initiating rite applied to profelytes to Judaifm. I was once of that opinion ; but am now perfuaded that the writings of Mofes do give it no countenance, but rather the reverfe ; fince " one ordinance, one law, and one manner " fnall, " he fays, " be for you, and for the " ftranger that fojourns with you. " Exod. xii. 48, 49. Lev. xxiv. 22. Numb. ix. 14. ch. xv. 15, 16. * And whatever learned men have faid of the * N. B. The late excellent Dr. Lardner firll convinced me of the miftake I had made about profelyte baptifm. 28 T^he Reafon and End the Talmuds, and Talmudical writers, they have no credit, becaufe the Jerul'alem Talmud was not linifhed till about A. D. 300, and the Babylonifh not till about 200 years after, * and we know the rooted enmity the Jews had always to Chriftianity. I am fully convinced, that baptif n is a divine in- ftitution, originally dehgned to diftinguiili the reli- gion of Jellis from all other religious profefllons in the v.'orld : and that accordingly his harbinger was ordered to come baptizing with water. — As to the queftion put by Pharilees to John, '• why *' baptized thou, if thou be not that Chrift, nei- ** ther Eiias, neither that Prophet ? " It does not infer any fuch uiage having antecedently obtained. His declaring that " the kingdom of heaven was at " hand ; " that he himfelf " was fent before to pre- " pare the way^" were ground enough for an enquiry. And inafmuch as the baptifm of repen- tance, preached by John, was an apt means of dif- pofmg the people for the reception of tiie Melfiah -, fo likewii'!; was the baptifm applied by the difciples of Jeius, during his perfonal miniftry. They bap- tized into the belief of the kingdom of heaven's being at hand, fince its foundations were now ailuaily laying by their divine mailer. But Jefus having been inveiled with fovereign power after his refurre6i:ion, he then com'manded his difciples to baptize in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Gholt i i. e. v/ith the fuUefl pofiible divine autho- rity. Having premifed thus much about the origin of baptifm, we may proceed to give a more direct attention to the theme chofen. But * See Dr. Lardner's Jevvifh and Heathen Teftimonies. Vol. I. ch. V. p. 177, 17S. of Chrijilajt Baptifm. 29 . Bnt here we Ihould obferve, the defign of this epiftie is, to encourage Chriftians to ftedfaftnefs in their profeflion, though expofed to the rage of the perfecutor. He is extremely felicitous that none of them fhould fuffer as evil doers, and v/ould have them think it a matter of glorying, if they endured fuffering only becaufe of their religion i fince it would be to imitate Chriil in his fufferings -, nay, he alks " who could do them any real harm, if they " were but foUov/ers of that which is good ? " And he affirms, " it would be much better for them, if " the will of God were fo, that they fuffered for " well-doing — for Chriil hath alfo once fuffered for " fms, the juilby the hands of the unjufl, that he '* might bring us to God : being put to death in " the flefli, but quickne^ by the Spirit ; even by " that fame divine Spirit which preached to the ** Spirits in prifon ; i. e. preached to the old World " whilfl under fentence of condemnation ; whilft " God waited in the days of Noah with much long *' fuffering, all the time the Ark was preparing, " wherein few, i. e. only eight fouls were faved by " wauer. " Thus the words of my text are found in connexion, — " the like figure," &c. We are, Firft, to fhew how our being faved by baptifm may be confidered as an antitype * to that of Noah's falvadon by water. Secondly, what baptifm, neverthelefs, does not do for us : and. Thirdly, what it does, and what is the reafon of the ritual. Under the firfl head, we are to obferve, that the * An antitype, is that which is (hadowed by Uie type. manifcfl 30 T^he Reafon and End manifeft intention of baptifm is, that of its being tlie monument of a fadl, viz. " Chrift's exaltation " to the right hand of power. " This appeare from the inftitution of baptifm, wherein men are au- thorized to baptize " in his name. " Matth. xxviii. 18, 19. From St. Peter's firft fermon after the afcenfion. Ads, ii. 36, 38, and from the words of my text. The baptized were to be taught to ob- ferve all things whatfoever he had commanded them. As to the fymbol, water ; the prophets of old ufed it metaphorically, to defcribe the purifying and refreiliing influences of the gofpel times. " The " thirdly lands Iliall become fprings of water. " - If XXXV. 7. " Ho ! every one that thirfteth, " come to the waters. " Ch. Iv. i. "With joy Ihall " ye draw water out of the wells of falvation. " Ch. xii. 3. A very plcafing image in hot countries, where water was (o extremely refrefhing. We fhall thus be prepared for feeing how our being faved by baptifm, may be confidered as an antitype of Noah's falvation. If I do at all underftand the type, it v/as Noah's falvation by water ; the anti- type muft then be wat-er-baptifm, which is faid to fave us. Now there was no laving caufality, either in the type or antitype, but only an inftrumentality. Water was what feparated righteous Noah, and thofe with liim, from a wicked world, deftined to deftru£lion : So bapcifmal-water feparates the bap- tized from a wicked world, by initiating into a conftitution that is holy : baptifmal-water does not fave, as applied to the body, but as it requires the anfwer of a good confcience towards God. Never- thelefs, this docs by no means exclude the idea of an antitype in t he baptifmal-water. * We ^ The Greek text I fliould tranflatc, " which antitype, • ■> " baptilni. rjfChr'iftian Bapttfm. 31 We then conceive of it thus j as all thofe taken into the Ark with Noah were preferved from the general deflruclion, by the Ark's being buoyant on the flood ; fo that which was made the inftrument of deftruftion to a wicl.ed world, was made falu- tary to Noah and his family ; in refemblance of which, b^ptiimal-water now faves, as it ieparates the baptifed from a world that lies in wickednefs, and puts under the protection and guidance of the Saviour of mankind. Apoftles will tell us, that the condition of the converted Pagan, was as dif- ferent from his former ftate, as light is from dark- nefs, and as life is from death. Again, the fimilitude runs high between Jefus and Noah -, for as Noah v;as a preacher of righteouf- nefs to the old v/orld, and for 40 years the long fuffering goodnefs of God urged their repentance ,' fo Jefus was a preacher of righteoufnefs to the Jewifh nation, and foretold their deftrudion if they remained impenitent \ vv'hich delb'uftion actually took place, as it had done with the old world, within the 40 years. Thofe Jews who became Chriftians, v/ere tem- porally faved from the deftrudion by Titus Vefpa- fian ; " for after the Romans, under Ceftius Gallus, " had made their firfl: advance towards Jerufalem, " and then, very unaccountably, withdrew on a " fudden ; thereby was the fignal given to the " Chriftians, who all retired, fome to Pella, others " to ** baptifm, even now faves us. " Mill has in his note 3^7 ry?r«» vyy >C, vfA-xc; o-fc'^.i, and not Z. Beza reads, " the which cor- " refponding exemplar of baptifm alfo now faves us." His words are, " cui nunc corrcfpondens exemplar baptifiiii nos *' quoque fervat. " And it is obfcrved in the notes of the New Verfion of 1729, p. 893. that the Alexandrian and fcveral of our beft manufcripts have h *w. 32 I'he Reafon and End " to mount Libanus, or to the mountains of '^ Perea."