not being accepted, nor his offering, flew him, because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous; or because God had given the one faith, and not the other; and because the work of faith was accepted, and the work of the flesh rejected. A perfon is perfecuted for righteousness fake, when God has given him, by the Spirit, the word of righteousness, and fent him to preach it; as he did to Noah, in whom, and by whom, the Spirit of Chrift ftrove with the wicked Antediluvians, whofe fouls are now in prifon, (1 Peter, iii. 19.) till God faid,

My Spirit fhall not always ftrive with man." Soon after, God brought in the flood upon the world of the ungodly, and faved Noah, a preacher of righteousness. He must be in a juftified state, who, in the fenfe of the text, is perfecuted for righteoufnefs fake. If impoftors, infidels, or hypocrites, bring a perfecution upon themselves, it is rather a being buffeted for their hypocrify, than being persecuted for righteousness fake and it is often feen, that fuch go back again, with humble fubmiffion, to the Devil and the world; and, to atone for their paft offences, commit all uncleanness with greec'inefs. Perfons, therefore, that are juftified by faith, and live in good confcience; who vindicate the honour of a righteous God, and reprove unrighteous and wicked men; who profefs, or preach, the righteousness of faith, and oppose errors advanced; and who live by the faith of the Son of God; and

whofe

whose conduct and converfation in the world is juft and upright before God, and before men; these are the perfons that are perfecuted for righteousness fake, and theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blefjed are ye when men fhall revile you, and perfecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falfely, for my fake. Reviling a perfon's name and character, his writings, preaching, religion, or profeffion, without any juft charge of ignorance, error, hypocrify, or immorality, is reviling him falfely. Opposing a fervant of Chrift, refifting, gainfaying, or endeavouring to hinder his usefulness in the work of God, is perfecuting him. Calling him an Antinomian, a bad fpirit, a licentious perfon, and an encourager of fin, without either ground or proof, is fpeaking evil against him falfely-and that for Chrift's fake.

Rejoice, and be exceeding glad; for great is your reward in heaven. The Saviour knew these things would not always be found eafy to flesh and blood, therefore tells us to rejoice that he counts us worthy to fuffer reproach and fhame for his name; and in that we are honoured in being employed in the Lord's fervice, and in fighting the Lord's battles. Furthermore it fhews, that fuch a foul is tolerably found in the faith, and pretty well purged from the spirit of the world, and from the community of it, as they fo deteft him; which is matter of rejoicing, for many legal profeffors and hypocrites

are

are fenfible that they want this teft. Moreover, the reproach that falls on us, for Chrift's fake, is the reproach of Chrift himself: it falls on the mem, bers for the fake of the head. And

Great is the reward of righteous perfons, fuffering wrongfully for righteousness fake; for God is their portion, glory their crown, and heaven itself their home, and their reward of inheritance.

For fo perfecuted they the prophets that were before you. They fuffered reproach and perfecution who Thewed before of the coming of the Juft One; and they fhare the fame who embrace him that is come. The Saviour, therefore, fets the reward against perfecution, to counterbalance it; that light afflictions, which are but for a moment, may appear as nothing, when compared to an eternal weight of glory.

Ye are the falt of the earth. Salt is emblematical of fpecial grace. "Have falt in yourselves, and

have peace one with another." Mark ix. 50. And to fhew that the grace of God is needful in every branch of God's fervice and worship, God fays, With all thine offerings thou shalt offer falt. Lev. ii, 13. Grace is needful in christian converfation, or no grace can be communicated by it. "Let your speech be feasoned with falt." Col. iv. 6. Salt is a penetrable article: and fo is grace; it will penetrate into a hard heart, a ftubborn will, and foon ftop a raging putrefaction, and heal a

loath

oathfome difeafe. Ye are the falt of the earth. "All flesh hath corrupted it's way; but I have fea"foned you."-The Spirit, and grace of God, are in you, and you are to feafon others.

But if the falt bath loft it's favour, wherewith Shall it be falted? But if your ministry, company, and converfation, hath loft all it's favour with gracelefs profeffors, or earthly-minded men, so thať they relish not the things that be of God, how shall the earth be falted? What elfe can preferve them from becoming a ftink in the noftrils of God? Nothing. And fo it appeared when the Romish army laid them in heaps, as dung upon the earth; the falt was all gathered out, and the stink of their camps and their carcafes foon went up.

It is thenceforth good for nothing. It is good for nothing in the judgment of hardened and impenitent finners; it profits them nothing; but is a favour of death unto death: they mock at it, and their bands are made ftrong; it leaves them without a cloak for their fin; in their esteem it is good for ' nothing but to be caft out; they caft the apoftles out of the fynagogue, and broke the pleasing bonds of the Everlasting Covenant asunder, and caft their cords from them, and fo judged themselves unworthy of eternal life. And at last the falt

Was trodden under foot of men. They trampled on the blood of the Everlafting Covenant, on the ministry of Divine Grace, and on the Church of the

living

living God; and therefore the Saviour trampled them in his fury, and left them without help, to tread, by themselves, the wine-press of the wrath of Almighty God.*

Te are the light of the world. Ye are Mount Zion, the perfection of beauty, out of which God will fhine. "In you hath he fet a tabernacle for "his Sun, which is as a bridegroom coming out of "his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run

a race." The Spirit of Illumination is in you; and it will ever fhine through you, and make you burning and fhining lights; "yea, a flaming fire:" and from you the light fhall fhine from east to west, and nothing shall be hid from the heat thereof.

A city that is fet on an hill cannot be bid. It's fmoke, lights, lamps, towers, and walls, are feen at a great distance. "And upon Mount Zion, and 66 on all her affemblies, fhall be a fmoke by day, "and the burning of a flaming fire by night. I "am your wall of falvation, your high tower, and "your fortress: and I will make you as a tower "and a fortrefs; yea, as an iron pillar, and a brazen "wall." And the Lamp of Salvation, in the hand of your faith, fhall enlighten thousands into the ways of Zion, who fhall fee her glory, privileges, and beautiful fituation; and both "ftrangers and "foreigners fhall become fellow-citizens of it."

Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bufhel, but on a candlestick. I have not enlightened

you