I44
A
.AOpEPI1L
YOti?N
[SEñM.
YSTf.
disposition,
rude
in
his
behaviour,
and
makes
a
very
unlovely figure
amongst
men
?
Let
him
fill
what station
he
will in
the church,
he bears
but
a
disagreeable cha-
racter
in
the house,
and
disgraces the family
or
the city
where he
dwells.
What
his
secret
virtues
or
graces are,
we know
not,
for they shine
all
inward
;
he
keeps
all his
goodness
to
himself,
and never
suffers his
light to
shine
out amongst
his
neighbours."
Can
I
bear that
it
should
be
said
concerning
me,
"
He
seems
indeed
to have
something
of
the
love
of
God
in
him,
but
he
is so
rough
in
his
natural
temper, and
so
uncorrected
in his
manners,
that
scarce any man loves
him
?
He
may
bend
his
knees to
God
in
prayer, but
he
has
not
common civility towards men.
His morality
and
honesty
appear
not upon
him with
honour
:
His virtue
does
not
seem to
sit
well
about
him,
and
his
religion
is
dressed
in
a
very
unpleasing
form.
Is
this
the
way to
give
reputation
to
the
gospel
?
Is
this to
adorn
the
doc-
trine of
God our Saviour
in
all things
?
Tit.
ii.
10.
When
we
become christians,
we
put
away
bitterness,
and wrath, and clamour, and
evil-speaking,
and filthi-
ness,
and
scurrilous
jests,
Eph.
iv.
31.
and
v.
4.
We
are
commanded
to
speak
evil
of
no man, to
be no
brawl-
ers
;
but
to be
gentle,
and
shew
meekness to
all,
Tit.
iii.
2.
to
prefer
one
another
in
honour;
to
bless,
and
curse
not;
to rejoice
with them
that
rejoice, and to weep
with them
that
weep
;;
to condescend
to men
of
low es-
tate
;
and,
if
possible, to live
peaceably
with all men,
Rom.
xii.
14,
1.5,
16, 18.
Are there any
souls
here
of
this
unpleasing character
and carriage
?
Did
you
ever read these
words
in
your
bibles?
Do
ye
think
these
are
the commands
of
Christ,
or
no
?
You profess
to
love him
above
all,
but
what
care
have yóu
taken
to
obey these
precepts
of
his?
or
do
you think the sublime
practices
of
faith
and adoration
will
make these lower duties needless
?
Have
ye
found
the
sweetness
of
being
at
peace
with
God,
and tasted
of
the pleasures
of
his
love;
and
can ye disregard
all
the practices
and pleasures
of
love
and peace
among
men
?
We are not required indeed
to sell
truth
for peace,
nor
strict
godliness for
the
forms
of
civility.
There
is
no
need
that
we
should conform ourselves to any
of
the
sin.