286 CHRISTIAN 51161tALM Y. fo the various calls of duty; yet his design is everthe same, and the rule that governs all his practices is the word of God, the gospel of our Lord Jesus. How far from the glory of this character were the false- hearted sons of Israel in Jeremiah's.time ! Theywere guilty of stealing and murdering in the streets, s r by-ways, or private- houses, het they ea-me tnid stood before the Lord in the house which was called by has name,; Jer. vii. ß, 4, &c. There were also in our Saviour's days men of the same deceitful spirit, whom he frequentlyand sharply reproved under theodious name of hypo- crites, who made long prayers in thetemple, andin the corners of the streets ; but devoured widows' houses, and neglectedjudg- ment, merey and faith ; who made clean the outside of their cup, but filled it with all extortion, luxury, and excess. You read their infamous manners at large in the vi. and xxiii. chaptersof Matthew. They had no more truth in them than whited sepulchres or flowery graves, fair indeed and beautiful on the outside covering, but all within is death, and horror, and rottenness. ©, how in.. consistent were the two.pieces of this character one withanother ! how far from that truth anduprightness, that sincerisy and con- stáney, that the gospel requires, and somuch approves of ? What amost sharp and shameful reproach is it, and yet a righteous one too, that is thrown on some persons ? They are saints atchurch, and devils at home ! It is pitywe, must borrow a word from hell to describe any sort of men that dwell on earth : I would not willingly apply it to any particular person living : But in describing a general cha= ratter of this kind, we can hardly paint it in colours frightful enough. In public they are all meekness and innocence, all demure, and bs!emiòus, and heavenly, and they transfbrm them- selves, as their father does, into angels of 'light ; 2 Cor. xi. 14. but follow them to their houses, and you see asurprizingchange : Thereluxury and riot; there furyand passionreign in every room, their dwelling is without God, without prayer, without piety or peace, and has more of hell than of heaven in it. Omy soul, come not into their secret, to their family, my honour, be not thou waited! for truth and goodness are farfrom them. 4, The true Christian is the sanie in all companies : And though he does not thick himself obliged to cast his pearls before, swine, to give that which is holy to dogs, or to impose a discourse of religion upon those that hate it ; yet he never forgets his reli- gion in theworst of company, nor doeshe throw off the chris- tian in the 'midst of heathens. The general course of his life shines in thebeauty of holiness, and glorifies his God in an im- pious world. And there are seasons too, when he sees it neces-
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