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SEAM.
XX.]
TRUTH,
SINCERITY,
&C.
543
God
:
They
seem humble,
penitent, and
pious, when
the
rod
of
heaven
is
upon
them,
but
when
that
is
once
removed,
they
forget their sorrows and their seriousness
together:
Such
were
the
rebellious and
inconstant Jews
of
old,
when
the
Lord
slew them, they
sought
him
early,
and enquired after
God
;
but
they took every new
occa-
sion to
murmur and
rebel again
:
There
was
no
truth
in
their
religion,
their heart
was
not right
with
God,
nor
were they
stedfast
in his
covenant,
Ps.
lxxviii.
34,
37.
In
trouble
they visited thee, O
Lord, and
poured out
a
prayer
when thy chastening
was
upon
them
;
but their
goodness
was
like a
morning
cloud,
and
as
the early
dew,
it
vanished
away,
Is.
xxvi:
16.
Hos.
vi.
4.
There
is
another
sort
of
men
who
behave
well
enough
in
matters of virtue and
religion
when they
are
in
peace-
ful
and
easy
circumstances; but
if
once they
are smitten
in
their
flesh,
in
their
good name,
or their
estate,
or
have any
of
the comforts
of
life
irnbittered to
them,
they
grow peevish
and passionate, and nothing can please
them;
they
vent their impatience
on
their
friends,
and
throw
their
vexation
of
spirit
all
around
them, as
though
they resolved
to
imitate
that brutal character
which
the
prophet
mentions, like a
wild
bull
in
a
net, struggling,
and
raving,
and
full
of
fury
under
the
rebuke
of
the
Lord,
Is.
li.
20.
Surely
both
these
qualities are very
contrary
to
that
serene and uniform
practice of
true
godliness
that
be-
comes a
saint.
3.
In
all places, as well as in all times
and
circum-
stances, the
true
christian
appears the
same,
and
is
just
to
his own
profession.
Wheresoever
he
dwells,
or
so-
journs,
where
he
spends an
hour or
a
year, he
is
con
-
stant
to
himself,
and consistent
with
himself
still.
He
ever
maintains
the
same pious
designs,
and
adorns and
glorifies the
doctrine of the
gospel
in
all things.
When
at
home
and when abroad,
he
is
the same person.
When
at
church paying
his
honours
and
devotions
to heaven
;
when
in his own
family
among
his
children and servants,
or
when in his
shop
and
in
the
affairs
of
life
;
when
in
the
street or
on
the exchange conversing with the
world,
friends
and strangers, known and unknown
;
when in
his
closet and secret chamber,
still he
is
the
same good man
:
still
acting consistent
with
himself and
his
profession,
z
4