DISC. he knows to be the will of God, will feel V. in his heart that the doctrine of Chrift agrees with God's will, a will which would have all men ftrive to poffefs their fouls with a moft entire love of purity and holiness, that being thus prepared for a state into which no impurity, no impiety can enter, they may at length experience uninterrupted fatisfaction in the perpetual admiration and exercife of goodness. Such a will does Chrift exhort all men to obey; and adds weight to his exhortation by declaring himself commiffioned by God in these folemn and express words, “ I am "from Him, and He hath fent me 19.99 In other difcourfes of our Lord we hear him fay, "I am the Light of the World"." "Before Abraham was, I am.' "I am "the Way, and the Truth, and the Life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by 21 99 me "He that hateth me, hateth my Father alfo 22 " 19 St. John, vii. 29. "The Father loveth 20 St. John, viii. 12-58. 22 St. John, xv. 23. you, you, because ye have loved me, and DISC. "believed that I came out from God "3" The bare recital of thefe paffages, from different parts of St. John's Gospel, must fufficiently convince unprejudiced and candid hearers, that before his appearance among men, Chrift exifted in glory with the Father; that he left that glory to inftruct mankind in the way of righteousness and in the truth of religion; that through the redemption wrought by him, we may obtain eternal life; that through the interceffion made by him we have access to the Father; that God will approve of those, who fincerely embrace and earnestly obey the doctrine of Chrift; but will leave to the fatal confequences of their own folly, all those who reject a doctrine, the truth of which has been attefted by fuch evidence as no one could produce, unless he were affifted by the power of God in controuling the common courfe of nature; unless he were enlightened by the wifdom of God in revealing a dispensation, which 23 St. John, xvi. 27. no V. V. DISC. no depth of human understanding ever hað discovered, or could poffibly conceive. The fum of that evidence lies in the miracles and discourses recorded, as by the other Evangelifts, fo more particularly by St. John, recorded with a view moft beneficent, and to a purpose most falutary; for all" these things were written" to convince us that Jefus is the Chrift, the Son of "God," to the end that "believing in "him" fo effectually as to relinquish our vices, and to acquire habits of virtue and piety, in obedience to his Gospel, we might have" an eternal "life" of spiritual happiness prolonged to our purified and regenerated fouls, through the prevailing influence of "his Name," who having died that we might obtain the favour of God, ever liveth to intercede for our involuntary tranfgreffions. Bleffed Lord! who haft caufed all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning, grant that we may in fuch wife hear them, read, V. read, mark, learn, and inwardly digeft DISC. them, that by patience and comfort of thy holy Word, we may embrace and ever hold faft the bleffed hope of everlasting life, which thou haft given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ ! L DISCOURSE VI. The Jews inexcufable for judging according to Appearances. DISC. JOHN, vii. 24. Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment. WHATEVER be the subject proposed for our confideration, to decide on it merely from a partial view, without patiently investigating and maturely examining every principal circumstance which may lead us to form a right opinion, is unreasonable precipitancy: and the impropriety of such rashness becomes proportionably 7 |