minishing the awful distance at which we ftand from his prefence, by appointing for us a Mediator and Interceffor, through whom the humble may, without dismay, approach to Him who made them. By fuch views of the Divine nature, Chriftian faith lays the foundation for a worship which shall be at once rational and affectionate; a worship, in which the light of the understanding fhall concur with the devotion of the heart, and the most profound reverence be united with the most cordial love. Chriftian faith is not a system of speculative truths. It is not a lefson of moral instruction only. By a train of high difcoveries which it reveals, by a fucceffion of interefting objects which it places in our view, it is calculated to elevate the mind, to purify the affections, and, by the affiftance of devotion, to confirm and encourage virtue. Such, in particular, is the scope of that divine inftitution, the Sacrament of our Lord's Supper. To this happy purpose let it conduce, by concentring, in one Ariking point V. SERM. point of light, all that the Gospel has difplayed of what is most important to man. Touched with just contrition for past offences, and filled with a grateful sense of Divine goodness, let us come to the altar of God; and, with a humble faith in his infinite mercies, devote ourfelves to his fervice for ever. SERMON SERMON VI. On GENTLENESS. JAMES . 17. The wisdom that is from above, is-gentle To be wife in our own eyes, to be SERM. wife in the opinion of the world, and to be wife in the fight of God, are three things so very different, as rarely to coincide. One may often be wife in his own eyes, who is far from being fo in the judgment of the world; and to be reputed a prudent man by the world, is no fecurity for being accounted wife by God. As there is a worldly happiness, which God perceives to be no other than dif guised mifery; as there are worldly honours, which in his eftimation are reproach; VOL. I. L VI. SERM. proach; fo there is a worldly wisdom, VI. which, in his fight, is foolishness. Of this worldly wisdom the characters are given in the context, and placed in contraft with those of the wisdom which is from above. The one is the wifdom of the crafty; the other, that of the upright. The one terminates in selfishness; the other, in charity. The one is full of ftrife and bitter envyings; the other, of mercy and of good fruits. One of the chief characters by which the wisdom from above is distinguifhed, is gentleness, of which I am now to difcourfe. Of this there is the greater occafion to difcourfe, because it is too feldom viewed in a religious light; and is more readily confidered by the bulk of men, as a mere felicity of nature, or an exterior accomplishment of manners, than as a Chriftian virtue which they are bound to cultivate. I fhall first explain the nature of this virtue; and fhall then offer fome arguments to recommend, and fome directions to facilitate, the practice of it. I REGIN I BEGIN with distinguishing true gentleness from paffive tameness of fpirit, and from unlimited compliance with the manners of others. That paffive tameness which submits, without ftruggle, to every incroachment of the violent and affuming, forms no part of Christian duty; but, on the contrary, is deftructive of general happiness and order. That unlimited complaifance, which on every occafion, falls in with the opinions and manners of others, is so far from being a virtue, that it is itself a vice, and the parent of many vices. It overthrows all fteadiness of principle: and produces that finful conformity with the world, which taints the whole character. In the prefent corrupted state of human manners, always to affent and to comply, is the very worst maxim we can adopt. It is impoffible to support the purity and dignity of Chriftian morals, without oppofing the world on various occafions, even though we should ftand alone. That gentleness therefore which belongs to vir SERM. |