ture with them, in all things like unto hit brethren.

1. By these extraordinary interpofitions we have been instructed in the nature, perfections, and moral government of God, and the rule of human duty; a knowledge of a very important nature, and which mankind, after having been inftructed in it, by becoming vain in their imaginations, had loft. This knowledge we find in Mofes and all the prophets. There we find that God is one, that he made and governs the world, that he is every where prefent, obferving the conduct of men, that he is merciful to the penitent, but will punish the obftinately wicked. We are also taught in revelation how the one true God is to be worshipped in the most acceptable manner, viz. in fpirit and in truth, by purity of heart, and uprightness of life. According to Chrift, the two great commandments, which include all the reft, are the love of God and of our fellow-creatures.

Thus was laid the foundation of all acceptable worship, and right conduct in life,

and

and thus were the minds of men freed from a flavish and debafing fuperftition, which had taught them to feek to please God by other things than true goodness of heart and life, and had encouraged them to continue in the practice of vice, by trufting to vain compenfations and atonements. This was one of the most important fervices that could be rendered to religion, and to mankind; as there is nothing to which they appear to be more prone than fuperftition, or unworthy notions of God, and confequently wrong methods of feeking to please him.

Beginning with these leading principles, did our Lord, following the example of the prophets who had preceded him, go on to instruct mankind in every useful principle. of religion, concealing from them nothing that could in any refpect influence their practice. And this, we clearly fee, had the most direct tendency to promote the great scheme of our redemption, or our deliverance from vice and mifery. For before men can be reclaimed from vicious courses, they must be convinced of the evil of them.

They

1

They must be shewn against how great a Being they are offending, and be informed what it is that will recommend them to his favour. Such knowledge as this is, in its own nature, neceffary to all virtuous and religious practice. The judgment, or understanding, must first be enlightened, before the will can be renewed, the affections regulated, and the conduct reformed; as, in all cafes, a thing must be underflood, before it can be practifed.

This excellent moral inftruction was not, however, as I have faid already, peculiar to Chrift. He did not pretend to teach men any thing new on thefe fubjects. He only explained and enforced what had long before been taught by Mofes and the prophets. But many of these excellent and most important moral precepts had been perverted, and the folid duties of piety, benevolence, and all virtue, had been made to give place to a moft debafing and mifchievous fuperftition. The fame, indeed, has been the cafe with the moral precepts of Christianity itfelf; fo that there will always be great reafon to caution men on this head, fo

prone

prone are they to the indulgence of their appetites and paffions, and fo willing to find fome fubftitute for moral virtue, if they

can.

Christ did not teach any thing new concerning God, or the maxims of his government, because these things were fufficiently known to the Jews, and explained in their fcriptures. The great doctrine of the divine unity was well understood, and taken for granted, by all the nation of the Jews. 'That there is one God, and there is no other than he, and that to worship him with the heart, is better than all whole burnt-offerings and facrifice, was a reply of a Jewish scribe to our Saviour, and which met with his perfect approbation.

Least of all had he any occafion to inform them that the Divine Being, the God and Father of all, as well as his own God and Father, was placable to his penitent creatures. This moft neceffary of all doctrines. had been moft clearly taught by Mofes and all the prophets; fo that nothing farther remained to be faid on the fubject. By Mofes the Divine Being folemnly proclaim

ed himself to be a God merciful and gracious, long-fuffering, abundant in mercy, goodnefs, and truth, forgiving iniquity, tranfgreffion, and fin. All the prophets exhorted to repentance on the fame principle. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, is the conftant burden of their preaching. Indeed, without this all exhortation to repentance would be in vain.

That Chrift was himself, by his death and fufferings, the means of reconciling men to God, and of making it to be confiftent with his juftice to pardon the truly penitent, is a doctrine for which there is no countenance either in the difcourfes of our Lord, or the writings of the apoftles. They all took it for granted, that all that was neceffary to be done was to reconcile finful man to God, not to reconcile God to man. In the fine parable of the prodigal fon, Chrift informs us that God, our true and affectionate Father, is ready to receive all his offending and penitent children, as it were, with open arms, without any interceffion of others, or any atonement whatever. Through the whole of the fcrip

tures