TIIE PRAISE OF MEN.
HIS is spoken of the chier rulers of the Jcws, who, though they believed iii Christ's Divine mission, were afl-aid fo eonfess Ilim, lest thev should lueur temporal h,ss and shame ff'mn the Pharisees. The censure passed by St. Jol,,, on these persons is too offert applicable fo Christians at the present day; perhaps, indeed, there is no one among us who has hot at some rime or other fallen under it. We love the good opinion of the world more ff,an thc approbntion of Him who ereated us, redeemed us, has reg'enerated us, and who still preserves to us the opportuni*y of preparing ourselves for His future presenee. 8ueh is too often the case with us. If is well we should be aware thnt it is so; it is well we should dwell Ul,On if, and that we should understand nnd feel that it is wrong, which lnany lnell do not. Now it is an obvious question, Vhy is if wrong fo love the praise of men? For i my be objeeed, we ara eeustomed to eduete tle youn by means of prMse md blame; tlm we encourage flem by kind wordsJ)'o» ««.ç, tllat is, ri'oto man; and punish them disobedienee. If, thon, it mav bc argued, if is ri'ht to reg':rd t]le opinions of othcrs conecrning us in out youth, if cannot, bc in itsclf wronz t(, pay attention fo if, a any othcr period of lire. This is h'uc; but I do hOt say hat the mere h,ve of praise md fear of shame are cvil: regard fo the eorrupt world's praisc or blame, this is what is sinful and dangcrous. St. John, in tlle text, implics that the praise of mon was, af thc rime spokcn of, in opposition fo the praise of God. If l,e wrong fo prefer any thing fo the will of God. To seek praise is in itself as littlc wrong, as if is wrong fo hope, and to fear, and fo love, and fo trust; all depends upon the objeet lloped, or fearcd, or loved, or trusted; fo seek thc praise of good men is hot wrong, any more than fo love or fo reverence good men; only wrong when if is in exeess, when if interferes with the exereise of love and reverenee towards God. Not wrong while we look on good men singqy as instruments and servants of God; or, in the words of Seripture, while « we glorit Goal in them 1.,, But fo seek the praise of bad men, is in itself as wrong" s fo love the eompany of bad men, or admire them. If is hot, I say, merely the love of praise that is a sin, but love of the eorrupt 1 Gal. i. 2t.
woHd's praise. This is the case with all out natural feelings and affections; thcy arc all in (hcmselvcs good, and imphmted by God; they are sinfil, because we bave in us by nature a somcthing more (han them, riz. an evil priuciple whieh perverts them to a bad end. Adaln, before his fifll, felt, we may suppose, love, fcar, hopc, joy, dislike, as we do now; but then he tbl them onlv when he ought, and as he ought; all was harlnOlfiously attempered and rig'hfly adjusted in his soul, whid was at unity with itself. But, a tle fill, tllis beautifid order and peace was broken up; le same passions remained, but their use and action were ehanged; they rushed into extremes, sometimes excessive, solnetilnes the reverse. Indignation was corrcpted in{o wrath, self-love beeame selfishness, self-respect beeame pride, and emulation envy and jealou.y. ïhev were at varianee with eaeh other; pride s{ruggled wi{h selfinterest, fear with desire. Thus his soul beeame a chaos, and needed a new ereation. Moreover, as I have said, his affections were set npon unsuitable objeets. The natural man looks to this world, lhe world is his god; faith, love, hope, jo3", are hot exeited in his mind by things spiritual and divine, but by thing's seen and temporal. Considering, then, that. love of praise is hot a bad principle in itself, if is plain that a parenL lnay vin T properly teach his child fo love his praise, and fear his blame, when that praise and blame are given in accoM- ance with God's praise and blame, and ruade subservient to thcm. And, in like manncr, if the world at large took a correct and rcligious view of things, thon its praise and blame would in ifs place 1)c valuable too. Did thc world admire what God admires; did it account5 humility, for instant.e, a 'reat virtue, and pridc a great sin; did it eondclnn ihnt spirit of self-importance and sensitiveness of disg'«-ae, which calls itself a love of ]onour; did it think little of temporal prosperity, wcalth, tank, g'raltdeur,:tnd 1,ower; did il condenm arrogeant and irreverent disputing, the noisy, turbulent spiril of ambition, the love of war and conquest, and the perverse telnper which leads to jealousy and hatred; did it prefcr goodness and trnth to g'ifts of the intellect; did it think littlc of quickness, wit, shrewdness, power speech and gencral acquirements, and lnuch of patience, meekness, gentleness, firmness, faith, conseientiousness, purity, tbrgiveness of injuries,—then there wouhl be no sin in ont seeking, the world's praise; and though we still ought fo love God's praise above all, yet we might love thc praise of the world in ifs degree, for if would be nothing more nor less than the praise of good men. But since, alas! the contrary is the case, since the world (as Scripture tells us) "lieth in wickedness," and the principles and practices which prevail on ail sitles of us are nog those whieh the All-holy Goal sanctions, we cannot lawfully seek the world's praise. We cannot serve two masters who are enemies the oue to the other.
