compassion, readiness to forgive, meekness, peaceableness, and the like) which the Christian law injoineth. No precepts or advices concerning the management of ourselves (the ordering bur souls and our bodies in their respective functions and fruitions) can be devised more agreeable to sound reason, more productive of true welfare and real delight unto us, than are those of being humble and modest in our conceits, calm and composed in our passions, sober and temperate in our enjoyments, patient and contented in our state, with the like, which the Christian doctrine doth inculcate. No other method can raise us up so near to heaven and happiness as that which we here learn of abstracting and elevating our minds above the fading glories, the unstable possessions, the vanishing delights of this world; the fixing our thoughts, affections, and hopes on the concernments of a better future state.

No religion also can be purer from superstitious alloys, of freer from useless incumbrances (or from, as Tertullian* calleth them, busy scrupulosities') than is this, (such as it is in its native simplicity, and as it came from its author, before the pragmatical curiosity, or domineering humor, or covetous designings of men had tampered with it,) it only requiring a rational and spiritual service, consisting in performance of substantial duties plainly necessary or profitable; the ritual observances it injoineth being, as very few in number, in naturé simple and easy to observe, so evidently reasonable, very decent and very useful, able to instruct us in, apt to excite us to, the practice of most wholesome duties.

No religion also can have the like advantage of setting before us a living copy and visible standard of good practice, affording so compendious an instruction, and so efficacious an incitement to all piety and virtue: so absolutely perfect, so purposely designed, so fitly accommodated for our imitation, and withal so strongly engaging us thereto, as the example of Jesus our Lord, such as it is in the gospels represented to us.

Neither can any, religion build our duty on more solid grounds, or draw it from better principles, or drive it to better ends, or press it with more valid inducements than ours; which

* Tert. in Marc. lib. ii.

builds it on conformity to the perfect nature of God, and to the dictates of his infallible wisdom, on the holy will and most just authority of our natural Lord and Maker; which draweth it from love, reverence, and gratitude to God, from a hearty goodwill to men, and from a sober regard to our own true welfare; which propoundeth God's honor, our neighbor's edification, and our own salvation, as the principal ends of action; which stirreth up good practice by minding us that we shall thereby resemble God, express our thankfulness, and discharge our duty to him, obtain his mercy and favor, acquire present comfort of mind and future bliss, avoid regrets of conscience here, and endless torments hereafter.

Neither can any doctrine afford more encouragements to the endeavors of practising it than doth this, which tendereth sufficient help and ability toward the performance of whatever it enjoineth; offering (on our seeking them or asking for them) God's infallible wisdom to direct us in our darknesses and doubts, God's almighty strength to assist us in our temptations and combats, God's loving spirit to comfort us in our afflictions and distresses.

Nor can any doctrine in a more sure or kindly manner appease and satisfy a man's conscience, so as to produce therein a well-grounded hope and solid comfort; to heal the wounds of bitter remorse and anxious fear, which the sense of guilt doth inflict, than doth this, which assureth us that God Almighty, notwithstanding all our offences committed against him, is not only reconcilable to us, but desirous to become our friend; that he doth on our repentance, and compliance with his gentle terms, receive us unto perfect grace and favor, discharging all our guilts and debts, however contracted; that our endeavors to serve and please God, although imperfect and defective, if serious and sincere, shall be accepted and rewarded by him.

Such is the doctrine, law, and religion of Jesus; expressed in a most unaffected and perspicuous way, with all the gravity and simplicity of speech, with all the majesty and authority of proposal becoming divine truth; so excellent, and so complete in all respects, that it is beyond the imagination of man to conceive any thing better, yea, I dare say, repugnant to the nature

of things that there should be any other way of religion (different substantially from it) so very good. God himself, we may presume to say, cannot infuse truer notions concerning himself or concerning us, cannot reveal more noble or more useful truths; cannot prescribe better laws or rules, cannot afford more proper means and aids, cannot propound more equal and reasonable terms, cannot offer higher encouragements and rewards, cannot discover his mind in a more excellent way than he hath done by Jesus, for his own glory and service, for our benefit and happiness: so that hence we may reasonably infer that the doctrine taught, the law promulgated, the religion instituted by Jesus in God's name, are the very same which the predictions concerning the Messias do refer unto, as the last which should ever come from God, most full and perfect, universally and perpetually obliging.

