SECT. IV. "the pattern of my life here, fo that Chrift 66 morning confider with myself, Suppose my Saviour was in my ftead, had my "bufinefs to do, how would he demean "himself this day? How meek and lowly "would he be in his carriage and deport"ment! How circumfpect in his walk 66 ing! How favoury in his discourse! "How heavenly in all, even his earthly employments! Well; and I am refolved, by ftrength from himself, to follow "him as near as poffible. I know I can "never hope perfectly to transcribe his 66 copy; but I must endeavour to imitate it "in the best manner I can, that fo by "doing as he did in time, I may be where "he "he is to all eternity. But, alas! his life CHAP. "was fpiritual, and I am carnal, fold un- I. "der fin; and every petty object, that doth "but please my fenfes, will be apt to di"vert and draw away my foul from following his steps. In order, therefore, to 66 prevent this, I am refolved, by the grace "of God, to walk by faith, and not by fight, on earth; that fo I may live by fight, and not by faith, in heaven." 66 This is language worthy of a Christian; this is the foundation, upon which the morality of a believer is built, a foundation that can never fail. THE LOVE OF GOD, THROUGH CHRIST. What a rich fund of practice does St. Paul deduce from this principle! "The "Law entered, that the offence might " abound. But where fin abounded, grace "did much more abound; that, as fin "hath reigned unto death, even fo might grace reign through righteousness unto "eternal life, by Jefus Chrift our Lord. "What shall we say then? Shall we con"tinue in fin, that grace may abound? 8 Beveridge's Private Thoughts, Ref. 1, and 2. "God SECT. IV. "God forbid. How fhall we, that are dead "to fin, live any longer therein? Know ye "not, that fo many of us as were baptized "into Jefus Chrift were baptized into his "death? Therefore we are buried with "him by baptifm into death: that, like "as Chrift was raised up from the dead by "the glory of the Father, even fo we also Should walk in newness of life-Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of fin might be deftroyed, that henceforth we should not serve fin.-Now, if we be dead with Chrift, "we believe that we fhall alfo live with 66 66 66 him knowing that Chrift, being raised "from the dead, dieth no more; death "hath no more dominion over him. For "in that he died, he died unto fin once: "but in that he liveth, he liveth unto "God. Likewife reckon ye alfo' your felves "to be dead indeed unto fin, but alive unto "God, through Jefus Christ our Lord. Let "not fin therefore reign in your mortal body, "that ye should obey it in the lufts thereof. "Neither yield ye your members as inftru"ments of unrighteousness unto fin: but yield "your felves unto God, as thofe that are alive from the dead, and your members as inftruments of righteousness unto God. For "fin fhall not have dominion over you." CHAP. The reafon, which the Apostle gives for this I. life of holiness, is, " For ye are not under "the Law, but under grace." In a fimilar manner we are exhorted to "walk in love, "as Chrift alfo bath loved us, and given himself an offering and a facrifice to God " for a sweet-smelling favour. But forni'cation, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, "let it not be once named among you, as be"cometh faints. The beloved Apostle St. John ufes precifely the fame mode of arguing. "Hereby "perceive we the love of God, becaufe "he laid down his life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren k. Herein is love, not that we "loved God, but that he loved us, and fent "his Son to be the propitiation for our fins. Beloved, if God fo loved us, we ought 66 alfo to love one another. For this is the « love of God, that we keep his command"ments m" In all these inftances, not the eternal fitness of virtue and the deformity SECT. of vice, not the dignity of human nature, IV. and a proud fenfe of what is due to character, but the mercy vouchsafed by God to loft mankind, through the fufferings of the Redeemer, is urged as the true principle of Christian practice. In fine, every action, which is not built upon these fundamentals, is to be classed only among those deeds, which St. Auguftine calls " fplendida peccata," brilliant wickedness ". 66 With regard to the use of the terrors of the Law in bringing men to Christ, and teaching them to give up all those selfrighteous notions, which militate against the very foul of the Gofpel, the great Apostle of the Gentiles fpeaks in the following terms. "Wherefore then ferveth "the Law? It was added because of tranf greffions," it was given to convince men of fin, because, though finners, they would not allow themselves to be fo," till the "feed fhould come to whom the promise "was made; and it was ordained by an gels in the hand of a Mediator.-Is the "Law then against the promises of God? "God forbid for if there had been a Law given, which could have given life, ve |