DISCOURSE IV.

THE INFLUENCE OF CHRISTIANITY ON CIVIL

SOCIETY.

TIT. II. 11, 12.

The grace of God, which bringeth falvation, hath appeared to all men; teaching us, that, denying ungodliness, and worldly lufts, we should live foberly, righteously, and godly, in this prefent world.

W

IV.

ERE it required to produce from DISC. the Scriptures that paffage, which exhibits, in feweft words, the fulleft account of the nature and defign of Chriftianity, this is, perhaps, the paffage, that should be fixed on for the purpose. Let us therefore furvey and examine the striking features of so pleasing a portrait.

DISC.

IV.

It is by no means intended to enter into a difcuffion at large of the various topics here fuggested by the Apoftle. It will be more advisable to contract our views, and confine them to a fingle point. It fhall be this; viz. the friendly afpect which Chriftianity, as here reprefented-and it is here truly reprefented-bears towards fociety, and the welfare and felicity of mankind upon earth. In other words, I would wifh, by an illuftration of the text, to convey to your minds fome faint idea of that state of things, which would begin to fhew itself in the world, were the religion of Jefus rightly understood, and zealously practised, among men. A view of the Gofpel, in this light, will furnish us with proper answers to fome objections made by it's enemies, as if it had been useless, nay, even prejudicial to fociety. An inference will likewife offer itself to the confideration of it's friends, fuitable to this audience, and the present folemnity.

St. Paul, then, firft declares the origin, univer

IV.

univerfality, and general intent of the Gof- DISC. pel. It was not a production of earth: it came from above; it was xagis ex, the grace, or gift of God. As a gift, we may conclude it given, like other gifts, for the benefit of the receivers. As the gift of him, who is the Father of Mercies, and the God of all confolation, it must be calculated to diffufe mercy and comfort among his creatures. Iffuing from the God of peace and order, it could never be defigned to give birth to wars and tumults. Offspring of that Being, who, as St. John tells us, is Love, it could never be intended to produce hatred in the hearts, of which it should take poffeffion. Proceeding from the God of holinefs, and of life, it was not defigned to be the means of enlarging the empire of fin and death. It came, σωτήριος, bringing falvation," or deliverance from every enemy; and it came to all, without diftinction of fex or age, country or condition. Eπeqavn n xapos το Θεό η σωτηριος πασιν ανθρωποις· it appeared, it fhone forth, manifesting itself by it's

DISC. own fplendour, like the day-fpring from on
IV. high; like the light of the morning, when

the fun arifeth, free, bright, univerfal;
author of light and life, of joy and glad-
nefs; and hailed, as fuch, by all things in
heaven and earth. It appeared, to difpel
ignorance, as darknefs; and to diffeminate
knowlege, as light; to inform and in-
ftru& mankind, παιδευουσα ημας, taking us
into training, and putting us under disci-
pline, in the fchool of a divine Master,
who teacheth us to avoid evil, and to pur-
fue good; and who alone can enable us to
do either with effect. In this last particular,
his fchool excels all others, with respect to
the benefits accruing from it to civil foci-
ety, in proportion as it is better that men
fhould practise virtue, than that they should
fpeak, or write of it.
wanted a perfect law,

but this was not all.

Mankind, it is true, or rule of conduct : The perfection of a

law would afford fmall comfort to thofe who lived under it, if they could not obferve it, and must perish for tranfgreffing it. Men ftood in need of other things;

they