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to the Wicked by their Virtue or Religion, our Saviour has plainly told us, Wo unto you, when all Men fhall Speak well of you.

But farther Times of Eafe and Profperity, though attended with no other Evil, yet naturally abound in Vice, and a Neglect of the Things pertaining to Salvation: And it is counted a very wife Thing to fit ftill, and give way to the Torrent, and not to create ourselves and others Trouble by opposing a general Corruption: And perhaps it may be wife. But, I befeech you, is it Wisdom towards God, or Wisdom towards the World? Is it seeking that Honour which comes from above, or the Honour which comes from Men? Can you imagine that the Man, who has not Courage enough to venture a little of his Ease and worldly Tranquillity by expreffing his Refentment at the Corruptions that furround him, would have Resolution enough to expose his Life in a Day of Trial for the fake of the Religion which he professes ?

Let us examine ourselves on this Head: If we think it an happy Choice to facrifice the Honour of God, and of Religion, to a corrupt Generation, and to fkreen ourselves from the Indignation of the World by a professed Indifference, is it not directly preferring the

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Good-will of Men to the Good-will of God?
And can we complain, if we are left to seek
our Recompence from the World, whofe
Servants we are?

In a word: Whenever Men act in Oppofition to the Truth, or diffemble the Truth in Compliance with the World; when they wink at Iniquity, and make a Way for it to escape with Impunity; when they give Credit to Vice and Irreligion by a profeffed Indifference, and help to establish Iniquity by affecting to feem eafy and contented under the Growth of it: In all these Cafes, the Words of the Text belong to them; They receive Honour one of another, and feek not the Honour which cometh from God only.

DISCOURSE

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DISCOURSE XVI.

MARK Viii. 38.

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Whofoever therefore shall be ashamed of me, and of my Words, in this adulterous and finful Generation, of him alfo fhall the Son of Man be ashamed, when he cometh in the Glory of bis Father, with the holy Angels.

A

T the thirty-fourth Verse of this Chapter our Lord, having called the People and his Disciples to him, declares openly to them upon what Terms the Profeffion

of the Gospel was to be undertaken. He allures them not by the Hopes of temporal Prosperity, nor promises any Countenance or Affiftance from the Great and Powerful; but foretels them of the Evils and Calamities that fhould

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fhould attend his Followers, and of the Suf ferings prepared for them in this Life; against which the Providence of God ftands not engaged for their Protection, fince his Will is, that all the Faithful should, after the Example of the Author and Captain of their Salvation, be made perfect through Suffering. Whofoever, fays our Lord, will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his Cross, and follow me. How ftrong the Expreffion of denying himself is, and how much it includes, we learn from the next Verfe, where our Saviour himself extends it even to the parting with our Lives for his and the Gofpel's fake: Whosoever will fave his Life, fball lofe its but whosoever shall lofe his Life for my fake and the Gospel's, the fame shall Save it.

You fee, by comparing these Paffages together, that the Text immediately relates to the Times of Perfecution, and expreffes the Duty of a Chriftian to refift even unto Blood in Maintenance of his holy Religion, whenever the Providence of God calls him to fuch Trial. This indeed is not our Cafe at prefent, and therefore I shall not spend the Time in fortifying your Minds against Terrors, removed, I hope, at a great Distance from us:

But

But it must be owned, that an adulterous and finful Generation has more Ways than one of making Men afhamed of Christ, and of his Words. Though our Eyes have not beheld any frightful Scenes of Persecution, yet we have seen, and daily fee, many who are ashamed of Chrift. If the Temptation to this Crime be now less than in Times of Distress, the Guilt is certainly greater, and in Equity the Punishment must be so too. Which Reason will bring the Threatening of the Text home to every Man, who, in Compliance with a corrupt Age, does either wickedly reject, or bafely diffemble the Faith of the Gospel.

But that we may not rafhly accufe either the Age in general, or any Men in particular, of this great Crime, but rather Crime, but rather open a Way by which Men may easily examine their own Confciences upon this Head, and avoid the like Evil for the future; let us,

First, Inquire into the Nature of the Crime of being ashamed of Chrift and of his Words; and,

Secondly, Into the feveral Temptations that lead to it.

The Duty opposed to this Crime is expreffed in the Language of Scripture by

confeffing

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