SERMON II.

OF THE CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE AS HELD

BY TRINITARIANS AND CALVINISTS.

I TIM. i. II.

The glorious Gofpel of the bleffed God.

HE most important of all enquiries

are those which relate to the being, perfections, and providence of God. Next to these in importance are the enquiries, whether there is fufficient evidence for the truth of the Gospel; and if there is, what inftruction it communicates? In my laft discourse I entered on the difcuffion of the last of these questions, and endeavoured to fhew you, that amidst all their differ

ences,

ences, Chriftians are fufficiently agreed with respect to those effentials of the Gofpel which make it, indeed, what the word Gospel imports, glad tidings and a glorious Gospel. According to all schemes, it is a difpenfation of mercy to finful mortals, conveying to them, through the ministry, death, and exaltation of Chrift, the knowledge of God and their duty, pardon and favour, a refurrection from death, and a happy immortality. All áccounts of Chriftianity agree, that it not only reveals and announces these inestimable benefits, but afcertains them by facts; and that Jefus Chrift is the way, the truth, and the life, the conqueror of death, the future judge of mankind, and the author of eternal falvation to all that obey him. This, I have thought, a topic very neceffary to be infifted upon and explained before I proceed to what I farther propofe, which is, to give you fome account of the different schemes of Chriftianity, and of that scheme in particular which I think

1

nearest

neareft the truth. While, therefore, I fhall be giving you fuch an account, I with you to recollect what I have faid on this topic, and to carry along with you the reflection, that there is no fcheme of Christianity received among its profeffors which contradicts the only doctrine about which we have reafon to be very anxious; I mean, "the doctrine of falvation and "eternal life by Jefus Chrift."

Were a well-authenticated deed brought to you which gave you a title to a good estate, would you (while its general defign and purport were acknowledged) be very folicitous about the decifion of any disputes relating to the causes to which you owed the deed, the meaning of particular clauses in it, or the character and rank of the friend by whose inftrumentality you had received it. The Gofpel is our title to immortality. It contains that covenant of grace which fecures it to us; and Chrift is the friend by whose instrumentality it has been declared and confirmed,

firmed, and will be bestowed upon us, While agreed thus far, let us not fuffer ourselves to indulge impatience or resentment when we hear fome faying that Chrift was a mere man, others that he was a fuper-angelic being, and others that he. was God himself in union with a men; or when we are told by one party that he died to make fatisfaction to Divine juftice for the fins of the world, and by another party that he died only to bear teftimony to the truth, to prove and confirm the forgiving mercy of God, and to acquire the power of conferring upon us the bleffings of the covenant of grace.

But, though I would thus caution you against being shocked by the oppofite: opinions which are entertained among Christians, and prepare you for hearing, without being disturbed, the account I fhall give of them; I do not mean to intimate that it is of no confequence how we think about the points difputed among

Chrif

Chriftians. Though, for the reasons I have given, this is not of fuch confequence as to justify that distress which fome good men feel when they hear of opinions of the Gospel contrary to their own; yet it is without doubt the duty of every one, as far as he has abilities and opportunities, to endeavour to think rightly about thefe difputed points, and by careful and impartial enquiry to avoid grofs errors. The better we are informed about the controverfies among Chriftians, and the more correct our judgements, the more refpectable we fhall be, and also the more ufeful and valuable members of the Chriftian church; provided we take care to add to our knowledge brotherly kindness, and fupprefs in ourselves every tendency to intolerance and uncharitableness.

I have, therefore, thought that, after fhewing you how far we are all agreed in our conceptions of the Gofpel, it would

not