Adorable therefore is the wisdom and goodness of God, who, having implanted in our breasts such a vehement desire of glory and such a strong aversion to shame, hath graciously provided, that whilst we act by these motives we cannot finally miscarry; since by his eternal decrees he hath ordered, and by his holy gospel he hath made known to us, that the greatest glory of which our natures are capable shall be the result of our obedience to his laws; and that we can no way lay up to ourselves such treasures of shame against the day of shame as by transgressing his righteous commandments. For it is very observable, that our future happiness and misery are in scripture represented to us, not only under the notion of exquisite pleasure and pain, to work upon the hopes and fears of such as are most affected with these sentiments; but also as a state of unmixed glory or shame, to engage the desires and awaken the apprehensions of such as, by their different make of soul or course of education, are more apt to be prevailed upon by these more ingenuous motives. And indeed the fear of torment, though most suited to work upon the generality of mankind, must be owned to be a less powerful restraint from sin than the apprehension of shame, if what hath been observed by some learned men is well grounded, to wit, that though we have sure promises in holy writ that the sins of those who repent shall be forgiven, yet we have no assurance that they shall not be remembered and exposed that since nothing is secret which shall not be made manifest, the sins of the penitent as well as of the impenitent shall be brought to light; that God's mercy will be as much displayed by the discovery of those sins which he shall pardon, as his justice shall be cleared by the manifestation of those which he shall punish; and that therefore though some shall at the

day of judgment be forgiven, yet all shall be discovered: if, I say, these notions are as sound as they are ingenious, the fear of shame must be allowed to have a greater influence to make men virtuous, than the apprehensions of torment; since though timely repentance for past sins may rescue us from punishment, nothing but unspotted innocence can secure us against the shame of discovery. But however this matter stands, it being plain from experience that we find a relish in esteem, and are disquieted in our minds by disgrace; it being evident from reason that these affections were by God implanted in us as spurs to virtue and preservatives against vice, and it being expressly commanded in scripture that we should do those things that are of good report, and avoid scandal as well as sin; what some speculative men may have unwarily advanced to prove that the distinctions betwixt honour and dishonour, praises and reproaches, a good and a bad name, are notional, and without any foundation in the nature of things, ought not to make us so indifferent towards them, as not to aim at esteem and guard against censure by all wise and honest methods.

I am sensible upon what slippery ground I tread, and how cautiously I ought to proceed in recommending to you a nice sense of honour, and a due regard to your reputation: every thing that is said against valuing the esteem of men has in it an air of piety and mortification, as tending to subdue in us the detestable sin of pride; and, on the other side, every thing that is urged in favour of reputation, as a desirable and valuable blessing, is liable to misinterpretation, as tending to the nourishment of vanity and pride. But before I have done with this subject, which I have not time to despatch now, I doubt not but I shall make it manifest, that a just value may be set upon reputation without

any danger of pride; that the very notion of humility supposes reputation to be valuable; that there are several moral virtues and Christian graces whose worth and excellency can no otherwise be accounted for than by allowing reputation to be valuable; and that there is no one virtue or grace but may be accounted for without sinking the value of reputation.

In the mean time what hath been already said upon this head is sufficient to our purpose: it hath been proved that our reputation is worth our securing, and that it can no otherways be secured but by avoiding all appearance of evil; whence it plainly follows, that being bound by all honest means to preserve our reputation, we are bound, in order to this end, to abstain from all appearance of evil.

Reputation is one of those talents for which we are accountable to God: this may be improved by us to good purposes, and it may be squandered away to no purpose, or to ill ones: it is possible that we may be too covetous, but it is possible also that we may be too prodigal of it. He who prefers his reputation to his conscience, and had rather offend God than be evilspoken of by men, values it a great deal too high; but he who makes his reputation subservient to the keeping a good conscience, and in obedience to God takes care of his reputation among men, values it no higher than a wise man and good Christian ought. What value right reason and the law of God hath put upon it, the same value let us allow it in our opinion, and show that we allow it by our practice. Let us do nothing forbidden by God to get reputation, and let us be equally careful to do nothing evil to lose it. When we cannot keep both a good reputation and a good conscience, let us rather neglect our good name than wound our conscience: but where we cannot lose our

reputation but by our own fault, there let us be careful not to lose it, because at the same time we must also lose a good conscience. Let us provide things honest in the sight of God by abstaining from all real evil, and let us provide things honest in the sight of men also by abstaining from all appearance of evil.

The third

sermon on this text.

SERMON XLII.

EVIL-APPEARANCE.

I THESSALONIANS V. 22.

Abstain from all appearance of evil. WHAT the bounds and measures of the duty here enjoined by the apostle are; what appearance of evil is or is not consistent with the precept here given; how far it is impossible to abstain from all appearance of evil, and by consequence not commanded in the words of the text; how far it is possible, and, being possible, is for that reason here required; what those directions are, by the due observance of which we may best abstain from the appearance of evil, so as to avoid it where it is avoidable, and to be free from guilt where it is not avoidable, I have already explained, if not with all that accuracy which so nice a subject requires, yet, I hope, in such a manner, that none who sincerely desire to know their duty in this point can be easily mistaken in it, nor any who would conscientiously discharge it need to be at a loss how to acquit themselves of it.

Now though no other reason need to be given why we should be religiously careful to abstain from all appearance of evil besides the positive command of our apostle; though the authority of the lawgiver is a better ground for our obligation to obey this or any