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we are all sprung; and it feems pretty clear, that the pofterity of Cain were all cut off in the general deluge, fo that Noah was a pure defcendant from Seth. Nor had Noah any brothers fpared; fo that he, only, became a fecond root from whence all nations are fprung, who may properly deserve the endearing name of brethren; and then, furely, I may look upon every human being as my neighbour; and our Lord has abundantly confirmed this in that striking story of the good Samaritan, who looked upon himself as neighbour to him who fell among the thieves *

4. We are all redeemed with one blood-namely, the blood of Him who gave himfelf a ranfom for all, to be testified in due time. I know nothing which can be a greater motive to brotherly love, than the inestimable price, paid upon the Crofs, by Him who came to redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a people zealous of good works. Great, ftrefs is laid upon this in various parts of God's word. St. Paul ufes it as a motive to ftir up the Elders to great diligence, that they should feed the Church of God which he had purchafed with HIS OWN BLOOD t. So, in like manner, St. Peter makes ufe of the very fame argument to excite the churches to feek after holiness, in all its branches :-Forafmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, fuch as filver and gild: But with the precious blood of Chrift, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was fore-ordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifeft in these last times for you. And what can be a greater

Luke x. 30-37. ↑ Acts xx. 28.

1 Pet. i. 18, 19, 20.

greater motive to love, than that amazing love manifefted in Jefus bleeding and dying for finful worms ?-All we, like sheep, had gone aftray; we had turned every one to his own way-but the Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all. St. John raises a very striking argument from hence, namely, that if God fo loved us as to lay down his life for us, we ought also to lay down our lives for each other*. This very theme creates the harmony of heaven, so that the glorified Church fings,-To him that loved us, and washed us from our fins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priefts to God and his Father: to him be glory and dominion for vert. Nay, the very angels take a part in the heavenly chorus, and heartily join the exalted fubject; for thus the Evangelift informs us,-And I beheld, and lo, in the midft of the throne, and of the four living ones, flood a Lamb, as it had been flain, having fervien horns and feven eyes, which are the feven Spirits of God fent forth into all the earth. And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him who fat upon the throne. And when he had taken the book, the four living ones, and the twenty-four elders, fill down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of faints. Aud they fung a new fong, faying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the feals thereof: for thou waft flain, ana haft redeemed us to God by thy blood, out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation: A.d haft made us unto our God kings and prifts: and we shall reign on the earth. And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne, and the living ones, ‡ and the elders; and the number of them was

*John iii. 16.

+ Rev. i. 5, 6.

ten

So I choose to render (wwv. The term, beafts, feems highly incongruous to any inhabitants of heaven.

ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands ; Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was flain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and ftrength, and honour, and glory, and bleffing. And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and fuch as are in the fea, and all that are in them, keard I jaying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that fitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, for ever and ever. Aud the four living ones faid, Amen. And the twenty-four elders fell down and worShipped him that liveth for ever and ever. fhall apologize for fo large a quotation.

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This paffage Thus we find

what facred harmony centres in the Redeemer of the human race, and well it may; for it is he who hath reconciled all things unto himself by the blood of his Cross, having thereby flain the enmity which fubfifted, taking it out of the way, and nailing it to the Crofs. There is one paffage more, which I must not pafs by, upon this delightful and interefting fubje&: the Apostle views a multitude, which no man can number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, which stand before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; and who are thefe which compofe fo lovely a neighbourhood? and whence came they? Let an elder anfwer ---Thefe are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lambt. Such are the effects of thy agony and bloody fweat-thy crofs and paffion-thou bleeding reconciler, and sweet harmonizer of a fallen world! Who would not willingly and heartily join thofe choirs above, who thus freely caft their crowns at thy pierced feet, and afcribe

* Rev. v. 6—14.

+ Ibid vii. 9-5

afcribe all honour and glory to the Eternal Jehovah, whose very attributes proclaim love and good-will to a 'fallen race. Here is the centre of union and fellowship, and, from this divine fource, I fhall love my neighbour as myself; and furely this great and noble end must be anfwered fully and univerfally, before the last trumpet fhall blow.

WE

5. We may be faid to be neighbours, in that we are all labouring with the fame difficulties, in a leffer or a larger degree. This was undoubtedly implied in that awful denunciation,-Upon the fweat of thy brow shalt thou eat bread all the days of thy life, until thou return unto the duft again *. So again,-Man that is born of a woman is of a few days, and full of trouble. † Full of trouble! How full is the description! But is there no avoiding of it? No; not in the present state of things. All have weak and frail bodies, full of calamities and diseases, and liable to fundry kinds of deaths. In forrow we are conceived and born, and how foon do fierce diseases overtake us! Yea, more than they have found names for, or any regular method of cure. There is no age, fex, rank, country, or climate, exempt ;-no, all the human race is involved in the univerfal calamity, feeing all have finned and come short of the glory of God. And how is life checkered with its innumerable disappointments! Herein man is born to trouble as the sparks fly upward. It is true, all things work together for good to fuch as love God; and an unfpeakable bleffing that is; yet no affliction is pleafing; they are badges of our captivity, marks of our fall, and in which we groan, being burthened, and muft groan, till the deli

* Gen. iii. 19.

It Job xiv. 1.

verance

verance comes; either cutting the cord of life, or the bringing on this bleffed feafon, when a general deliverance fhall take place, and the ranfomed of the Lord fhall return to Zion with fongs, and everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and forrow and fighing fhall flee away. In the mean-time, all creation groans, and travails, in pangs, to be delivered. It is in a reflefs, uneafy state; and pain, anguish, forrow, and tears are on every fide, until the time of restitution fhall come from the presence of the Lord!

6. I AM, therefore, to look upon that man as my neighbour that needs my help, let him be Jew or Gentile. Nothing can excuse my benevolence and good-will but incapacity. If my neighbour is in captivity, if I cannot redeem him, can I cover his naked limbs? If not, can I fill his hungry belly? If I cannot do that, can I give him a draught of cold water, anoint his fores, or wash his Atripes -In this cafe, it is expected according to what we have, and not according to what he hath not. The widow's two, mites were more acceptable to God than more coftly offerings, feeing that was her all, and alfo there was much faith and love in the fame. It feems, then, that every child of man which we know, or may know, or have any intercourse with-is our neighbour.

and how

II. I AM now to confider my duty to my neighbour, viz. to love him as myself. How deep a leffon, needful! But I fhall never do this till I love with all my heart; the latter will regulate the

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