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SERM. XX.1

TRUTH.,

9tNCER2TY,

&C.

B¢]

might

follow

my

example,

that

ye might always

act

agree

-

a,bíe

to yourselves,

and

be

constant

to

your

own

virtuous

and

holy

character.

But

what an

inconstant christian

is

he

who

changes

his

principles and practices, being

blown

about

with

the

wind

of

prevailing party,

and

the

humour

of

the times

?

Who

seems

active

in the

cause

of

religion, when religion

is

the fashion

of

the

age

;

but

he grows

ashamed of

every

part of

godliness, when the times

turn

upon

him.

His

religion

dies,

when piety

is

discouraged

in

the

world,

and

a saint

becomes

a

name

of

reproach. To

-day for

the

God

of

Israel,

and to-

morrow among

the worshippers

of

Baal

!

Now a zealot for

pure

doctrine

and worship,

anon

so

lukewarm and indifferent

about

every

thing of religion,

as

though

it

had

no

place

near

his

heart! Multiplying

duties

of

godliness one

week,

and

grossly

negligent

of

all

duty

the

next

!

To -day preaching and practising

the

rules

of

christianity,

and

to-morrow

talking

and living

like

a man

of

heathenism

!

True

and

constant

to

nothing,

but

to

his own

fickle

temper and inconstancy

!

Is

it not

a glorious

character

when

we

can say

of a

good man,

that

"

all

that

have known

him give him

a

good word

:

that

those

who

havelived

many

years with

him,

and

seen him

in his

unguarded

hours,

and

in

the

undress

of

life,

pronounce

him

the

same man as

he

ap-

pears

in

the public world." They who

have known him

longest,

admire

him

most, and

love

him best,

and they

bear a

noble testimony to

his

virtues and

his

graces.

His

graces and

his

virtues advance

with his years, they

imi-

tate the morning

-sun,

which keeps the same

steady pace

through

the heavens,

but

rises hourly,

and

shines with

a

brighter

lustre,

and

with

warmer

beams.

The

path

of

.

the

just,

like the morning 'light shines more

and more

unto the perfect

day.

Prov.

iv. 18.

But

what

a

wretched satire it

is

upon any

man to

say,

"

If

you

see him

for an

hour

his

talents

will

surprise and

please yob,

but

if

you

have a year's

acquaintance

with

him, his evil

qualities are

so

many and

so

hateful,

that

all

his

charms

vanish,

and

he

sinks

and

loses all

your

esteem."

So.

a

torch

blazes high when

it

is

first kindled,

but

the

flame

grows

lower

as

it

burns,

till

it

expire in

stench and

smoke.

Where

such

a

censure

is

just,

or

i