ragement to thofe that impenitently go on in a prefumptuous Course of Sin and Difobedience. Agreeably to that most amiable Representation which this Divine Teacher giveth us of the Deity, he fummeth up the Duty we owe to him in Love: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart, with all tky Soul, and with all thy Mind. This is the first and great Commandment. And he would have us manifeft our Love by a conftant Endeavour to please and glorify him, the moft effectual Way of doing which is by abounding in the Fruits of Righteousness and holy Obedience. Herein (faith be) is my Father glorified, that ye bear much Fruit; fo fhall ye be my Difciples. John xv. 8. And again, Let your Light fo fhine before Men, that they may fee your good Works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven. Matt. v. 16. He urgeth us to afpire after a Conformity to him in his illuftrious moral Excellencies, that, as far as the Condition of our Nature will allow, we may be perfect as our Father which is in Heaven is perfect. With Regard to the Worthip we owe to the fupreme Being, he teacheth, that God is a Spirit; and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and in Truth. John iv. 24. He recommendeth an humble, ferious, unaffected Piety and Devotion, without vain Often

tation and Shew. And, as Prayer is that Part of Divine Worship which is of daily Ufe, and upon which the Maintaining a Life of Religion doth very much depend, he hath furnished the most useful Directions for the right Performance of it, as well as the most encouraging Promises to engage us to a perfevering Conftancy in that facred Exercise.

As to the Duties Men owe to one another, which must be acknowledged to be an important Part of the Work which God requireth of us, our bleffed Lord hath alfo given the most admirable Inftructions. He doth not merely forbid the grofs outward Acts of Fraud, Ínjustice, and Violence, but reprefenteth the being angry with our Brother without a Caufe as highly criminal in the Sight of God, and thus teacheth us to endeavour to fupprefs the first Rifings of a malevolent Difpofition. He chargeth us not to judge, i. e. not rafhly to cenfure and condemn others, left we ourselves be judged. And, whereas Men are apt to flatter themfelves that, by a Diligence in outward Acts of Piety and Devotion towards God, they may compenfate for the Wrongs and Injuries they do to their Fellow-creatures, he lets them know that they must first do all they can to be reconciled to their offended Brother, and to make Reparation for the

Injuries

Injuries they had done him, if they would have their Gifts and Offerings accepted of God. And he teacheth us not to think it enough to abstain from Injuring others, but that we muft endeavour to do them Good; and, the more to affect our Minds with a Senfe of the Neceffity of this, he acquainteth us that this fhall be particularly inquired into, and the Neglect of it severely punifhed at the great Day of Judgment. He layeth it down as a Rule, that whatfoever we would that Men should do unto us we should do unto them likewife; and that we should love our Neighbour as ourfelves; inftructing us by our Neighbour to understand every Man that needeth our Affiftance, and to whom we have an Opportunity of fhewing Kindness, however differing in Nation or Religion from ourfelves. But there is no Part of our Saviour's Doctrine, concerning the Duty we owe to others, more remarkable than that which relateth to our Temper and Conduct towards those that have offended us, and towards our Enemies. Never was Forgiveness of Injuries fo ftrongly inculcated and inforced by fuch weighty Confiderations. And not only doth he forbid the Bitterness of Revenge, and the Returning Evil for Evil, but he requireth us to return Good for Evil: Love your Enemies

(faith he) bless them that curfe you, do Good to them that hate you, and pray for them that defpitefully use you, and perfecute you. Matt. v. 43, 44. And this certainly is carrying Benevolence to the nobleft Heighth; of which he himself hath given us to the moft illuftrious Example.

Nor are the Inftructions he gives less excellent with Regard to the Duties that relate to ourselves, and the right Ordering and governing our own Affections, Appetites, and Paffions. He urgeth his Difciples not to content themselves with a fair outward Appearance, but to aim at an inward Purity of Soul, and to make it their principal Care to get the Heart cleanfed, which he reprefenteth as the Fountain from whence evil Thoughts and Actions flow. Whereas an inordinate Self-love is one of the chief Diftempers of our Natures, and the Source of many Disorders, Self-denial is what he infifteth upon as an important Part of our Duty, and that we must endeavour to mortify our corrupt Appetites and Paffions, though they be dear to us as right Hands and right Eyes. Not only doth he forbid the outward grofs Acts of Uncleanness, but the cherishing and indulging impure luftful Defires and Inclinations; and declareth, that whosoever looketh on a Woman to luft after her, bath commit

ted

ted Adultery with her already in his Heart, Matt. v. 28. And he forbiddeth Divorces, which had been before tolerated among the Jews, but had been greatly abused, and ferved as a Cover to Impurity. He taketh great Care to warn us against an inordinate Love to this prefent World, and a ftrong Paffion for earthly Riches; and directeth us to lay up for ourselves Treafures in Heaven, where alone we can expect a folid and durable Felicity. To make us fenfible that the Love of God, of Righteousness and Truth, must be the governing Principle in our Souls, to which every Thing else must be fubordinate, he frequently inculcates this important Leffon, that we must be ready, if called to it, to for fake thofe Things that are dearest to us here on Earth, for his Sake; i. e. for the Sake of Religion and a good Confcience. And yet it is obfervable, that he nowhere requireth those exceffive and unnatural Rigours and Aufterities, which Superftition hath frequently injoined under Pretence of extraordinary Mortification and Devotion; nor doth he oblige his Difciples, under a Pretence of an Abstraction from the World, to fhun the Society of Men, and to bind themselves by Vows to abstain from innocent Enjoyments. To this it may be added, that never was there any Thing better fitted, than the Instructions

of