"that bought them," and traduce the whole of his religion as a mere human contrivance ;-neither fhall I take much notice of thofe who, while they profefs a general regard to Chrift, do, at the fame time, entertain and publish opinions evidently inconfiftent with a real esteem of him: though it cannot be wholly overlooked, that fuch there are in the Christian world;-fome, denying his divinity, and others his fatisfaction;-fome difowning the neceffity, and others the virtue and efficacy of his grace:-All which are fo many different ways of vilifying the great Redeemer, and detracting from his true honour and dignity.But, paffing thefe, my design is, to fhow, that even among fuch as you, my brethren, who I trust are not tainted with thefe doctrinal errors, it is poffible to find fome who ungratefully deSpife and reject the Saviour. May God open their hearts to receive conviction, that they may no longer delude themselves with " a

name to live," while they are fpiritually dead," and liable to everlasting deftruc

tion.

In general, then, all who are grofsly ignorant of the religion of Jefus, muft neceffarily be reputed defpifers of him: for as the means of acquiring knowledge are fo eafy, and the opportunities of receiving inftruction fo frequent, it must be owing to fome culpable neglect of their own, if any who are capable of learning other things, be unacquainted with the great doctrines of Christianity; and this neglect too plainly. betrays a contemptuous difregard of Christ himself.

More particularly, men may be faid to defpife Chrift, when they do not receive him as their alone Saviour, as the true, the living, nay, the only way to the Father.He is fet forth in Scripture as the fole mediator between God and man; who, by his atoning facrifice, hath fatisfied divine justice, and purchased the Holy Spirit to heal our diseased natures, and thereby render us meet for the perfection of our happinefs, in the enjoyment of that God who cannot behold iniquity: fo that we do not properly exprefs our esteem of him, unless we acknowledge him in that important character,

character, and pay to him thofe practical regards which it claims. To honour him is, to acquiefce, thankfully, in this ordinance of God for redeeming his fallen creatures; it is, to renounce all hope of being juftified or faved by any other means,

and to rely wholly upon the facrifice and interceffion of this High Prieft, for the par/don of our fins, and the acceptance of our perfons with God; it is, to apply that blood to ourfelves which "cleanfeth from "all fin," and to receive his Spirit to dwell within us, and to fway the fceptre over all the powers and faculties of our fouls. A lawyer is honoured when men employ him, and commit their caufe to his management; a phyfician is honoured when men apply to him for advice, and ufe his prescriptions for their cure:-In like manner, the great Advocate with the Father, and the fovereign Phyfician of fouls, is honoured, not when men talk well of him, and verbally profess an efteem of him, but when they actually commit their caufe to him, and place their entire dependence upon him for pardon and grace, and complete falva

tion;

tion; and they that come fhort of this, are in reality no other than despisers of Christ; and, as fuch, fhall be difowned by him at his fecond coming.

Again, Chrift is defpifed and rejected of men, when they practically deny his authority, by breaking his commandments. We are exprefsly told, "that all power is com"mitted to him in heaven and on earth;

-for God hath put all things under his "feet, and given him to be head over all "things for the church." Now, to honour him in this character, is to yield a cheerful and unreferved obedience to his laws; it is to acknowledge his fovereignty over us, and his property in us, not only as our Creator, but likewife as our Redeemer, who hath bought us with his blood; and in confequence thereof, to glorify him both with our bodies and our fpirits, which are his. Therefore, all they who make their own will the rule of their conduct, who do not refign themselves entirely to the difpofal and government of this King of Zion, whatever their profeffion be, they certainly defpife and reject him; and though

not

not in words perhaps, yet by their deeds they fay with the rebellious Jews, We will not have this man to reign over us. "Why "call ye me Lord, Lord," faid our Saviour,' ❝ and do not the things which I fay?" plainly intimating, that all outward expreffions of esteem, are mere hypocrify and empty grimace, without a fincere and unlimited fubjection to his laws.

Further, men defpife Chrift, when they do not give him the chief room in their hearts, nor prefer him in their choice to every thing else. The language of a true difciple is," Whom have I in heaven but "thee? and there is none upon earth "whom I defire befides thee." If Chrift be not esteemed and loved above every thing, he is not truly esteemed or loved at all and this I take to be the meaning of thefe ftrong expreffions, Luke xiv. 26. " If ec any man come to me, and hate not his "father and mother, and wife and chil"dren, and brethren and fifters, yea, and "his own life alfo, he cannot be my dif ciple." They who are not willing to part with ease and pleasures, with riches,

VOL. I.

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and