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498

CHRISTIAN MORALITY,

VIZ.

ISLRM.

ment

to

seat thyself

in

a

lower

place,.

Luke

xiv._ 10:

the

master of

the feast shall

exalt

thee,

and

thou

shalt

have

worship

in

the presence

of

those

that

sit

at

meat

with

thee

;

for

he

that

humbleth himself shall

.

be'

exalted."

St

Paul

tells the

christians

"

do

that

which

is

good

and

thou

shalt

have praise from the

ruling

power,

for

magistrates are appointed

for

the

praise

of

them

that

do

well

;

".

1

Peter

ii. 14.

Solonnm

proposes

the same mo-

tive

;

Prov.

iv..

7,

8.

Wisdom

-is

the

principal

thing,

therefore

get

wisdom;

she

shall

bring

thee

to

honour

when thou

dost.embrace.her

:The.

apostle

recommends

often

to

the christians

of

his

day

a.-good

nan

e. amongst

infidels

and heathens;

a

good

;

veport

of trein

which

are

without;

and

he

mentions it

as

an.éminent character of

a

companion of Titus,

that

his..praise

is

in

the gospel

throughout

all.

the churches

;

2 Cor.

viii.

l

8..

And

it

is

recorded to

the

honour of Demetrius

by St.

John,

that

he

had

a

good

report

of all

men, even

of.the. truth itself,

3

-John,

ryerse.l

-,Q.:

;Christians andt.heathens. speak

_Well

of

him,

and

his good

character

_is

just

and

true..

Tor

must

it

be

forgotten;

that in.this

little collection

,of

ad-

vices

in

my.

text, the apostle 'twice :recommends

-such

practices

as

deserve

honour

among: men,

viz.

things

of

good

report,

and things worthy

of

praise.

Surely

if

we

did

but

consider

how

much our

Saviour

and

his

gospel gain

by

it in.the

world, we

should

ever

be engaged

in works

of

good

.report,-:

and practising

that

which may

redound

to

our

praise, for

hereby

we

spread

a

good savour

of

the name

of Christ

wide in

the

:world,

and dur

holy religion

reaps

sensible

honour

and

advan-

tage

by

it.

When the name

of

any

person

is

celebrated

amongst

men for

something

great

and

useful, when his

deeds are mentioned

with

public

praise,

it

is

quickly en-

quired,

"

-

What

religion

is

he

of

?"

Is he

a

heathen

?

Then the

glory.

will be

ascribed to idolaters, and the

ho

nour

perhaps

given to

their

idols.

Is

he

a

christian

?

Then, the name

of

Christ

our

Lord

will

gain

reputation

by it,

and men

will

speak more favourably of

that

doc-

trine

which

was

adorned

with such'

eminent virtue and

piety. This

did

unknown service to' the

gospel

in

the

first propagation

of

it,

when

it appeared.

in

the

world,

that

the

Characters

and

the

lives

of

christians

were

lovely,

that

their

works were

all goodness,

that

they were per