felf bare our fins in his own body on the tree, that

we being dead to fin, fhould live unto righteousness, by whofe itripes we are healed," 1 Pet. ii. 21 to 25.

Let us reafon now on this most important, felf-interefting fubject. Can any of the human race that are in their senses imagine, that this Jefus of Nazareth was an impoftor, a hypocritical wicked man? Was it poffible for him, if he was not more than man, to encounter with fuch diabolical malice, and bear fuch cruelty with fo much patience, long fuffering, and goodness, as he did, even fo as to pray for his very murderers? Surely flesh and blood is not equal to this.

Reflect; confider, if he was not that very perfon whom he fo frequently declared himself to be, (" Christ "the fon of the living God, who came forth from "the Father, and who thought it not robbery to be

equal with him, who dwelt in the Father, and the "Father in him") he must be the very vileft of impostors, a blafphemer in the highest degree poffible. But your reafon must inform you to the contrary. If you will fincerely and thoroughly weigh all the circumstances relating to his birth, life, death, refurrection, and afcenfion, you will have the highest reason to believe, that he was not only an exceeding good man, but Deity united to humanity; ftrictly and properly God and Man. Therefore be no longer faithless, but believing.

In order to animate, and quicken, to encourage, and engage mankind to that most exalted, amiable duty

of

of loving their enemies, the bleffed Jefus propounds the example of God himself for their imitation, "who maketh his fun to rife on the evil and on "the good, and fendeth rain on the just and unjust," Matt. v. 45. Therefore the bleffed Jefus muft be understood to mean, by becoming the children of our heavenly father, his spiritual children by regeneration; that they may know and experience that they are his adopted children, by their likeness to him and imitation of him. For the very beft evidence mankind can have of their being his fpiritual children, is by their conformity to his moft holy laws, particularly in those brilliant properties of univerfal love and goodness, kindness and forgiveness.

We daily and hourly find that God doth good to them that live without him in the world; that is, who have him not in all their thoughts, unless it be with irreverence, when they blafpheme, and take his most facred and holy name in vain, having not the fear of God. That neither pray to him, or praise him for any of his mercies, bleffings, and comforts of life; though he is continually fending them his enlivening beneficial fun, and fruitful, refreshing, cooling rain, and permitting them to enjoy perfect health and strength, peace and plenty, faring fumptuously every day: yet they make gold their hope, and "have faid to the fine gold, thou art my confi"dence; and rejoice because their wealth is great, " and because their hand have gotten much: who "are the enemies of the crofs of Christ, whose "end is deftruction, whofe God is their belly, and

66

* how is not for time

& whose of Fuck

** whofe glory is their fhame; who mind earthly ૐ things, Philip. iii. 18, 19. who defpife the poor, James

ii. 6. Having respect to perfons," ver. 9. Therefore the bleffed Jefus gives a reason why chriftians fhould not be fo mean-fpirited as to confine their love to those who only loved them, and be complaifant and obliging to those who were fo to them." If ye love " them which love you, (fays he) what reward have ye? "Do not even the publicans the fame; if ye falute your "brethren only, what do ye more than others? do "not even the publicans fo?" Matt. v. 46, 47. As if the bleffed Jefus had faid, Heathens by the light of nature are inclined to love those who love them, yea publicans, and even the very worst of finners do fo: but my religion instructs you in more noble and generous principles; "I fay unto you love your eneAll mankind univerfally, without excep

"mies."

tion.

Love for love is only common justice, reciprocal civility; but love for no love is favour and kindness; and love for hatred and enmity, is divine goodness, a moft glorious difpofition; godlikeness, which has a tendency to render mankind illuftrious on earth, and glorious in heaven. Therefore this exalted religion is to be learnt only from the fublime precepts of the gospel.

But alas, alas, if we confider all the denominations of christians in every chriftian country, as one community, to our grief and unspeakable shame it must be acknowledged, little, very little of this Godlike, Chrift-like religion, is practifed among the generality

nerality of those who call themselves by the holy and most venerable name of chriftians; yea, even among many who make the highest profeffions of it.

On the contrary, how frequently among fuch is there to be found, luke-warm love, coldness and indifference, fhyness and unsociableness, haughtiness and pride, variance and ftrife, enmity and hatred? yea even frequently amongst relations and profeffed friends; oftentimes occafioned by a little misunderstanding of one another, each acting agreeable to their private fentiments or judgment of things, and varying from each other, which is occafioned by one cause or circumstance or other, not knowable by each, and by perceiving and viewing of things in different lights, confequently acting on different principles and motives; fome through ignorance, fome for selfish views, others for more generous views; fome to please their fellow mortals, others to please Almighty God.

What a number of profeffing christians is to be found, who are fo narrow fpirited and mean, as to confine their love to little fects and parties; and from those unchristian fprings flows that bitterness of spirit, which discovers itself by one party's uncharitable cenfures, and unchristian behaviour to the other.

The ill effects, for inftance, of elections for reprefentatives in parliament in England, for most of our boroughs, towns, and cities, moft lamentably teftifies the truth of this obfervation.

7

If

If real christian principles governed mankind, and a true catholic fpirit reigned, (not a papist fpirit) how happy would mankind in general find themselves to what they now are! We fhould then live heaven-like. For this caufe, the bleffed Jefus has commanded us, "to be perfect even as our "Father which is in heaven is perfect." Matt. v. 48. That is, we ought to endeavour, to the very utmost of our power, to make all the chriftian heroic virtues and divine graces compleat and perfect, in being very careful, in exercifing of them minutely in every fituation and circumftance of life, ever having the honour and glory of God, and the good of our fellow-creatures at heart.

To be perfect as our heavenly father, in the stricteft literal fenfe, is impoffible, as to degree and equality. "Behold, he putteth no trust in his faints; yea "the heavens are not clean in his fight, Job xv. 66 15. And his angels he chargeth with folly," Job iv. 18. The original word rendered in St. Matthew's gospel perfect, Matt. v. 48. is in St. Luke's gofpel rendered merciful, Luke vi. 36. denoting that charity is the very perfection of all chriftian

graces.

Those who are by the rich favour and grace of God become perfect in love, are perfect in all divine graces in God's account. Therefore, in order to be a throughout compleat chriftian, fo as to obtain eternal falvation, we are to prefs forward toward the mark of perfection, "for the prize of the high

"calling