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1. Give me leave to direct you who åre of our own Communion; that nothing do's better become a Difciple of Chrift, than Charity, Meeknefs, Longfuffering towards our Diffenting Brethren. In this fort of behaviour we fhall be sure that we fhall not gratifie our Carnal paffions, we fhall be most likely to win upon our Brethren, and we shall advance the Credit and Reputation of our Church, nothing being a clearer proof of the Spirit of God in it, than Meekness and Charity in the Members of it.

Let us therefore lav afide all Strife and Bitterness and Reproach in our Converfation, nay what is more, let us not suffer our felves to be provoked or affronted into any Word or Action towards our brethren that may misbecome kind Neighbours or good Chriftians.

But yet one thing I must put you in mind of, that we muft fo preferve our Christian Charity, as alfo to preserve that which do's neceffarily become every good Chriftian, our Loyalty: our Meeknefs and Lowliness must not betray us into any thing that is undutiful or unjuft towards that Government we E z

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live happily under; we must at the same time be Zealous for this, whilft we are Charitable and long fuffering towards them.

Give me leave in the second place to mind you who are not of our Communion, that as nothing can better become those who pretend to a greater Purity in your Conftitution, than a more eminent degree of Meeknefs and Lowliness, fe nothing can fo clear the Sincerity of your intentions, as the gentleness and peaceableness of your whole Converfati

on.

This alone can convince the World that you act out of Conscience, and whatfoever you fhall be guilty of Contrary to this, will raise in all Men a juft fufpicion that you are acted by carnal Principles and moved by worldly Ends: Nothing but this can poffibly preferve the Unity of Affection in the midft of fo many Divifions and Subdivifions (if this can do it.) And nothing less than this Unity can preserve us from being a Prey to the Worft of Enemies we can dread.

The

The Second Sermon.

JOHN 17. 4, 5·

I have glorified thee on the Earth, I have finifht the work which thou gavest me to do.

And now, O Father, glorifie thou me with thine own felf, with the glory which I had with thee before the World was.

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Othing can afford fo much comfort and fupport, in the day of Calamity or Death, as the Conscience of a well spent Life; a faithful difcharge of our Duty, being the Sole-Rational Proof of our fincerity, and our fincerity being the only folid ground of Hope, and affurance towards God. If our heart (i. e. our Confcience) condemn us not, then have we confidence towards God, 1 John 3. 21.

This is a Leffon our Saviour has taught us by his own Example here in my Text; very well knowing that the time of his Death and Crucifixion was very near at hand, that he might forti

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fie himself against all the Terrours of it, by confirming and ftrengthening,his Hope of that Foy that was fet before him, he enters upon a furvey of his paft Life, recollects all his performances, reflects upon his Actions, and calls himself to an account concerning the Discharge of that Truft which God had committed to him, of the great Work which he had undertaken for the Salvation of man, and the Honour of God: And finding upon a juft and Impartial Reflection that he had through the whole Course of his Life, acquitted himself faithfully and vigorously, his Soul rejoiceth within him, and he breaks out into expreffions of holy Confidence and an affur'd and earnest expectation of the Reward of his Obedience and Faithfulness. I have glorified thee on the Earth, &c. And now, O Father, glorifie thou me with thine own felf, &c.

Thus I have in part explained the words already, having given you an account of the Occafion, Defign and Tendency of them: As they belong proper ly and peculiarly to our Saviour they imply two things.

First, His Faithful Discharge of his Prophetick Office; I have glorified thee, &c. This confifted especially -

1. In

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publishing the will of God to the World, as he himself explains it more fully in the following part of the Chapter

2. In the proof and Evidence he gave of his Commiffion from God, and the Divinity of his Doctrine, which was the Wonderfulneẞ of his works, and the unparallell'❜d Sanctity of his Life.

Secondly, His Expectation of Reward, confifting in the exaltation of his Human Nature, and it's admiffion into a participation of that Glory, which he enjoy'd with the Father from all Eternity. And now, O Father, Glorifie thou me with thine own felf, with the Glory which I had with thee before the World was.

But if we confider that Chrift is the

Chriftians great pattern that his Life is propos'd to us, as an Example to our Obedience, that his peace and joy is in fome degree the Portion and Bleffing of every faithful Difciple, and follower of his, and that laftly his exaltation and Glory is the Original and Idæa, by which ours fhall in it's due proportion be form'd and modelled, I may very well be allowed to interpret the behaviour of our Lord in my Text as an Example fet us all in general, containing matter of Inftruction and Advice to all Chri

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