good difpofition, affuring them, "he came not to call "the righteous, but finners to repentance," Matth. ix. 13. that is, his business was to act as a wife, skilful physician, to endeavour the cure of those who were really spiritually fick. “ They that be whole need not a " physician, but they that are fick, ver. 12.

any

In his moft excellent fermon on the mount he informed his auditory, that he would by no means have them to imagine he came to difannul moral obligation, or fet afide any of the predictions of the holy prophets, but to compleat them, and to give mankind more exalted ideas of the moral precepts, then what was generally understood to be implied in them, by those who regarded principally the letter, or ritual part of them.

The bleffed Jefus always undeceived hypocritical pretenders to religion, affuring mankind, "That except "their righteousness fhould exceed the righteousness of "the fcribes and pharifees, they should in no cafe enter "into the kingdom of heaven. Matt. v. 20. and that "not every one that faith unto him Lord, Lord, shall "enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth "the will of his father which is heaven, Matt. vii. 21. "For the grace of God that bringeth falvation hath "appeared to all men, teaching us that denying un

godliness and worldly lufts, we should live foberly, " righteously and godly in this, prefent world, look❝ing for the bleffed hope and the glorious appearing of "the great God and Saviour Jesus Christ, who gave

himself for us, that he might redeem us from all ini

«quity,

equity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people zea"lous of good works," Titus ii. 11, 12, 13, 14. For as "he which hath called you is holy, fo be ye holy in all

manner of converfation, 1 Peter i. 15. Therefore "mankind is precautioned of receiving any misrepre"sentation of the gofpel of Christ. Let no man de"ceive you, he that doeth righteousness, is righteous,

even as he is righteous. . He that committeth fin is of "the devil; for the devil finneth from the beginning; "for this purpose the son of God was manifefted that " he might destroy the works of the devil, 1 John iii. 7, "8, that through death, he might destroy him that "had the power of death, that is the devil, and deli"ver them who through fear of death were all their "life-time subject to bondage, Heb. ii. 14. 15. where"fore as by one man fin entered into the world, and "death by fin, and fo death paffed on all men, for "that all finned, Rom. v. 12. That as fin hath reigned "unto death, even fo might grace reign through righ"teousnefs, unto eternal life by Jefus Chrift our lord, "ver. 21. Who hath abolished death, and brought life

and immortality to light through the gofpel, 2 Tim. ❝i. 10. For this corruptible muft put on incorruption, "and this mortal must put on immortality: fo when "this corruptible fhall have put on incorruption, and "this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall "be brought to pass the faying that is written, Death "is fwallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy fting? "O grave, where is thy victory? the fting of death "is fin, and the ftrength of fin is the law; but thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through our "lord Jefus Chrift," 1 Cor. xv. 53 to 58. Thus

death

death is fubdued, overcome and conquered, and life and immortality brought to light by the gofpel. Therefore you must acknowledge, that if you believed these declarations to be of divine authority, you would think them very comfortable, glorious, beneficial discoveries indeed, as they graciously point out a moft admirable method to extricate mankind from their fins, and to obtain the favour of God, and free them from the fear of death, removing its most dreadful sting; thereby giving them a right and title to heaven victoriously through our lord Jefus Chrift; which is an infinitely greater conqueft than all the heathen philofophers pretended to, or even had any idea of.

If you think justly, you must be fenfible that mere natural religion is very deficient in these most important concerns. How you should get above the fears of death; how the Deity will be appeafed for your fins; whether happiness or misery will be the portion of tal fouls.

your immor

You know the wifeft men among the heathens difcovered but a very faint glimmering light, which now and then darted out from their most abstracted reafonings.

If you are fincere and honeft, yon will acknowledge that natural religion has received great advantage by the moonlight of Mofes and the prophets, and the funshine of Chrift and his apoftles: therefore let me befeech you not to deceive your own fouls, vainly imagining that reason has not been enlightened by re

velation.

Well

Well might St. Paul fay,

"That this is a faithful

faying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Jefus "Chrift came into the world to fave finners," 1 Tim.

i. 15.

How infignificant and taftlefs are all the refined difcoveries of philofophy, compared to this fingle divine declaration! Therefore St. Paul came to an excellent determination, built on a folid foundation, "Not to know any thing fave Jefus Chrift, and him crucified," I Cor. ii. 2. Chrift crucified will be the divine theme, which victorious fouls will be contemplating on to all eternity. This cures the foul of all its maladies and distempers: other knowledge makes mens minds flighty, giddy and unsteady: this fettles and compofes them. Other knowledge is apt to fwell mankind with high conceits and opinions of their own abilities: this brings them to the just apprehenfion of themselves, makes them meek and lowly in heart. Other knowledge leaves mens hearts as they found them; This changes them and makes them better.

Such a tranfcendent excellency is there in the knowledge of Christ Jefus our lord. Therefore good old Simeon, as foon as he faw him, proclaimed God's falvation, who was to be a light to lighten the Gentiles, by difcovering to them righteousness and true holiness, and to be the glory of the people Ifrael,

If you will carefully examine the doctrines and precepts of the gofpel, you will find them to have a ten

dency to make mankind comfortable in this life, and to render them compleatly happy after death. Read the New Testament with a candid difpofition, and you will find throughout the whole, that both the affirmative and negative precept have this tendency; the affirmative commanding holiness in general, inculcating one or more particular virtues or habits, or means and helps to the acquiring, fupporting or increafing them; fuch as reading, hearing the word of God, prayer, meditation, a good conscience, watchfulness against temptations, avoiding the occafions of evil.

The negative precepts of the gofpel do forbid the contrary, to fome or other of those duties either directly or indirectly, immediately or mediately, in its own nature, or by reafon of fome circumftance, to the depravation of our fouls in rendering us wicked, or in fome degree or other lefs holy; for there is not any thing in itself in all respects innocent or harmless that is forbidden; and there is not one thing commanded, that is not upon its own account, or fome one or other account, greatly for our advantage, ornamenting human nature, raising its dignity towards her original rectitude, even to the highest degree of perfection.

If these affertions are true, which I will foon demonftrate to every rational mind, you must acknowledge the religion of the bleffed Jefus comes from God only, because God is the origin of all goodness; who is goodness itself, all perfection; confequently any difcovery which hath a tendency to promote godlikeness in of his reafonable creatures, who were originally made

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after