the true Chara5ler of his Difciples. 2 t 7 And as moral excellence is the infepara- S E R M. ble charac1er of the Deity, fo that it is IX. abfurd to pretend that we love him without'''. loving it; that we love the holieft and belt of all Beings, without loving holinefs and goodnefs itfelf; the fame is true concern- ing our Saviour, whom the fcripture always reprefents, as therefore altogether lovely, becaufe he is altogether holy, and inoft compaffionate to finners, intending their happinefs by Paving them from their fins. Indeed, the idea which the gofpe! princi- pally intends to give us of him, is that of the image of the invifible God, the bright - n fs of the divine glory, as manifefting in the molt confpicuous manner the moral perfec- tions, the effential purity, and infinite good- nefs of the Deity. And if we confider the humiliations, the fufferings and death of our Lord Jefus Chrift, which indeed con- tain powerful motives to love him, it is the greateft abfurdity, and the higheft difhonour to him, to feparate thefe from what he intended to accomplifh by them, namely the reftoring and promoting true holinefs and virtue among men. * He gave himfelf for us, to redeem us from all our iniquities, * Titus ii. i4. and
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