highly difpleafing to God, and worthy of his res fentment; then Chrift requires and recommends repentance and reformation of their evil ways, as the only, and the fure ground of the divine mercy and forgiveness. And thirdly, in order to make thofe truths have the greater impreffion on the minds and lives of men, he declares and affures. them, that God has appointed a day, in which he will judge the world in righteousness, and that,. he will then either acquit or condemn, reward or. punish them, according as they have, or have not conformed their minds and lives to that rule of righteoufnefs before mentioned, and according as they have, or have not repented and amended their evil ways. This is the true gospel, of Jefus, Chrift, and this is the way and method which Chrift has taken in order to fave mens fouls.

F

IRST, Chrift requires and recommends a conformity of mind and life to that rule of action, which is founded in the reafon of things, and makes or declares that compliance to be the fole ground of divine acceptance, and the only way to life eternal. And that this is the cafe, is most manifeft, from the hiftory of his life and miniftry, this being the point, to which the generality of his parables and difcourfes do moft apparently tend. For, though he did not deliver fuch a complete body of laws, or fyftem of morality, as might particularly direct men how to act under the various and different circumftances of life in

every inftance, (there not having been any fuch complete fyftem given, in, or by any divine revelation, that has yet been delivered to the world, or at least this does not appear to have been the cafe), much less did he deliver any new body of laws, or rule of action to mankind: I fay, tho' this was not the cafe; yet Chrift did recommend to men, and press their obedience to that law of reason, which they were antecedently obliged to govern their behaviour by, as the hiftory of his life does abundantly teftify. He, when opportunity offered, and as the occafion required, treared of feveral branches of man's duty, and thewed in those inftances, what in reafon ought to be done, and what avoided. He alfo laid down fome general principles of action, viz. the doing as one would be done by, the loving God with all our beart, foul, mind, and ftrength, and the loving our neighbour as ourselves; from which general principles, as they are founded in reafon, fo the particulars, of our duty, under the various and different circumftances of life are to be collected. He likewife referred men to that law of reafon, or fummary account of man's duty, contained in, and which is commonly called the ten commandments, as the rule of their actions; and made or declared their obedience to it, to be the ground of God's favour. And this law of reafon is fitly called the law of Christ, as he fpecially and ftrictly requires: our compliance with it, and declares that compliance to be the fole ground of dis vine acceptance, in diftinction from, and in oppofition to that law of ceremonies, or positive infli tutions, which Mofes had delivered to the Jews," and which therefore was called the law of Mofes.

Mofes He alfo reprefented to men the good and bad confequences, which would moft certainly attend their compliance or non-compliance with this law, with regard to the favour or difpleasure of God, and their fafety or miscarriage in another world! To d'un to java.

A

Thus in his moft: excellent fermon on the mount, after he had recommended the practice of virtue, and had reproved and condemned the practice of vice, in many inftances that is, after he had fhewn what temper and behaviour his difciples and followers ought to put on, and what to avoid; he then reprefented to them the mighty confequences, which depended upon fuch their tempers and actions. Matthew vii 21, 22, 23. 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. (which will he had been speaking about in the precedent fermon) Many will fay unto me in that day, (viz. the day of judgment) Lord, Lord, bave we not prophefied in thy name? and in thy name have caft out devils? and in thy name done. many wonderful works? And then will I profefs unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Here we fee are great pretenfions, profeffing of Chrift, prophefying in his name, and working miracles by his power and authority; and yet, all this availed nothing with respect to the favour of God, and their fafety in another world; because they were wanting in that, upon which their acceptance with God folely depended; namely, conforming their tem pers, and actions to the law of righteousness. And therefore faid Chrift, notwithstanding thefe your profeffions

D

Chrift to publick confideration, and as he was particularly and specially appointed to perform that work, they are therefore called the gofpel of Jefus Chrift. And thefe propofitions were recommended with this view that a ferious and well-grounded perfwafion of thofe important truths might be fuch a fpring and principle of action in men, as might reform their vices and. rightly direct and govern their minds and lives; and thereby render them worthy of, prepare them for, and infure to them the favour of God and their happiness in another world; and prevent them from falling into great and lafting mifery, which otherwife they were in great danger of bringing upon themfelves. And a well-grounded perfwation of thofe truths thus becoming a principle of action in men (as aforefaid) is called believing the gospel, and believing in Jefus Chrift; and whoever thus believes, it is declared, that he fhall be faved.

The important truths which Chrift has thus recommended to publick confideration, may be fummed up in the following particulars. First, he requires and recommends the conforming our minds and lives to that eternal and unalterable rule of action, which is founded in the reafon of things, (which rule is fummarily contained in the written word of God,) and this he lays. down, as the only ground of divine acceptance, and as that which will entitle men to the favour of God, and the happiness of another world; and confequently this will prevent them from being greatly and laftingly miferable. Secondly, if men have lived in a violation of this righteous law, by which they have rendred themfelves

highly difpleafing to God, and worthy of his re Jentment; then Chrift requires and recommends repentance and reformation of their evil ways, as, the only, and the fure ground of the divine mercy and forgiveness. And thirdly, in order to make thofe truths have the greater impreffion on the minds and lives of men, he declares and affures, them, that God has appointed a day, in which he will judge the world in righteousness, and that,. he will then either acquit or condemn, reward or punish them, according as they have, or have not conformed their minds and lives to that rule of righteoufnefs before mentioned, and according as they have, or have not repented and amended their evil ways. This is the true gospel of Jefus Chrift, and this is the way and method which Chrift has taken in order to fave mens fouls.

F

IRST, Chrift requires and recommends a conformity of mind and life to that rule of action, which is founded in the reason of things, and makes or declares that compliance to be the fole ground of divine acceptance, and the only way to life eternal. And that this is the cafe, is moft manifeft, from the hiftory of his life and miniftry, this being the point, to which the generality of his parables and difcourfes do moft apparently tend. For, though he did not deliver fuch a complete body of laws, or fyftem of morality, as might particularly direct men how to act under the various and different circumftances of life in