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particular branch of it, to which purpofe 5 ER M. the apostle here improves it. It is the II. ftrongest reason why men should be careful to obey all the commandments of God, and fo order all their words and actions as they may hope that they shall be approv'd by him, fince all our works shall be brought into judgment, and every fecret thing, whether it be good or bad*; and fince, as our Saviour has taught us, by our words we shall be justified, and by our words we shall be condemned †. This is a confideration which must strike the mind of every one who seriously attends to it, perfuading him to govern his tongue, and to govern his life religioufly; to watch over his whole behaviour with the utmost circumfpection, that fo he may not be afhamed before the g great Judge at his appearing, but may have confidence towards him. But,

Secondly, It would feem by the connexion of the apostle's discourse, that he defign'd this particularly as a motive to candor and charity in all our deportment towards men. He blames the Chriftian Jews for carrying it fo partially as they did towards their Fellows. The rich who came into their affemblies, were treated with great civility, but the

ris Ecclef. xii. + Matth. xii. 37. 1*

SERM. the poor were defpifed. This was a very II. faulty refpect of perfons, unbecoming religious fimplicity, and contrary to that royal law, as he calls it, ver. 8. Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyfelf. Certainly no one can imagine, that the outward diftinctions of condition in this world fhould direct the measures of our regard to our neighbours : according to that law in which our whole duty to them is comprehended, fince the poor, as well as the rich, partake of the fame human nature, and the fame gospel grace, are united, by the fame bonds, in fine, are in every respect equally our neighbours, how are we justified in making a difference? Charity is an undistinguishing principle of good offices to all men, and brotherly kindnefs the principle of the fame good offices to all our fellow fervants, and children of God our father, and fellow members of the body of Christ. Indeed, according to the religion of the Jews, it was otherwife, efpecially according to the fentiments which prevail'd among them in the last age of that difpenfation. The ceremonial law made an inclosure which appropriated many of their kind offices, and their intimate fellowship, to those of their own nation.. But, efpecially, their teachers carried this much far

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ther than ever the divine inftitution intended, SERM, for they pronounced men of other nations, II. and religious profeffions, hated and accurfed of God; therefore, worthy not of their friendly regard, but of their averfion and contempt. But, christianity has taken away all fuch diftinctions, and thofe restraints of charity, which must be disagreeable to a kind and generous temper; it gives full scope to the principle of benevolence, which may now exert itself with an unconfin'd freedom, not narrow'd by kindreds, particular denominations, and outward badges of distinction. Christ died as a propitiation, not for the Jews only, but the whole world, and gathered together into one, the children of God who were scattered abroad. The gospel being, therefore, in this refpect, a law of liberty, the fpirit becoming it is a large and generous one, an extenfive charity, not limited by these outward and partial confiderations whereby men straiten the best difpofitions of their own nature. According to the law by which we expect to be judged, fo fhould our tempers and our actions be. If then, the royal law of charity which requires good-will and the proper expreffions of it to all men, and a hearty love, with a peaceable affectionate behaviour towards all

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SERM men, who in every place call on the name of II. the Lord Jefus, of whatever tongue, kindred,

or nation they be, or whatever outward con dition in this world; if this be the rule of judgment, what hope can profefs'd chriftians have, what confidence towards their fupreme, righteous judge, in a partial and unmerciful difpofition? Will the law of liberty acquit us in confining our charity, in appropriating our refpect to the rich, while we defpife the poor, or in making any fuch diftinction, indeed, any distinction which does not affect the true foundations of mutual love. Nay, the apoftle adds, in the words immediately following the text, and as a fequel of it, for he fhall have judgment without mercy, who bath fhewed no mercy, and mercy rejoiceth against judgment; that is, the man whofe confcience approves him as impartially charitable and merciful in his difpofition, and his whole converfation, fhall affure his heart before God, having confidence in the expectation of the future judgment and good hope that he fhall not be condemned,

Thirdly, There is in the exhortation of the text a defigned reference to the univerfality of our obedience, as that only which can give us hope of being acquitted in judg

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ent. In the verfes immediately preceding,SERM. the apoftle ftates the cafe of a partial obedience to God's law, and fhews the infufficiency of it to our acceptance. For whosoever fhall keep the whole law, point, is guilty of all. For be that faid do not commit adultery, faid alfo do not kill. Now, if thou commiteft no adultery, yet if thou killeft thou art become a tranfgreffor of law. The reafon and the juftness of this decifion is very plain, fince it is the fame fupreme authority which has enjoin'd all the commandments of the law, and forbidden all the tranfgreffions of it, that authority is affronted, and its right violated, by difobeying any of the commandments, and by commiting one tranfgreffion as well as another; for example, by murder as well as adultery; for 'tis evident, that if a refpect to the will of God governs the mind of a man in any cafe, it ought to govern him in all cafes where the will of God is equally known; and even where the fubftance of an action feems to bé conformable to a divine precept, yet the principle cannot be avialable to a man's acceptance with God, unless there be a conformity in the whole tenor of his life to all the divine precepts. The fame temptation, or an equally strong

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