SER M. have in the World; and the great Stress XIII. which our Saviour and his Apoftles ac

That

cordingly do constantly lay upon it, as
being the Principal Part and the main
End of Religion. That nothing is fo
much wanting, in order to fet the World
right, as a charitable Spirit and Christian
Temper among those who call themselves
Chriftians, is evident to All men,
the Gospel may ftill be propagated; nay,
that it may best and most effectually; nay,
that indeed it can only be propagated, by
the Same means with which our Saviour
began to propagate it; by ftrength of Rea-
fon and clearness of Evidence, by good
Example of Virtue and Righteousness in
Practice, joined with Love and true Cha-
rity towards the Perfons of All men; is
demonftrable from the Nature of Things
and of Men. The Harvest of perfons ca-
pable of receiving the Truth, when laid
before them plainly and diftinctly in the
Spirit of Meeknefs and Charity, is very
great: The Labourers only, faith our Sa-
viour, are too few Pray ye therefore the
Lord of the Harvest, that he will fend
forth Labourers into his Harveft. Did

Chriftians

ing up

Christians univerfally labour, after This SER M. manner; the Effect could not but be,. that XIII. the Knowledge of the Lord would fill the Earth, as the Waters cover the Sea: The Vine which God's right hand has planted, would spread out her Branches unto the Sea, and ber Boughs unto the River: Not by any One Party of Chriftians swallowand destroying all the rest ; but by each of them severally taking away their uncharitable Distinctions, removing their needlefs Particularities, and the unchristian Bars and Confinements fet up by humane invention; and uniting upon the One immoveable Foot of the everlasting Gospel of Truth and Charity. Marvellous are the Promifes of Bleffings and Happiness, which in the Prophetick part of Scripture are made to the Church of God, when it shall in This manner prevail upon the Earth. With righteousness fhall. he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the Meek of the Earth; and he shall Smite the Earth with the rod of his mouth and with the breath of his lips, Shall be flay the wicked: And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loyns, and faithfulness the

U 3

girdle

SER M. girdle of his reins: The wolf also shak XIII. dwell with the lamb, and the leopard fhall lie down with the Kid; and the Calf and the young Lion and the fatling together, and a little Child fhall lead them: -They Shall not hurt nor destroy in all my boly Mountain; for the Earth fall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the Waters cover the Sea :- -And he fhall fet up an Enfign for the Nations, and fhall affemble the outcafts of Ifrael, and gather together the difperfed of Judah, from the four corners of the Earth, Ifai. xi. 4, &c. And in the Revelation of St John, the like Prophecies are again repeated, ch. xiv. 6; xi. 15: I faw an Angel having the Everlasting Gofpel to preach unto Them that dwell on the Earth, and to every nation and kindred and tongue and people :

-And there were great Voices in Heaven, faying; The Kingdoms of this World are become the Kingdoms of our Lord, and of bis Chrift; and he shall reign for ever and ever. Whether thefe and the like Prophecies fhall yet finally have a literal Accomplishment, by an univerfal Prevalency of the Gofpel of Peace on Earth; or whe

ther

2

ther they fhall have their full and literal SE RM. completion, only in That New Heaven XIII. and New Earth, wherein Righteousness is

to dwell for ever; is ftill a Secret in the Breast of Providence, which we ought not to be over-confident in explaining. But in This we cannot err; in exhorting in the mean time all Chriftians continually, to put on that Spirit of Chrift, That Spirit of Meeknefs and true Humility, That Spirit of Love and univerfal Charity, That Chriftian Temper and difpofition of Mind; which alone can promote the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness: Which, fo far as 'tis at any time practifed, caufes Chriftianity to become in Fact a Light Shining before men, inviting them to glorify our Father which is in Heaven: And which, if it was the Univerfal Behaviour of Chriftians, would certainly cause the Gospel universally to prevail, by means of that irrefiftible Excellency and Beauty in which it would appear, when All Contentions and Animofities, all unreasonable Prejudices against each other, all Parties and Factions and Names of Reproach among Chriftians upon ac

U 4

count

SER M. count of differences in opinion, were laid XIII. afide; and every man, making the Go

the

fpel alone the Rule of his own Actions,
and having no Defire to have dominion
over the Confciences of his Brethen, but
all of them inftructing and exhorting
each other (according to the respective
Order and Nature of their feveral fta-
tions and capacities,) with mutual Love
and Forbearance, as Fellow-fervants of
one common Lord by whom they must
All at last be judged; bent their Whole
Endeavours towards One only
One only uniform
End, the promoting amongst men
Knowledge of Truth and the Practice of
Right. Were This (I fay) the General
Behaviour of Chriftians, according to the
Obligations of their most Holy Profeffion;
it could not fail but the Gospel would
be embraced univerfally over all the Earth.
And for this reafon it feems to be, that
our Saviour in all his Difcourfes con-
ftantly lays fo peculiar a Stress upon this
Duty of Love and Charity and Good-will
towards Men; as if it was the Principal
Part and Great Defign of Religion; and
as if he had always a particular View to

that