V. It is the most mortifying religion to this world, and things be low. It fhews us, in the perfon of the Saviour, how little this world fignifies to true worth, goodness and felicity. It teaches us, by the virtue and example of his cross, to be mortified to it, and all the allurements of it. It fhews us what an enemy the world is to our fouls, to our innocence, or obedience to God, to our peace and falvation.. It fhews us how the world has continually treated thofe that are the best servants of God, and ufed thofe of whom the world is not worthy. It opens to us an incomparably better world, and calls our minds, hearts, and affections thither. If ye then (or, fince ye then) are rifen with Chrift (rifen to the fpirit, hope, and profpect of the immortal world) feek the things that are above; where Chrift fitteth on the right hand of God.

VI. It is the most abasing and humbling religion. It cuts off all that pride and self-conceit, that is so natural to man. It represents to us our native finfullness and defilement to make us vile in our own eyes. It fhews us our contracted iniquity and uncleanefs, to abafe us before the holy God. It opens to us our impotence and corruption; our utter inability to fatisfy divine juftice, to make an atonement for our guilt, to procure our pardon and peace, or raife our felves to a rectitude of nature, and holiness before God. It ftops all our mouths in conviction and felf-reflection; and teaches us to admire and implore divine pity and patience, forgiveness and grace; and prepares us for the acknowledgment of divine love, and celebration of the glorious. redemption for ever. For we our felves were fometimes foolish and difobedient, deceived, ferving diverfe lufts and pleasures; living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another; but after that the kindness and love of God, our Saviour, toward man, appeared; not. by works of righteousness (or religion) which we had done; but according to his own mercy, he faved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; which he fhed on us abundantly,

3

through

through Jefus Christ our Saviour; that being justified by his grace, we should be made keirs according to the hope of eternal life. To him that loved us, and washed us from our fins in his own blood; and made us kings and priests to God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

VII. It is the most just and righteous religion. It teaches all integrity, uprightness and honesty towards the brethren of mankind. All must have their due. Love thy brother, as thy felf. Owe no man any thing, fave love to each other. All guile and fraud, all undermining

and over-reaching is ftrongly difcouraged and forbid. That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter; because the Lord (the chriftian's Lord) is the avenger of all fuch; as we alfo (the ambassadors of that Lord) have forewarned you and teftified.

It inculcates, if it

VIII. It is the most loving peaceful religion. be possible, and as much as in you lies, live peaceably with all men. Peace is to be cultivated (as far as lawfully may be) with the brethren of mankind, upon noble accounts. They are the workman hip of God; made of the fame blood with our felves, capable of the fame felicity; and to them should the religion be recommended. Love is due to all the members of the church; and peace (as far as may be) to be culti vated with them all. How fhould we love thofe whom the Saviour has loved to the death! And peace fhould highly flourish among those that are members of the fame redeemed, fanctified body; and are heirs and expectants of the fame inheritance of glory. The Saviour might well fay to his difciples, have falt in your felves (to fecure your felves and others from corruption) and have peace one with another.

IX. It is the most generous publick-spirited religion. It commands all its difciples to do all the good they can, upon the most noble principles. They are not to be acted by selfish designs or finister motives. They must beware of pride and hypocrify, of superstition and vain glory,of fecular in. tcrcft

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terest and advantage in their pious services. They must do good for goodness fake. They must lend and give and forgive, and overcome evil with good, for God's fake, and out of love to their Lord who is gone to heaven. They must not avoid doing good, while they are feen of men; for that may induce others to glorify God. But they must not do their good with dcfign only to be feen of men, and gain their applaufe; but must be often private in prayer, alms, charities, and beneficence, and take God's promise for their portion and reward. Thy Father, who feeth in fecret, fhall reward thee openly.

