When the sinner, for the sake of a little present ease, and to avoid a little present uneasiness, stifles his conscience, refuses to examine his condition, casts the thoughts of eternity out of his mind, and thinks it too hard to attend painfully on all the means of grace, has he then a due estimate of eternal things? Alas! no; he only looks at the things that are seen. Were the mouth of hell open before him, that he might behold its torments, and had he a sight of the joys of paradise, they would harden him into a generous insensibility of all the sorrows and anxieties of this life, and his inquiry would not be, whether these things required of him are easy; but, whether they are necessary to obtain eternal happiness, and avoid everlasting misery.

When we suffer any reproach or contempt on a religious account, how would a due estimate of eternal things fortify us with undaunted courage and make us willing to climb to heaven through disgrace, rather than sink to hell with general applause

How would a realizing view of eternal things animate us in our devotions? Were this thought impressed on our hearts when in the secret or social duties of religion, "I am now acting for eternity," do you think we should pray, read, or hear with so much indifferency and languor? O no; it would rouse us out of our dead frames, and call forth all the vigor of our souls. With what unwearied importunity should we cry to God! with what eagerness hear the word of salvation!

How powerful an influence would a view of futurity have to alarm the secure sinner that has thought little of eternity all his life, though it be the only thing worth thinking of?

How would it hasten the determination of the lingering, wavering sinner, and shock him at the thought of living one day unprepared on the very brink of eternity!

In a word, a suitable impression of this would quite alter the aspect of things in the world, and would turn the concern and activity of the world into another channel. Eternity then would be the principal concern. Our inquiries would not be, Who will show us any temporal good? What shall we eat, or what shall we drink? But, What shall we do to be saved? How shall we escape the wrath to come? Let us then endeavor to

impress our hearts with invisible things, and for that purpose consider, that,

We shall, ere long, be ingulfed in this awful eternity, whether we think of it or not. A few days or years will launch us there; and O, the surprising scenes that will then open to us!

Without deep impressions of eternity on our hearts, and frequent thoughtfulness about it, we cannot be prepared for it.

And if we are not prepared for it, O, how inconceivably miserable our case! But if prepared, how inconceivably happy!

Look not then at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal: but the things which are not seen are eternal.

SERMON XII.

THE SACRED IMPORT OF THE CHRISTIAN NAME.

ACTS XI. 26. The Disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.

MERE names are empty sounds, and but of little consequence and yet it must be owned there are names of honor and significancy; and, when they are attended with the things signified by them, they are of great and sacred importance.

Such is the Christian name; a name about seventeen hundred years old. And now, when the name is almost lost in party-distinctions, and the thing is almost lost in ignorance, error, vice, hypocrisy, and formality, it may be worth our while to consider the original import of that sacred name, as a proper expedient to recover both name and thing.

The name of Christian was not the first by which the followers of Christ were distinguished. Their enemies called them Galileans, Nazarenes, and other names of contempt: and among themselves they were called

Saints, from their holiness; Disciples, from their learning their religion from Christ as their teacher; Believers, from their believing in him as the Messiah; and Brethren, from their mutual love and their relation to God and each other. But after some time they were distinguished by the name of Christians. This they first received in Antioch, a heathen city, a city infamous for all manner of vice and debauchery: a city that had its name from Antiochus Epiphanes, the bitterest enemy the church of the Jews ever had. A city very rich and powerful, from whence the Christian name would have an extensive circulation; but it is long since laid in ruins, unprotected by that sacred name: in such a city was Christ pleased to confer his name upon his followers; and you cannot but see that the very choice of the place discovers his wisdom, grace, and justice.

The original word, which is here rendered called, seems to intimate that they were called Christians by divine appointment, for it generally signifies an oracular nomination or a declaration from God; and to this purpose it is generally translated.* Hence it follows that the very name Christian, as well as the thing, was of a divine original; assumed not by a private agreement of the disciples among themselves, but by the appointment of God. And in this view it is a remarkable accomplishment of an old prophecy of Isaiah, chap. Ixii. 2. The Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory, and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall name. So Isaiah lxv.15. The Lord shall call his servants by another name.

