1 IX. becometh the Gospel. SERM. In the last place, prayer may be confidered as a proper means to help us to have our conversation fuitable to the gospel. Prayer is the great and comfortable duty of a christian, by which our communication with heaven is maintained; and it often produces the happiest effects on the mind. And therefore, if a chriftian is often employed in prayer, his heart will by degrees become better, and his morals be improved. And befides this, it is the means to obtain grace or divine assistance for the performance of our duty; for God will never deny his grace to those who fincerely ask him. He has promised to hear the prayer of the humble, and there- fore he will much more regard it, when they apply for his assistance to enable them to do their duty. And it has been justly observed, that those who are often employed in prayer, for the most part have their conversation more strict and virtuous, and more becoming the gospel of Christ. And thus I have endeavoured to represent to you from the nature of the gofpel, the conversation that is fuitable to it, and likewise the means by which we 1 we may attain to fuch a difpofition ands ERM. character. From the whole that has been faid, let us be excited earnestly to form our lives according to the dictates and temper of the gospel. By this conduct we shall attain to the highest perfection of our nature, and likewife have peace and happiness for ever. () We shall 1.57 have folid fatisfaction and pleasure in all the various events of life, and get clear of all those guilty apprehenfions and fears, which are the confequences of fin, when we are confcious we have acted a part worthy of our holy profeffion. And then when death makes its approach, we shall be able to meet it with courage and serenity. The reflection upon our conduct, that we have innocently past our time in the search of religion and virtue, will give fure and rational comfort, when we are about to enter into the invisible world. This will be a cordial upon a death-bed, and will fupport the christian against all the ghaftly terrors which then will furround him. And it will give a comfortable expectation of all the glory and happiness promised to the people of God in the heavenly kingdom. But on the contrary, if instead of having our N2 con SERM.conversation as becometh the gospel, we pass IX. our lives in the ways of fin, neglecting God and religion, there remains nothing for us to hope at the end of our time, but, as the apostle expresses it, a fearful looking for of judgment, and fiery indignation to confume us. Let us therefore, as we would secure our everlasting well-being, and hope for glory hereafter, endeavour by the help of our God, to have our conversation as becometh the gospel of Chrift. SER 18-1 1 SERMON Χ. CHRIST a Sign which shall be spoken againft. LUKE II. 34. And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is fet for the fall and rifing again of many in Ifrael; and for a fign which shall be spoken against. W Χ. HEN we confider the various SERM. dispositions and tempers of men, how ignorant and heedless many of them are, how conceited and fond of the notions which they have once acquired, and how often they are hurried away with the violence of their passions; when we consider all this, it seems reafonable to think that the christian religion, so opposite to the prejudices and vices of men, should at its first appearing in the world, and indeed in all ages afterwards, meet with great resistance and perfecution. It is from hence obvious alfo, N 3 Χ. SERM.alfo, that the gospel must have had very different effects upon men, by rendering those happy who fincerely embraced it, and on the contrary, by increasing the misery and just condemnation of those who rejected it. Not that from its own nature it can possibly add to the misery of mankind; it was intended for the benefit and happiness of all; but because men from their own unreasonable conduct and opposition to it may throw themselves into a more miferable state, by making themselves juster objects of the divine displeasure. And this. different acceptance of the gospel of our Saviour, and the different effect of it on the world, from the variety of mens tempers, seems to have been fully foretold by the text; when it is faid that this child was fet for the fall and rifing again of mang in Ifrael, and for a sign which shall be spoken against. These are the words of that good man Simeon, when he faw our Saviour prefented in the temple, according to a revelation made to him, that before his de cease he should fee the Lord's Christ; from which it seems plain, that he foresaw what would be the confequence of his appearing in the world, through the |