the salvation of our own
countrymen; and that, if God intends the salvation of the heathen, he
will some way or other bring them to the gospel, or the gospel to
them. It is thus that multitudes sit at ease, and give themselves no
concern about the far greater part of their fellow-sinners, who to
this day, are lost in ignorance and idolatry. There seems also to be
an opinion existing in the minds of some, that because the apostles
were extraordinary officers and have no proper successors, and because
many things which were right for them to do would be utterly
unwarrantable for us, therefore it may not be immediately binding on
us to execute the commission, though it was so upon them. To the
consideration of such persons I would offer the following
observations.

FIRST, If the command of Christ to teach all nations be restricted to
the apostles, or those under the immediate inspiration of the Holy
Ghost, then that of baptizing should be so too; and every denomination
of Christians, except the Quakers, do wrong in baptizing with water at
all.

SECONDLY, If the command of Christ to teach all nations be confined to
the apostles, then all such ordinary ministers who have endeavoured to
carry the gospel to the heathens, have acted without a warrant, and
run before they were sent. Yea, and though God has promised the most
glorious things to the heathen world by sending his gospel to them,
yet whoever goes first, or indeed at all, with that message, unless he
have a new and special commission from heaven, must go without any
authority for so doing.

THIRDLY, If the command of Christ to teach all nations extend only to
the apostles, then, doubtless, the promise of the divine presence in
this work must be so limited; but this is worded in such a manner as
expressly precludes such an idea. _Lo, I am with you always, to the
end of the world._

That there are cases in which even a divine command may cease to be
binding is admitted--As for instance, if it be _repealed_, as the
ceremonial commandments of the jewish law; or if there be _no
subjects_ in the world for the commanded act to be exercised upon, as
in the law of septennial release, which might be dispensed with when
there should be no poor in the land to have their debts forgiven.
Deut. xv. 4. or if, in any particular instance, we can produce a
_counter-revelation_, of equal authority with the original command, as
when Paul and Silas were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to