and perfecuted, Matth. v. 11, 12. God's heritage hath been always a fpeckled bird; and his children for figns and wonders; and thofe who are the greatest bleffings of the age, branded as troublers of Ifrael. And, indeed, if they called the Mafter of the house Beelzebub, no nick-name faltened upon his followers can seem ftrange. But this leads,

III. To the third thing, which was, To enquire into fome of these marks of reproach and contempt that uses to be caft upon Chrift and his friends, in the world. It is a true faying that the apollle hath, with refpect to the children of God; "If in this life only we had hope, we are of all men the most miferable." This he speaks with reference to the trials that they muft lay their account with, in the world; for, they must be the butt of the maliçe of the world, and the fubje&t of the mockery of the wicked; yea, of many profeffors in Ifrael; "Behold, I and the children, whom the Lord hath given me, arę for figns and for wonders in Ifrael." There are these, and the like following marks of reproach that are caft upon them.

The First mark of reproach is, That fometimes they are held for monfters and prodigies of folly and impudence; 1 Cor. iv. 10. "We are fools for Chrifl's fake;" i. e. we are thus reckoned in the judgment of the world; because we prefer affliction before fin; and because we fear God more than man; and the wrath of God more than the wrath of a king. The world reckons it is a folly for men to choofe affliction rather than fin. No doubt, the three children were reckoned fools, to expofe themselves to the king's fiery furnace: but furely it was more wisdom than to expose themselves to God's fiery furnace, whofe wrath is more terrible than all the fury of the kings of the earth. The world thinks Mofes's choice a folly; what! to prefer afflictions with the people of God, before all the pleasures of fin, and grandeur of Pharaoh's court!

The Second mark of reproach is this, They are fometimes, held for monfters and prodigies of wickedness, monsters of villany. Chrift himfelf was reproached as

the

the most arrant villain, upon the face of the earth; a man in compact with the devil: his followers were ftig. matized with the greateft of wickednefs; their religious meetings and conventicles for divine worship, were reproached as being cloaks for covering the defign of whoredom and uncleannefs. Papifts have looked upon Proteftants as the wòrft of devils incarnate: and do not loofe-living perfons look upon thofe that are ftrict, to be nothing but bale perfons, a pack of hypocrites, liars, and deceivers? They put them in bear-fkins, and then bark at them, and worry them. You will get a wretched, graceless, curfing, ranting debauchee, that, in fome company, will perfecute a child of God, and make him as hell, if you will believe him; and, if you obferve attentively, you may fee juft the devil, the father of fies, and accufer of the brethren, fpeaking out of him; and his tongue to be the inftrument of calumny, while he reprefents them as enemies to the law and holiness. See Acts xviii. 13.

The Third mark of reproach is, That they are fome times held as monsters of injurioufnefs and hurtfulness: though even for their fakes the world is upheld, and for their fakes the wicked have many mercies continued with them; yet they are many times looked upon as the troublers of church and ftate: thus Elijah was the man that most lamented the fins of Ifrael, and yet he is called the troubler of Ifrael, 1 Kings xviii. 17. Thus they are reproached fometimes with rebellion, and as enemies to civil government, having laws different from all people, Efther iii. 8. "And Haman faid unto the king Ahafuerus, There is a certain people scattered abroad, and difperfed among the people, in all the provinces of thy kingdom, and their laws are diverse from all people, neither keep they the king's laws; therefore it is not for the king's profit to fuffer them." While they hold by the laws of King Jefus, in oppofition to all the laws of earthly government, that feem to clafh with the law of God, then they are treated as lawlefs perfons. When Amos was reproving the fins of Ifrael, the priests of Bethel complain upon him to the government, Amos x. 11,13. Thus were the Chriftians reproached, Acts xvii. 7.

"Thefe

"Thefe are they, fay the wicked Jews, that have turned the world upfide down:" and thefe all do contrary to the decrces of Cæfar, faying, "That there is another king, one Jefus." Thus the builders of the walls of Jerufalem were accufed and charged with rebellion against the government, Neh. ii. 19. "They laughed us to scorn, and defpifed us, faying, What is this ye do? Will ye rebel against the King?"

The Fourth mark of reproach is this, They are fome times held as monsters of pride and felf-conceit; as men affecting fingularity; as men who think themselves wifer than others, and as a fect and faction preferable to all others, Acts xxviii. 22. "As for this feet, we know, that every-where it is spoken against:" where the godly were reprefented under the invidious name of a fect, or a party, that affected fingularity.-The maflers and maintainers of fects are looked upon as enemies to the great corporation of mankind: but there is not the leaft colour to put this fcandalous character upon the true profeffors of Chriftianity, or followers of Chrift: for, it establishes that which is of general concern to all mankind.

