and folemnly to devote and dedicate Vol. II. our felves to him. Next, it invites us to celebrate the Goodness of God in the Redemption of the World by Christ Jefus, that fo our frequent and ferious Reflection on the Sufferings and Death of Chrift, and the great Reason and End of them, our Salvation, might not only fhame us out of our Ingratitude, Fickleness, and Unconftancy, but also inflame our hearts with a love of our Master, and a Zeal for his Honour. Whoever reflects on this Influence of this Sacrament, cannot but difcern an evident Reason for frequent and timely Com munion. 2. The next thing I would advise, is, That you accustom your felves and your Family to the Practice of Charity; that as God profpers you, you fhould conftantly lay afide fomething for the Poor, and industriously cherish in your Domefticks Bowels of Tenderness and Compaffion, teaching them both by your Words and Examples, that on these two Duties, the Love of God and our Neighbour, hang all the Law and the Prophets; that he who loves not his Neighbour, does in vain pre P 3 Vol. II. pretend to love God; that no Man fhall be a loofer by the most liberal practice of a Prudent and Christian Charity, but that hereby, at the fame time, he lays up a good Foundation for the World to come, he shall procure a Bleffing upon himself and Family. I need not make any Application of this Discourse, I have been all along exhorting you to a Practical and Important Duty,as you be Parents,Nature and Religion too oblige you to pursue the Eternal welfare of your Children and Families; as you are Chriftians, your Zeal for God, your Charity for your Neighbour, and your Love of Goodnefs, oblige you to carry on the fame Defign. Your private, your temporal Intereft, which is beft fecur'd by the Religion of your Families, preffes you to the fame Duty, and the Provocati ons and Danger of our Nation demand it now more earnestly than ever, let us then hearken to all these Calls: What can prevail with us,if neither publick nor private Intereft, neither Nature nor Religion, neither the Love of our Children and Servants Souls, nor of our own? But then that we may prove fuc cessful in this Work, let us begin it with the Reformation of our felves; Vol. II. let us carry it on by much Application of Mind, and many Prayers; and let us compleat and finish it by Sacraments and Charity,by repeated Acts of Praise and Gratitude to God, and of Goodnefs and Compaffion to Man: This will certainly make us ferviceable in our station, dear to God now, and happy and glorious in Eternity. 224 Vol. II. The Example of Chrift the Chriftian's Rule and Encouragement, Heb. XII. 2. Looking unto Jefus the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was fet before him, endured the Cross, defpifing the frame, and is fet down at the right hand of the throne of God. TH HE Defign of the Text, as by St. Paul addrefs'd to the Hebrew Chriftians, was, to perfwade them to renounce all Sins, and efpecially thofe to which either their Natural Conftitution did most incite them, or their pri vate Calling and Profeffion most expose them, or their Relations they ftood in to the World most tempt and folicit them: nor this only, but also that they should perfevere in all the Duties of Religion with an unwearied Patience, and be ready to encounter with a Refolved Courage, and a fincere Faith, whatever Afflictions might befal Vol. II them for the fake of it: and because the Apostle did well understand that this was a Work of great Difficulty, and confequently that they would ftand in need of mighty Motives and powerful Supports and Encouragements; therefore he advifes them to confider the Example of our bleffed Lord and Mafter, the Author and Finisher of our Faith; for in this they would behold his Faith contending with all the Difficulties, nay, more and sharper than any they could poffibly meet with, and yet vanquishing and triumphing over all. In this, they might also discern what that Faith was, by which he conquer'd, namely, the Belief and Expectation of that Happinefs which was to reward his Sufferings. In this, finally, they might difcern how far the Joy, which is fet before the Chriftian, doth outweigh the Trouble and Hardship which he undergoes, and how far the Glory which he fhall enter into doth outweigh all the Shame and Reproach which he can fuffer here. The Apostle therefore ear neftly Exhorts them to look unto Jefus ; that is, seriously and frequently to pon der |