imperfect beings as we are will admit, that mortals can fecure the love of God, and a duration that extends beyond the limits of this life, in unfpeakable felicity and glory. This infinite wisdom made plane, when he brought the chofen family into Egypt, the head-quarters of idolatry. The most dreadful difplays of divine power made it evident, that there is one God, omnipotent in wisdom and action, and that happyness is connected with the worship of this fupreme Spirit, and the practice of reafon.

But good as this difpenfation was, and useful as it would have ferved to all mankind, if they had attended to it, yet the Father of the univerfe defigned it only as a temporary thing, and promised at the giving of it to erect another more perfective in a proper time. Accordingly, when the Gentile world was intirely corrupt, and even the Jews by iniquity were ripe for deftruction, God fent his favorite into the world, Jefus Chrift the righteous, the well-beloved, as an only-begotten Son, and ordered him to publish a general indemnity upon repentance, and enlarge the Jewish peculiarity to the extent of the whole globe; that there might be neither Jew nor Greek, neither bond nor free, but all be one in Chrift, that is, under the gospel difpenfation. This was done in the fulness of time. When infinite wisdom saw it fit, that

man

mankind should receive this inftance of his inestimable love, the man Christ Jefus appeared in our world.

He was the most glorious of all creatures,' the first and best production of the fupreme Being, great and excellent as the divine power could make him; in dignity and worth the very next to the bleffed God himself; and therefore, in the language of revelation called, the brightness of the Father's glory, and the exprefs image of his perfon: This qualifyed him for the errand the infinite goodness of the Father was pleafed to fend him on, and enabled him fully to execute the heavenly commiffion; to inftruct men in real religion by his doctrine, and to fet before them a perfect example of virtue and obedience: that mankind might not only be taught the divine will by this great preacher, publisher and interpreter of the mind of the most High; who is therefore called the Word of God; but from his life, death, refurrection and afcention, learn that, the right exercise of reason, that is, true virtue, obedience, and benevolence, is true worth, and the prevailing power with God. Jefus loved righteousness in the most eminent degree, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even his God, anointed him with the oyl of gladnefs above his fellows.

At his advent, one part of the world was drowned in hypocrify, another funk into the groffeft idolatry; and the whole lay under the dominion of ignorance, fenfuality, and wickedness. All the attempts of the law, of the prophets, and of the philofophers, were unfuccessful in redreffing the vices and follys of men. It was our Lord only who could reclame finners, by the method recorded in the New Teftament. It appears to reafon the most excellent and effectual. Every thing offered was worthy of the bleffed God who fent him. All his leffons were highly inftructive, perfective of human reafon, and moft conducive to the establishment of folid virtue and goodness. They illuftrat and establish all the natural principles of truth and goodness. They reveal every thing requifite for the glory of God, and the fupreme happynefs of man.

The gofpel informs the world, that there is one eternal and infinite Mind, the fountain and original of all things, and enjoins the moft rational piety towards this divine Being: It commands us to worship him in spirit and in truth, and teaches us to do it in acts of adoration, refignation, thanksgiving, and con-feffion of fin, in the most generous benevo lent wishes for the increase of virtue, (thy kingdom come) and with a temper the moft charitable, meek, forgiving and beneficent,

This kind of prayer is moral exercise. It has a tendency to establish us in love to God and love to mankind..

In the next place, the gofpel teaches and inculcates the greatest benevolence and godlike charity towards all men. It commands us to acquire a felicitating temper, and to communicat happiness adequate to our power; to live as if we were animated with one common spirit, one foul of love, and fo far as it falls within our fphere of action, to promote, guard, and fecure the happiness of all. Where this benevolence is wanting, the religion is not christian, how great foever the pretences of its profeffors may be. There must be a cool, fetled habit of the most extenfive, generous focial affection, without regard to fects, parties, and fpeculations, to render us the true difciples of Christ.

The gofpel does likewife enjoin the most strict temperance and chastity in the government of ourselves; and requires us to think upon, and practise whatsoever things are true, venerable, juft, pure, lovely and of good report. It obliges us to act with an undisguised fincerity towards God and men, and to behave ourselves with that decency which procures refpect; to be upright in all our dealings, and avoid irregularity and excess in our enjoyments; to be affable, meek and gentle, R 4

and

and manifest a steady and conftant regard to things good in their nature, and really praiseworthy. In short, the gofpel requires, that the religion of a chriftian be free from every fpot and blemish; and that we adhere to that inward truth and fincerity, that honor, that justice, that purity, that friendly disposition, that univerfal virtue and goodness, which are neceffary to gain us the favour of the blessed God.

Thefe, noble Zulima, are the divine morals of our most holy religion, and they are enforced with the moft glorious and inconceivable rewards, to be eternally enjoyed in a future ftate, fuch rewards as eye hath not feen, ear hath not heared, neither hath it entred into the heart of man to conceive; while vice, on the other hand, is to have the most dire, lafting torments, and the wicked at length be extinguished in death. No scheme of religion can be compared to this. Most powerfully it touches the fenfible fprings of human actions, the hopes and fears of mankind. It minifters true comfort, and is adapted to the relief of the human race. There is public utility in the glorious difpenfation, and it refts on that fitness which is eternal in the nature of things.

As to the ordinances which christianity hath added to the great law of reason, to