The F'ruits of the ion anclofcfpiancRcwith God, for the fake of the inecirorliousSiylFeDifío iof o.:: ;pur)jto be the root andprinciple of all religñoustAlitititstü inch rand devotion towards God, and the notni}kntpra Cesiandlezetj j r 1- Fties in publick and private, Inch as Prayer,' hearingdabderea i {fd .rrequent and reverer j wing of the Holy Sacrsltûtrm Ege ,tnoft effectual mearì¢ rthe World tomake Memgcloakibhcliulhaitlikfilik appointed by God, and attended with his blèfring to that'kfialevflay,a-tiom mrt be all thefe, becaufe theyare the principles >and'means of Religion; uthlbh Iaiii6 al- ways fuppofed as neceffary to that which s¡the end. -11.11w theogromiv d 1 Religion, that which Chriftianity mainly defigns to work and perl;éi[+ hllag,aidie thefe Graces and Virtues whichare called the fruits of therSpirit3'fuc#t,ap Yïíh went din the Text, goodnefs, and righeeoufnefs, andztrutb.; aids At- his will be evident to any one that will attentittbly' confider whiff- the Scriptse Pays, of Them; and more efpeciallyah w1ijur-Saviour and histoArpoilles do every where recommend them to our confidetatiowand praetice,e.Micah' 6. 8. He b b (hewed thee, 0 man, what is good; and 76hay.oloth therLLPdrequire of thee,: but to do jufily, and to love mercy, and to walkhumbly w. rtly God? It is to thefe qualities and difpofitions of Goodnefs, and Righteoufnefrr and the like Vir- tues, that our Sayipur promifes bleffednefs. Thefe Sr. Peter calls a Divine or God-like nature, ¢r fts; . 4, 5. fpeaking of the knowledge of the Gofpel, Whereby, Pays he, arc given to us exceedinggreat and preciouspromifes, that by thcfeyemight be partakers ofof icAvine nature ; and thereupon he exhorts that Chriftlans fhould give all diligence to make their calling and eleblionfaire, by adding to the faith of the Gofpel, the feveral graces and virtues ofa good life; thefe being that Divine Nature which the Gofpel defignsto make us partakers of To (peak a littlemore particularly ofthe threeVirtues here mentioned,goodnefs, pi e .(nefs, and truth. . Thefe are every where frequently commended and en- joingln the NewTeftament. Goodnefs, whether we confider it as it imports Chari ,n gat pl, and our love of one, another , our Saviour makes it the Rreabaçlge an arkof a Chriftian. Hereby, fays he, (hall' all men know thatye g f pifciplefii,ye love one another. St. Paul calls it the fulfilling- of the law, g toeend of t e,eommandment, aríxt. d_go,re?la s, the great end and deign of 0,esCZofpel, is t rity. St.John rifeth yet higher, and fpeaks of it as the very na- t,bt re and offence of God himfelf, and that by which we are as it were united to un. God is love, andhe that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in Godand God in him. Or whether we confidergoadnefs under the notion of Companion and Beneficence, a readinefs to pity and relieve, and benefit others according to our ability and op- portunitics. This the Scripture celebrates as a thing highly acceptable to God:. Heb.13. 16. But to dogood, and to communicate, forget not. For with polo Say orifices God is well pleafed. And Stjames inftanceth an itas one of the moil fig- nal Teftimonies of true Piety, James 1.27. Pure Religion, andundefiled before God and the Father is this, to vifzt the fatherlefs and widows in their Afflielion. And Chap. 5. 17. he makes it a mark and charafter of the divine and heavenly Wif' doni ; The z2,ifdom which is fromabove, isfull of mercy andgoodworks. And then for Righteoufnefs, of which truth and fidelity in our intercourfe with éi{ is a considerable part, St. Paul inflanceth in ir, in the firft place, as a princi' wherein the kingdom of God doth conffl, Rom. 14. 17. The kingliant V not confzfl in meats and drinks, that is, the power and efficacy of?theaehaul iglon, or the Gofpel, (which is frequently in the New Teftamehrvaüè tuna of God) doth not confift in zeal about indifferent things: burin'rhê ial Virtuesof a, good life, in righteoufnefs andpeace. ßl,2ß fee by all this, at what a rate the Scripture magnifies thefe Virtues, as;the. p,$ things of Religion, the end of the Gofpel, and that wherein owr,joG eiitiax sty does mainly confift. The confideration whereof would -make raicltrrilifi awazed, to think how theftVirtues should ever fall into fonauehacrttsibpViii aria t hie who call themfelves Chrif}ians, and do every day readftllecBitievamiationap to be accounted but low and pitiful things, in compariforyofrilknogrt c hát 'a1í ties 4
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