SERM, rant, that it is the Design of the Gospel to VI. inculcate a greater Degree of Love and

Charity than the World had practised before. For hence it is that it is call'd a New Commandment; a New Comnand ment, fays our Bleffed Saviour, give I unto you, that ye love one another. And therefore however People may be mistaken, and differ about other parts of Scripture, yet they must all acknowledge, that the whole Scope and Defign of the Gofpel is Peace and Love; and that the Precepts that relate to this are abfolute and pofitive, and must fuperfede whatever seems to interfere with it, that has not an equal Degree of Clearness and Certainty.

And yet notwithstanding all this, it is an Obfervation that has too much Truth in it, that we have Religion enough to make us hate, but not enough to make us Love one another. But let them look to it, who turn this Love into Hatred, fince their Crime, according to St. John, is of a very dreadful Nature; for, fays he, He that hateth his Brother is a Murderer; now ye know that no Murderer bath eternal Life:

The Prophet pronounces a Woe to them SERM. that put Light for Darkness, and Dark- VI. nefs for Light; and Good for Evil, and Evil for Good: And St. Paul tells the Galatians, that if an Angel from Heaven Should preach any other Gospel than what they had receiv'd, let him be accurfed. What then will be the Punishment of those who do what they can to deftroy it, and even break down the great Partition-Wall of Right and Wrong? The Gospel, as well as the Bleffed Author of it, has been betray'd, but woe to them by whom it is, or has been betray'd. Which brings me,

Thirdly, to fhew, That we ought all of us, who have any Value or Efteem for the Chriftian Religion, to use our best Endeavours in our feveral Stations to restore it to its primitive Beauty and Comeliness, and make it appear to be, as it is in itself, a Religion of Peace and Love. They who have taken upon them the Christian Profeffion, for of fuch only am I now speaking, must know, that they have taken upon them to follow the Doctrine and Example of the great Author and Foun

der

SERM. der of it, who was not only a Preacher of VI. Peace and Love, but was Love itself; and

as this peaceable Spirit, which our Bleffed Saviour came to establish in the World, has been abus'd by fome, and turn'd into a Spirit of Hatred and Difcord, it concerns them in a particular manner to remove this Scandal, that has been thrown upon Christianity, and demonftrate by their own Practice, that a true Christian, or a Difciple of Chrift, is to be known now, as well as of old, not by his Hatred, but by his Love. The true Profeffors of Christianity muft, and will do this; for to fuppofe a good Christian can be an uncharitable Man, is to fay a Propofition may be true, and falfe at the fame time: And as for Others, who are only Nominal Profeffors, they ought in Juftice to the World and the Religion they profefs, to throw off the Mask, or become real ones, that Religion might not be wounded thro' their fides. And indeed there is the more Occafion for this now in these Days, because the Enemies of Christianity are very industrious in hunting out the Faults and Blemishes

of

Christians,

tians, and in throwing the Scandal of them SERM. not where they should, upon the Perfons to VI. whom they belong, but upon their Religion to which they do not. Christians should confider that they are fet up as a City upon an Hill to be view'd by all Men, and the Light that was given them was defign'd for the use of others, as well as themselves; For their Light was fo to shine before Men, that they might fee their good Works, and glorify their Father which is in Heaven. They are therefore to have more Love and Charity and universal Benevolence, as well as every other Virtue, than the reft of Mankind, otherwise they bring an Odium upon themselves, and their Profeffion too. For if Chriftians were to abound more in Hatred and Ill-Nature than the rest of the World, how contemptible muft they appear in the Sight of the Heathen, and of all thofe who have not the Light of the Gospel for their Direction? May not they very justly say,

If to be a found and orthodox Chriftian is to have a greater degree of Cruelty and Barbarity than the reft of the World,

SERM. how is it that you are in a better CondiVI. tion than we? Or wherein are we worse, or even fo bad as You? For the better fort of us have always acknowledg'd our Obligations to the Law of Nature, of which you allow that of Mofes and of Chrift to be an Improvement, and yet you manifeftly break them all,

If you have the fame turbulent Paffions, the fame Spirit of Cruelty and Inhumanity with the worst of us, what is become of that Light you pretend to enjoy by the Gofpel? In short, if you live no better Lives with the Gofpel, than we do without it, wherein do you differ from us? And indeed I think, whatever Difference there is, the Heathens have much the Advantage of us. For if we are come to that Pass, that the Light that is in us be Darkness, how great is that Darkness? Shall we, who call ourselves Chriftians, and reft on the Gospel, and make our boaft of God, and know his Will, and approve the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the Gospel, and are confident that we ourselves are Guides of the

Blind