A Christian man then is bound to live a life which all men will
acknowledge to be good. In that precept is implied the recognition of
even bad men's notions of morality as correct. The Gospel is not a
new system of ethics, though in some points it brings old virtues
into new prominence, and alters their perspective. It is further
implied that the world's standard of what Christians ought to be may
be roughly taken as a true one. Christian men would learn a great
deal about themselves, and might in many respects heighten their
ideal, if they would try to satisfy the expectations of the most
degraded among them as to what they ought to be. The worst of men has
a rude sense of duty which tops the attainments of the best.
Christian people ought to seek for the good opinion of those around
them. They are not to take that opinion as the motive for their
conduct, nor should they do good in order to be praised or admired
for it; but they are to 'adorn the doctrine,' and to let their light
shine that men seeing their good may be led to think more loftily of
its source, and so to 'glorify their Father which is in heaven.' That
is one way of preaching the Gospel. The world knows goodness when it
sees it, though it often hates it, and has no better ground for its
dislike of a man than that his purity and beauty of character make
the lives of others seem base indeed. Bats feel the light to be
light, though they flap against it, and the winnowing of their
leathery wings and their blundering flight are witnesses to that
against which they strike. Jesus had to say, 'The world hateth Me
because I testify of it that the deeds thereof are evil.' That
witness was the result of His being 'the Light of the world'; and if
His followers are illuminated from Him, they will have the same
effect, and must be prepared for the same response. But none the less
is it incumbent upon them to 'take thought for things honourable in
the sight of all men.'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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