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THE RIGHT IMPROVEMENT
OF
tIFE.
[SEEM.
XXXIX,
world make
you
the object
of
more public notice, either
in a
city,
in
a
village, in a
neighbourhood, or
in
any
so-
ciety
of
men,
then
like
a
candle or
a torch set
on
a
hill,
you
diffuse
light and
honour
far around
you, and God
and
the
gospel are glorified on
your account. And not
only
in
the higher stations
of
life,
but
even
servants
of
the
lowest
character,
if
they
are
but
saints,
"
may
adorn
the doctrine of God their
Saviour
in
all things,"
Titus
ii.
10.
It
is
greatly for the
credit of
our holy religion,
when
the
men
of
this world seeing
our
good
works,
are
forced
to
confess
that
there
is
something divine
in
christianity,
that
God
is
amongst
us
of
a
truth;
and
by
these means
they are constrained to
glorify
our Father, and our Re-
deemer, and
our
holy
religion. This
is
the command of
Christ,
Mat.
v.
16.
2.
Hereby
sinner4
are
not
only
convinced
that there
is
a
power and
glory
in
the doctrine
of
Christ, but many
a
soul has been converted
to the faith
of
Jesus,
by
behold-
ing the pious conversation,
the heavenly graces,
the
holy
love,
the divine
zeal,
the constancy, the patience,
and
the
sufferings
of
christians.
The
good women
in St.
Peter's
days were
exhorted
to
invite and draw
their un-
believing husbands
to the faith
and
love
of
the
gospel,
"
by
beholding
their
chaste conversation, coupled
with
religious
fear,
and the
ornament
of
a meek
and quiet
_spirit,"
1
Pet.
iii.
1
-4.
Look forward,
O christians,
to
the last
great
day,
and
think
with
what
a
pleasing
joy
you
shall
hear
those
who have
been converted
by
your
example, and reformed
from a licentious course
of
life,
declare
this to
your
public
honour
before men
and an-
gels:
Your
holy example,
though buried long
in
silence,
shall have
a
glorious
resurrection
in
that
day,
and
the
Judge
himself
shall
proclaim it to your praise,
that
he
used
your
piety here on earth,
as
an
instrument
of
his
grace
to
enlarge
his
kingdom.
3.
Hereby christians
of
a lower form,
and those
that
are
babes
in Christ,
are awakened
to
a holy
imitation
of
your
superior
virtues and
graces.
It
was
the continu-
ance
of
St.
Paul
in this life,
through
the various
stages
of
it,
that
recommended
him as a
pattern
to the believers
of
his day, in all
the various circumstances
of
their lives;
and
the
longer
he lived,
the
`more
glorious
example
he
left
behind
him,
for
the
benefit of
the saints,
that
they
F