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the genuine Confequences of Suffering for Righteousness fake.

3. Lastly, This Doctrine may serve to difcover to us the true Spirit of Christianity, with relation to Perfecution, and that in these two Points: Perfecution is no Weapon it ever makes ufe of for propagating any of its Doctrines, and when we are perfecuted, the Chriftian Spirit will teach us not to return Evil for Evil, not to use the Way of Revenge, but that of Meeknefs and Patience; two Points, which, if they had been thoroughly understood and confider'd, would have prevented abundance of Mischief, which has been introduced by the bloody Spirit of Perfecution on the one hand, and the revengeful and rebellious Refentment of Injuries on the other. But whatever is to be faid of publick Counfels, and their Pleas of Law, Privileges, Prefervation of Liberty, Property, and Religion; let us learn, at least in the Quality of private Chriftians, to guard our Spirits against all Malice and Revenge: Let no Provocations be able to conquer the Charity, Meeknefs, and Patience of our Minds: Let us not be overcome of Evil, but overcome Evil with Good. Perhaps there are fome fuch implacable Tempers as will not be reclaim'd by the Ways of Love and Kindness, but we had better leave fuch to God; and though all other Endeavours should fail, never cease to pray for them, affuring ourfelves that if we commit our Caufe to him, to whom both Mercy and Vengeance belong, we fhall in due Time come off with Honour. This is the Pfalmift's Advice, Pfal. xxxvii. 5, 6. and I fhall conclude with it: Commit thy Way unto the Lord:

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Lord: Truft alfo in him, and he fhall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy Righteousness as the Light, and thy Judgment as the Noon-day. Now to this great and good God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft, be all Praife, &c.

SERMON

SERMON XVII,

MAT. V. 10.

Blessed are they which are perfecuted for Righteoufnefs fake: For theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. Ver. 11. Blessed are ye when Men fhall revile you, and perfecute you, and fhall fay all manner of Evil against you falfly for my fake.

Ver. 12. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: For great is your Reward in Heaven: For fo perfecuted they the Prophets which were before you.

I

The Third Sermon on this Text.

N these three Verfes, which give us an Account of the laft Beatitude, I took Notice of three Heads of Difcourfe:

1. In the 10th Verfe we have a Bleffing pronounced in general to all that are perfecuted for Righteousness Jake, with a particular Encouragement annexed, that theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

2. At the 11th Verfe we have a tacit Prediction that this State of Perfecution should be the Lot of Chrift's Difciples and Followers; Blessed are ye when Men fhall revile you, and perfecute you, and fhall fay all manner of Evil against you falfly for my fake.

VOL. I.

X

3. At

3. At the 12th Verfe we have our Saviour's Directions to his Difciples, as to their chearful Deportment under thefe perfecuted Circumftances, and his Comforts to them, with extraordinary Promises in fuch a Cafe: Rejoice, and be exceeding glad; for great is your Reward in Heaven: For fo perfecuted they the Prophets which were before you.

As to the first of thefe, the Bleffing pronounced in general to all that are perfecuted for Righ teoufnels fake, with the Encouragement annexed, that theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven; I have already confider'd it in two Discourses on the 10th Verfe. I proceed now to the fecond, contain❜d in the 11th Verfe, in which our Lord applies the foregoing general Doctrine of Perfecution to his Difciples and Followers, foretelling them, (for all their fanguine Expectations) that this should be their Lot in his Service. And that they might not be offended at it, he joins his Bleffing to it, and, in the Words immediately following, comforts and directs them under it.

In the Words we may obferve these two Things:

I. A Prediction that it should be the Lot of our Saviour's Difciples, that is, of Chriftians, to be perfecuted on account of their Religion, Mer Jhall revile you, and perfecute you, and shall fay all manner of Evil against you falfly for my fake.

II. Chrift's Bleffing upon them in fuch a Cafe. Blessed are ye, when this shall be your Lot, when Men fhall revile you, and perfecute you, and shall fay all manner of Evil against you fally for my fake.

2

I. I begin, firft, with our Saviour's Prediction, that it fhould be the Lot of Chriftians to be perfecuted for his fake, that is, on account of their Religion. And this being a Doctrine no less ftrange in itself, that fo innocent and useful a Religion fhould meet with so bad Treatment in the World, than it was furprizing and unexpected to the Disciples in thofe Days; it will require fome Pains to fet it in a due Light. In fpeaking to it, I shall obferve the following Method:

I. I will confider how agreeable this Doctrine is to other Paffages of holy Scripture.

2. I will enquire into the Grounds of it, from Reason and Experience.

3. I will confider how this Prediction was accomplished to the primitive Chriftians.

4. I will enquire whether, and how far we are concern'd in this Doctrine, who live in the more peaceable Times of Christianity.

5. I intend to draw fome proper Inferences and Conclufions from it, in order to Practice.

1. First, I am to confider how agreeable this Doctrine is to other Paffages of holy Scripture. There was nothing the Jews were more mistaken in, than in this, that they thought the Meffiab and his Followers fhould flourish in all manner of external Eafe, Wealth, Pomp, and Grandeur, without any Mixture of Trouble; and there was no Notion our Saviour was at more Pains to rectify, taking all Occafions and Opportunities to foretel the Crofs, and to fortify and prepare hist Difciples for it. Inftead of a rich and plentiful Settlement in his Service, he told one, that offer'd to follow him, that the Foxes had Holes, and the X 2 Birds

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