We read, indeed, of the Sect of the Sadducees, who juftly deferved that character; becaufe they overturned the foundation of religion, by denying a future ftate, and the immortality of the foul: whereas, the gofpel, and true religion, establish thofe principles that concern man's everlafting welfare.-Alfo it cannot be called a fect, because it hath a native tendency to the uniting the children of men to the Son of God, and to one another in him, by love. Chrift died to break down partition-walls, and to flay all enmity; and taught all his followers, not only to love one another, but to love their enemies. And his gofpel, and the believers of it, are far from being a fect, which is fuppofed to lead to divifion, and fow difcord. It is true, the preaching of the gospel hath been the occafion of much contention in the world and hence the preachers of the gospel have been branded as men of contention, Jer. xv. 10. where the prophet fays, he was born a man of ftrife, and a man of contention to the whole earth; on which account

Chrift fays, he came not to fend peace, but a fword ; and to fet men at variance one against another, Mat. X. 34, 35. intimating, what occafion of contention the golpel would be; and what a load of reproaches might thereupon be caft upon its followers, as if they were contentious perfons, and divifion-makers: but whatever divifion or contention it be the occafion of, yet it is nowife the caufe of contention; for, it was intended to be the cure of it and fo far as gofpel truth and principles do powerfully prevail, upon the hearts of men, fo far doth it make them meek and quiet, and of a loving difpofition; for, the wisdom that is from above, is pure and peaceable; and the gofpel proclaims peace on earth.-In a word, true gofpel-believers are fo far from being a divifive feet, that, whereas the authors of fects ufe to be governed by fecular intereft, and to aim at wealth, honour, and grandeur; true religion, inftead of preferring a man to honour, lays him open to difgrace; and lays him obnoxious to fines and forfeiture, to flames and faggots, racks and imprisonments, when religion is perfecute openly, as was the common lot of the primitive Christians, and of feveral after-ages of the church; and hath been the lot of fome in Britain, yea, in Scotland, fince the Reformation: and that it is not the lot of our day, is owing to reflraining Providence; but how foon it may be your lot, is hard to tell. However, in this refpect, it is far from being a fect governed by fecular intereft.

We read likewife of the Sect of the Pharifees; and they proved themfelves to be a fect, by thirsting after the praise of men, by devouring widows houfes, and the like but fome fworn enemies to the Chriftian religion, fuch as Cæfar Vaninus, who was induftrious in fearching out all objections against it, owned there was no thing in it that favoured of carnal and worldly designs. True Chriftianity is a heavenly calling, not under the conduct of fleshly wisdom.

But if, notwithstanding of all this, the true followers of Chrift be nicknamed a fect; if a strict and fober converfation; if a zealous contending for the faith; if a diligent attendance upon, and adherence to the gospel,

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and its truths and ordinances; if joining in religious focieties, for prayer and Chriftian conference, and endeavouring in our places, the fuppreffion of error, immorality and profanenefs; if a vigorous oppofition to every thing that encroaches upon the prerogative of Chrift, or tendeth to hurt the doctrine, worship, difcipline, and government of his houfe; if these, and the like, be called and counted the badge of a fect, or party, let us not be moved at it; but rather fay as David, 2 Sam. vi. 22. "If this be to be vile, I will be more vile." Let us not be deterred from gospel-principles and practices, by the invidious name of a fect: it is better to be under the reproach of men, for following of Christ, than to be under the curfe of God for forfaking him.

The Fifth mark of reproach caft upon them is, That fometimes they are held as monsters of error, and as figns and wonders for novelty of doctrine and deportment, Acts xvii. 19, 20. "What new doctrine is this? For thou bringest certain ftrange things to our ears:" and yet it was nothing but the doctrine of Chrift and his gofpel, preached from the beginning of the world in Paradife, and profeffed of thro' the Old Teftament; however, it was reproached as a new fcheme, and a doctrine fubverfive of the law; "This fellow perfuades men to worship God contrary to the law," Acts xviii. 13. Chrift himfelf was obliged to vindicate himself, from this charge, faying, Mat. v. 17. "Think not that I am come to deftroy the law and the prophets; I am not come to deftroy, but to fulfil." And Paul vindicated himself, Rom. iii. 31. "Do we make void the law, through faith? God forbid! Nay, we establish the law."

The Sixth mark of reproach is, They are held as monfters of melancholy, dulnefs and ftupidity; that is an ordinary reproach caft upon religion, as if it turned men dumpish and fottifh, dull and melancholy: which is 'occafioned especially by the humbled and dejected circumftances of new beginners in religion; while they are under a fpirit of bondage, and under a law-work of conviction and humiliation. But let poor humbled fouls, that are weighted under a fenfe of fin, and fear of wrath, and grievous reflections upon their mifpent time; VOL. I. S

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