X. It is the most encouraging, joyful religion. It has the most ex. cellent motives and allurements to draw fouls to God. It has the most inticing promifes and affurances to invite us to him. It offers all the peace and pardon that we need. It provides a powerful, gracious fpirit, to rectify our natures, to elevate our powers, and fuccour our infirmi ties, and aflift us in all our confflicts. Grace and peace are its great bleffings. It tends to pacify and quiet the confcience in the view of a most acceptable atonement and facrifice presented to God for the deepest fins. It fhews a gracious, reconciled God through the propitiating blood of his own beloved. It warrants us to come boldly to God not fearing his thunder and displeasure, to walk cheerfully with him, to rest affured of his pardon and acceptance, to depend upon his wif dom, care and goodness, to delight in all his excellencies and glories, and to rejoyce in hope of being with him cre long, and dwelling in his prepared kingdom and glory. How joyful therefore were the primitive profelites! There were none of those complaints and forrows, of those doubts and fears, those fighs and defpondencies, that attend those of modern ages. They received the word with much outward calamity and affliction, but with much joy of the Holy Ghost. The genuinc kingdom of God must certainly be righteousness (fincere religion) peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. Accordingly the difciples were filled with joy and the Holy Ghoft. They that had not seen the Lord (any more than we) yet believing could rejoyce with joy unspeakable

and

and full of glory (joy, that was the carneft of glory, and was to be transformed or matured into glory, in a little while). And the churches, while they walked in the fear of the Lord (according to the inftitution) walked alfo in the comfort of the Holy Ghost. And doubtlefs, the fame walk, could it be attained now, would be attended with the fame joy and confolation.

In fine, were we to fuppofe a Saviour fent from heaven to earth, his work must be (according to the angelical fong, at the birth of Jesus) to raise glory to God in the highest, to bring peace on earth, and goodwill to (and with) men. Now this is the very defign and purport of the christian religion. None can more advance and extol the living God, as the most High. None can fet him higher in himself, (in his own native excellencies) in his heavens, (and over all the hosts there) and in the hearts of men, than this inftitution does. None can more fully represent him, as the highest Author, Difpofer, and End of all things; or claim an higher honour and devotion, an higher adoration, applause, and glory for him. As it raises God among us, and raises us to God, so it brings down peace on earth; Heaven's peace to the rebellious, accurfed earth. It takes off the interdict, under which we were laid. God will be reconciled, and lay a sure foundation for our everlasting reconciliation with himself. The Son of God, the heir of heaven will be our peace-maker and our peace; will fow peace on earth, and raife us to the blissful peace of heaven. Grace and peace run through the inftitution. And fo it fets up good-will too, in and among men. It proclaims Heaven's good-will to men; the eternal purpose, which the eternal God hath purposed in himself for our glory. It kindles goodwill in men. Good-will towards God, the Author of our peace; good-will towards one another, as thus belov'd of God, united and centred in him, and called up to the world of glory and peace, and good will, in the highest.

It is this inftitution therefore, that must be, and is, the great inftrument, in the hand of God, for the renewing of fouls, and refining them for himself and his kingdom. Being engraven in the mind,

and

and planted in the heart, it must be the great preparative for perfection and heaven. It has been attended with the blefling of God, in all agcs. It has many times, fuddenly transform'd the fpirits of men, and quickly fubdued their pride, prejudices, and paflions, and led them joyful captives to its law, and to its grace. It has advanced thousands to all the purity and patience, holiness and perfection, this world is like to admit of. And therefore we may juftly fay, it has advanced them to the perfection of heaven. Thoufands and thousands are there, that (for the fake of this religion) have paffed through great tribulations, have washed their garments, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb, and now dwell in the presence of God. Let the finccre profelites then gird up the loins of their mind, and still believe and hope, and run on to the end. Let them not be difcouraged by the numbers, fcoffs, and contemptuoufnefs of the unbelievers, that furround them. We are forewarned, that in the latter days, fuch times, and perfons, and offences will come. But bl fed is he (and fhall be fo) that is not, on any account, offended in, or with, the Son of God. Let the believers then build up themselves in their most holy faith (a more holy one there cannot be) and poffefs their fouls in prudence, patience and integrity to the end of a fhort-liv'd race, and they will see everlasting reafon to admire and magnify the eternal, bleffed God, that made them for himself, redeemed them by his Son, and called them by his grace, and made them meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the faints, that are now in light. To him be the dominion and glory for ever and ever.

Amen.

FINI S.