Imatges de pàgina
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SECTION L.

Morality, or Obedience to the Commandments of God in focial Intercourse and Perfonal Conduct, remarkably infifted upon in the Gospel.

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HAT most injurious calumny, which afferts that the doctrine of grace is unfavourable to the pureft virtue* and the most beneficent behaviour in civil fociety, must be refuted in the mind of every reasonable and impartial man, who attends to the following paffages of Scripture:

"He that hath my commandments, and keepeth "them, HE IT IS THAT LOVETH ME. If ye love "me, keep my commandments. If a man love "me, he will keep my words. He that loveth "me not, keepeth not my fayings. Every branch "in me that beareth not fruit, he taketh away; " and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth "it. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I "command you. If ye continue in my word, "then are ye my difciples indeed. Hereby do "we know that we know him, if we keep his "commandments. Whofo keepeth his word, in "him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby

*They (the rationalists and moral philofophers) charge their "oppofers for not preffing moral duties: if they mean thereby practical Christianity, there are none in the world prefs it more.

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But we

are not for a Pagan, but a Chriftian morality: and think it not ad"vifeable to prefs external acts alone, without minding the principle "and root from whence all that is truly Chriftian muft fpring. We "count it abfurd and prepofterous to look for fruits where there is c no root for gracious acts where grace is not planted in the heart. "They may deck a maypole with as many garlands as they please, " and fet off a maft with flags and ftreamers; but they will never thereby make them FRUIT TREES." CLARKSON on Saving Grace.

"know

"know we that we are in him. Every man that "has his hope in him, purifieth himself. Little "children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth "righteoufnefs is righteous; he that committeth "fin is of the devil. Whofoever is born of God, "finneth not; whofoever doth not righteousness, ❝ is not of God. Pure religion and undefiled be"fore God and the Father, is this to visit the "fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to "keep himself unfpotted from the world. Be not "deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, 66 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor "revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the king"dom of God *."

It were easy to cite a great many more paffages of the fame moral importance; but the written Gospel is in the hands of all, and there no one can fearch, with a fair and candid mind, without finding the pureft virtue enforced on the strongest motives that can poffibly actuate a human creature.

The truth is, that the very fame care and caution, the fame virtuous exertions, are neceffary to Chriftians, as if there were no fupernatural and auxiliary interpofition. Our endeavours must not be relaxed in the smallest degree. The difference and advantage lies in the refult and effect of our endeavours. Under the divine influence, they will certainly be attended with fuccefs. They will promote our happiness infallibly. The CHOICE of our conduct must be voluntary, and our perfeverance and labour must be directed by the purest motives, and the most steady, regular, and careful diligence, juft as if we depended upon ourfelves; while, at the fame time, they are animated

* John, xiv. 15. 1 John, ii. 3. 5, &c. Jam. i. 27. I Cor. vi. 9, 10. Eph. v. 5, 6.

and fupported by humble confidence in heavenly favour. No remiffness is allowed on our part, in confequence of God's favour. We are to work out our falvation with the utmost folicitude, knowing that he who gives us his grace, may, upon failure of our beft endeavours, withdraw it, and leave us in a ftate of woeful desertion. Libertinifm can avail itself of no fuch doctrines as thefe, which, in the very firft inftance, moft emphatically recommend purity of heart, the fountain of all external action.

It is remarkable of the gospel, that it teaches obedience to human law, and every moral virtue, not only for wrath, but also for confcience fake *.

* Archbishop Tillotfon fays, in his zeal, I fuppofe, to oppose the Antinomians: "MORALITY is the NEW CREATURE fpoken of " in the New Teftament. Morality is all in all in the Chriftian "religion. The Chriftian religion is the law of nature revived and "perfected. The fruits of the Spirit are the fame with the moral << virtues. Grace and virtue are but two names that fignity the "fame thing." See various paffages in TILLOTSON's Sermons. The archbishop here very injudiciously depreciates Christianity in his endeavour to identify it with heathen philosophy and natural re. ligion. But I cite his opinions in this place on the moral excellence of the Chriftian religion, merely as a testimony against thofe, who infinuate that the true evangelical doctrines are unfavourable to morality. The great Tillotson, we fee, affirms that morality is all in all in the Chriftian religion.

SECTION LI.

Unbelievers not to be addressed merely with subtle Reafoning, which they always oppofe in its own way, not to be ridiculed, not to be treated with severity, but to be tenderly and affectionately exhorted to prepare their Hearts for the reception of the INWARD WITNESS, and to relume the LIGHT OF LIFE, which they have extinguished, or rendered faint, through Pride, Vice, or total Neglect.

ACTS have evinced, that theological difputation

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has little effect in converting the infidel. Infidels have often been remarkable for native fagacity, and richly furnished with human learning, though little acquainted with divine knowledge. I never knew any of them retract their errors, after the publication of the most ingenious and laborious books which claimed the honour of completely refuting them. It is time to try another method, fince none can be more unfuccessful than that which has hitherto been used. It is time to truft lefs in human means, and rely on the power of God, which will manifest itself in the hearts of all men who persevere with earnestness in seeking divine illumination.

*

I deem it extremely imprudent and indecent to ridicule the unbeliever. It is setting him an example, which he may follow to the great injury of all that is ferious and truly valuable both in morals and religion. It argues a levity and difre

"POWER among the Jews fignified more than a quality: it "fignified a PERSON." G. RIDLEY. The Holy Ghost is the Spirit of God and the POWER of the Most Highest.

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gard for his happinefs, very unbecoming any man who knows the value of a human foul, or who profeffes a folicitude to fave it alive. Though it caufe no converfion, it will produce retaliation.

Still more unchriftian is it to treat him with feverity *. I have read books profefling to recommend the benign religion of Chrift, and to refute all objections to it, yet written in the very GALL OF BITTERNESS, and difplaying a pride and malignity of heart which may juftly prompt the unbeliever to fay, "If your religion, of which you "profefs to be a believer, and which you defcribe "as teaching charity or benevolence in its fulleft extent, can produce no better a specimen than "your own temper and difpofition, let me pre"ferve my GOOD-NATURE, and you may keep your Chriftianity, with all its boasted advan"tages, in your own exclufive poffeffion."

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The late Bishop Warburton treated infidels with a haughty afperity fcarcely proper to be fhewn to thieves and murderers, or any the most abandoned members of fociety. Many have doubted, from the tenour of his writings, whether he was a believer; or whether he only thought it fufficient, for the fake of rifing in the church, to fupport religion by argument as a ftate engine. Certain it is, that the fpirit which he fhews towards his opponents is not the Spirit of Grace; that Spirit which

Any thing that is proud, any thing that is peevish and fcornful, any thing that is uncharitable, is against the valua donada, that found doctrine of which the apoftles fpeak. Pro“feffio Chriftiana nil nifi juftum fuadet et lene.The Chriftian profession "teaches nothing but justice and meekness, kindness and charity.” Bp. TAYLOR.

†The following is a specimen of the TEMPER with which Bishop Warburton wrote his book on the doctrine of Grace. In the fifth chapter, where he is fpeaking of the office and operations of the Holy

Spirit,

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