knowledge themselves to be miserable finners, and know that they are for ever undone, if God does not pardon them! How few seem to be truly thankful for the mercies they have received, or truly fenfible of the bleffings they stand in need of!

And is it not for want of thus approaching God, with difpofitions becoming his majesty, and our miferable condition, that too many return from God's house without a bleffing; and very many, it is to be feared, without fo much as asking a blessing?

Let us confider the other means of grace. We fay, the facraments are necessary to salvation. Do the generality of Chriftians feem to believe them, in good earnest, to be fo? Why, truly, as to the firft, Chriftians are generally very careful to have their children baptized; and very ready to promise for them, that those conditions which God requires of perfons to be baptized, shall be observed when they come to age; and then they fuppofe, that they have done their duty, though they neither think of this promise themselves, nor take any great care that their children fhall either know or perform it. Through which wretched careleffness of too many parents, it comes to pass, that they who by baptifm have been made the children of God, and heirs of heaven, instead of continuing fuch, have become the children of the devil, and heirs of damnation.

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We all know, that this is not the pattern fet us in facred fcripture. I know, faith God of Abraham, that he will teach his children to keep the way of the Lord. And they that neglect to do fo, will have reason to repent, when they find not that comfort in their children which they hoped for; and when their children will wish they had never been born.

To prevent this, and to provide a remedy against the careleffness of too many parents, the church has ordered, that as foon as children come to years of difcretion, they shall be brought to be coNFIRMED; that is, the church will then be fatisfied, and that from their own mouths, whether they know what a solemn vow, promife, and profeffion, was made in their name at their baptifm; and whether they will ratify and confirm the fame in their own perfons? Which if they do fincerely, they become compleat members of the church of Chrift, and have a right to all the bleffings of being fuch; which are, the forgiveness of all their past fins; the manifold graces of God's Holy Spirit; and an affurance of everlafting life and happiness, if they fhall be careful to keep the vows they now take upon them.

And now, would not one expect to fee all parents very thankful for fuch a bleffed opportunity of having their children fet out as they fhould do, fo as living or dying to be a comfort to them? But, inftead of this, inftead of being folicitous to have their children duly

prepared

prepared for this ordinance, too many parents are very little concerned whether their children are inftructed or not, whether they are confirmed, nay, whether they are likely to be faved or damned. And thofe very parents, who would be in the greatest affliction to fee their children made flaves for life, can yet be content to see them in danger of being flaves of hell to all eternity; which they are sure to be, if they are not instructed how to live so as to please God,

This is an occafion of grief to all serious Chriftians: and all Chriftians should be ashamed of such stupid careleffness.

The great end of confirmation is, to prepare young Chriftians for the facrament of the Lord's fupper. That as often as that facrament shall be administered, they may have an opportunity of making their peace with God, of obtaining his pardon for any fins they may have fallen into, of renewing their vows, and obtaining fuch farther degrees of are neceffary for their prefent condition.

grace as

Here, if ever, one would expect to find all who profess christianity very Jerious, and very fincere; very conftant, and very devout, at this facrament.

The command is plain and pofitive: Do this in remembrance of me-of ME, your redeemer-of ME, who am going to lay down my life for you. The duty is easy to be understood by the meaneft capacity; and easy

to

to be performed by all that are willing to lead a godly life.

All Chriftians are bound, at the peril of their fouls, to obferve this ordinance of Christ. The bleffings which attend the worthy receiving this facrament are invaluable,-no lefs than the pardon of all our paft fins; the continuance of God's holy fpirit; the increase of his graces here, and eternal happiness hereafter. And lastly, the neglect or abuse of this ordinance will be punished with judgments in this world, and in the world to come with mifery unfpeakable.

Notwithstanding all this, this ordinance is very much neglected, and much profaned by too many-by too many, who would tremble to think of renouncing the Chriftian religion; who yet do in effect renounce the communion of faints, by turning their backs upon this ordinance. Not now to mention the strange indifference which too many discover, who come to the Lord's fupper; not confidering, that it is as much the food of their fouls, and as necessary for their spiritual growth, as their daily bread is for the support of their bodies.

d

And what do you think the confequence of this indifference will be? Why, affure yourfelves, the very fame with that mentioned by the Evangelift; when the king came to fee the guests, and faw there a man that had not on him a wedding garment; that is, one who profeffed to be a difciple of Chrift, but yet behaved

d Matth. xxii. 12.

haved himself very unworthy of fuch a mafter; the king, therefore, ordered him first to be turned out of his house as an hypocrite, and then to be caft into outer darkness, where there is nothing but weeping and gnashing of teeth.

And now, good Chriftians, I have fhewed you your pattern. I have fet before you the defign of christianity, and the means appointed by God himself for bringing that defign about. That he has given us his holy word, by which we come to the knowledge of him and his glorious perfections,-that he is infinitely good, and therefore to be loved above all things; that he is infinitely just, and therefore at our peril not to be offended; that he is infinite in power, and therefore to be feared. By that word alfo we come to know our own condition; that we are fadly fallen from that state in which we were created; that we are become the objects of God's anger, and of his compaffion; that he is pleased to offer us pardon upon the most reasonable terms; and has given us all poffible affurance, that if we make this word the rule of our faith and manners, we shall be the care of his holy angels while we live, and be very happy when we die. That to bring this about, he calls us by his minifters to repentance. By them, (that is, by baptifm administered by them) we are admitted into his houfhold, which is the church, by which we become his children, and heirs of the kingdom of heaven. That if

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