ing of the Holy Ghoft (m), as things which fhould never be feparated. And, for the fame reafon, Peter informs us, that baptism is of no avail unless attended with "the answer of a "good conscience (n),” i. e. a fincere and cordial acceptance of the offers of the gospel.

The Lord's fupper was inftituted to keep up a thankful remembrance of the death of Christ (0), as a facrifice fully expiating fin, and purchasing for us all the bleffings of the new covenant (p). Chrift, by giving us the fymbols of his broken body and fhed blood, feals and confirms our right to himself, and to all the bleffings of his purchafe. And hence the Lord's fupper is termed the communion of the body and blood of Chrift (g), not because it affures us that believers in general are faved, but because it is delivered to us in particular, as a pledge of Chrift crucified, and of all his benefits. We, on the other hand, by fhewing forth Chrift's death, do profefs, to look upon it as the procuring caufe of a joyful and fpiritual life. When we receive and

feed upon the facramental bread and wine, we declare our spiritually receiving and feeding upon Chrift, and exprefs our warm and grateful fentiments of redeeming love, and by fitting down with others, who make the fame profeffion, we fignify, that we are all partakers of the fame faith, and of the fame covenant bleffings, and, on that account, bound to the moft fervent mutual affection (r). Thefe are the ends of the Lord's fupper. Without the exercife of faith,

they cannot be attained. And therefore, without faith, we muft needs be unfit for that ordinance. It was intended, for thofe alone, for whom Chrift's body was broken, and for the remiffion of whofe fins Chrift's blood was shed (s). And hence it is injoined (t), let a man examine himfelf, and fo let him eat. The Greek word Soniμaler is borrowed from goldsmiths trying gold, whether it be genuine or counterfeit and is used to fignify trying the quality or goodness of any thing, in order to determine whether it is of the right fort. Here it means, examining, whether we are real Chriftians, or falfe-hearted hypocrites. The reafon of the precept appears from the next verfe. Grace alone capacitates to difcern the Lord's body with that spiritual guft and relifh, without which we partake unworthily, and eat and drink judgment to ourselves.

I acknowledge, however, that minifters may lawfully dispense the facraments, to hypocrites who have a credible profeffion. And fo may a judge lawfully affign you a fum of money, when by credible witneffes you prove your right to it, though, after all, you may have bribed these witneffes to perjure themfelves. But though minifters may lawfully difpenfe the facraments to hypocrites, hypocrites cannot lawfully demand them. The exercises of foul to be performed in receiving them, are exercises of which true believers alone are capable. They only can wafh their garments, and make them white in the blood of the Lamb. They only can fpiritually receive and feed upon Chrift's body and blood.

(s) Luke xxii. 19, 20. compared with Mat. xxvi. 28. (1) I Cor. xi. 28.

The external rites others may perform, but not in the manner which makes them feals of the covenant, and that is the only manner in which God allows them to be performed. And thus I have fully fhewn, that the feals of the covenant are under the New Teftament peculiar to the inwardly pious, and that therefore none elfe are now in covenant with God.

SECTION II.

$1. LET us next enquire, what are the bleffings, of the alledged external covenant, between God and profeffors of Christianity, though in heart infincere?

The chief bleffing promised to Ifrael, in the Sinai covenant, was temporal profperity. But no fuch promife is made, either to the visible or invifible Chriftian church. Every individual difciple of Jefus, muft lay his account with croffes and afflictions (u). How then can a fociety, confifting of profeffed difciples, look for exemption from them? The appearance of holiness must meet with little favour, in a world, where real holiness is hated or defpifed. In every age, fome who profefs Chriftianity in its genuine purity, are involved by that very profeffion, in peculiar hardships and diftreffes. If God had pro'mifed to bestow upon them temporal profperity, this could by no means be reconciled with his truth and faithfulness.

(u) Matth. xvi. 24. John xvi. 33. Acts xiv. 22. 2 Tim. Heb. xii, 6, 7.

I.12.

The

The treasure of the Chriftian is in heaven (v). Every outward bleffing he enjoys on earth, is only an appendage to his inheritance (w), difpenfed to him in a fovereign manner, in fo far as is for God's glory and his good, not claimable by any abfolute promise.

Godliness, indeed, has ftill the promises of the life that now is (x), and our Lord has affured us, that the meek fhall inherit the earth (y). But whatever these promises import, they are confined to the meek and godly, and therefore afford no fhadow of proof, that unfincere profeffors of Chriftianity are in covenant with God. Probably, they relate to an uncommon temporal profperity of the church in the latter days. If they extend to Chriftians in all ages, they must be explained of that fanctified ufe of temporal bleffings, which is peculiar to the truly godly, and cannot mean the outward poffeffion and enjoyment of worldly comforts, because, in that refpect, the profeffed Chriftian is often equalled, if not exceeded by the infidel and profane.

Men may make a gain of pretended piety, and by affuming a form of godlinefs, while ftrangers to the power thereof, may reap confiderable outward advantages. But thefe advantages they receive not as covenant bleffings, and in virtue of a promife. How a hypocritical profeffion, which God defpifes, and against which he has denounced the fevereft threatenings, can notwithstanding be the means of obtaining his bleffing, and interefting in his promifes, is indeed hard to be -conceived.

(v) Mat. vi. 20. (w) Mat. vi. 33. (x) Tim. iv. 8. (y) Matth. v. 5.

§ 2. The gospel-call is not fo properly the privilege of the church, as the inftrument by which the church is gathered. In itself, it is a glorious means of conveying the bleffing. In the iffue, it proves a bleffing to thofe only who accept it. A preached gofpel, when flighted or neglected, aggravates the finner's condemnation. Befides, it ought to be remembered, the gospel-call is not confined to profeffed Chriftians. It extends to avowed infidels and to profane perfons, who live among Chriftians, though that these are in covenant with God, none will alledge. The gofpelcall, is as much a bleffing to the unconverted, before they make a falfe profeffion, as after they have made it. They acquire no new right to it by their hypocrify. And their falvation does not become a whit the more probable, by their affuming the Christian name.

3. The facraments of the New Teftament are feals of the covenant of grace: and he who has no intereft in that covenant, has no right to them, and no capacity to use them profitably. This I have fhewn at large, Section i. § 4. They are therefore no inftituted means of converfion, being intended to ftrengthen faith where it is, not to produce it where it is. not. God may

bring good out of evil, and make the unwarrant able use of the facraments, an occafion of a hy pocrite's converfion. Yet ftill his unworthy par taking was no covenant-mercy, but an eating and drinking judgment to himfelf. If reflections on this fin, produce that godly forrow, which worketh repentance unto falvation, reflections or blafphemy, murder, or adultery, may do the fame. But who would, on that account, afcribe to these shocking crimes, the happy fruits of penitential