and difown it. But even this, we know, will not be allowed as a fufficient Plea in the Sight of God, to excufe our Denial of his beloved Son in the Sight of Men. His Love to us furpafleth Knowledge; and he requires in return, that ours for him fhould exceed all others which can come in Competition with it. He underwent the moft grievous Pains, inflicted in the most unjust and aggravating Manner, for our Salvation; and he requires that neither Life nor Death fhould feparate us from him, or deter us from glorying in his Crofs. And if those who call themselves by his Name want Refolution to do this, it is either because they do not enough confider the Wonders of his Life, Death, and Mediation; or do not duly apply themfelves to that Purity of Heart, and Elevation of Mind, which the Gospel prefcribes. And therefore, fays our bleffed Lord, He that loveth Father or Mother, Sifter or Brother, Wife or Children, more than me, is not worthy of me; and he that forfaketh not all that he hath, (Life itself not excepted, when he can enjoy it on no other Terms than denying the Faith) and followeth not after me, is not worthy of me. To which I fhall add,

Thirdly, That it is a virtual and tacit Denial of our Lord, to neglect frequenting the publick Offices of the Chriftian Church ; if done either in Compliance with the vicious Cuftoms and Humours of Men, who blaf phemously

5

phemously revile and defpife a crucified Saviour, or out of an idle and foolish Fear, of being thought weak or fuperftitious. When Christianity is become the Religion of a Country, it is to be expected, that many Perfons will, for Fashion Sake only profefs it; and when Wealth, Luxury, and all Kinds of Excefs increafe and get Ground in that Country, it is by no Means ftrange that the Proud, the Luxurious, and the Luftful, fhould in their Hearts be Enemies to the meek, the humble, the pure, and the mortifying Doctrines of the bleffed Jefus. And if they proceed one Step farther to Blafphemies and Revilings, they only fpeak a Language which is confiftent with their general Conduct, and the open Revolt or Defertion of luch corrupted Members, could be no real Lofs or Injury to the true myftical Body of the Chriftian Church. But for those who are at all fincere in their Profeffion of the Gospel, to be led by Fashion, or Custom, or a vain Fear of the Cenfures and Reproaches of the Scorner, to neglect the publick Worship of their God and Saviour; this betrays the greatest Weakness of Mind, and is unquestionably a Crime of a very deep dye. To do this on fuch Motives is plainly to prefer the Praife of Men, of weak, wicked, and foolish Men, to the Praife of God; and it is fo far denying our bleffed Lord before them, as it implies a Backwardness and falfe Shame,

to appear open and conftant in profeffing him. One Design of the Inftitution of Christian Worship is to teftify our own Sincerity, and to edify others by paying our Devotions in the moft open and publick Manner, to that God whom we profefs to ferve; and our Creeds are wifely inferted in the publick Offices of that Worship, that by repeating them openly and audibly, in the Face of the Congregation, we fhould acquit ourselves of any Sufpicions of being ashamed to confefs our Saviour, and fhould both admonish, encourage, and comfort one another with thefe Words. And not to do this, barely to avoid the Ridicule of a profane Jeft, or a blafphemous Scoff; or in Order to indulge the Vices, and procure the Countenance of any Man, or Body of Men, how great foever, is to betray the Caufe of Chriftianity to its Enemies, in the bafeft Manner, and it is in Effect felling our Master at a lower Price than even the Traitor Judas fold him. And alas! What would become of fuch Chriftians, if it should please God to fuffer the Enemies of our Faith, not only to ridicule, but to perfecute the Profeffion of it? What could be expected from them, but that they would, upon the firft Trial, renounce their Religion, and betake themselves to any other, which fhould be fafe and in Efteem? And yet our great Mafter affures us, in the Words of the Text, that whosoever fhall, on any Account,

deny

deny him before Men, fhall be denied by him before his Father which is in Heaven. The Reason of which will more fully appear if we confider,

II. Secondly, The heinous Nature of this Sin, which will be evident if we remember, that it is a Breach of all Faith, and of the moft folemn Engagements with God and Man. What can be more folemn, or more obligatory, than the Chriftian Covenant? What can reach the Confciences of Men, and influence their Practice, if fuch Engagements will not? The ftricteft Obligation that can be invented, to bind Men to Fidelity with one another, is that of an Oath ; wherein they appeal to God's Juftice, and invoke his Vengeance, if they falfify or deceive; and this we do in a much more folemn and awful Manner, in our Baptifmal Vows, than in any other Cafe whatsoever. For we there, not only appeal to the Almighty as a Witness of the Truth of what we fay, or the Sincerity of what we promile ; but we enter into a Covenant, in which God himself is a Party; we bind ourselves to him, and his Religion, in the stricteft Manner that Words, or Vows, or Oaths can do; and we appeal to his Church, in whose Presence we do it, as Witneffes to the Engagement. Nor does it leffen the Obligation, that this is done in our Infancy.

G 3

Be

cause

cause we renew the fame, and make it our own Act and Deed, in our riper Years, both in our Confirmation, and whenever we partake of the bleffed Sacrament. And for a Chriftian, after all this, to renounce his Faith, and deny his Saviour, is the moft provoking Infolence, that mortal Man can offer, to the God that made him; it is affronting the Almighty to his Face; and is bidding Defiance to his Vengeance in fo daring and terrible a Manner, as muft fill ferious Minds with Horror and Dread. And with Regard to one another, it is appealing to the whole Chriftian Church to prove that nothing can lay any Manner of Restraint upon them, in whatever they are inclined to do; it is proclaiming to the whole World, that they can break through all Obligations, and are not to be bound down by any Ties, either Civil or Sacred. And therefore, the primitive Church * denied those who apoftatized from her, the Privilege of being accepted as credible Witneffes, in her Courts of Judicature; because they had already broke through ftronger Ties to Truth and Sincerity, than any others that could be laid upon them; and there was no Reafon but to conclude, that they who could, upon any Motives, break through them, would make no Scruple of defpifing all other Obligations, when their Paffions or Interefts fhould lead them to it.

*Bingham. B. 16. C. 6.