death unto life;" those who are "not of the world;" all those who are meek and lowly in heart, that mourn for God, that hunger after his likeness; all that love God and their neighbour, and therefore as they have opportunity do good unto all men.

3. If it be, secondly, inquired, Why they are persecuted? The answer is equally plain and obvious. It is "for righteousness' sake:" because they are righteous: because they are born after the Spirit: because they "will live godly in Christ Jesus:" because they are not of the world." Whatever may be pretended, this is the real cause: be their infirmities more or less, still, if it were not for this, they would be borne with, and the world would love its own. They are persecuted, because they are poor in spirit; that is, say the world, "Poor spirited, mean, dastardly souls, good for nothing, not fit to live in the world :"--because they mourn; "They are such dull, heavy, lumpish creatures, enough to sink any one's spirits that sees them! They are mere death heads; they kill innocent mirth, and spoil company wherever they come :". because they are meek; "Tame, passive fools, just fit to be trampled upon:"-because they hunger and thirst after righteousness; "a parcel of hot brained enthusiasts, gaping after they know not what, not content with rational religion, but running mad after raptures and inward feelings :"-because they are merciful, lovers of all, lovers of the evil and unthankful; "Encouraging all manner of wickedness; nay, tempting people to do mischief by impunity: and men who, it is to be feared, have their own religion still to seek: very loose in their principles :' because they are pure in heart; "Uncharitable creatures, that damn all the world, but those that are of their own sort! Blasphemous wretches, that pretend to make God a liar, to live without sin!"-Above all, because they are peace makers; because they take all opportunities of doing good to all men: this is the grand reason why they have been persecuted in all ages, and will be till the restitution of all things: "If they would but keep their religion to themselves it would be tolerable. But it is this spreading their errors, this infecting so many others, which is not to be endured. They do so much mischief in the world, that they ought to be tolerated no longer. It is true, the men do some things well enough; they relieve some of the poor. But this, too, is only done to gain the more to their party; and so, in effect, to do the more mischief!" Thus the men of the world sincerely think and speak. And the more the kingdom of God prevails, the more the peace makers are enabled to propagate lowliness, meekness, and all other divine tempers, the more mischief is done, in their account: consequently, the more are they enraged against the authors of this, and the more vehemently will they persecute them.

4. Let us, thirdly, inquire, Who are they that persecute them? St. Paul answers, He that is born after the flesh :" every one who is not "born of the Spirit," or at least desirous so to be; all that do not at least labour to "live godly in Christ Jesus;" all that are not "passed from death unto life," and, consequently, cannot "love the brethren;" "the world," that is, according to our Saviour's account, "they who know not him that sent me ;" they who know not God, even the loving, pardoning God, by the teaching of his own Spirit.

The reason is plain: the spirit which is in the world is directly opposite to the Spirit which is of God. It must therefore needs be, that

those who are of the world, will be opposite to those who are of God. There is the utmost contrariety between them, in all their opinions, their desires, designs, and tempers. And hitherto the leopard and the kid cannot lie down in peace together. The proud, because he is proud, cannot but persecute the lowly; the light and airy, those that mourn and so in every other kind; the unlikeness of disposition (were there no other) being a perpetual ground of enmity. Therefore, were it only on this account, all the servants of the devil will persecute the children of God.

5. Should it be inquired, fourthly, How they will persecute them? It may be answered in general, Just in that manner and measure which the wise Disposer of all sees will be most for his glory; will tend most to his children's growth in grace, and the enlargement of his own kingdom. There is no one branch of God's government of the world which is more to be admired than this. His ear is never heavy to the threatenings of the persecutor, or the cry of the persecuted. His eye is ever open, and his hand stretched out to direct every the minutest circumstance. When the storm shall begin, how high it shall rise, which way it shall point its course, when and how it shall end, are all determined by his unerring wisdom. The ungodly are only a sword of his; an instrument which he uses as it pleaseth him, and which itself, when the gracious ends of his providence are answered, is cast into the fire.

At some rare times, as when Christianity was planted first, and while it was taking root in the earth; as also when the pure doctrine of Christ began to be planted again in our nation; God permitted the storm to rise high, and his children were called to resist unto blood. There was a peculiar reason why he suffered this with regard to the apostles, that their evidence might be the more unexceptionable. But from the annals of the church we learn another, and a far different reason, why he suffered the heavy persecutions which arose in the second and third centuries; namely, because the mystery of iniquity did so strongly work; because of the monstrous corruptions which even then reigned in the church: these God chastised, and at the same time strove to heal, by those severe but necessary visitations.