* Though this conld not be St. Peter's primary- idea of falvation by baptifm, yet, we may allow him to have forefeen the deftruftion of his own nation, as nearly approaching, and alfo how the Chriftians would be delivered •, fince he wrote this epifble in the year 64. -]- But he has a much more univerfal and exalted fenfe of falvation, as appears from his exhorting Chriftians to rejoice, even in their martyrdom, iince the fpirit of God and of glory did reft upon them ; or, as St. Paul has expreifed himfelf about the fafe condition of Chriftians, " Their very lives *' are hid v»rith Chrift in God." Col. iii. 3. And thus, in a fpiritual and divinely moral fenfe, the fimilitude will lie between baptifm's now faving the Chriitian as emphatically, as men were faved with righteous Noah in the ark, when a whole world was deluged. Thus much for the agreement between the type and antitype. Secondly, we are to notice, whaf baptifm does not do for us. And it ordinarily cannot fecure the baptized from temporal evil. In its iirft application, it more dire6lly expofed to the liand of periccution ; for St. Paul afl:s. What they fhall do, who are bap- tized for the dead ? i Cor. xv. 29. alluding to the foldiery, accuftomed to raile new levies, to fupply the numbers ftain in the field of battle — juft fo a fupply * Jofephus's War3 of the Jews, B. ii. ch. xix. fed. 6. note. Whiiion'b tranflation. t Dr. Lardner's Supplement, Vol. III. p. 253. of Chrijiian Baptifm, fupply was made of thofe who fell by the hand of the perfecutor. Neither can I fuppofe, that the application of baptifmal water can communicate any real virtue, or faving grace to the mind of the baptized. It is not then " an outward fign of art *' inward and fpiritual benefit received thereby/' fince many receive baptifm, without any fuch good effeft. Indeed, baptifmal water can reach no fur- ther than the furface of the body : it cannot pu- rify the mind. It only initiates into a divine polity, a kingdom of truth and holinefs, and is an open recognition of the lordfhip of Jefus. Neither can water-baptifm fecure Us of any faving benefit, by our being thus initiated into the Chriftian church \ that muft wholly depend upon our fubfequent behaviour — and yet, there are great numbers called Chriftians, who, when adminiftring the baptifmal rite, do folemnly fupplicate, " that " God would fan(^ify this water to the myftical " wafhing away of fm •, and grant that the perfon *' now to be baptifed may receive the fulnefs of *' his grace, and ever remain in the number of his " faithful and eledt children, through Jefus Chrift " our Lord." Alfo inftantly after baptifm, they do declare the baptized " to be now regenerate, and give thanks *' to Almighty God for the benefit •," and likewife they pray, " that being now born again, and made " heirs of eternal falvation through Jefus Chrift, " they may continue his fefvants, and attain his " promiles." But, alTuredly, the application of water, by whatever prieftly hand, can have no renovating, no regenerating effect. It is a groundlefs idea, that C baptifm 34 ^-^^ Reafan and End baptifm can work a moral change in the baptized Thus we have fhewn what baptiim can not do. III. We are to fhew what it can do. Here we may obferve, that the original inftitution, Matth. xxviii. 19. where men are ordered to baptize " in " his name," feems to. be generally miflaken. Hence fome would read, baptizing into his name, as if it referred to the baptized: v/hereas, to me, it appears evidently to intend that authority, in or by which the apollles were to baptize : an au- thority the moft expreflive, viz. of Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft, i. e. of the Father, who had given all power to the Son, and alfo confirmed his divine mifllon by miracles. In this amplitude of authority are the apoftles to baptize all whom they difciple, and to teach them to do whatever their Lord has commanded, who promifes to be always with them, even to the end of the gofpel-age. *' In the name," here, does therefore lignify the authority, by which they baptized, not into which men were baptized. Baptifm does confequently fave, as it initiates into a divine conftitution ; at the head of which the Saviour of the World prefides. And every way fit it was, that when the convert was entering nto a new creation, he and his houiliold fhould have that fame ritual applied, which is the monu- ment of Chrift's exaltation to the right hand of power. In truth, under all divine difpenfations where God has gracioully covenanted with man, the parent and family were always included together irk the covenant or promife. So St. Peter fays of the gofpel difpenfation, " the promife is to you and " to your children. " My text is very cxprefs in this matter, and Ihews how baptifm does fave, viz. " by the anfwer of a ^' good of Chfijiian Baptijm. 35- " good confcience towards God. " In this apoflle's idea, the baptized mull be confidered as pilgrims and ftrangers, ch. ii. 11. or, as St. Paul, he is to " have his converfation only as becomes the " gofpel ; adorning the dodlrine of God and of his " Saviour in all things : in fimplicity and godly " fincerity, he muft have his cortverfation in the " v^rorld." Infants are as capable of this as their parents, when they grow up to the age of judgment and confent; for the anfwer of a good confcience is what follows baptifm. I might fliew, that not only the New Teftament hiflory of baptifm, but that all antiquity is for the baptizing of in- fants *. By applying baptifm to infants, the parents re- cognize the lordlhip of Jefus, and bind themfelves to confider and treat them as the fubjedts of his kingdom, and under his protection. There is a further idea of baptifm's faving us ; and that is by " the refurre6lion of Chrifb, who is " gone into heaven, and is at the right hand of " God, angels, authorities, and powers being " made fubjcct to him." We are not to wonder that St. Paul Ihould fpeak of this as a new creation ; and of Jefils, as the Vifible image of the invifible God •, the firft-born, or moft excellent of every creature, hy^ or for whom all things were created that are in heaven, and that arc in earth ; whether thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers : and that he is the head of the body of the church ; C 2 whoi * See L. King's Enquiry into the conllitutlon, &c. of the Primitive Church. Part 2. ch; 3. fee. 1. Bingham's Ant'q. Vol. I. B. 1. ch. iv. fee. 7. & 9. 3 6 T^he Rea/on and End who is the beginning, the firft-born from the dead ; that among all he might have the pre-eminence -, and alfo, that in him dwells the fulnefs of the god- head bodily ; i. e. the fulnefs of the difplay made of Deity in his moral government, in every part and age of his church, which is his body -, and faid to be the fulnefs of him who fiUeth all in all. Thus baptifm puts the baptized into a conftitu- tion, or renders him a member of a body, over which the prefiding head has a fuperiority given him to all other orders of beings, that can any way affecSt either the I'afety or the weal of man -, for he even has the keys of hades and of death •, and there- fore he is to him the refurre(5tion and life, and final judge. — If the ends of baptifm are thus religioufly- kept in view, we become not only related, but united to him, and are joint-heirs with him of eternal iifj?. We can have no reafonable ground of fear, that our condition towards God will either be unlafe or uncomfortable \ nay, we may be affured of its being everlaftingly joyous and happy ! we may, when we religioully attend to his high appointments, and to the plenitude of his power and influence in God's church and kingdom. — N. B. He is not reprefented by apoftles, as thus dignified and exalted, only for his own fruitions ; but as the vital, as well as governing head of the church, in order that the faith and hope of men, in his adminiitration, may be ftrenglhened and invigorated, in fixing on an objed: that is able to fave to the uttermoil, all who come to God by him ! We are, if real Chrif- tians, intereited in all his advancement. — He himfelf law it in this very light, when he faid, " I will that *' thofe whom thou. Father, haft given me, be with " me where I am, to behold the glory which thou *< haft given me. " And fo St. Paul, " If we <* receive abundance of grace, ^id the gift of righteoulhefs. of Chrijitan Bapttfm. 