truth, that ever was revealed to mankind. In part it was an article of the heathen creed. To unenlightened nature it feemed probable, that, as we had reafon given us for a guide, we should hereafter be accountable for its abufe: and the poets, who were the prophets of early days, and durft deliver thofe truths under the veil of fable, which the philofopher kept more to himfelf, give us many traits of the popular belief on this fubject. But the gofpel alone threw a full light upon this awful truth. In examining this great article, the curiofity of human nature, ever delighting to explore unbeaten regions, hath often been tempted, beyond its limits, into fruitles inquiries; fcrutinizing the time of this eveat; and feuling, with vain precifion, the circumftances of it. All curiofity of this kind is idle at least, if not prefumptuous. When the Almighty hath thrown a veil over any part of his difpenfation, it is the folly of man to endeavour to draw it afide. Let us then leave all fruitless inquiries about this great event; and employ our thoughts chiefly upon fuch circumstances of it as moft concern us. Let us animate car hopes with the foothing reflection, that we have our fentence, in a manner, in our wn power, that the fame gracious gofpel, which directs our lives, fhall direct Le judgment we receive, that the fame cicus perfon fhall be our judge, who died for our fins-and that his goodness, we are affured, will fill operate towards ; and make the kindest allowances for All our infirmities. But let our hopes should be too buoyant, let us confider, on the other hand, what an avful detail againft us will then appear. The fabject of that grand inquiry will be all our tranfgreffions of known duty-all our omillions of knowing better-our fecret intentions our indulged evil thoughts the bad motives, which often accompany or moft plaufible actions-and we are told, even our idle words." He that hath ears to hear, let him hear."-Then shall it be known, whether we have anfwered the great ends of life?-Whether we have made this world fubfervient to a better? -Whether we have prepared ourselves for a tate of happiness in heaven, by endeavouring to communicate happiness to our fellow creatures upon earth? Whether we have reftrained our appetites, and paffions; and reduced them within the bounds of reafon and religion? Or, whether we have given ourselves up to pleasure, gain, or ambition; and formed fuch attachments to this world, as fit us for nothing elfe; and leave us no hopes either of gaining, or of enjoying a better? It will be happy for us, if on all these heads of inquiry, we can answer without dismay.-Worldly dif tinctions, we know, will then be of no avail. The proudeft of them will be then confounded. "Naked came we into the world; and naked muft we return." We can carry nothing beyond the grave, but our virtues, and our vices. I fhall conclude what hath been faid on the last judgment with a collection of paffages on this head from Scripture; where only our ideas of it can be obtained. And though most of these paffages are figurative; yet as figures are intended to illuftrate realities, and are indeed the only illuftrations of which this fubject is capable, we may take it for granted, that these figurative expreffions are intended to convey a juft idea of the truth.-With a view to make the more impreffion upon you, I fhall place thefe paffages in a regular feries, though collected from various parts. "The Lord himself fhall defcend from heaven with his holy angels-The trumpet fhall found; and all that are in the grave fhall hear his voice, and come forthThen fhall he fit upon the throne of his glory; and all nations shall be gathered betore him-the books fhall be opened; and men fhall be judged according to their works.-They who have finned without law, fhall perish (that is, be judged) without law; and they who have finned in the law, fhall be judged by the law.-Unto whomfoever much is given, of him shall be much required. Then fhall he fay to them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed, inherit the kingdom prepared for you, And to them on his left, Depart from me, ye curfed, into everlafting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.-Then shall the righteous fhine forth in the presence of their Father; while the wicked shall go into everlafting punishment: there fhall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.-What manner of perfons aught we then to be in all holy converfation, and godliness? looking for, and haftening unto, the day of our See particularly the 6th Book of Virgil's Æn. N 3 Lord; Lord; when the heavens being on fire, fhall be diffolved, and the elements fhall melt with fervent heat.-Wherefore, beloved, feeing that we look for fuch things, let us be diligent, that we may be found of him in peace, without fpot, and blamelefs; that each of us may receive that bleffed fentence "Well done, thou good and faithful fervant: thou haft been faithful over a little, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." We believe, farther, in "the Holy Ghoft;" that is, we believe every thing which the Scriptures tell us of the Holy Spirit of God. We inquire not into the nature of its union with the Godhead. We take it for granted, that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghoft, have fome kind of union, and fome kind of diftinction; because both this union and this diftinction are plainly pointed out in Scripture; but how they exift we inquire not; concluding here, as in other points of difficulty, that if a clearer