422 CRaISTIAN MORALITY. his, God, and his exemplary practice of piety. This thought introduces The second objection, viz. if a good name amongst men be so desirable, why does our Saviour say, Mat. V. 11, 12. Blessed are ye when men shall revile you, and shallspeak all manner of evil against you, falsely for my sake; then rejoice ye, and be ex- ceedingglad, for great is yourreward inheaven,for so persecuted they the prophets that were before you. Answer. It is supposed that the evil which men speak of you is false ; for so our Saviour expresseth it, when they shall speak all manner of evil against you, falsely for my sake. They shall scandalize you as being ill men, merely because you are chris- tians; and throw upon you many odiums, which your practice has never deserved, on purpose to expose the christian religion. The apostle Peter agrees with our Lord Jesus Christ in the same design ; 1 Pet. iii. 16. Keep a good conscience, that whereas they speak evil ofyou as evil-doers, they may be ashamed while they falsely accuse your good conversation in Jesus Christ. Now when it appears to bepure hatredof God and of good- ness, of Christ and his gospel, for which you are reproached, then you have cause to rejoice, because Christ is on your side : So he was reproached in the days of his flesh, so the prophets that went before him, and the apostles that succeeded him ; 1 Pet. iv. 14. The Spirit of God and of glory resteth upon you, foron their part he is evil spoken' of, but on your part he is gloried. Happy are ye, for Christ and you are joined together in the same cause : and you who have glorified him on earth, shall be glorified together with him in heaven. The third objection is this ; if praise amongst men be law- ful to be sought, how comes it to pass that there are so many re- proofs given to those who seek the praise of men ? How can these scriptures be reconciled with some others that are cited before to encourage actions worthy of praise ! How often does our Saviour severely rebuke the pharisees for this practice, that they do their good works to be seen of men? Mat. vi. 2, 5, 16. John v. 44. Answer. It is evident that these hopocrites whom our Sa- viour reproves, neglected all inward piety before God, and prac- tised the outward forms of godliness merely to gain the praise of mess, they loved and valued it more thanthe praise of God; John xii. 43. They received honour of one another, and had no con- cern about that superior blessing, that divine esteem and appro- bation which God only can bestow, and which only would stand them in stead hereafter. Where the praise of God is inconsis- tent with the praise of men, there it is evident wemust despise the censures or the praises of the world, and seek the divine
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