SERM. he writeth: and, in the third place, lay VIII. before you what is to be collected from these things in favour of Chriftianity, and fhew, how highly probable it appeareth, that he wrote what he himself believed and had learned from Chrift.

First, I am to shew, that the religion of Christ, as the Apostle John hath represented it, is worthy of fuch a teacher fent of God. Every one, who hath confidered religion with any attention and care, must fee, that the religion of our nature confifteth in the fear and love of God, in the love of mankind, in temperance and purity of manners, and in a constant defire after moral rectitude and perfection. This religion of nature may be truly said to be unalterable; and must be materially the fame in all the subjects of God's moral kingdom, of whatsoever order and rank. It hath unquestionably God for its author, who hath written his laws upon the heart of man. And if mankind are taught a religion, by revelation from heaven (which in a dark and corrupted state of the world might be of the greatest poffible use, and a moft gracious interpofition in their favour) these must be the great things of it. Now,

if

VIII.

if we attentively peruse the epiftles of St. SERM. John, we fhall fee, that thofe are the matters, which he infifteth upon throughout them, together with faith in Jefus Christ, which is the great means of begetting and maintaining in men the true Christian temper. And as the love of God and of mankind, righteousness and purity of life, are in nature infeparably connected; fo this author clearly teacheth this connection, and fheweth manifeftly the vanity of pretending to the love of God, where there is not that of our brethren; or to the true love of our brethren, where there is not the love of God; or to either, without righteousness and holiness of life. And thefe fubjects, as they may be faid naturally to run into one another, fo they are promifcuously treated by the author, without any attention to ftrict method, and as things were fuggefted to his mind.

As no one can, in ftronger terms, exprefs the goodness and love of God to the children of men, (in doing which he always appeareth to labour under the greatness of the subject, as in chap. iii. 1. Bebold what manner of love the Father bath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the

SEM. fons of God! and chap. iv. 10. Herein is VIII. love, not that we loved God, but that he loved

us, and fent his fon to be the propitiation for our fins! and ver. 16. And we have known and believed the love, that God hath to us; God is love, and he that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God, and God in him ;) fo likewife he reprefenteth this original perfect love, as a pattern for our imitation. * Beloved, if God fo loved us, we ought also to love one another. And, thereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down bis life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. At the fame time fhewing us, that if we do not love our brethren, we cannot be fuppofed to love God, or to be like him. § Beloved, let us love one another; for love is of God, and every one, that loveth, is born of God and knoweth God: ke, that loveth not, knoweth not God, for God is love. Such a way of fpeaking becometh a perfon, who was a teacher of that religion, the declared end of which is charity, out of a pure heart, out of a good confcience, and faith unfeigned; and fheweth that largeness, li

1 John iv. 11. + Ib. iii. 16. $ Ib. iv. 7.

berality,

And in

berality, warmth, and difintereftedness of SERM.
heart, which are the glory of human na- VIII.
ture, in a light the noblest and most en-
gaging; as being the faireft resemblance
of divinity, and the distinguishing charac-
ters of fuch as are born of God.
these strains we difcover the true temper
and character of the author; who, if we
may
form a judgment from his writings,
was full of love and kind affection. We
fee that fpirit very remarkable in the gof-
pel, as well as epiftles of this Apostle.
He hath preferved more of our Saviour's
difcourfes, both with friends and enemies,
than any other of the Evangelists; and the
kindness and love, which reigned in his
great master, so suitable to his own genius,
is very particularly pointed out. He speak-
eth of love, as peculiarly our Bleffed Sa-
viour's commandment; and in his own
words, calleth it his * new commandment,
that by which all men should know his
disciples, as being abfolutely effential to
their character. And he hath collected
thofe paffages in the life of our Lord, which
most affectingly display the goodness and
tenderness of his heart. He fheweth him

* John xiii. 34.

weeping

!!

SERM. Weeping over the grave of Lazarus, in VIII. fympathy with the friends and relations of that good man. He fheweth him washing the feet of his difciples, as the most fignificant and expreffive way he could teach them, that they ought to love one another, and account no offices too low, or unworthy of them, by which they had an opportunity of ferving their brethren. This author hath likewife preferved our Saviour's last discourses with his disciples, and his prayer to the Father on their behalf; in which we see the most moving tenderness, and, at the fame time, our Lord appearing in all the glory of fuch a good and great mind, as became the Son of God. And in the account, which this Apoftle giveth us of the paffages, which followed our Lord's refurrection, he hath particularly related fome, which fhew the fame affection and tenderness towards his disciples, that he so frequently expreffed while he lived with them, Go to my brethren, and Jay unto them, I afcend to my father and your father, to my God and your God. And how conde fcending was he to the doubts and incredulity of Thomas! How worthy of him