i+A1T t. SERMON 1X. 129 and Saviour shall have the honour of his pardoning love; and then my soul shall enjoy the censolation. 2d Caution. Though it be a hidden, life in the sacred operations and the springs of it, yet the world ought to see the blessed effects of it:. We must hold forth to men the word of life: Phil. ii. 16. Let the world see that we live to God, and that by the secretpower of his woid in the gospel: The christian life is no fantastic and visionary matter, that consists in warm imaginations, and pretences to inward light and rapture; it is a. real change of heart and practice, from,sin to holi- ness, and a turn of soul from earth toward heaven. It has been dressed up, indeed, like enthusiastic foolery, by the impious wits of men, and painted for a subject of ridicule and reproach: Thus the saints and holy martyrs havebeenclad in a fool's-coat, or a bear's-skin, but they are still men, and wise men too ; they have been dressed up like devils, but they are still the sons of God. So secret piety has solid reason and scripture. still on its side, whatever silly scandals have been cast upon it; there is no cause, therefore, to be ashamed ofprofessing it There is nothing in all the christian life, that a man needs to blush at. We have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, knavery, and unclean- ness, when we began to be christians ; 2 Cors iv. 2. It is our glory that we are alive to. God, and we should be ashamed of nothing that either exercises or maintains this life. Nine of the duties of worship, none of the practices of godliness, that render religion honourable among men, and make God our Sa- viour appear glorious in the world, should be neglected by us, whenever we are called to practise or profess them: The effects of this hidden life should not all be secret, though the springs of it are so ; for christians are commanded to make their light shine before men, that others may glorify their Father which is in heaven; Mat. v.. 14, 15, 16. The lights of the world must not place themselves under a bushel, and be contented to shine there useless and alone ; we must give honour to God in public. And though 'weare commanded to practise such secrecy and self-denial in our deeds of charity, as may secure us from all ostentation and pride, yet wemust sometimes make it appear too, that we do good to men, that christianity may have the glory of it We must feed the hungry; we must clothe the naked, we must love all men, even our enemies, and discover to the world that we are christians, by noble and sublime practices of every virtue and every duty, as far as it is possible, even by the best works, to'disèover inward religion. [This sermon maybedivided here.] I proceed now to draw some inferences from the hidden nature of the spiritual life. Vol.. 1. K
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