308 CHRISTIAN MORALITY. a jest upon things sacred, they maketheministers of Christ their objects of ridicule ; and sometimesthey fall into sensuality, luxury, and excess, becausethey must do as their company does, andhale not courage enoughto refuse. If we would be true to Christiwe must live above the world, and be dead to all its threatenings and reproaches. If we are afraid of being thought truly religious, we shall not be able to maintain religion in the truthof it. Thereneeds a sacred cou- rage to be constant in the faith. We must learn to endure hard ship as good soldiers of Christ, if we would be true to the Captain of our salvation. All that belong to his army are chosen and faithful; Rev. xvii. 14. It is a coward that changes his sideas .oft as the enemy makes a flourish, and he lists himself under every banner : But the constant christian is a soldier faithful to the death, and he shall receive the frown of life ; Rev. ii. 10. III. Never venture into the world without having solemnly 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 himself all the day. All the diyine motives youhave learned, and all the solemn engagements under which you lay yqur own souls, will prpve 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, andyour lives must be inhis keeping, if you would baye them true to God or man. Your adversary the devil is watchful and busy with all his wiles to tempt you to falsehood and inconstancy, none but he whp has conquered the devil pan be your sufficient guardian. Andwhen and wheresoever we find frailty and folly in ourselves, O may the strength of Christ appear in our weak- Hess, and be glorified in our preservation ! Thus I have finished all that I proposed concerning the first duty recommended inmy text, Whatsoever things are true-- think on these things. There may be perhaps some other instances wherein this diyine character of truth, uprightness, or integrity, ought to appear inthe conduct of christians which do not so directly, and immedi= ately fall under the general heads which I have before named : But they may be easily reduced to one or another ofthem. There arevarious other methods of deceit and falsehood practised in the world, which break jnupon MIA sacred character of truth, which Ì have not expressly mentioned before ; such as subscribing with thehand to testify our assentto opinions, whichwe Op nót believe ; counterfeiting the names or writings of other persons without their knowledge, consent, or approbation ;. adding or blotting out any thing frpos diyine writings ; or doing the same to the writings or men incivil affairs or contracts, whereby one party or another
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=