into utter difgrace. At least too many either imprudently chufe, or unhappily fall into fuch acquaintance, that they mult lofe their character with them, unless they will throw off their virtue and religion. No wonder if poor thoughtless creatures often fink under this temptation. But wo to thofe, by whom the offence cometh *: who, not content to be vicious and profane themfelvés, add unprovoked the further and greater wickednefs of perfecuting others by ridicule and invective into the fame guilt. A perfecution, however, far from being formidable enough to afford any tolerable excufe for such as yield to it. The vain, and fhewy, and bold, who call themfelves the world, and pretend to difpofe of contempt and applaufe as they will, have it not fo entirely by any means in their own hands, as they would feem. For, befides, that the nature of things cannot be altered; were the number of such perfons larger than it is, yet their weight is not answerable to it. And though the wife and good may, in proportion, be few; yet their judgement is, and will be refpected by many. So that whoever is truly difpofed to be pious and virtuous will never want competent protection, if he doth but feek for it by cultivating proper friendships; but let the generality be ever fo bad, will gain, upon the whole, more reputation than he loses, by adhering to his duty. Yet, fuppofing this were otherwife, it fhould be confidered, that the esteem of the worthlefs is very ill purchased at the price of becoming like them and that the most fatal confequences daily proceed from perfons being led by the folly of others, rather than their own good sense, and that of their difcreeter and more experienced friends. But above all, it should be confidered, how fmall a thing it is to be judged of man's judgement, when be that judgeth us is the Lord: who hath exprefsly faid, what he will affuredly verify, them that honour me, I will honour and they that defpife me shall be lightly efecmed. Seldom will this fail in the prefent life: but never in the next when they, who fleep in the duft of the carib, fhall awake; fome to everlasting life, and fome to frame and everlafting contempt §. Therefore, notwithstanding all the cenfures of this world, let us run with patience the race that is fet before *Matth. xviii. 7. +1 Cor. iv. 3, 4. 1 Sam. ii. 30. us; us; looking unto Jefus, the author and finifber of our faith; who endured the cross, defpifing the fhame, and is fet down at the right hand of the throne of God. Another cafe, in which, to preferve a character with their acquaintance, perfons will do what every one elfe, and they themselves often, fee to be wrong, is that of party-wickedness. Very frequently prejudices of education, worldly interest, vehemence of temper hurry them into it. But frequently alfo, their fole inducement is, that if they should stop short, their friends would look coldly upon them, and think meanly of them; and they cannot bear the reproach of not having been true to their fide. What a wretched principle now is this! And yet tolerably good perfons will be carried ftrange lengths by it and others, any lengths whatever. We find in St John, that on hearing our Saviour's difcourfes, many among the chief rulers of the Jews, inwardly believed on him, but becaufe of the Pharifees, they did not confefs him, left they should be put out of the Synagogue. For they loved the praise of men, more than the praife of Godt. Now juft the fame thing, which got the better of their conviction in this respect, gets the better. of most men's in one refpect or another and they will not reflect, that as the temptations to raise or preserve a reputation by joining in the exceffes of party, are often the moft trifling, and eafieft to be refifted, that can be; fo, when the trial is harder, the duty is ftill the fame; but the victory will be the more honourable, and the reward the greater. A further inftance, and a very criminal one, of preferring the good opinion of others to their own confcience is, when perfons, having been guilty of fome folly or fin, will be guilty of almost any thing to cover it, rather than expofe themselves. At one time, they will immediately commit a very great fault to conceal a very fmall one. At others, they will begin, for that purpose, only with what feems a pretty harmless' tránígreffion. But that doth not fucceed, perhaps entangles them yet worfe: and fo they are drawn on, till, instead of confefling at first a fingle error, they are shamefully convicted at last of many. But if they could, by fuch means, efcape ever so clear, thefe are not means, by which they ought to efcape. Even an innocent perfon hath no right to use other than innocent methods methods for his defence much lefs is having done one bad thing an excufe for doing a fecond. So far indeed as honest prudence will hide our difgrace, we are doubtless in the right to employ it. But if that will not fuffice; what we have deferved we maft patiently undergo, as a juft correction, and salutary difcipline to produce repentance. There lies our way back :' and it is in vain to seek for any other. If we are difposed to take this only right courfe, all good perfons will think it a duty ftri&ly binding them (for indeed it is an important one) to make our return as easy to us, as poffible: never to reproach us more with what we have heartily condemned ourfelves for; but hold us in that honour, of which a true penitent may fometimes deferve a higher degree, than thofe who never offended. And though the world fhould, as probably it will, do us this juftice but imperfectly; yet bearing, in a virtuous manner, whatever fhame our faults may bring upon us in this life, will contribute to increase our glory in the next. One other bad way of aiming at reputation, which must be