information had been neceffary, it would have been afforded. With regard to the operations of the Holy Spirit of God, (befides which, little more on this head is revealed) we believe, that it directed the apostles, and enabled them to propagate the gofpel-and that it will affift all good men in the confcientious difcharge of a pious life. The Scripture doctrine with regard to the affiftance we receive from the Holy Spirit of God (which is the moft effential part of this article) is briefly this : Our beft endeavours are infufficient. We are unprofitable fervants, after all; and cannot pleafe God, unless fanctified, and affifted by his Holy Spirit. Hence the life of a good man hath been fometimes called a flanding miracle; fomething beyond the common courfe of nature. To attain any degree of goodness, we must be fupernaturally affifted. At the fame time, we are affured of this affiftance, if we strive to obtain it by fervent prayer, and a ; ious life. If we truft in ourselves, we fhall fail. If we trust in God without doing all we can ourselves, we fhall fail likewife. And if we continue obftinate in our perverfenefs, we may at length totally incapacitate cu felves from being the temples of the Holy Ghoft. And indeed what is there in all this, which common life does not daily illuftrate? Is any thing more common, than for the intellect of one man to affift that of another? Is not the whole fcheme of education an infufion of knowledge and virtue not our own? Is it not evident too, that nothing of this kind can be communicated without application on the part of the learner? Are not the efforts of the teacher in a manner neceffarily proportioned to this application? If the learner becomes languid in his pursuits, are not the endeavours of the teacher of courte difcouraged? And will they not at length wholly fail, if it be found in the end they anfwer no purpofe?-In a manner analogous to this, the Holy Spirit of God cooperates with the endeavours of man. Our endeavours are neceffary to obtain God's affiftance: and the more earnestly thefe endeavours are exerted, the measure of this grace will of courfe be greater. But, on the other hand, if thefe endeavours languish, the affiftance of Heaven will leffen in proportion; and if we behave with obftinate perverfenels, it will by degrees wholly fail. It will not always trive with man; but will leave him a melancholy prey to his own vicious inclinations. As to the manner, in which this fpiritual afiftance is conveyed, we make no inquiry. We can as little comprehend it, as we can the action of our fouls upon our bodies. We are fenfible, that our fouls do act upon our bodies; and it is a belief equally confonant to reafon, that the divine influence may act upon our fouls. The advocate for natural religion need not be reminded, that among the heathens a divine influence was a received opinion. The priests of every oracle were fuppofed to be infpired by their gods; and the heroes of antiquity were univerfally believed to act under the influence of a fupernatural affiftance; by which it was conceived they performed actions beyond human power-I his fhews, at least, that there is nothing in this doctrine repugnant to reafon. Gilpin. $156. Creed continued.-The Holy Catho lic Church, c. We believe, farther, in the "holy catholic church," and the "communion of faints." "I believe in the holy catholic church," is certainly a very obfcure expreffion to a proteftant; as it is very capable of a popish conftruction, implying our truft in the infallibility of the church; whereas we attribute infallibility to no church upon earth. The most obvious fenfe, therefore, in which it can be confidered as a proteftant article of our belief, is this, that we call no particular fociety of chriftians a holy catholic church; but believe, that all true and fincere chriftians of whatever communion, or particular opinion, fhall be the objects of God's mercy. The patriarchal covenant was confined to a few. The Jewish church stood alfo on a very rarrow bafis. But the chriftian church, we believe, is truly catholic: its gracious offers are made to all mankind; and God through Chrift will take out of every nation fuch as fhall be faved. The "communion of faints," is an expreffion equally obfcure: and whatever might have been the original meaning of it, it certainly does not refolve itself into a very obvious one to us. If we fay we mean by it, that good chriftians living together on earth, hould exercife all offices of charity among themfelves, no one will contradict the article; but many perhaps may ask, Why is it made an article of faith? It relates not fo much to faith, as to practice and the ten commandments might juft as well be introduced as articles of our belief. of faints," a kind and charitable behaviour towards them. Though it is probable this was not the orginal meaning of the article, yet as the reformers of the liturgy did not think it proper to inake an alteration, we are led to feek fuch a fenfe as appears most confiftent with fcripture.