their unbelief; his fear, their security ; his obedience, their disobedience. He needed not to say any thing : his conduct spake sufficiently; and the consciences of the beholders made the application. Thus it is, in a measure, with every godly man; he is " an epistle of Christ, known and read of all men'." The ungodly world may shut their eyes against the light of God's written word ; but liim they are forced to see, whether they will or not : and in him they see what is the line of con- duct which God requires, and how far they are from walking according to it.
That the world consider themselves as condenmed by the godly, is evident, from the indignation which they manifest when the light of God's truth is made to shine before them. They instantly endeavour, by every possible means, to extin- guish the light, or at all events to induce the godly to put their light under a bushel, and to hide it from their eyes". They will profess to reprobate the sentiments of the godly: but they would never concern themselves about the sentiments of the godly, if they could but induce them to alter their conduct. It is their conduct that reproaches them, and that forms the real ground of their indignation against them. " If ye were of the world," says our Lord, " the world (whatever your senti- ments might be) would love its own : but because ye are not of the loorld, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you^." Let piety enter into any family amongst us, and we shall see a fulfilment of that word, " Think you that I came to send peace on earth ? I came not to send peace, but a sword J"."]
2. By the open avowal of his sentiments —
[A faithful servant of God, in whatever line he move, will not be ashamed of Christ, but will " confess him openly before men^" This he feels to be a bounden duty. He does not wish to make a parade of his religion : but he is commanded to " let his light shine before men^ ;" and not only " not to have fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but, when opportunity occurs, to reprove them^." Hence, though he is cautious, " not to cast pearls before swine, who would only trample them under their feef^," he is " ready to give to every inquirer a reason of the hope that is in him with meekness and fear^." Nor will he be afraid to reprove sin, where he has any hope that his admonitions will be well received. If he be a minister, he will be " bold in the Lord to speak the Gospel of God with much contention '^ ;" not fearing the face of man, but
t 2 Cor. iii. .3. " John iii. 19, 20. -^ John xv. 19.
y Matt. X. 34 — 36. == IMatt, x. 32. » Matt. v. 16.
b Eph. v. 11. " Matt. vii. 6. '' 1 Pet. iii. 15. e 1 Thess. ii. 2.