Sermons Preached at Lincoln's Inn in the Years 1806 and 1807 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1812. Excerpt: ... SERMON XIII. Preached January 4, 1807. IV JOHN xiii. 34, 35. A NEW COMMANDMENT I GIVE UNTO YOU, THAT YE LOVE ONE ANOTHER; AS I HAVE LOVED YOU, THAT YE ALSO LOVE ONE ANOTHER. BY THIS SHALL ALL MEN KNOW THAT YE ARE MY DISCIPLES, IF YE HAVE LOVE ONE TO ANOTHER, j HTO him, whose examination of the -Gospel history is accompanied by a previous acquaintance with the characters of ancient times, the superiority, which is displayed in the life of our blessed Saviour to whatever excellence they exhibited, must be a striking feature which can never fail to arrest his attention. The Q 3 celebrated celebrated nations of antiquity were not destitute of those who made the search after virtue their employment, and an inquiry into moral goodness the object of their pursuit. These professed to impart to men a rule of conduct which should raise them above the dominion of the senses to the enjoyment of intellectual satisfactions, and to purify the soul from that imperfection which, by its connexion with the body, they conceived it to have acquired. They selected also disciples by whom their instructions might be preserved, and their opinions transmitted to succeeding ages. But we may remark, that if, in the prosecution of this design, the philosopher did not indeed require a recompense for his instruction, he at least expected that those who wished to profit by his wisdom should excel either in the rank and station they possessed, or by the docility and acquirements with which they were endued; whereas, though from his history he appears to have been eminently gifted with every amiable quality to to attract, and every power of persuasion to enforce attention, our Lord contented himself with selecting those, who, devoid of the advantages of birth or fortune, had for their on...