37 " righteoufnefs, we Ihall reign in life by one Jefus " Chrift. " And again, " This is a faithful faying, " if we be dead with him, we fhall alfo live with " him i if we fufFer, we fnali alfo reign with him." Here we may make fome obfervations concern- ing the reafon of the ritual. We cannot but difcern the fitnefs of fome monument's being eredled in the Chriftian church, which ihould perpetually recog- nize a faft of lb high and important a nature, as that of the exaltation of Jefus to the feat of fove- reign power ! whom his nation had put to death as a criminal, and treated as an anathema ; though God had borne witnefs to him by prophecy, by figns, wonders, and divers miracles. It is not lefs than reafonable we fhould conclude, that upon his being made both Lord and Chrift, anointed with honours above all other orders of beings, fome open memorial would be appointed. But what could have been a more apt and exprefllve fymbol of his acknowledged fovereignty, than a rite which initiates into his church and kingdom, and is the profe/Tion of homage we fo gladly pay the one Lord* There is, we know, a monument to recognize his fufFerings and death, which is to remain till the ages finifh ; and there is alfo another which re- cognizes his rcfurrcdion from the dead ; both which were intended for a weekly celebration -, but, by a parity of reafoning it muft be fuppofed, that an event of the utmoft importance, which crowns the whole of our Lord's miniftrations and fufferings, and is the reward of all his humiliation, fliould have a very fignificative, a very expreflive monu- ment ; and is no other than that baptifmal righl which initiates into his kingdom, and recognizes his authority as the one Lord. C X All <) 8 ^he Reafon and Ejid All religions have ever had feme rite of initia* tion •, but that of the Son of God being of a nature far fuperior to all others, it was meet the initiating fymbol fhould be underflood as intended to con^ fefs his fovereignty, and to own him Lord, to the praife and glory of God the Father. In truth, we own, that Chriftians have had differing opinions, both of the nature of baptifm, and of its ule and application. — Some wholly difufe it, others have it applied with great indifference ; and great numbers entertain very abu five notions of its original defign or intention : Nay, it is to be feared but very few will fee or underfland its divine reafon and end. The religion of Chriilian baptifm, in the profefiing "world, feems to be almoft loft and gone; but where it is applied to the purpofe of recognizing the exaltation of Jefus to the right hand of power, and as a] rite of admifllon into God's kingdom, under the adminiftration of the one Lord •, and as binding the baptized to an obfervance of all that Jefus has commanded ; it muft be owned to be an appoint- ment every way worthy of him, who is made unto us, of God, wifdom, righteoufnefs, iandification, and redemption. There is a fubflantial reafon for the ritual, which arifes out of its original intention, viz. its being a monument which attefls the fa(5l of the man Chrift Jefus having fuch an amazing exaltation, as is every where reported of him in the writings of evangelifls and apoltles — a fadl: which none can difpute with any fhadow of evidence, who are attentive to the fcripture doclrine of baptifm., and give credit to ecclefiafticai hiftory, as reporting the ritual to have been in ufe among the gene.ality of Chriftians, from the age of the apoftles until this very day. of Chriflian Bapfifm. 39 Had it not been a faft, that Jefus was fo exalted, t}ie ritual mufb long fince have gone out of ufe, or have been expofed to univerfal contempt, from the abufive ideas originally affixed to the inftitution. But fuch has been the care of Providence, that as the fafb is real, and of fuch exceedingly high impoit- ance, fo the monument Ihouid remain to the end of ages. — Further, .Every good civil government requires, in its fubjefts, fome recognition of its fupreme authority, as well as orives the infant members of the flate or community, privileges and immunities, as born under a wife and well regulated conftitution. There is cognizance taken of * them as native members of the public fyftem, or body •, and proper provi- fions made for them. But the infant offspring of Chriftians are to be confidered as God's creatures, that are made for him, and therefore fliould be devoted to him •, hence infant-children were ever included in the covenants God made with his peo- ple. See Gen. xvii. 23. Jofh. viii. 35. 2 Chron. XX. 13. Ezr. viii. 21. — ** If children, then heirs." Rom. viii. 17, C 4 - So * The law takes notice of tlve power of parents over their children, the reciprocal intereft in each others eltate. Wood's Inftitute, &c. p. 63. An infant in the mother's womb, may be fuppofed to be born to many purpofes. lb. p. 11. An infant that is born after the death of his father, who was a fenator, fhall be elleemed a fenator's fon, if his father kept his dignity till his death. PufFendorf, B. iv. ch. xii. fee. 10. In the fuccelfion to inteftates, by the guidance of reafon, and by the con fen t of all the known kingdoms, children have the preference to all others, even of parents themfelves. A fa.ther difcharges his duty as he ought, when he makes his fon his heir. PufFendorf 's Law of Nature, £. iv. ch. xi. p. 427 3arbeyrac's note " 40 ^he Reafon and End So we are informed that the ancient Greeks had a rite of dedication, by which they devoted the new- born infant to the proteflion of their houfliold gods.* Indeed, when we confider that the blefied Jefus looked upon infants as proper fubjedls of his blef- fing, Mar. x. i6. we cannot reafonably fuppofe they would be excluded the initiating rite > and efpecially when they were to be trained and educated as adlually under his fceptre, The application of this rite to our infant-children, is therefore a recog- nition we make of his authority, who is conftituted of God, the one Lord, and law-giver to his church, in whofe hands the everiafting intcrefts of all his people are fecure. Will any now afK, whether the baptifmal rite has any fignification ? Will any one doubt of its having had a divine eflabiiiliment ? If I have not miftaken its original defign and pnd, it mull demand a religious obfervance fo long as God has a church in the world, under the govern- ment and protection of Jelus •, or, until the Son himfelf fhall deliver up the kingdom to the Father^ when God fhall be all in all. This dodrinal view of Chriflian baptifm will enable us to make feme refieclions. If The three great fadts by which the founder of our religion is diftinguifhed from all others of the human family, by their important inftrudion and beneficial influence, are, — his crucifixion, — refurrec- tion, — and exaltation. And becaufe of their uni- versally interefting meaning, tliree dillincl monu- ments - • »' - ' . ' ' " * See Potter's Greek Antiq. yd. II, p. 320, of Chr'ijlian Baptifm, -41 ments have been inftituted, as fo many conclufive vifible evidences of their truth, in order to keep alive the credibility of thefe fa6ls, and to urge their moral and falutary influence and impreffion. — Why we have referved the monument of the crucifixion for our lafl difcourfe, will be fhewn hereafter. At prefent, we may plainly perceive the wifdom and goodnefs of God, as iliuftrious in thefe appoint- ments i fmce they ferve, in every age of the church, ^s fo many undoubted teftimonies of the fads which they commemorate. Any one, not blinded with prejudice, may fte that a religion intended for all future ages in the world, would require fome per- petual monuments of its divine original : but thefe give their teftimony as conclufively in the more future, as they did in the firft age of Chriftianity. I wonder more notice has not been taken of this conclufive evidence, by writers profefTedly engaged to prove the divine original of our holy religion, II. We ought carefully to guard ^againfl all fuperftitious, as well as againft abfurd and con- temptuous opinions of baptifm : they are extremes, into which mankind are very apt to run. Such who will have the application of baptifmal-water, by an opus operatum to produce a real change in the moral complexion of the baptized, mufh furely be chargeable with a very abufive idea of the ritual. Or, they who reckon that the ordinance of baptifm does receive a divine virtue from the hand that ad- minifters the rite, are guilty of a grofs fuperftition. Yet, hence it was that fome Chriltian profeffors at Corinth fplit into parties, and rendered baptifm the fource of bitter animofities, and fiery contentions ; as if Paul, Apollos, or Cephas, had baptized in their own names : for which reafon it was, that St. Paul did thank God he had baptized fo few of that I • ' church. 