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to day, and can say with the Psalmist, "Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire in comparison of thee,"

Again; not only in commerce, not only in conversation, but in his general deportment, in his retirement, and even in his very silence, will the Christian display simplicity and godly sincerity. Mankind are associated in families, where each individual has his station to maintain, with temperance, with decency, with sobriety, with diligence, with kindness, and with caution. All the graces of Religion, every thing that is lovely and of good report, should continue to form his character; and all without ostentation or parade. He should be as humble as he is good; as meek as useful in the place, which it is his lot to fill. With all these virtues, he should not aim at obtaining human favour, though he will not despise it; but, setting the Lord continually before him, think only what he requires, and endeavour in all things to be conformable to his holy will and pleasure. If such be our conversation, then,

3d. We may rejoice in the testimony of our consciences. Though it is upon the ground of what Christ has suffered, that the Christian hopes to obtain the pardon of his sins; and

though it is upon the ground of what Christ has done, in rendering a perfect obedience to the law of God, that we may lay in a claim to eternal life; yet, as Jesus is only the author of eternal salvation to those that obey him, and as the Scripture says, Without holiness no man shall see the Lord,* we must see, that we are sanctified by the Holy Spirit, and that we hate evil, and every appearance of it. If then, after careful examination, after comparing our lives, our manners, our dispositions, day by day, with the requisitions of the divine law, we find in ourselves a respect for all the commandments, and an increasing reverence for sacred things, together with a love for, and a desire to keep company with, the children of God, however despised they may be in the world, there is every reason that we should ascribe it to the grace of God, and thence we may conclude, that he is preparing us for the enjoyment of his heavenly kingdom. Having this hope, what shall move us from our stedfastness? I trust nothing; for though all manner of evil shall be spoken against us, yet he, in whom we trust, if not now, will ere long appear publicly in our defence, and put

our adversaries to shame and confusion.

Christians! what charge have your enemies

*Heb. xii. 14.

A a

to bring against you? I have spoken of the part which you have to bear in worldly traffic; and though to the strictest honesty you may add the greatest caution, yet you will not at all times be able to escape the tongue of slander. Even your integrity will be called in question, and so busy will some be in raising evil reports against you, that your very friends perhaps will be staggered, and think "What a you are not entirely innocent.

cheat! What a hypocrite!" it will be said; "who could have suspected such things!" Now, as charges of this sort, however undeserved they may be, cannot but occasion a great deal of pain, what comfort will you feel in making your appeal to the Searcher of Hearts, and saying, "Lord! Thou, who knowest all things; thou, to whom all hearts are open, all desires are known, and from whom no secrets are hid, dost know, that I am most wrongfully accused. As then my conscience acquits me of any intentional guilt, to thee I commit my cause, and I beseech thee, for the glory of thy name, and for the honour of that Religion, which I openly profess, that thou wilt make my innocence clearly to appear." Having thus committed your cause to God, you may be contented, or rather may rejoice; and though the world, for a little time, may

think you obstinate and hardened, yet will you, e're long, find that true, which is written, Psalm xxxvii. 7. "The Lord shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noon-day."

Again; does your character suffer in any other way? No doubt it does. There are, as I have observed before, many busy bodies and tale tellers in the world. Some of their reports you hear, and some you do not; but, if they were all to be collected together they would paint you as black as the very Devil. Perhaps, though there is nothing of which you entertain a greater abhorrence, you are represented as guilty of falsehood and slander. Nothing is more easy than to misrepresent words spoken with the best intention, and to impute that to unkindness, which is only the fruit of benevolence. You are astonished, it may be, that any such construction could be put upon your words and actions. Nevertheless, such reports as are injurious to your character shall prevail, and that so generally, that when you attempt to vindicate yourself, you shall hardly obtain a hearing. But, though men may not listen to your defence, if your heart be right with God, he will, and what reason will you have to rejoice in the testimony of your conscience,

that you do not deserve the blame, which is

cast upon you.

I have said also, that the Christian will find occasion to exercise his simplicity and godly sincerity, not only on account of the reports which are spread abroad by those unconnected with him, but also in his retirement and silence. Are you a child? Do you make conscience of being dutiful to your parents, and carefully attentive, so far as their commands are agreeable to the will of God, to do every thing that they desire? I say, so far as their commands are agreeable to the will of God; for they may require those things, which are not so, and when you do not comply with what they think reasonable, they will charge you with the want of filial affection, and complain, perhaps, to their friends and neighbours, that your strange notions of religion have had no better effect than to fill you with obstinacy and perverseness. How little, children! if you are serious Christrians, you deserve such a charge to be brought against you, God knoweth. He knows also your sighs, your tears, your prayers, and that will be your comfort in all your tribulation. You have companions of your own age; brothers, sisters, and friends living under the same roof with you, in whose pleasures

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