to plead an exemption from the preval of those bad paffions, which have so often reflected disgrace upon our religion, and dishonour on our kind.

Our divine inftructor, as if provident of the evils, in after-time derived from this fource, dwells with a particular earnestness on the advantages of a meek and lowly spirit; and frequently infinuates to his hearers, that, unless every afpiring fentiment be fubdued in their hearts, they would find unfurmountable obstructions even to the entering upon the profession of a religion, immediately proceeding from that God, who refifteth the proud, and giveth grace unto the humble.

But thefe exhortations would have been to little purpose, had not the genius of his religion been conformable to the qualifications, which he required in his attentive hearers. A lordly and affuming fpirit would, by an unavoidable neceffity, have fooner difcovered itself in the bofom of the church, had the founder of our religion delivered fuch a form of doctrine, as, in order to its just conception, would have neceffarily required

B 4

quired an extraordinary exertion of our in

tellectual powers.

Previously to all inquiry into the fact, we might reasonably furmife, that a religion, intended for univerfal acceptation, at the fame time that it unfolded truths, of fufficient importance to engage the attention of the most improved understandings, would alfo adapt itself to the capacities and circumstances of thofe, who, with respect to numbers, are by far the most confiderable portion of our species.

This idea, furely not dishonourable to our holy faith, the labours of many years have now confirmed in my mind.

Perfuaded, therefore, of the fimplicity of the christian religion, as exhibited in the fcriptures, I have earneftly contended, and, while the fountain of life and health fhall continue to me the power, will persevere in contending, that the grand and fundamental doctrines of the gofpel are few in number, eafy of comprehenfion, propounded with the utmost perfpicuity and plainnefs, and withal of a nature fo intirely practical, that not a fingle article of faith, contained

in the word of God, is therein proposed as of neceffity to falvation, which hath not an obvious connection with a juft and honourable conduct.

The principle of benevolence, the excellency of which is the fubject of the following difcourfe, is particularly recommended as the great characteristic of the religion of the gospel*. And we should act wifely, if we always estimated our progress in the knowledge of that religion, by our improvement in the practice of this manly virtue. A virtue, fo indispensably neceffary to the formation of the real chriftian, that all other acquirements, of whatever nature they may be, are not of fterling worth, if the heart is found a ftranger to its power.

In all your studious researches, therefore, into the doctrines of the gofpel, remember to keep this, the most important of them, ever prefent to your fight. And, when your hearts are animated with the prospect of thofe future glories, which the almighty,

in

* By this fhall all men know that ye are my difciples, if ye have love one to another. JESUS.

quired an extraordinary exertion of our intellectual powers.

Previously to all inquiry into the fact, we might reasonably furmife, that a religion, intended for univerfal acceptation, at the fame time that it unfolded truths, of fufficient importance to engage the attention of the most improved understandings, would alfo adapt itself to the capacities and circumftances of thofe, who, with refpect to numbers, are by far the most confiderable portion of our species.

This idea, furely not dishonourable to our holy faith, the labours of many years have now confirmed in my mind.

Perfuaded, therefore, of the fimplicity of the christian religion, as exhibited in the fcriptures, I have earneftly contended, and, while the fountain of life and health shall continue to me the power, will persevere in contending, that the grand and fundamental doctrines of the gospel are few in number, eafy of comprehenfion, propounded with the utmost perfpicuity and plainnefs, and withal of a nature fo intirely practical, that not a fingle article of faith, contained

in the word of God, is therein proposed as of neceffity to falvation, which hath not an obvious connection with a juft and honourable conduct.

The principle of benevolence, the excellency of which is the subject of the following difcourfe, is particularly recommended as the great characteristic of the religion of the gofpel*. And we should act wifely, if we always estimated our progress in the knowledge of that religion, by our improvement in the practice of this manly virtue. A virtue, so indispensably necessary to the formation of the real chriftian, that all other acquirements, of whatever nature they may be, are not of fterling worth, if the heart is found a stranger to its power.

In all your studious researches, therefore, into the doctrines of the gofpel, remember to keep this, the most important of them, ever present to your fight. And, when your hearts are animated with the prospect of thofe future glories, which the almighty,

in

* By this fhall all men know that ye are my difciples, if ye have love one to another. JESUS,