mentioned, is, when we demolish that of others, to raise our own, and build it on the ruins. Every one feels how grievous this injury is, when done to himself: and therefore knows the wickedness of doing it to his neighbour. Nor truly is the folly much lefs. Let another perfon's character in any respect be thought or proved ever fo contemptible, or so bad, mine continues but juft what it was. And as for any hope, that it may be the more admired, when the other is lowcred on the contrary, it will be obferved, who hath taken pains to lower it. And they, who are known to give fuch treatment, generally meet, as they well deferve, with a dou ble fhare of it. Candour towards all, of whom we fpeak, is the true art of obtaining it towards ourselves: whereas be that bath fhewed no mercy, ball, both from God and man, have judgment without mercy *. • But befides thofe, who are led into any of these fins by an undue fondness for reputation; they alfo are blameable, who allow it to give them too much uneafinefs. A good name is indeed the most valuable of all earthly things: but, like the rest of them, may be the fubject of too much anxiety. If we VOL. II. James ii. 13. are us; looking unto Jefus, the author and finisber of our faith; who endured the cross, defpifing the shame, and is fet down at the right band of the throne of God". Another cafe, in which, to preserve a character with their acquaintance, perfons will do what every one elfe, and they themselves often, fee to be wrong, is that of party-wickedness. Very frequently prejudices of education, worldly intereft, ve hemence of temper hurry them into it. But frequently alfo, their fole inducement is, that if they should stop short, their friends would look coldly upon them, and think meanly of them; and they cannot bear the reproach of not having been. true to their fide. What a wretched principle now is this! And yet tolerably good perfons will be carried firange lengths by it and others, any lengths whatever. We find in St John, that on hearing our Saviour's discourses, many among the chief rulers of the Jews, inwardly believed on him, but becaufe of the Pharifees, they did not confefs him, left they should be put out of the Synagogue. For they loved the praise of men, more than the praife of God. Now just the same thing, which got the better of their conviction in this respect, gets the better of most men's in one refpect or another and they will not reflect, that as the temptations to raise or preserve a reputation by joining in the exceffes of party, are often the moft trifling, and eaficft to be refifted, that can be; fo, when the trial is harder, the duty is ftill the fame; but the victory will be the more honourable, and the reward the greater. A further inftance, and a very criminal one, of preferring the good opinion of others to their own confcience is, when perfons, having been guilty of fome folly or fin, will be guilty of almost any thing to cover it, rather than expofe themselves. At one time, they will immediately commit a very great fault to conceal a very small one. At others, they will begin, fot that purpose, only with what feems a pretty harmless trán greffion. But that doth not fucceed, perhaps entangles them yet worfe: and fo they are drawn on, till, inftead of confeffing at first a fingle error, they are shamefully convicted at last of many. But if they could, by fuch means, efcape ever so clear, thefe are not means, by which they ought to efcape. Even an innocent perfon hath no right to use other than innocent methods methods for his defence much lefs is having done one bad thing an excufe for doing a fecond. So far indeed as honest prudence will hide our difgrace, we are doubtless in the right to employ it. But if that will not fuffice; what we have deferved we must patiently undergo, as a juft correction, and salutary difcipline to produce repentance. There lies our way back:' and it is in vain to seek for any other. If we are difposed to take this only right courfe, all good perfons will think it a duty ftri&ly binding them (for indeed it is an important one) to make our return as easy to us, as poffible: never to reproach us more with what we have heartily condemned ourfelves for; but hold us in that honour, of which a true penitent may fometimes deferve a higher degree, than those who never offended. And though the world should, as probably it will, do us this juftice but imperfectly; yet bearing, in a virtuous manner, whatever fhame our faults may bring upon us in this life, will contribute to increase our glory in the next. One other bad way of aiming at reputation, which must be mentioned, is, when we demolish that of others, to raise our own, and build it on the ruins. Every one feels how grievous this injury is, when done to himfelf: and therefore knows the wickedness of doing it to his neighbour. Nor truly is the folly much lefs. Let another perfon's character in any respect be thought or proved ever fo contemptible, or so bad, mine continues but just what it was. And as for any hope, that it may be the more admired, when the other is lowered on the contrary, it will be obferved, who hath taken pains to lower it. And they, who are known to give fuch treatment, generally meet, as they well deferve, with a double fhare of it. Candour towards all, of whom we speak, is the true art of obtaining it towards ourselves: whereas be that bath fhewed no mercy, ball, both from God and man, have judgment without mercy *.. But befides thofe, who are led into any of these fins by an undue fondness for reputation; they alfo are blameable, who allow it to give them too much uneafinefs. A good name is indeed the most valuable of all earthly things: but, like the rest of them, may be the fubject of too much anxiety. If we VOL. II. Zzz James ii. 13. are |