his heart in general to benevolence and peace. And were we equally fenfible of our advantages in the preaching of Jefus Chrift, we fhould be equally difpofed to forgive, and to comfort, and to love our fellow-chriftians. For what are the little interefts of this life, which occafion our selfishneffes, and heart-burnings, and ftrifes, to the man who is born again to the expectation of a better world, and places all his hopes in the riches and glories of a future immortality? The way of falvation is opened by his faviour: and that is the treasure wherein he places his heart. He has a crown of glory laid up for him in heaven: what has he to do with ambition here? No! where there is peace and joy within, it will naturally diffuse itself without; it will even long for a proper fubject to exert itself upon; it will embrace every opportunity it can lay hold of. This is the case of God: were we full of his spirit, we should be full of his works.

"Be ye, therefore, followers of God, as

dear children.

And this is the commandment, that we should believe on the name of

his fon Jefus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. And he that keepeth his commandments, dwelleth in him, and he in him: and hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the spirit which he hath given us."

DISCOURSE

DISCOURSE XVII.

PHILIPPIANS III. 7, 8.*

BUT WHAT THINGS WERE GAIN TO ME, THOSE I COUNTED LOSS FOR CHRIST. YEA, DOUBTLESS, AND I'COUNT ALL THINGS BUT LOSS, FOR THE EXCELLENCY OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST JESUS MY LORD.

In the verses immediately before this paffage, the apostle had been magnifying to the Philippians the feveral advantages that belonged to him as a jew: and they appear to have been very great to any member of that fociety, whether we confider them in a religious or civil light. For he had not only been initiated into all the ceremonies, and "walked in all the ordinances

* Preached at the archdeacon's vifitation at Halstead, May 20, 1784.

of the law blamelefs;" but had expreffed fuch uncommon zeal, and displayed fuch high abilities in its fupport, as must endear him to the profeffors of his nation, and entitle him to every privilege it could afford. But thefe, fays he, reputation, and rank, and wealth, and all that the world counts gain; these, I was not only ready to forego, but "I counted them even loss for Chrift" as the riches of a mariner in the storm, who confiders only their incumbrance, I cast them willingly into the deep, when the keeping of them minifter peril, or obftruct the fafe failing of the vessel wherein I have embarked my fortune and my life. And then he adds that noble declaration, wherein it befits christian now to join,

every

yea, doubtlefs, and I count all things but lofs;" every thing that the world holds dear; honour, power, fubfiftence, and good name; the countenance of the great, and the confolations even of the kind, "for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Lord."

Jefus my

These words, as I said before, are a pattern for every chriftian. Yet I will not fay

that

that the circumftances of all chriftians are like thofe of our apoftle: perhaps few, if. any in the world, and certainly none of this age or country, have their faith exercised by fuch trials as he underwent. In this very

paffage he speaks of "fuffering the lofs of all things for Jefus Chrift;" by which he probably means what had already happened, his being caft out of the fynagogue, plundered of his private fortune, and feeling all the heavy and difgraceful penalties of the jewish church and ftate, for his fuppofed herefy and defection from both. And in another part of his writings, he gives a description of a whole life spent in the acutest diftreffes, to which any man's mind or body could be expofed; and which he declares to have been his own cafe in the exercise of his apostolic function. And, at laft, we know that he was offered up a facrifice to truth upon the altar of perstition.

pagan fu

But, though the fame circumstances do not await us, the fame principle ought to infpire us. It is not the circumstances that make the chriftian. They will discover in

deed