with Patience the Race that is fet before us. Ye shall be righteous before God; working that which is Good, and Right, and Truth, before the Lord; following him fully; and walking in all the Commandments and Ordinances of the Lord blameless. b Follow after Righteoufnefs, Godliness, Faith, Love, Patience, Meekness: Fight the good Fight of Faith; lay hold on eternal Life: that ye may ftand perfect, and compleat in all the Will of God. c Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things 1 are honest, whatfoever things are juft, whatfoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any Virtue; if there be any Praife; think on these things. For he that in these things ferveth Chrift, is acceptable to God, and approved of Men. d Whether ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the Glory of God. e As God hath diftributed to every Man, as the Lord hath called every one, fo let him walk; caring for the things of the Lord, that he may be holy both in Body and Spirit. f Let your Speech be always with Grace, feafoned with Salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every Man. 8 If any Man among you feem to be religious, and bridleth not his Tongue, but deceiveth his own Heart, this Man's Religion is vain. -Heb. 12. 1. a Luke 1. 6. 2 Chr. 31. 20. Num, 14. 24. 1 Tim. 6. 11, 12. Col. 4. 12. b d 1 Cor. 1o. 31. Phil. 4. 8. Rom. 14. 18. I Cor. 7. 17, 34. f Col. 4. 6. 8 Jam. 1. 26. In CHAP. IX. Concerning the PERFECTION of HOLINESS. The Perfection of a Chriftian confifts in using his utmoft Endeavours to perform, with Sincerity and Zeal, the whole Will of God; to grow in Grace, and excel in all manner of Virtue; and to perfevere in the Ways of Piety and Holiness, to the End of his Life. UNIVERSAL OBEDIENCE. 'A Bhor that which is Evil; cleave to that which is good. Cleanfe your felves from all Filthinefs both of Flesh and Spirit, perfecting Holiness in the Fear of God. Lay apart all Filthinefs, and Superfluity of Naughtinels: And, keep your felves unspotted from the World. c Whatever is an Abomination to the Lord thy God thou shalt utterly deteft, and thou shalt utterly abhor it: For it is a curfed thing. d Let thine Eyes look right on, and let thine Eye-lids look ftreight before thee: Ponder the Path of thy Feet, and let all thy Ways be eftablifhed: Turn not to the right Hand, nor to the left: Remove thy Foot from Evil. e Let us lay afide every Weight, and the Sin which doth fo eafily befet us; and let us run Rom. 12. 9. 2 Cor. 7. I. • Heb. 12. 1. b Jam. 1. 21, 27. d Prov. 4. 25, 26, 27. with Patience the Race that is fet before us. are shall be righteous before God; working that which is Good, and Right, and Truth, before the Lord; following him fully; and walking in all the Commandments and Ordinances of the Lord blameless. b Follow after Righteoufnefs, Godliness, Faith, Love, Patience, Meekness: Fight the good Fight of Faith; lay hold on eternal Life: that ye may ftand perfect, and compleat in all the Will of God. c Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honeft, whatfoever things are juft, whatfoever things are pure, whatfoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any Virtue; if there be any Praife; think on these things. For he that in these things ferveth Chrift, is acceptable to God, and approved of Men. d Whether ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the Glory of God. as e As God hath diftributed to every Man, the Lord hath called every one, fo let him walk; caring for the things of the Lord, that he may be holy both in Body and Spirit. f Let your Speech be always with Grace, feafoned with Salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every Man. 8 If any Man among you feem to be religious, and bridleth not his Tongue, but deceiveth his own Heart, this Man's Religion is vain. -Heb. 12. I. a Luke 1. 6. 2 Chr. 31. 20. Num, 14. 24. 1 Tim. 6. 11, 12. Col. 4. 12. b Phil. 4. 8. Rom. 14. 18. di Cor. 10. 31. f Col. 4. 6. 8 Jam. 1. 26. Curfed be he that doth the Work of the Lord deceitfully; who holdeth the Truth in Unrighteousness; who fecretly doth those things that are not right, against the Lord; and hath not turned unto him with his whole Heart, but feignedly. Woe unto you, Hypocrites; which ftrain at a Gnat, and swallow a Camel; which devour Widows Houses, and for a pretence make long Prayer. Ye are they which justify your felves before Men; but God knoweth your Hearts: For that which is highly efteemed amongst Men, is oftentimes Abomination in the Sight of God. dYe fit before the Lord as his People, and ye hear his Words; but ye will not do them: For with your Mouth ye fhew much Love; but your Heart goeth after your Covetousness. e Ye are like unto whited Sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead Men's Bones, and all Uncleannefs; even fo ye alfo outwardly appear righteous unto Men; but within ye are full of Hypocrify and Iniquity. f But what is the Hope of the Hypocrite, tho' he hath gained, when God taketh away his Soul? Will God hear his Cry, when Trouble cometh upon him Will he delight himself in the Almighty? Will he always call upon God? Behold the Joy of the Hypocrite is but for a moment; why then are ye thus altogether vain ? a Jer. 48. ro. Rom. 1. 18. 2 Kings 17. 9. Jet. 3. 10. a Eztk. 33. 31. De Mat. 23. 27, 28. a He He that walketh uprightly walketh furely: But a double-minded Man is unftable in all his Ways. b'If there be firft a willing Mind, it is accepted, according to that a Man hath, and not according to that he hath not. c Let my Heart, O Lord, be found in thy Statutes, that I be not afhamed: For the Upright fhall dwell in thy Prefence. ZEAL. d Strive to enter in at the ftrait Gate: For ma ny will strive to enter in, and shall not be able. e Neglect not the Gifts that are in you: but exercise your felves unto Godliness, and give Diligence to make your Calling and Election fure. f Let your Loins be girded about, and your Lights burning; and ye your felves like unto Men that wait for their Lord. Stand fast in the Faith, quit you like Men, be ftrong: For it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing. Be ye very couragious to keep, and to do," all that is written in the Book of the Law: And, be ye valiant for the Truth upon the Earth. h Take unto you the whole Armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil Day; and having done all, to ftand: For we wreftle not against Flesh and Blood; but against Principalities, against Powers, against the Rulers of the Darkness of this World, against spiritual Wickednefs in high places. Prov. 1o. 9. Jam. 1.8. f b2 Cor. 8. 12. C O a Do |