rit. And then he enumerates the feveral privileges he was partaker of by virtue of his being born in the Jewith' church, 4. 5. 6. Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might truft in the flesh, I more: circumcifed the eighth day, of the frock of Ifrael, &c. And yet he tells us he was contented to forego all these advantages for Christ and the Chriftian religion, y 7. But what things were gain to me, thofe I counted lofs for Chrift. And not only thefe, but if there were any thing else that men value in this world, he was willing to hazard that alfo upon the fame account: 8. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but lofs, for the excellency of the knowledge of Chrift Fefus my Lord. In which words the Apostle declares the high efteem he had for the Christian religion, which he calls the knowledge of Chrift Jefus his Lord; the excellency whereof appeared fo great to him, that he valued nothing in comparison of the advantages which he had by the knowledge of it. My defign at this time from this text is, to reprefent the excellency of this knowledge of the Chriftian religion above that of any other religion or inftitution in the world. And here I fhall not confider the external evidence which we have of the truth of Christianity, and of the divinity of its doctrine, in which refpect it hath incomparably the advantage of any other religion; but only the internal excellency of the doctrine itself, abf tracting from the divine authority of it; and that in thefe four refpects. 1. As it does more clearly reveal to us the nature of God, which is the great foundation of all religion. 2. As it gives us a more certain and perfect law for the government of our lives. 3. As it propounds to us more powerful arguments to perfuade men to the obedience of this law. 4. As it furnishes us with better motives and confiderations to patience and contentedness under the evils and afflictions of this life. Now, thefe are the greatest advantages that any religion can have; to give men right apprehenfions of God, a perfect rule of good life, and efficacious arguments to perfuade men to be good, and patiently patiently to bear the evils and fufferings of this life. And these shall be the heads of my following difcourfe. First, The Chriftian religion doth more clearly reveal to us the nature of God than any religion ever did. And to have right apprehenfions of God, is the great foundation of all religion. For according as mens notions of God are, fuch will their religion be. If men have grofs and falfe conceptions of God, their religion will be abfurd and fuperftitious. If men fancy God to be an illnatured being, armed with infinite power, one that delights in the mifery and ruin of his creatures, and is ready to take all advantages against them; they may fear him, but they will hate him: and they will be apt to be fuch towards one another, as they fancy God to be towards them; for all religion doth naturally incline men to imitate him whom they worship. Now, the Christian religion gives us a more perfect, and a more lovely character of God than any religion ever did. It represents him to us as a pure fpirit, which the Heathens did not generally believe; and that he is to be worshipped in fuch a manner as is most suitable to his fpiritual nature; which not only the Heathens, but even the Jews themselves were extremely mistaken about. Cod is a fpirit, (fays our Saviour), and they that worship bin, muft worship him in fpirit and in truth. It is true indeed, God himself did command facrifices to the Jews, and all thofe external and troublesome obfervances of which their religion did confift. But then it is to be confidered, that he did not inftitute this way of worship because it was moft fuitable to his own nature, but becaufe of the carnality of their hearts, and the proneness of that people to idolatry. God did not prefcribe these things because they were beft, but becaufe the temper of that people would then admit of nothing better. And this the fcripture gives us feveral intimations of: Thou defireft not facrifice, thou delighteft not in burnt-offerings, faith David, Pfal. li. 16. And elsewhere more exprefsly to this purpose: I fpake not unto your fathers, (fays God by the Prophet Jeremiah), nor commanded them in the day that I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt-offerings and facrifices. But this thing com manded I them, faying, Obey my voice, Jer. vii. 22. 23. A VOL. I. I fufficient fufficient intimation, that God did not primarily intend to appoint this way of worship, and to impofe it upon them, as that which was moft proper and agreeable to him; but that he condefcended to it as most accommo-` date to their present state and inclination. And in this fenfe alfo fome understand what God fays to the same people by the Prophet Ezekiel, that he gave them ftatutes that were not good, Ezek. xx. 25. And as the Christian religion gives a more perfect, fa a more amiable and lovely character of the divine nature. No religion that ever was in the world, does fo fully reprefent the goodness of God, and his tender love to mankind; which is the best and most powerful argument to the love of God. The Heathens did generally dread God, and looked upon him as fierce, and cruel, and revengeful; and therefore they endeavoured to appeafe him by the horrid and barbarous facrifices of men, and of their