We are f'orbidden fo love the wor]d or anr hin that is of the world, fi»r if. is hot. of the Father, but passeh This is the reason why if is 'rong" fo pursue the world's praise; riz. because we cannot have if and (Æod's praise too. And yet, as the pursuit of it is wrong, so is if common,—for this reason: because God is nnseen, the wodd is seen; because God's praise and ll.'mae are fitture, the world's are preseut beeause God's praise and blame are inward, and eome qnietly and without keenuess, whereas the world's are ver 3- plain and intelligible, and make themsel-es fclt. Take, fi»r instance, the case of thc 3-oun, on (what is called) enterin into lift.. Very mauy, indeed, there are, whether in a higher or lower stati«m, who enter iuto the mixed societ.y of others earlv; so early, that. it might be thouht t.hey had hardly laad rime fo aequire any previous knowledge of right and wron, auy standard of rig, ht and wrong, other than the world ffives, any principles by which to fiht against the world. And yet if cannot quite be so. Whatever is the first rime persons hear evil, if is quite certain that good has been beforehand with them, and they have a something" within them which tells them if is evil. And lunch more, if they have been blessed, as most men are, with lhe protection of parents, or the kind offices of teachers or of God's ministers, they generally lmve principles of duty more or less strongly imprinted on their minds; and on their first intercourse with strangers they are shoeked or frighted at seeing the improprieties and sins, whieh are opcnly eountenaneed. Alas! there are persons, doubtless (thoug'h God forbid it should be the case with any here lWesent!), whose consciences have been so early traiued into forgetfulness of religious duties, that they can hardly, or cannot at all, reeolleet the rime I speak of; the rime when they acted with the sceret f[,eling that God saw them, saw all they did and thought. I will hot fancy this fo be the case with any who hcar me. Rather, there are many of you, in dffferent ranks and circumstanees, who have, and ever bave had, gcneral impressions ou your minds of the claires whieh relig'ion bas on you, but., at the saine rime, bave been afraid of acting upon them, afi-aid of the opinion of the world, of what others would say if you set about obefing your conscience. Ridicule is a most lowerful instrmnent in the hands of Satan, and it is most vividly felt by the young. If any one wishes to do his duty, if is most easy for the cold, the heartless, and the thoughtless, fo final out harsh, or provoking, or ridiculous names to fix upon him. hIy brethren, so many of yott as are sensitive of the laughter or eontempt of the world, this is your cross; yott must wear if, you must endure if patiently; if is t.he mark of yom" conformity to Christ; He despised the shame: you must learn to endure it, ri'oto the example and by the aid of your Saviom'. You must love the praise of Goal more than the praise of men. If is the very trial suited to you, a.ppointed for you, to establish you in the fifith. ¥ou are not tcmptcd with gain or ambition, but with ridicule. And be sure, that unless you withstaud it, you cannot endure hardships as good soldiers of Jcsus Christ, you will hot endure other temptations which are fo follow. ]Iow can you advance a step lu:-our after and lnore cxtended course till the tirst difiiculty is ovcrcomc? You need faith, and " double-minded lUan," savs St. Jamcs, "is unstable in all his ways." [orcover, bc hot too sure that all who show an inclination to ridicule you, feel exactly as they say. They speak with fle loudcst speaker; speak)'ou boldly, and they will speak with you. They have very little of definite opinion thcmsclves, or probably they evcn feel with you, thoug-h they speak against you. Vcry likcly they bave uncasy, unsatisfied consciences, thoug'h they seem t» sin so boldly; and are as afi'aid of the world as)'ou can be, nu35 more so; they join in ridiculing you, lest others should ridicule them or they do so in a sort of self-defence against thc reproaches of their own consciences. Numbers in this bad world talk loudly against religion in order to encourage each other in sin, because they need eucouragement. They are cowards, and rely on each other for support against their leurs. They know they oug'ht to be other than they are, but are glad fo avail themselves of any thing that looks like argument., to overcome tiroir consciences withal. And ridicule is a
