[SERM. Birds of the Air had Nefts, but the Son of Man bad not where to lay his Head, Mat. viii. 20. Inftead of the Love of Friends and Kindred, and the rest of the World, he told his Difciples, that the Brother should deliver up the Brother to Death, and the Father the Child, and that they should be bated of all Men for his Names fake, Mat. x. 21. Inftead of having a good Opinion of them for their holy Lives, or great Miracles, or excellent Doctrine, he foretold how they should be traduced and calumniated, and all the vile Afperfions thrown upon them, because of their relation to him. The Disciple is not above his Mafter, fays he, nor the Servant above his Lord. It is enough for the Disciple that he be as his Mafter, and the Servant as his Lord: If they have called the Mafter of the Houfe Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his Houfhold? Mat. x. 24. Instead of quiet peaceable Lives in this World, he foretold that they should have Lives full of Trouble, and be worried and devoured by the rest of Mankind. Think not that I am come to fend Peace on Earth: I came not to fend Peace, but a Sword, Mat. x. 34. And elsewhere, Behold, I fend you forth as Sheep in the midst of Wolves. Be ye therefore wife as Serpents, and harmless as Doves. But beware of Men, for they will deliver you up to the Councils, and they will fcourge you in their Synagogues. And ye shall be brought before Governors and Kings for my fake, for a Teftimony against them and the Gentiles, Mat. x. 16. It is needlefs to multiply more Paffages to this Purpose, for every where throughout the Gofpels our Saviour's Predictions are in the fame Strain; instead of inveigling and enticing his Difciples with fair Promifes of great Things in this World, he all along tells them freely the worst they were to expect; and particularly, that if they would come after him, they must deny themJelves, and take up their Cross, and follow him, Mat. xvi. 24. And therefore it will be fit, 2. That we proceed, in the Second Place, to a more difficult Enquiry into the Reasons and Grounds of this ftrange Doctrine of the Cross, and of our Saviour's fo early Prediction of it; in order to which, let us distinctly confider these two Things: 1. The Grounds of this, in Appearance very strange Doctrine and Difpenfation, that the best Men, and the best Institution, should be perfecuted and evil spoken of. 2. Why our Saviour thought it proper fo early to foretel this, which was fo apt in its own Nature to offend his Difciples, and to cause them to fall off from him; and did not chufe rather to conceal it, till they were well confirmed in his Service. 1. To begin with the firft. The Grounds of this feemingly strange Difpenfation, that the best Men and the best Inftitution fhould be perfecuted, and not rather welcomed and encouraged in the World. Now this, I think, may be accounted for in two feveral Refpects; First, As it is the natural Result of the feveral Tempers of both good and bad Men in this World. Secondly, As it is the wife Appointment of the fuperior Providence of Almighty God, for divers wife Ends and Purposes. I fhall confider it in both thefe Refpects. First, As it is the natural Refult of the feveral Tempers of both good and bad Men in this X 3 World; [SERM, World; and, in this Refpect, it is no very hard Matter to account for it: For a Wolf has not a more natural Antipathy to a Lamb, than wicked Men have to the good. They inwardly hate and abhor them, though, for their own Ends, they often counterfeit Kindness, and think not fit to declare their Hatred, except when they may do it to Advantage. And it must be confefs'd, that Advantages they have, a great many; for bad Men do mightily out-number the good, and confequently in all Societies are able to over-top them in Power and Strength: Particularly, if Matters come to be tranfacted either by the way of Force and Tumult, or if Votes come to be number'd, instead of Reasons weigh'd, good Men are in Election to come badly off; efpecially if Numbers and Authority go together, then the little Flock of good Men has much the worst of it. An Inftance of this we have in the Cafe of Lot in Sodom; where, when the Angels came to his House, the prevailing Power and Numbers of wicked Men fhew'd what mad Work they would have made, if the Angels had not restrained them; and, particularly, how they grew upon the Weakness of Lot and his Party. The Hiftory is upon Record, Gen. xix. where we may fee what Rudeness the Men of Sodom offer'd to Lot, upon his entertaining at his House the two Angels, whom they took to be two fojourning Men, intending to force them to the fame abominable Lewdnefs which was fo fhamefully praetis'd among themfelves. First, They befet his Houfe, and over-bore him with Numbers; Before they lay down, fays the Text, the Men of the City, even the Men of Sodom, compaffed the Houfe round, round, both old and young, all the People from every Quarter. Then they went to break open his Doors; Stand back, fay they, this one Fellow came in to fojourn, and he will needs be a Judge. This one Fellow; fee how they defpife him, as having no Party, or Intereft. And this is the common Lot of good Men; they are no Body, when overpower'd with the Numbers and Intereft of the Wicked. Then the Contrariety of their Tempers, and Way of Life, is as great an Occafion of Trouble to good Men: For the Example of good Men, where it is not imitated, is commonly hated and decry'd, as St. Peter obferves; For the Time paft of our Life may fuffice us, fays he, to have wrought the Will of the Gentiles, when we walked in Lafciviousness, Lufts, Excess of Wine, Revellings, Banquetings, and abominable Idolatries; wherein they think it strange that you'run not with them to the fame Excess of Rict, Speaking evil of you, I Pet. iv. 3, 4. Now if bare good Example, which is the filenteft and moft inof fenfive way of reforming Mankind, is fo ill taken; what would it be if the good Man should proceed further to Reproofs and Admonitions; to the standing up for good Laws against Vice, when he happens to be a Member of the legiflative Body; or to put good Laws strictly in execution, if he should come to be cloathed with the Power and Authority of a Magiftrate? What if he went about to draw in others, and to make a Party and Intereft for doing all the Good he can in the Country where he lives? It is too plain that he would quickly raise a great many Nefts of Wafps about him, that would not only with their Noife put to Silence and drown his good Adio X 4 [SERM, Admonitions, but endeavour likewife to make him quit his Station, with the Sharpness and Unmercifulness of their Stings; I mean, their rude and provoking Actions and Behaviour. It is true, in Countries blefs'd with good Laws, and good Governors and Magiftrates, wicked Men dare not do as they would, and are civil more out of Fear than Choice; but ftill the inward Temper and Inclination of their Minds is perfecuting and bloody against all that are uneafy to them, either by their Authority, Admonition, or Example: And if this Perverseness of Temper should meet in any near relation of Life, fuch as Magiftrate and Subject, Parent or Child, Mafter or Servant, Husband or Wife, near Neighbour or Kinfman; it is then a great deal more troublesome and intolerable. And as the Temper and Inclination of wicked Men prompts them to the Perfecution of others, there is often likewise a great Mixture of worldly Intereft which drives it on. The Scribes and Pharifees, in our Saviour's Days, drove on his Death, chiefly from this Confideration, that the World was like to forfake them, and follow him. What do we, fay they, for this Man doth many Miracles; if we let him thus alone, all Men will believe on him; and the Romans shall come and take away both our Place and Nation, John xi. 47. It is plain, then, they judged that their Intereft led them, as well as their Temper and Inclination, to the Perfecution of Jesus; and it has been often fo fince: The Promoters of Perfecution have an Eye to the Estates or Places of others, and contrive penal or fanguinary Laws, on purpose to catch Men of Principles and Confcience, that they |