sonably hope, that some, both in the present and in future ages, will be the better for his holy and useful life.” It is only, however, the first of these propositions that the author has discussed, or rather "illustrated by an induction of particulars:" and what he has executed even upon this is only a part of what he designed, the manuscript closing in the middle of a sentence. The following are the particulars which he has adduced. 1. INTEGRITY AND SINCERITY. "A Christian is called upon by the word of God to observe the great rule, Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: which, carefully attended to, would produce evident and eminent integrity and sincerity, in word and deed, running through his whole conduct and conversation in the world, marking all his commercial transactions, and giving a weight to his character. Every appearance of suspicion or dissimulation, equivocation, or imposition, of fraud or exorbitancy in profits or advantages, is to be carefully avoided. All should be open and undisguised, courting inquiry, and avoiding darkness or shuffling that his character in this respect may be so established, that the better any are acquainted with him, and the longer they have dealings with him, the more entirely they may depend on his word, and confide in his honesty, even where his interest is deeply concerned.— Even persons making no pretences to religion not unfrequently acquit themselves so punctually in social life, that their word is as good as their bond, and men confide in them without hesitation. And, although it must be allowed that religious people, having more eyes upon them, more to watch for their halting, and more who, from prejudice, will be ready to credit idle reports, and put bad constructions upon whatever will admit of it, have more difficulties in this respect to encounter than others have; yet, having so much more powerful motives and encouragements, and such exceeding great and precious promises, both that they shall receive assistance in performing their duty, and that the Lord will make those ashamed who falsely accuse their good conversation in Christ, it is very possible for them so to behave themselves in this matter, as, in process of time, nearly to put to silence the ignorance of foolish men, and to force the very enemies of religion to acknowledge them men of approved and unimpeachable uprightness.This is the character of the citizen of Zion, that he swear eth to his own hurt, and changeth not. Truth, righteousness, disinterestedness, contempt of those things for which ungodly men lie, equivocate, dissemble, defraud, and injure one another, are essential to his character. Nor can the true Christian allow himself in any thing inconsistent with this; though he may inadvertently be betrayed into things which are evil, or bear the appearance of evil. "On the other hand, A false weight and unjust balance are an abomination to the Lord. Every species of falsehood, injustice, oppression, exorbitant profit, grinding the faces of the poor, taking advantage of their necessities and dependence, and all other practices of this sort, are clear marks of a selfish, mercenary, carnal heart, and are ever reprobated in God's word as evidencing the hypocrisy of such professors as are guilty of them. And, until all those whose conduct in these respects is notorious, or even greatly suspicious, be refused the right hand of fellowship by Christians, whatever they may profess, or however they may make long prayers, and in many other respects imitate their predecessors the Pharisees of old; and until true Christians are inspired with a holy ambition of recommending religion by eminence in such duties as have been pointed out; it cannot be expected that true religion should be respectable, or flourish. So long as it can with any semblance of truth be said, that accredited professors of religion are as bad to be trusted, as hard at a bargain, as selfish, and as insincere, as irreligious persons generally are, the religion they profess will appear contemptible, and the despisers and opposers of it will think themselves justified. What, know ye not that the unrightcous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? From such then, Christian, withdraw thyself: against such bear thy testimony with all watchfulness, and diligence, and perseverance, ever avoiding all appearance of evil, and providing things honest in the sight of all men, as well as in the sight of God, oppose to them by upright, punctual, disinterested example. And, as a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump, we should endeavor to purge out from among us those who act unworthily, that we may be a new lump, and keep the feast, not with the old leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. When the Achans are put out of the camp, we may hope that the Lord will be with us and prosper us in fighting his battles; but not before. Most certainly an insincere, dissembling, * Joshua viis selfish, and fraudulent behaviour is stronger evidence of a man's hypocrisy, than any orthodoxy of sentiment, or narrative of experience, can be of the contrary. The law of God is written in the heart of the true believer, and the second grand precept of that law is, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. But surely he doth not love his neighbour as himself, nor indeed in any measure at all, who makes no conscience of truth and honesty in his dealings, when his interest or conveniency is to be served." 