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Meeknefs, under the Worft of Treatment; fince Compaffion, and Forgiveness, and Beneficence were the only Returns which he made to the baseft Indignities, and moft virulent Provocations; fince the Ornament of a meek and quiet Spirit was thus Inviolate and Illuftrious in Him; and fince we are Infallibly af fured, that if any Man hath not the Spirit of Chrift, he is none of His; Therefore Angry and Boisterous Men can have no just reason to esteem themselves his Followers, or to hope for his Favour. No Soul, but what is adorn'd with Meekness, can Poffibly be received into thofe Manfions Above, where Tranquillity and Serenity, Concord and Complacency shall be the Ornament and Delight of all the Bleffed Inhabitants for ever.

4. Charity is a Principal Qualification in a Chriftian. The Neceffity and the Excellency of this Virtue will eafily appear to any one, who does but confider, that if the moft Eminent Duties to God and Man ftand feparated from it, they are Trivial and Contemptible.

*

Though

*

I Cor. xiii. 2, 3.

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I had

I had all Faith, fo that I could remove Mountains, and have no Charity, I am Nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor; and though I give my body to be burned, and have not Charity, it profiteth me nothing. A man's whole Life spent in the most exalted Acts of Faith and Devotion towards God, and in a most Laborious and Expensive course of Beneficence to his Neighbours, if this Grace fhould not be the Foundation of it, would neither have any Excellency or Value in it self, nor give Him any claim. or Title to a Reward.

Our Bleffed Lord hath taught us, that on these two Commandments (wherein the Love of God, and of our Neighbour is required) hang all the Law and the Prophets. Charity does, at once, moft Effectually Excite us to Duties, carry us on, with Delight, to the Accomplishment of Them, and recommend them as Odours of a fweet smell, facrifices acceptable, well pleafing to God. Charity is the Band of Perfectness: The Harmonious and Bleffed union of Hearts and Minds, amongft Chriftians, is grounded

in

in it; and the Connection and Completion of all Other virtues depend upon it; Faith it felf is made Perfect by it; and the feeds of it cannot fail of producing a Plentiful Harvest of Good Works. 'Tis the Pureft and the Nobleft offering that Man can poffibly make to God, in this Life; and the Eternal exercife of it is to be the Source of eternal Blifs in a Future State. All thofe therefore, who are Deftitute of Charity, must Unavoidably be Excluded from the manfions of Blifs.

5. Hope is another great Branch of Chriftian Converfation. "Tis, in it's own nature, a most Powerful Inftigation, and pufheth us on, in a manner not eafily resistible, through the Use of the Means, to an attainment of the End we have in View; And, as Future happiness is the Commanding Aim and View of fincere Christians; the Hope of it is ever Irritating and Preffing them forward, in the Purfuit of it. Every man that hath this hope in him, purifieth himself, even as he is pure*. Whilft the men of the

* 1 John iii. 3.

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World

World do either yield themselves entirely up to their Corruptions, or, at best, struggle but very Faintly against them; the Faithful Servanrs of Christ are Strehuous, and Conftant, Refolute and Brave in performing the great work of Sanctification. For they have Hope as an anchor of the foul both fure and stedfast, and which entreth into that within the veil*; into the regions of Eternal Glory, which were Typified under the Law, by the moft Holy place, within the Veil. Whilft we are toffed, in our spiritual course, by the Sharpeft Trials and Afflictions, by the fwelling Waves of our Sinful Paffions within, or the most Ruffling and Violent Temptations from without; the Power of a Lively Hope ftill fecures us from Shipwreck, abundantly strengthens and fupports us, amidst all Dangers, and preferves us Steddy and Immoveable in our Voyage, till we Safely arrive at the Haven, where we would be. Let us therefore, under all our Infirmities, and in all our Diftreffes, have Recourse,

* Hebr. vi. 19.

for

for Succour and Confolation, to * the Lively hope of an Inheritance Incorruptible; to which we are begotten by the Refurrection of Chrift Jefus from the Dead.

But I have fo Few minutes left, for addreffing my self further to you, that I must go on to the

II. Second General Head of this Difcourfe, Namely, Some Short Directions to be obferved, as Means of accomplishing that Converfation, which becometh the Gospel of Chrift. And

1. Let us frequently read the Holy Scripture with Reverence, as well as Attention; ever Confidering it, as the Word of God himself, and the Indifpenfable Rule of Our Conduct. If we Mean any thing, if there be any Reality in our profeffing a Belief of the Scripture; let that Reverence be paid to it, which is its Just Due. We shall one day find, that we are obliged to pay the fame Awful Regard, and Exact Obedience, to the Word of God, as if we fhould hear him pronounce it by a Miraculous Voice from

* Pet. i. 3, 4.

Heaven.

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