derstanding, who did acknowledge the authority of Christ; or even by any one of good feeling, who did

not.

The text then associates the glory of God so closely with peace or happiness on earth, and good-will towards men, that we cannot but learn from it this most interesting lesson. There is no way so appropriate or so effectual, by which we can render glory to God, as by the promoting of peace and goodwill amongst men.-Hence it follows, as a necessary and self-evident conclusion, that, where peace is not enjoyed on earth, nor good-will shewn towards men, the glory of God cannot be consulted-or, in other words, that we grossly offend against the Divine attributes, mistake the real qualities of the Godhead, and therefore incur His just displeasure, when we engage in any design, or favour any undertaking, which is calculated to lessen the prevalence of peace and abate the feeling of good-will. Nor is this important principle confined to the position in the text, perspicuous and delightful as that alone is. The whole tenor of the Christian religion, rightly understood; whether collected from the precepts of Holy Writ, or exemplified in the life and conduct of its Divine Author and His followers; breathes precisely the same spirit, and inculcates invariably the same truth.

The characters, selected by our Lord, as the peculiar objects of His blessing at the commencement of His ministry, were such only, as could have at heart the practice of peace and the manifestation of good will. "Blessed," He emphatically said, "are the poor in spirit," "the meek," "the merciful," the "

pure in

heart,” the "peace-makers." To preserve peace, He enjoined the patient endurance of wrongs and submission to the outrage of an enemy. To preserve peace, he commanded His faithful disciple to put up the sword, which was unsheathed in his own defence; while Himself healed the wound, which unseasonable zeal had inflicted. Practically to inculcate the glorious lesson, chanted by the angels at His birth, he not only elevated the schismatical Samaritan above the more orthodox Jew, on account of his benevolence; but He pointedly rebuked His disciples, when they would have punished some inhospitable and intolerant Samaritans. "Ye know not," he said, "what spirit ye are of. The Son of Man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them." In the same spirit He taught that "love to our neighbour" was, next to the love of God, "the one thing needful." In exhibiting the same principle of action, He passed His life; for " He went about doing good;" and, in strict conformity with it, He breathed that impressive prayer in the agonies of death; "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.""

It is now, I think, sufficiently manifest, in what sense the glory of God is taken in the Christian Scriptures; and what must be done by men, in order to its promotion. Out of the considerations, into which we have been entering, one or two important reflections arise; which I am anxious to impress upon your minds, before I conclude.

And first, a careful and impartial review of the

a Luke, xxiii. 34.

subject must make every serious Christian ashamed of the gross and even abominable mistakes, which have been, at various times, committed upon the subject of the glory of God. Upon what principle has every quarrel for the sake of religion; every approach to persecution on account of opinion, proceeded; but upon some vain idea, that the glory of God was promoted by entertaining certain peculiar notions about His nature, attributes, designs; and by offering Him up worship in the way, each particular sect conceives to be most acceptable to Him?-Observe too, that these unchristian practices must proceed upon the arrogant assumption, that we are certainly right, and our neighbour-he whom our Saviour enjoined us to love, but to whom we shew our hatred-as certainly wrong. But the most miserable assumption of all, is, that the notions, we puny creatures of earth form, or the outward demonstrations of reverence that we pay to the Author and Preserver of our Being, can in any manner promote, or impede, the glory of Him, who is higher than the highest, greater than the greatest, even "King of Kings, and Lord of Lords."a

If this be a correct view of things, as I must believe it to be, how wondrous an improvement might be effected in the opinions, and in the practice, of the Christian world, even at the present day, if the doctrine, implied by the text, were more attentively studied, and more continually brought to bear upon conduct! How would it lessen the asperity of feelings, which embitter one nation against another;

a Revel. xix. 16.

how would it subdue the unwarrantable dislike of sect against sect; if men would only reflect, how utterly insignificant our thoughts, our service, must really be, as to the peace or glory of the great God of heaven and earth; how utterly incapable we should be of forming a notion of what was best adapted to His nature, or pleasing in His sight, without some aid, some information, imparted from above; and finally, how preposterous it is, when we have such aid vouchsafed, such information revealed, to set up our own crude fancies, our own hasty misconceptions, or our own inflamed imaginations, as criteria, by which the glory of God is to be discovered, rather than have recourse to the simple, but authoritative, language of Scripture itself!

Lastly, I cannot but call your attention to the evidence, which the words of the heavenly song, confirmed as they are by the universal tenor of the New Testament, supply in favour of the reasonableness and truth, as well as the benevolent tendency, of our religion. If Christianity had appeared in any way unsuited to the wisdom and majesty of its Author; or to the capacity and wants of those, to whom it was addressed; a fair presumption might be founded on such appearance against the validity of its claims upon our reverence and belief. Surely then, when we find in its most important lesson; in that notice, which was first given to mankind respecting its nature and object; the most conspicuous marks of wisdom and benevolence; a fair presumption should also be furnished in favour of its pretensions. I am aware that objections have been made against some of

the precepts, contained in our Divine books; other parts have become obscure by the lapse of ages, or the perverseness of interpretation; but I am not aware of any argument against any part of the moral precepts of the gospel, that may not be shewn to arise from some false principle of reasoning; while, surely, by far the greater part must challenge the assent and admiration of advocate of reason, every disciple every of truth, every lover of virtue.

The very clear light, that is thrown on the Divine attributes, and upon human duties, by the intelligible, but impressive, chant of triumph in the text (connected as it is with the birth of the Messiah, and illustrated so beautifully by His example) appears to me to shed around the origin of the Gospel something of that effulgence, which, St. Luke assures us, blazed in the heavens, and displayed the glory of the Lord to the astonished shepherds. I am far from resting the pretensions of the Gospel upon this single argument; but, as introducing so important and so practical a truth, and unfolding so concisely, yet so clearly, the design and tenor of the new dispensation, I cannot but think it possesses no inconsiderable weight. For myself; if any one ask me for a concise proof of the truth of Christianity; if he desire me to explain shortly, why I think myself bound to believe, and to love and obey the Gospel; here, I will reply, is the ground of my belief, the motive for my love, the title to my obedience. The THE GOSPEL SEEKS TO PROMOTE THE GLORY OF God, BY DIFFUSING PEACE ON EARTH, AND INSPIRING GOOD-WILL TOWARDS MEN.