God's heavy judgments, "the worm that dieth "not, and the fire that is not quenched; muft "have the fmoke of their torment afcend up for "ever and ever*."

I will not dwell on this dreadful idea, which is enough to make our blood run chill with horror; but will proceed to point out, from our text, the only poffible means of our avoiding fuch acute and endless mifery.

We are exhorted, then, by the apoftle, to examine ourselves whether we be in the faith. Our being in the faith is reprefented as the only certain protection. And this we are directed by no means to take for granted, because we make a profeffion of Chriftianity; but, on the contrary, to fubmit to careful examination. The Corinthians, to whom this Epiftle was addreffed, were all profeffing Christians; had all been baptized, as well as ourselves; had frequently attended public worship; and had frequently partaken of the Lord's Supper. But ftill, St. Paul exhorts them carefully to examine themfelves whether they were truly in in the faith, or not; that they might not be de ceived, where their eternal falvation or condemnation was at ftake.

But, what are the queftions which he propofes, for the fake of affifting them in this important enquiry? Were they, What fect or party of Chriftians they belonged to, that which had taken the name of Paul, of Apollos, of Cephas, or of Chrift *?

Rev. xiv. 11.

Chrift*? Or did he afk them, Whether they were baptized in their infancy, or their maturer years? with fponfors, or without? Whether they partook of the Lord's Supper in a fitting or a kneeling pofture? Or, Did he demand what religious profeffion their parents had been of; or, What creeds or catechisms they had themselves been taught? What articles of religion they had given their affent to? What liturgy they used in their public affemblies'; or whether they prayed without any? Or, Did he enquire who were the Commentators whofe explanation of the facred writings they moft agreed with? or, Whofe preaching they commonly attended ?-------In truth, No. He calls not on them to examine any thing outward, or any mere opinions, but themselves, their own felves; to bring themselves to the proof. And, he continues his enquiry thus: "Know ye "not your own felves, how that Jefus Chrift is "in you, except ye be reprobates t."

A 3

* See 1 Cor. i. 11. to 14..

Chrift in

them:

If it were urged by any perfon, that the paffage of our text, in the original, is "en" among, not "entos" within you; I would observe that our bleffed Saviour ufes the fame word "en" to denote the union of himself with his Father, as of believers with himself. See John xiv. 20.--xv. 2. 4, 5, 6, & 7.--xvii. 21, 22, 23. & 26. Allo, vi. 56. The fame word "en" is likewise used in all the following paffages, where it is impoffible that any thing can be meant lefs than a real inward union. See Col. i. 27. [Here, however, there is in fome copies, a various reading "eis" i. e. "to you.] Gal. iv. 19. : John iii. 24. See alfo 2 Cor. v. 17.xii. 2.

Rom.

xvi.

them is the mark to which he directs them of their being truly and favingly in the faith; and he plainly and honeftly tells them, that, without this, whatever their outward profeffion or forms, and whatever their opinions might be, they were, at that inftant, reprobates, or outcafts from God's love and favour.

In exact conformity with this, he thus fpeaks of himself. "I am crucified with Chrift: never"theless I live; yet not I, but Chrift liveth in

me: and the life which I now live in the flesh, "I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." And, he prays for the Ephefian converts, "that Chrift

may dwell in their hearts by faith t." In like manner, our Church fpeaks of " feeding on "Chrift, in our hearts, by faith," and thus "dwell❝ing in him, and he in us; being one with him,

and he with us; declaring that "the mean "whereby the body of Chrift is received and eaten

in

xvi. 7. & 10. &c. &c. If this note fhould remove all objection to the doctrine in point of criticifm, it is hoped. that the fermon itself will remove all objection to it, from the mind of those who revere the fcriptures, in point of common fenfe. The view in which our Church under ftands these and other fimilar parts of the facred fcriptures, may be eafily collected from the paffages in her Office of Communion, and 28th and 29th Articles cited in this Sermon.

Gal. ii. 20.

+ Eph. iii. 17.

Office for the Communion. Addrefs or prefenting the confecrated bread, and the exhortation read at the time of adminiftering the Lord's Supper.

in the Lord's Supper, is faith*;" and that "the "wicked, and fuch as be void of a lively faith, "although they do carnally and visibly prefs "with their teeth (as St. Auguftine faith) the fa"crament of the body and blood of Chrift; yet, "in no wife, are they partakers of Chrift +."

Having feen, therefore, that union with Chrift is declared, both by the Scriptures and our Church, to be a neceffary part of true faving faith, we may proceed to confider,

1. The nature of that union.

2. The means of it.

3. The evidence of it.

1. With refpect to the nature of that union. Our bleffed Lord had faid, in his last difcourfe with his difciples; "I am the vine, ye are the "branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him,. "the fame bringeth forth much fruit: for, without "me (or fevered from me,) ye can do nothing.. "If a man abide not in me, he is caft forth as a "branch, and is withered f." He likewife madethis a part of his last prayer to his Father; " that "they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me,

and I in thee, that they alfo may be one in us: "I in them, and thou in me, that they may be "made perfect in one ." St. Paul, in like maner, writing to the Coloffians, calls "the mystery. 6. of

* Article 28.

+ Article 29.

Margin of Dr. Blayney's Bible. See alfo Poole's Synopfis, in loc.

John xv. 5, & 6. || John xvii. 21, & 23. See ver. 20. to the end of the chapter.

"of the gofpel, Chrift in us the hope of glory** And, he thus writes to the Galatian converts: "My little children, of whom I travail in birth "together, until Chrift be formed in you t." The fame important truth is frequently brought forward by the apoftles, as believers being in Chrift St. Paul Speaks of himself, as " a man in Chrift;" and of others as" in Christ before him." St. John declares," He that keepeth his commandments ❝ dwelleth in Christ, and Christ in him §. And, as our bleffed Redeemer had represented the union of believers with himself, by that of the branches with a vine; fo St. Paul compares it to that of the graft with an olive tree; of inferior ftones with the chief corner-ftone of a building; of the feveral members with the human body and the head. He then ufes this ftrong expreffion: "We "are members of his body, of his flefh, and of ❝his bones. (a)."

Thus, we may observe, that the union of believers with Chrift is always represented by fuch a comparison as indicates, that they receive all their ftrength, their vital nourishment, and fupport from him. As the fap exifting in the vine, fpreads itself into the tender branches, diffufing life and fruitfulness to the remoteft fibres, while united with the plant; fo is Chrift full of grace and truth(b); and, while united to him "of his fulness

Còl. i. 27. + Gal. iv. 19. xvi. 7, & 10. 1 John iii. 24. Eph. ii. 20. Rom. xii. 4, & 5. 28. Eph. iv. 25, &c. (a) Eph.

we

Rom,

2 Cor. xii. 2. See Rom. xi. 17, &c. 1 Cor. vi. 15.-xii. to v. 3c. (b) John i. 14..