48 Thc PrMs« of kiud of argument—sueh as i is; and numbers ridieulin oether are a sIill sroner oneof the saine kind. Any how, there are few indeed who will not feel nfterward, in rimes of depression or alarm, that you are right, nlad *hey flemselves are wrong. Those who serve God fifithfidly bave fl-iend of their own, in eaeh man's bosom, witnessiug fir them; even in {hose who treat tlwln ill. And I suppase no young person has been able, through God's merey, o withstand world's displeasure, but bas fclt at this rime or tha{, that riais is so, and in little {ime will, with all humility, bave the eomfort of feeling it while he is withs{anding the world. But now supposing he lins hot lmd streng'th of mind to withstand the worhl; but has gone the way of the world. Suppose he has joined the multitude in saying and doing' what he should hot. We know the careless, thoughtless, l»rofanc habits which most mcn lire in, making light of serious subjeets, and being ashamed of godliness and virtue; ashamed of going to elmrch regulady, ashamed of faith,ashamed ofclmstity, ashamed of innocence, aslmmed ofobedienee fo persons in authority. Supposing a person has bcen one of these, and then throug God's gracc repents. It often pleases God, in the course of tlis Providence, fo rouse men to refloetion bv the occurrences of life. In such cireumstances they certainly will have a severe trial to stand against the world. Nothing is more painful in the case of such persons, than thc necessit, y offert imposed upon them of acting" contrary fo fle opinion and wishes of those with whom they ha.ve till now been htimate,whom they have admired and ibllowcd. ]ntimacies have ah'eady been formed, and ries drawn tight, which it is dienlt to sevcr. What is person in question to do? rudely to break them at once? no. ut is he fo share lu sins lu which he irmerlv took part? no; whatever censure, eonteInpt, or ridicule attaches fo him in eonsequenee. But what, then, is he to do? His task, I say, is painfitl and dieult, but he must hot complain, for it is his own making; it is the naturM eonsequenee of his past negleet of God. So mueh is plailbhe must abstain frm all sinfid actions; hot converse lihtly or irreverently where formerly he was hot unwilling so to do hot spend his rime, as heretofore, in idleness or riot; avoid places whither he is hot called by aetual duty, whieh offer temptation to sin; observe diligently attendanee on ehurch; hot idle away the Lord's Day in vanity, or worse; hot add fo the number of his acquaiutanee any thougqitless persons. All this is quite plain, and in doing fliis I know he will ineur the ridicule of his eompanions. IIe will bave much fo bear. He must bear to be ealled names, fo be thought a hypocrite, to be thought fo be afleting semet.lain out of the way, to be thought desirous of reeommending himself to this or that person. He must be prepared for lnalieious and untrue reports about himself; many other trials must he look for. They are his portion. IIe mus pray God to enable him fo bear them meekly. ]Ie nmst pray for himself, he must pray for those who ridicule him. }le has deserved ridicule. bas nothing fo ]»cas of, if he bears it well. IIe ]ms nothin fo boasfl or" that he incars it. IIe has nothin to l»oast, of, as if he were so much beltcr than those who ridicule him; he was once as they rire now. ]le is now just a little l»etter than they are. I[e has just begun new lift,. 1 h, 1,as got a. w, rv little way in if, or rather no way, nothilg bevond protbssing it; and he has the reproaeh of the wor}d in eonseqnence of his profession. ]Vell, le hiln sec fo i tha flfis reproaeh is hot in vain, that he 1,as a right to the reproaeh. Le him see fo if fhat he aets as well as professes. It wi]l be miserable indeed iFhe incurs the reproaeh, and yet does hot gain the reward. Le him pray God to pertbe in him wha IIe has begm in him, and fo begin and perFc i also in all those that reproaeh him. Let him pray for Christ's graee fo bear hardships in Chrisf's spirif; fo be able fo look ealmly in the world's faee, and bear ils fi'own; fo trust in the Lord, and be doing good; fo obey God, and so to be reproaehed, no for professing only, but for performing, hot for doing nothing, but for doing something, and in God's eanse. If we are nnder reproaeh, lef us bave something fo show for if. At present, sueh a one is but a ehild in the Gospel; but rime, St. Peer's words will belong fo him, and he may appropriate them. "his is thankworthy, if a man for
Thc Prai«c of 3Ic«. 5 conscience fowar(ls (3od endure rief, sufferin? wron- fully. Foi what g'lory is it., if when ve be buffeted f(w your faults ye shall ake it pafient]y? buç if, when ye do well and surfer for it., ye take i¢ patiently, this is acceptable with God." What happens ¢o the youn in one way, and to penitent sinners in nnother, happens in one way or other fo ail of ris. Iu the case of nll of us occasions arise, when praetiees eountenaneed by others do not approve themselves fo out consciences. If after serious thonght xve final we eannot acquiesce in them, we must follow out eonseienees, and stand prepared for the censure of others. We must sul)mit (should i. be unavoidable) fo appear fo those who have no menns of understandin us, selt: willed, or self-eoneeited, or obstinate, or eeeentrie, or headstrong, 1)rayin the while that God's merey may vouehsafe to us, that we be noç really what we seem to the world. Some