inculcates the indispensable necessity of them, in order to our final happiness ; and in most of them he enters very minutely into the different duties which we are to perforin to God, our neighbour, and our- selves. In the beginning of this chapter he had recommended lowliness of minda; which he after- wards enforced from the example of Christ b. He here continues the same subject, and inculcates a constant exercise of humility towards both God and man, as the best means of adorning our profession, and of securing to ourselves the blessedness which we look for in the eternal world. Pride fosters in the soul a murmuring disposition towards God, and a contentious disposition towards man. Humility counteracts them both. Hence he says, " Do all things without murmurings and disputings ;" engage in every thing with a mind full of submission to God, and of love to man ; that whatever difficulties you may have to contend with, there may be nothing in your conduct unworthy of your high and holy pro- fession, nothing that shall endanger vour eternal welfare.
To enter properly into the subject before us, it will be necessary for us to consider,
I. The principles which are here assumed —
Notwithstanding his jealousy on the subject of faith, he does not hesitate to declare,
1. That the practical efficacy of religion should be the chief object of our attention now —
[It was so to the Jews of old. They possessed the highest privileges as God's chosen people, and had ordinances divinely appointed for their stated observance : yet neither their pri- vileges nor their observances availed them any thing, without holiness of heart and life: their circumcision, whilst they were disobedient to the law, was as uncircumcisidn. To those who boasted that they were Abraham's seed, and therefore children of God, our Lord said, "If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham-;" and, " If God were your Father, ye would love me." To the same test must our pre- tensions also be brought. It is in vain for us to " cry, Lord,
a ver. 3, 4. b ver. 5-8.