370 C8RI3TIAN MORALITY, VIZ. tsERM. XRif, 1f we are afraid of being thought truly religious, we shall not be able to maintain religion in the truth of it. There 'needs a sacred courage to be constant in the faith. We must learn to endure hardship, as good soldiers of Christ, if we would be true to the Captain of our.salva- tion. All that belong to his army are chosen and faith- ful, Rev. xvii. 14. It is a coward that changes his side as oft as the enemy makes a'flourish, and he lists him, self under every banner : But the constant christian is a soldier faithful to the death, and he shall receive the crown of life, Rev. ii. 10. III. Never venture into the world without having so- lemnly committed yourself to the grace of Christ. Trust your soul afresh in the hands of Jesus every morning, that he may keep, you true to himselfall the day. All the divine motives you have learned, and all the solemn en- gagements under which you lay your own souls, will prove but a weak defence to virtue without faith and prayer. Commit yourselves to him who is able to keep you from falling, and . to present you faultless. Your hearts, your lips, and your lives must be in his keeping, if you would have them true to God or man. Your ad- versary the devil is watchful and busy with all his wiles to tempt you to falsehood and inconstancy ; none but he who has, conquered the devil can be your sufficient guar- dian. And when and wheresoever we find frailty and folly in ourselves, O may the strength of Christ appear in our weakness, and be glorified in our preservation ! Thus I have finished all that I proposed concerning the first duty recommended in my text, Whatsoever thing' are truethink on these things. There may be perhaps some other instances wherein this divine character of truth, uprightness, or integrity, ought to appear in the conduct of christians whichdo not so directly and immediately, fall under the general heads' which I have before named : But they may be easily re- duced to one or another of them. 'There are various other methods of deceit and falsehood practised in the world, which break in upon this sacred character of truth, which I have not expressly mentioned before; such as subscribing with the hand to testify our assent to opinions, which we do not believe; counterfeiting the naines or writings ofother persons Without their know- 3
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