sures, his moderation in worldly pursuits, bis refusal to comply with worldly maxims aud customs, are parts of his character, which worldly men cannot at all understand, and which, therefore they regard as surprising and mysterious. But there is nothing really wonderful in the matter; and that irreligious persons should think otherwise, only betrays their ignorance of real religion, and of the principles by which the true Christian is governed. When these are seen and understood, his conduct with respect to the world, will appear to be natural and consistent and the only wonder would be, if he should act otherwise than lie really does. Take, for example, the case of the Christians in the text. They no longer ran to the same excess of riot to which before their conversion to Christianity they had been accustomed to run. Was there any thing strange in this? Consider in what light they now regarded those revellings and banquetings, in which they had formerly delighted. They now looked upon them as so many occasions and instruments of sin. They considered them as some of the most successful means, by which satan maintained his kingdom in the world. They regarded them as the places where the enemies of God found their greatest pleasure, and tempted others to wickedness. They viewed them as scenes, which stirred up fleshly lusts, and by gratifying sinful inclinations increased their power over the soul. How then was it possible, that with these views they could" run to the same excess of riot" as they once did? Taught by the Holy Spirit to know and to love God, having their eyes opened to see evil and the danger of sin, being baptised into Christ, and enlisted under his

banner to fight against the devil, the world, and the flesh, how was it possible that they could any longer frequent the places and scenes of carnal and licentious mirth; where the slaves of the devil, of the world, and of the flesh, find their chief gratifications? "Redeemed from their vain conversation by the precious blood of Christ," it would have been strange indeed, if they could still have "fashioned themselves according to. their former lusts in their ignorance." Here would have been the wonder; not that they should renounce and forsake the works of darkness, but that, if after having been once savingly enlightened, they could have retained any further fellowship or communion with them. This at least is the view, which every person who feels the constraining influence of Christianity on his heart will have of the subject. Such a person will clearly see, that when these converts refrained from running to the same excess of riot with unconverted persons, they enly exhibited the natural and necessary consequence of their conversion to Christianity; and that if they had not refrained from doing this, they would have shewn themselves, notwithstanding their profession of Christianity, to have been no true Christians. "For what communion hath light with darkness? What con-cord hath Christ with Belial ?" It appears then that there was no just cause for that wonder, which their. conduct excited in their ungodly neighbours. These thought it strange; but it was merely their own ignor. ance of Christianity which made them think it so.-Let such as are disposed to wonder at the holy and self-denying conduct of religious people, and to look upon

them as persons beside themselves, lay this truth to heart. The wonder which they feel, proves that they themselves are strangers to true religion, and that by whatever name they may be called, they are all still Gentiles in heart.

But we have hitherto considered only one part of that treatment which the Christian converts in the text met with from the irreligious world. They were not only misunderstood, but they were also misrepresented. Their unconverted neighbours not only thought their conduct strange, but they also" spake evil of them.” Not understanding their real motives and principles, they imputed to them false ones. They said that they were actuated by pride, by self-conceit, by a vain desire of appearing better or wiser than other people. They represented them as bypocrites, deceivers, enthusiasts : reviled them; reproached them; defamed their characters; magnified every little error which they committed; spread false and malicious reports respecting them; turned them into ridicule, and held them up as objects of contempt and scorn. Such, we may conclude was the way in which these Gentiles treated the Christians, when it is said, that they "spake evil of them." And we may the more readily conclude so, because this is the way, in which irreligious peo ́ple have, at all times, treated, the serious followers of Jesus Christ. They have thus, more or less, spoken. evil of them. Jesus Christ himself was "set for a sign which should be spoken against;"a and the disciple is not above his master. If the world spake evil, as we a Luke, iii. 31.

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Know it did of Jesus Christ, it is to be expected that it will speak evil of those who walk in his steps: and it does speak evil of them every day. Let a man be ever so profane or immoral, a common swearer, or drunkard, an unkind father, a bad husband, a despiser of all religion, yet the world will, in general, give itself but little trouble about such a man. He may go on in his own way, and provided that he does not provoke the vengeauce of the laws, little will be said against him. But let that man renounce his sins and sinful practices; let him become a true Christian, a meek and holy follower of the blessed Jesus; and how many mouths will be opened against him! how many tongues will be ready to speak evil of him! Let his life be ever so exemplary and useful, still slander will be busy against him, and · many who dare not speak openly to his prejudice, will en- deavour secretly, to injure his character: so that in this respect at least; "all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution."b

What a striking proof is this of the corruption and pravity of our nature, of the desperate wickedness iman's heart, of the enmity of the carnal mind against od! How spontaneously, must men, in their natural State, hate, holiness, and the divine image, that thus, so oon as a small trace and resemblance of it may appear, they should instantly begin to speak evil of, and revile it! How cordially must they love the work and service of satan, and how anxiously desire to support his cause and kingdom, when, so soon as any one of his wretched captives shall begin to throw off his chains, and to renounce his service, they should with one

2 Tim. iii.-12.

voice conspire to belie, defame, reproach; and ridicule him! Men may talk of their love of virtue, and boast of the goodness of their hearts; but their hard and evil speeches against God's people prove that they are still "in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity." Let those whose consciences accuse them on this head, lay this conclusion seriously to heart. Let them reflect on the load of guilt which they may have already brought on themselves by these practices. Let them also reflect on what will be the consequences of their sin. This is another particular to be noticed in the text.

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But the They must

When the

III. They "shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead.??" Men may think, that their ignorance of religion, and their enmity. against it; that the wonder which they feel at the conduct of godly persons, and the evil speeches which they utter against them, are matters of no consequence, and will never be brought to remembrance. Apostle assures them of the contrary. "give an account" of these things to God. Lord shall come to judgment, he will make a strict enquiry into the motives of their conduct, and will pubJicly expose their guilt. He will call upon them to justify what they have done, and said; to account for the false, the bitter, the malicious speeches which they have made against himself and his people. For what has been spoken against them, in consequence of their attachment to his cause or of their resemblance to his image, he will consider as having been spoken against himself. All the sneers, reproaches, and falsehoods,