are exposed fo a temptation of a different ldnd, that of making themselves seem more religious than they really are. If may haploen, that to advoeate right opinions mav be profitable to our worldly interests, and be attended by the praise of men. You may ask, sinee in sueh cases God and man approve the saine thing, whv shoukl the applause of the world be aeeomted dangrous then? I answer, it is dançerous beeause God requires of" us a modest silence in out religion; bnt we eannot be religious in the eyes of me without displayinç religion. I ana now sl)eakin g of display. God secs our thoug'hts vithout. our hclp, and praises [hein; but we camaot be praised by mon without being seen by men: -hereas often thc vcry exct¢lleuce of a rcligious action, according to out Saviour's precept, consists in thc hot bein secn by others. Ïhis is a frequent cause of hypocrisy in religion. lcn begiit 1,y fi.clin as they should bel, then thcy thiuk it a very hard thingthat. men should hot. know how wcll ihey feel, and in course of rime they learu fo spcak without fceling. Thus the 3" have learncd to "love the pr:ise of mon more than thc praise of God.'" Ve have fo guard g'ainst another dmger,:gainst the mistake of supposin that the world's despising us is a proof tha we are particularly rclig'ious; for this, too, is offert SUplosed. lrequently i happens that we encumber out religion with extravagances, perversions, or mistakes, with which religion itself has no necessary connexion, and these, and latt religion, excite the contempç of the world. 8o mueh is this the case, that the censure of numbers, or of the sober-minded, or of various and dist.iuct cltsses of men, or censure consistently urged, or continued consistently, ought alwavs fo lead a man fo be very watchtil as fo what he considers right fo say or do in the liue of duty, fo lead him fo examine his princildes; fo lead him, however thoroughly he adheres fo t.hese after ail, fo be unaffectly humble about himselt; aud fo convince him in marrer of fae (what he might be qui sure of beforelmnd, ri'oto tle lmture of the case), that., however good his principles are in themselves, ho is mixing up with them thc alloy of his own frail and corrupt naturc. In conclusion, I would say fo those who fear the world's ccnsure, this:— 1. Reeollect you cannot pleasc all partics, you musL disagrec with some or othcr: vou have on]y to ehoose (if you are dctermine(l fo look fo man) with which you will disag'ree. And, firther, you may be sure that those who attempt fo plcasc all parties, plcase fcwest; and that the best wty fo gain the world's good opinion (evcn if you wcre set upon this, whieh you must nc,t be) is to show that vou prcfer the praisc of God. Make up your mind to bc occasionally misundcrstood, and undcscrvedly condemned. You must, in thc Apostle's words, go throug'h cvil report, and good report, whethcr on a contracted or a wider field of action. oEnd vou must hot be anxious evcn f,w thc praise of good men. To bave, indeed, thc approbation of thosc whosc hearts arc guidcd by God's Holy Spirit, is indeed mueh fo be coveted. Still this is, world of discipline, hot of cnjoyment; and just as we are sometimes bound In duty fo abstain from indulgences of sense in thcmselves innocent, so are we sometimcs bc,und fo dcny,»urselvcs thc satisfaction derived from thc praise cven of the religious and conscientious. Only let us beware in ail this, lest wc act from pride and self-conceit. . In the next llace, think of the multitude of beings,
54 Th« Praisc of [«. vho, unsêcn thêmselvês, nmy yet be surveying" our eonduct. St. 1)aul charges Timolhy by he elect Angels 1; and elsewhcrc hê dcclares that the.kpostlcs werê ruade "a spectacle nnto the world, and fo Angcls, and fo men ." Are we thon ail'Md to follow what is right, lest the world should scoff? 1-athcr let us bê afi'aid hot to fo]low if, bccause God sees us, and Christ, and the holy knzcls. Thcv rcjoice over one silmcr that repenteth; how must they lnourn over those who fall away! V'hat intcrcst, surcly, is cxcited among, thcm, by the sig'ht of the Christian's trial, when fi6th and the dêsire of the world's esteem arc strugg]ing" in his heart for victory! what rejoicing if, flu'oug'h the grace of God, he overcomcs! what sorrow and pity if he is overcome by the world! Accustom yourselves, then, fo fecl that vou are on, public stage, whatêver your station of life may be that there are other witnesses fo vour conduct bêsides the world around you; and, if:)'ou feel shamê of mcn, you should much more feel shame in the presencc of God, and those servants of His that do His plêasure. 3. Still'further: 3-ou fear the judgment of mcn upon:)-ou. Vhat will you hink of it on your death-bed? The hour must corne, sooncr or latcr, whcn your soul is to retm'n fo IIim who gave if. 1)crhaps:)'ou will be sensible of your awful state. 'hat will 3-ou then think of the esêem of the world? will hot all below 1 1 Tim. v. 21. z 1 Cor. iv. 9.
