under heaven cause you to turn aside, even for a moment, from the path of duty. " Be steadftist, and immoveable, and always abounding in the work of the Lord." At the same time, imitate his love to man. Whatever treatment you meet with in the world, be long-suffering and loving towards all ; and " let patience have its perfect work, that ye may be per- fect and entire, lacking nothing." In all this, let your con- duct be so uniform, that you may appeal to those who have the nearest access to you, and opportunities of observing you at all times, that this is the constant tenour of your way. It is an easy matter to be Christians in public : but, to preserve a per- fect consistency in the whole of your deportment in private, requires an unintermitted watchfulness, and a measure of grace that is possessed by few. But, indeed, I must say, that it is by such fruits alone that the goodness of the tree can be dis- cerned. May God enable all of us so to walk, that we may be able to make our appeal, both to God and man, without fear and contradiction ; and to the praise of that God who hath wrought all our good works within us !]
2 Tim. iii. 12. All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer 'persecution.
WE are apt to imagine that persecution for right- eousness' sake was peculiar to the apostolic age : but St. Paul, reminding Timothy of the various trials which he himself had endured, tells him, that the Gospel would continue to give offence, wherever it was faithfully preached, or consistently professed ; and that " all who would live godly in Christ Jesus should suffer persecution." Now, that we may enter into the true import of these words, and see their full scope, I will shew,
I. What is the life which is here described —
[The Apostle does not say, "All that will live godly:" for then his assertion would not be true. A conformity to the law, under which men live, will by no means give offence to those ai'ound them. Heathens, of every class and of every caste, will admire those who are most scrupulously observant
of the rites prescribed by their religious system The
Pharisees were held in the highest estimation on account of