ledging the Obligation; and the following words, by God's help fo I will, publish their Refolution of obferving it. And indeed this is that which clinches the Nail, and drives home the Obligation upon them; for the bare owning or promifing a thing is nothing without acting accordingly. Tis not enough to acknowledge that we are bound to believe and do what others have promis'd for us, unless we add our Refolution, and fet about the doing of it; faying with Fofbua, that whatever others do, we will ferve the Lord; Jofhua 24. 15.

By this we learn, that 'tis Action alone that adorns and crowns our Profeffion; If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them. "Tis not faying or promifing, but doing only, that brings us to Happinefs; Neither Circumcifion nor Uncircumcifion (faith the Apoftle) availeth any thing, but a new Creature; 1 Cor. 7. 19. "Tis Newness of Lite and Obedience that gives all the Efficacy to Baptifm, and procures to us the Bleffings of it; and therefore our Church directs Children to join good Purposes and Refolutions with their Acknowledgments, and to confirm their Promises by futable Practices. Without this, the most folemn Vows will prove rather Aggravations of our Sin, than the Inftruments of Holinefs; and confequently will tend more to increase our Mifery, than add to our Happiness. Better is it (faith Solomon) that thou shouldft not vow, than that thou shouldst vow and not pay: Ecclef. 5. 5. 'Tis a lefs fault not to vow at all, than having vow'd, not to perform; the one being a Neglect, the other a Contempt of the Divine Maiefty and as nothing finks deeper than Contempt, fo nothing can draw after it a heavier Judgment than the Violation of a Vow.

For this reafon it is, that our Church exacts from all baptized Persons this folemn owning of their Vow, and likewife tacks to it a publick Declaration of their Will and Purpose to obferve it for when they are ask'd, Whether they take themselves bound by the baptifmal Vow to act according to it? they are bid to reply, Yes verily, and by God's help fo they will. Where,

Laftly, They are directed to the best way and means to enable them to perform it; and that is by imploring of God's help: By God's help fo I will. This is neceffary to be invok'd in all our daily and common Affairs, but much more in the great and weighty Matters of Religion. We must be always fenfible of our own Inability to help ourselves,

and

and live in a conftant dependence upon the Aid and Affiftance of our Maker; this way we may rationally expect his Favour and Bleffing, because he has directed us to it, and our own Imbecillity and Weaknefs require it: but to trust to our own Strength, is to rely upon a broken Reed, that will not only fail our Expectations, but pierce us too with many Sorrows. God Almighty leaves those to themfelves that depend upon their own Strength, by which means they fall into many Enormities, and meet with nothing but Difappointment and a Curfe; but he delights to blefs and affift thofe that call and depend upon him, and has promis'd never to leave or forfake fuch as in an humble performance of their Duty put their trust in him. And therefore we find St. James blaming those who fpake too confidently of themselves in the fmalleft matters; Jam. 4. 13, 14. Go to now, ye that fay, To day or to morrow we will go into fuch a City, and continue there a Year, and buy, and fell, and get Gain; advifing them to fay rather, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this or that. Where he fhews both the folly and the danger of neglecting God, and trufting to ourfeives in the flightest things. Sutable hereunto, our Church teaches Children to know where all their Strength lies, and to whom they ought to have recourfe for it in all, but especially in the great Concerns of their Souls.; directing them to fay, by God's help so I will.

To conclude this Point, let us frequently call to mind what was done and promis'd for us in our Baptifm; and as we have fince own'd, fo let us ftill endeavour to answer the Obligation, by denying all Ungodliness and worldly Lufts, and living righteously, foberly and godly, in this prefent World. Without this, we deny the Faith, and are worfe than Infidels; and inftead of renouncing the Devil and all his Works, fhall renounce Chrift and all his Religion; and muft neceffarily forfeit all the Benefits of Baptifm. Yea, without leading a holy Life, we fhall be found Covenantbreakers, and guilty of the Violation of the most folemn and facred Vows; and thereby incur the Punishment not only of faithlefs Servants, but of faife and perfidious Renegadoes. To prevent which,

Let us remember, that what was done for us in our Infancy, in our Name, and for our Benefit, lies upon us after to perform. 'Tis a Rule in Law and Equity, what a Man doth by another, is to be reckon'd as done by himfelf; if I depute another to feal a Bond for me, his Act

binds me as faft, as if it were done immediately by myself. A learned Catechift hath truly obferv'd, That a Stipulation of others for an Infant, where it is to his Benefit, bindeth not only in the Gifts, but in the annexed Duties; if a Child have a Hand to take a beneficial Leafe, he must find a Hand to pay the Rent and perform the Covenants, without which he justly forfeits it.

This is our Cafe, we are put in a capacity of Heaven's vaft and unspeakable Benefits, by the Engagements of others in our behalf: thefe now lie upon us to perform, in which if we do our part, we cannot fail to receive them; otherwife, if we neglect it, 'twill be our folly as well as mifery to go without them, efpecially having often own'd and recogniz'd the Obligation.

