great and galling they may be, and have not yet entirely, heartily, and fincerely forgiven them, let us, I beseech you, immediately fet about this neceffary and important duty. If men have treated us with cruelty and injuftice, let us confider that they are men, subject to human frailties and paffions; frailties to which we may ourselves be fubject, and paffions whofe power and influence we are no ftrangers to.

Let us then proftrate ourselves with all humility before the throne of grace, and implore the divine Being to fend down upon us a portion of his own infinite mercy: that he will open our eyes to fee, and our hearts to commiferate the weakness and infirmities of human nature, that fo we may be inclined to pardon and forgive them; that in the last and great day, we may not tremble to appear before his dread tribunal, but reft with confidence on the goodness and mercy of that God, who, on the interceffion of our fellow-creatures, whofe offences we had forgiven, fhall graciously receive us to his mercy, pardon our offences, and for our kind and tender behaviour to our neighbour in this life, reward us with everlafting joy and happiness in that which is to

come.

SERMON

ON THE BENEVOLENT SPIRIT OF CHRISTIANITY.

SERMON

LUKE IX. 56.

XXIX.

The Son of man is not come to deftroy men's lives, but to fave them.

S our bleffed Saviour was paffing through the country of the Samaritans, in his way to Jerufalem, he fent fome meffengers before him into one of their villages, to provide an entertainment for himself and his attendants: but the inhabitants knowing him to be a Jew, and that he was going to worship at Jerufalem, from the rooted enmity and hatred which they had to that whole nation, on account of fome religious differences, refufed to receive him a treatment which so enflamed the spirit of James and John, two of our Lord's disciples, that they immediately, in the warmth of their zeal, cried out, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and confume them? Our Saviour, notwithstanding he had been fo grofsly affronted, was fo far from approving this their zeal, that he rejected their propofal with the utmost indignation, and rebuked them, faying, ye know not what manner of fpirit ye are of; for the Son of man is not come to deftroy men's lives, but to fave them. As if he had faid,

Ye

Ye do not confider, thoughtlefs and igno. rant as ye are, what a vile and wicked fpirit that must be which dictates fo much inhumanity; how impoffible it is for me to comply with a request so irreconcileable with my appearance in the world, which is to do no harm, but all poffible good to all mankind; not only to confer eternal falvation on them in the next life, but likewife to confult their prefent welfare and happiness in this; to eftablish human fociety in peace and good order, and to contribute to the fecurity, comfort, and true en joyment of life.

This gracious declaration of our bleffed Lord and Redeemer, cannot but afford us, on a ferious confideration, many ufeful leffons and inftructions, and convince us that by his appearance on earth he confulted the real happinefs of mankind, as well in regard to this world, as to that which is to come.

It might very juftly indeed be expected, that when our Saviour appeared as a divine meffenger, and the inftitutor of a religion which was to be propagated among all na tions, that he would have a particular regard to the peace of the world, and make the ad, vancement of it one principal part of his con cern. It is not to be fuppofed that God would fend a perfon into the world, to deliver in his name, a law or rule of life to mankind, which would take no care of them, or their interefts: it might on the other hand naturally be prefumed that fuch an inftitution would be chiefly intended to promote ther happiness, and that

T

whilft

whilft it effectually fecured that happiness in another world, it would likewife provide for that part of it which may be enjoyed by them in this without this defign indeed, it would not be poffible for any revelation to engage the attention and favour of mankind.

Accordingly when our Saviour appeared as a prophet fent from God, he brought with him that most neceffary qualification, and which would be most useful to him in his divine miffion, a kind and beneficent intention: he foon convinced mankind that he came not to promote any felfifh ends and interefts of his own, that his defigns were noble and generous, not only to confirm the timorous and diffident in the joyful hope of immortality, but to render their condition here eafy and agreeable, to diffufe a fpirit of peace, harmony, and love through human fociety, and to make the world a fcene of conflant ferenity, delight and fatisfaction.

This was the true end and defign of our Saviour's appearance, the bufinefs which he heartily and fincerely profecuted during his ftay on earth, as will more fully and plainly appear from what I propofe in the prefent dif courfe to confider; namely,

Firft, The nature and tendency of that religion which he has inftituted.

Secondly, The example which he has propofed to the imitation of his followers. And, Thirdly, The many benefits and advantages naturally refulting from our ftrict and regular obfervance of it.

And

And Firft, therefore, let us confider the nature and tendency of the Christian inftitution, which is perfectly calculated for promoting the prefent intereft of men, and making the focieties of the world flourish and profper. The greatest part of man's private happiness muft undoubtedly arife from a virtuous temper and ftate of mind, and a course of actions agreeable to it; from humanity, juftice, and kindnefs to men; from love, gratitude, and obedience to God.

It is at the fame time no lefs evident, that the greatest happiness of society proceeds from the virtue and good conduct of men, from their being well-affected towards the public, and employing their several powers and abilities to promote the common good, and from the regular performance of every focial and relative duty if this must be granted, it is easy to shew the tendency of the Chriftian religion to promote the prefent happiness of men, and the peace and welfare of this world, as the great end and defign of the gospel of Chrift is to prefs and inculcate all thofe virtues which are the fources both of public and of private happinefs. It infifts particularly upon those duties and virtues, the practice of which affects the order and welfare of the public, commanding all men to fulfill the duties of their feveral relations, to be laborious and diligent in their calling, to be honest and just in all their dealings, to cultivate a fpirit of harmony and meeknefs, of forgivenefs, condefcenfion, and universal benevolence.