SERMON XXVIII. 397 [low dishonourable and shameful a thing is if fer a christian to have an unlovely carriage, or to skew any thing in his conduct that is rough and forbidding ! What a blemish does it cast upon the gospel which he,professes ! Let us talk what we will of the sublimer -glories of christianity, and profess an acquaintance with the deepest mysteries, yet with all our flaming zeal for the faith, we may become scandals to the-gospel, if we abandon the practi- ces of love. The world will judge of our religion by our tem- per and carriage. We give occasion therefore to the world to upbraid us, What do you more than others? If we, who pretend to be christians, who have professed the most lovely of all reli- gions, are guilty of practices unworthy of the sacred name: When they see our carriage as bad as others, they will be ready to cry out, " What is your beloved more than anotherbeloved? What areyour doctrines better than others, if your practice dif- fers not from others ! And are you willing it should be said of you, that you are the occasionsof shame and scandalto the name and religion of Christ ? Weshould do all things that are amiable in the sight of men, that the gospel may havethe glory of it: Shall I say, the gospel of Christ deserves it at our hands ? If the gospel brings so rich a salvation to us, it isfitting we should bring agreat deal of honour to it. How honourable is it to the gospel of Christ, when per- sons of a rough, crabbed, sour temper, are converted by this gospel, are become christians indeed, and are made all over amiable, and soft, and obliging in their deportments ; when they carry it like new creatures, like persons that are changed indeed, that have muchof the spirit of love in them, the tem- per of the gospel, and the temper of heaven ! It is this gospel, as I have said before, that turns lions into lambs, and ravens into doves, themost savage creatures into mild and gentle. While we are thus engaged in the practice of love, we have no need to abandon our zeal for the truth ; but we should sepa- rate our divine zeal from all our own guiltypassions, lest instead of honouring God, we should destroy his children. The servant of the Lord may be bold and stedfast in the defence of the gos- pel, but he must be gentle towards all men, ready to teach, and patient under injuries. Hemust not strive like a hero for victory, but when any oppose themselves to the truth, lie must instruct them in meekness ; 2Tim. ii. 24. While we are peaceful and harmless, we may be at the same time prudent and wise ; our Lord Jesus has joined these two characters; Mat. x. 16. And it is a very lovely inscription for a disciple of Christ to wear in all his public and private conversation, wise as serpents, and harmless as doves: Thus we may guard ourselves from the malice of the world, while we attempt to win them by all the sacredmethods of huma- nity and divine goodness.
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