DISCOURSE VII.

ROMANS xiv. 16.

Let not then your Good be evil spoken of

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N defcribing the Condition of our Chriftian Warfare, St. Peter tells us, If, when ye do well, and fuffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God: To this, fays he, you are called by the Example of Chrift, who fuffered Reproaches willingly, and, when he was reviled, reviled not again. This is a Duty, in which one would think there should be no Danger of any Man's over-acting his Part. Reproach and Contempt are not such defirable Riches, that we need be warned against their Temptations, or cautioned left we too earnestly pursue after them. We are apt enough to

fhrink at the Approach of Calumny, and to invent plaufible Excuses for the Neglect of a Duty, which performed would expose us to Envy or Ill-will. What then means the Apostle by this Exhortation, Let not your Good be evil Spoken of? Are we called by Chrift to fuffer Revilings and Reproaches? and, are we called by his Apoftle to fly from them and avoid them? Our Saviour feems to speak other Language to us in his Sermon on the Mount: Blessed are ye when Men Jhall revile you and perfecute you: And, if it be our Happiness to be reviled, how is it our Duty to take care not to be evil spoken of for our Good?

But fuppofe, however, that it is no Way inconfiftent with our Chriftian Duty to avoid the Calumny and Reproach of the World; yet still is it in our Power to stop the Mouth of Malice and Wickedness? When we do our Duty, can we help it if others will speak Evil of our Good? Why are not they rather exhorted not to speak Evil of our Good, than we not to let our Good be evil spoken of? It is not in our Power govern other People's Tongues: Is it not enough therefore that the Thing we do is good, but must it likewife lie upon us to fecure

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fecure our Good from the Attempts of Malice and Envy? Is it not fufficient that we fuffer patiently under the Malice of Wickedness, but muft we partake in the Guilt of it too; and fhall it be imputed to us as a Crime, that we let our Good be evil fpoken of?

Such Reasonings as these perhaps the Text may suggest at first hearing; but, when maturely confidered, it will afford excellent In+ ftruction for our Conduct in the Purfuit of thofe Things which are in themselves truly good and praise-worthy: It will teach us not only how to be good in ourselves, but likewife how to be useful in the World, by exercifing a truly Chriftian Prudence and Addrefs in promoting the Intereft of Virtue and Religion.

To court Oppreffion and Perfecution, to invite the World to mifufe us for the Sake of our Profeffion, is far from being a Duty to which the Gospel has called us. It is neither for the Interest of our Religion, nor the Glory of our Mafter, that we should voluntarily expofe either ourselves or our Doctrine to the Hatred and Contempt of the World: In both Cafes our Saviour has given other Directions; Give not, fays he, that

which is holy unto the Dogs; neither caft ye your Pearl before Swine, left they trample them under their Feet, and turn again and rent you, Matt. vii. 6. And when he sent his Disciples forth to preach, he exprefly commanded them to beware of Men; not only allowing, but requiring them to have a Regard to their own Safety, and cautiously to shift the Dangers to which they were neceffarily to be expofed.

This may fatisfy us of the Lawfulness and Expediency of guarding against the Dangers that may attend the Practice and Profeffion of Religion in an evil World, and clear our Way to the understanding the Extent and Meaning of the Apoftle's Advice, Let not your Good be evil fpoken of.

The Rule is general, and extends itself to all Parts of our Chriftian Conversation: It stands applied indeed by the Apostle to a particular Cafe, which was Matter of Controverfy in the Church of Rome at the Time this Letter was written to them: But as the Rule does not arife out of the particular Circumstances of that Cafe, there will be no Neceffity of confidering it with Reference to the Dispute which the Apoftle had in his View; but we may deduce it from the general

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