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CCXI.

SERM." to their prayer." So that if bad men were never fo ill disposed toward the good, and bent to do them all the injury and mischief they could devife, the providence of GOD hath a thousand ways to prevent it; and if he pleases to interpofe between them and danger, who can harm them, if they would? He can "fnare the wicked in the works of their own hands, "and make the mifchief which they devifed" against good men, "to return upon their own heads;" he can weaken their hands, and infatuate their counfels, fo that they fhall not be able to bring their wicked enterprises to país; he can change their hearts, and turn the fiercenefs and rage of men against us into a fit of love and kindness, as he did the heart of Efau towards his brother Jacob; and their bitterest enmity against truth and goodnefs, into a mighty zeal for it, as he did in St. Paul, who when he came to Damafcus, fell a preaching up that way, which he came thither on purpose to perfecute. And this God hath promifed to do for good men, who are careful to please him. "When a man's ways please the LORD, he "will make his enemies to be at peace with him."

So that confidering the nature of goodness, and the nature of man,and the providence of GOD, "Who "is like to harm us, if we be followers of that which "is good?" None can reasonably do it; and he must be a very bad man that can find in his heart to do it, when there is no caufe, no temptation or provocation to it; and the providence of God, “who hath the "hearts of men in his hands, and can fway and in"cline them as he pleafeth," is particularly concerned to preferve good men from harm and mifchief.

And yet we are not to understand this faying of the apoftle, as declaring to us the conftant and certain event of things, without any exception to the con

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CCXI.

trary. For good men to appearance, nay thofe that SER M. are really fo, and the very beft of men, are fometimes. exposed to great injuries and fufferings; of which I shall give you an account in thefe following particulars..

I. Some that feem to be good, are not fincerely fo; and when they, by the juft judgment of GOD, are punished for their hypocrify, in the opinion of many. goodness feems to fuffer. Some, under a great profeffion and colour of religion, have done very bad. things, and when they justly suffer for great crimes, they call punishment perfecution, and the party and church which they are of, call them faints and martyrs.

II. Some that are really good, are very imperfect.. ly fo, have many flaws and defects, which do very much blemish and obfcure their goodness; they are "followers of that which is good," but they have an equal zeal for things which have no goodness in them, or fo little that it is not worth all that ftir and bustle which they make about them; and will contend as earnestly for a doubtful, and it may be for a falfe opinion, as for the articles of the creed, and for "the faith "which was once delivered to the faints," and will oppofe a little ceremony with as much heat, as the gteatest immorality. In thefe cafes, it is not mens goodness which raifeth enmity against them, but their imprudent zeal and other infirmities which attend it: but however, bad men are glad to lay hold of thofe occafions and pretences of enmity, which their indifcretion offers. Good men may be, and frequently are miftaken in their opinions and apprehenfions of things; but it is a great miftake to have an equal zeal for little, and doubtful things, as for the great and indifpenfable. duties of the chriftian life, and yet many times fo as to neglect those to a great degree; and men must blame themfelves for the inconveniences that happen to them

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SER M. for their own indifcretion; for neither will the nature CCXI. of the thing bear them out alike, nor will the provi

dence of God be equally concerned to protect men in the following of that, which they through gross miftake, and a heady conceit of their own knowledge in religion, think to be good, as in the following of that which is really and unquestionably good.

III. The enmity of some men against goodness is fo violent and implacable, that no innocency, no excellency of goodness, how great foever, can reftrain their malice towards good men, or hinder the effects of it, when it comes in their way, and they have power to do them mifchief. Againft these the provi dence of Gop is our beft fafe-guard; and it is wif dom, as much as poffible, to keep out of their way, and to pray with St. Paul, that we may be "deli"vered from wicked and unreasonable men;" men of fo abfurd a malice againft goodness that it is not to be prevented by any innocency or prudence; and so implacable, that there is no way to gain and reconcile them, nor perhaps is it much defirable; their good word would be no credit to us, and their friendship would be pernicious, when it cannot be had on other terms, than of conniving at their faults, and being concerned in their quarrels, and at last quarrelling and breaking with them, unless we will "run "with them to the fame excefs of riot." The friendfhip of fuch men is more terrible than their enmity, and their malice much lefs to be dreaded than their kindness,

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IV. The last and chief exception is that of the cross, when the fufferings and perfecutions of good men are neceffary for the great ends of God's glory, for the advancement of religion, and the example and falvation of others. And with this exception all the

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CCXI.,

declarations of fcripture concerning the temporal prof. SER M. perity and safety of good men, and all the promises of the new teftament are to be understood. And this exception our SAVIOUR himself exprefly makes, Mark x. 29, 30. "Verily I fay unto you, there is no man "that hath left house, or brethren, or fifters, or fa"ther, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, " for my fake and the gofpel's, but he shall receive "an hundred-fold now in this time, houfes, and bre"thren, and fifters, and mothers, and children, and "lands, with perfecution;' and in the world to come "eternal life; that is, fo far as a state of perfecution would admit, all these loffes fhould be recompensed to them in this prefent time; as they were to the apostles in a remarkable manner, when they who had but little to part with for the gofpel, had the eftates of Chriftians laid at their feet and committed to their disposal, for the nobleft purposes of charity, and common fupport of Chriftians, which was as much to them as if they had been masters of the greatest eftates; and whatever was wanting to any of them in the accomplishment of this promife, was abundantly made up to them in the unspeakable and eternal happiness of the world to come. And this exception the apoftle St. Peter is careful to mention exprefly, immediately after the text; for after he had faid, "who is he that will harm you, if ye be follow"ers of that which is good?" he immediately adds, "But, and if ye fuffer for righteousness sake, happy "are ye; and be not afraid of their terror, neither be

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troubled, but fanctify the LORD GOD in your "hearts;" that is, in this cafe, fear Gop more than men, "and be ready always to give an answer to every "man, that afketh you a reafon of the hope that “is in you;" that is, if ye be queftioned for be

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CCXI.

SER M. ing Chriftians, be ready to own your profeffion, and to give a reafon of it: fo that the apoftle fuppofeth, that notwithstanding what he had faid, that ordinarily it is not in the nature of men to perfecute men for true goodness, yet they must not expect to be exempted from perfecution, which was neceffary for the establishment of the chriftian religion.

In these cafes GOD permits the devil to inftigate and exasperate evil men against thofe that are good, to act beyond their ufual temper. Thus GoD, when he defigned an illuftrious example of patience for all ages of the world, he lets loofe the devil, not only to ftir up his inftruments the Chaldeans and Sabeans against Job, but to afflict him immediately himfelf with bodily pains and difeafes. In thefe and the like cafes, the best men are expofed to the greatest fufferings. Thus GoD permitted Socrates, that great light among the Gentiles, and the glory of philofophy, to be cruelly treated and put to death, for an example of virtue, and a teftimony against their impious and abominable idolatry. And thus likewife when it was neceffary for the common falvation of men, and to give the world an example beyond all exception of the greateft innocency, enduring the greateft indignities and fufferings with the greatest patience that one fhould fuffer for all mankind, he permitted the best man that ever was, GoD and goodness incarnate, by "wicked hands to be crucified and flain," and afterwards when it was neceffary for the propagation and establishment of chriftianity in the world, that the truth of it should be fealed by the death of so many martyrs, GoD was pleafed to fuffer the rage of ban men to break out into all manner of violence and cruelty.

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But yet notwithstanding thefe exceptions, thofe who

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