BERM. XXXI COURAGE AND HONOUR. 501 deserved, on purpose to expose the christian religion. The apostle Peter agrees with our Lord Jesus Christ in the same design; 1 Pet. iii. 16. Keep " a good consci- ence, that whereas they speak evil of you as evil -doers, they may be ashamed while they falsely accuse your good conversation in Jesus Christ." Nowwhen it appears to bepure hatred of God and of goodness, of Christ and his gospel, for which you are reproached, then you have cause to rejoice, because Christ is on your side: So he was reproached in the days of his flesh, so the prophets that went before him, and so the apostles that succeeded him; 1 Pet. iv.. 14. " The Spirit of God and of glory resteth upon you, for on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified." Happy are ye, for Christ and you arejoined together in the same cause ; and you who have glorified him on earth, shall be glorified together with him in heaven. The third objection is this, if praise amongst men be lawful to be sought, how comes it to pass that there are so many reproofs given to those who seek the praise of men ? How can these scriptures be reconciledwith some others that are cited before to encourage actions worthy of praise ? How often does our Saviour severely re- buke the pharisees for this practice, that " they do their good works to be seen of men ?" Mat. vi. 9, 5,' 16% John v. 44. Answer. It is evident that these hypocrites whom our Saviour reproves, neglected all inward piety before God, and practised the outward forms ofgodliness merely to gain the praise of men, they loved and valued it more than the praise of God, John xii. 4-. They received honour of one another, and had no concern about that superior blessing, that divine esteem and approbation which God only can bestow, and which only would stand them in stead hereafter. Where the praise 6f God is inconsistent with the praise of men, there it is evident we must despise the censures or thè praises of the world, and seek the divine approbation only : But where these two benefits may be happily conjoined, we are not bound to separate them. God never requires us to seek infamy and reproach, or to abandon that honour that belongs to truth and goodness.
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