shall be to forgive as we would be forgiven; and the more we grow in this Virtue, the greater will be our Progrefs in all other Chriftian Graces. They are all founded in Mercy, and built up in Love, and can dwell only with the meek and humble Spirit. If there be any one Sin which at once fubverts all the Principles of Chriftianity, it is that of an inveterate and implacable Malice. They are as contrary as Light and Darkness, and can no more be reconciled, and dwell in the fame Breafts, than God and Mammon. The Gospel breathes nothing but Peace and Good-will towards Men; requires that we should be gentle, and eafy to be intreated; expreffly teaches us, that whoever rejoices in Iniquity, or does not rejoice in doing Good, has no Charity, and that whoever has not Charity, in a Chriftian Senfe, has nothing.

IV. and lastly, Our great Mafter was, with Regard to God, conftant in his Attendance on his Worship, and devout without Oftentation. When the Laws of his Religion required it, he went up to Jerufalem at the three great Festivals, and pay'd his Devotions there. And at other Times we find him frequently discharging the great Duty of Prayer, but for the most part in Privacy and Retirement. He fhews us the Importance of the Duty, and the Bounds we are to set to it. He makes its Merit to confift in the Difpofi

tion and Elevation of the Heart; and not in external Appearances, or Forms of Speech, or vain Repetitions. He utterly condemns all oftentatious Shews of it; and teaches us, that at least all Acts of Sacrifice are to give Way to thofe of Mercy, when both cannot be performed: So that we may learn from his Behaviour the Nature of the Duty, and the most proper Methods of discharging it. He was very frequent in his Addreffes to Heaven, to fhew us the Importance of it, and he chose the secret Receffes of Mountains and Gardens, and the Darkness of the Night, as most proper for it. But he neither places the whole or the main Subftance of Religion in it; nor does he defert the World in Order to difcharge it. This Duty has its Times and Seafons as well as all others, and is regularly to take its Courfe with them, but not exclude them. To retire from the World and become acquainted with God, to lay open our Hearts before him, and breathe out our Wants and Defires in the Fervours of Devotion, is no Doubt effential to the Christian Life, and never to be neglected by those who would make a Progress in it. But this is not all: There is fomething too felfish for Chriftianity in giving ourselves up wholly, even to Acts of Devotion; when we have thus taken Care of ourfelves, we must return again to the World, and take what Care we can of our fellow Creatures, in the faithful Discharge of

all thofe Offices which Chriftianity gives them a Right to demand of us. This did our Lord and Mafter; and this muft his Difciples do who would follow his Steps. If his Example was a perfect Pattern for us, (which furely no Chriftian will deny) Chriftian Perfection then cannot confift in abfolutely renouncing the World, but in fo ufing it as not to abufe it, and keeping our Hearts and Affections free and difengaged from it; not in devoting ourselves wholly to Acts of Piety, but in a confcientious Difcharge of them and other Duties together; and particularly, in labouring after that noble Spirit of univerfal Charity which enables Men to bear all Evil, and do all Sorts of Good, to the unthankful as well as to the deferving; and in that Senfe to become perfect, as our Father in Heaven is perfect.

Would we then follow our Lord's Example, we must be conftant in our Attendance on the publick Worship of God, and no less diligent in the Discharge of our private Devotions to him. We must be ever intent on the main Business of this Life, which is to prepare us for another. We must remember that this World is not our Home, but only the Road thither; and therefore take great Care to keep our Hearts at Liberty, fo that none of its falfe Allurements and corrupt Temptations chain down our Affections to it. We must raise our Thoughts from Earth

to

in

to Heaven, fix our Minds upon God, confider his Divine Perfections, and the Wonders of his Love to us, till our Hearts are warmed and enlivened with a Love for him. And we must at the fame Time remember to grow daily in Love to our fellow Creatures, for his Sake; and treat and esteem them as his Children, and Members of his Body, as well knowing the Certainty of this Rule, that he who loves God will love his Brother alfo. In this Sense we are daily to grow Grace, and in the Knowledge of our Lord, till we come to a perfect Man, to the Measure of the Stature of the Fullness of Chrift: That is, till we have rectified our inward Man, and by Degrees brought our whole Hearts and Minds to an habitual State, Temper, and Inclination to all Virtue and Holiness, or in other Words, till we fo love him, and his Creatures, as he loved us. So that the whole Extent of our Duty, and the whole Business of our Lives, is comprehended in one fingle Word, Charity. And that for the Reafon St. Paul gives us, because Charity never fails, or in other words, because to love God and one another is not only our Duty in this, but will be likewise our eternal Employment and Happiness in the World to come. And if we confider the Life of the bleffed Jefus in this Light, we cannot want a Precedent or Encouragement to every Species of it. What was his whole Life but a conftant Series of doing

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doing Good; one continued Act of Love, varied in all the Expreffions of it, that the Souls, the Bodies, the Wants, the Infirmities, and the Wickedness of Men could require? Nay, What is his prefent Office at the right Hand of God but the Continuance of his Love; the offering of our Prayers to his Father, the making them acceptable to him, by pleading those Merits in our Behalf which take away the Sins of the World?

SERMON