Are you then worshippers of God or not? It is a ferious queftion. Let me perfuade you to give it a moment's confideration. The words which Chrift ufd, in answer to a jewish inquirer after the first commandment of the law, may affist you in your thoughts. "Hear, O Ifrael; the Lord our God is "one Lord; and thou shalt love the Lord thy God "with all thy heart, and with all thy foul, and with “all thy mind, and with all thy ftrength: this is the "first commandment*." I bring you to this teft; do you really worship that God, of whom Christ fpeaks, or do you not? If you do not, Chrift himself bears witness against you, that you are not his disciples. To know whether you do, or do not, defpife your faviour, you muft confider who God is, of whom Chrift fpeaks.

Before I examine this point, let me obferve to you what I have feen, or heard, in your places of worship. In the established churches, a form of prayer is ufed, in which are the following words; -O God the fon, redeemer of the world-O God the holy ghoft-O holy, bleffed, and glorious trinity, three perfons and one God, have mercy upon us miferable finners-O lord Jefus Chrift, have mercy upon us; and, in many fimilar paffages, prayers are addreffed to Jefus Chrift, to the holy ghost, and to the trinity. In moft alfo of the places of worship belonging to the diffenters, prayers are offered up to Jefus Chrift, to the holy ghoft, and to the trinity.

* Mark xii. 29.

Now,

Now, brethren, if Jesus Christ be not God, if the holy ghost be not God, if the trinity be not God, you are guilty of a breach of Chrift's commandments in praying to them; and if you pray to all thefe, you err grievously, for Jefus Chrift tells us, that "the Lord our God is one Lord;" to which great truth Mofes, the prophets, and the apoftles, bear witnefs. You worship, alas! other gods than the true God, forgetting what is faid in the fcriptures, "Thou shalt not bow down to them, nor "worship them."

Of whom then did Chrift fpeak? the words are taken from Deut. 6th chap. 4th ver. and, literally tranflated, are," Jehovah our God is one Jehovah." Jehovah is the name by which God made himfelf known to Mofes; Jehovah created the heavens and the earth; Jehovah called Abraham-fpake to Mofes ---revealed himself to the prophets---was worfhipped by the Jewish nation. Throughout the whole of the old Teftament, Jehovah declares himself to be one, and that there is no other God befide him: the children of Ifrael, while they obeyed him, worshipped him as the one and only true God; and when they mixed with the worship of Jehovah that of idols, they were brought to their fenfes by fevere punishments. When Chriít preached to the Jews, Jehovah was the object of their worship; of him also Christ bears witness, namely, that Jehovah is the only true God, that there is no one good but

Are you then worshippers of God or not? It is a ferious queftion. Let me perfuade you to give it a moment's confideration. The words which Chrift ufed, in answer to a jewish inquirer after the first commandment of the law, may affift you in your thoughts."Hear, O Ifrael; the Lord our God is "one Lord; and thou shalt love the Lord thy God "with all thy heart, and with all thy foul, and with

all thy mind, and with all thy ftrength: this is the "first commandment." I bring you to this teft; do you really worship that God, of whom Chrift fpeaks, or do you not? If you do not, Chrift himself bears witness against you, that you are not his disciples. To know whether you do, or do not, defpife your faviour, you must confider who God is, of whom Christ fpeaks.

Before I examine this point, let me observe to you what I have feen, or heard, in your places of worfhip. In the established churches, a form of prayer is ufed, in which are the following words; -O God the fon, redeemer of the world-O God the holy ghoft-O holy, bleffed, and glorious trinity, three perfons and one God, have mercy upon us miferable finners- lord Jefus Chrift, have mercy upon us; and, in many fimilar paffages, prayers are addressed to Jefus Chrift, to the holy ghost, and to the trinity. In moft alfo of the places of worship belonging to the diffenters, prayers are offered up to Jefus Chrift, to the holy ghost, and to the trinity.

Mark xii. 29.

Now,

Now, brethren, if Jefus Chrift be not God, if the holy ghost be not God, if the trinity be not God, you are guilty of a breach of Chrift's commandments in praying to them; and if you pray to all these, you err grievoufly, for Jefus Chrift tells us, that "the Lord our God is one Lord;" to which great truth Mofes, the prophets, and the apoftles, bear witnefs. You worship, alas! other gods than the true God, forgetting what is faid in the fcriptures, "Thou fhalt not bow down to them, nor "worship them."

Of whom then did Chrift fpeak? the words are taken from Deut. 6th chap. 4th ver. and, literally tranflated, are, “Jehovah our God is one Jehovah.” Jehovah is the name by which God made himself known to Mofes; Jehovah created the heavens and the earth; Jehovah called Abraham-fpake to Mofes ---revealed himself to the prophets---was worshipped by the Jewish nation. Throughout the whole of the old Teftament, Jehovah declares himself to be one, and that there is no other God befide him: the children of Ifrael, while they obeyed him, worshipped him as the one and only true God; and when they mixed with the worship of Jehovah that of idols, they were brought to their fenfes by fevere punishments. When Christ preached to the Jews, Jehovah was the object of their worship; of him alfo Chrift bears witness, namely, that Jehovah is the only true God, that there is no one good but

him*, that he is his God and Fathert, that Jehovalı his Father is greater than het.

Thefe few paffages of fcripture are, I should think, fufficient to convince an unprejudiced mind, that they, who offer up prayers to Jefus Chrift, to the holy ghoft, or to the trinity, are highly criminal: but fince you have formed for yourfelves, without any grounds from feripture, fuch fanciful gods, let us confider each of them feparately.

Firft. Of Jefus Chrift. Jefus Chrift, fays an apostle to the Jews, "was a man approved of God among you by miracles, and wonders, and signs, "which God did by him, in the midft of you, as ye "yourselves also know: him, being delivered by the "determined counfel and foreknowledge of God, ye "have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified "and flain whom God hath raifed up, having loofed "the pains of death ||." Again, "this Jefus hath "God raised up, whereof we all are witneffes §:--"and therefore let all the house of Ifrael know af

furedly, that God hath made that fame Jefus, "whom ye have crucified, both lord and Christq.” I have felected thefe paffages out of many others, because they give a plain account of our faviour. There is a clear diftinction between God and Chrift, Christ performed wonders, but it was by the power of God

*Matt. xix. 17.

John xiv. 21. § Acts ii. 32.

Matt. xi. 25. John xx. 17.

Ats ii. 22.

Acts ii. 35.

.-24.