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460

CFHRISriAR

MORALITIt, VIZ.

[SERM.

XXX.

him

a

good

report,

for

his

tongue

is

tipped

with religious

language, and

he seems to

be

a

saint

:

But

in

reality he

is

an universal hypocrite, and

true

to nothing.

Our

Lord Jesus

hates and censures

such a

character

as

this

is,

and

this

is

the

design

of

his

reproof.

Again,

II.

Let it

be

noted,

that

this

sort of

sinners can

hold

the

good word

of

all men

but

for

a

very

short

time.

The

drunkards, the profane,

and the

lewd, may

caress

a

man

for

a

season

who

complies

with

their

vices;

yet

when

they

hear

that

he

pretends

to

be

religious among

per-

sons

of

piety, they

will

speak

evil

of

him

in

abundance,

and brand

hirn

for

a

hypocrite,

which

is

a

more loath-

some

name; and

his

pious

acquaintance,

when they

shall

find

out

his

practice of secret

wickedness, they

will

justly

fix

the same odious

character

upon

him.

Thus

he

who

before had the good

word

of

all men, shall

then

be

loaded

with

public scandal

and

infamy.

I

add

further,

III.

That

a

good

report

signifies

a

good

character

and honourable reputation

among

all

wise

and good

men,

upon

the

account of

valuable

qualities,

and the

exercise

of

virtue and

goodness`,

and

where

a

man

ma-

nages

his

affairs with

an

excellent conduct

in this

re-

spect, and keeps himself

without

a blemish, he

will

command

some

degree

of

esteem

and reverence

from

the

viler

part of

the world

:

Ilis

good name

will

be

general,

though perhaps

not

universal

;

and

if

the

wicked world

finds

occasion

to

speak

evil

of

him

in

any thing,

it

is

only

in the

matters of

his

God, and

his

exemplary

prac-

tice

of

piety.

This thought introduces

The

second objection,

viz.

if

a good

name amongst

men

be

so

desirable,

why

does

our

Saviour

say,

Mat.,

v.,

11,

"

Blessed

are

ye when

men shall revile you,

and

shall

speak

all

manner

of

evil

against

you, falsely

for

my

sake;

then rejoice

ye,

and

be

exceeding

glad,

for

great

is

your reward

in

heaven, for

so

persecuted

they the

pro

-

phets

that

were before

you."

Answer.

Itis

supposed

that

the

evil which men

speak

of

you

is

false

;

for

so

our

Saviour expresseth

it,

"

when

they shall

speak

all

manner of

evil

against

you,

falsely

for

my

sake."

They

shall

scandalize

you as being

ill

men, merely because you

are

christians;

and throw

Upon

you many odiums, which

your practice

has

never