SERMON %I. 25/ sary to rebuke public iniquity, and bear a testimony against a vicious age : He lias never any fellowship with the ürfruitful works of darkness, but rather he reproves them ; Eph. v. 11. Yet sometimes his prudence directs his christianity to lie concealed, but he never dares do . any thing that contradicts it. It is like a garment that he ever wears about him, though hedoes not always wear it uppermost : Hekeeps 'itever as his guard, though he does not always exposehis glory. What a scandal is it to any person who professes the nameof Christ, that he can sometimes lay aside all his christianity, and bury it in an hour of riot ! That hecan drinktill midnight when he gets among drunkards, and take his cup as merrily and as often as they ! That he can relish a lewd or profane jest, and make one too, when be sits in the company of lewd or profane jesters ! That he can lisp out an oath, and stammer at a curse, or perhaps he can swear roundly when he is in the midst of swearing wretches ! And yet he can pray and talk devoutly whenhe falls into religious company, and pretend to tremble at the profaneness of the age. What shameful hypocrisy and false- hood is this ! There are some persons who have appeared in the country tobe professors of religion, and perhaps may have obtained a name of piety ; but when they come up to the city among loose libertines, where their vices are better hid, they give themselves up to loose practices, and indulge a licentious month or two. They are pious amongst their acquaintance, and profane amongst strangers. They have not impudence enough to be constant in vice, nor have they grace enough to be,true to virtue. There are some that speak fair to the face of their neigh- bour, and spread their compliments abroad before him; but behindhis back, inother company, theyare as liberal of their re proaches, and can hardly endure agood thing to be said of him. Their behaviour has brought an infamous word into the English tongue ; for they are justlycall backbiters. There are some children that pay the utmost deference to their parents in ,appearance and shew, and will not dare any thing vicious while they are under their eye ; but whenthey are mingled with their vain young acquaintance, theyrun into many extravagances, and give a loose to the wild appetites of the flesh. But theseare not the children of truth. There are some servants who make their zeal and dili- gence appear while their master's eye is upon them ; but they are mere eye-servants and false creatures, for when they are out of his sight, theycan waste his substance among merry compa. nions, andperhaps purloin and pilfer to gratify their own covet- VOL. I. LJ
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