consecrated, as a virtue, by other schemes of morality and honour; the gospel carries forgiveness and beneficence towards enemies to a most glorious height, and enforces them by the most winning and commanding motives! How worthy is such a religion of a benevolent Deity! How friendly to the peace, dignity, and happiness of his rational offspring? How wisely and efficaciously does the prayer before us engage us to the practice of mutu al forgiveness, by making it our daily plea for as well as the express condition of divine pardon !

Let us all seriously examine whether we possess the spirit of this petition, a spirit of humble penitence, of evangelical trust, of cordial charity and forgiveness. Can we readily forgive the most injurious and malicious human creature so as to cherish towards him unfeigned benevolence and compassion; so as cheerfully to assist and comfort him in want or distress, and heartily seek and rejoice in his amendment and prosperity? Or do we cherish a resentful, bitter, vindictive spirit, which takes pleasure in reporting and magnifying his faults, in wounding his reputation and peace, and which cannot be easy without retaliating the injury? If the latter be our character, it merits our solemn consideration, that we are not only condemned by the whole spirit and letter of the gospel, but that we cannot repeat the Lord's prayer without virtually imprecating upon ourselves the vengeance of Heaven; for in the petition of our text we implicitly ask God to treat us, as we treat our fellow creatures; we solemnly profess our desire to stand or fall by this rule; consequently, the unmerciful, implacable petitioner constructively prays, that God would be implacable towards him, that he would pursue him with his perpetual hatred and curse! What an awful reflection! May it have its due effect on those fashionable Christians, and

pretenders to honour, who think it noble to revenge, and ignominious to overlook an affront! With what face can such men call themselves Christians, or attempt to offer up their prayers and thanksgivings for the infinite mercy of God and the Redeemer, or presume to hope for their own final pardon and salvation! Let all of this character, and every soul in this assembly, seriously ponder those words of our Lord-"If ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses."

Sermon XXIV.

On the Connexion between denying the Son and denying the Father.

1 JOHN ii. 23.

Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father; but he that acknowledgeth the Son, hath the Father also.

THIS first epistle of John, which is called his general

epistle, that is, his circular letter to the churches at large, was intended to confirm them in a stedfast adherence to the true principles and practice of Christianity, especially to those great doctrines, which respect the person and office of Jesus Christ. These leading truths of the gospel were, it seems, early opposed by corrupt and seducing teachers, whom our apostle calls liars and antichrists, because they vented the most shocking and pernicious falsehoods against Christ and his religion. In the verse preceding the text he tells us, that these antichrists denied both the Father and the Son; that is, by opposing Christ in his true character and doctrine, they denied the testimony of the Father concerning him, and opposed the character and will of God, as perfectly revealed in and by his Son, who is his best, his most glorious image and messenger. Hence he justly infers, in the words before us, "Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father; but he that acknowledgeth the Son, hath the Father also." As if he had said, He who denies Christ,

or the peculiarities of his gospel, has no true and saving knowledge of or interest in God; he has no friendship even to natural religion; he is an atheist in his secret disposition, if not in his open profession and practice. But he, who sincerely acknowledges the Son, honours and pleases the Father also; for there is such a perfect union between God and his Son, between the religion of nature and the gospel, that a hearty friendship to one implies and promotes an equal affection to the other.

The words thus explained will lead us to show at large the intimate connexion between deism and atheism on the one hand, and on the other between a true belief and acknowledgment of Christ and his gospel, and a sincere respect to God the Father.

A subject of this kind is not only adapted to a sacramental occasion, which calls many of us to an open, renewed acknowledgment of the Son of God, but is also eminently suited to the present alarming state of the Christian world, and particularly of our own country, which is remarkable for the increase both of speculative and practical infidelity; an infidelity, which pours ex, plicit or implied contempt on the great Redeemer of the world, or at least on the most essential truths and precepts of his gospel. It therefore highly becomes the professed friends, and especially the public teachers of Christianity, to contribute their utmost to repel and destroy this com, mon enemy of God and man, and to strengthen them, selves and their surrounding connexions in a firm attachment to the principles and duties of our holy religion. To promote this great end is, indeed, the main design, not only of the Lord's supper, but of all public Christian institutions. Perhaps this end cannot be better promoted than by a serious attention to the subject before us; a subject, which places in the most awful

and striking view the importance of a hearty and resolute acknowledgment of Christ, and the transcendent guilt and misery of denying him.

The justness of this representation will appear, consider the following particulars :

if we

First. The gospel of Christ gives us the best account of the character and government of the true God, and of all those doctrines and duties, which are usually styled natural religion. Consequently, whoever heartily believes in God, and is a friend to rational piety and virtue, must reverence and delight in the gospel of Christ; and on the contrary, whoever hates or denies the latter, proclaims himself an enemy to the former. The religion of Jesus unfolds, confirms, and improves those great principles of piety and morality, which respect both the existence, perfections, and providence of one Supreme Being, and the origin, duty, and expectations of man, his reasonable creature. It teaches the essential difference, the true nature, the wide extent, and everlasting rewards both of virtue and vice. It inculcates, and carries to the highest pitch of perfection, every branch of moral goodness, whether personal, social, or divine. In short, it reflects the brightest glory upon the nature and administration of God, and is admirably fitted to ennoble and perfect the character of man. Agreeably, it is a notorious fact, that the most weak and ignorant disciples of Christ have far more just, comprehensive, and elevated conceptions of a Supreme Being, and of every religious and moral subject, than the most profound and learned sages of the heathen world have ever attained. It is equally evident, that the dispositions, manners, and real enjoyments of Christian believers have been refined and improved in proportion to their serious regard to the great doctrines, requirements, and motives