seem te pass away, and be rolled up as scroll, and the extended reviens of the future solemnly set lhemselvcs belote you? Thon how vain will appcar the applause or blame of creaturcs, such as wc arc, all silmcrs and blind judges, and fceble aids, and themselves dcstined te be judged for their decds. When, then, you are tcmptcd te dread thc ridicule of man, throw veut mind fiwward te the heur of death. Y«»u know wha you will thcn thiuk of it, if you arc lhen ablc o think at all. 4. Thc subjcc is no cxhaustcd. You fear shame; well, and will vou net shrink frein shame at the judgment-seat of Christ? There will be asscmblcd all the myriads of men who ever lived, a vast nmltitude! There will be Apostles, prophets, martyrs, and all saints ri'oto the beg'inning' of time. There will be all the Food men 'ou ever heard of or knew. There will be your own kindest and best friends, your pious parents, or brothers, or ehildren. New what think you of being, put te shamc before all these? You fear the eontempt of one small eirele of men; what think you of the Saints of God, of St. 3lars, of St. Peter and St. Paul, of the ten thousand generations of mankind, being witnesses of your disg'race? You dread the opinion of those whom you de net love; but what if a. father thon shrink ri-oto i dear son, or the wife, or husband, your earthly companion, then tremble af the sight of you, alid feel ashamed of you? -ay, there is One g'reater than parents, husbands, or brothers; One of whom you
5 6 Thc 1-)raisc of have been,qshnmed on earth; and whal; will He, ha mereifid, lu negleeted Saviour, hink of you hen? Ilear IIis own words ".." Whosoever shnll be nshnmed of Me and of [)" words, of hiln shall the Son of Man be ashamed, when lIe shall corne in IIis OWI1 g']Ol»-, and in IIis lOather's, and oFfhe holy Angels." Then sueh unhally men, how will lhev fecl shame af themselves] they will despise and loathe themselves; fhey will haie aud abonfinafe their own follv; fhey will aeeoun themselves brufish and mad, se) (o have 1,een beguiled by fhe devil, aml fo have h'itled with the season of merev. "Many of theln that sleep in the dus of fhe earth," says DaMel, " shall awake, s,-,me to everlasfing lire, and olne fo shame and everlasfing eonfempt.'" Le us, then, l'ouse ourselves, and turx fi'om man God; whaç bave we fo d¢, with the world, who ri'oto our infaney bave been pur on our journey heavenward? Take up your cross and follow ChrisL IIe went throuh shame far greater th:m ean 1,e yours.)-ou fhin] IIe felt nofhin when IIe was lif'ted up the Cross fo publie gaze, amid the eontempt and barbarons friumphilg's of IIis eemies, fhe Pharisees, Pilafe and his Roman gual'd, I[el'ol and his men of war, and the vasf. multitnde eolleefed ri'oto all parfs of fhe world? They all looked on IIim with hatred and insul ye IIe endured (we are fold), "despising the shame L" It is a hig'h privilege fo be allowed to be Heb. xii. 2.
conformed t» Christ; St. Paul thought if so, so have all ffood men. The wholc Church of God, from lhe days of Christ fo the present, has becn ever hcld iu shame and contempt by men of this world. Proud mcu havc reasoned ag'ainst ifs ]3iviue origin; crafty mon have attempted fo de,rade it to political purposes: still it has lasted for man- centuries; it will lst still, thr,ugh the promiscd help of Gd the ll.lv Ghost;:md that saine promise which is ruade fo if first as a body, assuredl" ruade also t» every oc of us who sccks ffrace t'fore G,d through it. Thc g'race of our Lord aud Saviour is plcdgcd to everr one of us without measure, to give us all ecessar strcnth aud h«lincss wheu we pray it; and Almig'hty God tcls us I[imself, "Fer ye hot the reproach of men, neithcr be ve afi'aid of their revilings. For the moth shall eat tlwm up |ikc n $:rmeut, and the worm slmll eat them like wool; but righteousness sha]l be fi,r evcr, and 3[ 3" salvation frt,m g'eneration to gcncration."