the blessing annexed thereto in the word of God: " If thou shalt confess with thy mouth "the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine "heart that God hath raised Him from the "dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart

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man believeth unto righteousness, and with "the mouth confession is made unto salvation."* That it is the indispensable duty of those who are born in a Christian country to believe all the articles of the Christian faith, needs not here to be proved in an elaborate way, since it is positively declared in Scripture, that † "he "who believeth and is baptised shall be saved; "and that he who believeth not shall be "damned." That the creed contains all the fundamental truths of the gospel, is here taken for granted. And all those persons in particular, into whose hands these essays may probably fall, are desired to remember that they have promised in their baptismal covenant to believe all these articles. Their guilt, therefore, will be indisputable, and their destruction inevitable, should they deny, or content themselves with a cold and formal assent to, truths of such importance. The propriety of a public confession of sin has been proved in the preceding pages. That a public profession of religion is necessary to be made by all the followers of Christ, in their respective situations and relations of life, cannot be doubted. "If the Lord be "God, serve Him." In the great decisive day, "the fearful," i. e. those who shrink back through fear from an open avowal of the Saviour's name and cause, will be ranked with

*Rom. x. 9, 10.

+ Mark xvi. 16.

This is the exact import of the Greek: Aog is one

who shrinks for fear.

"unbelievèrs, and have their portion in the lake "that burneth with fire and brimstone."* If you are the master of a family, therein you must maintain the worship of God, and manifest yourself to be the disciple of Christ. If you are a magistrate, you must consider yourself as placed in an official station of high importance by the King of kings to promote His honour and subserve the interest of His kingdom. Unless the love of Christ be the prevailing motive of your conduct, His word the rule by which you walk, and His glory the end of your conversation, the mark of the Lamb is not in your forehead, and you have reason to tremble for yourself, lest your ears should at last tingle with the awful sounds, "Depart from me, "I never knew you:" for it is written, "Whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my "words, in this adulterous and sinful generation, "of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, "when He cometh in the glory of His Father "with the holy Angels." †

But that which is at present particularly to engage our minds is the necessity of a public avowal of the truth in the congregation of the faithful. There has been such a custom as this established in the church from the earliest days of Christianity, and it seems to be built on the soundest principles both of Scripture and com

mon sense.

The glory of God is the great end which every Christian has, or ought to have, continually in his view. In the common engagements of life this is the mark he aims at. St. Paul testifies of himself and his brethren in

*Rev. xxi, 8.

Mark viii. 38.

terms that exhibit the real nature of true Godliness: "None of us liveth to himself, and no "man dieth to himself. For whether we live, "we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, "we die unto the Lord: whether, therefore, we "live or die, we are the Lord's. For to this. "end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, "that He might be Lord both of the dead and living."* With respect to many who now bear the name of Christ, this language might be exactly reversed. O reader, reverse it and see if it will not suit yourself-if it will not delineate your own principles and practice! But as Christianity is still the same thing as ever it was, a prevailing concern for the glory of Christ must constitute an essential part of the Christian character. To persons then of this description how grateful must be the opportunity of appearing in the assembly of the saints, and of joining in a harmonious avowal of their faith in Jesus! A rehearsal of the creed is an open acknowledgment of our dependence on God, as creatures on His providence, as guilty creatures on His mercy in Christ, as polluted creatures, on the sanctifying influences of the Holy Ghost. Therein we express our inward feelings of gratitude to Him, as our Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier. Therein we proclaim aloud our obligations to love Him with all our hearts, and to serve Him with every faculty both of body and mind. And is it not highly proper, nay, indispensably necessary, that such a profession should be made by all those whom He hath created, redeemed, and called to the knowledge of His blessed Self? The essential

*Rom. xiv. 7, 8, 9.

glory of God is incapable of increase or diminution. The whole host of heaven cannot add unto it, nor can all the legions of hell, joined with all the infidel, profane and ungodly men on earth, detract from it. But His glory is capable of external manifestation in an endless variety of forms and degrees. With a view to discover it He created the heavens and the earth. * With the same intention He sent His Son into the world, and caused His glory to shine in the person of Jesus Christ. † If then we were created and endowed with all the faculties we possess, and were also redeemed with the blood of our incarnate God, for this express purpose, that by us the glory of God might be reflected through the universe, as the moon reflects the light of the sun; surely we should consider it as both our privilege and duty to dedicate our whole selves, body, soul, and spirit, unto the Lord our God. We were endued with understanding, that we might employ it in contemplating His attributes and His works. Memory was given us to be the repository of Divine truth-the will, that therewith we might choose God for our portion and happiness, panting after Him, "as the hart after the water"brooks"-and the affections, that they might all point to God as the needle to the pole, with unvarying aim. The body also is the Lord's. Our feet were given us, that, being "shod with "the preparation of the gospel of peace," they might run in the way of God's commandments our knees, that they might bend in prayer and praise-our hands, that they might be lifted up in holy adoration, smite on our hearts in deep

* Ps. xix. 1.

+ 2 Cor. iv. 6, εν τω προσωπων.

Ps. xlii. 1.

contrition, or be stretched out to administer to the relief of the poor and afflicted-our eyes, that they might be turned towards heaven in ardent hope, or to the earth with a contempt of its gilded baubles; shed tears of sorrow for sin, or sparkle with lively joy at the prospect of beholding Him whom they were created to admire-and our ears, that they might listen to the truths of God, the voice of the heavenly Charmer. Nor is the tongue to be excluded from a participation in this delightful service; for it was designed to be a principal instrument of shewing forth "the praises of Him who hath "called us out of darkness into His marvellous light." This duty of manifesting the glory of God is of perpetual obligation. Soon will the tear of repentance be superseded, and the voice of supplication no more be heard; but through eternity it will become our blessed employ to avow the principles contained in the Apostles' creed. While repeating it on earth in the assembly of the saints, we may consider ourselves as joining in the same act of worship (though, alas! under impressions of a far infe rior gratitude,) with those exalted spirits who surround the throne, and who "rest not day "and night, saying, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord "God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come; Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory, and honour, and power; for Thou "hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created."

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As a public profession of faith appears to be necessary for the manifestation of the Divine glory, so, when duly made, it must certainly be of the greatest advantage to ourselves.

It is