3 50 Of theNecefäty ofgood Works. VoI.II; 4 let not the ferngo down upon your wrath : neither give place to the Devil. Let hihi that fiole, Meal nomore : but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thine which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Let no corrupt com- munication proceed out ofyour mouth, but that which is good to the ufe of edifying; that it may minter grace unto the hearers. Andgrieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are foaledunto the day' of redemption. Let all bitternefs, and wrath, andanger, and clamour, and evil fpeaking beput away from you, with all malice And beyekind one to another, &c. So that you fee, that unlefs there be an uni- verfal Reformation of hgart and life, we have not fo learnedChrfl as the truth in inyefus, we do not rightly underftand the Gofpel, and the tendency of the Chri- ftian Religion. Gal. 5. 22, 23, 24 But the fruits of the fpirit, of that Spirit which the Chriftian Religion endows Men withal, is love, joy, peace, ngfufer- ing, gentlenefs, goodnefs, fidelity, meeknefs, temperance; and they that are Chrf's, have crucified the flefh with the of etlions and lulls ; that is, they that profefsthem= (elves Chriflians, are oblig'd to endeavour after all thefeVirtues, and to put off the contrary lulls and vices. Phil. 4.8. Finally, Brethren, whatfoever things are true, whatfoever things are hone114 whatfoever things are jufi, whatfoever things are pure, whatfoever things are lovely, whatfoever things are of good report. If there . be any virtue, andif there be anypraie, think on thefe things. St. games likewife declares to the fame purpofe the genuine effe& of Chriftianity, which he calls the knowledge and wifdomwhich is from above. James 3. 13, 14, 15, 17. Who is a wife man andendowedwith knowledge among/lyou ? Let him 'hereout of agoodconverfation his works with meeknefs of wifdom. But ifye have bitter envying and / irife injour hearts, glory not, and lye not againfl the truth. This wifdom defcendeth not froma- bove; but is earthly, fenfual, devilihb. And the wifdom that is from above isfill!' pure, then peaceable, gentle, and cafe to be entreated, full of mercy andgood fruits, without partiality, and- without lypocrifie. To which I will add but oneText more, which is the fum and comprehenfion of all the reft, and it is Chap. 2. ofthis E- piftle to Titus, ver. si. The grace of God, fo he calls the Do&rine of theGofpel, Thegrace of Godwhich brigs Salvation unto all men loath appeared, teaching us, that denying ungodliuefs and worldly lulls, we fhould live foberly, and righteoufly, and godly in this prefent wOrld. I. might proceed particularly to Phew, that the whole Difpenfation and Do&rine of the Gofpel, and all the parts of them are calculated to raife and exalt human Nature to the higheft pitch and perfection of Virtue and Goodnefs, and effe&ually to reform the Spirits and Lives of Men. The Difpenfation of the Gofpel, or the Chriftian Religion, confifts in God's merciful condefcenfon to fend his own and only Son in our Nature, to live a- mong us, and to die for us. The Do&rine of the Gofpel conlìfts in the things to be believed ; the Duties to be pra&ifed by us; and the arguments and encou- ragements to the pra&ice of thofe duties. Now I (hall briefly thew, that the defign ofevery part both of the Difpenfation and Do&rine of the Gofpel, is to reform the minds and manners ofMen, and to engage them to the pra&ice of all Virtue and Goodnefs. And, I. For the Difpenfation of the Gofpel; by which I mean the gracious Me- thod which the Wifdom of God hath pitched upon, for the Salvation and reco- very of Mankind, by fending his only begotten Son into the World in our Nature, to live among us, and to die for us. So that the principal parts of this difpenfa- tion are thefe three. i. His Incarnationor appearing in our Nature. 2. His Life. 3. His Death and Sufferings for us. And I (hall thew, that the great Defign of all this was to reform Mankind, and make them better. i. For his Incarnation. The great defign of his coming into the World, and appearing in our Nature, was this ; and this was the reafon of the name Jefue, given him at his Birth, as the Angel tells us, Matth. I. 2 r. His name (hall be called fefits: for he (hail fave his people from their fins. Matth. 9. 13. He himfelf tells us,
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