in Him, who is the faithful and true Witness, for his Favour, and the Fulfilment of all his Promises; and, particularly, for that greatest and most precious Promise, that he will raise them from the State of Death, to a Life of endless Happiness, exceeding any Thing, of which, at present, they can form any Conception. That being reconciled to God by his Mediation, we shall, by the Mercy of God, be made Partakers of the Inheritance of the Saints in Light.

REVERENCE, HONOUR. As the Knowledge we have from Nature, lays us under Obligation to reverence and honour God, so the Knowledge, derived from Revelation, of the Being, Attributes and Offices of Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, and our Relation to him; that he was sent by God to instruct, redeem and save Mankind; and that God has appointed him to be King in his Church, and the final Judge of the World; lays us under corresponding Obligations to yield him that Reverence and Honour, which is due to such an exalted Character.

IMITATION. As our Saviour, while on Earth, not only instructed us in the Will of God, but by a Life of perfect Piety and Virtue exemplified his Doctrine, by an exact Conformity to that Will; it becomes all his faithful Followers to imitate him, in every Thing wherein he hath set us an Example. Particularly in his Obedience, Trust, Resignation. and Submission to God, and his Reverence and

Zeal

claiming (with the Deists) all Confidence in him; or thoughtlessly neglecting to pay him, or his Offices, any proper Regards. All such, if the Gospel be true, are in a most unhappy Situation.

NEGLECTING THE HONOUR AND REVERENCE due to our LORD JESUS CHRIST. As there cannot be any Religion where God is not honoured, so there cannot be any Christianity, where Christ is not honoured.

"He that honoureth not the Son, honoureth not the Father who hath sent him." Whether this Declaration of the Gospel lays us under an Obligation to pray to him, and offer him religious Worship, every Christian must determine for himself.

NEGLECT OF OUR LORD'S EXAMPLE. Our Lord not only taught us the Will of God, and that we ought to make it the Rule of our Conduct, but his whole Life was a practical Comment on his Doctrine, and his Example showed us how to carry his Precepts into Practice. Every Christian, then, should keep this Example in his Mind, and follow it as far as he is able. And if he is at a Loss at any Time, how he ought to act, he will have Recourse to the Example of our Saviour, and consider how he acted, or would have done, on a similar Occasion; and behave accordingly.

DEPRIVATION

Zeal for Him; in his Love and Charity, his Philanthropy and universal Benevolence to all Mankind; and in the due Regulation of every Passion and Appetite. "For he was humble, holy, harmless and undefiled; he did no Sin, neither was Guile found in his Mouth."

EXPECTATION. By which is meant a confident Hope and Trust, that our Lord will most certainly fulfil all the gracious Promises he has made us in the Gospel; that he will be with us even to the End of the World; that he will make Intercession for us in Heaven; that he will prepare Mansions there, for all his faithful Followers; that in fulness of Time, he will take to himself his great Power, and reign, and all the Kingdoms of the World will become the Kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ; that he will come in great Glory to be our final Judge, at the last Day, and will give to every Man according to his Works; that all his true Disciples will enjoy in his Company, and under his Auspices, an eternal Life of Happiness, greater than they now can conceive; that having put all Things under his Feet, he will deliver up the Kingdom to God, even the Father, that God may be all in all.

THE CHRISTIAN TEMPER, consists in an habitual Disposition to conform ourselves to the Practice of

all

DEPRIVATION OF THE CHRISTIAN'S HOPES. He who disbelieves the Gospel, cannot have any pleasing Expectations of Futurity, that he can at all depend upon; all before him must be vague and uncertain Conjecture, all his Dependence must be upon the Benevolence of the Deity. But God is righteous and holy, as well as good. His Reflections, then, if he have any serious ones on the Subject, can never afford him any Degree of Satisfaction, certainly none to be compared with that of the true Christian.

WORLDLY MINDEDNESS. LOVE OF THE WORLD. This Temper may, I think, be put in Opposition to the Christian Temper. The Love of the World may be reduced, first, to Love of Show, Pomp, Honour and Applause. All this is Vanity. Secondly, to Love of Pleasure, and Indulgence of the Appetites. This is Sensuality. Thirdly, to Love of Power. This is Pride and Ambition. Fourthly, to Love of Money. This is Avarice. Now these several Passions, some of which do so frequently engross our Minds, are peculiarly apt to obstruct our Acquisitions of that Disposition we are endeavouring to enforce. Few of us are free from an inordinate Fondness for the Things of this World ; the Objects of this Life present themselves to us in so many, and such alluring Forms, that none but those

all the Precepts of the Gospel, so perfectly, as that without any extraordinary Effort, and as it were, of Course, we shall always think, speak and act, as becomes Christians. It is indeed the Perfection of the Christian Character, and though, perhaps, no one ever attained to it, in its utmost Extent, yet all ought to aim at it, and to make as much Proficiency as they are able. But, more especially, and above all Things, we must cultivate the Virtues of Charity, Benevolence and Meekness, which characterise the Religion of Jesus Christ, without which, whatever may be our other Attainments, we can have no Title to the Christian Temper, and indeed, no just Title to the Name of Christians. True Charity ever dwells with Largeness of Soul, which takes in all Mankind, sincerely wishing, that all who are in any material Errour, may embrace the Truth, and that all who do embrace it, may strictly conform their Lives and Conduct to it. True Charity detests Nothing but Vice. It consists in doing good Offices, and showing Kindness to our Neighbour, both in our Affections, and our Actions to all, whether they are Friends or Foes. This is the best Expression of Love towards God. "For if we love not our Brother, whom we have seen, how shall we love God, whom we have not seen." "A new Commandment" (says our Saviour,) "I give unto you, that ye love one another." This is the proper Badge