42 ^he Reafon and End church. All ideas of a confecrated hand, or of confecrated water ufed in baptifm, muft be the Very quinteflence of abfurdity. As to the difference of time in applying the bap- tifmal rite, viz. whether in infancy, or adult age> this ought to be the refult of a full conviclion, from an honed, careful examination into the teachings of the facred canon. Yet, in my humble opinion, this difference fhould not deftroy that brotherly love which gives the fpirit of all genuine Chriftians, nor fuffer them to unchurch, or unchriftianize one another. I freely own myfelf perfuaded, that the infant children of all Chriftian parents, have a right to baptifm : for " if the root be holy, fo alfo fhould *' the branches be.'" And if either parent defires their child may be baptized, the other has no right to hinder. But though I am convinced of this being the New Teftament, or apollolical doftrine of baptifm, yet I would not fit in judgment, and condemn the anti-psedo-baptift, though I think him miftaken. It is a matter of greater a:flonifhment, that fuch vaft numbers of Chriftian profeffors have thought very fuperficially, and with much indifference, about the nature, defign, and end of baptifm. How carelefsly do many celebrate tlie ritual ? and with what a fanciful and ridiculous formality do others ? Nay, there are not a few who fpeak with an open contempt of the inftitution ! We verily have a Stci among us, who, in many other re^ fpefts, do appear a fenfible, regular, orderly peo- ple, yet abfolutely rcjeft two of thefe inftitutions, though they are momuments of the facfls of Chrift's humiliation and exaltation : at the fame time they celebrate the memorial of his rerurre^lion. We fliouia of Chnfiian Baptifm. i^3 iliould then carefully o-iiard ao-ainll all extremes, and prei'erve a religious regard to baptifm. III. We ought not to forget that the efficacious faving influence of baptifm, is what follows the ad- miniftration, viz. " the anfwer of a good confcience *■'■ towards God". So the original inftitution runs, *' Go, difciple all nations, baptizing them, and ** then teachino; them to obferve all things I have •" commanded." But although the faving efficacy- is fubfequent to baptifm, yet this throws no infig- nificancy upon the rite ; for if we have juflly un- derflood the New Teilament do6lrine of baptifm, it muft ever remain an appointment worthy our obfer- vance -, and if we can credit church-hiflory, it has been in univerfal practice ever fmce the age of apoflles : for, as lord King has obferved, in his En- quiry into the Conflitution of the Primitive Church, *' that not only Origen, Ireneus, and Cyprian make ^' mention of the ufe Chriftians made of water- ** baptifm"; but he alfo tells us, "that in an African ^' fynod held anno Dom. 254, whereat were pre- ^' fent fixty-fix bifliops ; the matter of debate con- *' cerning a fcruple of bifhop Fidus, was, whether *' infants might -be baptized before the fecond or " third day after their birth, or before the eighth ? "* Soearly a teftimony as that of Juftin Martyr's in the middle of the fecond century, compared with this in the middle of the third, will inchne one to con- clude, that the pradice of baptizing was, from the be- ginning, univcrfally obferved by Chriftians. Nov/ we have no reafon to think it would have been fo, had they not clearly feen it was an inftitution of Jefus, intended for the obfcrvance of Chriftians \n every age of the church. Howt An Enquiry, Part ii. p. 46, 44 ^^^ Reafon and End However, we mull own it is not the application of baptilmal-water to a body, that has the faving effed: -, for it will not be fufficient, either that we ourfelves have been fo baptized, or that we have thus folemnly recognized the exaltation of Jefus, in applying the ritual to our children i but it is requifite that both we and they difcover the anfwer of a good confcience towards God, by doing all thofe things, which Jefus has commanded. Thus it is that baptifm faves by his refurredtion from the dead, who is gone into heaven, and is at the right hand of God, angels, authorities, and powers, being made fubject to him. IV. We may pertinently oblerve, that all power in heaven and earth was not given to Jefus till after his refurreftion, and his having a name given him above every name, was that recompence of reward fet before him, by virtue of which he endured the crofs, and defpifed the fhame ; or, as it is elfewhere exprelTed, it was given him becaufe he had been obedient unto death, even the death of the crofs -, for therefore did God highly exalt him — and it was with this view, that every tongue fhould confefs him Lord, to the praife and glory of God the Father. Surely fuch a capital view of the divine proceedings, as does crown the public miniftrations of Jefus, Ihould have fome public monument, which fliall recognize the great event of the man Chrift Jefus being placed on the throne of an univerfal dominion ! Whichever way v/e contemplate the baptifmal rite, we difcern adorable wifdom, tendernefs, and companion in the appointment. There is an ap- ^itu4e in it to keep alive, in the church of God, a reverence and veneration, which is ever due to that grace of God, which brings faiyation to all men, of Chijiian Baptifni. 45 pien. And as there is no other monument ap- pointed to recognize that man's being raifed to the lummit of power, who died as a malefaftor, by the confent of his nation, there would hav€ been an apparent defed in the gofpel fyllem, had it not been provided with the baptifmal inftitution. That it is a rite of initiation is alfo evident, becaufe there is no other; and that this is its in- tention, muft appear from its admitting of no re- petition. But becaufe it initiates, it will be difficult to fuppofe it applicable to perfons long trained and educated in the principles of the Chriftian religion. If, therefore, it be not fo applicable to ' thofe who have been trained under gofpel teach- ings, it, with me, appears to be with the greateit propriety applied to infants : for the reafon, that ■ I cannot conceive, how a rite of initiation fhould be applied to perfons, who have long avowed the authority and rule of the one Lord. In the cafe of the firft converts to Chriftianity, we are affured, they were entitled to baptifm upon the very firft convidlion they had of the divine tcftimohy. V. They who object to a rite, which initiates into the Chriftian covenant, might as well objedt to a rite, which did initiate into "the Abrahamic and Mofaic covenant : nay, the two other monu- ments, which recognize the death and relurredion of Chrift, would admit of as forcible an objedlion. Many of thefe men affeft to think and fpeuk con- temptibly of all inftrumental religion ; but however fublimated and refined, or however abftraded their ideas, however philolbphic their conceptions, they ought to confider, the religion of Jefus is calcu- lated for the whole of mankind, and that by far the greater part are of lefs elevated conceptions ; but yet thefe are, by much, the beft dilpofed to i"cceive 46 T!he Reafo?i and 'End receive truth, and to live upon it. Hence it is faid, " that to the poor the gofpel is preached.'* It is to the induftrious part of mankind, that it makes the moll: efficacious addrefs -, and they, nor being accuftomed to abftraft reafoning, ftand in need of fome fenfible fymbols, or expreflive monuments, that may excite their attention, con- firm their faith, and help their devotions. Artful priefts, perceiving this to be the natural tendency of thefe appointed monuments, for the purpofe of exercifing a dominion over the people, have prefumed to devife a numerous pompous ritual, of a ceremonious complexion; and under. a pretence of improving the divine monuments. To what unjuftifiable lengths have churchmen gone, in difguifing both baptifm and the eucharift ? But we have reafon of admiration and praife, that we can celebrate thefe ordinances in their original fim- plicity, and free from the gaudy drefs put upon them, diicern their divine fignificance. On the other hand, how very depraved, how deplorably deformed are thofe minds, who are wholly occupied in the formalities of an amufing, unmeaning profeffion \ who live a lie, and are the . deceivers both of themfelves and others. Such do dreadfully diflionour that holy name, by which they are called ; and, alas ! muft be upon the worlt terms with the Lord of Life, the univerfal Judge, whofe miifion was to remove from his difciples the painful burthen of a deviled fyftem of carnal ordinances, and a fuperftitious ritual. Notwithftanding the Son has thus fet men free from all fublunary authority, in the province of religion ; yet fuch is the pride of life, where it becomes principle, as to ufe every artifice and itratagem, to decoy and cheat the pro- feffor of Chrifiian Baptifm. 