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-