-We are affured, that this article, as well as the "defcent into hell," is not of the fame antiquity as the rest of the creed *. We profefs cur belief farther in the "forgiveness of fins." The Scripturedoctrine of fin, and of the guilt, which arifes from it, is this: Man was originally created in a state of innocence, yet liable to fall. Had he perfevered in his obedience, he might have enjoyed that happiness, which is the confequence of perfect virtue. But when this happy ftate was loft, his paffions and appetites became difordered, and prone to evil. Since that time we have all been, more or lefs, involved in fin, and are all therefore, in the Scripture-language, "under the curfe;" that is, we are naturally in a ftate of unpardoned guilt. In this mournful exigence, what was to be done? In a flate of nature, it is true, we might be forry for our fins. Nature too might dictate repentance. But forrow and repentance, though they may put us on our guard for the future, can make no atonement for fins already committed. A refolution to run no more into debt may make us cautious; but can never discharge a debt already contracted t. To this I can only fuggeft, that it may have a place among the articles of our creed, as a teft of our enlarged ideas of caritianity, and as oppofed to the narrowmindedness of fome chriftians, who harbear very uncharitable opinions against all who are not of their own church; and fcruple not to fhew their opinions by uncharitable actions. The papits particularly deny falvation to any but those of In this diftrefs of nature, Jefus Christ their own communion, and perfecute thofe came into the world. He threw a light of other perfuafions where they have the upon the gloom that furrounded us.-He power.-In oppofition to this, we profefs fhewed us, that in this world we were loft car belief of the great chriftian law of cha--that the law of nature could not fave us rity. We believe we ought to think charitably of good chriftians of all denominations; and ought to practife a free and unreftrained communion of charitable offices towards them. In this light the fecond part of the article depends upon the first, By the "holy catholic church," we mean all fincere chriftians, of whatever church, or peculiarity of opinion; and by "the communion that the tenor of that law was perfect obedience, with which we could not comply-but that God-thro' his mediation, offered us a method of regaining happiness -that he came to make that atonement for us, which we could not make for ourfelves-and to redeem us from that guilt, which would otherwife overwhelm usthat faith and obedience were, on our parts, the conditions required in this gracious co See Bingham's Antiquities, vol. iv. chap. 3. + Thus Mr. Jenyns expreffes the fame thing: "The punishment of vice is a debt due to juftice, which #carnot be remitted without compenfation: repentance can be no compenfation. It may change a wicked man's difpofitions, and prevent his offending for the future: but can lay no claim to pardon for what is "paft. If any one by profligacy and extravagance contracts a debt, repentance may make him wifer, and hinder him from running into farther diftrelles, but can never pay off his old bonds, for which he muft ❝ be ever accountable, unless they are difcharged by himself, or fome other in his stead." View of the Intern. Evid. p. 112. venant-and that God promifed us, on his, the pardon of our fins, and everlafting life -that we were first therefore to be made holy through the gospel of Chrift, and then we might expect falvation through his death: Us, who were dead in trefpaffes and fins, would he quicken. Chrift would redeem us from the curfe of the law. By grace we should be faved thro' faith; and that not of ourferlves: it was the gift of God. Not of works, left any man fhould boast." Gilpin. $157. Creed continued-Refurretion of the Body. We believe farther, " in the refurrection of the body."-This article prefumes our belief in the immortality of the foul. What that principle of life is which we call the foul; how it is diftinguished from mere animal life; how it is connected with the body; and in what ftate it fubfifts, when its bodily functions ceafe; are among thofe indiffoluble queftions, with which nature every where abounds. But notwithftanding the difficulties, which attend the difcuffion of thefe questions, the truth itfelf hath in all ages of the world been the popular creed. Men believed their fouls were immortal from their own feelings, fo imprefied with an expectation of immortality-from obferving the progreffive flate of the foul, capable, even after the body had attained its full ftrength, of still higher improvements both in knowledge, and in habits of virtue-from the analogy of all nature, dying and reviving in every part from their fituation here fo apparently incomplete in itself; and from a variety of other topics, which the reafon of man was able to fuggeft.-But though nature could obfcurely fuggeft this great truth; yet Chriftianity alone threw a clear light upon it, and impreffed it with a full degree of conviction upon our minds. But the article before us proceeds a step farther. It not only implies the immortality of the foul; but afferts the refurrection of the body.-Nor was this doctrine wholly new to nature. In its conceptions of a future life, we always find the foul in an embodied ftate. It was airy indeed, and bloodlefs; but ftill it had the parts of a human body, and could perform all its operations. In these particulars the Scripture does not gratify our curiofity. From various paffages we are led to believe, that the body fhall certainly rife again but in Inftead, therefore, of entering into any metaphyfical difquifitions of identity, or any other curious points in which this deep fubject might engage us, all which, as they are founded upon uncertainty, must end in doubt, it is better to draw this doctrine, as well as all others, into practical ufe; and the ufe we ought to make of it is, to pay that regard to our bodies, which is due to them-not vainly to adorn not luxuriously to pamper