254 4 CAVEAT AGAINST INFIDELITY. VI. A humble hope in thedivine promises of joy andhappi. mess in the world to come, is the last thing I shall mention. This is-so necessary a grace, that it is said, we are saved by hope; Rom. viii. 24. And it is often put for faith itself, in the language of ancient prophecy ; and in the writings of the apostles, Christ himself is called our hope; 1 Tim. i. 1. Unbelief of the pro- mises, and despair of heaven cut offall the sinews of action, and willeffectually prevent usfrom seeking and striving to obtain the prize : We must live therefore in humble expectation of future glory, lookingfor the blessed hope and the glorious appearance of thegreat God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ ; Titus ii. 13. And the apostle's argument in 1 Cor. xv. 12-16. seems to make the belief and hope even of the resurrection of the body, a necessarypart of our christianity also : For, if there be no resur- rection ofthe dead, then is not Christ risen ; and if Christ be not risen, then our preaching is vain, and your faith is also vain, ye -areyet in your sins. For my part I must own; that where this gospel comes in such full light and evidence, as we enjoy it, E hardly know what tomake of their christianity, who deny the doctrine of the resurrection. These are the substantial parts of our religion, and thechief rules of the christian race, or contest inwhich we are engaged in order to obtain the crown. And con- cerning these, I have endeavoured to make it appear from reason, ór express testimony of scripture, that God, the great andblessed God, will not dispense with any of them in these persons who expect favour and salvation at his hands. There are indeed many circumstantials that belong to our religion, whichare by no means of equal importance with those substantial parts of christianity before mentioned. In manyof these circumstances of our duty, it has not pleased the Spirit of God, to write the rules of them in so plain and express lan- guage ; and therefore there may be very different sentiments and practices in these points, without endangering our salvation, without breaking the bonds of our christian love and unity. It is of infinitely more importance, that we believethat there is but one God, that he must be worshipped and served by his crea- tures, that there is an essential difference between virtue and vice, that there is a future state of rewards and punishments, that we are guilty creatures, and can obtain favour of God no other way but by a Mediator, that we mustrepent of our sins and have our hearts changed and renewed unto holiness, and live in the sincere practice of every known duty, and in humble expectation of future blessedness ; I say, these things are of infinitely greater moment, than whether we must be baptized in infancy or riper years ; whether that ceremony must be perform- ed by dipping or sprinkling : whether the ordinance of the Lord's - supper must be received in the posture of guests t-si
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