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II. What to be understood by speaking, or fearching after the Truth in Love.

Love a Term of peculiar Import in the NewTeftament.

an Affemblage of Virtues rather than a particular Affection.

- implies that Temper of Mind which Jefus Chrift recommended to his Difciples.

III. The Connexion between this Temper of Mind and the Discovery of Truth.

Difficult to convince Men of Truth, who will not regulate their Difpofitions.

--- without that, even their Convictions useless. To remove our Interest in Error is preparing the Mind, not only for receiving, but embracing Truth.

DISCOURSE II.

The Causes of Averfion to Truth.
John viii. 48.

Because I tell ye the Truth, ye believe me not. Truth the natural Object of the Understanding. --- to hate it, is inverting human Nature.

I. Men may fo far corrupt their Natures as to become Enemies to Truth.

Falfhood as fuch, not to be embraced by the Understanding.

the Power of difpofing this Faculty variously neceffary to free Agents.

and in this View the great Degeneracy of Mankind furprising.

John Baptift, the Forerunner of Jefus Chrift, taught no other Doctrine. Jefus Chrift himself teaches it.

fends his Difciples to preach it,

then the feventy --- on the fame Account. Hence it appears to be the Means first prefcribed.

II. An Enquiry into the Nature of this Duty. Which appears evidently from the Baptift's Anfwers to the Queftions put to him.

It is overcoming those particular evil Habits to which we are enflaved.

This the only natural Method of beginning a
Reformation.

There can be no Improvements without it.
Little or no Notice taken of it by the ancient
Moralifts.

DISCOURSE IV.

Directions for reading the Scriptures.
John v. 39.

Search the Scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal Life.

Our strong Defire and Longing after Immortality.

The Scriptures afford us the best and utmost Affurances of it.

Rules and Regulations that thus neceffarily refult from our fearching the Scriptures.

1. We should read them with this conftant View, viz. of finding in them eternal Life.

Then Simon Peter anfwered him, Lord, to whom fhall

we go? Thou b.ft the Words of eternal Life.

The Occafion of thefe Words.

What fort of eternal Life was made manifest by

Jefus Chrift.

The Immortality of the Soul a Principle well
known both to Jews and Gentiles.

The Nature of the eternal Life difcovered in the
Gospel not a bare Immortality.

It is being like Jefus Chrift in his glorious Body.
--- in our Tempers and Difpofitions.

in having a Fellowship with God the Father.

-

- a Refemblance of his eternal Life.

The Words of Chrit exhibit not only the Nature
of eternal Life, but the Means of attain-
ing it.

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