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under the heaviest preffure of affliction, and look by faith through the darkeft cloud, to the complete redemption of Ifrael from all his troubles. "For Jerufalem fhall be a "burdenfome ftone for all people: all that "burden themselves with it fhall be cut in "pieces, though all the people of the earth "fhould be gathered together against it."

4thly, This important fubject fuggests a variety of useful inftructions to all who bear office in the church of Chrift; and more efpecially to those who labour in word and doctrine*. To us is committed the miniftry of reconciliation, that by the manifeftation of the truth as it is in Jefus, the eyes of finners may be opened, and they turned from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God. We are commanded

to preach the word, to be inftant in fea"fon and out of feafon, to reprove, rebuke, "and exhort, with all long-fuffering and "doctrine." "In meeknefs inftructing "those that oppose themselves; if God per"adventure will give them repentance to "the

*Preached at the opening of the General Affembly of the Church of Scotland, 1772.

"the acknowledging of the truth; and that "they may recover themselves out of the "fnare of the devil, who are taken captive "by him at his will."

This, my fathers and brethren, is the great aim of the facred office we bear; to which, not our public miniftrations only, but every part of our conduct, ought to be fubfervient. Let us keep this aim continually in our eye, as a lamp to our feet; and a light unto our path; and, in particular, let us place it full in our view when we are affembled together in the name of our Lord, to deliberate and judge in matters which belong to his fpiritual kingdom; remembering, that as all our authority is derived from him, fo the exercise of that authority can be no further valid than as it is regulated by his will, and fubordinated to the purpose for which the Son of God was manifefted; and confequently, that every act and decifion of an oppofite tendency, fhall be finally difowned and reprobated by him, who came to deftroy the works of the devil. Amen.

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SERMON XII.

PHILIPPIANS i. 27.

295

Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gofpel of Chrift.

T will be to little purpofe to inquire what

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kind of converfation becometh the gospel of Chrift, till we be fatisfied, in the first place, that this charge, which was originally addreffed to the Philippians, may, with equal propriety, be addressed to us.

The qualifying particle ONLY, with which the Apostle introduces the exhortation, plainly denotes, that, in his own judgement, the demand he made was no lefs moderate than it was juft: Only let your converfation be as it becometh the gospel of Chrift. This is all I require; and you cannot with decency ask, nor in reason hope, that lefs fhould be ac cepted. To this conclufion he was naturally led by the character and circumstances of those to whom he wrote. His epiftle

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was infcribed, not to unbelieving Jews or Gentiles, but to faints in Chrift Fefus; to men who had been converted to the Christian faith, as we learn from the foregoing part of the chapter. And it is material to obferve, that as Christianity had been treated with peculiar indignity at Philippi, where Paul and his companion Silas were, by order of the magiftrates, publicly scourged and caft into prison, therefore the profeffion of the gospel, in fuch a place, was juftly intitled to the most favourable conftruction: for nothing lefs than a deep conviction of its truth and excellence, could be fuppofed to have induced any inhabitant of that city, to profess a religion that inevitably expofed him to thofe contemptuous, as well as painful fufferings, which a generous and feeling mind would of all others most anxiously wish to avoid.

Surely, then, the Apoftle could have no reafon to fufpect, that a demand fo moderate would either offend or furprise them: Let your converfation be as it becometh the gofpel of Chrift.You have embraced the faith of the gospel, and continue to make

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an open confeffion of it, without any allurements of a temporal nature, nay, in the face of the most obvious and alarming difcouragements; and therefore, as there can be no room to call in queftion either your belief of its doctrines, or your regard to its laws, I may, without prefumption, hope to obtain your confent, when I only exhort you to act a confiftent and uniform part, by fuiting your converfation to the religion. you have chofen, and have the fortitude to

avow.

It is true, and it ought to be gratefully acknowledged, that our prefent fituation in these lands is very different from that of the ancient Philippians. Chriflianity, as reformed from the corruptions of Popery, is the established religion of our country: fo that if a man believe the gofpel of Christ, he may, with the most perfect safety to his perfon and property, make as public a confeffion of his faith as he inclines. But it is equally true, that no man is compelled by the terrors of perfecution to profefs Chriftianity, if he do not believe it; nay the profeffion of incredulity itself, if it break not VOL. II. forth

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