VOL. reafon to recommend this rule to the generality II. of Christians, amongst whom, it is very apparent,

there are too many, whofe profeffion is rather the effect of chance, or fate; or any thing they are thrown into, by the concurrence of fome external circumftances in their condition; than of a ferious deliberate choice. How many are there who profefs themselves Chriftians, as we obferved before, merely because it is the religion of their country! or was that of their ancestors! or is established by the laws under which they live! So that it would be very inconvenient for them; too hazardous it may be, or at least scandalous, to make a contrary profeffion. Now it highly concerns us once to come to this, that the religion we are of be what we have chofen, and that we profefs it upon mature deliberation. We are nothing in religion till we come to this. But,

Ir may here be faid, "What then! are we "to begin again? We have been Chriftians

long, it is a profeffion we have long fuftained, "and do fo to this day." To which I reply, that all is yet to begin, wherein we are still short and defective. We read concerning the people of Ifrael, that when Mofes had brought them to a more explicit owning of GoD and faid; You have this day avouched the Lord for your GOD, and be bas avouched you for his people: it is added, with reference to this fame thing and time alfo, Thou art this day become an holy people unto the Lord thy God". What! did they but then become

a Deut. xxvI. 17, 18, 19.

become his people? Not fo, for they were esteem- SER M. ed as fuch before by Jehovah the GOD of Ifrael; VII. but they became fo more explicitly, and by a direct act of their own, wherein they did as it were interchange obligations with the Almighty. And several years after when Joshua, towards the close of his life and government, was upon that folemn treaty with them, which you find in the XXIV. chapter, he again puts all to their choice, faying, Choose you this day whom you will ferve; fubmiting the matter again to their judgement and election. What! were they then to choose what religion to be of? No, they were to renew their choice, and to do the thing with great folemnity and seriousness, and in a diftinct. manner over again. And if it has not been done seriously and deliberately hitherto by you, let it be done now once for all; for till then, you cannot fo much as fay you have a religion of your own. And furely if a man would call any thing his own, it would be his religion. Your religion is otherwise but the religion of your country, or of the party to which you belong. It is not truly your own. No man would be contented merely because he lives in an opulent country, while he himself has no eftate in it; or account himself rich, only because he lives in a rich nation. What should be fo much mine, as my religion? But this can never be mine till I undertake to profess it, on a folemn and well-weighed choice, after having confidered and balanced all things,

VOL. fo as to be able to fay; "This profeffion I take

II.

66

upon me as best, most excellent, most com"fortable as well as moft glorious."

II. ENDEAVOUR to know GOD in good earneft. Know him indeed, and you are then in no danger of the charge, which the Apostle brings against falfe profeffors. You have been formerly told, that this phrase of profeffing to know God, is not to be reftrained and limited uhto the bare speculative knowledge of him, abtractly confidered. But though it is not to be thus limited, yet it must include this as the leading, initial thing to all the reft. It is an expreffion for religion in general, and is fometimes put for the whole of it; and therefore it cannot be fupposed to leave out that, which is the fundamental and leading principle of all, from whence the denomination is taken, and put upon the whole.

IF you confider the object of this knowledge, it is not God abftractly confidered. If you confider the nature of it, it is not barely notional knowledge that is fufficient; nor, as we have. already fhewn, the knowledge of GOD in Chrift Jefus, according to that divine revelation, which is contained in the New Teftament: which phrase is used in Scripture to fignify the Christian religion, before the revelation of which, the Gentiles are reprefented as not knowing Gon. What did they not own a Deity before? No doubt they had fome knowledge of a fupreme eternal

© Gal. IV. 8.

eternal Being, as the Heathens had in common , SER M.

and yet their ftate of Heathenifm is faid to be a VII.

fate wherein they did not know GOD. They

did not know GOD fo as to be acquainted with
the true method of worshiping, converfing with,
and enjoying of him, which is difcovered to us.
only in the Gofpel. The world, fays the Apostle,
through wisdom knew not GOD. It is fpoken
plainly of the more refined Pagans, who go un-
der the name of Gentiles. And had not they
the knowledge of the Deity? No doubt they
had; for it is elsewhere faid, they did know
him but not glorify him as GOD.
meaning is, that they did not know him through
Chrift as Mediator. And it was through their
wildom that they did not fo know him, when
they might have done it; because the doctrine of
a crucified Chrift to them appeared a very foolish
thing, which by no means gratified that wisdom'
to which they highly pretended. They knew not
GOD, that is, they were not Chriftians.

The

WITH refpect to the nature of this knowledge, it is of a vital, efficacious, transformative quality, which alone is worthy of the name. Such is the knowledge which our Lord fpeaks of. This is life eternal to know thee the only true GOD and Jefus Christ whom thou haft fent . It is fuch a knowledge, as by which the foul is caught into an union with the bleffed Object of it. He has given us understanding that we may

II.

VOL. know him that is true; and we are in him, even
in his fon Jefus Christ our Lord. This is the true
GOD and eternal life. It is a knowledge that
blafts and withers fin at the very root, and fo
efficaciously transforms the foul into the image of
GOD's own holiness. He that finneth, bath not
feen GOD nor known him. The fame word
there rendered feen fignifies known; Ye have not
heard his voice nor feen his shape *. You have
never had a true notion
wrought into your fouls.
and fin not! I fpeak it to
not the knowledge of GOD'. Labour then thus
to know God in earnest, by fuch a kind of know-
ledge as fhall influence the practice, and in the
event bring about and accomplish the blessed
union betwixt him and you.

of God yet truly inAwake to righteousness your shame, fome have

III. PONDER well on the dignity and facrednefs of this profeffion. Oh what a mighty thing is this! that whereas the world has been loft in the ignorance of GOD, through many fucceffive ages, we fhould take upon us to profefs to know him. It is too big a word for the mouth of a profane and irreligious world. That description of Balaam which he gives of himself, is grand and very folemn; The man whofe eyes are opened, that heard the word of God, that knew the knowledge of the MOST HIGH, and faw the vifion of the Almighty". And yet the knowledge he alludes