47 feflbr out of his liberty, and to render him an eafy prey of prieftly dehifion. Upon the whole, we might reafonably afk, whether the fliocking Jmpiety and debauchery, which is fo prevalent in this kingdom, be not ma- nifeftly owing to a flagrant difregard to the lordfhip of Jefus, whom the great God has exalted to the feat of fovereignty, and made prince of the kings of the earth ! and likewife to a deplorable negledt of parents, who are under an indifpenfable en- gagement to train up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord ? Of one truth, however, we may be well afTured, that though we have the effrontery of daring to refufe the homage we owe the one Lord, we fhall, every one of us, anon fee him, and be witnefles of his majefty, who is gone into heaven, and is at the right hand of God, angels, authorities, and powers being made fubjed to him. On the Reafon and End cf the Lord's Supper, TH E defign and end of the following dif- courfe is, to inveftigate the reafon and end of that Chriftian inflitution, which is called the Eucharift, or Lord's fupper. The theme chofen for this purpofe is, i Cor. xi. 26. " For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink " this cup, ye do fhew the Lord's death till he *' come.'* I have made choice of this paflage, rather than of any one from the gofpels, for the reafon that St. Paul was, emphatically, " the apoille of the gen- " tiles," and declares in this context, that he, in his apoftolic miffion, received the account that he gives of the memorial fupper, immediately from the mouth of the afcended Jefus, which muft have been, at lead, twenty years after our Lord's re- furredtion. By the way, this compared with the evangelical hiftory, will determine its being in- tended for the obfervance, not only of the Jewilh, but alfo of the Gentile converts, and of all Chrifti- ans, in every fucceeding age of the church. Should it here be afked. Why, in the order of thefe difcourfes, a monument, which recognizes a primary fadt, Ihould have the laft confideration in our plan ? I would anfwer, for tliis obvious rea- fon, vf the LorcPs Supper, 49^ fon, viz. becaufe the celebration of the two other inftitutions are properly pre-requifites, or preparatory to the Chriftian's celebrating the memorials of his Lord's humiliation, or fufferings and death. But to proceed -, our apoftle remarks upon the abufes, which were made in the celebration of this rite by the church at Corinth, that they had changed the memorial fupper into a revel — or they had pa- ganized in the obfervance of this religious feftival ; for it fhould feem, that the more opulent Corin- thian Chriftians were wont to take an antepaft, or an indulgent meal, before they took the memorial bread and wine ; and thereby did cafl contempt on the poor, and gave them the blulh, who could make no fuch provifions. — Hence, fays St. Paul, *' What, have ye not houfes to eat and to drink in ? *' or defpife ye the church of God, and fhame the *' poor among you ?" Which reproof ihews moft evidently, that the antepaft, or love-feaft, was very miftakenly conneded with . the memorial fup- per*, and at the fame time proves, that that divine ritual, the eucharift, was intended for a public church fervice, and for a Chriftian fellowlhip and communion. They would aft with far more de- cency and propriety, did they but celebrate the ritual agreeably to its original inftitution. D In * For though the divine Jefus inftituted this ritual, after the celebration of the paflbver ; yet it had no connexion with, nor dependance on, that ritual; but, in faft, appears to have abrogated the celebration of the pafTover, that having been a monument, commemorative only of the deliverance of a fingle nation or people from Egyptian flavery, and was an annual feftival : whereas the eucharift is a monument, in commemo- ration of the deliverance of all mankind from fpiritual flavery, and the dominion of death, and which had originally a weelyly celebration. 50 T^he Keafon and End In order to their Iiaving a more perfed know- ledge of its reafon, nature and end, he makes a report of the inftitution as he had received it of the Lord, and had aforetime delivered it unto the Corinthians. Nay, the more effeftually to guard them againft any irregulaj-ities in the cekbration, he affures them, " that whoever fhall eat this me- " morial bread, or drink this memorial cup un- ♦' worthily, fliall be guilty of the body and blood " of the Lord * j " or, in other words, fhall be chargeable with prophaning and perverting the •manifefb defign and end of the inftitution ; for, to riot upon, or over thefe memorials, would difgrace and difhonour the divine ordinance, and be a kind of guilt, of like malignity with that of fpilling the life-blood of Jefus. "Without any further notice of the context, I Ihall proceed to enquire into the apofble's meaning, when he fays, " For as often as ye eat this bread, '* and drink this cup, ye do fhew, or fliew ye, the " Lord's death till he come." This inference St. Paul draws itnmediately from the above report he has made of the inflitution, as he had received it from the mouth of the exalted Jefus j and we may find in it sreat inftrudtion. o Inafmuch as my profefled bufinefs is to enter, as far as I am able, into the reafon, nature, and end of this memorial rite, I would begin with obferv- ing, that the time of its original inftitution was, ** the night in which Jefus was betrayed, when he *' took bread and brake it, after he had given " thanks, and bid his difciples take and eat than *' fymbol of his body, which was to be broken ; " and Comp. Heb. vi.^ 6, of the Lord^s Supper, 51 ** and to take the cup, as wliat was to be the fym- *' bol ' of the New Teftament in his blood, very " foon to be fhed, in order to feal the doftrine of *' remiffion of fin." — We fliould here obferve, our Lord fpeaks of his crucifixion, in the fame manner as one would fpeak of a fadl, which had already taken place -, and would thus denote its abfolute certainty. By the doftrine here given of what the ritual is to recognize, it furely cannot be an in- ftitution of fmall fignificance, or of little impor- tance •, fmce the blood, which it fymbolically re- prefents, is what feals, xatifies, or confirms that new covenant. We may thus conceive of its being a divine ap- pointment, viz. £3 the deformity and riialignity of fm are reprefented in the fufferings and death of Chrift, with all the pofTible aggravations of guilt and crime in thofe, vvho cruelly put him to the torture of a crucifixion ! and becaufe when rifen from the dead, and exalted to the right hand of power, pardon and life were offered, in his name, to his murderers : thence it is, that the dodrine of divine mercy is rendered io very iiluftrious! His death was, no doubt, intended to convince man- kind of the evil of fin and worldlinefs, fince all the (divine teftimonies, which were fo openly and amply given to his heavenly character and miffion, were not of v/eight enough to fecure him from the rage of mens lufts. For though he had moil: won- derfully appeared " in the form of God," through- out his public miniftry, with all the luftre and glory of divine wifdom and knowledge in his dodrinal teachings, and with all the majefty of divine power and goodnefs in his miracles -, yet men would not reverence this well-beloved, this only begotten Sen of God ! Thus it is that his fufl^erino;s and death do make manifeil the infatuating influence of D 2 worldlinefs 5 52 T^be Reafon and End worldllnefs -, and give demonftration of its fixed enmity to truth and righteoufncfs. For this reafon alfo it is, that apoftles do lay fo much emphafis on the death of Chrift, becaufe of its reflecling fo ftrongly the oppofition which there is between a love of the world and a love of God. It was therefore the tendency which our Lord's death would have to convince mankind of fin, of righteoufncfs, and of judgment; and to recover them to an abhorrence of all iniquity, that fur- nifhed a prepollent motive to the laying down of his life, or, to the giving himfelf a ranfom for us, that he might deliver us from the evil of this pre- fent world, by condemning fm in the flefh. In this mirror we fee the virulent, deftrudive, deadly poi- fon which there is in all worldly luftings, that en- flave the mind by depraving its faculties, and clebafing its powers. Nor can we fail of the moft efficacious convidtion, if we are but at the pains to take a cloie, critical, and impartial furvey of a charafter, the moft divinely amiable and excellent that ever pen defcribed, or human eye beheld ! Say what men will, the gofpel-hiftory exhibits a charac- ter that is truly matchlefs, in all the written records of ages ; a charafter drawn without any one figna- ture of art ; illiiftrious in all the fpirit and temper, in all the air, mien, and life of aftion and addrefs ! a chara6ler that not only commands the admiration, the reverence and love, the