245 SERMON XXIX. LUKE IX. 56. The Son of man is not come to deftroy men's lives, but to fave them. S our bleffed Saviour was paffing SERM. As the owth, through the country of the Samaritans, in his way to Jerufalem, he fent some meffengers before him into one of their villages, to provide an entertainment for himself and his attendants: but the inhabitants knowing him to be a Jew, and that he was going to worship at Jerufalem, from the rooted enmity and hatred which they had to that whole, nation, on account of fome religious dif XXIX. XXIX. SERM. ferences, refused to receive him a treat. ment which fo enflamed the spirit of James and John, two of our Lord's dif ciples, that they immediately, in the warmth of their zeal, cried out, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and confume them? Our Saviour, notwithstanding he had been fo grofsly affronted, was fo far from approving this their zeal, that he rejected their propofal with the utmost indignation, and rebuked them, faying, ye know not what manner of Spirit ye are of; for the Son of man is not come to deftroy men's lives, but to fave them. As if he had faid, Ye do not confider, thoughtlefs and ignorant as ye are, what a vile and wicked spirit that must be which dictates fo much inhumanity; how impoffible it is for me to comply with a request so irreconcileable with my appearance in the world, XXIX. world, which is to do no harm, but all SERM. poffible good to all mankind; not only to confer eternal falvation on them in the next life, but likewife to confult their prefent welfare and happiness in this; to establish human fociety in peace and good order, and to contribute to the security, comfort, and true enjoyment of life. This gracious declaration of our bleffed Lord and Redeemer, cannot but afford us, on aferious confideration, many useful leffons and inftructions, and convince us that by his appearance on earth he confulted the real happiness of mankind, as well in regard to this world, as to that which is to come. It might very juftly indeed be expected, that when our Saviour appeared as a divine meffenger, and the inftitutor of a religion which was to be propagated among R 4 XXIX. SERM. among all nations, that he would have a particular regard to the peace of the world, and make the advancement of it one principal part of his concern. It is not to be fuppofed that God would fend a perfon into the world, to deliver in his name, a law or rule of life to mankind, which would take no care of them, or their interests: it might on the other hand naturally be prefumed that such an institution would be chiefly intended to promote their happiness, and that whilst it effectually fecured that happiness in another world, it would likewise provide for that part of it which may be enjoyed by them in this: without this design indeed, it would not be poffible for any revelation to engage the attention and favour of mankind. Accordingly when our Saviour appeared as a prophet fent from God, he brought with |