Page images
PDF
EPUB

F

enforce it too, by the most evident and awful Sanctions. His Kingdom is not of this World; He left the Kingdoms of this World as he found them; but his Doctrine is fuch, as must if attended to, reform and improve, not only every Kingdom, but every fingle Perfon in the World. To fuppofe that Chrift brought Life and Immortality to light thro' the Gospel, and that the eternal Rewards and Punishments, he has affign'd to Virtue and Vice, should have no Effect upon the Conduct of Mankind in this Life, is the greatest Reflection upon Mankind imaginable.

Bear ye one another's Burdens, and fo fulfil the Law of Chrift. His Commandment is that we love one another, as he loved us; How he loved us we all know; upon these two Commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets, and the Gospel too; viz. upon the Love of God and our NeighP 4 bour,

bour. The Law of God is, to keep his Commandments, and to keep his Commandments is, to love one another. which we fhall be

upon

The Articles examined at the Great day, are, whether we have given Meat to the Hungry, and Drink to the Thirty; whether we have cloathed the Naked, and vifited the Sick, and the Prifoner. These are plain things which want no Definitions or Diftinctions, there is no need of Subtlety to teach or comprehend them. All the Law is fulfilled in one Word, even in this, Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy Self; furely we know how we love our felves. We cannot love our selves, we injure our felves in every View, if we do not love our Neighbour as our felves. Is any thing fo agreeable to our Reason and delightful to our Consciences? I might say so pleasant to the whole Syftem of our Affections, as to relieve the Neceffitous, and comfort the Afflicted? Can any

thing more promote our focial Happiness? what better Commerce or Correfpondence can the whole World furnish forth than this? what more promotive of our own personal Happinefs? Let thofe Paffions which are called felfish, produce their Pleasures; place Pride and Ambition, Envy and Revenge, Luxury and Avarice, on the one hand, and Benevolence and Charity, Pity and Compaffion, on the other; view them as they lie in the Mind of Man; view them in their Intercourse with others; Can any thing be more felf-tormenting than thofe, more unamiable, more injurious? Whilft the other are a Fund of Peace and Pleasure; they difpenfe them all around, and have them reflected back on them from every fide.

Human Laws may be fulfilled with little or no Virtue, and when they are fulfilled, much Mifery will be at last unprovided for; but Chrift is a

Judge

Judge who knoweth the very Secrets of our Hearts, his Law lays hold of our Confciences, his Rewards must be equally and impartially distributed; fo that here is a Provision made for the Calamities of Life, which it is impoffible for any thing human to furnish forth. We are naturally apt to have a greater Regard to our own Pleasures than other Mens, and to provide for our future Wants, without duely confidering the present Neceffities of others; but the Law of Christ, you fee, over-bears our selfish, and shortfighted Affections; it opens to us a new and everlasting Interest, which is to be promoted only by Charity and Generofity; a Life to come, to provide for which is of infinitely greater Concern to us, than any of the Cares of this can be. We should therefore make unto ourselves Friends of the Mammon of Unrighteousness, by distributing freely to the Neceffities of

others,

[merged small][ocr errors][merged small]

others, that when we fail, they may receive us into everlasting Habita

tions.

The only Observation I fhall make

upon
the whole is this, That as bearing
one another's Burdens is fulfilling the
Law of Chrift,fo it behoves us to try our
Faith by ourWorks, our Christianity by
our Charity, without which, our Faith
is vain, and our Religion errant Super-
ftition. I need not tell you that the Law
of Chrift has been frequently interpreted
to the mutual Deftruction of Man-
kind; that all Denominations of Chrif
tians have in their turns admitted
fuch Interpretations, and fhewn a
greater Zeal for them, than the Truth
has ever been favour'd with, fince the
Primitive Times. I need not tell you
that this was fulfilling the Law of the
Devil, who was a Murderer and De-
stroyer from the Beginning. They who
have made it their Business to oppress
and enflave, or in any refpect to in-

crease

« PreviousContinue »