delight and joy of man ; but, with full evidence is declared, by the heavenly oracle, to be the well-beloved of the Father ! which charadler, v/ell examined, will throw before our eyes, the unheard of aggravation of guilt and crime, in the hands that wickedly confpired, and cruelly compalTed, his fufferings and death. The of the hordes Supper, 53 The argument is thus urged home to every thinking mind that would reafon to any good pur- pofe on the aftonilliing event ! How horrid the worldly fpirit ! how inexpreflibly poifonous and deadly the influence of luft, that could defpife, deride, mock, and infult the very brightnefs of the Father's glory, and the exprefs image, or charafter, of his perfon ! Mankind could never have once thought of treating with difrefpedb, much lefs with rude embittered rage and cruelty, the moft vene- rable, amiable, and beneficent Son of man the earth ever bore ; were it not that the luftings oi' worldlinefs had deplorably blinded their minds, and hardened their hearts. The devout contempla- tion of which, furnilhes a divine reafon for an ap- pointment of the memorial rite ; and, at the fame time, proclaims the propriety, fitnefs, and ufeful- nefs of the celebration to every fmcere profefllng Chriftian. Thus the great dodtrinal lines of the inftitution do open upon us. And who can difpute the reafonablenefs of an appointment which has fo gracioufly condefcended, by external fenftble fymboh^ to lead us to recoiledt and calculate the weight of deformity and malignity that there is in iin •, which is, as it were, placed before our eyes in the memorial of our Lord's cru- cifixion. My reader muft, by this time, be perfuaded, that the event of the death of Chrift could be no other than of a very extraordinary nature -, which ■ indeed might be eafily inferred from the teachings both of p. ophets and apoflles, as well as from our Lord's own declarations concerning his fufferings and death \ for he fpeaks " of giving his flefh for P 3 " the ^4 Ti^^ Reafon and End *' the life of the world •, * — and of laying down his " life for the fheep. " -f — And moreover fays, " my " Father loveth me becaufe I lay down my life, " that I might take it again. "§ And St. John fays, " herein perceive we the love of God, becaufe *' Jefus laid down his life for us. "^ — Like- wife St. Paul exprefles himfelf with the utmoil force of language, when he fpeaks of the death of Chrift-, for he tells the Corinthians, that in his preaching to them, *^ he was determined not to '' know any thing among them, fave Jefus Chrift, *' and him crucified. " J And to the Galatians he thus writes, " God forbid that I fhould glory, fave " in the crofs of our Lord Jefus Chrift, by whom " the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the " world. "II If, therefore, Jefus Chrift and his apoftles did pnderftand the crucifixion to be of fuch vaft im- portance, we are conftrairied to own, that the life, the real fpiritual life of men, does abfolutely depend upon the conformity which they exprefs to its mo- ral inftruftion ; which in the exprefs words of St. Paul, you fee, is no other than, " our being cru- " cified unto the world, and the world unto us. " — This, I prefumx, gives the plain do(5trinal mean- ing of the memorial rite. What renders the inftitution yet further engag- ing, and fo worthy of cur religious obfervance, is, the appointed fymbols are, in their own nature, fo very expreflive, as to be the ordinary ftated fup- ports and refrefhments of this temporary life of man j even bread and wine, provifions which the bountiful =* Joh. vi. 51. t Ch.x. 15. % Ch. X. 17. <^[ I Ep. iii. 16. comp. ch. iv. 9. % i Cor. ii. 2. ll Gal. vi. 14. of the Lord^s Supper. ^^ bauntiful hand of nature has furnifhed for our fuftenance ; and fitted to exhilarate and revive our fpirits when deprefled, or exhaufted by any of the labours and fatigues, or finking under the infirmities, of this bodily fyilem. One cannot imagine nnore apt and familiar fymbols of Chrift's body broken, and: his blood fhed for us ; when we are led thereby ta recolle(5l and recognize thofe advantages of infor- mation, conviction, and edification, which the dodrine of his death affords us — when the health and life of our fouls do abfolutely depend upon the right improvement we make of his fufferings and death, " who was wounded by the tranfgreflions of " men ; bruifed by their iniquities ; when the " chaftifement of our peace was upon him ; and " when by this his ftripe we are healed. " Very fitly, it mull be owned, is Jefus called both the light and the life of men. To us he a<5lually becomes the reflirreflion and the life, as we are prevailed upon, by his pathetic inftrudion, to be mortified to the world, to die tQ fin, and to rife to newnefs of life. And well did he exprefs himfelf, and in language applicable to none elfe, when he faid, " my flefh is meat indeed, and *' my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my " flefh and drinketh my blood hath eternal life, " and I will raife him up at the laft day." Such is the inellimable importance of the teachings of Jefus, that we are faid to feed upon his labour and endurances*, when we are thereby prevailed upon to deny ungodlinefs and worldly lulls, and to live foberly, righteoufly, and godly in this prefent world. D 4 We Compare i Qhron, xi. 18, 19, 56 ^he Reafon and End We have abundant evidence that Jefus can be a Saviour to none but to thofe whom his teachings fet free from their worldlinefs, and render holy an4 heavenly in all their defires and afFeftions. He faves none in their fins, but from their fins ; and becaufe his own fufferings and death give the fulleft demonftration of ihe deformity and malignity of fin ; he, in compafllon to mankind, under their deplorable depravity, inftituted for the benefit of his church, this moft apt and fignificant memorial rite. As to the times of celebration, our blefled Lord has not exprefly faid how often we are to celebrate thefe memorials of his death ; but he well knew, as he had not the Spirit by meafure, or by limita- tion, as the prophets had, that his apollles who fhocld fettle and eftablilh the rule of Chriftian wor- Ihip, and the conftitutions of his church and king- dom, would give all the needful inftruftions. And although St. Paul does not exprefly fay how often, yet it fhould feem to have been an eflential part of the Chriftian public worfhip, on the firft: day of the week. I cannot but be of opinion, that, in the time between the refurredion and afcenfion, St. Luke's report of the firft Chriftians, " that they " continued ftedfaftly in the apoftles doftrine and " fellowftiip, even in breaking of bread, and in '* prayer, " A61. ii. 42. . the eucharift muft be there intended. Neither is it any objection, that at v. 46. they are faid to break bread at their own houles, at a time they were not yet provided with other places of worfhip. This, probably, mufl have been the cuftom of converts during the infancy of Chriftian- ity, in any place. Compare ch. xii. 12. and xx. 7, 8. in which laft place, this fame hiftorian alfo fpeaks of their public worfhip on the firft day or the of the Lord's Supper. 57 the week, under the difcriminating adion of break- ing bread. " And upon the firft day of the week, " when the difciples came together to break bread.'* I might here fubjoin that known teftimony of Pliny in the reign of Trajan, who informs the em- peror, that the Chriftians " did reaflemble on a *' ftated day, to eat, in common, an harmlels *' meal — after they had addrefled themfelves, in a *' form of prayer, to Chrift, as to fome God. " — Doubtlefs Pliny means the Eucharift, by the harm- lefs meal. As to the per fans qualified to celebrate the ritual. I own, I am far from thinking that the adminif- tration of this ordinance was to all thofe who heard the fcriptures read, joined the public prayers, and heard the folemn exhortation-, and fo far am I from juftifying the pradice, in a darker age, of giving the eucharift to infants, that 1 cannot even fuppofe catechumen, or young converts, qualified, till well informed of the nature, defign, and end of the memorial rite ; for our apoftle lays down this exprefs canon, " let a man examine himfelf, *' and fo let him eat of that bread, and drink of *' that cup." — Whence it is plain, that perfon? incapable of felf-examination, are incapable of fuch celebration. And, methinks, Pliny's account of the Chriftians reassembling /f the week-fabbath ; a day univerfally obferved by Chriftians, in abrogation of the Jewilh fabbath. And becaufe Deity has exalted him to the right hand of power, and made him head over all things ro the church of God, he has inltituted baptifm to recognize his lordfhip, and to ' initiate into his kingdom-, which monument remains in high prc- fervation until this day. Pray what fort of evidence will convince of the divinity of the gofpel-fyftem, if this will not? If thefe witnelTes, which anfv/er to die fpirir, the water, and the blood, will not perfuade, neither would miracle make the lead imprelTion on the infidel. nidly. No man who reads the gofpel-hiflory, under the idea of a divine revelation, but mifift own, that the teachings of Jesus do far excel all other informations mankind have ever had of the truth and grace of God. — His ditlinguifhed char radler, his divine office, his fuperior appointments, are what determine him to be the Saviour of the world. The teftimony of both prophecy and mi- racle, conclude him to be the light and the life of men '! 