SECTION VIII.

The Characters which the New Testament is defigned to form.

We naturally judge of a fyftem by its tendency and effects; and determine from thefe, whether it be good or bad. By this rule let the gofpel be tried. Its principles we have traced. Let us now inquire what kind of character they are calculated to produce; and how they will appear when drawn out into real life. The formation of character by a fyftem is, as it were, the fum of the principles collected into a focus, and difplaying their united energy in the temper and conduct.

If I may exprefs the whole in a few words; "fuch as Jefus Chrift was when he dwelt on earth, fuch it is the defign of the New Teftament that his difc ples fhould be: and fuch it is their aim to be."

But to defcend to particulars, and take a fuller view of the fubject; the chriftian is one who hates evil, and follows what is good. He has a conftant regard to the frame of his heart, and is intent on the deftruction of every finful difpofition: not one is tolerated. He loves God fupremely, and it is the great bufinefs of his life to please God, in preference to his own inclinations, and the will of others. Gratitude for daily favours glows within his breaft. It is his meat and drink to do the will of God, and to keep his commandments: and in the midst of affliction he fubmits to the difpenfations of his Providence, as infinitely wife and good. To Jefus as his Saviour he conftantly looks, and

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depends on him for the bleffings of redemption: the example of Jefus he fets continually before his eyes, and endeavours, with perfevering affiduity, to follow his steps.

At the fame time, he regards himself as a member of the vast community of intelligent creatures upon earth: he feels himself among brethren; and he loves his neighbour as himself. He prefers the general good to individual benefit: he acts with rectitude in every fituation; and confcientiously performs all relative duties, whether domeftic, political, or religious. He pities the miferable: he is ready to relieve the indigent: he forgives his enemies: he returns good for evil, and bleffing for curfing. In the exercife of benevolence is his del ght: his affection extends to the whole human race. Country, language, religion, colour, are not its limits, it is bounded by human nature alone: and wherever he finds a human being there he fees a brother, whofe happiness he rejoices to promote. As the nobleft part of man is the foul, its eternal felicity is his great concern.

While he feels thus for others, none can accuse him of neglecting his own concerns. Diligence, rectitude, and fidelity, mark his habitual conduct: Humility, purity, contentment, moderation, sanctity, peace of mind, and joy reign in his heart. There is befides a heroifm about him which has fomething divine. He has learnt to be ftedfaft in goodnef; to proceed in the path of integrity and benevolence, unfhaken by temptation, contempt, oppofition; and to follow what is good, though alone in the way. He is willing to fubmit to every privation, to undergo the most painful fufferings, and to endure death itself in the most horrid form, rather than iwerve from the path of duty, or renounce the principles of truth and goodness.

I feel that I fink beneath the weight of attempting to delineate the character of a chriftian, and am afhamed to prefent fo poor a fketch: but the excellence of the thing will compenfate for the defect of the reprefentation. Examine it: and then ask yourselves:" Where elfe fhall we meet with such a defign." Mahome, in a bungling way, pilfering from the New Teftament, attempted fomething? of a resemblance; but he failed: his difpofitions fpoi.ed the whole. The Koran forms enthufiaftic warriors for the faith, to shed the blood of infidels, or compel them to come into the butcher's, rather than the fhepherd's fold; and the flaves of fensual joys both in this life and that which is to come. The legiflators of the pagan world, though fome of them pretended to divine revelation, had very different thoughts and views from the apoftles of Chrift. Lycurgus, feemingly a man of strong nerves, and a daring fpirit, aimed by his code to make the Spartans courageous and hardy foldiers, delighting in war. Another wifhed to inure the people to labour, and to cultivate the earth. A third fought to teach them to excel in commerce. A fourth ftudied to raise them to fuperior skill in arts, and fciences, and civilization. But to form men of fuch a character as has been delineated, never entered into the mind of any but the writers of the New Teftament, with the fole exception of Mofes and the prophets, who compofed the first volume of this book, and who were animated with the fame fpirit. How high does this raife the Scriptures above every other book! Can we conceive it poffible that impofture lurks behind fuch a defign? The idea of fuch a character is not only oppofite to the difpofitions of bad men, but heyond the capacity even of good men, and gives reason to conclude that it comes from God.

But the character, it may be faid, is merely ideal. No: Jefus exemplified all that he required his difciples to be and they, according to their meafure, followed his fteps. Such men were Peter, and John, and James, and Paul, and thousands more. Imperfections in them we can difcover, and the marks of infirmity amidst the fudden gufts of temptation: these they daily deplored, and they bitterly complained that in every part of the Chriftian character, they fell fhort of their aim and of their rule. But all the divine principles enumerated above, reigned in their hearts, habitually regulated their temper, and fhone forth in their conduct. The blemishes we difcover in them, are like the clouds flying along the fky in a fummer's noon, which now and then obfcure the fun; but their path was like that of the juft, fhining more and more unto the perfect day. There have been myriads of the fame fpirit in every fucceeding age. There are myriads still, whofe highest and whose conftant end in life is to realize and exhibit the character of a chriftian. But wickedness is noify: goodness does not ftrive nor cry. The lightning and the thunder of Heaven attract univerfal notice by their glare and roaring: the fun moves quietly on his courfe, and diffufes his bleffings in filence.

SECTION IX.

The Happiness which refults from the Influence of the Gofpel, in forming fuch Characters.

THE importance of the truths contained in the former section will appear more clearly, if we confider the influence which the prevalence of fuch a character will have on human happiness. That in the individual who is moulded into it, it will produce tranquillity, fatisfaction, and peace refulting from the hope of the friendship of God, from the banishment of evil paffions, and from the exercise of holy affections and the nobleft pr.nciples, every competent judge of human nature will readily grant. Let all the members of a family be animated by these fentiments and difpofitions: it becomes the abode of love and joy. A town full of citizens of this description is a holy brotherhood, where harmony reigns; and a reciprocation of kind offices renders nei hbourhood and focial intercourfe unfpeakably pleafing. Were a country filled with fuch inhabitants, it would exhibit fuch a fcene of felicity as the world never yet beheld. All would perform the duties of their ftation with fidelity, and exhibit integrity in their dealings, and feek the general good, and make private give way to public benefit. There would be peace, and union, and abundance, and contentment, and the love of order, and venerat on for the inftitutions of fociety. Tyranny, infubordination, and anarchy, would be unknown.

O that Europe were full of people of this character! There would be a ftrife who should be the

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