shall be so blameless, " that they who are of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you r."]
Having shewn the importance of this resolution, we will distinctly mark,
II. The way in which it must be carried into effect — It is scarcely needful to say, that we must have respect to every commandment of God, without par- tiality or reserve ; for where there is partiality there is hypocrisy5; and where there is hypocrisy, there is neither " a perfect heart," nor " a perfect way," nor indeed one spark of true " wisdom." This then must be ever borne in mind, that without an unreserved endeavour to fulfil the whole will of God, the forming of such a resolution must be altogether nugatory and delusive. But supposing the resolution to be sincerely formed, then the question will arise, How must a person demean himself so as really to effect his wish ? We answer, he must conduct himself,
1. With meekness and modesty — [Nothing is more disgusting than forwardness in a reli- gious character. It is offensive in any ; but most of all in one who professes to feel himself a poor, blind, ignorant, guilty creature, " less than the least of all saints," yea, rather, " the very chief of sinners." How unseemly is it to see such an one full of conceit, obtrusive, talkative, loving pre-eminence, and " thinking himself to be something, when he is nothing*!" Yet how many such professors are there, wherever the Gospel is preached ! On the other hand, how lovely is the character of one that is gentle, modest, unassuming, arrogating nothing to himself, and willing on all occasions to " take the lowest place !" Such a person, whilst he himself " is beautified with salvation"," reflects an honour on the Gospel, and " adorns the doctrine of God our Saviour x." Such a disposition is lovely even in the sight of God himself, and is esteemed by him as " an ornament of great price y." It should seem that this was a distinguishing feature in our Lord's character, since the Apostle particularly beseeches us " by the meekness and gentleness of Christ2:" and the more we have of the mind of Christ in this respect, the more " wisely shall we walk both towards them that are without a" the pale of the Church, and those that are within. The want of this disposition renders our way far more difficult,
r Tit. ii. 8. s Jam. iii. 17. l Gal. vi. 3.
u Ps. cxlix. 4. x Tit. ii. 10. )' 1 Pet. iii. 4.
2 2 Cor. x. 1. a Col. iv. 5.