SERM.fon excellent, not fo much upon account IX. of his miraculous Gifts, as of his Moral Qualifications. And therefore the charact er deferves to be particularly confidered, as a Pattern and Example to All who are defirous to improve in Chriftian Virtue. For though the Disciples of Christ are not in All Ages indued with miraculous Powers, yet they may and ought always to endeavour after those Moral Qualifications ; which are, in Scripture-language, the Eph. v.9. Fruits of the Spirit; and in St Paul's 1 Cor. xii. Opinion, the more excellent ones too.

31.

The word, good, in this character of a good man, is used fometimes in a way expreffive of Virtue in general, as opposed to all Wickedness or Vice; and fometimes as denoting a particular Kind or Degree of Virtue, as diftinguished by way of Excellency above other Virtues. In the former fenfe of the word, a good man ftands opposed to a vitious or bad man: In the latter fenfe, a good man ftands diftinguished, by way of Eminence or Superiority, above other even just and righteous perfons.

I. The

I. THE word, Good, is fometimes ex-SER M. preffive of Virtue in general, as oppofed IX. to all Wickedness or Vice. In This fenfe, what Good is, every one knows: It needs not be defined or explained in Many Words; but every man's own Mind and Confcience may be appealed to, to tell him what it is. 'Tis not any thing that is difputed or controverted among Men, which Some call Good, and Others Evil; but what Mankind is well agreed in, and what even the Light of Nature itfelf univerfally approves. 'Tis real and fubftantial in the nature of things, fo as not to be varied by any ext.rnal Change of Time or Circumftances: And 'tis unquestionable and indifputable, so as to be acknowledged by men of all Parties and of all Opinions, how much foever they may differ among themselves in Other matters, and how little Regard foever they may in Practife pay even to this undifputed Goodness itself. Whatsoever Phil. iv. 8. things are True, whatsoever things are Honeft, whatsoever things are Juft, whatfoever things are Pure, whatsoever things are Lovely, whatsoever things are of good VOL. III. Report;

SER M. Report; if there be any Virtue, and if IX. there be any Praife; these are the things,

And

in which This Goodness confifts. In the Old Teftament, 'tis thus defcribed by the Prophet; Mic. vi. 8. He hath showed thee, O man, what is Good; And what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love Mercy, and to walk bumbly with thy God: In the New Teftament, 'tis by St Paul expreffed thus: that Tit. ii. 12. denying ungodliness and worldly Lufts, we fhould live foberly, righteously and godly, in this prefent World, under a fense and expectation of a Judgment to come. by St Peter in the following manner, 1 Pet. iii. 10: That a Man refrain his Tongue from evil, and his Lips that they Speak no Guile; That he efchew evil, and do good; that he feek peace, and enfue for who is he that will harm you, if ye be Thus followers of that which is Good? ver. 13. This general Practife of Virtue, which determines the perfon's whole character, and denominates a Good Man; is what our Saviour represents in his Parable under the Similitude of Good Ground, wherein the Seed fown takes Root

it;

I

IX.

Root and grows, and brings forth Fruit, SER M. being neither hindred by Rocks and want of depth of Earth, nor choaked with Weeds, nor fcorched up and withered by the Heat of the Sun: That is, when neither irrefolutenefs of Temper, nor Fear of Perfecutions, nor the Temptations and Allurements of Profit or Pleasure, the Cares and Bufinefs, the Deceits or Enticements of a corrupt World, withdraw a Man from the uniform Purfuit and Praetife of what is just and right. This is That Sincerity, or (in our Saviour's language) That Honeft and Good Heart, which Luke viii. in the Scripture-style is opposed to Hypo- 15. crify. For Hypocrify, in the language of the facred Writers, does not generally fignify a folemn and formal Pretenfe to Religion without Any real Belief of Religion at all. This fort of Hypocrites, are but Few in number 3 and no Man can be guilty in This kind, without expreffly and distinctly condemning himself in every part of his own Pretenfes. But the Hypocrify much more frequently spoken of in Scripture, and fo generally opposed to real Goodness; is That Hypocrify, in

SER M. Which Men no lefs ufually impose upon IX. Themfelves, than Others; deceiving their own Hearts, as St James expreffes it, ch. i. 26. 'Tis That Deceit, by which Men fanfy that they can become acceptable to God, by any external Profeffion of Religion, by Zeal for particular uncertain Opinions, by an exact Observation of any outward Ceremonies, by conftant Devotion even towards God himfelf; without becoming really Good Men; without governing their own unreasonable Paffions ; without being juft, beneficent, and charitable, towards All Mankind; in a word, without living in the Practife of those Moral Virtues, which are the eternal and unalterable Commands of God, and which are the ultimate End of every religious Institution. The only Evidence therefore, or certain Mark, whereby That Sincerity which denominates a really Good Man, can be diftinguished from fuch Profeffion of Religion, as the Scripture deems hypocritical; is when the Fruits of it appear in a general and habitual Influence over all his Actions: When the Arguments of Reason and Religion, are

not