Perhaps the same observation may be made, with regard to the grand persecution in our own land. God had dealt very graciously with our nation he had poured out various blessings upon us: he had given us peace abroad and at home; and a king, wise and good beyond his years; and, above all, he had caused the pure light of his gospel to arise and shine among us. But what return did he find? "He looked for righteousness, but behold a cry!"-a cry of oppression and wrong, of ambition and injustice, of malice, and fraud, and covetousness. Yea, the cry of those who even then expired in the flames, entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth. It was then God arose to maintain his own cause, against those that held the truth in unrighteousness. Then he sold them into the hands of their persecutors, by a judgment mixed with mercy; an affliction to punish, and yet a medicine to heal, the grievous backslidings of his people.

6. But it is seldom that God suffers the storm to rise so high as torture, or death, or bonds, or imprisonment. Whereas his children are frequently called to endure the lighter kinds of persecution; they

frequently suffer the estrangement of kinsfolks,—the loss of the friends that were as their own soul. They find the truth of their Lord's word, (concerning the event, though not the design of his coming,) "Suppose ye that I am come to give peace upon earth? I tell you, Nay; bu. rather division," Luke xii, 51. And hence will naturally follow loss of business or employment, and consequently of substance. But all these circumstances likewise are under the wise direction of God, who allots to every one what is most expedient for him.

7. But the persecution which attends all the children of God is that our Lord describes in the following words: "Blessed are ye when men shall revile you, and persecute you, [shall persecute by reviling you,] and say all manner of evil against you, falsely, for my sake." This cannot fail; it is the very badge of our discipleship; it is one of the seals of our calling; it is a sure portion entailed on all the children of God: if we have it not, we are bastards and not sons. Straight through evil report, as well as good report, lies the only way to the kingdom. The meek, serious, humble, zealous lovers of God and man are of good report among their brethren; but of evil report with the world, who count and treat them "as the filth and offscouring o all things."

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8. Indeed some have supposed that, before the fulness of the Gen. tiles shall come in, the scandal of the cross will cease; that God wit cause Christians to be esteemed and loved even by those who are as yet in their sins. Yea, and sure it is, that even now he at some times suspends the contempt as well as the fierceness of men ; he makes a man's enemies to be at peace with him" for a season, and gives him favour with his bitterest persecutors. But setting aside this exempt case, the scandal of the cross is not yet ceased; but a man may say still, "If I please men, I am not the servant of Christ." Let no man therefore regard that pleasing suggestion, (pleasing doubtless to flesh and blood,) "That bad men only pretend to hate and despise them that are good, but do indeed love and esteem them in their hearts." Not so they may employ them sometimes; but it is for their own profit. They may put confidence in them; for they know their ways are not like other men's. But still they love them not; unless so far as the Spirit of God may be striving with them. Our Saviour's words are express: "If ye were of the world, the world would love its own; but because ye are not of the world, therefore the world hateth you." Yea, (setting aside what exceptions may be made by the preventing grace, or the peculiar providence of God,) it hateth them as cordially and sincerely as ever it did their Master.

9. It remains only to inquire, How are the children of God to behave with regard to persecution? And, first, they ought not knowingly or designedly to bring it upon themselves. This is contrary, both to the example and advice of our Lord and all his apostles; who teach us not only not to seek, but to avoid it, as far as we can, without injuring our conscience; without giving up any part of that righteousness which we are to prefer before life itself. So our Lord expressly saith, "When they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another;" which is indeed, when it can be taken, the most unexceptionable way of avoiding persecution. 10. Yet think not that you can always avoid it, either by this or any other means. If ever that idle imagination steals into your heart, put it

to flight by that earnest caution, "Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you." "Be ye wise as serpents, and harmless as doves." But will this screen you from persecution? Not unless you have more wisdom than your Master, or more innocence than the Lamb of God.

Neither desire to avoid it, to escape it wholly; for if you do, you are none of his. If you escape the persecution, you escape the blessing; the blessing of those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake. If you are not persecuted for righteousness' sake, you cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven. "If we suffer with him, we shall also reign with him. But if we deny him, he will also deny us."