2. Thus in general the prophets spake concerning the Messias's doctrine, and so that of Jesus correspondeth ́thereto : but of that doctrine particularly it was signified that it should be very comfortable, joyful, and acceptable to mankind; as containing a declaration (peculiar thereto) of God's kind and gracious intentions toward us, overtures of especial mercy and love, dispensations of all sorts of spiritual blessings; the pardon and abolition of sins committed, peace and satisfaction of conscience, deliverance from spiritual slaveries and captivities; Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee:' so Zechariah speaketh of his coming, and implieth the joyful purport of his message: and, How beautiful,' saith Isaiah, on the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!' and, The Spirit of the Lord is on me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings to the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance,' or of recompense, as the LXX. render it, of our God; to comfort all that mourn; to give unto them that mourn in Zion beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the gar

ment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.' It is a part of what God in Jeremiah promised to dispense by him; 'I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.' It is one of the Messias's performances, 'to finish transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity;' to' sprinkle clean water' on God's people, and 'to save them from their uncleannesses.' In fine, the prophet Zechariah saith of his time, that in that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness.'

Now to all this the preaching of Jesus did exactly correspond; it being indeed, as it was named, a gospel, or message of good and joy; declaring the special good-will of God, and his merciful willingness to be reconciled to mankind; offering peace and pardon to all that are sensible of their guilt, and penitent for their sin; imparting rest, comfort, and liberty to all that are weary and afflicted with spiritual burdens, grievances, and slaveries; taking off all grievous yokes of superstition, servility, and sin; and in their stead imposing a no less sweet and pleasant, than just and reasonable obedience; ministering all sorts of blessings needful for our succor, relief, ease, content, and welfare; wholly breathing sweetest love, (all kinds of love; love between God and man, between man and man, between man and his own conscience ;) filling the hearts of those who sincerely embrace and comply with it, with present joy, and raising in them gladsome hopes of future bliss. It was indeed the most joyous sound that ever entered into man's ears, the most welcome news that ever was reported on earth; news of a certain and perfect salvation from all the enemies of our welfare, from all the causes of mischief and misery to us; well therefore deserving that auspicious gratulation from the angel- Behold, I bring you tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.'

3. Collateral unto, or coincident with, those performances, (the teaching such a doctrine, publishing such a law, dispensing such blessings,) was the formal institution and establishment of a new, everlasting covenant, (different from all precedent covenants, and swallowing them up in its perfection,) a covenant between God and man, wherein God, entering into a most

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strict alliance and relation with us, should be pleased to dispense the blessings of spiritual illumination and assistance, of mercy and favor, of salvation and felicity; wherein we in way of condition, according to obligations of justice and gratitude, should engage to return unto God by hearty repentance, and to persist in faithful obedience to him: of such a covenant the Messias was to be the messenger and mediator, or the angel thereof, (as the prophet Malachi speaketh, alluding, it seems, to that angel of God's presence, who ordained the Jewish law, and conducted the Israelites toward the promised land;) of which covenant and its mediator, God in Isaiah thus spake : I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and I will hold thine hand, and I will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; to open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison-house:' and of the same he again; Incline your ear, and come unto me; hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David-Behold, I have given him a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people:' so in general he speaketh thereof, and inviteth thereto then a special part thereof he expresseth thus; Let the wicked man forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy on him; and to our God, and he will abundantly pardon.' Of the same covenant God in Ezekiel speaketh thus ; 'I will set up one shepherd over them'-' and I will make with them a covenant of peace, and it shall be an everlasting covenant with them'-' and I will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore'-' they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them.' Of the same, God thus declareth in Jeremiah, most fully and plainly reckoning the particular blessings tendered therein: Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and the house of Judah; not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt-but this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law into their

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