Finally Brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatfoever things are honeft, whatsoever things are juft, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatfoever things are of good report; if there be any vertue, and if there be any praife, think on these things.

I

Have the two laft Lord's Days, made it my business to treat of this Text, in a way that I thought did moft tend to the informing your Judgments: And to that purpose I have raised several Obfervations, and drawn feveral Inferences from it.

I mean now to Treat of it in another way, and to apply my felf wholly to the preffing you to the Practice of it.

And indeed the Nature of the Sermon I am to make, doth call for this from me. For I am now to take my leave of you; this being the laft time in all probability that I fhall Preach among you as your Minifter: And therefore I fuppofe good Advice and Exhortation will more become me at this time, than a clofe Difcourfe upon a Text.

And yet, my Text doth afford Matter enough, without ftraining it, for fuch a purpose: Nor indeed do I know a Text in the Bible, that I could more willingly pitch upon to leave with you, as the laft Advice I would give you, and as the Sum and Conclufion of my Preaching among you, than thefe Words of St. Paul I have now read to you.

Let me therefore at this time addrefs my felf to you all, as the Apostle here did at the Conclufion of his Epiftle to the Philippians, Finally Brethren, whatsoever things are true,&c.

Here are a great many things recommended by the Apoftle to our Thoughts and purfuit. If we would make a diftribution of them, I believe they will all naturally enough fall

under

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under these Four Heads. For the things here recommended are not so many as the Words by which they are expreft; 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 will reduce them to are these,

I. A conftant Adherence to the true Religion.
II. Honesty and Justice in our Dealings.

IH. A Life of frict Purity, in oppofition to Senfuality and

Lewdnels.

IV. The Adorning the Doctrine of God we do profefs, by the conftant Practice of every other thing that is Vertuous 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 First. Finally my Brethren, whatsoever things are true, think on these things.

The Truths that St. Paul here exhorts them to think on, are undoubtedly the Truths of the Gospel of Jefus Chrift which he had deliver'd to them. These he would have them to think upon, and perfiftin, and never to be prevail'd 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 inestimable Bleffing it is, that he has not only vouchfafed us the Light of his Gofpel for many Years, but He has alfo taken care that the Truths of it should be delivered to us with greater Purity and Sincerity, and freer from the mixtures of Error 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: I am fure you would be convinced how exceedingly happy we of this Church are, above all the other Churches in Christendom.

O therefore; let us all firmly adhere to the Truths we have been taught; to the Truths we have hitherto made Profeffi

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on 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 Scriptures, and the Platform of the Primitive Churches, the Church of England is undoubtedly, both as to Doctrine and Worship, the Pureft Church that is at this Day in the World; the most 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 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 speak in fincerity, That I do in my Confcience believe, that if the Religion of Jefus Chrift, as it is deliver'd 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 safest of any I know in the World.

And therefore I do exhort you all in the Name of God ftedfaftly 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 Practice accordingly.

11. The next thing I have to recommend to you from these words of the Apoftle is Univerfal Honesty, and Justice, and Righteousness in your Converfation. Whatfoever things (faith he) are true, whatsoever things are just, think on these things.

You fee I join these two words Honeft and Just together as importing the fame thing. Tho' yet I am aware that the word we here render Honeft,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 last Head,

eit here, and take the Word as our Tranflation rend

Indeed