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472

CHRISTIAN MORALITY,

VIZ.

ISERM. XXVIII.

tion, and

love,

run

through

every

part

of

the covenant

of

grace,

like

so

many

bright

and beautiful colours

joined

together

,in the rainbow,

that

stretches

its glory

round

the

lower

sky,

and

seals

an ancient and

everlasting peace

between

earth

and heaven.

,

There

is

therefore the most

sovereign

and constraining

obligation laid upon

us christians, to

do all

things

that

Are

lovely,

that

we

may make

our

holy

religion

appear

like

itself,

and

cause

christianity

to be beloved

of

men.

Every

christian

is

in some

degree

intrusted

with the

ho-

nour

of

Christ, and with the credit and renown

of

his

gospel.

Let

us

be watchful

then

to

take

all

opportuni-

ties,

and

use all

pious methods to make

our

hope

appear

glorious, and set the name

of Christ

in

its

own

amiable

light,

and

to

adorn

the doctrine

of God

our

Saviour.

How

dishonourable and

shameful

a

thing

is

it

for

a

Christian

to

have

an unlovely carriage, or

to

shew

any

thing

in

his

conduct that

is

rough and forbidding

!

What

a

blemish

does

it

cast

upon

the gospel

which he

pro-

fesses

!

Let

us

talk what

we will

of

the sublimer glories

of

christianity,

and

profess an

acquaintance

with

the

deepest

mysteries,

yet with

all

our

flaming

zeal

for

the

faith,

we

may become

scandals to the

gospel,

if

we

aban-

don

the practices

of

love.

The

world

will

judge

of our

religion

by

our

temper and

carriage. We

give

occasion

therefore to

the world

to

upbraid

us,

What

do

you

more than others

?"

If

we,

who

pretend

to be christians,

who have professed the

most

lovely

of

all religions,

are

guilty

of

practices

unworthy

of that

sacred name

:

When

they

see

our

carriage

as

bad

as

others, they

will be

ready

to cry out

"

What

is

your

beloved more

than

another

beloved

?"

What

are

your

doctrines

better

than others,

if

your

practice

differs"

not

from others

?

And

are you

willing

it

should

be said

of

you,

that

you

are the occa-

sions

of

shame

and scandal

to

the name and religion

of

Christ

?

We

should

do all

things

that

are

amiable in the sight

pf

men,

that

the gospel may have the glory

of

it

;

Shall

I

say,

the

gospel

of

Christ

deserves

it

at

our

hands

?

If

the

gqspel brings

so

rich a salvation to

us,

it

is

fitting

Nye

should bring a

great

deal

of

honour

to

it.

How ho-

nourable

is

it

to the gospel

of

Christ,

when

persons

of

a

rough,

crabbed, sour temper,

are

converted

by.

this

gos-