SEEM. XXIIL, GRAVITY, DECENCY, &C, 3íz9 night and darkness : Let us not sleep, nor trifle as others do, but watch and be sober. And especially if our na- tural temper be sanguine and sprightly, and incline- to assume vain airs, there is more need of constant watch- fulness over the heart and life, and a bridle upon the tdngue, lest we should speak indecencies, and be guilty of folly and madness. (Here this sermon may be divided.] The.last thing I designed, was to propose some direc- tions in order to cure the levity of the mind, and to maintain such a decent gravity in the course of our life as becomes the gospel. DIRECTION I. Let us meditate often on the most sublime and the most awful parts of c.hristianity ; and through the assistance of the Spirit of God, these will be effectual guards against this vanity of temper. The sublime truths of Christianity demand our fre- quent review. Let us often rise high in our thoughts, and let our faith look far backwards to the eternal ages before this world was. Let us contemplate the love of God the Father, in contriving our salvation, before he stretched abroad these heavens, or laid the foundations of this earth. Let us think of the condescension of his mercy, when he chose fallen perishing sinners to be the objects of his everlasting love. Let us dwell upon his compassion to man, when he appointed his own Son to take flesh.upon him, and to become pur Mediator and sacrifice. Let us survey with holy wonder the various glories of the Son of God, by whom and for whom all things were made, who upholds all things by the word of his power, andwho is the express image of his Father. Let us behold him consenting to hide all these, honours behind a veil of flesh and blood, walking the streets of Jerusalem, and travelling 3 on foot through the villages of Israel, attended with a few poor despicable men, or surrounded with the reproaches of the blaspheming Jews: Let us look upon this illustrious person, who was adored by angels, yet unknown and unglo.rified among the sons of men, and humbled even to death and the grave ; then gaze on him rising again from the dead, and declared to be the Son of God with power, exalted at the .right-hand of the Majesty on high, and ruling all the millions of in, habitants of the visible and invisible worlds, Surely if C3
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