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abomination to the juft; and he that is upright in the way, is an abomination to the wicked," Prov. xxix. 27. The godly hate their ways, not their perfons: we are obliged to love your perfons, but to hate your vices, Plal.cxxxix. 21, 22. They cannot but be as figns and wonders to the wicked, efpecially when they hate that which they love, and love that which they hate. And the world is not be.. hind with them, in their hatred: for, as the godly hate the wickedness of the wicked, as far as he is golly; fo the wicked hate the godly, and their godlinefs both; The carnal mind of them is enmity againft God: and the heart being full of enmity, out of the abundance of the heart the mouth fpeaketh, and fpeaketh reproachfully. The very root of all this oppofition, is the enmity that is put between the feed of the woman, and the feed of the ferpent.

4. They are for fgns and for wonders in Ifrael, and in the world, because they reprove the world, and do what they can to caufe them leave their carnal joy, their darling pleafures, and finful delights, of which they are fo fond. The children of God are the lights of the world, Phil. ii. 15. "That ye may be blamelels and harmless, the fons of God wi hout rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world." Now, the natural man loveth not to come to this light;"Every one that doth evil, hateth the light; neither cometh to the light, left his deeds fhould be reproved," John iii. 20. They will not come near the god. ly, fo to fpeak; they will not fo much as come in fpeaking terms with them, upon any fpiritual heavenly difcourfe: they love not to talk with them, otherwife their talk would reprove theirs, which is nothing but the language of Afh dod: they love not to walk or converfe with them, otherwife their walk and converfation would reprove and condemn theirs; and hence they care for none of their change; their company is but a burden to them; they are in bondage when they are obliged to be in their company any time, especially if they be very spiritual Chriftians: the more fpiritual their converfation is, the more hateful it is to the carnal man.-The godly are the falt of the earth, to keep the world from ftinking; this falt will fmart their

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wounds and fores; and they cannot endure to be crof fed: hence they hate them that rebuke in the gate, and they abhor him that speaketh uprightly, Amos v.10.“Re. prove a fcorner and he will hate thee," faith Solomon, Prov. ix. 8. See alfo ver. 7. "He that reproveth a fcorner, getteth to himfelf fhame: and he that rebuketh a wicked man, getteth to himself a blot." Men speak against religion, because it fpeaks against them. Why were the Pharifees fo exafperated against Christ, but becaufe he fpake his parables against them? John vii. 7. He was a fign every-where spoken against, because his doctrine every-where fpeaketh against the way of the world: and no wonder then that all thefe fpeak against it, who hate to be convinced by it, and fear to be condemned by it. Why are faithful minifters fo much hated in the world, but because they fhew people their tranfgreffions, their drunkennefs, whoredom, fwearing, lying, and Sabbath-breaking; their villainy, knavery, and vice? Though none pretend it is for that caufe they hate them, but, perhaps, fay, it is for fome ill thing they alledge against them: for Satan hides his calumny and cruelty beft under a cloak of pretence for religion, But, however, if they would flatter men, and fpeak peace to them, ta whom God fpeaks no peace, they might avoid a great deal of reproach and cenfure; but they dare not do it: they are not to make a new law, or a new gofpel, but to preach that which is made, Jer. xv. 19. There we have the minifterial commiffion; "Let them return unto thee, but return not thou unto them." The hearts and lives of men must be brought to comply with the word of God; for the word of God can never be made to comply with the humours and fancies of men: if they aim at pleafing men, they cannot approve themselves the fervants of Chrift; and therefore they are reproach-. ed and evil spoken of.

V. The Fifth thing was, The Application of the fubject; which we fhall effay in an ufe of information, trial, and exhortation.

The First use then is of information. Is it fo, as has been faid, That Chrift and his people, are hated, con

temned,

temned, reproached, and wondered at by the world? Then hence we may fee,

1. The neceffity of the day of judgment: for, if the world might be judged here, the beft in the world would be run down with reproach and condenined; yea, hated as monfters. But what a wonder of divine patience is it, that this glorious One, who hath fo much faid againft him and his followers, while he and his children are loaded with reproach, doth not answer all thefe reproaches with thunder and lightning? Why, it is a day of patience: but there is a day of vengeance coming, wherein he will no longer keep filence, Jude, ver. 14, 15. &c. This day God will not anticipate, for he knows it is coming, Pfal. xxxvii. 13.

