walking in the fields, we are overtaken by an unhappy maniac, bent on self-destruction; and that in his eagerness to reach the gulph into which he is about to plunge, he happens to jostle or to hurt us; should we consider him an object of resentment? Surely, no. The injury we had received would, in the consideration of his misery, be forgotten; and the wish to deliver and to save would be neither the less ardent nor the less sincere for all that he had made us suffer.

Such is the light in which we are taught by the Gospel to view the trespasses committed against us by those who are under the malign influence of sinful passion. If we are desirous of their eternal happiness, we cannot with this desire cherish any sort of ill-will in our hearts towards them. If we do not desire it, nay,

if we are not anxious concerning it, we are no true Christians, we are still in the bonds of iniquity. So that you see how true the proposition was with which I set out that faith leads to the fulfilment of the commandment; or, in other words, that our moral and religious principles mutually assist and augment each other.

If we believe in Jesus Christ as the promised Messiah, we must look forward to that state of future happiness which he has purchased for us by his blood, and which he has promised as our inheritance: an inheritance, of which we shall certainly be put in possession if we follow his steps, but which we shall as certainly miss if we take any other direction.

Every precept that he enjoins has a double tendency: it not only puts us on the right road, but facilitates

our

our progress, by removing those obstacles which would have proved too difficult for us to surmount.

The tendency which all the precepts of Christianity are observed to have towards increasing the benevolent affections, has obtained for them some degree of respect, even from those who hold its doctrines in contempt. The proud do not like pride in others; the hard-hearted do not wish to be in their turn treated with cruelty. Those who are false, deceitful, and unjust, feel and acknowledge the benefit which they derive from truth, sincerity, and justice, in those with whom they deal; and thus, though the wicked naturally abhor the righteous, they are often forced to pay an involuntary tribute to their virtues.

Let us, however, observe, that the virtues which meet with the approba

tion of the worldly-minded, are not always those in which they are themselves most deficient. There is nothing more common than to hear people extolling certain virtues at the expense of others, and putting all their trust and confidence in the performance of one class of duties, to the exclusion of the rest. "These "ought ye to have done," said our Lord," and not to leave the others " undone." So much pains did he take to guard us against this fatal snare, that no one can read his discourses with attention, and not be convinced that partial obedience. has no right to the promises of the Gospel.

In the formation of religious principle, this is a point of too much importance to be passed slightly over. The analogy between the revelation given by Moses, and that dispensed

VOL. II.

H

by

by Jesus Christ, may enable us to explain it.

I have before remarked, that as the reward promised by Moses consisted in objects of sense, external ordinances were appointed as the test of obedience. The first thing commanded was to put away all false gods from among them; to destroy all the idols which they had foolishly worshipped; and to serve the Lord their God, and none other God but him.

Now let us suppose, that after receiving this commandment the children of Israel had said one to another, "Well, we must shew some sort of "obedience to this commandment; "we must sacrifice some of our "idols, or we shall lose all chance "of getting to this land of promise. "But we need not surely destroy "them all!"