difcourfe, and now to all profeffing Chriftians; and by the expreffion, "Let your light fo fhine before men, that they

may fee your good works;" that the holiness and purity of their converfation fhould be vifible and eminent; that men, by obferving it, might be conftrained to acknowledge the truth and power of the principles which produced it, and perfuaded to yield themfelves alfo to their govern

ment.

In difcourfing upon this fubject, what I propofe, through divine affiftance, is, 1. To illuftrate the meaning and extent of the exhortation, Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works: 2. To illuftrate the motives with which it is enforced, as they are contained in the text, the glory of God, and the good of others: And, in the laft place, to make fome practical improve. ment of what may be faid.

I. In the first place, then, let us confider the extent and meaning of the exhortation, "Let your light fo fhine "before men, that they may fee your good works." This, in general, includes the whole of vifible religion; every. part of the duty of a Chriftian, to which his neighbors are or may be witneffes. be witneffes. And here it is of importance to obferve, that though the inward temper of the mind is not in itfelf and immediately the object of human obfervation; and though there may be, and there is, mach hypocrify in the world; yet every difpofition of the heart hath a natural and genuine expreffion, and may be more clearly or more obfcurely difcerned by fome outward fymptoms. There are therefore few groffer miftakes than to fuppofe, either that no conclufions will, or that none ought, to be drawn by the world about us, concerning our inward difpofitions, from our outward carriage. So eftablifhed is the connection between them, that hypocrites are ufually much more fuccefsful in deceiving themfelves than the world. On the other hand, thofe who, from a real er pretended fear of the imputation of hypocrify, put off all outward appear. ances of devotion, and abitain from all expreffions of the inward exercife of their fouls, will hardly perfuade any

impartial perfon, that the hidden fource is flrong and plentiful, when the ftreams which fhould iffue from it are fo easily concealed. Other natural affections of the mind, as forrow, anger, and joy, do immediately difcover themfelves in the countenance and carriage; and though they may be restrained and moderated, can fcarcely be wholly or long concealed: Why then should it be otherwise with religious affections, which are at least as just in their nature, and much more noble in their object? I am afraid we may fay, with too much truth, that there is but little real religion in the world at prefent; and yet even that little is often, in a moft fhameful and cowardly manner, diffembled or denied.

But because the impreffion of general truths is but feldom strong or lafting, I fhall add a few particular obfervations, for opening the meaning and extent of this exhortation, Let your light shine before men.And, in the first place, If you would make your light to fhine before the world, you must be careful of the practice of such duties as are most rare and uncommon; and that whether their being fo arifes from the difficulty of the duties themfelves, or from the peculiar degeneracy and contrary practice of any particular age or place. The metaphor itself will teach you this. Nothing can be faid to fhine, but that which throws out a diftinguifhed luftre, in comparison of other objects. Those who are but as other men, and do no way excel the world about them, cannot poffibly bring any honor to their profeflion, or be properly faid to make their light to fhine. Thus our Saviour argues, in recommending a very rare and eminent virtue, "But "I fay unto you, Love your enemies, blefs them that "curfe you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for "them which defpitefully ufe you, and perfecute you.For if ye love them that love you, what reward have ye? "do not even the publicans the fame? And if ye falute "your brethren only, what do ye more than others?"

I obferved, in entering upon this particular, that the practice of fome duties may be uncommon, either from the difficulty of the duties themselves, or the peculiar de

* Matth. v. 44, 46, 476

generacy of any particular age or place. The firft of thefe happens in all thofe cafes in which the law of God, from its purity and fpirituality, is moft immediately contrary to the bent of carnal affection. For though it be true in general, as the apofile Paut tells us, that "the carnal "mind is enmity againft God; for it is not subject to the "law of God; neither indeed can be ;" yet this enmity is much stronger in fome cafes than in others. Some of thofe gracious difpofitions which fhone in the man Chrift Jefus when he dwelt among us, full of grace and truth, and which he fo ardently recommends, fuch as, contempt of the world, and heavenlinefs of mind, meekness, humility, the forgiveness of injuries, and the love of our enemies, are much more oppofite to the tendency of corrupt nature than fome other parts of the moral law. Or, to speak more properly, it is only by an obedience to the will of God, carried to this degree, and manifeftly flowing from fuch principles, and such an inward temper, that we can make our light to shine in the view of an observing world.

