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fhould love one another as he had loved them. Greater Love hath no Man than this, that he lay down his life for his Friends By this fhall all Men know that ye are my Difciples. Now as this is the new Commandment of Chriftianity; the grand Characteristick of Chrift's Difciples; as it comprehends in it all Virtue; the Discharge of all Offices; fo was it very natural for the Difciples of Chrift, in After-ages, to ufe the Term Love in the general Way they did; and to intend by it that Love which our Lord exemplify'd towards his Difciples, and which he commanded them to have to one another.

To fearch after the Truth in Love then, is to do it with the fame Mind or Temper which was alfo in Christ Jefus, in his difinterested Love and moft generous Benevolence.

The Connexion between this Love, and the Discovery of Truth, as before explain'd, together with the Confe

quences

quences of their Union, is what remains in the third and laft Place to be confider'd.

And, Firft, I obferve that a Connexion between these two is more than intimated in many other Paffages of the Scripture. St. Paul prays for the Ephefians (Ch. iii. Ver. 17.) that being rooted and grounded in Love, they might be able to comprehend with all Saints, &c. And again, Phil. i. 9, 10. and this I pray, that your Love may abound yet more and more in Knowledge and in all Judgment, that ye may approve things that are excellent. St. Paul fays of the Romans, Ch. xv. Ver. 14. that they were full of Goodness, filled with all Knowledge, and able to admonish one another, and St. Peter commands to add to our Faith Virtue, and to Virtue Knowledge. St. John faith, He that faith he is in the Light and hateth his Brother, is in Darkness even until

now;

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now;

he that loveth his Brother abideth in the Light, and there is none Occasion of stumbling in him, 1 John ii.

9, 10.-

Now where fuch a Connexion and Dependance of things is fo frequently and openly declared, it plainly demands a strict Attention and Enquiry. That Love, Goodness and Virtue are introductory to Light, Knowledge, and Judgment, appears very plainly from the fore-cited Paffages.

I obferve further, that the Business of John the Baptift, and our Lord's Ministry were not to teach their Difciples Systems of Truth immediately, but gradually to fettle this Love as a Habit in their Hearts, which would induce that Spirit which was to guide them into all Truth; to teach Men to regulate their Affections; to exercife them daily with Trials proper to carry them on from Strength to Strength; and by this means to give

them

them a Love of Truth, a moral Difcernment of Offices, and a Power of forming their Manners accordingly; this, I say, is a very different thing from meerly laying before them a Syftem of moral and religious Offices, and then leaving them to themselves, without further Steps, to act up to fuch Inftitutions.

any

John, whofe Business it was to prepare the way for him who came after, taught them Repentance, which was plainly nothing else but an actual Reformation of their known Vices; a very obvious, but neceffary Beginning; and which needed no mighty Works to fupport or enforce it. Our Lord who came after, and, as is very evident, chofe his own out of John's Difciples, advanc'd them into a higher School, and introduced a greater Refinement of their Tempers and Affections. What they were to learn of him was, to forfake all; to

become

1

become as little Children; to be meek and lowly of Heart. There are no Systems of Doctrine to be found, no fubtil Reasonings, no first Principles laid down, no regular Series of Deductions drawn from them; these things feem to be every where induftriously avoided.

On the other hand, What is the Reafon affign'd of the Unbelief of the Jews but the Hardness of their Hearts, their not being our Lord's Sheep, that is, the Irregularity of their Difpofitions? In other things they were allow'd to be wife and prudent. 'Tis plain also, that our Lord's Difciples had imbib'd all the common Prejudices of their Nation, and that they continued in the groffeft Errors even 'till after his Crucifixion; they cou'd have nothing but an honeft and good Heart to endear them to their Lord, and give them that Diftinction with the common Lover of Mankind;

nothing

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