SERMON XXXIX. 551 believers. Herein yon become followers and imitatórs of the blessed Lord your Master : I-Ie is the first pattern, he is the most glorious example; -for in all things he must have the pre- eminence. If you become a public and a shining example of virtue, and piety, and goodness, you may attain these four veryvaluable ends at once : 1. By this means you pay great and just honours to the blessed gospel wherebyyou arc saved, and confound and silence the impious accusations aud.slanders of the wicked: And espe- cially ifyour station and rank in the wórld make you the object of more publie notice, either in a city, in a village, in -a neigh- bourhood, or in any society of men, then like a candle or a torch set on a hill, you diffuse light and' honour far around you, and God and the gospel are glorified on your acceunt. And not only in thehigherstations of tiff, but even servantsof the lowest cha- racter, if they are but saints, nzay adorn the doctrine of God their Saviour in all things; 'Titus ü. 10. It is greatly for the credit of our holy religion, when the men of this world seeing our good works, are forced to confess that there is something di- vine in christianity, that God is amongst tit of a truth ; and by these means they areconstrained to, glorify our Father, and our Redeemer, andour holy religion. This is thecommand ofChrist; Mat. v..16. 2. Hereby sinners are not only convinced that there is a power and glory in the doctrine of Christ, but many a soul has beenconverted to the faithof Jesus, by beholding the pious con- versation, the heavenly graces, the holy love, the divine zeal, the constancy, the patience, and the sufferings of christians. The good women in St. Peter'sdays were exhorted to invite and draw their unbelieving husbands to the faith and love of the gospel, " by beholding their chaste conversation, coupled with reli- ,gious fear, and the ornament of a meak and a quiet spirit; 1 Pet. iii. 1 -4. Look forward, O christians, to the last great day, and think with what a pleasing joy you shall hear those who have been converted by your example, and reformed from a- licentious course of life, declare this to your public honour before men and angels: `Your holy example though buried long in silence, shall have a glorious resurrection in that day, and the Judge himself shall proclaim it to your praise, that he used your piety here on earth, as an instrument of his grace to enlarge his kingdom. 3. Hereby christians of a lower form, and those that are babes in Christ, are awakened to a holy imitation of your supe- rior virtues and graces. It was the continuance of St. Paul in
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