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evil of every sort, from conversation in the world. Surely, then, you should endeavour to fortify yourselves, and those who belong to you, with proper antidotes against it. And where will you find better, than in the house of God? But particu larly I both charge and beg you, children, to mark diligently what I shall say to you; for all that you learn by rote will be of no use, unless you learn also to understand it. The exposition, which you are taught along with your Catechism, will help your understanding very much, if you mind it as you ought; and what you will hear from me may be a yet further help. For, if there should be some things in it above your capacities, yet I shall endeavour to the best of my power, that most things may be easy and plain to you. And, I entreat you, take care that they be not lost you. You are soon going out into the world, where you will hear and see abundance of what is evil. For Christ's sake, lay in as much good, in the mean while, as you can, to guard you against it.

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But, indeed, it behoves us all, of whatever age or station we be, to remember that the belief and practice of true religion are what we are every one equally concerned in. For, without them, the greatest person upon earth will, in a very few years, be completely miserable; and with them, the meanest will be eternally happy. "O hear ye "this, all ye people; ponder it, all ye that dwell "in the world; high and low, rich and poor, "one with another."7"Apply your hearts to in"struction, and your ears to the words of know"ledge."""For whoso findeth wisdom, findeth "life, and shall obtain favour of the Lord. But "he that sinneth against her, wrongeth his own "soul; all they that hate her, love death.""

(7) Ps. xlix. 1, 2. (8) Prov. xxiii. 12. (9) Prov. viii. 35, 36.

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LECTURE II.

Privileges of Baptism.

THE Catechism of our Church begins, with a prudent condescension and familiarity, by asking the introductory questions, "What is your Name?" and, "Who gave you this Name?" which lead very naturally the person catechised to the mention of his Baptism, at which time it was given him Not that giving a Name is any necessary part of Baptism; but might have been done either before or afterwards, though it hath always been done then, as indeed it was likely that the first public opportunity would be taken for that purpose. But besides, it was no uncommon thing in ancient times, that when a person entered into the service of a new master, he had a new name bestowed on him; whence perhaps the Jews might derive the practice of naming the child, when it was circumcised, it being then devoted to the service of God. The first Christians, in imitation of them, would of course do the same thing, for the same reason, when it was baptized; and no wonder that we continue the practice. For it might be a very useful one, if persons would but remember, what it tends to remind them of, that they were dedicated to Christ, when their Christian Name was given them; and would make use of that circumstance frequently to recollect those promises, which were then solemnly made for them; and which they have since confirmed, or are to confirm and make personally for themselves. Without performing these, we are Christians not in deed, but in name only; and shall greatly dishonour that name, while we bear it and boast of it.

Our baptismal Name is given us, not by our Pa

rents, as we read in Scripture the Name of Jewish children was, but by our Godfathers and Godmothers. And this custom also may have a double advantage. It may admonish them, that having conferred the title of Christians upon us, they are bound to endeavour, that we may behave worthy of it. And it may admonish us, that our Name having been given us by persons who were our sureties, we are bound to make good their engagement.

But the office and use of Godfathers will be considered under one of the following questions:The subject to be considered at present, though not fully, is Baptism. For this being our first entrance into the Christian Church, by which we become entitled to certain privileges, and obliged to certain duties; religious instruction begins very properly by teaching young persons, what both of them are; and in order to recommend the duties to us, the privileges are mentioned first.

Not but that God hath an absolute right to our observance of his laws, without informing us beforehand, what benefit we shall reapfrom it. Surely it would be enough to know, that he is Lord and King of the whole earth; and that all his dealings with the works of his hands are just and reasonable. Our business is to obey, and trust Him with the consequences. But in great mercy, to encourage and attract his poor creatures, he hath been pleased to enter into a covenant, a gracious agreement with man: subjecting himself, as it were, to bestow certain blessings on us, provided we perform certain conditions. But though in this covenant the promises, made on his part, flow from his own free goodness, yet the terms required on ours, are matters of necessary obligation and what was altogether voluntary in him, firmly binds us.'

(1) See Waterlands's Review of the Doctrine of the Eucharist, e. xi. p. 425.

Now the privileges, thus conditionally secured to us in Baptism, we find in our Catechism very fitly reduced to these three heads: that the person who receives it, is "therein made a member of Christ, "a child of God, and an inheritor of the Kingdom "of Heaven."

1. The first, and foundation of the others, is, that he is "made a member of Christ." This figure of speech all of you may not immediately understand; but when it is understood, you will perceive in it great strength and beauty. It pre-supposes, what we must be sensible of more or less, that we are every one originally prone to sin, and actually sinners, liable thence to punishment: and without hope of preserving ourselves, by our own strength, either from guilt or from misery. It further implies, what the Scripture clearly teaches, that Jesus Christ hath delivered us from both, in such manner as shall hereafter be explained to you, on the most equitable terms of our becoming his, by accepting him from the hand of God for our Saviour, our Teacher, and our Lord. This union to him, in order to receive these benefits from him, our Catechism, in conformity with the language of Holy Writ, compares with that of the members of the body to the head. And how proper the comparison is, will easily appear, by carrying it through the several particulars, in which the similitude holds.

As, in every living creature, perception and motion proceed from the head; so, to every Christian, knowledge of God's will, and power to obey it, flow from Christ. As the head governs and directs each limb, so Christ is the Sovereign and Lawgiver of each believer. As being joined to the head makes the whole body one animal frame; so being joined to Christ makes the whole number of Christians one spiritual society. As communication with the head preserves our natural life; so com

munication with Christ supports our religious life. He therefore is to the Church, what the head is to the body and each person, who belongs to the Church, is a member of that body, or, in the language of the Catechism, "a member of Christ." For he, as St. Paul expresses it, is "the head; "from which all the body, having nourishment "ministered, and knit together by joints and bands, increaseth with the increase of God."

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And this manner of speaking is frequently repeated in Scripture, as it well deserves; being not only, as you have seen, admirably fitted to represent the happy relations in which we stand to our Redeemer, but also to remind us of our duties, which are derived from them: of the honour and obedience due to him, who is "head over all things to his body the Church;"3 of our continual dependance on him, "since he is our life;"4 and of the tenderness and kindness which we owe to our fellow Christians, and they to us, being all united through him, so intimately to each other. For since, as the Apostle argues, "by one Spirit we are "all baptized into one Body:" as in the natural body, the eye cannot say unto the hand, "I have no need of thee," nor any one member to the rest, "I have no need of you;" but even the " "feeble and less honourable members are neces66 sary; ;"5 so in the spiritual body, they, who in any respect may seem to excel others, ought by no means despise them, since every good Christian is, in his proper degree and place, both a valuable and an useful member of Christ. And again: As in the natural body, there is a connexion and sympathy of the several parts, by which the good state of one preserves the others in health and ease, or its bad state gives them pain and disorder; so should there be in the spiritual body, and there is, in all true (3) Ephes. i. 22, 23. (4) Col. iii. 4. (5) 1 Cor. xii. 13, 21, 22, 23.

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(2) Col. ii. 19.

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