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out of the way, they are together become unprofitable, there is none that doth good, no not one t.

This is a very mortifying thought; but an undeniable truth, and, as one of the first principles of that science we are treating of, is very neceffary to be attended to, if we would be fenfible of the duty and obligations we owe to CHRIST as the great Redeemer; in which character he appears, for the relief and recovery of mankind, under this their univerfal depravity.

The too miferable effects of the human apoftacy are, (1.) that preverfe difpofitions, growing up in our minds from early infancy, foon fettle into vicious habits, and render us weak and unwilling to obey the dictates of confcience and reafon: this is commonly called the dominion of fin. And, (2.) at the fame time we are fubject to the difpleafure of GOD, and the penalty of his law; which is commonly called the condemnation of fin. Now in both these refpects did CHRIST the Lamb of God come to take away the fin of the world; that is, to take away the reigning power of it by the operation of his grace; and its condemning power by the atonement of his blood; to fanctify us by his spirit, and to justify us by his death: by the former he reconcileth us to GoD, and by the latter he reconcileth

+ Rom. iii. 10, 12.

reconcileth GOD to us (r), and is at once. our righteoufnefs and ftrength. He died to purchase for us the happiness we had forfeited, and fendeth his grace and spirit to fit us for that happiness he hath thus purchased. So complete is his redemption! fo precisely adapted is the remedy he hath provided, to the malady we had contracted!-' O bleffed • Redeemer of wretched, ruined creatures, 'how unspeakable are the obligations I owe thee! but, ah! how infenfible am I to those obligations! the faddeft symptom of degeneracy I find in my nature, is that base ingratitude of heart which renders me fo unaffected with thine astonishing compassions. 'Till I know thee, I cannot know myself: and when I furvey myself, may I ever think of thee! may the daily consciousness of my weakness and guilt lead my thoughts to thee; and also may every thought of thee kindle in my heart the most ardent glow of gratitude to thee, Othou divine, compaffionate Friend, • Lover and Redeemer of mankind!'

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(r) By this phrase I do not mean that GOD was implacable or abfolutely irreconcileable to us till he was pacified by the vicarious fufferings of his Son; for how then could he have appointed him to die as our propitiatory facrifice? But that the death of Chrift is the cleareft demonstration of GOD's willingness to be actually reconciled to us.

Whoever then he be that calls himself a Christian, that is, who profeffeth to take the Gofpel of CHRIST for a divine revelation, and the only rule of his faith and practice; but at the fame time, pays a greater regard to the dictates of men, than to the doctrines of CHRIST; who lofeth fight of that great example of CHRIST, which fhould animate his Christian walk, is unconcerned about his fervice, honour and intereft, and excludes the confideration of his merits and atonement, from his hope of happiness; he forgets that he is a Chriftian; - he does not confider in what relation he ftands to CHRIST, which is one great part of his character, and confequently discovers a great degree of felf-igno

rance.

(3.) Self-knowledge, moreover, implies a due attention to the feveral relations in which we ftand to our fellow-creatures; and the obligations that refult from thence.

If we know ourselves, we fhall remember the condefcenfion, benignity and love that is due to inferiors; the affability, friendship and kindness we ought to fhew to equals ; the regard, deference and honour which belong to fuperiors; and the candour, integrity and benevolence we owe to all.

The particular duties, requifite in these relations, are too numerous to be here mentioned.

tioned. Let it fuffice to fay, that if a man doth not well confider the feveral relations of life in which he ftands to others, and does not take care to preferve the decorum and propriety of those relations, he may justly be charged with felf-ignorance.

And this is fo evident in itself, and fo generally allowed, that nothing is more common than to say, when a person does not behave with due decency towards his fuperiors, fuch a one does not understand himfelf. But why may not this, with equal juftice, be faid of those who act in an ill manner towards their inferiors? The expreffion, I know, is not so often thus applied; but I see no reason why it fhould not, fince one is as common, and as plain an instance of felfignorance as the other. Nay, of the two, perhaps men in general are more apt to be defective in their duty and behaviour towards those beneath them, than to their fuperiors; and the reafon feems to be, because an apprehenfion of the difpleasure of their fuperiors, and the detrimental confequences which may accrue from thence, may be a check upon them, and engage them to pay the just regards which they expect. But there being no check to reftrain them from violating the duties they owe to inferiors, from whofe difpleasure they have little to fear, they are

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more ready, under certain temptations, to treat them in an unbecoming manner. And as wisdom and felf-knowledge will direct a man to be particularly careful, left he neglect those duties he is most apt to forget; so as to the duties he owes to inferiors, in which he is moft in danger of tranfgreffing, he ought more flrongly to urge upon himself the indifpenfible obligations of religion and confcience. And if he does not, but fuffers himself, through the violence of ungoverned paffion, to be tranfported into the exceffes of rigour, tyranny and oppreffion, towards thofe whom GoD and nature have put into his power, it is certain he does not know himfelf; is not acquainted with his own particular weaknefs; is ignorant of the duty of his relation; and, whatever he may think of himself, hath not the true spirit of government; because he is defective in the art of self-government. For he that is unable to govern himself, can never be fit to govern others.

Would we know, ourselves, then, we must confider ourselves as creatures, as Chriftians, and as men; and remember the obligations, which, as fuch, we are under to God, to CHRIST, and our fellow-men; in the feveral relations we bear to them, in order to maintain the propriety, and fulfil the duties of thofe relations. CHAP.

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