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more are we Children of our Father the Devil; and a furer and more fevere Lot fhall we have in his Inheritance, to whom is reserved the Blackness of Darkness for ever. That the Rule which the Almighty has prefcrib'd to himself to proceed by, in affigning us our feveral Degrees of Happiness or Mifery at the Laft-day, will have the ftrictest Regard to our Acts of Charity and Mercy on the one hand, and Injury and Oppreffion on the other. My prefent Subject prompts me to obferve to you more particularly, that amongst the Articles of Examination then to be exhibited, our Behaviour towards the Stranger is exprefly recited as one. I was a Stranger and ye took me not in.

Mercy being thus highly diftinguished throughout the Scriptures, and the particular Exercife of it towards the Stranger fo expressly recommended;

I fhall

1

Firft, Premife fomething of the Nature and Excellence of Mercy in general.

Secondly, I fhall confider the particular Branch of it which relates to the Stranger.

Thirdly, The Motive or Reason alfigned in my Text - Te know the Heart of a Stranger.

And Laftly, Conclude with fome Inferences from the whole.

Firft then, I fhall confider the Nature and Excellence of Mercy in general.

It is evident enough that the feveral Affections of Man are not the Acts or Result of his Reason, but antecedent to it, and independent of it as to their Original. They are, as it were, fo many Instincts implanted in our Nature, arifing from the Con

ftitution

ftitution of our Body and the Temperature of our Blood.

But tho' our Reafon be not the Author of these Affections; tho' they are alternately excited in us without our Confent or Forethought; yet when it is affifted by divine Grace, it has such a Power over them as to restrain and apply, to model and conform them varioufly to its own Dictates; and make them almost as much its own Acts, as if they proceeded from the fame Fountain. As Men differ from each other in the Conftitution of their Bodies, and the Temperature of their Blood, fo must they neceffarily differ in their Affections; and as they feverally exercife and improve habitually fome one Affection more than the reft, fo muft they still continue and increase the Difference; But as all have a common Power of governing and directing their Affections, fo all may act wifely or virtuously, be of one Mind

and

and one Heart if they are diligent in cultivating that Power.

As the Perfection of Man does evidently confift in the perfect Sovereignty of his Reafon over his mechanick Affections, so it is evident, that whenfoever we fuffer our felves to be borne away by thofe Affections without any Check or Controul, Direction or Application from Reason, I say it is evident, that the Effect or Confequence of this, be its outward Appearance what it will, can in no Sense be term'd wife or virtuous; because the Power or Principle of Wifdom or Virtue in Man is fufpended, and no ways concerned in it. Nay further, it must be vicious or finful, because he does not maintain the Rule and Sovereignty of that Power, which ought to direct and preside over all the Actions of Man.

Mercy is most certainly one of these Instinct Difpofitions, if I may

VOL. I.

L

be

be allowed fo to express my self, and none of the weakeft. In Cafes of any Moment we are not left to the flow Resolves of our Reason to dispose us to promote the common Happiness of our Species. Our Bodies are manifeftly fo organiz'd and form'd as to give the Mind not only a quick Senfe of what may be deftructive of our own, but other Men's Being. These Notices are not barely ideal, but attended with vigorous and lively Senfations, fuch as folicit our Understandings and urge us to Action.

Thefe innate Difpofitions with many others of a fubordinate kind, are common to us with the Brutes; they are fignal Inftances of the Almighty's Wisdom in us and them: But our Wisdom or Virtue, as was before obferved, confifts in directing or governing the Mechanism of our Affections fuitably to the Occafions that may arise, and the Relations of things around us,

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