“AGAIN, you speak of the reproach of the world. Rejoice in it. What, are you unwilling to be put upon a footing with apostles and prophets, yea, with your Master Himself? Can you be more highly honored than by such reproach? The Spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you. If you are reviled for Christ in this world, you shall be acknowledged by Christ with every circumstance of honor in another, before the assembled world, amidst applauding angels; while the wicked despisers shall wonder and perish, and gnash their teeth in envy, rage, and despair, curse their folly, and despise themselves to eternity, infinitely more than they now pretend to despise you.
“Pretend, I say; for, if you are consistent, and live like a Christian, they will reverence you in their hearts, and spew it by being under visible restraint in your company, while they pretend to laugh at you.
“Further, as a man of business and a moral man, you have learned to despise the jeers of drunkards, and those unhappy wretches who, for momentary gratification, entail temporal disease and poverty on themselves. You see that their conduct is madness and folly, and that sobriety and industry are comparative wisdom. Now in the eye of God, and of the truly godly, the most worldly-wise man on earth is no less a fool and a madman, if not rich towards God. Learn to consider as such those who, for the unsatisfactory enjoyments and interests of time, (a very moment!) forfeit the pure pleasures and enjoyments of eternity: and the laughter of fools and madmen will excite your pity, and incline you to pray for them, rather than give you much uneasiness.
“I will in this respect assure you that this trial, though sharp at first, and a great snare to you, will, if you are enabled steadily to withstand it, soon be over. The world will, be weary of despising you: and, if not, you will grow totally indifferent about it; yea, you will rejoice that you are counted worthy to suffer shame for Him, Who endured the cross for you.”
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LET it be forgotten by us that in every act of sin we prefer our will to God’s