2. Hence fee the duty of all that hear thefe tidings: the duty of profeffors, the duty of profane perfons, and the duty of faints. See the duty of profeffors, to beware that they be not a fcandal to the wicked, 1 Tim. v. 14. Your fcandalous converfation may occafion the reproaches, that are caft upon the faints by the wicked world: for, when you that profess religion, are but vain and frothy in your conversation, double and deceitful in your dealings, loose and untender in your walk, you bring up an ill report upon religion, and make enemies think that religion is but a fham,See the duty of profane folk that they beware of reproaching and contemning religion, and religious people, upon whatever pretence. And if none but faints fhall win to heaven, what will become of them that look upon fuch as monfters! See alfo the duty of faints, and of all the children of God that are reproached: they are not to account it a strange thing though the world look upon them as monsters; yea, fo blind is the world, that they may reckon you the very folk that fhould be banished out of the world. Paul, before his converfion, looked upon the faints as worthy of death; Acts xxvi. 9, 10, 11. "I verily thought with myfelf, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jefus: which thing I alfo did in Jerufalem; and many of the faints did I fhut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them. And I punish,

ed them oft in every fynagogue, and compelled them to blafpheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I perfecuted them even unto ftrange cities." Think it not ftrange, that the world fhould condemn you, and contemn you; you are contemned and defpifed with good company, even with the belt of company, with Chrift himfelf: "Behold, I and the children whom the Lord hath given me, are for figns and wonders." I fear, to enlarge on this fubject were to purchase myfelf more of that reproach *.

3. Hence fee the reafon why the godly, in all ages, have been perfecuted and barbaroufly ufed as monftrous perfons, and religion as a monftrous opinion. The Lord's people need not lock upon it as a rare thing; "Think it not ftrange concerning the fiery trial, which is to try you, as though fome ftrange thing happened unto you," 1 Pet. iv. 12. We need not think it strange if religion itfelf be ridiculed; IPSA RELIGIO IN OPPROBRIAM VERTIT, faid Bernard. Here many things might be condefcended upon for the illuftration of this point; but having affigned a variety of inftances above, on the fecond head, concerning Popery, &c. we fhall fupercede any further enlargement.

4. Hence fee what reafon the godly have to bear reproach and contradiction with patience, feeing Chrift himself, and all his followers, have been thus treated. We are ready to represent any reproach very hainoully, faying, "We do well to be angry; it is not a thing to be endured:" yet, O how much doth God bear with the contempt caft upon his name! How much doth Chrift bear with the reproach caft upon his name! And furely this fhould moderate our refentment of any indignity done to our name. This doth not hinder our taking alk proper methods, for vindicating our own reputation, and good name, which is as precious ointment: 'but only it fhould mitigate our refentment; for, who are we that

* About the time when this fermon was preached, there were mighty altercations amongst both minifters and people about the MARROW DOCTRINE; our Author being a favourer of that doârine, got his own fhare of the contumely and obloquy of these times..

that we should not be contradicted, feeing Chrift himself endured the contradiction of finners against himself?

5. Hence fee what a wonder of divine power it is, that true Chriftianity and its followers have been kept up, and maintained, and preferved in the world, notwithstanding of the univerfal contradiction and oppofition it hath met with. The plantation of the gofpel-church, at first, was oppofed by all the powers of darkness; and in all ages it hath met with fuch oppofition, that if it had not been of God, it had come to nought; "This is the doing of the Lord; and it is marvellous in our eyes," That a profeffion, fo oppofite to the carnal thoughts, and fenfual delights of men, fhould be yet preferved in the world, is a wonder, feeing it is every-where spoken against, reproached, and reviled, and yet ftrangely victorious, not only without, but againft fecular power and force, for fome ages. Here is the bush burning, and yet not confumed.

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Mahomet's delufions could never prevail in the world, till, getting the power of the fword, he discharged, upon pain of death, fpeaking against him or his doctrine; and by fuch barbarous methods it hath been fupported now, above these thousand years. Thus antichrift alfa had maintained his intereft, by caufing as many as would not worship the image of the beaft, to be killed, Rev. xiii. 15. Thus have errors and falfe religion been propagated: but firip them of these fupports, and they fall to nothing of courfe. Where is all the fplendor of the heathen deities and idolatries? Are not their oracles filent, their altars deferted, their gods faniifhed and perifhed from the earth? We may not only fay, "Where are the gods of Hamath and Arphad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah?" But, where are the gods of Babylon and Egypt, Greece and Rome; and the illuftrious names of Saturn, Jupiter, Juno, and Diana, &c. Where are the gods of our British ancestors, before they received the light of the glorious gospel? Their names are written in the duft. But, behold! Chrift and his glorious doctrine ftill flourish, in fome place of the world, to this day; though, for many ages deftitute of all fe cular fupport, and affaulted on all hands, by daring and

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