I remember a speech of a Heathen Philosopher, If any man begin to embrace Philosophy, he must be reproached; They will say, What, we shall have a Philosopher of you by and by, what pride and conceitedness is this? But do you still go on in your way, and those who reproached you before, will after admire you: But if you fall off, after you have ⟨p. 374⟩begun (not being able to bear reproach) This, says he, deserves a double reproach: Your reproachers will reproach you much more, they will say, Here is a time-server, who will do any thing as the times serve for his turn. None so much contemned as Apostates. Those that opposed Nehemiah, and sought to hinder his work, did it to reproach him, if he had left his work for reproaching, they would have reproached him much more: How would this cut you to the heart, that those that did reproach you, if you go out of the way, should reproach you much more? Consider, does this beseem the spirit of a Christian? Had you ever any experimental knowledge of the evil of sin, or any good in the ways of God? Will this be an answer before God, when you come to give an account why you went out of your way? Lord, I suffered so much reproach, I could not bear it. And again, will it not be just with God, for to suffer you to fall into some vile scandalous sin to be reproached for, after another manner? because that you would not suffer reproach for his name, you should suffer reproach for your sin. These are the things we are to be warned of.
I remember a speech of a Heathen Philosopher, If any man begin to embrace Philosophy, he must be reproached; They will say, What, we shall have a Philosopher of you by and by, what pride and conceitedness is this? But do you still go on in your way, and those who reproached you before, will after admire you: But if you fall off, after you have ⟨p. 374⟩begun (not being able to bear reproach) This, says he, deserves a double reproach: Your reproachers will reproach you much more, they will say, Here is a time-server, who will do any thing as the times serve for his turn. None so much contemned as Apostates. Those that opposed Nehemiah, and sought to hinder his work, did it to reproach him, if he had left his work for reproaching, they would have reproached him much more: How would this cut you to the heart, that those that did reproach you, if you go out of the way, should reproach you much more? Consider, does this beseem the spirit of a Christian? Had you ever any experimental knowledge of the evil of sin, or any good in the ways of God? Will this be an answer before God, when you come to give an account why you went out of your way? Lord, I suffered so much reproach, I could not bear it. And again, will it not be just with God, for to suffer you to fall into some vile scandalous sin to be reproached for, after another maner? because that you would not suffer reproach for his name, you should suffer reproach for your sin. These are the things we are to be warned of.
