a better spirit, and " esteem it a kindness, if the righteous smite and reprove us :" let us receive their admonitions " as an excellent oil, which shall not break our head1'," but rather heal the wounds which our own misconduct may have occasioned.]
3. Endeavour so to walk, that your actions may carry their own evidence along with them —
[In some circumstances our actions must of necessity be open to misconstruction. St. Paul in circumcising Timothy and not Titus, and in " becoming all things to all men," must appear to many to be guilty of inconsistency. But his general spirit would bear such ample testimony to the integrity of his mind, that all candid persons must at least withhold their cen- sures, even when they could not discern the exact propriety of his conduct. Where there was real danger of his laying a stumbling-block before others, he invariably leaned to the safer side, and would deny himself in things that were most innocent, rather than by indulgence ensnare the consciences of others1. Thus should we endeavour to act. We should " abstain from all appearance of evil." We should be careful that our " good may not be evil spoken of k." In a word, we should " be circum- spect in all things ;" and " so make our light to shine before men, that all who behold it may be constrained to glorify our Father which is in heaven."]
h Ps. cxli. 5. i 1 Cor. viii. 13. k Rom. xiv. 16.
Numb, xxxii. 23. Behold, ye have sinned against the Lord : and be sure your sin will find you out.
THE fear of punishment, if not the best, is cer- tainly the most common preservative from sin. Under the Mosaic dispensation it was the principal motive with which the divine commands were enforced. Nor did St. Paul, though so well acquainted with the liberal spirit of the Gospel, think it wrong to " persuade men by the terrors of the Lord." The words before us therefore may, not improperly, be addressed to usa.
a The tribes of Reuben and Gad had solicited permission to have the land of Jazer and of Gilead for their portion, instead of any inheritance in the land of Canaan. Upon their promising to fight in conjunction with the other tribes until the whole of Canaan should be subdued, Moses acceded to their proposal ; but warned them withal, that, if they receded from their engagement, they should assuredly meet with a due recompence from God.