But it must be Thou, O Jefus, who came to feek and to fave thofe that were loft and gone aftray-it must be Thou, O Lord, who doft fo graciously invite us, that must lead us to thyself, or we shall furely miss the way.

Direct, gracious Lord, all fuch as defire to come to Thee. As Thou giveft them a will, be Thou their guide, their light, and their fupport, till they come to Thee, and to that inheritance which Thou haft prepared for all those that obey thy kind invitation. And this we beg for thy promise fake, for thy mercy's fake, and for the fake of that love which Thou haft had for our fouls.

For which all glory, and praise, and thanks, be ascribed to Thee, together with the Father and the Holy Ghoft, by us and by all thy faithful fervants, for ever and ever.

Amen.

SERMON

SERMON XVIII.

THE DESIGN AND HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY.

O Bleffed Jefus, who came into the world to fave finners, direct and guide me by thy good Spirit, that in this and all my labours for the inftruction of my flock, I may fet forth the mercy, the glory, and the goodness of God; and that by fo doing, I may save myself, and thofe that hear me.

I TIM. i. 15.

TIT. ii. 14.

I TIM. iv. I.

JESUS CHRIST CAME INTO THE WORLD TO SAVE SINNERS:-AND GAVE HIMSELF FOR US, THAT HE MIGHT REDEEM US FROM ALL INIQUITY, AND PURIFY UNTO HIMSELF A PECULIAR PEOPLE, [THAT IS, A PEOPLE PECULIARLY CONSECRATED TO HIM] ZEALOUS OF GOOD WORKS. NOW THE SPIRIT SPEAKETH EXPRESSLY, THAT IN THE LATTER TIMES SOME SHALL DEPART FROM THE FAITH, GIVING HEED TO SEDUCING SPIRITS, AND DOCTRINES OF DEVILS; AND [JUDE 4] TURNING THE GRACE OF GOD INTO LASCIVIOUSNESS.a

WHAT I would now recommend to

your ferious confideration, are thefe

following particulars:

First; The great and merciful design of the Christian Religion.

a See Matth. vii. 16, 22. and xv. 9. I Cor. x. 12. Gal. i. 4.

Pet. iii. 3. Rev. ii. 5.

Secondly,

Secondly; How fadly, and by what means, this gracious defign of God has been hindered or perverted.

Laftly; What is like to be the consequence of this fad apoftacy to Christians of all denominations, if we do not return to a better mind; and how every Chriftian may contribute towards reftoring Christianity to its great defign of faving finners.

Now; the defign of Christianity, the apostle tell us, is to fave finners, and that Jefus Chrift came into the world for that very end. And that the only way of faving them was, by redeeming them from all iniquity: forafmuch as all mankind were flaves to the devil, and to his temptations; to the world, and its wicked customs; and to their own corrupt inclinations; Jefus Chrift therefore came to redeem them from this slavery, and from eternal misery and death; and to gain to himself a people who fhould be confecrated in a peculiar manner to his fervice; and that being purified by an holy life, and good works, they might be capable of leaven and of eternal happiness.

This was the great design of God in fending his Son into the world. And happy would it have been, if this gracious defign had been univerfally clofed with, and had not been perverted by the weakness of men, and by the wiles of the devil.

The Spirit of God forefaw this, and by his apostle gives Chriftians warning of it, and

that

that in the latter times, men fhall depart from the faith, giving heed to feducing Spirits, and doctrines of devils; turning the grace of God into lafciviousness; that is, accommodating and fuiting the doctrine of the gospel to the corrupt inclinations of men.

We shall see, in the History of Christianity which I fhall fet before you, how these feducing spirits have fucceeded in all ages, in this attempt; that Chriftians may beware of falling into the fnare of the devil, and may be careful to have the true defign of the Chriftian religion always in their eye; which is, to make men holy, that they may be happy.

All men being by nature finners, as fuch God could take no pleasure in them. Man had paffed through feveral states of trial before the publishing of the gofpel by Jefus Chrift; in a state of innocence before the fall;-in the state of nature after the fall, with all the advantages of reafon and freewill;-and lastly, under the law, with all the helps of outward ordinances. And the conclufion always was, as the Apostle obferves both of Gentiles and Jews, They were altogether abominable; there was none good.

Almighty God, therefore, whofe juftice could not let wickednefs go unpunished, and whose infinite goodness would not let his poor creatures be loft, in his good time fent his own beloved Son into the world, to fave finners out of this fad condition.