Ads 2.-45. that when they charitably fupplied the Neceffities of others, when they lived together with one Accord, in Singleness of Heart, they had Favour with all the People, and many were added to the Church, even as many as fhould be faved. This is the Way to set off Religion, and to make it amiable to the World. It is not to drefs it up in uncouth Expreffions; nor to speak of the Things of God in a fingular and affected Phrafe; no, nor only to difcourfe of them in Scripture-Language, and to make it only the Business of the Tongue. The holy and everlasting Gofpel which you profess, is not an Art of fpeaking, but of living well.

First, The blameless Life of a Chriftian, gives Life to Religion; adds as much Beauty to Religion, as natural Life doth to a Man. Take a dead Corps, and though it hath the fame Features, the fame Lineaments, and Proportion that it had before, yet how ghaftly and frightful a Spectacle is it? And that very Face which was beautiful and pleafing while living, yet terrifies and scares us, when the Life and Soul is departed from it. So is it here: The Do&trine of the Gospel in it felf confider'd feparate from Practice, is but a dead Letter; and though there be a great Excellency

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lency in it, as there is in the Frame of a dead Body yet it hath not those Charms and Allurements, which it hath when the Lives of Chriftians put Life into it. The Strictnefs and Severity of its Rules and Precepts, would rather fright and deter Men from imbracing of it, than invite them, until they fee the Beauty of Holinefs in the Practice,wards good Example of others one of ubun tad debut 10Secondly An holy and fuitable Life adorns and commends the Doctrine of Chrift our Saviour, as it teftifies the Energy and Efficacy that it hath upon the Confciences and Converfations of Men. The Excellency of a Doctrine is chiefly feen in the Power that it hath to work upon the Hearts and Affections of those that profefs it. Now when it Afhall appear to the World, that this Doctrine of Chrift hath been effecttial to the Opening. the Eyes of the Blind, the Taming of ftubborn and refractory Sinners; that it hath been able to rend Rocks in Pieces, and to draw Rivers of Tears out of ftony Hearts; when it fhall appear what a mighty Change it hath wrought upon those who seemed most boiftrous and untractable, bringing them upon their Knees to grovel in the very Duft, before that God whom they have daringly offended;

and that a few Words of it should be able for ever after to keep them in fuch an Awe of his dread Majefty, that they would rather die a thousand Deaths, than willingly do any Thing which it forbids; when it fhall calm all their Passions, fubjugate their very Thoughts, govern all their Actions, that they fhall not dare to think, but by a Law and Rule nor to speak, but under the Controul of their Religion; nor to fear, nor rejoice, nor grieve, nor be angry, but upon Permiffion from this; how mightily will this exalt and magnify the Power of Christ's Doctrine, and fet it forth as triumphant in the World, and over the World! It is the Number, not of Profeffors, but of Converts, that is the Glory of any Do&rine: And this Glory is peculiarly due

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unto the Doctrine of Christ. All other Doctrines of the World, though there be too many that own them, yet how few are converted by them to a fober and holy Life? All the grave and elaborate Precepts of Heathen Philofophy, which taught Virtue with a great deal of Skill, and all poffible Advantages of Wit and Reafon; yet, as Origen against Celfus ob* Phadon ferves, never converted but * Two, from Palemon. a vicious and debauch'd Life. And for Gelf. lib. 1; all other Ways of Religion, it is gene

Orig. cont.

rally

+

rally and truly obferved, that the most zealous in them were ufually the most lewd and diffolute. It is true of them all, what Chrift fpeaks of the Pharifees, Matth. 23. 15. They compafs Sea and Land to make one Profelyte; and when he is made, they make him feven Times more the Child of Hell than before. But it is the peculiar Glory of the Doctrine of Chrift, that those whom it makes true Profelytes, it makes truly pious, Envy not, I beseech you, this Glory to it; but let it appear, that it is the only Divine Doctrine in the World, by having such a powerful Influence into your Practice, as no other Doctrine hath, or can have. Raife your Actions to fuch a Divine Heighth, that Moralifts, with all their Civility, may be forced to confefs, there is fomewhat more in your Lives, than Nature, or any other Instruction can poffibly bestow.

But this is only in the General.

Let me now commend to your Practice, fome particular Duties; wherein, methinks, the true and genuine Spirit of the Gospel doth most eminently appear. And, Oh! that you would for ever remember to honour the Doctrine of Chrift, which you have imbraced, and to adorn your ProT 2 feffion

feffion by the conftant Practice of thefe following Graces. 197

First, Love, and & Brotherly Kindness one towards another. This is the very Badge and diftinguishing Character of a Chriftian; John 13. 35. By this shall all Men know that ye are my Difciples, if ye have Love one towards another. Love is a moft beautiful Grace, and that which fets a great Luftre upon Religion, and makes it beautiful too.It was that which the Heathens took most efpecial Notice of in the Primitive Chriftians, when they would not only communicate their Estates one to another, but even expose their Lives, and offer their Blood for their Brethren. This made their very Perfecutors cry out, See how dearly thefe Chriftians love one another! We are all Fellow-Members of the fame Body mystical, whereof Jefus Chrift is the Head. Now as there is a Sympathy in the Body natural between the Members, (for if one fuffer, all the rest suffer with it; or one be honoured, all the rest rejoice with it; fo ought it to be amongst Chriftians; for we are the Body of Christ, and Members in Particular, as the Apostle fpeaks, 1 Cor. 112. 26, 27. What a ftrange unfeemly Thing were it for the Members of the

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