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SERMON V.

.**

The great and indifpenfable
Obligations we lie under to
Chriftian Reconciliation.

89

St. MATT H. CHAP. V. Verfes 23. 24.
Therefore, if thou bring thy Gift to the
Altar, and there remembreft that thy
Brother bath ought against thee.
Leave there thy Gift before the Altar,
and go thy way, first be reconciled to
thy Brother, and then come and offer
thy Gift.

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the foregoing Difcourfe, I gave you the Occafion and Connexion of thefe Words; and having endeavoured to open, and explain their meaning in a fhort Paraphrafe, I propofed these three Heads of Difcourfe, viz.

I. To explain unto you the Nature of Chriftian Reconciliation, or what that implies.

II. The great and indifpenfable. Obligation we are under, to feek for it: Go and be reconciled to thy Brother:

III. What is to be done by both Parties in Morder thereunto; If thou remembreft that thy Brother bath ought against thee,

The first of these I have already difpatched, and proceed now to the Second, viz.

II. The great and indifpenfable Obligation we are under, to feek for Reconciliation. Go and be reconciled to thy Brother. True indeed it is, that this is one of the hard Sayings of our Saviour; and confidering the Corruption and Degeneracy of human Nature, its fenfibleness of an Affront, or Injury; its proneness to Anger and Revenge; I believe there is fcarce any Precept in Religion, which Men are more difficultly perfwaded to practice. Veterem fe rendo Injuriam invitas novam, tho' a Heathen Maxim, yet prevails too much in the Chriftian World; but notwithstanding this, it is a Precept which has not only the Divine Authority, and Sanction of our Saviour Chrift, but it is moft agreeable to the Dictates of uncorrupted Nature, and to our own trueft Intereft. And to make out this more fully unto you, let us consider our Obligations to it.

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1. From the Quality of the Perfon who commands it. 2. From the Reasonablenefs and Intrinfick Excellency of the Precept it felf. 3. From the Inftitution of the Chriftian Eucharift.

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1. Let us confider the Quality of the Perfon, and who it is that hath given us this Command. In the Verfe foregoing the Text, I fay unto you; I, your Lord, your Mafter, your Saviour Chrift; I, who came into the World, a Prophet from God; I, who am your Law-giver and Judge; I, who gave the faireft Example of what I command you in my own Practice:

1. Let us confider our Saviour as a Prophet fent from God, to declare his Will, to give New Laws to Mankind, and to explain more fully than any other ever did, what it is that he requires of them: And methinks this alone is fufficient to challenge, to command our Obedience: What a mighty Refpect and Veneration had the People of the Jews for the Perfon and Writings of Mofes, purely upon this Account, because they look'd upon him as a Prophet fent from God, and employed to deliver their Law unto them. And for this Reafon, I prefume it was, that our Saviour chofe generally to confute them out of Mofes, because this was Argumentum ad Hominem. They paid a greater Difference to the Authority of Mofes, than to any of the Prophets that came after him. And if they had fuch an Honour for him, and willingly fubmitted their Judg

ment,

ment, and Practices to what he taught even to the fevere Precept, to the Painful and Bloody Rite of Circumcifion, and cutting of the Fore-skin; furely we ought to do fo much more to him who was a Prophet far greater than Mofes; who came armed with the more visible and authentick Credentials of Heaven; who gave us Precepts more Divine and Holy, more Practicable and Unfanguinary. 'Tis the Heb. 3.3. arguing of St. Paul, This was accounted worthy of more Glory than Mofes, inafmuch, as he who bath builded the Houfe, bath more Ho nour than the Houfe. Nay, 'tis the arguing of Deut. 18. God himself long fince to Mofes. I will raife 18, 19. them up a Prophet from among their Brethren, like unto thee, and will put my Words in his Mouth, and be fall speak unto them all that I command him, and it shall come to pass, that whofoever will not hearken unto my Words which he fhall Speak in my Name, I will require it. And what is meant by that, St. Peter explains, where citing this Prophecy he Acts 3.23. tells us. It all come to pass, that every Soul that will not hear that Prophet, fhall be cut off from amongst my People. If therefore we look upon our Saviour Chrift only as that Prophet, this alone gives fufficient Authority and Obligation to all his Commands. But

2dly, We are not to look upon our Saviour merely as a Prophet. A Prophet indeed he was, but he was also much more than a Prophet. God who at fundry times, and in divers

manners

manners Spake in times paft to the Fathers by the Prophets, bath in thefe laft Days Spoken unto us by his Son. Now if the Dignity of the Ambaffador add any Authority to the Am baffy he delivers, then by how much the Son of God is greater than any of thofe Prophets and Minifters God fent forth in former Ages; So much more inexcufable muft thofe Men be who reject those Precepts which were delivered with all the Wisdom, and Authority of the Son of God. But befides this, all the Prophets that went before him, were but mortal Men 5 they died, and faw Corruption; their Office and Authority expired with them. They truly (fays the Apostle) were many Priefts, because they were not fuffered to continue, by reafon of Death, but this Man, because he continueth for ever, hath an unchangeable aтagáßaтоv Igwow, an intranfient, indefeafable Priefthood. Wherefore he is able to fave them to the uttermoft that come to him, feeing he ever liveth to make Interceffion for them. Nay, he not only acts the Part of our HighPrieft now in Heaven; but he will also, at the laft Day come again in the Quality of our Judge, and call us to an Account for the Neglect and Breach of thofe Precepts. he left with us. But left these Arguments be thought too general; as having an equal Force upon all the other Duties of the Chriftian Religion. Confider we further.

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