This name was at first confined to a few; but it soon had a surprisingly extensive propagation through the

"It is this word that is used, Matt. ii. 12. Kat xonμaridevres, being warned of God, and the like in Matt. ii. 22. So in Rom. xi. 4. χρηματισμός, is rendered the answer of God. Rom. vii. 3, xonparice, she shall be called, (viz. by the divine law) au adultress. Luke ii. 26, xonpatiopov, it was revealed to him by the Holy Ghost. Acts x. 22, expnuarie, was warned from God. Heb. viii. 5. Kexpnparlora Mores, Moses was admonished of God. Heb. xi. 7. Noah being warned of God, xonμarileis, Heb. xii. 25. If they escaped not, who refused Him that spake on earth; viz. by divine inspiration. These are all the places perhaps in which the word is used in the New Testament; and in all these it seems to mean a revelation from God, or something oracular. And this is a strong presumption that the word is to be so understood in the

text.

world. In many countries, indeed, it was lost, and miserably exchanged for that of Heathen, Mahometan, or Musselman. Yet the European nations still retain the honor of wearing it. A few scattered Christians are also still to be found here and there in Asia and Africa, though crushed under the oppressions of Mahometans and Pagans. This name has likewise crossed the wide ocean to the wilderness of America, and is worn by the sundry European colonies on this continent. We, in particular, call ourselves Christians, and should take it ill to be denied the honor of that distinction. But do we not know the meaning and sacred import of that name? Do we not know what it is to be Christians indeed? That is, to be in reality what we are in name: certainly it is time for us to consider the matter; and it is my present design that we should do so.

Now we may consider this name in various views; particularly as a name of distinction from the rest of the world, who know not the Lord Jesus, or reject him as an impostor; as a patronymic name, pointing out the Father and Founder of our holy religion and the Christian church;-as a badge of our relation to Christ as his servants, his children, his bride ;-as intimating our unction by the holy Spirit, or our being the subjects of his influences; as Christ was anointed by the holy Spirit, or replenished with his gifts above measure, (for you are to observe that anointed is the English of the Greek name Christ, and of the Hebrew, Messiah*) and as a name of appropriation, signifying that we are the property of Christ, and his peculiar people. Each of these particulars might be profitably illustrated. But my present design confines me to consider the Christian name only in two views; namely, as a catholic name, intended to bury all party denominations; and as a name of obligation upon all that wear it to be Christians indeed, or to form their temper and practice upon the sacred model of Christianity.

Psalm cv. 15. Touch not my Christs; that is, my anointed people. So the Seventy.

+ See a fine illustration of them in Dr. Grosvenor's excellent essay on the Christian name; from whom I am not ashamed to borrow several amiable sentiments.

1. Let us consider the Christian name as a catholic name, intended to bury all party denominations.

The name Gentile was odious to the Jews, and the name Jew was odious to the Gentiles. The name Christian swallows up both in one common and agreeable appellation. He that hath taken down the partition-wall, has taken away partition names, and united all his followers in his own name, as a common denomination. For now, says Paul, "there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free; but Christ is all and in all." Col. iii. 11. "And ye are all one in Christ Jesus." Gal. iii. 28. According to a prophecy of Zechariah, The Lord shall be king over all the earth; and in that day there shall be one Lord, and his name one. Zech. xiv. 9.

It is but a due honor to Jesus Christ, the founder of Christianity, that all who profess his religion should wear his name; and they pay an extravagant and even idolatrous compliment to his subordinate officers and ministers, when they take their denomination from them. Had this humor prevailed in the primitive church, instead of the common name Christians, there would have been as many party-names as there were apostles or eminent ministers. There would have been Paulites from Paul; Peterites from Peter; Johnites from John; Barnabites from Barnabas, &c. Paul took pains to crush the first risings of this party spirit in those churches which he planted; particularly in Corinth, where it most prevailed. While they were saying, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ; he puts this pungent question to them: "Is Christ divided?" Are his servants the ringleaders of so many parties? Was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in or into the name of Paul, that ye should be so fond to take your name from him? He counted it a happiness that Providence had directed him to such a conduct as gave no umbrage of encouragement to such a humor. I thank God, says he, that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius: lest any should take occasion to say, I baptized into my own name, and was gathering a party for myself. 1 Cor. i. 12-15.

But alas! how little has this convictive reasoning of the apostle been regarded in the future ages of the