I.

accounted barbarous, have had fome fuch SERM. notions among them; and in the philofophy, as well as fables of thofe, who were more improved and polished, foundations have been laid for fuch fuperftructures. To this I anfwer, that ftill it feemeth very unaccountable, that men fhould have been led merely from their own naturál fentiments and reasonings, to imagine any thing of this kind, to which there is nothing in the vifible works of God, that neceffarily directeth them. And therefore many learned men have thought, and given very plaufible reasons for it, that these doctrines and opinions, which we meet with in the Pagan world, are in truth originally derived from fome early revelations, which were made to mankind concerning the Son of God, and his appearance upon earth. And it is certain, that fuch, as were acquainted with the prophefies of the Old Testament concerning Meffiah, and the accounts we have there of the appearance of angels, and especially of one called an Angel, and very particularly pointed out, who prefided over the Jewish ftate, might be naturally led to conceive of fuch a divine perfon, as the Son of God is in the

New

SERM. New Teftament reprefented to be. But I. be pleased to obferve, that the strength of the argument doth not lie principally in their having formed an idea of fuch a perfon; but in their introducing him upon the stage in the manner they have done, in allotting to him fuch a part to act, fuch business, fuch ends to ferve, in their conducting the whole to fuch an ifsue, and fupporting the dignity of fuch a divine character. These are things, which feem to be above all the mere invention of man ; things, which could never be expected from fuch perfons as the apostles of our Saviour. We may therefore, with the strongest probability, conclude, that it was what they faw and heard, which they declared to the world.

It will be owned readily, that fuch an interpofition of the Son of God, his fuffering and dying for us, is a moft amazing event, and what is enough even almost to everwhelm an attentive mind. But when we have good evidence of the fact, if it doth overwhelm, it is with joy; that fuch notice should have been taken of our world in a corrupted state! that the happiness of mankind is an object so dear to the Parent

Parent of the Universe! that our immor- SERM.

tal fpirits are of fuch value in his fight! I. His grace indeed is ineffable; and what ingenuous spirit can refift the attraction of it? What will, or poffibly can, move the heart of man, if such goodness and love have no effect? Love, which it is diftrefs how to represent in a proper light; all the power of language finketh beneath it: but surely the heart of a fincere Chriftian must feel, and be ever facred to him, who hath fo loved us.

SER

SERMON II..

Our Saviour's character, as a teacher of morality.

SERM.

II.

MATTHEW vii. 28.

For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the Scribes.

H

AVING, in a former discourse, treated concerning the general character of our bleffed Saviour, as it is collected from the evangelifts, and of the great ends he came to serve, and the meafures, which he purfued for attaining to them, as ftrong prefumptions of the truth of Christianity; and having fhewn, that the accounts, which the facred writers have given us of their master, are not their own inventions, but true and fimple reprefentations of facts: I fhall, in this difcourfe, proceed more particularly to confider the

character

. II.

character of our Lord, as a teacher of SERM. morality; and hope to fhew, that it appeareth from what he taught, to be, in the highest degree, probable, that he was a teacher fent from God, and that God was with him.

In entering upon this argument, it may be very proper to confider, what is to be expected from a teacher, fent of God to instruct mankind in morality. And to fatisfy this inquiry, it must be obferved, that the foundations of morality, which are laid in nature, are unalterable; and must be the fame, to all mankind, in all ages and circumstances. Thefe foundations therefore must be prefuppofed in all inftructions whatsoever; fuch as, that there is a right and wrong in principles, affections, and actions; and that the mind of man hath a difcernment of this. The original ideas of right and wrong, of fit and unfit, of lovely and vile, in temper and behaviour, are not to be got by inftruction; but, like other fimple ideas and perceptions, are raised in the mind by prefenting the object to it. And, indeed, if there were not fuch original sensations in a man's mind, the words ufed to exprefs

them