472 CHRISTIAN MORALITY, VIZ. ISERM. XXVIII. tion, and love, run through every part of the covenant of grace, like so many bright and beautiful coloursjoined together ,in the rainbow, that stretches its glory round the lower sky, and seals an ancient andeverlasting peace between earth and heaven. , There is therefore the most sovereign and constraining obligation laid upon us christians, to do all things that Are lovely, that we may make our holy religion appear like itself, and cause christianity to be beloved of men. Every christian is in some degree intrusted with the ho- nour of Christ, and with the credit and renown of his gospel. Let us be watchful then to take all opportuni- ties, and use all pious methods to make our hope appear glorious, and set the name of Christ in its own amiable light, and to adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour. How dishonourable and shameful a thing is it for a Christian to have an unlovely carriage, or to shew any thing in his conduct that is rough and forbidding ! What a blemish does it cast upon the gospel which he pro- fesses ! Let us talk what we will of the sublimer glories of christianity, and profess an acquaintance with the deepest mysteries, yet with all our flaming zeal for the faith, we may become scandals to the gospel, if we aban- don the practices of love. The world will judge of our religion by our temper and carriage. We give occasion therefore to the world to upbraid us, What do you more than others ?" If we, who pretend to be christians, who have professed the most lovely of all religions, are guilty of practices unworthyof that sacred name : When they see our carriage as bad as others, theywill be ready to cry out " What is your beloved more than another beloved ?" What are your doctrines better than others, ifyour practice differs"not from others ? And are you willing it should be said of you, that you are the occa- sions of shame and scandal to the name and religion of Christ ? We should do all things that are amiable in the sight pf men, that the gospel may have the gloryof it ; Shall I say, the gospel of Christ deserves it at our hands ? If the gqspel brings so rich a salvation to us, it is fitting Nye should bring a great deal ofhonour to it. How ho- nourable is it to the gospel of Christ, when persons ofa rough, crabbed, sour temper, are converted by. this gos-
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