64 The Reafon and End men ! And we do very reafonably infer, the mani- feft propriety of thefe three inftituted monuments, from their being an open, perpetual, (landing evi- dence of the credibility of the facts, which they recognize! in all of which we are interefted, as heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Chrift of eternal life. And however we may look upon the reft of mankind as made for happinefs, and furnifhed with the adequate means of attainment ; yet we are conltrained to acknowledge, that God has " abounded towards us in all wifdom and pru- *' dence" under the gofpel-difpenfation : for, by the teachings of Jefus, he has made the cleareftand fulled manifeftation of himfelf ! — Hence it is, that apoftles lay fo much ftrefs upon the weight of guilt, which men contract, who are found either to defpife or neglecfl this great falvation. They afk, " How Ihall " luch efcape"! Neither (hould any one be altoniflied at finding, that the religion of Jefus is not the univerfal reli- gion of mankind. He will not, if he once con- liders how very foon, and how very far, men have corrupted and perverted this heavenly inltitution. — Do but calt your eyes on the papal church, and tell me whether paganifm had not a much better afpecl ? — At the fame time, Ihed a tear over the proteftant perverfions ! for even they have brought the world into an alliance with the church, and do greatly folace themfelves in that very whimfical and wicked connection. Where, O where, will you find the religion of Jefus in its native, priftine fpirit and purity I If you now afk, *' Where are the churches, which are edi- " fied in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort " of of the Lord's Supper. 6j *^ of the holy Spirit, and are multiplying?'* — who Ihall tell you ? — If St. John was to vifit our churches, would he fay to us what he faid to the eledb lady ? viz. *' I rejoice gr«atly to find thy ** children walking in the truth, as we received a " commandment irom the Father." — Would he not rather fay with St. Paul, " I have found many " walking in craftinefs, and handling the word of " God deceitfully, and that verily our gofpel I fee is *' hid ; for the god of this world has blinded the *' minds of men." None but the man, who re- jcds all revelation, can deny the excellence of the New TeiVament teachinp;s ; but he, indeed, who does, will laugh at all inftrumental religion : never- thelefs, we are not to forget, fuch is the prefcnt frail ftate of man, that he ftands in need of fome fenfitive addrefs. — ^For, IVthly, If the view we have taken of the memo- rial rite be juft, we can well account for its ufe and importance ; afliiredly, not any inflitution could have more conlulted the weaknefTes and wants, the frailties and infirmities, of the human mind, during its probation. The dangers, which arife from thefe fenfitive fcenes, do borrow their degree of malignant influence from a faulty love of the world. This is a capital evil, or it is " the *' evil one,*" which conftantly addrefles mankind. To be delivered from its hurtful influence, and to be raifed to an heavenly difpofition, is the great defign of that grace of God, which bringeth fal- vation. " Do fome fay, they are enabled to arrive at this " divine attainment, without making ufe of the " eucharift ? and therefore fee no need they have *' of celebrating the memorials of Chrifl:'s death ? " E Not Ttv TT'.rti^M, P.datt. vi. 13. 66 T^he Reajbn and End Not further to debate the matter with them, I would only afk. Do they profefs themfelves Chril- tians ? Are they perfuaded, that Jefus Chrill: did inftitute this men»rial rite for the ufe and benefit of his church in all ages ? Admitting this, they convict themfelves of negledt, in not celebrating the memorial rite, and they virtually prefume to charge the Lord of God's church with a needlefs inftitution. I own, I am of opinion, the fame reafon that would infer the non-neceflity of the in- ftitution, would difpute the reafon, ule, and end of the death of Chrift. But then, is not this to be wifer than God ? or than Jefus, his reprefentative ? As to the evafive manner, in which the Quaker declines the celebration, by making it " a merely *' myflical and fpiritual communion and partici- " pation of the body and blood of Chrift" — this has no fupport in any of the New-Teftament teach- ings ; for all thefe do exprefly mention the adtual eating of memorial bread, and drinking memorial wine, upon having firft feparated the elements by a folemn thankfgiving; and as an adl of public, and not of private worfhip. — " What, have ye '* not houfes to eat and drink in ? " fays our apoftle. "With him agrees the evangelical hiftorians •, and Pliny's early teftimony corroborates the fa6t of a folemn celebration of the ritual among the firft Chriftians. It is not at all probable, that an event of fb in- terefting a nature, and of fo univerfal an import- ance to mankind, as is the death of Chrift, could be unprovided with fome monument, that fhould preferve the remembrance thereof, and put the credibility of the fa6t beyond all reafonable doubt. For I thus argue, either the event of Chrift's death 2 does of the hordes Supper. 67 does univerfally concern mankind, orelfe apoftles are all of them miilaken in their reprefentations ; fincc a fingular emphafis is laid upon it in the New Tef- tament written records. Vthly, No one can miftake the doflrine of the memorial rite, who fees it is calculated to expofc the turpitude and malignity of woridlinefs ; but if it is fo evidently adapted to the correcflion and cure of the mind, to the prefervation of it from all deadly pollutions, the wifdom and goodnefs of the inftitution muft confefiedly be iiluftrious. — At the fame time, a clear difcernment of this its divine tendency, will qualify any Chriftian profeflbr for the celebration : forafmuch as it is evident, that no one can eat or drink unworthily^ who, in this religious obfervance, inculcates upon his own fpirit an abhorrence of all worldly luftings. It is true, in the light we have viewed the eucha- rift, there manifeftly is a great fimplicity : the whole doctrine of it feems to center in unity. One fingle idea is what comprehends the reafon and end of the inftitution. But then I afk, Is not this a fure mark of truth ? — I know, indeed, it will militate much with all myftical reprefentations of the Lord's fupper : it will divcft the artful prieft of all his magic power; it will render extremely ridiculous all his great exploits, and wonderful atchievements, with the confecrated wafer or bread ! His pretence of tranfubftantiating the elements, by an hocus pocus, into the very body and blood of Chrift, will appear extremely contemptible, and excite one's juft indignation! Even the giving thefe elements to the fick and dying, as a pafiport to heaven, muft heighten one's aftoniftiment at the offenfive, flagrant abfurdity! A dying man, if E 2 fenfible. 