nd perfect it
also in all those that reproach him. Let him pray for Christ's grace
to bear hardships in Christ's spirit; to be able to look calmly in the
world's face, and bear its frown; to trust in the Lord, and be doing
good; to obey God, and so to be reproached, not for professing only,
but for performing, not for doing nothing, but for doing something, and
in God's cause. If we are under reproach, let us have something to
show for it. At present, such a one is but a child in the Gospel; but
in time, St. Peter's words will belong to him, and he may appropriate
them. "This is thankworthy, if a man for conscience towards God endure
grief, suffering wrongfully. For what glory is it, if when ye be
buffeted for your faults ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do
well and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with
God."

What happens to the young in one way, and to penitent sinners in
another, happens in one way or other to all of us. In the case of all
of us occasions arise, when practices countenanced by others do not
approve themselves to our consciences. If after serious thought we
find we cannot acquiesce in them, we must follow our consciences, and
stand prepared for the censure of others. We must submit (should it be
unavoidable) to appear to those who have no means of understanding us,
self-willed, or self-conceited, or obstinate, or eccentric, or
headstrong, praying the while that God's mercy may vouchsafe to us,
that we be not really what we seem to the world.

Some are exposed to a temptation of a different kind, that of making
themselves seem more religious than they really are. It may happen,
that to advocate right opinions may be profitable to our worldly
interests, and be attended by the praise of men. You may ask, since in
such cases God and man approve the same thing, why should the applause
of the world be accounted dangerous then? I answer, it is dangerous
because God requires of us a modest silence in our religion; but we
cannot be religious in the eyes of men without displaying religion. I
am now speaking of display. God sees our thoughts without our help,
and praises _them_; but we cannot be praised by men without being seen
by men: whereas often the very excellence of a religious action,
according to our Saviour's precept, consists in the not being seen by
others. This is a frequent cause of hypocrisy in religion. Men begin
by feeling as they should feel, th