own children. And all along in the Old Testament, God is generally reprefented as very ftrict and fevere. But there are no where fo plain and full declarations of his mercy and love to the fons of men as are made in the gofpel. In the Old Testament God is ufually ftyled The Lord of hofts; The great and the terrible God: but in the New Teftament, he is reprefented to us by milder titles, The God and Father of our Lord Jefus Christ The Father of mercies, and the God of all confolations; The God of all patience; The God of love and peace: nay, he is faid to be love itself, and to dwell in love. And this dif ference between the style of the Old and New Testament is fo remarkable, that one of the greatest fects in the primitive church (I mean that of the Gnofticks) did upon this very ground found their herefy of two Gods the one evil, and fierce, and cruel, whom they called the God of the Old Teftament; the other good, and kind, and merciful, whom they called the God of the New. So great a difference is there between the reprefentations which are made of God in the books of the Jewish and the Christian religion, as to give at leaft fome colour and pretence for an imagination of two Gods. Secondly, Chriftian religion hath given us a more certain and perfect law for the government of our lives. It hath made our duty more plain and certain in many inftances, inftances, than either the philofophy of the Heathen, or And as Christianity hath given us a more certain, fo likewise a more perfect law for the government of our lives. All the precepts of it are reasonable and wife, requiring fuch duties of us as are fuitable to the light of nature, and do approve themselves to the best reafon of mankind; such as have their foundation in the nature of God, and are an imitation of the divine excellencies; fuch as tend to the perfection of human nature, and to raife the minds of men to the highest pitch of goodness and virtue. The laws of our religion are fuch as are generally ufeful and beneficial to the world, as do tend to the outward peace and health, to the inward comfort. and contentment, and to the univerfal happiness of mankind. They command nothing that is unneceffary and burdenfome, as were the numerous rites and ceremonies of the Jewish religion, but what is reasonable, and useful, and fubftantial; and they omit nothing that may tend to the glory of God, or the welfare of men; nor do they reftrain us in any thing, but what is contrary, either to the regular inclinations of nature, or to our rea fon and true intereft. They forbid us nothing but what is base and unworthy, to ferve our humours and passi ons, to reproach our understandings, and to make our felves fools and beasts; in a word, nothing but what tends either to our private harm and prejudice, or to publick diforder and confufion. And that this is the tenor of the laws of the gofpel, will appear to any one from our Saviour's fermons and difcourfes; particularly that upon the mount; wherein he charges his difciples and followers to be humble, and meek, and righteous, and merciful, and pure, and peace I 2 able, able, and patient under fufferings and perfecutions, and good and kind to all, even to thofe that are evil, and injurious to us; and to endeavour to excel in all goodness and virtue. This will appear likewife from the writings of the holy Apoftles. I will inftance but in fome few paffages in them. St. Paul reprefents to us the defign of the Chriftian doctrine in a very few words, but of admirable sense and weight: The grace of God that bringeth falvation, hath appeared to all men; teaching us, that denying ungodliness, and worldly lufts, we should live foberly, and righteoufly, and godly in this prefent world, Tit. ii. II. 12. The fame Apoftle makes this the main and fundamental condition of the covenant of the gospel on our part: Let every one that names the name of Chrift, depart from iniquity, 2 Tim. ii. 19. St. James defcribes the Chriftian doctrine, which he calls the wisdom that is from above, by these characters: It is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrify, Jam. iii. 17. St. Peter calls the gofpel, the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: whereby (faith he) are given unto us exceeding great and precious promifes; that by thefe you might be partakers of a divine nature, having efcaped the corruption that is in the world through luff, 2 Pet. i. 3. 4.; and upon this confideration he exhorts them, to give all diligence to add to their faith the feveral virtues of a good life; without which he tells them they are barren, and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jefus Chrift, v 5. 6. 7. 8. I will conclude with that full and comprehenfive paffage of St. Paul to the Philippians, Whatfoever things are true, whatsoever things are honeft, (sa reuve, whatfoever things are of venerable esteem), whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, (or chafte), whatfoever things are lovely, whatfoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, if there be any praife, think on these things, Phil. iv. 8. But the perfection and the reasonableness of the laws of Christianity, will moft plainly appear, by taking a brief furvey of them. And they may all be referred to these two general heads. They are either fuch as tend to the perfection of human nature, and to make men fingly and perfonally |