SER M. tles, and attached them to him in the XVII. warmeft and firmeft manner. The fame amiable benignity of foul was not only fhewn to his disciples and friends, but to his moft inveterate enemies. He bore all their ingratitude, calumnies, malicious interpretations put upon his best actions, all their unjust and cruel perfecutions, with inimitable and unconquerable meekness of temper. He was grieved, indeed, at the hardness of their hearts; but, even in the extremity of his pain and anguish, he prayed fervently for them: Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. His tender and fenfible heart was pierced with fympathetic grief and pain when he beheld the diftreffes of his friends, when he forefaw the direful calamities which were to befall his ungrate ful country. For proofs of this, fee him weeping at the grave of Lazarus !-fee him weeping over obftinate Jerufalem doomed to deftruction !-Men of selfish and unfeeling hearts may have no conception of the excellence of the warmest benevolence, the greateft tendernefs and delicacy of affec XVII. tion; but furely, every one who is not SER M. destitute of all sensibility of heart must acknowledge, that these amiable difpofitions are effential to the character of a perfect man, and form the richest and most beautiful ornaments of a human character. The whole hiftory of the life of Jesus Chrift is a continued proof that he poffeffed and exercised these lovely virtues in their utmost perfection. Wherever he came, the moft fubftantial monuments of grace and goodnefs were left behind him. He fo loved mankind, he fo loved the world, that he gave himself for them. The ardour of his love quite conquered the fear of death; for surely greater love than this hath no man, that a man lay down his life. for his friends. Can we doubt then, that he was full of Grace as to his perfonal character? II. Jefus may be affirmed to be full of Grace upon the account of that kindness and goodness which are manifefted in his doctrine, and in the whole genius and fpirit of his Gofpel. That the genius of Christianity is Love, needs furely no long or laboured proof to a Chriftian audience. The XVII. SERM. The primary doctrines of the religion of Jefus are thefe-That God is Love;-That the whole fyftem of his government is kind and benign ;-That the scheme of redemption, by the blood of Jefus, took its rife from the original benignity and mercy of the great Father of all;-That the great Redeemer was animated with the same spirit of benignity and compaffion in undertaking and in executing every step of it;— and that the confummation of this gracious plan will be the full deliverance of many myriads of mankind from fin and death, and their final establishment in a ftate of perfect virtue, and of immortal felicity and glory. Thefe doctrines furelybreathe nothing but Grace and Love. When we turn our attention to the preceptive and fentimental part of the Gospel, we see the spirit of love reigning there alfo. It is the firft commandment, "That 66 we fhould love the Lord our God with "all our heart, with all our foul, with all our ftrength, and with all our mind.". The fecond is like unto it, "That we should "love our neighbours as ourselves." Thus, felf-love is made the measure or standard of of our benevolent and friendly affections to our neighbours:-and, according to the Gospel fyftem, our neighbour comprehends the whole human race; or all mankind are our neighbours: they are all children of the fame family; they ought all to be linked together with the affection of brethren, and ought all to be united in the love and obedience of their common Father. Even our enemies and perfecutors are not to be excepted; they ought to fhare of our brotherly affection, and feel the effects of our benevolence. Thus Love is the first principle and the highest perfection of the Christian system*. Further: The word Grace in its most obvious acceptation means favour; favour flowing from mere mercy and beneficence, to which the perfon who receives it can make no claim of right, or merit of any kind. In this fenfe the Gospel is peculiarly and emphatically Grace in all and every part of it. It is a free gift of God, which mankind could not in any manner * See this part of the fubject further profecuted in Sermon VIII. On the Excellency of the Spirit of Christianity, Vol. i. p. 350, 351. VOL. II. I be SER M. XVII. XVII. SERM. be faid to deferve, and to which they had no claim. This is the doctrine every where inculcated, in the ftrongest and most exprefs terms, in the Apoftolical Epiftles. Eph. ii. 4 to 10. "But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he "loved us, even when we were dead in fins, “bath quickened us together with Chrift (by grace ye are faved), and hath raifed us up together, and made us fit together in beavenly places in Christ Jesus; that in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding "riches of his grace, in his kindness towards us, through Chrift Jefus. 66 For by grace ye and that not of yourfelves, it is the gift Many other paffages to the fame purpose might be quoted, if necessary] But farther, and more particularly, the Gospel is grace, as it offers and promifes to repenting finners, not only an exemption from the punishment due to fin, but a refurrection to eternal life and happiness. This is the great and capital doctrine of the Gospel. Our Saviour began his public miniftry by calling on men in the most folemn |