11. Nay, rather, "Rejoice and be exceeding glad," when men persecute you for his sake; when they persecute you by reviling you, and by saying all manner of evil against you falsely;" which they will not fail to mix with every kind of persecution: they must blacken you to excuse themselves: "For so persecuted they the prophets which were before you;"-those who were most eminently holy in heart and life; yea, and all the righteous which ever have been from the beginning of the word. Rejoice, because by this mark also ye know unto whom ye belong; and "because great is your reward in heaven,”—the reward purchased by the blood of the covenant, and freely bestowed in proportion to your sufferings, as well as to your holiness of heart and life. "Be exceeding glad;" knowing that these "light afflictions, which are but for a moment, work out for you a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory."

12. Meantime, let no persecution turn you out of the way of lowliness and meekness, of love and beneficence. "Ye have heard [indeed] that it hath been said, an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth;" ver. 38; and your miserable teachers have hence allowed you to avenge yourselves, to return evil for evil; 'But I say unto you, that ye resist not evil:"-not thus; not by returning it in kind. But," rather than do this, "whosoever smiteth thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain."

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So invincible let thy meekness be. And be thy love suitable thereto. "Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away." Only, give not away that which is another man's, that which is not thine own. Therefore, 1. Take care to owe no man any thing for what thou owest is not thy own, but another man's. 2. Provide for those of thine own household: this also God hath required of thee; and what is necessary to sustain them in life and godliness, is also not thine own. Then, 3. Give or lend all that remains, from day to day, or from year to year: only first, seeing thou canst not give or lend to all, remember the household of faith.

13. The meekness and love we are to feel, the kindness we are to show, to them which persecute us for righteousness' sake, our blessed Lord describes farther in the following verses: oh that they were engraven upon our hearts! "Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thy enemy:" ver. 43, &c: God indeed had said only the former part, "Thou shalt love thy neighbour;'

the children of the devil had added the latter, " and hate thy enemy:" "But I say unto you," 1. "Love your enemies:" see that you bear a tender good will to those who are most bitter of spirit against you; who wish you all manner of evil. 2. "Bless them that curse. Are there any whose bitterness of spirit breaks forth in bitter words? who are continually cursing and reproaching you when you are present, and "saying all evil against you" when absent? So much the rather do you bless: in conversing with them, use all mildness and softness of language. Reprove them, by repeating a better lesson before them; by showing them how they ought to have spoken. And in speaking of them, say all the good you can, without violating the rules of truth and justice. 3. "Do good to them that hate you" let your actions show, that you are as real in love as they in hatred. Return good for evil. "Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good." 4. If you can do nothing more, at least "Pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you.' You can never be disabled from doing this; nor can all their malice or violence hinder you. Pour out your souls to God, not only for those who did this once, but now repent:-this is a little thing: "If thy brother, seven times a day, turn and say unto thee, I repent; Luke xvii, 3; that is, if, after ever so many relapses, he give thee reason to believe that he is really and thoroughly changed; then thou shalt forgive him, so as to trust him, to put him in thy bosom, as if he had never sinned against thee at all. But pray for, wrestle with God for those that do not repent, that now despitefully use thee and persecute thee. Thus far forgive them, "not until seven times only, but until seventy times seven," Matt. xviii, 22. Whether they repent or no, yea, though they appear farther and farther from it, yet show them this instance of kindness: "That ye may be the children," that ye may approve yourselves the genuine children, " of your Father which is in heaven;" who shows his goodness by giving such blessings as they are capable of, even to his stubbornest enemies; "who maketh the sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust." "For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? Do not even the publicans the same ?" Matt. v, 46;-who pretend to no religion; whom ye yourselves acknowledge to be without God in the world. "And if ye salute," show kindness in word or deed, to "your brethren," your friends or kinsfolk, "only; what do ye more than others?"-than those who have no religion at all? "Do not even the publicans so?" Nay, but follow ye a better pattern than them. In patience, in long suffering, in mercy, in beneficence of every kind, to all, even to your bitterest persecutors; "Be ye [Christians] perfect, [in kind, though not in degree,] even as your Father which is in heaven, is perfect," ver. 48.

III. Behold Christianity in its native form, as delivered by its great Author! This is the genuine religion of Jesus Christ! Such he presents it to him whose eyes are opened. See a picture of God, so far as he is imitable by man! A picture drawn by God's own hand! "Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish!" Or rather, wonder and adore! Rather cry out, is this the religion of Jesus of Nazareth? The religion which I persecuted? Let me no more be found even to fight against God. Lord, what wouldest thou have me to do? What beauty appears in the whole! How just a symmetry! What exact proportion in every part' VOL. I.

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