in itself, fo exquifitely fweet on reflection to your good-natured heart, and what is still more, fo fingularly acceptable to the God of peace and love, that we may fafely pronounce you a greater conqueror than Cæfar, and an happy man, for by one high effort of goodness you have wiped out the account of all your fins, and faved the foul of your brother alive, for which all good men love you, for which God loves you, for which heaven rings with a loud hallelujah.

Is revenge so sweet? The rage, with which one at enmity with his brother, turns on the affailant of that brother; and the warm embrace, with which they meet in foreign countries who hated each other at home, fhew, that a confiderable degree of love may lie a long time dormant under a quarrel, and concealed even from the heart it warms. It is this which breaks forth in such tears of tendernefs, and tranfports of joy, on a thorough reconciliation of well-hearted enemies, as no enjoyment of our nearest relations, or moft beloved friends, can produce.

And are we not all brothers, all frangers and pil grims in this world? Why then do we not fight for one another against the common enemy? Why do we not fly into each other's arms, on the first reflection after a quarrel? Can a mere accident of feeing a brother affaulted, or of meeting our adversary in a diftant country, as if our love and hatred were only local, do more than the love of Chrift, than obedience to his law, than the whole of our religion, in the breaft of a chriftian? of a chriftian who owns, that every other christian is by nature bone of his bone, and flesh of his flesh; and by the baptifm, the gospel, the charity of Chrift, foul of his foul, and fpirit VOL. IV: C c

of

of his fpirit? Oh it is too fhameful a reproach to our profeffions, and to the name we borrow from the most benevolent of all beings, to be endured fo much as in thought. Let us renounce christianity, before we begin to hate, or cease to love a chriftian.

O good God, the God of peace and love, teach us, we beseech thee, to know, that thy speaking peace to us, and receiving us as thy beloved children at the laft day, depends on our speaking peace and fhewing love to one another, as our brethren. Teach both our understandings and hearts this lovely, this important leffon, for the fake of Chrift Jefus, the mediator of our peace, with thee; to whom, in the unity of the ever blessed and glorious Trinity, be all might, majefty, dignity, and dominion, now, and for evermore. Amen.

DISCOURSE XX.

The good Few require but a narrow

road.

MATTHEW, V. 16.

Let your light fo fhine before men, that they may fee your good works, and glorify your father which is in beaven.

T

O all his difciples throughout all ages and countries, did our bleffed mafter deliver this inimitable fermon, fermon, from whence the words, repeated to you, are taken. If this particular precept was more especially intended for

Cc 2

the

the future preachers of the gospel (as yet there were none fuch appointed) the fame may be faid of all his other general precepts, wherein the hearers are not exprefly diftinguished from their teachers. All are to repent, to bring forth fruit meet for repentance, to believe, to have charity, to be poor in Spirit, to be meek and merciful, to be peace-makers, to "be pure in heart, to hunger and thirst after righteousnefs; but the clergy more than others. It is true of all chriftians, that they are the falt of the earth, and the light of the world; but it is, no doubt, with reafon expected, that they, from whom this falt and light are to be received by others, should be higher feasoned, and more thoroughly illuminated, than the generality of those they preach

to.

The fame, in a great measure, is to be expected from all thofe, who, though not called to the miniftry, have had the advantage of a liberal education, have been entrusted with the diftinguished talents of much knowledge, large fortunes, and high ftations in the world, and by providence, the proprietor of all thefe, called to be his ftewards, and the governors, leaders, and patterns of mankind. Nay, the precept extends itself down to the lowest ranks of chriftians, to the mafter who works on a loom, to the father who labours with a fpade, to every the poorest and most illiterate christian, on whom the light of the gospel hath fhone, although through the darkest cloud for even these may let an unbeliever fee, how much more may be done by a little faith, than by all the vain philosophy of this world.

As

As to the fenfe of the precept, it is plainly this. Let all your difcourfes, converfations, writings, carry with them a portion of the light you have received. Let them be feasoned by the spirit, enlivened by the warmth, and brightened by the beams, of Chrift who is your light. Do not oftentatiously fet off this light, but give it leave to sparkle, as through an heart of pureft crystal in the eyes of all your acquaintances, that by it they may fee what you are within, and comparing your outward actions or works, with the light or doctrine, that breaks forth with fo much luftre from your well-inftructed mind, may perceive a clofe conformity between them. The effect of this will be, that pleased with a heart fo purified, so refined by the fpirit of God; and edified by a life fo juftly regulated according to his holy will, they muft love you, adore your heavenly father, who hath begotten you in his own likeness, and refolve to follow you, both in principle and practice, to that glorious fun, whofe rays you drink in and transfufe into flowers of a ravishing scent and hue, and fruits of a moft delicious tafte, fruits from the tree of life.

You fee now in the fenfe of this incomparable precept, what good you may do to mankind, what fervice and glory you may render to God, without stepping an hair's breadth out of your own way, or fo much as intending any thing but your duty, and the pursuit of your own happinefs.

Great as the force or beauty of such an example is in itself, it will be doubled, when compared with that of him who walketh in darkness, whose

life