I took notice alfo, that whether any duty be difficult or eafy in itself, if it is neglected, or brought into contempt, by the peculiar degeneracy of any age or place, he who would make his light to fhine before men, muft, with boldness and refolution, with ftedfastness and conftancy, adhere to the practice of it. If in any place, or in any age, the very outward attendance upon the ordinances of Chrift's inftitution is made light of, or defpifed, by many of every rank; if the name of God is profaned and abufed by unholy converfation; it is then the duty of every real fervant of God, publicly to manifeft his efteem and love for divine ordinances, and to maintain the highest reverence for the holy name of God in his difcourfe and language. And, if I am not mistaken, the very meaning of making our light to fhine before men, is, to be doubly watchful in all fuch cafes, not only on our own account, but upon account of others; or, as our Saviour expreffed it, that they may fee our good works: For inftance, not only to esteem the inftitutions of Chrift in the gospel, for their tendency to promote our fanctification

Rom. viii. 7.

and comfort, but even when these purpofes might be at leaft as well obtained in another way, at particular times; yet to attend carefully upon public ordinances, that we may contribute our part to preferve the refpect that is due to them or, in the other cafe fuppofed, when profane fwearing is common and prevalent, to difcover the deeper reverence for the holy name of God, and ufe the utmost caution in the whole of our converfation, to avoid every doubtful expreffion, or any thing that may have a tendency to infnare the unwary, or confirm the wicked in an evil courfe. You will probably conclude, that my mentioning these two inftances arifes from a perfuafion that thefe fins prevail remarkably among us in the prefent age, and your conclufion is juft. I fhall add one more to them, viz. voluptuoufnefs; either exceflive fenfuality and intemperance, or at leaft à pleafing of the fileth, with a total neglect of mortification and felf-denial. And be af fured, my brethren, you are particularly called upon, by the exhortation in the text, in thefe and every other inftance of the like kind, not to lofe your horror of fin by the frequency of it, but, according to the exhortation of the apostle Paul, to be "blamclefs and harmless, the "fons of God, without rebuke, in the midft of a crooked "and perverfe nation, among whom ye fhine as lights in "the world."

In the fecond place, In order to make your light fhine before men, you must at an unexceptionable part in all fuch cafes as your conduct falls molt immediately, and moft fully, under the observation of others. I have faid above, that the exhortation, in its full extent, includes the whole of vifible religion. But there are fome cafes.in which our conduct is comparatively more vifible than in others, and more immediately fubjected to the examination of the world. As there are fome, places more confpicuous and expofed to public view than others, fo are there alfo fome perfons in the whole of their deportment, and fome actions of the fame perfons. It is the laft of thefe that chiefly relates to my prefent fubject. Are you not fenfible, then, that in thofe actions which fall moft

* Phil. ii. 15t

immediately under the obfervation of others, the greatest caution and circumfpection, is neceffary? It is from thefe that the judgment of men is chiefly formed of profelling Chriftians, and the character fixed which they must bear in the world. With refpect to other actions, men proceed more upon conjecture, and therefore will not, even themfelves, lay fo much ftrefs upon their obfervations; but in fuch as are wholly fubjected to their view, their conclufions are peremptory. If you afk, what are thofe actions that fall moft immediately under the obfervation of others? I anfwer, they are many. Moft of thofe of which our neighbor is the object; particularly all relative duties, and alfo the government of the tongue. Although those who are converfant with you, may make fhrewd gueffes, by what they fee in your outward deport ment, whether you are conflant in fecret devotion, or ferious and fervent in public, they muft ftill labor under much uncertainty. But a neighbor will quickly and certainly know, whether you are friendly or felfish, froward or peaceable; a wife muft know, whether fhe hath an affectionate hufband, and a husband whether he hath a dutiful wife; a fervant muft know, whether he is under a reasonable and gentle, or a capricious and cruel maf ter; and a mafter, whether he hath a fubmiflive and dili gent, or an idle and flothful fervant. The fame thing holds with refpect to every other relation. And as to the government of the tongue, the world muft know whether your converfation is pure and inoffenfive at all times, and profitable, as opportunities prefent themfelves; or if it is frothy, unprofitable and vain, rafh, peevish, paffionate, unchafte, or cenforious. As therefore, in the language of our Saviour, a city that is fet on an hill cannot be hid; fo a Chriftian, in thefe cafes, cannot be concealed. I hope I may be allowed to fay, without being thought to put the fhadow of religion for the fubftance, or prefering the form to the fpirit, that he ought, in all fuch cafes, to be particularly watchful that nothing may efcape him, which may, in its confequences, tend to the hifhonor of God, or the ruin of the fouls of men,

And