important queftion was, if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments, verfe 17. And I think it may fairly and juftly be prefumed, that this answer was as plain and full as the cafe required; and confequently, that the only ground. of divine acceptance, or that which renders men pleafing and acceptable to God, and which fecures to them the happiness of another world, is keeping the commandments. But then the queftion will return, what Chrift meant by the commandments. And the answer is evident, viz. he meant that law, or rule of action, which is founded in the reafon of things, and which is fummarily contained in the ten commandments. And that this is the truth of the cafe, appears from what follows. For, as there had been an opinion among the Jews, that there was one. command, which they were more especially on bliged to obferve, and that a ftrict obfervance of that one command, would in fome measure excuse their neglect of the reft: fo when our Lord told the man he must keep the commandments, the man afked which? In anfwer to this. fecond question, our Lord (by explaining what he meant by the commandments) did not fend. the man back to any law of ceremonies, or pofitive inftitutions, which had before been gi ven to the Jews; neither did he point out to the man any fuch law, or body of laws, which he intended to lay upon Chriftians, and to declare it to be the condition of God's favour; but, on; the contrary, he referred the man, to that fummary account of man's duty, called the ten commandments. Jefus faid, thou shalt do no murther, thou shalt not commit adultery, thou

fhalt

fhalt not freal, thou shalt not bear falfe witness, bonour thy father and thy mother, and thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyfelf, verfes 18, 19. Or as St Mark hath it chap. x. 19. Thou knoweft the commandments, do not commit adultery, do not kill, do not freak, do not bear falfe witness, defraud not, honour thy father and thy mother. And thus St Luke hath it chap. xviii. 20. Thou knowest the commandments, do not commit adultery, do not kill, do not feal, do not bear falfe witness, honour thy father and thy mother. From all which it is moft evident, that by the commandments, Chrift means the moral law, or that rule of acti on which is founded in the reafon of things; and which therefore, every rational being ought to direct his behaviour by; and whoever makes this law the measure of his actions, fhall have everlasting life. Again,

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Our Lord returned the like anfwer to the ques ftion which the Lawyer put to him, Luke x. 25, 26, 27, 28. And behold, a certain lawyer flood up, and tempted him, faying, Mafter, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? He (viz. Chrift) faid unto him, what is written in the law? How readeft thou? And he (the man) anfwering, faid, thou fhalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy foul, and with all thy ftrength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thy felf. And be (viz. Chrift) faid unto him, thou haft answered right; this do, and thou shalt live. Here again, we fee Chrift declared that the way to eternal life, or the true grounds of divine acceptance, is to keep the commandments, by loving God and our neighbour, which is nothing elfe but the conforming

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conforming our minds and lives to that rule of action, which is founded in the reason of things. And

Here I beg my reader to obferve, that this is Chrift's own account of the matters and therefore it may most fafely be relied upon. And as the questions which were put to him, were of the highest importance to mankind, viz. what men thould do, that they might obtain eternal life; and as he was fent into the world on purpofe, that he might be a fafe guide to men in this very affair: fo, if he had not given a full and true anfwer to those questions; if he had not plainly declared all that was neceflary for men to know and do, in order to obtain eternal life; then he would not have been true to his truft, he would not have answered his character; but this is not to be fuppofed. And therefore we may depend upon it, that the keeping the commandments, or the governing our minds and lives by. that rule of action, which is founded in the reafon of things, will most certainly render us pleafing and acceptable to God, and fecure to us the happiness of another world.

I would alfo defire my reader to observe, that our Lord Chrift did not propofe, or point out to men, any new way to God's favour and eternal life; but, on the contrary, he recommended that good old way, which always was, and always will be, the true way to life eternal; viz, the keeping the commandments, or the loving God and our neighbour, which is the fame thing, and is the fum and fubftance of the moral law. This plain path-way to heaven lay neglected, and for the most part unfrequented; men, both

Jews

Jews and Gentiles, having forfaken the fountain of living water, that is, the true way to life eternal; and hewn to themfelves cifterns, broken cifterns, that can hold no water; that is, they had found out new and falfe ways of recommending themselves to God's favour. And this rendred our Saviour's undertaking and miniftry fo much the more needful. And therefore it was truly faid of him, that he was to be, (not the maker, but) the restorer of right paths to dwell (or walk) in.

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SE C T. IV.

S Chrift requires and recommends a conformity of mind and life to that unalterable rule of action, which is founded in the reafon of things, as the only ground of divine acceptance, and as the only way to life eternal; fo if men have lived in a violation of this righ teous law, by which they have rendred themselves difpleafing to God, and worthy of his just refentment; then, fecondly, Chrift requires and recommends repentance and reformation of their evil ways, as the only ground of the divine mercy and forgivenefs. The doctrine of repentance and remiffion of fins, were what Chrift was chiefly concerned to publish to the world; because as mankind were generally corrupt and vicious, and were far from conforming their minds and lives to that rule of righteoufnefs, which ought to have been the measure of their actions; fo they not only took false measures for the recom

mending

mending themselves to the divine favour; but alfo upon a fenfe of their guilt, they went into falfe ways of obtaining the divine mercy; and this was too much the cafe both of Jews and Gentiles. By falfe ways and measures, I mean 'fuch ways and meafures, as were not fuitable and proper, and therefore were infufficient to anfwer thefe purposes. Mankind being under fuch circumftances, it became our Lord Jefus Chrift, as he was fent to be the Saviour of the world, to undeceive them in thefe particulars, by fairly and plainly representing to them the true, and the only grounds of divine acceptance; and (as mankind were generally vicious and wicked) to represent to them the only and the fure way to obtain the divine mercy and forgiveness; and to awaken in men a juft and an affecting fenfe of the great importance of thefe things, as their fafety or miscarriage in another world does manifeftly depend upon them. This was plainly the bufinefs of one, who took upon him, or who was fent of God to be the Saviour of the world. And this was what our Lord Jefus Chrift carefully and faithfully performed in the exercife of his ministry.

Chrift not only called upon finners to repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance, but he alfo plainly and exprefsly declared this was the very end and purpofe of his coming, viz. to call finners to repentance, and to affure them, that except they did repent, they would all perish: Which plainly fuppofes and implies, that if they did repent, and amend their ways, they would obtain the divine mercy. And as he preached the doctrines of repentance and remif- .