68 T^he Reafon and End fenfihlc, has enough to inform him, and ftands in no need of this ritual, to enable him to fee the tur- pitude and deformity of worldlinefs. Vlthly, Chriftians will not bejuftified in a neg- le(il of the memorial rite, becaufe they fee many eat and drink at the Lord's table, who neverthelefs do deplorably remain under the dominion of world- linefs, and are the manifeil flaves of lull. Neither is it a fufficient excufe, that many have loaded the obfervance with much fuperftition, and rendered an admifiion to the table, harfh, ftupid, and offen- five, — Or, becaufe they fee the ordinance brought into reproach, Ihockingly prophaned for the vile pufpofe of being made a civil teft, or a qualifi- cation for places of profit, power, truft, or honout. This proftitution is an evil of fo malignant a nature, that, from the enormity of its guilt, our land mourns ! And anon Britain muft feel the weight of his difpleafure, who cannot but vindicate the honour of his own inftitutions. In a word, we are unable to conceive of a greater affront, or of a more flagrant contumacy, that could be offered to the one Lord, than fuch a fenatorial outrage com- mitted on the facred memorials of his death, ori- ginally intended to convince men of the malignity of worldlinefs ; but audacioufly perverted to the purpofe of being made a teft of qualification for gratifying the worldly fpirit. Should the infidel object to the above difcourfes, " That however the firft Chriftians might be led " to diftinguifh thcmfelves from the Jews or Gen- " tiles, in their religious profefTion, by thefe dif- " criminating obfervances of the fabbath, baptifm, " and the eucharift \, yet they do not appear, con- " vincingly to him, to be the monuments of fuoh •' f^ict§ i nor does he underftand that they have " been cj the Lord^s Supper, 69 " been viewed in this light, generally, by the *' Chriftians, in any age of the Chriftian church." To fuch I would reply, that the conclufivenefs of their argument, fo underftood, does appear to me, to admit of no reafonable objedlion. For admitting they were, by the original written canon, to be fo under- ftood, it is no fort of proof of their inconciufive- nefs, that Chriftians foon difguifed and corrupted, or perverted their original intention ; for fo truly they did pervert fome of the piaineft doftrinal truths in all the gofpel teachings ; and they muft havehad a divine origination, orelfe they could never have univerfaily obtained, as we have fufficient hiftorical evidence they did from the beginning. For example, as to the change of the fahhath from the feventh to the firft day of the week, the obfervance of the unbelieving Jews to this day, does every where ciem.onftrate, that change fo made by the Chriftians. And that it was in the apoftolic age thus difcriminating, is not only evident from the New Teftan^ent record, but from the earlieft church hiftory •, for Ignatius " bids the Tvlagne- fians not to fabbatize with the Jews, but to lead a life agreeable to the Lord's day, on which our life was raifed from the dead. And Tertuilian, when he writes only to the Chriftians, commonly ufeth the name of the Lord's day, and efpecially when he would diftinguiih it from the Jewilh fabbath. And to the fame purpofe, Origen, to diftinguifti the firft-day fabbath from the Jevv^iflij fays, that Manna was firft rained down from heaven on the Lord's day, and not on the fab- bath."* — Herein figuratively referring to the teachings of Chrift and his miniftrations bein,®- ** that true bread which came down from heaven."** From * Bingham's Antiq. of th^ Chriftian Church, B. xx. ch. ii, p. 285, 286t yo T^he Reafon and End From thefe teftimonies I reafon thus : Had not the fait of the refurredion of Chrift been notorious, and of valt confeqiience to mankind, no monument could ever have been ere(5led as in perpetual evi- dence -, neither could any rational account be given of this weekly feftival, had it not been of divine inftitution ; forafmuch as the fir ft obfervers of this change of the fabbath, were fuch as had been edu- cated in the religious obfervance of the Mcfaic fabbath, and could only have been reconciled to this change, by an alTurance that it was authorized by the faft of the Lord's refurredion ; a fad: which gives a ground of confidence of his being the very man whom God has ordained to judge the world in righteoufnefs. It is not at all probable, that an event of fo interefting a nature, as that of therefur- redion of Chrift, fhould be without fome apt and exprefTive memorial. Neither is there the leaft reafon to fuppofe, that fuch memorial could have been inftituted or originated in any age after that of the apoftles : forafmuch as no univerfal and perpetual agreement among Chriftians, could ever have taken place upon a merely human invention. I conclude, therefore, that no objedlion can pofli- bly weaken the teftimony given to the refurredion by this monument. A like reafoning will hold with refpeft to the fa6t of Chrift's exaltation to the right hand of power. It is not to be fuppofed, that baptifmal water fhould ever have been applied in his name, as fo exalted, and by which all the firft converts were initiated into God's church and kingdom, had it been the contrivance or projeft of human invention j on the contrary, apoflles muft have been well afTured, that fo to baptize, did originate in the exprefs order of their Lord and Mafter ; thereby acknowledging or recognizing his fovereignty, who has all power given to him, both in heaven and in earth, — It will of the hordes Supper, 7 1 will be of no weight for any to tell us, that the Clirif- tians loon perverted the plain dodrine, and enter- tained a thoufand ftrange notions about the reafon and end of baptifm. And as to the fa6t of our Lord's fufFerings and death, we have the flrongeft reafon to conclude, that becaufe of the divine inftruftion which this gives mankind, as in the fuUeft poflible manner it does make manifeft the malignity that there is in worldlinefs ; fuch a pi6turefque view of the evil there is in a love of the world, is what renders the memorial rite euchariftical. But to remove all pofiible objediion to the divine original of this infti- tution of the fupper, for univerfal and perpetual obfervance, and to eftablifh the celebration of this ritual upon an immoveable foundation, we have affurance from the apoftle of the Gentiles, that he perfonally received the mod exprefs inflrjdlions concerning it from the afcended Jefus. Now this fame apoftle, in almoft all his epiftles, takes pains to convince the Chriftians that the whole of his inftrudtions were truly of divine original, for that he had not the leaft ability of forming any one part of the gofpel canon. Nor is he afraid of mak- ing his appeal to the reafon and underftanding of mankind, in all his apoftolical addrefs. — And when it is moreover confidered, that thefe three obfer- vances have, from the beginning, been the difcri- minating marks of the Chriftian profefTion, and what render obvious its divine origination to every unprejudiced, impartial, judicious eye, we may take the utmoft fatisfaftion in embncing the reii- gion*of Jefus. Yet, after all, however plain, liowever full and determinate the divine evidence of its divinity, as it is found in the New Teftament canon -, yet neither our 72 T^he Reafon andEnd^ ^c, our Lord nor his apoftles did ever expedb that a cordial reception fhould be given to the Gofpel- mejfage by any, but fuch only who religioufly make its teachings a rule of life, from a firm per-, fuafion that they fhall be the rule of the final judg- ment. So that till the infidel has made this expe- riment of the divinity of gofpel teachings, he may well look upon himfelf as an incompetent judge of its evidence. To conclude, the general negledl of celebrating this ritual is a convincing proof, either of the little acquaintance Chriftians have with the teachings of Jefus, or elfe of their little reverence for his inftitu- tions. My worthy predecefiTor, Dr. James Foster, I well remember, obferved to me, with much con- cern, the general difregard ihewn to the communion table! on which account he faid, he looked upon his church, " but as a rope of fand" — his very cxpreflion. Melancholy it is to find no more profefTing Chriftians do celebrate the memorial rite. In an age fo full of temptation, what need have our YOUTH of fuch a divine balance againft itspoifonous, deadly influence ? Would you, who are young, overcome the world ? celebrate religioufly the me- morials of Chrift's death. This is your Lord's advice : he aflli redly had it in view when he infti- tuted the fupper. Thus I have finiihed the furvey I propofed of the three inftitutions, viz. Of the Chriftian l^ibbath ; of baptifm -, and of the eucharift ; and have, with integrity, and I hope with evidence, pleaded' the caufe of truth and religion. Do me the favour of an impartial, ferious, and clofe re-confideration, — and do yourfelves the juftice of a faithful and efficacious application. The E X d.