XIV.

ME

MARK, XVI. 16.

THAT BELIEVETH, AND IS BAPTIZED, SHALL BE SAVED; BUT HE THAT BELIEVETH NOT, SHALL BE DAMNed.

UR bleffed Lord, a little before his afcenfion, gave his last charge to his difciples in the words of the text, which seem to bear this meaning: "I send you out to preach the Gospel to the world. They who accept the gracious offer it makes, shall be faved. But they who refuse it, whether through negligence or wickedness, must take the confequence of their refufal."

This text, however, though it is capable of fo natural and easy a fenfe, has often, I think, been mifapplied by well-meaning Chriftians. Our Saviour fays fimply, he that believeth. But thefe religionifts tell you precisely what you are to believe.

Nor is there much amiss in that, if they did not bind it upon you with an anathema..

Mr.Locke, after examining all the paffages of Scripture which relate to faith in Christ, afferts, that no proportion is held out as a neceffary article of belief, but barely that Jefus Chrift is the Meffiah". And indeed the apostle's creed seems to be little more than this idea dilated; to which every one may add his own private creed, on fuch articles as he thinks have fufficient foundation in Scripture. But he has perhaps no right to go farther. By putting his own opinions into Scripture language, (which may eafily be done without attending to contexts,) he may unhappily mislead others, even on Gospel authority.

The prejudices of mankind (cleaving to them from numberlefs circumftances, which they often cannot help) are fo various-their modes of thinking fo different-and the fenfe of Scripture often fo undetermined-that there can be no orthodoxy in opinion, according to any one man's standard.

In practice we may all be orthodox: the rules of life are laid down fo precifely, that no true believer in Jefus can err or vary from another.

See his Reasonableness of Christianity.

XV.

PHILIPP. ii. 4.

LOOK NOT EVERY MAN ON HIS OWN THINGS,

BUT EVERY MAN ALSO ON THE THINGS
OF OTHERS.

TH

HE Chriftian religion is throughout a plan of happiness, calculated as well for this world as the next. In the next world we believe this grand scheme of felicity takes place without interruption. But in this world it meets with much oppofition, as may be expected, both from the natural depravity of mankind, and the unavoidable circumftances of a state of trial. Thus much, however, may with truth be afferted, that the more we practise the precepts of the Gospel, the greater sum of happiness will be produced. One might run over them all, and fhew how each hath a tendency to promote peace and happiness among mankind,

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mankind; but I fhall at prefent only confider the precept of the text: look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of other.

The common maxim among men now is, for every man to look after his own things, knowing that if he do not look after them himself, nobody elfe will. But if all men lived by the precept before us, our affairs would always be in better hands than in our own. On every emergency a number of people would be ready instantly to affift us, and would give us more effectual affiftance, than we could give ourselves.

We have an image of this kind of benevolence in the early state of Christianity, when the multitude that believed were of one heart and of one foul: neither faid any of them, that ought of the things which he poffeffed were his own. Of course it followed, as we read farther, that there was none among them that lacked.

A ftate of equality among pious Chriftians, would certainly be a state of the greatest happiness on earth: but as the world is now onftituted, it would be a state of the greatest mifery.

XVI,

MARK, Xii. 37.

THE COMMON PEOPLE HEARD HIM GLADLY.

T is furprizing that all people did not hear him

IT

gladly. But prejudice and vice are deaf: they refuse to hear even the voice of the charmer; wisdom is no charmer in their ears.

This fubject might be treated by confidering what qualities are required to hear the Gospel gladly and what are the chief obftacles which prevent its being fo heard. The conclufion might be drawn up in the form of a confolation to the common people.

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