ties, thofe tender relations, which act a double part, and whilft they make us happy here in the discharge of them, recommend us at the fame time to the Almighty, and fecure our future and everlasting happiness.

Here then, how joyful a thing it must be to dwell together in unity! and on the other hand, how fatal must be the effects of difcord and divifion! How careful fhould we be, left at any time envy fhould unravel, jealoufy loofen, or anger diffolve the tie! Where there is, or where there ought to be much love, there fhould be much forgiveness alfo ; because the ftronger the connection, and the more folemn the engagement, the wider is the breach and the greater is the averfion and how horrible is it to fee thofe whofe blood, whofe fame, fortune, and interefts fhould be united, torn to pieces by hatred and animofities; to fee the father divided against the fon, and the fon against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother to fee all thofe tender ties of nature, which were defigned to foften the ills of life, and leffen its cares, become at last its bitterest misfortunes!

This can only give us an image of a rude, uninformed world, a chaos of matter, as it ftood before the creation, where all the elements were mixed together, and nothing reigned but difcord, darkness, and confufion.

Whereas on the other hand, a well-regu lated family, where order and harmony are preferved, all obliging, and obliged by each

other,

other, where they are all bleft by love and unity, is an image of the frame of nature after God had pronounced it good; an emblem of the univerfe, where each part is perfect in itfelf, and contributes at the fame time to the beauty, magnificence, and duration of the whole.

Therefore, if we would live eafily and happily with each other, to union of blood, intereft and fortune, we must add alfo, union of fentiments of heart and foul. To benevolence we must add, forbearance and mutual complacency. In a world like this, fo full of evils and fo full of ignorance, interests must jar and opinions muft differ; but as we are all liable to error, and all fubject to paffions, we muft bear the faults, and pardon the weakneffes of each other, becaufe it is a bleffed and a joyful thing to dwell together in unity.

Come we then to the laft and great relation in which I propofed to lay before you, the indifpenfable duty of Union as Chriftians.

Our gofpel is the gofpel of peace; it becometh all men; but above all men it becometh Chriftians; it becometh those who walk in the houfe of God to walk as friends; not by our practice to contradict and give the lye to our doctrines, not by difcord and animofities to fubvert that religion which we are fworn to protect. By this, fays our Saviour, fhall men know that ye are my difciples, if ye love one another. Alas! that diftinguifhing mark is, I fear, almoft erafed and worn out amongit

us.

Our church is fo overrun with herefics

and

and fchifms, so torn by jarring fects and dif cordant factions, as to make her a bye-word unto the heathen, and to thofe who have no knowledge of her laws.

Nothing can fo much debafe religion, as the ill-placed zeal of its outrageous followers, who hate all that will not agree with them in all, even in things where it is of no confewhether they agree or not. quence There are men who fhew their love to God, by oppreffing those whom he hath made, who never confent but to deftroy; never unite but to perfecute.

It cannot be expected, it never was defigned by our Creator, that all men fhould think alike; but furely it may, it will be required of us, that we all endeavour to promote the unity of the church, the glory of God, and the religion of our Saviour Chrift.

Let me then, above all things, recommend Unity to you as Chriftians. A houfe divided against itself can never fland. In the laft age there were fects enough among us, and yet, as if difcord were ftill ambitious of fowing more tares amongst us, fresh parties are every day fpringing up and increafing. To the fanatics and vifionaries of the laft century, whofe decaying fabric ftill fubfifts, have fucceeded a race of modern enthufiafts, whofe tenets are more ridiculous as well as more anti-fcriptural than any of their predeceffors, as the noti ons which they endeavour to inculcate, are abfolutely deftructive of all religious union, and directly oppofite both to the laws of Christ,

Christ, and all the moral and focial purpofes of human fociety. For fhame, my brethren! let us at laft, though late, unite and conquer ; the partition fill fubfting between fome of us, is built of very flight materials; infenfibly moulders away, and might eafily be thrown down by the hand of charity and mutual love: let us hope, my brethren, to fee that good work perfected, and let every one lend his neceffary aid and affiftance towards it.

Let not any difference of opinion in matters not effential, alienate our affections, or hinder us from kind and friendly offices. Let us be friends to all, of what fect, party, or profeffion whatsoever, who are the friends of ho nour and virtue; and have no enemies, but the enemies of God and his Son Jefus Chrift. Let us reflect, that it was to their union and harmony we were indebted for the exertion of that truth on which our religion depends: let us confider what light and luftre they throw on each other, and how exactly, and how bleffedly all their predictions were fulfilled.

If then we would be happy in our alliances, in our focieties, our relations, our friendships, and all our mutual endearments, let us pray to that God who maketh men to be of one mind in one houfe, to pour into our hearts that spirit of unity and godly love, of benevo lence, patience, and charity, and which may blefs us with all the good things of this life, and bring us to thofe feats of reft and peace, of unity and concord, of tranquillity and happinefs, which he hath prepared for the good and righteous in that which is to come. SERMON

ON THE PHARISAICAL CHRISTIAN.

SERMON

MATTHEW v. 20.

XLIII.

Except your righteousness exceed the righteoufnefs of the Scribes and Pharifees, ye fhall in no wife enter into the kingdom of heaven.

HE Scribes and Pharifees, whom our blef

THE

fed Saviour doth in the words of my text fo feverely reprehend, were men of fuch high rank and esteem amongst the Jews, as to command the deepest reverence, refpect, and veneration from the multitude, who confidered them, especially with regard to religious matters, as the most perfect examples of purity and virtue; to doubt therefore their truth, and to call in question their integrity; to unmask their fophifms, detect their frauds, and to expofe their hypocrify, was a task which few would have the courage to enter upon, and ftill fewer the steadiness and refolution to execute: our Saviour, notwithstanding, who came down upon earth to establish truth, without the leaft regard to any ill confequences that might arise to himself from fuch à conduct, boldly, ftrenuously, and perpetually opposed them.

When we confider the great influence, weight, and authority which thefe men poffeffed, we

cannot