is plain from what has been already obferved, that the main bufinefs of chriftianity, is not to ftock the head with useless notions, but to convey its glorious light and transforming power to the heart, that the mind, or leading faculties of the foul, may be rationally moved, and all its powers properly regulated, and act under the divine direction; otherwife, we for our inconfideratenefs, and not regarding, and improving those mercies, which heaven has fo graciously bestowed upon us, fhall be the moft wretched, and of all beings the moft miferable. There is nothing will affwage the wrath of omnipotence, or avert the juftice of an incenfed Deity, except we bewail our heinous tranfgreffions, and renounce our hateful and deteftable provocations. The gnawing terrors of guilt will recoil; the fecret ftings and fevere rebukes of confcience, will fo interrupt our peace, and fo disturb our tranquility, that we can have no intercourse with God, nor ferious, or pious converfation with men. So that whoever encourages licentiousness in himfelf, or countenances noxious defires in others, or draws any fuch conclufions from God's folemn promises, and alarming awful threatnings, declares he is ignorant of their meaning, or wilfully perverts their original defign and intention. To prevent the abuse of these benevolent declarations, and tremendous warnings, or that men may not deceive themfelves, or imagine that the gospel discharged them, from the exercise of moral duties, or the stricteft obfervance of its ufeful and profitable injunctions; our adorable advocate and powerful interceffor, ftrenuously pleaded B pleaded for Its maxims, and in words free from ambiguity, and perfectly eafy to be understood,endeavoured to convince attentive beings, by arguments the most rational, and inducements the moft cogent and perfuafive, that he came not to deltroy the Law, but to fulfil it. For verily Ifay unto you, till heaven and earth pals, one jot or one tittle fhall in no wife pass from the Law, till all be fulfilled. But left any should doubt of his veracity, or feem to question the truth of his affertion, he demonftrated the integrity of his heart, by the fimplicity and unexceptionableness of his life, and peremptorily affured all his profelytes, that the publick profeffion of his name. would not procure the divine approbation and acceptance, unless they excelled others in real holiness and inward fanctity, i. e. unless they were warmed with heavenly affections, and replete with chafte defires, proceeding from the nobleft principles, and the fublimest views, the love of God, and of our neighbour, we shall never be objects of the divine care, or, nor qualified to appear before perfect purity. For I lay unto you, except your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharifees, not in external purifications, but in fincerity and truth, ye shall in no cafe enter the kingdom of heaven. The chriftian law, not only reaches to outward action, but it also extends to the inward man; to all those irregular thoughts and vitiated defires, which are raised and excited by the delufory objects of fin, and neglecting the due care of ourselves, and to bridle all our fierce and boisterous paffions. For never did any inftitution of religion, ftrike at at the root of fin in the affections, as this religious inftitution doth, beyond which moral purity cannot go.* So that according to our faviour's doctrine, rash anger is looked upon as murder, and a wanton glance is taken for adultery. For I fay unto you, that whofoever looketh on a woman to luft after her, bath committed Adultery with her already in his heart. These, or whatever tend to defile the foul, or to break in upon the laws of rectitude, are fubverfive of the mediator's government, and the establish'd order and harmony of providence, and abfolutely condemned by Chrift himself; in the facred tranfcript of divine truth and righteoufnefs. Whatever wild frantick opinions men may efpoufe, or blafphemously endeavour to maintain, without our own perfonal obedience, and indwelling righteousness, we fhall never recover our priftine perfection, nor be fit for glorified fpirits in heaven; that unfailing fource of comfort, and never ceafing fountain of blifs. Thus we fee what gofpel conditions are, and on what terms golpel promifes are obtained; but if we are wilfully deficient in duty, or do not hearken to our divine teacher, but B 2 * Religion is doubtlefs in its own nature fimple and uniform; and as it is an intire rule of action, equally refpecting all perfons, must be such an one, as is fuited to the general state and condition of all perfons. It is a liberal, manly, rational, and focial inftitution; and fuch as confidered in its own genuine tendency, is calculated as well, to promote our common intereft and happinrfs in the prefent life, as it is to fit us for that better state of being, which is promifed as its recompence in futurity. It is fuch a fervice as is worthy that great and good being, who is the object of it to enjoin, and of the reasonable nature of man the fubject of it to perform, and therefore it ought to be had in reverence, and to be held in the highest esteem. but abuse his manifold favours and inexpreffible bleffings heaped upon us, nothing substituted in their flead will avail, or be an equivalent for our perverfenefs, or the neglect of rational and moral duties. There is no compounding with God, nor altering the wife and just determinations of his proceedings. Nofuperficial performances, or pompous ceremonies, will warm our cold benumbed affections, and raise them to an heavenly flame; nor diffipate those finking fears, and overwhelming repeated troubles, which like the raging waves of the fea, beat with great violence upon us, and make our voyage to eternity dangerous; and our rough paffage uncertain, and very hazardous. Therefore let us not indulge hurtful extravagancies, nor traverse the flippery and intricate ways of fin; but immediately leave its perplexing labyrinths, that we may perfevere in righteoufnefs, and without any partial regards, unfeignedly obferve and obey the rules of holy living. For holinefs is the fundamental article of true religion, and the condition on which all our hopes of mercy depend, and without which it cannot be obtained. Would understanding beings renounce their fenfeless vanities, and be instructed in the facred standard of truth, they, inftead of traducing the divine writings, would from their own candid obfervation, fee abundant reafon to admire them, and to rejoice in their divine light and heavenly inftruction. Because they inclofe a beautiful system of temporal and spiritual wif dom, admirably adapted to the different states and various exigencies of men; and not only fo contrived, as to point out the way to eter nal nal life, but the means alfo of avoiding the miferies of everlasting death. The feveral parts of God's bleffed gospel, are fubfervient to these fublime views, and included in that generous and extenfive commiffion, which our redeemer delivered to St. Paul, when he fent him to the Gentiles, to turn them from darkness to light, from the power of fatan unto God, that they may receive remiffion of fins, and an inheritance among them that are Janctified by Faith in Chrift. Though this was the apoftle's commiffion to the gentiles, and fent in particular to that idolatrous people, who were involved in grofs blindness, and held the truth in unrighteousness, and became vain in their imaginations; yet it concerned the Jews as well as the Gentiles, and should be esteemed and valued by both, as an happy expedient, to dethrone the direful empire of fin, and the tyrannical powers of the devil. And if this was seriously confidered, men might clearly perceive, the neceffity of holy obedience, and that none can fupport the dignity and character of Chrift's difciples, but fuch as are renewed by grace, and deteft the wild mazes of impurity, and all the treacherous arts of guile and hypocrify. For this is the will of God, even your fanctification, and not every one that faith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doth the will of my father which is in heaven. For in Chrift Jefus neither circumcifion, nor uncircumcifion, availeth any thing, but a new creature. It was on this account, that we are so often, and earnestly exhorted not to rest in an outfide profeffion, but to put off, concerning the former converfation, the old man which is corrupt, |