that superior denomination, by living up to it; and to adhere inflexibly to his Gospel, as the only rule of our faith, the guide of our life, and the foundation of our hope; whatever contempt or abuse we may suffer, either from the profane or bigotted part of mankind, for so doing.-(2.) As Christians, we are followers of Christ; and therefore bound to imitate him, and copy after that most excellent pattern he hath set us, who hath left us an ex. ample, that we should follow his steps,' 1 Pet. ii. 21. To see that the same holy temper be in us, which was in him;' and to discover it in the same. manner he did, and upon like occasions. To this. he calls us, Mat. xi. 29. And no man is any farther a Christian, than as he is a follower of Christ; aiming at a more perfect conformity to that most perfect example which he hath set us of universal goodness.-(3.) As Christians, we are the servants of Christ; and the various duties which servants owe to their masters in any degree, those we owe to him in the highest degree; who expects we should behave ourselves in his service with that fidelity and zeal, and steady regard to his honour and interest, at all times, which we are bound to by virtue of this relation, and which his unmerited and unlimited goodness and love lay us under infinite obligations to.-(Lastly,) We are, moreover, his redeemed servants; and, as such, are under the strongest motives to love and trust him.

This deserves to be more particularly considered, because it opens to us another view of the human. nature, in which we should often survey ourselves, if we desire to know ourselves; and that is, as depraved or degenerate beings. The inward contest we so sensibly feel, at some seasons especially, between a good and a bad principle (called, in Scripture language, the flesh and the spirit), of which some of the wisest heathens seemed not to be igno rant; this, I say, is demonstration, that some way or other the human nature has contracted, an ill

bias (and how that came about, the sacred Scrip tures have sufficiently informed us), and that it is not what it was when it came originally out of the hands of its Maker; so that the words which St. Paul spake, with reference to the Jews in particular, are justly applicable to the state of mankind in general, There is none righteous, no, not one; they are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable, there is none that doeth good, no, not one.'

This is a very mortifying thought, but an undeniable truth, and one of the first principles of that science we are treating of; and very necessary to be attended to, if we would be sensible of the duty and obligations we owe to Christ, as the great Redeemer, in which character he appears for the relief and recovery of mankind under this their universal depravity.

The two miserable effects of the human apostasy are, 1. That perverse dispositions grow up in our minds from early infancy, that soon settle into vicious habits, which render us weak and unwilling to obey the dictates of conscience and reason, and is commonly called the dominion of sin. And, 2. At the same time we are subject to the displeasure of God and the penalty of his law, which is commonly called the condemnation of sin. Now, in both these respects, did Christ, the Lamb of God, come to take away the sin of the world;' that is, to take away the reigning power of it by the operation of his grace; and the condemning power of it, by the atonement of his blood; to sanctify us by his spirit, and justify us by his death. By the former he reconciles us to God, and by the latter he reconciles God to us; and is, at once, our righteousness and strength. He died to purchase for us the happiness we had forfeited, and sends his grace and Spirit to fit us for that happiness he hath thus purchased. So complete is his redemption! so suitably adapted is the remedy he hath provided to the malady we

had contracted!-0 blessed Redeemer of wretched ruined creatures, how unspeakable are the obligations I owe thee! But, ah! how insensible am I of those obligations! The saddest symptom of degeneracy I find in my nature, is that base ingratitude of heart, which renders me so unaffected with thine astonishing compassions. Till I know thee, I cannot know myself; and, when 1 survey myself, may I ever think of thee; may the daily consciousness of my weakness and guilt lead my thoughts to thee; and may every thought of thee kindle in my heart. the most ardent glow of gratitude to thee, O thou divine, compassionate friend, lover, and redeemer of mankind,'

Whoever, then, he be, that calls himself a Christian, that is, who professes to take the Gospel of Christ for a divine revelation, and the only rule of his faith and practice, but, at the same time, pays a greater regard to the dictates of men than to the doctrines of Christ-who loses sight of that great example of Christ, which should animate his Chris tian walk, is unconcerned about his service, honour, and interest, and excludes the consideration of his merits and atonement from his hope and happiness. -he forgets that he is a Christian; he does not consider in what relation he stands to Christ (which is one great part of his character), and consequently discovers a great degree of self-ignorance.

(3.) Self-knowledge, moreover, implies a due at. tention to the several relations in which we stand to our fellow-creatures, and the obligations that result from thence.

If we know ourselves, we shall remember the condescension, benignity, and love, that is due to inferiors; the affability, friendship, and kindness, we ought to show to equals; the regard, deference, and honour, we owe to superiors; and the candour, integrity, and benevolence, we owe to all.

The particular duties requisite in these relations are too numerous to be here mentioned. Let it suf

fice to say, that, if a man doth not well consider the several relations of life in which he stands to others, and does not take care to preserve the decorum and propriety of those relations, he may justly be charg ed with self-ignorance.

And this is so evident in itself, and so generally allowed, that nothing is more common than to say, when a person does not behave with due decency towards his superiors, such a one does not understand himself. But why may not this, with equal justice, be said of those who act in an ill manner towards their inferiors? The expression, I know, is not so often thus applied; but I see no reason why it should not, since one is as common, and as plain an instance of self-ignorance, as the other. Nay, of the two, perhaps, men in general are more apt to be defective in their duty and behaviour towards those beneath them, than they are towards those that are above them; and the reason seems to be, because an apprehension of the displeasure of their superiors, and the detrimental consequences which may accrue from thence, may be a check upon them, and engage them to pay the just regards which they expect: but there being no such check to restrain them from violating the duties they owe to inferiors (from whose displeasure they have little to fear), they are more ready, under certain tempta. tions, to treat them in an unbecoming manner. And as wisdom and self-knowledge will direct a man to be particularly careful, lest he neglect those duties. he is most apt to forget; so, as to the duties he owes to inferiors, in which he is most in danger of transgressing, he ought more strongly to urge upon himself the indispensable obligations of religion and conscience. And if he does not, but suffers himself, through the violence of ungoverned passion, to be transported into the excesses of rigour, tyranny, and oppression, towards those whom God and na ture have put into his power, it is certain he does not know himself, is not acquainted with his own

particular weakness, is ignorant of the duty of his relation, and, whatever he may think of himself, hath not the true spirit of government, because he wants the art of self-government. For he, that is unable to govern himself, can never be fit to govern others.

Would we know ourselves, then, we must consider ourselves as creatures, as Christians, and as men ; and remember the obligations, which, as such, we are under to God, to Christ, and our fellow-men, in the several relations in which we stand to them, in order to maintain the propriety, and fulfil the du ties, of those relations.

CHAPTER IV.

We must duly consider the rank and station of life in which Providence hath placed us, and what it is that becomes und adorns it.

III.

A

MAN that knows himself will deliberately consider and attend to the particular rank and station in life in which Providence hath placed him; and what is the duty and decorum of that station; what part is given him to act; what character to maintain; and with what decency and propriety he acts that part or maintains that

character.'

For a man to assume a character, or aim at a part, that does not belong to him, is affectation. And whence is it, that affectation of any kind appears so ridiculous, and exposes men to universal and just contempt, but because it is a certain indication of self-ignorance? Whence is it, that many seem so willing to be thought something, when they are nothing, and seek to excel in those