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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.