to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to fay within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father, for I fay unto you, that God is able of these ftones to raise up children unto Abraham. And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then? He anfwereth and faith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none, and he that hath meat, let him do likewife. Then came also the publicans to be baptized, and said unto him, Mafter, what fhall we do? And he faid unto them, Exact no more than is appointed you? And the foldiers likewife demanded of him, faying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, do violence to no man, neither accufe any falfely, and be content with your wages."

Jesus himself followed in the same spirit. His first public difcourfe from the mount was wholly moral; and the morality which he taught was the fartheft from being of a fuperficial kind. It is feated in the heart, and produces its excellent effects in the life.

Matt.

Matt. v. 21. "Ye have heard that it was faid by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill, and whofoever shall kill fhall be in danger of the judgment. But I fay unto you that whofoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment, and whofoever fhall fay to his brother Raca, fhall be in danger of the council, but whofoever shall fay Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire." He makes the fame juft obfervation with refpect to adultery.

To the fame purpose he says, Matt. xv. 11. "Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man, but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man." And by. way of explaining this enigma, he fays, verfe 18," those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart, and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, falfe witness, blafphemies. These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwafhen hands, defileth not a man.'

Our Saviour's admonitions with respect to prayer, and piety, and virtue in general, are peculiarly calculated to guard against hypocrify,

VOL. III.

D

hypocrify, and oftentation, and teach men

"Take

to have respect to the approbation of God, who fees the heart, Matt. vi. 1. heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them. Otherwise ye have no reward of your father who is in heaven. Therefore when thou doeft thine alms, do not found a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do, in the fynagogues, and in the ftreets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I fay unto you, they have their reward. But when thou doeft alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doth, that thine alms may be in fecret, and thy father, who feeth in fecret, himself shall reward thee openly. And when thou prayeft, be not as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the fynagogues, and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I fay unto you, they have their reward. But thou when thou prayest enter into thy clofet, and when thou haft shut thy door, pray to thy father who feeth in fecret, and thy father who feeth in fecret shall reward thee openly."

All the reward that Jefus led any of his difciples to expect for any act of virtue, was

not

not in this world, but in another, Luke xiv. 13. "When thou makeft a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, and the blind, and thou shalt be bleffed. They cannot recompenfe thee, but thou shalt be recompensed at the refurrection of the just.”

He repeatedly affured his followers, that neither any perfonal relation to himself, nor zeal in preaching his religion, would be of the least avail with refpect to his approbation, at the day of judgment. When he was told, as he was teaching in a house, that his mother and his brethren were standing without, defiring to speak to him, he took that opportunity of faying, Matt. xii. 48. "Who is my mother, and who are my brethren? And stretching out his hand to his disciples, he faid, Behold my mother, and my brethren. For whofoever fhall do the will of my father who is in heaven, the fame is my brother, and fifter, or mother." Referring his hearers to the day of judgment, he faid, Matt. vii. 21. every one that faith unto me, Lord, Lord, fhall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doth the will of my father who is in heaven. Many will fay to me in that

D 2

"Not

day,

day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in

thy name, and in thy name have cast out dæmons; and in thy name have done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you, depart from me ye that work iniquity."

The apoftles followed their mafter in the fame fpirit, and urged the fame just maxims. It plainly appears by their conduct, and their writings, that the great object of Chriftianity, as taught by them, was the reformation of mankind, and the improvement of their moral character.

The proper ufe and defign of the Chriftian religion is thus expreffed by the apostle Peter, in his difcourfe to the Jews, occafioned by his curing the lame man at the gate of the temple, Acts iii. 26. "Unto you firft, God, having raifed up his fon Jefus, fent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquity." According to him, therefore, there is no other way to falvation, or future happiness, than this the way of virtue.

According to the apoftle James, faith without works will avail nothing. James ii. 14. "What doth it profit, my brethren,

that