SSG CHRISTÌAI MORAf tTY. into heaven, whatsoever pretence he makes, that I may appeatd the meanest capacity, yeall know it. God will repay vengeance to them that do wrong to their neighbours, whether they be great or mean, for there is no respect of persons with him ; Col. iii. 250 U. Consider Christ as a pattern of justice and righteon's- ness. Look to the exampleofOur Lord Jesus ; you s'eehim, who was the sovereign Magistrate and Lord of all, Who could distri- bute crowns and kingdoms to men, submitting himselfto com- mutative justice among creatures. Behold the Son of God, who was the brightness of his Father's glory, and the delight of his soul before the creation behold him stooping down to our world, and taking flesh ani blood upon him to become our brother, that he might skew üs ho}v we ought to love our brethren. It was an unparalleled instance of divine love that Christ has given us, when he came down from heaven to become our neighbour, and todwell amongst us, that he might teach us to love our nei'ghb'ours as ourselves. Behold the glorious Son of God subjecting himself to his earthly parents, to Joseph the carpenter, and. to Mary his mo- ther, that he might instruct us how to pay obedience to our superìorrelations. See how the King of kings pays tribute to Casar, when he was so poor, that he was forced to . send Peter a fishing, to procure the tribute-money by a miracle: And though thebeasts of the field were his, and he could have com- manded the cattle upon a thousand hills, to make provision for his followers ; yet he would not dispossess the owners ofthem, but created food on purpose tv feed four or five thousand in the wilderness. III. Ifwe consider Christ as a glorious benefactor, whohas taken care to provide for usthe necessaries of this life, and bath purchased for us, at thehands of God, the eternal treasures of heaven and glory. Has not this blessed consideration force enough to guard us against all temptations to injustice ? Shall it christian break the rules of equity, and steal, or cheat, or plunder his neighbour to gain money or merchandise, whohas the promises of God for his support in a way of diligence and humble faith? Shall we sully our consciences, and defile our souls with knavery and injustice fora little of the pelf of this world, when we have the unsearchable--riches of Christ made over to us in the gospel, and the inheritance of heaven in re- version ? IV. Let us consider the very nature and design of the gospel of Christ, it is to make sinners holy, to make the unjust righteous : Thenewman ofchristianity must becreated in rig-h-,
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