In a word, Having made, and frequently renew'd those Vows of Repentance and new Obedience, let us be all mindful of them, and fay with David, I will perform my Vows. 'Twas an atheistical Speech of him, who affirm'd it beneath him to be fetter'd by a Promife, or made a Slave to his Word; this falls fhort of the common Honefty of the Heathens, who ever held Vows and Promises to be facred, and have been careful to obferve them, tho with the hazard of their Lives. Religion teaches us not to fail of our Promifes, tho it be to our own hurt: How much more ought we to obferve this, which tends fo much to our great good? always faying, as our Church here hath taught us, Yes verily, and by God's help fo I will.

DISCOURSE XVII.

ROM. vii. 25.

I thank God, through Jefus Christ our Lord.

I

HAVE spoken of that folemn Recognition or Renewal of the Baptifmal Vow, which every baptiz'd Perfon is call'd upon to make, when he comes to Years of understanding, in thofe words; Yes verily, and by God's help fo I will where he owns himfelf bound by what others engag'd for him, and declares his Purpofe

and

and Refolution to perform it. The better to enable him hereunto, the Church directs him,

Secondly, To make a thankful Acknowledgment to God of that happy State he is hereby call'd to, in those words; And I thank our heavenly Father, who hath called me to this State of Salvation, through Jesus Christ our Saviour.

Of this I fhall treat at this time, from these words of St. Paul; Ithank God, through Fefus Christ our Lord. In the Epiftle to the Corinthians he thanks God for the Grace given to us by Fefus Chrift, 1 Cor. 1. 4. In his Epistle to Timothy, for Grace to enable him to the Work whereunto be was called: all which amount to a grateful Commemoration of the Mercies and Bleffings convey'd to us by our Baptifm.

In explaining then this Branch of the Catechism, I must confider,

I. The Duty of Thankfulness, together with the Object of it; in thofe words, I heartily thank our heavenly Father.

II. The particular Matter for which these Thanks are directed to be paid; and that is, for his calling us to this State of Salvation.

III. The Means by which this Mercy is obtain'd; and that is, through Jefus Chrift our Saviour. I begin with

The Duty of Thankfulness, together with the Object to whom it is to be paid; I heartily thank our heavenly Father.

Thankfulness in general, is a grateful Senfe of Benefits receiv'd: it includes in it fundry Acts and outward Expreffions, of which David, that great Mafter of Thanksgivings, has given us many Precepts, and likewise set before us an excellent Example. I fhall mention fome of them; as,

re

Thankfulness implies the frequent confidering, membring, and calling to mind of Benefits receiv'd; Whofo is wife, will confider thefe things, faith the Pfalmift. For himfelf, he fays, I will remember thy Wonders of old, and will meditate of all thy Works, Pfal. 77. 11, 12. Indeed where the Mind is poffefs'd with a grateful Senfe of any Favour or Benefit, it will neceffarily engage the Thoughts to confider it; 'twill make us faithfully to retain, and frequently recollect the Loving-kindness. He that flightly regards, or

eafily forgets a Benefit, can by no means be reckon'd a grateful Perfon. And therefore we find the Ifraelites fharply rebuk'd, for not confidering the Works of the Lord, and forgetting the Wonders he had done for them: They remembred not his Hand, fays David, nor the Day when he deliver'd them from their Enemies; Pfal. 78. 11, 42. Yea, of the Rock that begat them they were unmindful, and forgat the God that formed them; Deut. 32. 18. Some Men's Memories, like the Water, bear up light and trivial matters, whilft weighty things fink to the bottom, and are loft in oblivion.

Ariftotle being afk'd, what fooneft grows old, answer'd Thanks; and another tells us, That no fooner is the Courtesy born, but the Refentment of it dies. This is a vile, and yet too common a piece of Ingratitude, to let even the Mercies of God pafs away unobferv'd, and the Sense of them fink into utter forgetfulness. To prevent which, let us often refresh our Memories with the remembrance of the divine Goodness, and call upon our Souls in the words of the Pfalmift; Bless the Lord, O my Soul, and forget not all his Benefits.

:

2. Thankfulness implies not only the Remembrance, but a due Efteem and Valuation of Benefits. A Man may remember a thing, and yet think but flightly of it; and he that doth fo, can never be truly thankful for according to the Opinion or Efteem we have of Benefits, fuch will our Gratitude be. He that knows not the Value of a Pearl or a Diamond, will give little or no thanks for it; yea, he will be apt to defpife it, and, with the Cock in the Fable, will prefer a Barly-corn before a Jewel. If we fet none, for a low Price, upon the Mercies of God, our Gratitude will be mean and defpicable; and therefore we find David, the great Pattern of Gratitude, ftill magnifying the Mercies of God, and enhancing the Value of all his Bleffings: I will praise the Lord (faith he) for his Mercy is great, bis Truth reacheth unto the Heavens, and his Faithfulness unto the Clouds; Pfal. 108. 3, 4. And elfewhere, The Works of the Lord are great, fought out of all that have any Pleasure therein; Pfal. III. 2. Indeed, the Mercies of God are fo great, that we cannot fet any Value upon them, without undervaluing them; their Dimenfions are larger than our Comprehenfion, and therefore, inftead of measuring them, we are, with our devout Thanksgiver, to break out frequently into Wonder and Astonishment, saying with him,