46$ CxRTSTTAN M63iAI;ITY, VIZ. [SERM. XXVIII, ing all that are near us. "Let us then be. followers of Godi as .dear children," Eph. v. 1.' He is , the original beauty, he is the loveliest and the best of beings. To be good, and to do good, is a divine perfection, and let pis remember it is a perfection thatmay be imitated too. He causes:his sun to rise, and his rain to fall on the just and the unjust, and fills the hearts even of the evil as well as the'good with food and gladness, when he gives them fruitful .seasons, Acts' xiv..í17. Let ús not dare then; to be rough, and quarrelsome, and sullen, and ill- natured; -while we profess ; to'1be his offspring. Let there be something lovely: in our whole temper and conduct, while we pretend to beimitators of theGod. of love. And doeb the light of natúre furnish us with all these motives' for a lovely carriage? then surely the light of scripture enforces: them all. The gospel obliges Christi- ans to this practice by much stronger arguments, and it layson us moresubstantial :obligations. I; The.blessedand ever-glorious Trinity; the Father, -the Son, and the Holy Spirit, give us in-the gospel a di- vine example of this practice. Has God, the great and glorious God, manifested a lovely_conductin his works of creation, and his ways. of providence ; howmuch more glorious a pattern has he set us-in the 'transactions ofhis redeeming love ! What condescension bath he here shewn ! What gentleness'! úivhat patience and forbearance! what forgiveness !, what infinite and endless discoveries of grace has he made in tiis-gospel r .God.theFather reconciling theworld to himselfby Je- susChrist, has a peculiar sweetness of aspect, and most amiable appearanée. Here everyChristian beholds him such as he revealedhimself to Moses, when he caused his glory to pass before him; Ex. xxxiv. 6. The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant. in goodness and truth, &c.. The Son of God stooping down to take flesh and blood upon him, made the most amiable figure in the universe. Even in his glorious and triumphant state in heaven, he is re- presented by a Lamb that was slain, an emblem of meek, ,Mess and innocence. And if ever the blessed Spirit ap- peared in. the shape of any living creature, it was in
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