them; but to keep them as much as poffible from the pollutions of the world; and to lay them down in the grave undefiled, there to be fealed up in expectation of a blessed refur. rection. Laftly, we believe "in the life everlasting;" in which article we exprefs our faith in the eternity of a future ftate of rewards and punishments. This article is nearly related to the laft, and is involved in the fame obfcurity. In what the reward of the virtuous will confift, after death, our reafon gives us no information. Conjecture indeed it will, in a matter which fo nearly concerns us; and it hath conjectured in all ages, but information it hath none, except from the word of God; and even there, our limited capacities can receive it only in general and figurative expreffions. We are told, "there will then reign fulness of joy, and pleafures for evermore-that the righteous fhall have an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, that fadeth not away-where they fhall fhine forth, as the fun, in the presence of their father-where error, and fin, and mifery fhall be no more-where fhall be affembled an innumerable company of angels, the general affembly of the church, the fpirits of juft men made perfect-that they shall neither hunger, nor thirst any more-that all tears fhall be wiped from their eyes-that there fhall be neither death, nor forrow, nor pain." ተ From From thefe, and fuch expreflions as thefe, though we cannot collect the entire nature of a future ftate of happinefs, yet we can eafily gather a few circumftances, which muft of course attend it; as, that it will be very great-that it will last for ever-that it will be of a nature entirely different from the happiness of this world -that, as in this world, our paffions and appetites prevail; in the next, reafon and virtue will have the fuperiority-" hunger and thirst, tears and forrow," we read, "will be no more"-that is, all uneafy paffions and appetites will then be annihilated-all vain fears will be then removed -all anxious and intruding cares-and we fhall feel ourselves compleat and perfect; and our happiness, not dependent, as here, apon a thousand precarious circumftances, both within and without ourselves, but confiftent, uniform, and ftable. On the other hand, we pretend not to inquire in what the punishment of the wicked confilts. In the Scripture we find many expreffions, from which we gather, that it will be very great. It is there called an everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels-where the worm dieth not, and the fire is never quenched where thall be weeping, and goathing of teeth-where the wicked fhall drink of the wrath of God, poured without mixture into the cup of his indignation where they fhall have no reft, neither by day nor night." Though it becomes us certainly to put our interpretations with the greatest caution and humility upon fuch palages as thefe; yet the worn that never dieth," and "the fire that is never quenched," are trong expreffions, and hardly to be evaded by any refinements of verbal criticifm. Let the deift bravely argue down his fears, by demonstrating the abfurdity of confuming a spirit in material fire. Let him fulI explain the nature of future punithment: and convince us, that where it cannot reform, it must be unjuft-But let us, with more modefty, lay our hands humbly upon our breafts, confefs our ignorance; revere the appointments of God, whatever they may be; and prepare to meet them with holy hope, and trembling joy, and awful fubmiflion to his righteous will. To the unenlightened heathen the eternity of future punishments appeared no fuch unreasonable doctrine. Their state of the damned was of eternal duration. vulture for ever tore those entrails, which were for ever renewed *. A Of one thing, however, we may be well affured (which may fet us entirely at reft in all our enquiries on this deep fubject, that every thing will, in the end, be right-that a just and merciful God must act agreeably to juftice and mercy-and that the firft of thefe attributes will most affuredly be tempered with the latter. From the doctrine of future rewards and punishments, the great and most convincing practical truth which arifes, is, that we cannot exert too much pains in qualifying ourselves for the happiness of a future world. As this happiness will last for ever, how beneficial will be the exchange this world, "which is but for a moment, for that everlasting weight of glory which fadeth not away!" Vice, on the other hand, receives the greatest discouragement from this doctrine, as every fin we commit in this world may be confidered as an addition to an everlasting account in the next. Gilpin. $158. On the Ten Commandments. Having confidered the articles of our faith, we proceed to the rules of practice. Thefe, we know, are of fuch importance, that, let our faith be what it will, unlefs it influence our lives, it is of no value. At the fame time, if it be what it ought to be, it will certainly have this influence. On this head, the ten commandments are firft placed before us; from which the compofers of the catechifm, as well as many other divines, have drawn a compleat fyitem of chriftian duties. But this is perhaps rather too much t. Both Mo Ib. 616. fes, In the fourth volume of Bishop Warburton's commentary on Pope's works, in the fecond fatire of Dr. Donne, are thefe lines: Of whole ftrange crimes no cannonift can tell In which commandment's large contents they dwell. "The original" fays the bithop, "is more humorous : In which commandment's large receipt they dwell; |