2. BEING HARMLESS AND BLAMELESS. "A Christian is to be an example not only of integrity, but of a harmless and blameless conduct, to prove the sincerity of his profession, and to recommend religion to others. Do all things without murmurings and disputings, that ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world. Even when we are habitually free from any allowed insincerity or injustice, in word or deed, towards any man, and are exemplary in this respect, we may in other things occasion mischief or uneasiness to others, and give needless offence. But to fulfil the meaning of the divine rule of doing to others as we would have them do to us, we must make it our study to do and speak nothing which may do harm, or cause uneasiness to any one, in his connexions, character, or peace of mind. Not only should a Christian so govern his tongue as not to invent or propagate slanders, but to be as tender of the reputation of others as he would have them to be of his; and not even to speak of the faults of his neighbor in words of simple naked truth, without addition, aggravation, or comment, (which is rarely done,) except where the glory of God and the good of others require it-which is comparatively seldom the case. That secret satisfaction, which our envious and malignant nature feels in expatiating on the miscarriages of others, must be daily mortified and opposed; a guard kept on the door of our lips; the tongue, that unruly evil, that world of iniquity, which sets on fire the whole course of nature, and is set on fire of hell, brought under exact government; and the whole conduct carefully and watchfully regulated, that we may not do or speak any thing which may disturb the peace of families, cause dissensions among friends or neighbours, widen breaches already made, wound men's characters, interfere with their inter*Phil, ii. 14, 15. ests, irritate their tempers, tempt them to sin, make them needlessly uneasy, or tend to set them against the truths or the professors of the gospel. A thousand little things, as they may be thought, when taken apart, here require the strictest attention, and on our attention to them much of the credit of the gospel depends. Let Christ be our example he never in a single instance gave offence to any man, but where the glory of God required it; nor ever gave any man cause to accuse him as having injured him by word or deed and he has left us an example that we should follow his steps. : "The character of backbiters, slanderers, talebearers, makebates, busy bodies in other men's matters, is so branded with infamy in the word of God, that assuredly no true Christian can in his habitual conduct deserve it; but through ignorance, inadvertence, and other means, perhaps this part of the Christian's charaeter is as generally and lamentably defective as any part whatever. While I write I feel myself condemned in innumerable particulars by my own conscience; and many, I am persuaded, may do the same while they read. May the Lord humble and pardon us for the past, and stir up us and all Christians to more watchfulness, and tenderness of conscience in these things, in which the honour of religion is so much concerned!" 3. ACTIVE BENEVOLENCE. "A Christian must not only be harmless and blameless, he must positively adorn the doctrine he professes, by an universally benevolent and friendly behaviour.-Now also is the axe laid unto the root of the trees: every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire, Not only those trees which bear poisonous or bad fruit are to be hewn down and burned, but those which bear none. Not only the religious professor who is unjust, fraudulent, dissembling, mischievous, and slanderous, or in any other way allowedly or habitually guilty of outward sin, is to be accounted a hypocrite, and will be found such at the day of judgment; but he also who, though he main--tains an inoffensive conduct, and is in no way scandalous, yet produces none of those fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ to the praise and glory of God; and which especially consist in doing good to all men for the Lord's sake. "God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him; nor is there any thing that is more the very essence of the Christian spirit, than a kind friendly, benevolent disposition, cherished upon right principles, and influencing us to cheerful activity in doing good, according to our ability and opportunity.-It was the daily employment of Christ to go about doing good: nor was he ever out of his way for this end: wherever he went he found opportunities of shewing his friendly and loving dis position towards the bodies and souls of men. Nor was he ever in the least averse to embrace these opportunities. He never permitted personal considerations to interfere : though he were weary; though he needed refreshment; though men interrupted his retirement, and were ever so importunate; though the time were ever so unseasonable, or the circumstances ever so inconvenient; though his enemies were watching to find matter of accusation against him or though the persons to whom he did good proved ungrateful; still he was ever ready to do good. He would condescend to the meanest, or submit to the hardest ser vices for this purpose. He was ever ready to be any one's servant who desired to employ him in doing good.And, having in the most self-denying active manner spent his life in doing good, he finished his course on the cross in the exercise of love which passeth knowledge. He came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.—And he is our example, and requires us to love one another, and to do to one another as he hath done unto us. 66 Opportunities of exercising this Christ-like disposition can never be wanting to us in this vale of tears, if we look out for them. Our abilities, indeed, must needs be limited ; but, if the Spirit of Christ be in us, and produce in us the mind that was in him, we shall in our measure have the willing mind that he had, whether we have much or little in our power. And where there is a willing mind, it is accepted, according to what a man hath, and not according to what he hath not. If once our minds are brought to the Christian temper, to disregard trouble, inconvenience, and what interferes with our false notion of things being beneath us, with our false delicacy, our love of ease, gratification, interest, the pomp and pride of life, and other things of this kind-and surely, if our Lord and Master washed our feet, we ought also to wash one another's feet: if once we learn to love doing good for its own sake, and are made willing to persevere in doing it, in the midst of the unworthiness, perverseness, and ingratitude of men, and |