II.

SERM. If.lx. 21; in the City of God, whereinto there skall in no wise enter any thing that defileth, neither whosoever worketh abomination, or maketh a Lie, Rev. xxi. 27. This is a Reward, the Prospect and Defire whereof, in the performance of our Duty, is no Diminution from the most exalted Love of God, or even of Virtue for Virtue's fake; but is indeed the very fame thing, or entirely coincident with, the Love of Virtue and the Love of God. For which reason, not only Mofes; who, when he was come to years, refused to be called the Son of Pharaoh's Daughter ; chufing rather to fuffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the Pleasures of Sin for a Seafon; Efteeming the reproach. of Chrift greater Riches than the Treasures in Egypt; not only Mofes, I fay, is in Scripture recorded, without any mark of Blame, to have had Respect, in all this, to the Recompence of Reward, Heb. xi. 26; and Abraham, that he looked for a City which bath Foundations, whofe Builder and Maker is God, ver. 10. and the Martyrs of old, that they endured what they did, in hopes of obtaining a better Refurrection, ver. 35:

But

II.

But even of our Saviour himself 'tis ex-SER M. preffly affirmed, ch. xii. 2. that for the joy which was Jet before him, he endured the Cross, defpifing the Shame, and is fat down at the right hand of the Throne of God.

2dly, The worshipping the Lord our God, as it denotes primarily That Internal Regard we are to bear towards him in the Affections of our Minds; fo it implies likewife, in the next place, our making fuitable Confeffion with our Mouths, Rom. x. 10. With the Heart Man believeth unto Righteousness, and with the Mouth Confeffion is made unto Salvation. For 'tis our Duty, not only to have a conftant Senfe of God upon our own Minds, but to honour him alfo before men, and to promote the Knowledge of Him and his Truth in the World: And This Obligation, includes Many Particulars. The first and most obvious, is our obligation to make profeffion of the True Religion, how detrimental foever fuch profeffion may prove to our present temporal Intereft. This is the Foundation of all the Slanders and Calumnies, of all the Reproaches and Perfecutions, which the

D 3

best

II.

SER M. beft and most virtuous men have in all Ages and in all Nations fuffered, upon account of their adhering to the Cause of Truth and Righteoufnefs. Whofoever, fays our Saviour, Shall confefs me before men, him will I confefs also before my Father which is in Heaveu: But whofoever shall deny Me before men, him will I alfo deny before my Father which is in Heaven, Matt. x. 32. And ftill more diftinctly Mark viii. 38. Whosoever shall be ashamed of Me and of my Words, in this adulterous and finful generation, of him also shall the Son of Manbe ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the Holy Angels. This therefore is the first and principal Inftance of Confeffing God with our Mouths; The making conftant Profeffion of the True Doctrine of Religion, how much foever we may poffibly fuffer thereby in our temporal Intereft. need I here to have added the word, poffi bly; Since indeed it can fearce poffibly be otherwife, but that mens ftedfastly adhering to what is True and Right, will always be more or lefs hurtful to their Temporal Intereft, For though in the general,

Nor

the

II.

the Profeffion of Chriftian Religion does SER M.
not now expofe men to perfecution, as in the
Apostles Days; but on the contrary, Chrif-
tianity is in Some Countries publickly fup-
ported and encouraged: yet in the particu-
lar circumstances of life, fuch is the Ig-
norance and Superftition, fuch the Preju-
dices, Paffions, and Animofities of Men;
that whofoever will not fuffer himself to
be fwayed, according to the Customs of
a corrupt Age, by Other Arguments than
those of Truth and Right; will certainly
lofe very many Advantages; and perhaps
be despised and ill-fpoken of for fo doing:
yea, and All that will live Godly in Chrift
Jefus, fays the Apostle, shall fuffer perfe-
cution. 2 Tim. iii. 12. Next therefore to
the Profeffion of true Religion in general,
there is further implied in this Duty of
Confeffing God with our Mouths, an obliga-
tion not to be ashamed of Truth and Right,
of Virtue and Goodness, in all particular
Cafes wherein they may happen to be con-
tefted. St Paul, as he declared in general,
that he was not ashamed of the Gospel of
Chrift, Rom. i. 16; so, when in a par-
ticular circumftance he judged St Peter to

SER M. have departed from the Simplicity of the II. Gofpel, he withflood him to the Face, Gal. ii. II. And 'tis accordingly excellent Advice which is given by the Son of Sirach, Ecclus. iv. 20. Beware of Evil, and be not afhamed when it concerns thy Soul: For there is a fhame that bringeth Sin, and there is a shame which is glory and grace: Accept no perfon against thy Soul, and let not thy Reverence of any man cause thee to fall: Refrain not to speak, when there is occafion to do good; ftrive for the Truth unto death, and the Lord fhall fight for thee, Promoting fteddily the Intereft of Truth and Virtue, is making confeffion of God, who is the Author of Truth, and whose Glory and Honour is the establishment of Virtue and Righteoufnefs. In these things confifts the Kingdom of God; in these confifts the excellency of rational Creatures: And when men of corrupt minds despise every thing as Folly and Enthusiasm, that happens not to ferve the Interests of Covetoufnefs and Ambition; then to adhere ftedfaftly to Truth and Virtue, notwithftanding all the Contempt that may be caft upon them, is what our Saviour calls, not