.

VI.

tians, and in throwing the Scandal of them SERM. not where they should, upon the Perfons to whom they belong, but upon their Religion to which they do not. Christians fhould confider that they are fet up as a City upon an Hill to be view'd by all Men, and the Light that was given them was defign'd for the use of others, as well as themselves; For their Light was fo to shine before Men, that they might fee their good Works, and glorify their Father which is in Heaven. They are therefore to have more Love and Charity and universal Benevolence, as well as every other Virtue, than the reft of Mankind, otherwise they bring an Odium upon themselves, and their Profeffion too. For if Chriftians were to abound more in Hatred and Ill-Nature than the rest of the World, how contemptible muft they appear in the Sight of the Heathen, and of all thofe who have not the Light of the Gospel for their Direction? May not they very justly say,

If to be a. found and orthodox Chriftian is to have a greater degree of Cruelty and Barbarity than the reft of the World,

how

SERM. how is it that you are in a better CondiVI. tion than we? Or wherein are we worfe,

or even fo bad as You? For the better fort of us have always acknowledg'd our Obligations to the Law of Nature, of which you allow that of Mofes and of Chrift to be an Improvement, and yet you manifeftly break them all,

If you have the fame turbulent Paffions, the fame Spirit of Cruelty and Inhumanity with the worst of us, what is become of that Light you pretend to enjoy by the Gospel? In short, if you live no better Lives with the Gofpel, than we do without it, wherein do you differ from us? And indeed I think, whatever Difference there is, the Heathens have much the Advantage of us. For if we are come to that Pafs, that the Light that is in us be Darkness, how great is that Darkness? Shall we, who call ourselves Chriftians, and reft on the Gospel, and make our boast of God, and know his Will, and approve the things that are more excellent, being inftructed out of the Gospel, and are confident that we ourselves are Guides of the

Blind

Blind, Lights to them which are in Dark- SERM. nefs, &c. Shall we therefore, who think VI. ourselves able to teach others, not teach ourfelves? Shall we, who fay a Christian fhould commit no manner of Violence or Cruelty, be guilty of that very Crime ourfelves? Shall we, who make our Boast 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 Gospel; 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 Righteousness 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 ùs, who by obferving 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

SERM.

VI.

Circumcifion, which is outward in the Flefh; but he is a Chriftian, 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 Chriftian 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 fame thing to him, as if he had it not.

The ancient Moralifts thought it to be the proper Bufinefs 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. difoblige 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 defpitefully 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 another Place, under the particular Distinction of Antoninus, and Rome is my Town and Country; but confider me as a Man in general, and I belong to the Corporation 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 Temper this is! Now which of these is the good Man, he who without the Gospel practises a benevolent charitable Temper, or he who with it an uncharitable perfecuting one? Such a one is fo far from being a Christian, that he is a Compofition of

the