Moses his choice with his eye fixed upon Heaven, discovering the happy condition of…

First, if we cause Christ or his people to be spoken evil of by any sinful, way of ours, this is the reproach of Christ (but not in that sense I spoke of before.) Christ does not only suffer in you, but he suffers by you. This is the charge that the Apostles lays upon the Romans, For your sake is the name of God blasphemed: we had need look to our selves in this. Mark ¹what charge the Apostle lays upon women, 1 Tim. 5. 13, 14. that they should take heed of tattling, and carrying themselves unchristianly; and that they give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully. That was the reason why Nehemiah was so careful in his business, in Neh. 5. 9. Because of the reproach of the Heathen. And so I say to you that are Gods people, Is it not enough that Christ hath suffered for you and in you, but must he suffer by you? O that the fear of God might be upon you, because of the reproach of your adversaries: Is Christ dear to you? did Christ ever do any thing for you? Is it ⟨p. 421⟩not better a thousand times that you were crossed, and your lives were taken away, and you laid rotting in the grave, if your names could wash away any stain that is upon the name of Christ? know there are many that Christ have suffered reproach by, and you cannot clear your selves of it, and know what an evil and bitter thing it is, that after all the goodness and mercy of Christ to you, and the near relation that he hath taken you into; will you abuse all this mercy, and this near relation? if Christ had never taken you for his own, had you been never so vile, Christ had not suffered reproach by you; but now in regard of your near relation to him, he suffers reproach by you; and is this the use you make of your near relation?

First, if we cause Christ or his people to be spoken evil of by any sinful, way of ours, this is the reproach of Christ (but not in that sense I spoke of before.) Christ does not onely suffer in you, but he suffers by you. This is the charge that the Apostles lays upon the Romans, For your sake is the name of God blasphemed: we had need look to our selves in this. Mark ¹