Blind, Lights to them which are in Dark- SERM. nefs, &c. Shall we therefore, who think VI. ourselves able to teach others, not teach ourselves? Shall we, who fay a Chriftian fhould commit no manner of Violence or Cruelty, be guilty of that very Crime ourfelves? Shall we, who make our Boaft of the Gospel, thro' breaking the Gospel difhonour God? For the Name of God is blafphem'd among the Gentiles thro' fuch fort of Chriftians. For the Profeffion of Chriftianity verily profiteth, if we live according to the Gofpel; but if we abuse, and neglect it, our Profeffion becomes the fame, as if we did not profefs it at all. Therefore if He who does not profefs Christianity keeps the Righteoufness of the Gospel, fhall not He be as acceptable to God, as He who does profefs it? And fhall not He, who has the Light of Nature only to direct Him, if He fulfil the Law, judge us, who by observing the Letter only, and by regarding nothing but a bare empty Profeffion, tranfgrefs it? For he is not a Christian, who is one outwardly by Profeffion, any more than that is true Q2 Circumcifion

SER M. Circumcifion, which is outward in the Flesh;

VI.

but he is a Christian, who is one inwardly; and the true Profeffion of Christianity is that of the Heart in the Spirit, and not in the Letter, whofe Praise is not of Men, but of God. But to this perhaps it will be objected, that this is putting Chriftians and Heathens upon the fame footing; for if the Cafe be fo, how is a Christian better than a Heathen. To which I answer, Not at all, but rather worfe; he is better in no refpect, that I know of, unless he leads a better Life. A Chriftian by having a better Light to walk by, and the Influence of God's Holy Spirit to direct him, has, no doubt of it, great Advantages above a Heathen; but unless he makes a good Use of it, 'tis no advantage to him at all: 'Tis the same thing to him, as if he had it not.

The ancient Moralifts thought it to be the proper Business of a Philofopher to live well; and fhall it be the proper Bufinefs of a Chriftian to live ill? Or fhall we break all the Rules of Humanity to fhew what good Chriftians we are? 'Tis

the

the Privilege of Human Nature above SERM.
Brutes, fays Antoninus, to love those that VI.
disoblige us. (Lib. 7.) This is the Doctrine
of an Heathen, and the Gospel teaches us
the fame Leffon, when it bids us pray
for those that despitefully ufe us; and yet
the perfecuting Chriftian is for hating
those, that do him no Injury at all. And
the fame Author fays elsewhere, that we
ought to be beneficial to others, as being
that which as Men we are bound to
do. (Lib. 9.) Take me, fays he, in ano-
ther Place, under the particular Distinc-
tion of Antoninus, and Rome is my Town
and Country; but confider me as a Man
in general, and I belong to the Corpora-
tion of the World; that therefore, and
that only, which is ferviceable to both
thefe Societies, is an Advantage to me.
(Lib.6.) What a generous benevolent Tem-

per
this is! Now which of these is the good
Man, he who without the Gospel practi-
fes a benevolent charitable Temper, or
he who with it an uncharitable perfecu-
ting one? Such a one is fo far from being
a Chriftian, that he is a Compofition of

the

VI.

SERM. Worft Part of Heathenifm, as being made up of a Spirit, that tends to deftroy the great Law of Nature, which no Reveal'd Religion, nor even an Angel from Heaven can do, without altering the Nature of Things, and making Right and Wrong ftand for other things than what they do at present.

i

But it is Time now to draw nigh to a Conclufion: And in order to make fome Use of what has been faid, let us all endeavour to get more Love, and Charity, and univerfal Benevolence; and let us beware of rafh Judgment, for it is a very natural and easy Transition from rafh judging to hating, and then there will be nothing wanting but Power to make a compleat Perfecutor: Let us confider not how we differ from one another, but how far we differ from the Truth; and leave one another in the Poffeffion of each others Right, confidering that One is our Mafter, even Chrift, and all we are Brethren. Have we any Overflowings of Hatred or Ill-Nature, let us beftow it upon our Sins; and let us be fparing of our Fire-Brands,

and

and leave fuch hot antichriftian Work to SERM. that Church that deals in fuch things; for VI. we read that Michael, tho' an ArchAngel, when contending with the Devil, brought not against him fo much as a railing Accufation; but faid, the Lord rebuke thee. Let us of all things beware of false Zeal, for that makes People Perfecutors even against their Nature; as is plain from the People of thofe Countries, where the Inquifition reigns, who are obferv'd to fhew as much Compaffion as any People in the World for a Malefactor, who is to fuffer for Murder, Robbery, &c. And yet when they see a poor innocent Perfon, dragg'd from a horrid Dungeon with trembling Limbs, and a meagre Countenance, and faftned to a Stake in the midft of a devouring Flame, for no other Crime than for not having the fame Understanding with them, they fhew all the Tokens of Joy and Pleasure, imaginable. Good God! that ever People fhould come to fuch a height of Wickedness, as to look up to thee, whom they offend every Day of their Lives, and beg thy Mercy and Forgiveness,

and