aoa The NEw and COMPLETE LIFE of our BLESSED LORD Our natures muff be brought to a temper that is all love and goodnefs, if we would become like God, who is love ; and if our fouls dwell in love, then we dwell in God, and God in us. This principle will be alto fruitful in every good work; it will make us readily perform the duties of all relations in which we (land: and becaufe love worketh no ill to his neighbour, there- fore it is the fulfilling of the law ; for it will prompt us to a cheerful and ready performance of every office, whether of juftice or charity, that we owe to our neighbour: all the bell things we can do, if deflitute of this principle, will appear to be either the effe& of hypocrify, or done to procure the efteem of men: without love, a narrownefs of foul will Phut us up within ourfelves, and make all we do to others only as a fort ofmerchandize, trad- ing for our own advantage : it is love only that opens our hearts to confider other perfons, and to love them on their own account, or rather on account of God, who is love. Thofe who poffefs the effeas of this ex- cellent temper, well deferve our confidera- don: they have a confiant calm within, and are not difturbed with paffion, jealoufy, envy, or ill-nature : they obferve and re- joice in the happinefs of others, they are glad to fee them eafy, and (hare with them in their joy and felicity, not fretting or complaining, though they enjoy lets than their neighbours. It is true, love has a very different effea ; for the fame temper will render many fo confiderate of the mif- fortunes of others, as to fympathize with them in their dittrefs, and be greatly affelled with fuch objeéts of compaffion as it is not in their power to a(fift : but there is a real pleafure even in this compaffion, as it melts us into the greateff tendernefs, and proves us to be men and Chriftians. The good man, by the overflowings of his love, is fure that he is a favourite with his Maker, becaufe he loves his neighbour: his foul, therefore, dwells at cafe ; there is a fweet- nefs in all his thoughts and wifhes : this makes him clear in his views of things ; no vapours, no clouds darken him, but an inward ferenity reigns in his mind, and fuch a livelinefs in all his thoughts, as fpreads a cheerfulnefs in his looks, and renders him grateful to all about him. A confiant difpofition for prayer, is alto maintained in him who has this charitable temper : a calm mind is eafily recolleled, but nothing diffipates the thoughts more,, and - renders them lets fixed and attentive than paffion. A charitable man, who has had occafions to forbear and forgive others, and to returngood for evil, dares, with an humble aflùrance, to lay claim to" mercy and pardon ; for though he is ready . to acknowledge, he is many talents in- debted to his Maker ; yet being of a for-. giving temper, he has an argument to, plead for mercy and forgivenefs, and to conclude that much will be forgiven hint, becaufe he lovelh much. There is fuch a likenefs and fympathy between the fpirit of love, and the fpirit of true devotion, that they have a fenfible influence upon each other, and the one will rife or.fall in proportion to the other. But to return from this digreffon, which I flatter myfelf has not been difagreeable to the reader, I fhall go back to the Scribe, who was aftonifhed at the jufinefs of our Saviour's decifons, and anfwered, that he . had determined rightly, fence there is but one Supreme God, whom we mutt all. adore; and if we love him as much as we are able, and without a rival, and our neighbour as : ourfelves, we worfhip him more acceptably than if we facrifice to him all the cattle upon a thoufand hills. And our Lord declared, that the perfon who made this reflelion, was not far . from the kingdom of God, and highly applauded the piety and wifdom of it. During the courfe of our Saviour's mi- nifiry, the Pharifecs having propofed to him many difficult queflions with an inters- tention to prove his prophetical gifts, he now; in his turn, thought proper to make a trial of their fleill in the lacred writings.. For
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