our Father which is in heaven! For he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

But besides these peculiar virtues, which are imitations of God himself, the Christian religion requires of us the most eminent degrees, and the habitual practice of all other virtues whatever. Whatsoever things are true, honest, just, and pure; whatsoever things are lovely and of good report; if there be any virtue before God, or any praise among men, the Christian religion enjoins us to study and practise these things. And because it is impossible to make any progress towards perfection, while the soul is chained and fettered by earthly affections to earthly objects, therefore does this religion teach us a proper contempt of the world; teaches us, with a noble elevation and greatness of mind, to despise the sordid pursuits and sensual pleasures with which this scene of things presents us; and to set our affections on things above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of Goda.

With these thoughts, and these prospects before him, to what excellence in virtue, to what perfection of goodness, is not the true Christian encouraged to aspire! No man can have nobler and sublimer aims, or greater things in view; since he aspires to nothing less than to please and glorify God, to promote the good of mankind, to improve, as far as is possible, his personal excellencies in this life, and to secure to himself a glorious and happy immortality in the next. Whether therefore we mean by perfection a habit of the most heroic virtues here, or

y Matt. v. 45.

z See Phil. iv. 8.

a Col. iii. 1, 2.

that happy state hereafter, in which the spirits of just men are made perfect; to both these we are most affectionately called and invited in the gospel, which urges every motive and argument proper to influence reasonable creatures. It would be inconsistent with our nature, and destructive of all virtue, to be acted upon like machines, or as clouds that are carried with a tempest; but such grace as is proper for our state, and sufficient for our necessities, we have all imaginable reason to expect and rely on. Assisted by the operations of the Spirit, and animated by the example of the Son of God, how is the Christian encouraged to go from strength to strength, to conquer every vice, to acquire every moral accomplishment of his nature; to add to his faith virtue, and to his virtue a whole chain of excellent qualities, till all be complete in that universal charity, that love of God and man, which is the bond of perfectness, and the fulfilling of the law!

4. Little enlargement will be necessary after this, to shew, in the last place, the good aspect and influence which the Christian religion has upon social and public happiness. If it tends so highly to advance the personal virtue and perfection of individuals, it must of consequence promote the happiness of society. For what is the virtue or happiness of society, but the aggregate or whole of the virtue or happiness of its members? But, besides this, the Christian religion has laws and directions peculiarly respecting all orders and degrees of men, commanding them all to do their duty in that state of life unto which it hath pleased God to call them. It

b See 2 Pet. i. 5, 6, 7. and Rom. xiii. 10.

teaches even kings themselves, and all that are put in authority under them, the true ends of government, and the right use of power; teaches them that they are indeed the ministers of God, but it is for the public good; that they were ordained and designed, not to be the plague and terror of good men, but for the punishment of evil-doers, and for the protection and praise of them that do well. And to assist, protect, and bless mankind, they have not only the example of the King of kings, but all the authority that he can give them ©.

But if this religion does not authorize governors and magistrates to become tyrants, neither does it allow subjects to turn rebels. It gives no countenance to such workers of iniquity as turn religion into rebellion, and faith into faction; no countenance to such political busybodies as are enemies unto peace, who stir up strife, and sow sedition; and by evil speaking, lying, and slandering, or any other base arts of faction, endeavour to draw men from that loyal and dutiful allegiance which they owe to their rightful governors. On the contrary, it commands every soul to be subject to the higher powers; to submit themselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake; and instead of railing against our rulers, and speaking evil of them, to honour and pray for them, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, under their administration, in all godliness and honestyd.

The same equity and impartial goodness runs through all the laws of Christianity, respecting all the other relations in life. If children are to honour

c See Rom. xiii. and I Pet. ii. 14.

d Ibid. and 1 Tim. ii. 1. 2.

and obey their parents, the parents, on the other hand, are not to provoke them to wrath by unreasonable and unrighteous usage, but to provide for them, and bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. If the wife is to see that she reverence her husband, it is his duty to love her even as himself. If servants are commanded to be obedient unto their masters in singleness of heart, not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; ye masters are to do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening, all insolence and inhumanity, remembering that you have a master also in heaven, with whom there is no respect of persons. When to these are added the great commandments of universal love and benevolence, of doing as we would be done unto1, of mutual subjection and mutual forbearancek, of concord, of unanimity1, and mutual respect, what a noble plan have we before us of social duty! what ample provision is made for social and public happiness! If we regard only the genius, the design, and tendency of Christianity, that pacific prophecy of the Messiah's kingdom is fulfilled in every age of the gospel: The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain". This was the idea which the prophet had of the peace and har

mony of Christ's kingdom; and it is not the fault of his religion that this idea is not realized.

From these premises, I may leave every man to draw his own conclusion. If those which we have examined be the genuine fruits of Christianity, your own reason will tell you what judgment you ought to form concerning the tree : for every tree is known by his own fruit; of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes. The Christian religion is entitled to the protection of the magistrate, to all the establishment it enjoys, on account of its own intrinsic excellence, and the good influence it naturally has on society. It is entitled on that, and many other accounts, to much better usage from the subject than it has lately met with in this nation; where it has been treated with such outrageous insolence, as, I think, no Christian commonwealth is obliged to suffer for as Christian faith declines, the old pagan vices will revive; and in proportion as the good olive-tree is hindered from bringing forth good fruit, the olive-tree which is wild by nature will be more and more bringing forth that which is evil, and spreading destruction and poison through the land. Certainly power may be justly employed to protect truth, and government may very reasonably exert itself in support of religion; if for no other reason, yet for its own security: for in the natural consequence of things, as well as by divine appointment, them that honour God he will honour, and they that despise him shall be lightly esteemed P.

• Luke vi. 44.

PI Sam. ii. 30.