stian religion. Ephef. iv. 17,18,&c. "This I say there- SERM. "fore, and testify in the LORD, that ye henceforth," CCVII. that is, now that ye have embraced christianity, “walk " not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their " mind, having the understanding darkned, being alie" nated from the life of God through the ignorance " that is in them, because of the blindness of their " heart : who being past feeling, have given them"selves over unto lasciviousness, to work alluncleanness " with greediness. But ye have not so learned CHRIST: " if so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught " by him, as the truth is in JESUs; that ye put off, " concerning the former conversation, the old man, " which is corrupt according to the deceitful lufts; " and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that "ye put on the new man, which after Gop is created in " righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neigh"bour: for we are members one of another. Beye angry " and fin not, let not the fun go down upon your wrath: "neither give place to the devil. Let him that stole, steal " no more; but rather let him labour, working with " his hands the thing which is good, that he may have " to give to him that needeth. Let no corrupt com"munication proceed out of your mouth, but that " which is good to the use of edifying, that it may " minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the "HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD, whereby ye are sealed " unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and " wrath, and anger, and clamour, andevil speaking be " put away from you, with all malice: and be ye kind " one to another, &c." So that you fee, that unless there be an universal reformation of heart and life, we have not "fo learned CHRIST as the truth is in Jesus.” ESUS." we CCVII. SERM. we do not rightly understand the gospel, and the tendency of the christian religion. Gal. v. 22, 23, 24. "But the fruits of the SPIRIT," of that SPIRIT which the christian religion endows men withal, " is love, joy, peace, long-fuffer" ing, gentleness, goodness, fidelity, meekness, tem 66 perance; and they that are CHRIST's, have cru"cified the flesh with the affections and lufts;" that is, they that profess themselves christians, are obliged to endeavour after all these virtues, and to put off the contrary lusts and vices. Phil. iv. 8. "Finally, brethren, " whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are " honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things " are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever "things are of good report; if there be any virtue, " and if there be any praise, think on these things." St. James likewise declares to the fame purpose the genuine effect of chriftianity, which he calls " the " knowledge and wisdom which is from above." James ii. 13, 14, 15, 17. "Who is a wise man, and " endowed with knowledge amongst you? let him shew " out of a good conversation his works with meekness " and wisdom. But if ye have bitter envying and strife " in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the "truth. This wisdom defcendeth not from above; " but is earthly, sensual, devilish." And " the wisdom " that is from above, is first pure, then peaceable, gen"tle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good "fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrify." To which I will add but one text more, which is the fum and comprehenfion of all the rest, and it is chap. ii. of this epistle to Titus, ver. 11. "The grace of "GOD," so he calls the doctrine of the gospel, " the grace of God which brings falvation unto all men, "hath I " hathappeared, teaching us that denying ungodliness SERM. and worldly lufts, we should live soberly, and righ- CCVII. " teously and godly in this present world." I might proceed particularly to shew, that the whole dispensation and doctrine of the gospel, and all the parts of them, are calculated to raise and exalt humane nature to the highest pitch and perfection of virtue and good. ness, and effectually to reform the spirits and lives of men. The difpenfation of the gospel, or the christian religion, confifts in God's merciful condescension to fend his own and only Son in our nature, to live among us, and to die for us. The doctrine of the gospel consists in the things to be believed; the duties to be practised by us; and the arguments and encouragements to the practice of those duties. Now I shall briefly shew, that the design of every part, both of the ditpensation and doctrine of the gospel, is to reform the minds and manners of men, and to engage them to the practice of all virtue and goodness. And, I. For the difpenfation of the gospel, by which I mean the gracious method which the wisdom of GOD hath pitched upon for the salvation and recovery of mankind, by sending his only begotten Son into the world in our nature, to live among us, and to die for us. So that the principal parts of this dispensation are these three : 1. His incarnation, or appearing in our nature. 2. His life. 3. His death and sufferings for us. And I shall shew, that the great design of all this was to reform mankind, and make them better. 1. For his incarnation. The great design of his coming into the world, and appearing in our nature, was SERM. this; and this was the reason of the name JESUS, CCVII. given him at his birth, as the angel tells us, Matth. i. "Ye was manifested, to destroy the works of the devil." 2. This likewife was the great design of his life, of his dwelling and converfing with us so long, to teach us by his doctrine in all holiness and virtue, and to give us the perfect pattern and example of it in his life., For his doctrine, I have spoke of that by itself: but befides that, one principal end of his living amongst us, was, that in the course of his life, and all the actions of it, he might give us a perfect and familiar example of all holiness and virtue, and therefore we are commanded to take him for our great pattern. " Learn of me, faith he, for I am meek " and lowly of spirit," Matth. xi. 29. John xiii. 15. after that great instance of his humility, in washing his difciples feet, he adds, " for I have given you an " example, "example, that ye should do as I have done to SERM. " you." 3. This also was the great design of his death and sufferings. So the apostles every were teach: Gal. i. 4. speaking of CHRIST, " who gave himself for our " sins, that he might deliver us from this present " evil world," that is, that he might rescue us from the vicious customs and practices of the world. 1 Pet. i. 18. " Forasmuch as ye know, that ye were not re" deemed with corruptible things, as filver and gold, " from your vain conversation; but with the preci" ous blood of CHRIST, as of a lamb without ble" mish and without spot." The death and fufferings of CHRIST did not only make expiation for our fins, but are proposed to us as a pattern of mortification to fin, and refurrection to a new life, and a moft powerful argument thereto. Rom. vi. 1, 2, 3, &c. And 2 Cor. v. 14, 15. speaking of the love of CHRIST in lying down his life for us, " for the "love of CHRIST, faith he, constraineth us, be" cause we thus judge; that if one died for all, then 66 were all dead: and that he died for all, that they " which live, should not henceforth live unto them" selves, but unto him which died for them." From whence he infers, ver. 17. "Therefore if any man " be in CHRIST, he is a new creature: old things are " pass'd away; behold, all things are become new." And ver. 21. " For he hath made him to be fin for " us, who knew no fin, that we might be made the " righteousness of God in him;" that is, he hath made him who was without fin, a facrifice for our sins, which should be a strong motive and argument to us, to endeavour after " the righteousness of God." II. As the whole dispensation of the gospel tends CCVII. to |