Directions for weak distempered Christians, to grow up to a confirmed state of grace…

9. Consider also that it is a dishonour to Christ, that so many of his Family should be such weaklings; so mutable and unsettled and unprofitable as you are! I do not mean that it is any real dishonour to him: for it all the World should forsake him, they would dishonour themselves and not him, with any competent Judg: As it would dishonour the beholders more than the Sun, if all the world should say that it is darkness. But you are guilty of dishonouring him in the eyes of the misguided world: O what a reproach it is to Godliness that so many Professors should be so ignorant and imprudent! and so many so giddy and unconstant! and so many that manifest so little of the glory of their holy Profession! All the enemies of Christ without the Church, are not capable of dishonouring him so much as you, that bear his Name and wear his Livery! While your Graces are weak your corruptions will be strong; and all those corruptions will be the dishonour of your Profession! Will it not break your hearts to hear the ungodly pointing at you as you pass by, to say, yonder goes a Covetous Professor; or yonder goes a proud, or a tippling, ⟨p. 28⟩or a contentious Professor? If you have any love to God, and sense of his dishonour, methinks such sayings should touch you at the heart! While you are weak and unconfirmed, you will like children, stumble at every stone, and catch many a fall; and yield to temptations, which the stronger easily resist: and then being scandalous, all your faults by foolish men will be charged on your Religion. If you do but speak an ill word of another, or rail, or deceive, or over-reach in bargaining, or fall into any scandalous Opinions or practice, your Religion must bear all the blame with the World. Ever since I can remember, it hath been one of the principal hinderances of mens Conversion, and strengtheners of the wicked in their way, that the Godly were accounted a sort of peevish, unpeaceable, covetous, proud, self-seeking persons: which was a slander as to many, but too much occasioned by the scandalousness of some: And methinks you should be afraid of that Woe from Christ [Woe be to him by whom offence cometh]. If you be Children, you may have the Woe of sharp castigations; and if you be Hypocrites, you shall have the Woe of everlasting sufferings. The world can judg no farther than they see:

9. Consider also that it is a dishonour to Christ, that so many of his Family should be such weaklings; so mutable and unsetled and unprofitable as you are! I do not mean that it is any real dishonour to him: for it all the World should forsake him, they would dishonour themselves and not him, with any competent Judg: As it would dishonour the beholders more than the Sun, if all the world should say that it is darkness. But you are guilty of dishonouring him in the eyes of the misguided world: O what a reproach it is to Godliness that so many Professors should be so ignorant and imprudent! and so many so giddy and unconstant! and so many that manifest so little of the glory of their holy Profession! All the enemies of Christ without the Church, are not capable of dishonouring him so much as you, that bear his Name and wear his Livery! While your Graces are weak your corruptions will be strong; and all those corruptions will be the dishonour of your Profession! Will it not break your hearts to hear the ungodly pointing at you as you pass by, to say, yonder goes a Covetous Professor; or yonder goes a proud, or a tipling,