The partial world, in the severity of their cenfure, condemn in good men many things, which in their nature are really innocent, and which they themselves practise with freedom, and without fufpicion of guilt. How often was our Saviour reproached by the Pharifees for healing the fick, and relieving the diftreffed on the fabbath day; when they would have felt no fcruple to lift a beaft out of a pit, or lead him to water on the fame day? Jefus might not do as much on the fabbath, for a human creature, as they might do for one of their cattle. He came in the high character of the Son of God. He reproved the proud Pharifees for their hypocrify. Stung with his reproofs, they determined to blast his reputation, and fink him below the fons of men. al faults in him they could find none; and they ftudied to turn his virtues into faults.

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The apostle Paul exhorts Chriftians to "provide things honeft in the fight of all men-to walk in wisdom toward them, who are without-to take heed that their good be not evil fpoken of." He supposes that the men of the world will infpect the manners and obferve the actions of the profeffors of the gofpel. And let them do fo. Christians will hence become more watchful; and perhaps their enemies more wife. The apoftle Paul advises Christians to walk with great caution and circumfpection, and to fhew themselves patterns of good works, that their enemies may be afhamed, having no evil thing to fay of them. For himself he profeffes a concern to cut off occafion from them, who defire an occafion to reproach the gofpel. Many things, which he had a right to do, he would forbear, rather than expofe religion to the obloquy of defigning and unreasonable men.

Saint Peter intreats Chriftians to have their converfation honeft among the gentiles, that they

who fpake evil of them, as evil doers, might, by the good works which they beheld in them, glorify God in the day of vifitation.

These repeated cautions given by the apostles, fhew their apprehenfion, that Chriftians were then, and ever would be ftrictly watched by a jealous world; and that the smallest errors and imprudences in their conduct would be made the occafion of reproach to Christianity itself.

The fact being undeniable, let us enquire, what are the causes.

1. This is partly owing to the ftrong contraft between the particular inftances of their folly and their general character for wisdom.

As every ftain is vifible on a white and clean garment, fo the smallest failings are noticed in men of eminent virtue and holinefs. In a vicious or unprincipled man we expect to fee a conduct anfwerable to his general character. If he be unjuft, profane, intemperate, or deceitful, we are not disappointed, for he made no pretenfions to a religious faith or a virtuous life. But if a man, who has profeffed to believe the reality and to experience the power of godliness, and who, for a time, has lived, or feemed to live answerably to his profeffion, turn to folly and wickedness, the grofs and palpable contradiction between his prefent conduct and former character, ftrikes us with a kind of horror. It is a change which we did not expect. We were perfuaded of him better things. The fame conduct in a man of profligate manners and diffolute principles, would have been much less noticed; for he never pretended to any thing better. It is all of a piece with his prevailing character.

2. In this cafe, there is much to be attributed to prejudice and ill will.

Fools look with malice and difpleasure on the

man who is in reputation for wifdom; and they would detract from the excellence of his character, because it eclipfes their own. They are watchful to efpy fome error in his opinions, fome fault in his manners, fome defect in his virtues. When they have discovered, or think they have difcovered fome mifcarriage in him, they are pleafed and gratified. They make it the fubject of their converfation. They magnify it beyond bounds. They annex to it circumftances which have no foundation in truth, and spread the fcandal into all companies, where they think it will be receiv. ed. Charity hopes all things, and bears all things; but envy rejoices in iniquity.

3. Some there are who observe and magnify the failings of good men, that they may justify themselves.

The pure and virtuous manners of the Chriftian are a cenfure and reproof on the guilty world. The wicked and ungodly, when they view his amiable character, and obferve his useful and blameless manners, feel themselves condemned. They wish to remove the reproach, which juftly falls upon them. They are vigilant to find fomething in the Chriftian, which may be improved to their own juftification or excufe. If he deviates from the ftrict rules of virtue, in any inftance, this, they hope, will vindicate them. They do no worse than he does. If fuch fins are found in a faint, they imagine, that the fame things, and a hundred others as bad, may be excufed in them. If the faint, notwithstanding his fins, will go to heaven, why should their fins exclude them. And they will venture to dothofe things habitually, which the Christian has perhaps done under fome particular temptation, and for which he has fought pardon by deep repentance. They argue and conduct as if an act of fin in a good man, would justify a course of fin in them; as if what was the effect of furprize in him may be matter of deliberate choice in

VOL. V.

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them; as if what was in him followed with repentance, may be practifed by them with felfapprobation. There is many a finner, who is much better pleased with the story of David's adultery and murder, and Peter's perfidy and falfehood, than he is with theaccount of their deep repentance, or with the narrative of all their virtues. Their virtues condemn him : their tranfgressions are the main fupport of his hopes.

For the fame reason, that finners attend fo much to the falls of good men recorded in fcripture, they are gratified with the tranfgreffions of reputed Christians now on earth. If they fee a neighbor, who is in high efteem for piety, wandering out of the way, and deviating from the ftrait path of gofpel purity, they are highly pleased, becaufe if this good man, (and a good man in such a cafe they allow him to be; if he) can fo greatly offend and not lofe his character, they hope their own offences are confiftent with goodness. Hence the fmalleft offences of the Chriftian are exaggerated into enormous crimes, that they may better ferve to pacify the guilty confciences of finners.

There are many, who judge of their own character by a comparison of themfelves with other men. These derive a fecret pleasure from the fins of the godly, becaufe hereby they feem to ftand in a more favourable light. The Pharifee, when he thanked God, that he was not as other men, felt a real fatisfaction in their fuppofed wickedness, because this was the main ground on which his hope could ftand. There are many fuch felf-deceivers The fins of others do much more than their own virtues to raise and ftrengthen their hopes. If David's impurity, Peter's apoftacy, and a few more tranfgreffions of good men were taken out of the bible,they would be undone. Their hope would find no ground, on which it could fet its foot.

4. There are fome who magnify good men's faults out of enmity to religion, and with an aim to bring it into disrepute.

They hate religion, because it teftifies of them, that their works are evil. Our Saviour fays, "He that doth evil hateth the light, neither cometh he to the light, left his deeds fhould be reproved." Their enmity to the truth prompts them to afperfe and reproach all who endeavor to fupport it, and those chiefly, who are most able, and most active to fupport it. If they can fee in them any error of conduct, they will rejoice in fo good an opportunity to obftruct their influence. If they can fee none, they will hatch the more in their own dark imagination.

5. The failings of good men, as they are matter of joy and exultation to the enemies, are matter of grief and humiliation to the friends of religion, because they are peculiarly injurious to its intereft.

The open tranfgreffions of Christian profeffors are not in themselves more criminal, than fimilar tranfgreffions in others, who enjoy the fame light and the fame means. It is not the profeffion, but the enjoyment of the gospel, which aggravates the guilt of the difobedient. But fuch is the malignity of infidels and gainfayers, that, while they excufe their own fins, they will make the fins of profeffors an objection against the gospel itself. David's crimes gave occafion to the enemies of the Lord to blafpheme. Hence the godly are in a peculiar manner affected with the tranfgreffions and falls of their brethren; for thereby religion itself is wounded.

From these causes even a little folly will be much obferved in those who are in reputation for wifdom and honour.

Let us now attend to the improvement of our fubject.

I. We fee that it is dangerous to make too high pretenfions to religion, because we thus render our faults more confpicuous, and confequently shall bring on religion greater difhonor.

The man who profeffes a higher degree of goodness, than he ever has attained; or than man, in