be merciful to me, a Sinner. Yet how continually are the best of Men guilty of Faults! But they had hardly any Notion of the univerfal Need of Repentance, or any Name for Humility of Soul. Forgiveness of Injuries was very. unfteadily taught: Benevolence to Enemies lay yet farther out of Sight. Courage injuriously exercised, Patriotism shewn by invading the Rights of their Neighbours, and Numbers of other splendid Sins, paffed for heroic Excellencies. There was very little Hope of future Bliss to give Men Spirit in doing what was right, and lefs Fear of future Judgment to deter them from what was wrong. Such were the beft inftructed Nations: and fuch, or worse, had we been probably now, but for the Compaffion of Jefus Chrift. Indeed without him we should never have known, till too late, how bad our Condition was. The real State of Mankind, with refpect to God, was, in a great Measure, unknown to them, till he underwent what he did, at once to lay open to us our Danger, and to free us from it on moft equitable Terms. Even the myfterious Parts of what he taught for this Purpose lead us to reverence the Divine Wisdom, and think modeftly of our own; while the more diftinctly

VOL. II.

a Luke xviii. 11, 13.

K

1

diftinctly intelligible direct us to every Thing that is right and fit.

The Gospel hath laid the Foundation of our Duty in that pleafing and thankful Veneration of God, which his creating Bounty, his provi'dential Care, his redeeming Mercy, excite: and which tends to infpire us, with a deep Concern for whatever we have done offenfive to him, an earnest Defire of obeying his Commands, an humble Senfe that we need his Affiftance, a firm Perfuafion that he will grant it to us, a cheerful Reliance on him for every Thing that we want, in Regard to this World or the next. This excellent Frame of Mind must powerfully fupprefs irregular Appetites of Senfe, immoderate Defires of Wealth, vain Fondness for Pomp and Pre-eminence, anxious Cares about worldly Events. And on fuch Love of God Christianity builds its fecond great Commandment, Love of our Neighbour: a Duty, enjoined in a higher Degree, and carried to a greater Extent, though ftill a reasonable one, in Scripture, than in any other Institution of Religion. It prefcribes the most accurate and tender Attention to the Obligations which refult from the nearer Connections in Life, the most induftrious Endeavours to be useful in whatever Station we fill, the most affectionate

Faith

Faithfulness to the Community of which we are Members, tempered with univerfal Goodwill to the reft of Mankind: benevolent Respect towards those who excel us; Readiness to pardon, as far as can be fafe, all who have wronged us; Efteem of whatever in any Perfon deferves it; fincerely kind Wishes to those whom we esteem the leaft; Compaffion for the Wretched, and Relief to our utmost Ability, though we ftraiten ourselves. Nor doth our bleffed Redeemer expect us only to pity, as he did, the temporal Wants of Men; but, as he did alfo, their spiritual ones unspeakably more; a Precept peculiar to the Gospel, and comprehending a great Variety of important Particulars: Provifion for inftructing the young and ignorant; and combining afterwards pious Advice with outward Relief to the fick and needy; feasonable Warnings, and mild Reproof, when there is Hope of their being regarded; conftant Circumfpection to fet a prudent, as well as innocent Example; that we lead not others into Danger, by what, perhaps, we can do ourselves with Safety; but submit to confiderable Restraints, rather than let our Liberty, as the Apoftle expreffes it, become a Stumbling Block to them that are weak. Studying to

obferve these Rules, for they require and merit Study, is feeking the Things that are Jefus Chrift's. And they are opposed to our own, not as being really contrary even to our prefent Intereft: very far from it. Only through the inbred Diforder of our Hearts, and the general Prevalence of evil Habits, we are apt to delight in very oppofite Difpofitions: and hence a good Life comes to be a felf-denying one, which else would be the conftant Practice of Self-love. The ambitious would seek the true Honour that cometh from God; the felfish would have ReSpect to the heavenly Recompence of Reward"; the Lovers of Pleafure would fecure the Fulnefs of foy which is for evermore: and the Means of being happy here and hereafter would evidently appear to be the fame. But now the Difficulties of performing our Duty are fo great, and our Failures in it fo many, that, amongst the Things that are Jefus Chrift's, we muft feck with peculiar Earneftness his Grace to ftrengthen us, and an Interest in his Merits to procure us Acceptance, which thus the weakest and worst of us all may be fure of obtaining.

Yet, great as these Bleffings are, the Apostle hath faid, that all Men feek their own, not the Things of Jefus Chrift. Let us therefore

с

John v. 44. d Heb. xi. 26.

e Pfal. xv. 12.

III. Exa

III. Examine into the Meaning and the Truth of this melancholy Affertion.

It is plainly not to be taken in the utmost Extent. For he had given the contrary Character of Timothy just before, as he hath of others elsewhere. But he may well be understood to fay, that all abfolutely have fome Share of Blame in this Refpect: and the Generality, which in common Speech the Word all frequently fignifies, are highly and dangerously blameable. For who can deny this to be Fact? Many are vicious in every Way that Inclination prompts them to. Many, who regard fome Parts of Virtue, difregard others, perhaps avowedly. The more uniformly regular would do well to ask themfelves, Whether it is from a real inward Sense of Duty, or for the Sake of Reputation or Convenience? They who make a Confcience of behaving right in common Life, do they make any of paying due Honour to God? Our strongest Obligations of every Kind are to him: yet Numbers think highly of their own Merit, while they neglect him; and, it may be, pique themselves on neglecting him. If we profess ourselves Believers in him, do we ftatedly and fervently pray to him, and give him Thanks for his daily Bleffings? Do we live