SERMON XX. Christian Morality, viz. Truth, Sincerity, 85o. PHIL@. iv. 8.Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, or grave, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever thingsare pure, whatsoeverthings are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report ; if there be any virtue, andif there be any praise, think pa these things. Ova ins vt.n9n, &C. FAITH and practice make up the whole of our religion : A sacred compound, and divinely necessary to our happiness and our heavgn ! Nor does the blessed apostle in any of his writings ever dwell so entirely on one of them, as to forget the other. In this letter to the saints at Philippi, practice has the largest share. Through every chapter he scatters up and down particular directions for the conduct of those believers who dwelt among the gentiles ; but he gives them two general rules, by which they were to walk. The first is in the beginning of his epistle; Philip. i. p. Let your conversation be as becomes the gospel. Act always agreeable to the temper and design of that gospel, which brings salvation by Jesus Christ, and then you will certainly prsctise every virtue of life; your carriage can never be amiss, And toward the latterend of his letter he saith, Finally, bre- thren, before I take my leave of you, Í would give another general rule to direct your practice : I would recommend holiness to you under another view, and describe it in such coloprs and characters. as will not only approve theniselves to your fellow- Christians, but even to the heathens among whom you live, that . you maybe, as he expresses it in chap. ii. ver. 15. thatye may be blameless andharmless, the sons of God without rebuke in a wicked and perverse nation, amongwhom ye shine as lioht.s in the world; that they that have a mind to speak evil of .christianity, and cast what reproaches they can upon the doctrineof the cross, may not be able to find any flaw in your conversation, or any ground to Slander the doctrine which you profess. - The rule is this, whatsoever the light of nature, and the better sort of heathens, esteem' true and honest, or decent, and just, and pure, and lovely, and of good report, let these things
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