things here recommended are not fo many as the words by which they are exprefs'd, there being feveral Words ufed in this Enumeration, that are of the fame importance, and feem to exprefs much the fame thing.

The Four Heads I would reduce them to are these,

I. A conftant Adherence to the true Religion. II. Honesty and Justice in our Dealings. III. A Life of Strict Purity, in oppofition to Senfuality and Lewdnefs. IV. The adorning the Doctrine of God we do profefs, by the conftant Practice of every other thing that is Virtuous or Commendable, or well thought of by Mankind.. This, as I take it, is a fair account of the Parts of this Text: and thefe I fhall make the Heads of my following Exhortation.

I begin with the firft. Finally, my Bre thren, whatfoever things are true, think on those things.

The Truths that St. Paul here exhorts them to think on are undoubtedly the T Truths of the Gofpel of Jefus Chrift, which

he had delivered to them. Thefe he would have them to think upon, and perfift in, and never to be prevailed upon by any Temptation to depart from them.

Let me now apply this Advice of his to you. It is the particular Bleffing of God to this Kingdom, and an ineftimable Bleffing it is, that he has not only vouchfafed us the Light of his Gospel for many years, but he has alfo taken Care that the Truths of it fhould be delivered to us with greater Purity and Sincerity, and freer from the mixtures of Errour than to moft, I was going to fay than to any other People in the World.

If it lay in your way to make obfervations concerning the State of Religion in other Countries; nay, or but to read the Accounts that are given of it: Iam fure you would be convinced how exceedingly happy we of this Church are, above all the Churches in Christendom.

O therefore let us all firmly adhere to the Truths we have been taught; to the Truths we have hitherto made Profeffion of. And let us firmly adhere to that Church which hath held forth these Truths to us, and taught us this Profeffion."

We do not pretend that any Church is Infallible, and therefore not ours: But this we dare fay, and we can juftifie; that if we take our measures concerning the Truths of Religion from the Rules of the Holy Scripfures, and the Platform of the Primitive Churches, the Church of England is undoubtedly, both as to Doctrine and Wor fhip, the Pureft Church that is at this day in

the

A

the World; the moft Orthodox in Faith, and the freeft on the one hand from Idolatry and Superftition, and on the other hand from Freakishness and Enthusiasm, of any now

I extant.

Nay,I do farther fay with great seriousness, and as one that expects to be called to account at the dreadful Tribunal of God for what I now fay, if I do not fpeak in fincerity: That I do in my Confcience believe, that if the Religion of Jefus Chrift, as it is delivered in the New Teftament, be the true Religion (as I am certain it is:) Then the Communion of the Church of England is a fafe way to Salvation, and the fafeft of any I know in the World.

And therefore I do exhort you all in the Name of God, fteadfastly to hold, and to perfevere in this Communion.

Here you have the Things that are true. Think of them and embrace them heartily; and Live and Die in the Profeffion of them. This is the Doctrine I have always Taught you, and by the Grace of God I mean to Practife accordingly.

II. The next thing I have to recommend to you from these words of the Apostle, is Univerfal Honesty and Justice and Righteouf nefs in your Converfation. Whatsoever things (faith he) are true, whatsoever things are honest; whatsoever things are just; think on these things.

You

You fee I join these two words Honest and Just together, as importing the fame thing Though yet I am aware that the word we here render Honest is often used in another fignification, that is to fay, for Grave or Venerable: But fince that other fignification falls in moft properly under my laft Head, I wave it here, and take the word as our Tranflation renders it.

Indeed it is in vain to expect any advantage from our profeffion of the Truth, if we be not fincerely Just and Honest in our Actions.

Whofoever can allow himself in the praEtice of any difhoneft, knavifh indirect Dealing, let that Man be never fo Orthodox in his Belief and Opinions; yet I amfure he is no true Chriftian.

O therefore let me exhort you all, whatever Interests you have to ferve; whatever Dealings you are to engage in, to be always ftrictly Just and Upright in your Converfation. Ufe no Tricks, practife no ill Arts for the ferving your ends, but in all your tranfactions with Men, deal with that Simplicity and Integrity and good Confcience, that becomes thofe who would be accounted the Difciples of Him who was the most Innocent, the moft Sincere, and the leaft Intrigueing Perfon in the World.

Affure your felves no difhonefty can profper long. Whatever turns you may ferve

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by it at prefent, yet you will bitterly repent of it fometime or other. But Righteousness and Justice doth establish a Man's ways. And the upright Man, though he is not always the richest, yet always walketh most furely. And as for the final event of things; Remember this that God Almighty has pronounced, that no Unrighteous men, no Covetous, no Lyars, no Extortioners, shall enter. into the Kingdom of Heaven. But to go on.

III. The next thing I have to exhort you to from the words of my Text is the PraEtice of Purity. For after the Apostle hath recommended the purfuit of things that are true, and the things that are honest and just, he next adds the things that are pure. Meaning hereby that we fhould ftudy to be pure, and chaft, and temperate both in our Hearts and Lives; avoiding all Exceffes, and Lewdnefs, and Senfuality.

And if he thought it convenient in that Age of ftrictnefs and feverity and devotion, to put the Chriftians in mind of this: I am fure it is not only convenient but neceffary to do it, in this Age of ours, when Luxury and Debauchery, when Whoredom and Drunkenness, and all forts of Vices that are conཔ མ་ trary to Purity, are grown to that height among us, that we feem to defie God Almighty by our impudent Practice of them, and provoke Him to give us up to Destructi

on.

I pray