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:II.1
INWARD WITNESS
TO
CHRISTIANITY.
23
which
is
but
for
a
moment,
worketh
for
us
a
far
more
exceeding
and
eternal
weight
of
glary:
While
we look
not
at
the
things
which
are
seen,
but
htthings
which
are
not
seen
;
for
the
things
which
are
seen,
are
temporal
;
but
the
things
which
are
not
seen,
are
eternal.
For
we
know,
that
if
our earthly
house
of
this tabernacle were
dissolved, we
have
a building
of
God,
a
house
not
made
,with
hands,
eternal
in the
heavens,
Cor..
iv. 17,
18.
and
v.
1.
Other
professions
taught their
followers
not
so
much
to
contemn riches and pleasures,
as
to
exchange them
fôr
fame
and
glory, and
public applause
;
and this they
looked upon
as
their chief
good.
Most of the philoso-
phers
may be charged
with this
just
accusation: and
Cicero,
that
great
philosopher,
in a
notorious degree
;
but
the christian both
labours
and
suffers
reproach,
be-
cause
he
trusts
in
the
living
God, and
has the promise
of
the
life to
come;
1
7inì.
iv.
8, 10.
he goes
through
the
trial
of
cruel
mockings,
as well as
scourgings
and
torture;
that
he
may
obtain a
better resurrection
;
Heb.
xi.
SS,
36.
He
neglects
his ease
and
his
honours to-
gether, and despises
fame as
well as
pleasure and
riches,
and
all
mortal
desirables, when they
stand
in
competition
with
his
immortal
hopes.
Others
have despised the
grandeur
and pomp
of
life,
and
thrown their
money
into the sea;
but instead
of
exalting
themselves above men, they have neglected
all
the necessary duties
and
decencies
of
life
;
they havé
lived, as
it
were; in
common
with
their
fellow
animals
of the earth, and degraded
themselves to
the rank and
level
of
brute beasts
;
such were
the
Cynic
philosophers
:
But
the christian
is
diligent and active
in all services
to
God and
man, and
fulfils
the duties
of
his
present state
with
honour,
while
he
lives
upon
the hopes
of futures
and
invisibles.
Thus
if
we
consider
either
the degree
of
this
part
of
holiness,
viz.
the
contempt of the
world,
if
we
consider
the reasons
upon
which
it
is
founded, or
how
far this
contempt
of
the world has prevailed among
the
gene-
rality
of
christians
;
we
shall
find
the
gospel
háth
infi-
niter
the advantage
Of
all
other doctrines,
of
all
other
religions.
c4